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kqutie · 1 month ago

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THE PRINCESS' SEVEN MERCENARIES

CHAPTER FIVE : THE SMITTEN CHARMER

relations. : cevans various/reader -- steve rogers/reader ; curtis everett/reader ; ari levinson/reader ; lloyd hansen/reader ; andy barber/reader ; jake jensen/reader ; ransom drysdale/reader

chpt. sum. : operations centres around the royal family and the capital. with nothing to do, ransom volunteers to stay home with you hoping to drive you away only to be pulled in by your charms.

tags. : snow white and the seven dwarves au ; fairy tale au ; fluff ; domestic fluff ; a/b/o universe but it's not the central point ; disney princess reader and her seven sexy mercenaries hehe~ ; ransom drysdale centric chapter ; ransom fully falls for you ; scheming ari ; lloyd being stubborn ; jake being a lovable dork ; slight a/b/o dynamics

length. : 5.8k

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Full of your delicious food catered in gratitude to Curtis, the team ensured you were comfortable before commencing their nightly meeting, as was routine. They delved into the recent developments and Steve swiftly handed the lead over to Lloyd who informed them of their latest target — the kingdom’s royal family.

“Not a lot is known except for the fact that the Queen has been the official ruler ever since the sudden passing of the previous monarch in battle,” Lloyd informs and clicks his tongue, his lips tugging up into a smirk that was simultaneously an unsatisfied grimace, “her rule is… turbulent. There’s good and bad but the good doesn’t always seem to outweigh the bad,”

Andy nods along and smoothly interjects with the information he had dug up on his supplementary research, “It’s said that the previous King had a daughter but since his passing, there have been no known sightings of the princess. Talk of her flits between heedless rumours and confident accounts; the consensus of her existence appears mixed. It also seems as though the palace staff have been confined to the palace so reliable accounts of inner palace workings are close to none…”

Silence.

“That’s it?” Steve asks, his tone more curious than accusatory at the lack of information.

“I’m afraid so,” Andy confesses following a sigh as Lloyd shakes his head trying to deny the situation.

“We’re back to zero,” Lloyd mutters but is still loud enough for the team to comprehend and there’s a unanimous slumping of shoulders throughout the room.

“At least we know where to focus our efforts from now on,” Steve is optimistic, “a concentrated effort is better than a divergent one,”

“To think that the royal family could be a suspect…” Jake shares a look with Ransom, prompting the machiavellian mercenary to speak his thoughts.

“But it seems the queen is the only primary suspect. Nobody even knows if there’s a definite princess or not,”

“That’s true…” Ari adds as Curtis nods beside him, “Our operations can go two ways then, investigation into the Queen or the potential Princess. Is she even real?”

Lloyd grumbles, “It would be useless looking into her if that’s the case,”

“If she’s real, that would make her the true heir,” Andy helpfully points out. “So keeping staff inside the palace would also keep talk of the princess at bay and potentially lead the kingdom into questioning whether she exists in the first place…but is this hypothetical princess already of age or not?”

“No clue,” Andy shrugs, frustrated.

Another silence fills the space as the group slowly turn to their captain. Prompted by his team’s gazes, Steve begins to lease out assignments catered to each member’s speciality. Andy and Steve will take on further strategising and research efforts. Lloyd will carry that further by tailing several known nobles who are allowed limited access into the castle. Curtis will aid in Lloyd’s assignment. Jake and Ari, equipped with knowledge of weaponry and magical artefacts, will continue investigating the stolen artefacts in a more localised area spanning the kingdom’s city centre. Steve has also permitted them to engage in suspicious and potentially dangerous activity. As the captain, wasn’t willing to risk causing a stir in the underground too early on in their investigation but, now that they had a lead, they were ready to get their hands dirty again. That left Ransom with nothing to do and free to join any of the three operations.

“I’ll stay here then, keep an eye on our intruder,” Ransom’s comment makes Curtis visibly displeased as Ari smirks, looking smug.

“Don’t be shy now, you like her~” Jake smirks, narrowing his eyes in playful accusation, “you wouldn’t be so eager to stay behind, otherwise; Captain finally gave us the green light for going all the way,”

Ransom glares at the only other beta in the group, prompting Ari to laugh as Andy smirks in amusement, Steve remains a neutral observer, “I still don’t fully trust her.” Ransom turns to Steve, “With your permission captain, I’d like to make some observations of my own,” To the surprise of everyone, Steve accepts.

“But you have to promise not to do anything that would scare her away. Judging from what Curtis told us about escorting her to the nearest village, she’s safer with us than anywhere else and we can’t risk her safety.”

Comforted by Steve’s condition, Curtis eases into his seat as everyone else nods in agreement. Lloyd seems to be the only other person still at odds with you. He and Ransom couldn’t believe how vocal they were upon arriving home and being told what had transpired. Their current backtracking was almost laughable to the group. They didn’t want to admit the growing softness they had towards you – that was the last thing they wanted to do.

“Sure,” Ransom agrees flippantly. Although that was enough for Steve to finally give his dismissal, some others weren’t quite satisfied yet. Lloyd happily retires while everyone else lingers, not allowing Ransom to leave until they’ve said their share.

Curtis gives Ransom a silent look that borders on a glare before dragging an equally glaring (though not as intimidating) Jake out of the meeting room. Andy moves to stand by Ransom’s side and offers a hushed warning. Despite the negotiator’s usually modest disposition, Ransom couldn’t help but take his words seriously.

“She is innocent and precious and worth protecting Ransom; don’t let me see you treating her otherwise or you will have hell to pay,”

“Agreed,” Ari grips at Ransom’s shoulder tighter than what is necessary. The giant man is smiling amicably but his eyes are a piercing sort, eager to cut him up if Ransom ever crosses him. “Don’t mistreat our Angel,” there was enough threat in Ari’s eyes for him to leave.

“Goodnight Ransom,” Steve utters, his monotone voice coming off more threatening than it should and shoots a shuddering bolt down Ransom’s spine.

Breakfast twice in a row was pleasant. Heading out with full stomachs was pleasant. Having a lovingly prepared lunch to carry them through the day was pleasant. Leaving with a kiss on the cheek from an angel, was heaven on earth.

Steve graciously accepts his kiss with a soft smile, leaning over so you can reach. He smells clean, like fresh, cotton sheets and has a smile that makes you go weak in the knees. “Thank you…” he whispers and kisses the crown of your head before heading through the door first.

Andy kisses your knuckles first before leaning into your kiss against his cheek. He feels the light touch of your gentle fingers briefly comb through his neat beard and he raises a brow. Staying inclined towards you, he whispers, “You don’t like it?” he sounded willing to shave his entire beard off if that was your preference.

“No no, I like it,” you look adorable flustered under his questioning but fond stare, it prompts you to answer his silent question, “I just wanted to know how it felt,” he chuckles lowly and brings your hand up to cup his cheek and feel for his beard a little longer, “I’m glad you think so. Take care, pretty girl,” he kisses your fingers before joining his captain outside.

Jake approaches you shyly but with open arms. His bashfulness makes you smile and almost coo at his lovable image despite the visible muscle in his arms and his broad chest. You hug him close and turn your head to sweetly kiss him on the cheek. A little more shameless than the rest of his team, Jake quietly asks for a second kiss on his other cheek, which you happily grant. This sends him cheering and jumping in glee out the door, eager to brag about his second kiss to the rest of his teammates, “Have a great day, princess!” his favoured nickname still catches you off guard but you don’t let it show on your face this time.

Ari doesn’t tease you by staying upright this time and happily bends down for his kiss. However, he isn’t eager to let you pull away, “Don’t be shy,” Ari teases, holding your chin hostage and moving his lips to brush against your own as he speaks, “Why not a kiss on the lips, angel?” Your heart jumps in your chest and you almost give in to his smooth seduction.

“Shove off, Ari,” Lloyd grumbles, pushing away the tall, broad-shouldered man who laughs in good humour. Ari appears to get equal satisfaction from seeing you flustered as he would if you actually gave in and kissed his lips.

“I’ll get that kiss some day,” Ari promises as he steps away, leaving behind a grumbling Lloyd, who faces your flustered form sternly.

“Don’t let him do shit you don’t like,” silently, Lloyd leans down for his kiss too. And, feeling in the mood to tease, you kiss him on the corner of his lips, ignoring Ari’s hearty laugh outside the door from the display. Pulling away you barely contain the giggle that bubbles up at the sight of Lloyd’s wide eyes and pink cheeks.

“That moustache is a magnet,” you teasingly say, louder than you anticipated, which earned a round of laughter from the mercenaries outside the door. Lloyd refuses to burn a deeper shade of red and stomps off in a huff, stubbornly withholding his goodbyes despite your call to him.

“Have a good day, Lloyd!”

Last up was Curtis who patiently waited for his kiss behind everyone else. He holds your much smaller hands in his own as he receives his kiss and he doesn’t seem to want to let go, lingering behind the front door with you as he stares into your eyes. He doesn’t say anything but it’s all in his gentle, blue eyes, “Take care, Curtis. Come home safe,” he visibly softens at your words and leans down to touch his forehead with yours.

“I’ll be back soon…”

𖡼.𖤣𖥧𖡼.𖤣𖥧

It was just you and Ransom now. And Ransom was on a mission to test your limits. Confident in ‘innocently’ driving you away, he begins immediately with the chores you set yourself to do after the team leaves.

He sits around observing while you wash the breakfast plates. You informed him you had planned several things to do for the house and it began with maintenance chores such as doing the dishes, sweeping the floors and some light dusting. Again, you keep clear of the upstairs for their privacy. Andy had kindly asked you that morning to help them wash their bedsheets and ensured everyone delivered theirs to the pantry for you to easily sort through and wash up.

For now, you were sweeping the floors with a pan nearby to collect the debris. Ransom makes himself useful by doing nothing and instead, goes outside to get flowers for the dining table. He innocently forgets to dust the roots clean of soil before stepping through the front door and proudly showcasing his find and throwing clumps of dirt everywhere, rendering your earlier efforts useless. He expects you to angrily reprimand him for dirtying the floors again but is shocked to find you awed by his beautiful arrangement.

“Ransom, these flowers are gorgeous,” you lean forward to smell the bunch as your hands come up instinctively to hover over where he’s gripping the stems, “wherever did you find them?” he can’t deny your pretty eyes and cute lips; before he can stop himself, he’s already apologising for his mistake of dirtying the floor. He hardly apologises to anyone, if, at all.

“I’m sorry…about the floor,”

“Oh don’t worry, I can clean that up easily. Do you mind cleaning off the rest of the roots outside and putting the flowers in the sink with some water?” he’s captivated by your gentle demeanour and unjudging tone, “It’ll keep the flowers from wilting while I get a vase for them,”

Obediently, Ransom does as he’s told. Spurred on by your kind voice, gentle direction and sweet smile. It isn’t until he catches himself staring in wonderment while you tidy up the flowers on the dining room vase that he grows a newfound determination to push you away once more. He’s never felt so foolish!

You just finished putting the team’s clean bedsheets on the washing line to dry when Ransom comes prancing by, only to trip and kick up mud right onto the freshly washed sheet. Still collapsed on the ground, Ransom expects you to angrily shout at him for muddying your hard work but is shocked once more when you rush to his side instead.

“That fall looked like it hurt, are you alright?” you reach up and gently brush back his hair to examine his face before leaning back to observe the rest of his form for any injuries, “are you hurt anywhere? I’m not a medic but I know first aid,” as you continue fretting over him, Ransom stares in disbelief at you.

“Wh-what about the sheets?”

You only glace at the dirtied sheets briefly before returning your worried gaze back at him, “I can clean those again, easily,”

This would be harder than Ransom originally thought… but (and he’ll never admit this aloud) he quite likes your attention – you’re worried just for him, nobody else. Briefly, he wonders if he can easily monopolise you like this.

𖡼.𖤣𖥧𖡼.𖤣𖥧

The night before, you had offered to patch up Curtis’ torn shirt from his valiant rescue at the town square. Curtis couldn’t say ‘no’ to you and nodded with a small smile. This also prompted Ari and Steve to kindly ask if you could also sew up some of their torn clothes. Due to their occupation, many of their clothes now have rips and tears in them. Happily, you agreed and, equipped with their sewing kit, sit in the conservatory with a pile of their torn clothes on your left. You currently had one of Steve’s shirts in your lap, peacefully patching it up while Ransom talks your ear off.

Surely you’d be annoyed by his endless yapping right? Nobody likes someone who talks too much, not only that but this was the perfect outlet for Ransom to talk about the miscellaneous things he normally didn’t have time to discuss with the others.

The team always prioritised the mission, it was their livelihood and, although tumultuous, it was the one thing they were good at and the path to their retirement of such a life. It was this same focused mindset that they became the most sought-after group of mercenaries for hire with a clientele that ranged from high-class merchants to Royalty. Nevertheless, the men still had their own individual interests, Steve with his art, Andy with his reading, Ari with his plants, Lloyd with his knives and Jake with his magi-tech devices. Ransom was interested in writing and that meant having multifarious knowledge, including trivial things.

He sat to your right, barely fitting into the loveseat atop the torn clothes on your left. You were almost pressing into his side as his arm slings across the back of the seat. The warmth you emit is pleasant, gently brushing against his sensitive nerves as he continues rambling on. He watches you nod at points and hum in thought or agreement with some of his statements. The action makes him grit his teeth. It’s annoying how you pretend to be listening when it’s clear that you’re not!

“What do you think?” he asks suddenly, hoping to catch you out and smirking confidently.

“Hmmm… I think you’re right,” Ransom tries not to roll his eyes too obviously. What a basic, avoidant answer. “A lot of things can be improved when it comes to city layouts. It’s too dense and that makes it hard to navigate, both for the people and the policing patrol. Naturally, people who live in the city are used to the layout and the systems of city life, however, tourists aren’t as adept and that’s a major downfall, especially for businesses that rely on tourism to keep them going. I think there are some businesses tailored to helping tourists but it’s all for separate problems in tourism. I think having one business that does it all would be more beneficial…” you continue to comment on cities and Ransom’s eyes widen in disbelief; you were listening. As an amateur writer, he’s gotten into fleshing out specific locations that appear in his plot and, of course, there has to be a fictional city location too. Ransom’s fingertips itch to reach for his pen and paper but he doesn’t want to expose himself like this, he hasn’t even told the team about his hobby. They all believe he has an ego thing going on by shutting himself away at any given chance when he was only eagerly planning and writing up his many projects. The only person who knew of his passion was Jake, who helped him create a more convenient way of travelling with his papers.

The acumen you were spewing was incredibly useful for his world-building but it also expressed how attentively you had paid attention to his ramblings, pulling on ideas he had presented much earlier. Unable to help himself, he softly pauses your speech before rushing off and coming back with a small notebook and pen. After that, Ransom’s ramblings had divulged into bouncing ideas off you and seeing your perspective on aspects Ransom has been stumped on for too long. You brought a fresh perspective and didn’t ask about his need to write things down from your conversation. There wasn’t a hint of judgement in your tone or eyes, you remained ever-patient with him, diving into his ideas with him wholeheartedly – never questioning, never condescending, never adjudicating. You’re just what he needs…

Ransom hasn’t felt this excited about his writing in a while and it’s all because of you. It was irritating but he couldn’t deny the elated pacing of his heart nor the tremor of delight in his fingers, slightly skewing his handwriting. But that didn’t matter. For once, he felt heard, he felt excitement for his writing outside his private quarters and it felt incredible. He doesn’t want the feeling to stop, even if it’s with you.

Around noon, you urged Ransom to eat the boxed lunch you prepared for him that morning with the others. In the meantime, you whipped something up that was quick and easy but filling for yourself. Ransom shouldn’t have been surprised to see a note tucked away for himself but it was there, your penmanship as elegant and pretty as the last note, “May this meal be as comforting as having you around” It was touching and almost made him feel guilty about what he had done and what he planned to do later on. The assignment he had set for himself was still at the forefront and made the food you had lovingly prepared rather hard to swallow.

You went back to sewing after lunch and conversed with Ransom again. And it tore at him every time you asked if he was enjoying the lunch you packed. It was his mistake to ask you about how you had made certain food items just to keep the conversation going—a habit he had grown from his speciality as an overt spy. The culpability that culminated around his airway was suffocating.

He shakes the thoughts out of his head and focuses back on holding your attention, rambling on while occasionally pausing for your input on the subjects. In his mind, he was lulling you into a sense of comfort and ease in the hopes of driving you away or, at least, having reason to vote you out of the cottage by tonight.

Through their earpieces, Curtis and Lloyd actively reported back to Andy and Steve, vocalising suspicious and noteworthy behaviour for the two to record and ruminate over. They had been stalking a select few nobles all morning and had made some progress on ones with access to the castle. The frequency of visits also needed noting but was impossible to track so early on in their investigation. At least they had some names to go off of and were content with returning to base. Jake and Ari would also be returning soon enough, hopefully with good progress to report also. Steve had full confidence that, despite the go-ahead he gave on engaging in suspicious and dangerous activity, nothing too alarming would occur just yet — it was just the beginning, after all.

Those who were already there began eating the packed lunch you had prepared and couldn’t hold back their smiles, even Lloyd who made sure his back was turned so as not to be seen. Again, the lunch was still warm and it came with a short but sweet note.

Steve reads your note first, softly uttering the sweet words to himself with a gentle smile, “You deserve all good things today!” you’re too precious. Steve places the note down on the desk, keeping it in view as he eats your lovingly prepared lunch for him. Every so often, he would look up and smile more noticeably when his eyes trace the curving letters of your elegant penmanship.

Andy also reads his note first, somehow, feeling more anticipation for the note than eating the lunch, “Hope this brightens your day the way you brighten mine!” you certainly know how to make someone feel special. As a mercenary, that is a rare feeling to experience and Andy wants to savour every sensation of it, from the ache in his heart to the lightness in his head to the butterflies in his stomach.

Curtis silently goes about opening his lunch and preparing to savour every bite, “A little reminder: you’re appreciated!” he smiles and carefully pockets your note before proceeding to eat his lunch. He misses you but being able to eat your cooking away from home is comforting. Curtis will defend his choice in having you stay no matter what; he hasn’t felt this comforted and cared for in such a long time. He’s sure it’s the same for the rest of the team.

Lloyd doesn’t read his note aloud but is prompted to when Jake and Ari finally arrive back. Ari sees him with the note and innocently asks what it says with a sly smirk hidden beneath his beard. With all eyes on him, Lloyd begrudgingly reads his note aloud, “Smile! There’s someone out here who thinks you’re amazing!”

With a teasing grin, Jake goads the neat man, “Where’s that smile Lloydie?~” Lloyd raises a clenched fist and growls, threatening the Beta to continue but Jake is unphased cackling mischievously as he slinks away with ease, his smaller frame making him the most agile in the group.

Jake immediately makes his way to his boxed lunch and happily announces his note after fawning over your ability to, once again, keep his lunch warm, “You’re in my thoughts today – I hope this lunch brings you joy!” Jake coos and does a little dance before sitting down to eat his lunch, “she’s the best!”

Ari wastes no time in tucking into his lunch, holding your note to him in one hand and reading as he ate, “Packed with love, just like every note to you,” the sweet message makes the broad-shouldered man chuckle and turn to his teammates, who were holding their notes close, “she’s Luna material, I tell you,” he knows that bit by bit, they’re getting accustomed to the idea he’s putting forward. Gradually, more and more of them will be picking up what he’s putting down. He’s confident that it’ll only be a matter of time before they’re claiming you and vice versa to form an official pack.

There’s no way on earth Ari will be letting you go; having you around makes the days feel so much easier to face and there’s a warmth that lingers in every minute spent thinking of you. The mercenary life isn’t a glorious one, you need thick skin to be able to endure it but having to do it for an extended period will make any person go numb. Ari is finally starting to feel something again and he can tell that you’re having the same effect on his teammates. These are the people he’s grown to trust his life with, the ones who he would sacrifice his life for – that’s the type of bond they have. They’re so close to becoming an official pack, all they need is an omega, a Luna to balance them out. The pack will be Alpha-heavy but that isn’t a bad thing, they know how to take care of each other and readily keep others in line if need be. Jake and Ransom are also the perfect Betas, caring for each other and offering stability to the group. You coming along was a blessing they didn’t deserve but desperately needed. You are their missing piece — their omega, their Luna, who will soften their hardened exteriors and provide a gentleness they’ve been deprived of for too long.

“She deserves better,” Steve comments, immediately drawing attention. Ari figures their captain will be the hardest to crack but his heart is in the right place and Ari can’t fault him for that. Meeting eyes with Andy, a silent alliance is formed. Both Alphas are motivated to keep you and will make it their mission to convince everyone else that you have to stay by them.

To your surprise, Ransom had offered to help you with dinner prep and you were delighted. It was a small gesture but it brings back memories of having a bustling kitchen full of talented cooks preparing meals for the Queen and the majority of staff. The feeling warmed your chest and made your limbs feel lighter. However, you never expected the put-together and suave man to be such an uncoordinated mess in the kitchen. Watching him cut vegetables almost gave you a heart attack. Nevertheless, you remained ever-patient… His clumsiness was something you looked upon with a touch of fondness, seeing your younger self in him. Ransom almost couldn’t hide his shock when you placed your hands atop his to slowly guide his movements.

He sucks in a sharp breath when you simply tut but giggle at his inexperienced navigation of the cupboards, handing you something entirely different to what you had asked for.

“It’s okay, I can’t expect you to get it right the first time or even the second time,” you said.

He grits his teeth when you also didn’t find fault in his trip over a chair leg and falling head-first into the sink, accidentally turning on the faucet and sending water everywhere.

“It’s an easy clean-up. Are you hurt at all? I’m worried,” you said.

His eyes bulged when you dismissed the way had sabotaged the broth by adding too much salt and smoothly fixed it by adding some tomatoes and a little lemon juice.

“They help balance out the salt. It’s a useful tip a really good chef taught me,” you said.

It wasn’t until he flailed his arms widely, tipping over the pot and spilling the bubbling broth that you finally seemed to snap. And, although it was what Ransom wanted, he didn’t feel satisfied by it, at all.

“That was so stupid of you to do!” you shout at him, eyes gleaming with rage and jaw clenched to hold back words you didn’t mean. This was what Ransom wanted but he couldn’t bring himself to say anything other than an apology. “Don’t do that again!” you snap sharply, your words making him flinch more than when you were tending to his minor burn. Thankfully he didn’t burn himself from the spilled soup but rather the side of the cooking pot. For twenty or so minutes, you held his hand under some cool running water, removed his rings in the process and carefully patted his skin dry with a clean towel. You rushed to your wicker basket to retrieve a tub of aloe vera gel and antibiotic ointment you created with Alma and Otis (the palace herbalist and gardener). It was completely silent as you slowly began to wrap his hand with gauze and, when Ransom finally found the courage to face you again, he found your hands shaking and your eyes welling up with tears.

“I’m sorry,” he apologises but you don’t respond, only sniffle and stubbornly rub at your teary eyes. Ransom’s chest constricted painfully at the sight – you were crying over him the same way you had cried over Curtis the day before. This was the first time anyone had cried for him like this and, although it hurt to know that he was the cause, Ransom couldn’t deny your beauty. He’s always wanted to be cared for and loved sweetly by someone and you were doing it all as if it was the natural thing to do. He can no longer stubbornly deny your kind, sweet nature — you’re everything he’s ever hoped for and he wasn’t going to sabotage having you ever again.

Keeping your head down to focus on bandaging his hand, he leans forward and presses his lips against the crown of your head. He whispers another apology. He’s filled with regret for wasting an entire day trying to rile up a sweetheart like you. You didn’t deserve his underhandedness. He knows swarms of people more deserving of his trickery than you.

“...don’t ever do that again…” you whisper and his heart swells.

“I won’t, I promise,” once his burn was securely wrapped, you jumped into his arms and hugged him tightly. It was only natural for him to return your affection, a silent agreement to not do anything reckless again. The pheromones you released made your distress obvious and he instinctively began releasing a tranquilising scent. As a Beta, it was the perfect remedy to get you to calm. You had to redo the dish from the beginning but were in much better spirits. And Ransom would make sure you stayed that way.

The team returned right on schedule, just as you were turning off the burners and Ransom was setting the table. Despite the exhaustion of the day weighing down their shoulders, the mercenary group immediately brightened at the delicious smell in the air.

“What’s on the menu, angel?” Ari calls out fondly.

“You’ll find out after you wash up, now go!” you shoo playfully and Ari laughs before complying. Everyone else follows him up to the washrooms, all of them even taking the time to change out of their ‘work’ attire and into more comfortable, loungewear.

Like every night, the team compliment you on your labour and the delicious spread laid out for them. Tonight they were being treated to two main dishes: a hearty pasta soup with handmade spinach and ricotta tortellini and a creamy, lemon chicken orzo. For sides, there was fresh garlic bread and a simple but refreshing side salad. And, for dessert, cookie brownies.

“Delicious as always, thank you,” Steve voices sincerely, meeting your eyes from across the table as Jake chimes in with his own praises.

“Yeah! I swear you can cook everything, princess!”

“Thank you,” you smile warmly, “but Ransom helped a lot too,” the man seems flustered by the sudden direction of praise but huffs stubbornly.

“You did most of the work anyway,”

Jake leans over and inspects his fellow Beta’s injury, “Is that why you’re hand is bandaged up?” Curtis raises a brow and looks at you as Andy makes a sound of curiosity.

“Th-there was a little accident in the kitchen…” you explain, avoiding their eyes as you didn’t know how comfortable Ransom would be with what you choose to divulge. The Beta immediately picks up on your intentions and holds back a smile. You’re far too considerate for someone like him —he appreciates it so much.

“It was my fault,” he focuses on his food, ignoring Ari’s knowing smirk at his clear change of demeanour towards you while everyone else’s jaw drops — this is the first time they’ve seen Ransom admit to being wrong. “I didn’t know what I was doing in the kitchen,”

“But he’s a quick learner,” you helpfully chirp, and Andy smiles at your sweetness. For Ransom to be treated so purely was unheard of, the merc has had to deal with and smile at the most disgusting low lives of society, the ones who ruthlessly trample on innocent lives without a care, all for their selfish gains. This is a first time for Ransom, and it’s amusing to see its effect on him.

“I see,” Steve pipes up and smiles, almost mischievously, at Ransom, “good job, Ran,”

Everyone finds Ransom’s behaviour towards you so uncharacteristic and different they decide to stay downstairs to witness the cleanup the merc promised to help you with because of a previous incident. You were surprised Ransom had brought up the incident himself and, though you weren’t quite sure what he was referring to, you happily accepted some helpful company.

Lloyd glared while everyone else stared with amused faces as Ransom followed you about the kitchen like a lost puppy, doing your bidding and assisting wherever he could. He wiped down surfaces, dried while you washed and put away the ceramic plates that were stored in the higher cupboards.

Ari had to bite his lip to keep from grinning too hard while Andy and Steve leaned back in their chairs with observant eyes, carefully taking in the profound influence you’ve had on the usually snappy and sarcastic merc. Curtis remains quiet and stoic but there’s a glimmer of understanding in his eyes. Jake leans forward and rests his head against his folded arms, smiling softly. He’s so happy to see Ransom like this, his shoulders weren’t tense, and his eyes looked gentler — it was a good change. Lloyd, as stubborn and cold-hearted as he was could tell that Ransom was finally allowing himself to feel the warmth of acceptance and kindness he had always longed for but never received in his family. Yes, he found the group but they always had a job to do and needed to be kept at a distance despite the obvious bond that was forming between them all.

The last person to bid you goodnight was Ransom, whom you swiftly pulled down to kiss the cheek of. “Pleasant dreams Ransom, thank you for keeping me company today,”

Staring into your eyes and taking in your sweetly, smiling lips, Ransom felt a sudden, overwhelming urge to lean forward and…kiss you? Embrace you? He did none of those things, succumbing to the heat in his cheeks was more than enough.

“Goodnight,” he rushes upstairs, face turned away from you and hiding his beaming smile.

navi. | series masterlist | six. the foolish genius →

a/n : i'm so sorry this took so long, my lovelies! (ó﹏ò。) life has been a bit demanding recently, i'm trying to do a lot of personal development stuff and it's more tiring than i expected. i hope you darlings enjoy this update though, please tell me what you think and hopefully, the next chapter can come sooner (づ>/////<)づ♡

taglist : @imyourbratzdoll @lovinglimerence @saturdayrj @baw1066 @whereismymindnow @urmomw4ntsme @oneandonlybbygrl

#series : tpsm #ransome drysdale x reader #steve rogers x reader #andy barber x reader #ari levinson x reader #curtis everett x reader #lloyd hansen x reader #jake jensen x reader #cevans various x reader #snow white au #snow white reader au #a/b/o dynamics

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bimboficationblues · 1 year ago

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One Piece in Review, Part 1: Break of Romance Dawn! (Ch. 1-41)

Welcome to my One Piece reread review! In each part I’m gonna take a close look at each arc of the manga, what works, what doesn’t, how it relates to the work as a “whole" (such as it is).

First up: Romance Dawn [chapters 1-7], followed by two story arcs which I think follow enough of a similar pattern that they can all be understood as a unit: Orange Town [chapters 8-21] and Syrup Village [chapters 22-41]. Where the grand adventure begins! These make up the first half of the "East Blue" saga, a series of arcs that all take place in the "East Blue" sea.

The first three arcs of One Piece follow a very simple formula: our protagonist, Monkey D. Luffy, is in need of members for his pirate crew and a ship. This is part of his ambition to become "King of the Pirates," which requires finding the treasure of previous Pirate King Gold Roger. He shows up in a small village or town, often by contrivance, and confronts a local villain who is menacing the locals in one form or another: an authoritarian Marine captain, a ransacking materialistic clown pirate, and a scheming ex-pirate trying to pull off one last job, respectively. Luffy gets involved not out of a desire to be heroic, but usually out of self-interest (such as acquiring a ship or a map of his destination) or to help an interpersonal connection he's made in the area. Along the way he meets an oddball with some special talent or skill who he invites to join his crew, and they eventually agree to join in pursuit of their own personal dream. In this series of arcs, he recruits powerful and stoic swordsman Roronoa Zoro, kleptomaniac and pirate-hating navigator Nami, and inventive but cowardly sharpshooter Usopp.

@canmom recently read through this segment of the story and posted what I think is an insightful perspective about the series’ beginnings, from the viewpoint of someone approaching the series for (approximately) the first time in its twenty-six year history. Her perspective is, I think it's fair to say, a little mixed, both because of the art style's notoriously divisive quality as well as the tone and content of this first part of the story.

These first three arcs kind of wear author Eiichiro Oda’s influences on their sleeve both narratively and visually, especially that of Akira Toriyama's Dr. Slump and Dragon Ball. I also think that some of the concepts are probably inspired (directly or not) by series like JoJo's Bizarre Adventure and Outlaw Star, such as the "Devil Fruit" (which resemble JJBA's Stands as a way to give characters unique and wacky powers, though simpler than Stands in general). The linework for characters is generally rounder and softer in shape, a little "cartoony," and it's not always consistent. There's a lot of visual gags, puns, and big reaction faces, though mercifully few lame sex jokes relative to the early portions of Dragon Ball. The strongest visual moments are in the action sequences and spreads (see below).

Similar to Dragon Ball, One Piece draws a lot on folk tales, fables, mythology, and fantasy literature, sometimes subtly and sometimes not so much (as is the case with the introduction of Usopp, a character who is initially both a variant on Pinocchio and the Boy Who Cried Wolf). And yet, Dragon Ball doesn’t really confront the grimmer sides of its story and world until fairly late into the “non-Z” portion. Within the first chapter of One Piece: a child cuts his face open with a large knife to prove his courage, a bandit gets shot in the head by a pirate, and another man has his arm torn off by a sea monster. (All of these are obfuscated in some way in the Toei anime.) None of this gets an especially graphic treatment visually, but combined with the apparent silliness of the power system and visual design, plus some of the more interesting setting details, it definitely establishes that this is a world full of both awe-inspiring wonder AND genuine danger.

And, unlike something like Dragon Ball or JoJo's where a lot of the writing is (self-admittedly) done by the seat of the author's pants, there's definitely a real effort to maintain something like a consistent world-logic - which isn't to say Oda doesn't sometimes abruptly change course. But concepts like the "Grand Line" or the Devil Fruit surface repeatedly, baiting readers to follow and learn more if they keep coming back. Below, Chapter 8 (an early mention of the Grand Line) and Chapter 22 (where it's actually explained in detail):

The settings and backgrounds of these early arcs tend to be sparse, minimal, and rustic: small houses, quiet taverns, little rickety boats, and tamed greenery. This, too, is a tradeoff. On the one hand, it effectively communicates how small this part of the world is, and on re-read this makes these early islands really stand out compared to the kinds of weird or grandiose places that the Straw Hat Pirates will visit later in the manga. It paints a picture of small communities and everyday people trying to eke out a stable existence on the periphery of the world, threatened by a mix of local crime and corrupt authority, which in turn point towards the existence of much larger forces.

On the other hand, those first forty chapters can feel a little drab because of this somewhat underwhelming aesthetic. Once the series starts to really hit its stride in the following saga, I think this is much less of a problem. And, just to defend the thing I just critiqued, @opbackgrounds has a cool write-up noting the differences between the architecture in the different villages, so although the settings aren't the most thrilling, their designs do still communicate distinct class and cultural differences, like Orange Town's obviously greater wealth communicated below, which corresponds to its success as a port town:

This same limitation of scope extends into the main conflicts. They skew small, with relatively minor pirate crews menacing the small towns that I described above. Unlike the antagonists of the "Paradise" [Ch. 101-597] and "New World" [Ch. 598-ongoing] portions of the story, who are admirals, warlords, emperors, and even a self-proclaimed god-king, the antagonists in these first three arcs are trying to acquire petty personal fiefdoms or fulfill private schemes, or in the case of that clown everyone was upset about a while back, reach *well* outside his grasp. It can feel a little "villain of the week," and in at least two out of four cases, with one edge case, that's an accurate label.

The two villains of Romance Dawn, for instance, are completely outclassed by our protagonists. "Iron Mace" Alvida and "Axe-Hand" Morgan never pose a serious threat to our heroes, they're largely vessels for Luffy and Zoro to display what they can do. They have two other useful qualities, though. First, they immediately set the tone for who the antagonists are generally going to be, a mix of Marines or government authorities, and other pirates with alternative worldviews to Luffy and the crew's. Second, they introduce some of the series' basic themes.

Both Morgan and Alvida rule by fear, with the former in particular demanding complete obedience, and using his rank in the Marines as proof of his own superiority and a means to personally enrich himself. By putting Luffy in conflict with these two, it suggests that the status of "Pirate King" maybe doesn't inherently carry the kind of connotation of superiority and command, or control over wealth, that you might assume. In the first chapter, we've seen Luffy glow with delight at the claim that "pirates have freedom." While the themes are a little embryonic at this point, it's clear from the start what direction the series is going.

In this way, most of the villains are direct foils for Luffy and the crew member being recruited in each arc. For example, Captain Kuro "of a Thousand Plans," the villain of the "Syrup Village" arc, is both a foil for Luffy and Usopp, willing to abandon his crew in pursuit of a quiet, shamed life as an ex-pirate rather than live loudly and proudly, and who relies on deception to advance his goals. Buggy the Clown, the villain of "Orange Town," has a boundless ambition for treasure that parallels both Luffy and Nami's aspirations, but while Luffy sees treasure in the variety of places and things that people value because of their history and connections to important people (like his own straw hat), and Nami's money-lust stems from a complicated history of hurt (which is only foreshadowed in this section), Buggy is simplistic and sadistic, incapable of seeing beyond himself.

A random aside: Buggy is an all-time gag antagonist, and unlike the other three, he will repeatedly resurface throughout the narrative. This is part of the core appeal of One Piece, imo. What seem like villains of the week or background characters often end up coming back, often in new roles. In Buggy's case, while he returns first as a minor villain and later an ally, above all he is essentially the series' longest-running gag: a man who is basically incompetent but keeps failing upwards largely through the misunderstandings of others.

This use of narrative foils to push specific ideas within each arc, which then form a web of interrelated themes throughout the whole saga or series, is a common feature of One Piece antagonists, but they get meatier and gain greater emotional complexity or thematic weight as the story goes on.

You might have noticed I've been quiet about the core cast so far, but now that I've touched on antagonists, it seems appropriate to say some words about them. But also, that's partly intentional because in the early days the information about our protagonists is relayed in a piecemeal way. We get basic backgrounds for Usopp, Luffy, and Zoro, but a better sense of who they are unfolds over time rather than in single chapters or arcs: how they behave with each other, the choices they make, what their personalities are like. This lack of instant information is deliberate on Oda's part. Luffy (after learning that Nami lost someone to pirates) expresses that he understands, but also indicates that he doesn't necessarily need to hear about it. These people aren't connected because they share intimate details of their histories with each other but because they have shared values and aspirations, and they inspire one another to pursue their goals.

The way Luffy is written, for example, leaves open a lot of questions around his familial and early life until they suddenly come roaring back into the story way later. But we do learn a decent amount about him in this arc: he's a bit of a dope and not a great sailor, but he's a strong fighter, he has some sense of honor and bravery but isn't above being underhanded, and despite his lack of intellect he has a fair amount of tactical and emotional intelligence.

While he hasn't quite figured out to be the best possible leader yet, Luffy has a sort of natural charisma by virtue of his sheer unblinking willpower. His dreams and aspirations inspire others around him to pursue their own, seemingly unachievable goals. So far, so shonen. But where he stands out from other shonen heroes is that his goals are so defiant of how the world "should" work - a young kid who can't swim, with the silly power of "stretching," from a backwater village in the "weakest" sea in the One Piece world - that it naturally brings him into conflict with that world's social and political order. It'll be interesting to observe how Luffy develops as a character and a leader as the series continues.

Each of the main cast is, fittingly for pirates, atypically heroic or arguably non-heroic. In spite of their position as protagonists, each one has an idiosyncratic personality, a self-interested goal, and a hoard of vices, and what's more is that these vices often aren't always positioned as things they need to overcome. Zoro is incredibly prideful to the point of putting himself in unnecessary danger, indulgent in alcohol, and easily gets lost. Nami is obsessed with making money and has an especially short fuse. Usopp is easily frightened and falls back on deception as a way to puff himself up.

And yet these are the things that endear the characters to each other, and us to them: Usopp uses lies not just to inflate his own ego but to make others feel better or to distract an enemy at critical moments; Zoro's prideful determination to basically defy all medical wisdom has saved the crew's life multiple times, as early as Orange Town; Nami's knack for stealing makes her a valuable asset under pressure, and her short fuse is because she often has to play the clever and rational member of the group.

I'm gonna decline to comment further on the remaining three characters, because I think while each of them gets time to shine in this section of the story, it'll be better to look at how they take shape in the context of the next string of arcs. Which means, once again, I find myself pointing to the long game as justification for what makes this section of the story work.

I think taken together, these qualities of the early series make it easy to see why One Piece is massively successful AND has something of a mixed reputation among non-readers, or people who pick up the first volume or two and then drop it.

My feelings on this earliest segment of One Piece are a bit mixed, myself. What makes it work for me is viewing it as part of an unfolding process, with the knowledge of what's to come and how the seemingly small and less exciting characters or concepts eventually swell in scope and emotional weight. But some of the emotional moments in this early section land with a bit of a thud for me (I've never been a huge fan of Zoro's backstory for instance), and the conflicts and characterization are hit or miss. But, considering the manga I've read that have stronger starting points but ultimately drown as they continue, there's a compelling case to be made that One Piece is a great example of manga-as-process rather than just a series of parts. It benefits from a long-term, serialized format in a way that not all works actually do.

Overall I'd say Romance Dawn is a little wobbly, while Orange Town and Syrup Village polish up the basic formula before it starts to get more complex in the next few arcs.

Next up, Baratie, Arlong Park, and Loguetown (ch. 42-100)!

#op reread #one piece

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mikaharuka · 2 years ago

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Hi Mika! Could I know more about Mahabhuta: Akasha please?

Heyo Iris! Thanks for the ask!

So... the sky/void chapters, huh? I've already put together a general concept for that, even though I'm sure I won't get around to writing Akasha until this fall at the earliest, since it's the fifth element.

For the dream sections (Akasha-Surya and Akasha-Chandra):

I'm keeping with the dark fairy tale vibes all the way through, but also added Greco-Roman elements. It'll definitely involve the Ganymede myth, combined with other supernatural concepts. The primary prompt was 'moonlight', the secondary prompts were 'ageless' and 'ethereal beauty' - all of which tie extremely well to the Ganymede myth (alongside the general lover/beloved trope going on with this pair). Also 'sound' is the primary sense here. Since the myth involves being taken to a new place (in the sky, in a timeless void - following the element), Annie (@udaberriwrites) gave me this cool suggestion of going the fae route with this, since they also exist in a different time-space and legends relating to them often involve being taken to other worlds. Another friend of mine, Pearl, suggested I keep the Asian themes and use myths around celestial maidens/beings (Japanese, also Indian and maybe others, perhaps?) - so I'll look into that as well. Also, Edward is the sibling associated with this element... but remember how you gave me the prompt 'cat' some time back? Well, that somehow clicked in my head - it was a missing piece I had signs of, but didn't explicitly realize until you gave me that prompt. There is now a black vampiric kitten (possible shifter, still working that out) named Orion - and he'll show up in all the chapters and in Apricity as well. Annie's already a fan of his XD

For the reality section (Akasha-Nakshatra):

Mike is generally chilling out at the cafe, relaxing away from his crowded, loud house that afternoon. Edward shows up and they talk games and such. Mike's a little suspicious, since Edward doesn't really talk to him outside of school-work - Beau's the only one, after all. Eventually, Edward gives Mike a cryptic warning about the next day (this takes place on Friday, the next day is Saturday, the Seattle trip), and Mike gets even more suspicious of him. He thinks things over and packs for the night, wondering about the next day and what Edward was referring to. It's meant to be kind of cute, a little pre-slash-like? Even though it'll take a while for Akasha to be written, Akasha-Nakshatra will be referenced in Indigo, since Mike and Edward meet again in Seattle on Saturday, and the previous day's events can't be ignored.

You can find links to other answers in the WIP list in this post!

#mizuka answers #my ask games #ask game #wip ask game

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hongyueg · 1 year ago

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'The Great Escape' Review

The Great Escape

By Apple_Brooklyn

Genre: young adult, supernatural

Content warnings: death, discrimination (challenged by narrative), gore, violence

Description: “Paranoid and frightened, Ada bears the scars of her past on her charred skin and tortured mind. Slaving away in Count Monroe's mansion, she hopes to find her brother soon. All the while struggling to keep her true identity under the wraps. However, as a string of deaths ties around the Mansion like a noose, Ada finds herself plunged into the icy water of death, betrayal, conspiracies and a secret she wished she had never unearthed. Throw a secretive Marquess, an unpredictable Lady, two equally stupid friends and an even stupider employer to whom she owes her life into the mix- Ada would face a disaster her grandmother's teaching could have never prepared her for.”

Apple_Brooklyn’s The Great Escape was a thrilling read that touched upon the difficulties of identity, family legacy, and trauma. While I only read the first twenty-four chapters, I enjoyed what I read and I hope the author continues writing, whether this particular story and/or an entirely different one!

What I enjoyed:

-As I have mentioned in previous reviews, I am not naturally drawn to the supernatural genre, but The Great Escape’s ability to dive into the intricacies of identity within the novel’s supernatural world definitely drew me in. I appreciated how much care was given to Ada’s storyline as she grapples with the discrimination her family has faced as witches as well as being a witch forced to hide her identity in order to survive. These are struggles that many can relate to in real life.

-Another aspect of the story that I enjoyed was how the narrative tackled kindness and selfishness. I loved how we see the kindness and love between Ada and her friends who all share the burden of being servants at the mansion as well as the complexity of Lady Kiara’s and Lea’s attempts to live up to their values. The characters are all trapped within systems of class and discrimination and we see through their choices how they manage to survive and support one another. On the other hand, we also get a glimpse at extreme violence and selfishness. I would be interested in seeing as the story goes on how these tensions are resolved thematically.

-In general, the story does a fantastic job of emphasizing the tension within the scarier parts of the tale and allowing the readers to really get inside the characters’ minds. There definitely were moments where I had to pause and take a breath because I was feeling just as frightened as one of the characters. The mystery elements of the story are certainly intriguing and kept me turning the page.

What I thought could be better:

-Since the story isn’t finished yet, I can’t really be too critical, but I would love the story to explore the complexity of Lady Kiara even more. She is already introduced as a complicated character who claims to want to protect witches and cares about her servants but also isn’t afraid to spy and keep secrets. I hope as the story goes on, we get to see her really engage with the difficulties of enacting her ideals and whether or not she will have the motivation to push forward or will fall into cynicism. All the characters within the novel are set up very nicely and I would love to see how they continue to evolve over the course of the story.

I really enjoyed reading The Great Escape and I recommend the story to anyone looking for an exciting supernatural tale with a wide range of characters that explores the nuances of identity, legacy, and trauma.

#wattpad #supernatural #young adult #reviews #book review

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i-have-no-soul · 2 years ago

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shitty summary (as i understand it) of the different shit of Homestuck and related/other series, to make it a bit easier (might be a bit inaccurate but if it helps even a little)

- Homestuck: the original 8000+ page comic. has its own credits sequence so you know when it's over. this is probably the only thing you should try tackling for a first time, as I can almost guarantee you'll want to reread at least part of it before looking into other stuff.

- Homestuck Epilogues: A written set of sequels that are pretty much directly placed after Homestuck's credits, with two diverging paths: Meat and Candy. I haven't met many people who are happy with these.

- Homestuck^2: A comic not made by Andrew Hussie (but given the greenlight to count as the "new" canon) meant to take place after the Epilogues. I also haven't met many people who are happy with this.

- Paradox Space: A set of small comics (within the realm of less than 50 pages, usually) that... are a mix of canon and noncanon, if I remember right? There's not many of them, and it probably won't take long to get through them all with the exception of one. They're scattered around the Homestuck timeline, so some may not make sense until later in the comic.

- Pesterquest: A noncanon visual novel directly set on Homestuck, which is chronologically after(?) Hiveswap Friendsim. It's available on steam and google play, but I'm sure someone did a video if you don't want to pay a dollar for each and every chapter.

- Hiveswap: A point and click game that's based off of the Homestuck Universe, but none of the characters shown are recognizable, and it's possible it's set in a whole different universe. Two chapters are out currently on steam, unknown when the rest are releasing.

- Hiveswap Friendsim: A visual novel on Steam and Google Play that takes place in a different universe from Hiveswap(?), and the goal is befriending every main troll shown in Hiveswap. Again, every extra chapter is a dollar.

- The Unofficial Homestuck Collection: a fanmade proect dedicated to archiving Homestuck and most if not all Hussie related things. Has the full Homestuck comic, as well as a couple others, and has some of its own mods for convenience and other fun bullshit, like a translator for some characters' dialogue. It links to most major things, including the music made for Homestuck, and has an unlock system that gives you more the further you get in the comic. (I think you can skip it if you want, but having it on ensures you don't see stuff you definitely haven't seen yet)

It also keeps direct track of what page you're on, and lets you bookmark pages directly. Most stuff can be read directly within the program, and what can't is marked and can be opened in your web browser. the Asset Pack is a couple gigabytes, but it means that it should load pretty much everything almost instantly.

and now, 2 things out of the homestuck universe

- Problem Sleuth: A previous comic made by Hussie that gets occasionally, lightly, referenced here and there in Homestuck and other media. If Homestuck feels like a fever dream, this reads like taking 50 benadryl at once. It's pretty long, but not as long as Homestuck.

- Psycholonials: A visual novel on Steam and free on Google Play that was made by Hussie during the pandemic and features lots and lots of clowns. It has heavier themes and can get dark, but it is finished and isn't super long (9 chapters total).

anyways yeah everything is complicated as hell. tale your time reading, take breaks when you need to, and if you need to, look stuff up or try asking the group of wild fans in your askbox lol

good luck and have fun!

Jesus fucking christ

#thank you this is very helpful. Ohhh my god what the fuck

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thephantomessoftheopera · 3 years ago

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Notes on Gaston Leroux‘s „The Phantom of the Opera“ - Epilogue

<< Previous chapter “It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to than I have ever known”

-Charles Dickens, “A Tale of Two Cities”

As we are coming to the end of the story, Leroux ties up a few more loose ends in the epilogue.

As for Raoul and Christine, their possible happy ending is only implied by what Erik told the Persian - that they had “taken a northbound train” and were planning to get married in secret. They have disappeared from the world, and Christine never appeared again on stage anywhere. According to Leroux, they might have finally settled in Norway together with Mama Valerius. At first, I thought Leroux might have been confusing Sweden and Norway, but when I did a little research on the name „Daae“, it turns out that the name is actually most prevalent in Norway, with almost no occurrences in Sweden. It is also implied that even if they took that “northbound” train before, Christine took a train back to Paris a few weeks later to return to Erik, because she had the wedding ring on her when she left, and it was finally found on Erik‘s finger.

As Philippe‘s death was deemed to be the consequence of the fight between the two brothers over Raoul’s supposed engagement to Christine, Raoul was a murder suspect - but as his previous testimony had already made him appear a lunatic in the eyes of the Commissary, Philippe‘s death was ultimately pronounced accidental. However, as Parisian society had taken less than kindly to the news of the engagement, I think that the couple would have had a very difficult standing if they had officially married and assumed the now vacant titles of the Count and Countess de Chagny. It is therefore likely that Raoul, having officially disappeared, never claimed his titles and inheritance, and chose the more simple lifestyle that Christine was accustomed to. Leroux concludes the story of Raoul and Christine with the statement that one day, he too might „hear the solitary echoes of the Northland repeat the singing of the woman who knew the Angel of Music''. In the epilogue, the boundaries between the „false“ and the „real“ Angel of Music become blurred, as Leroux repeatedly speaks of Erik as the “Angel of Music” - indicating that maybe, just maybe, Erik truly was the Angel of Music.

After following up on Raoul and Christine, Leroux relates how he obtained proof of Erik‘s existence from the Persian, mostly through the letters written by Christine that Erik had sent to him, but also through the testimonies of Meg Giry and La Sorelli. He supposedly placed all the proof he had gathered in the archives of the Paris Opera.

He also obtained the testimony of M. Poligny, the previous manager of the Opera. The „Opera Ghost“ affair was the final straw that made him resign his post, which again indicates that Erik‘s reign as „O.G.“ was rather short and caused by Erik falling in love (since he had been living in the Opera House presumably since the early 1870s). He also quotes from the fictional „Memoirs of a Manager“ by Armand Moncharmin, where Moncharmin relates that a few days after Christine‘s abduction, Erik returned all of the forty thousand francs he had extracted to the managers, no longer having any need for the money as he had given up his plan to marry Christine. The mystery of the safety-pin is also finally resolved, as Leroux was supposedly able to locate a small trapdoor in the floor of the managers’ office, through which a dexterous magician like Erik could easily have reached up and retrieved the envelope from Richard‘s coattail pocket as it was hanging down from his chair.

Leroux also notes that the marble pillar next to Box 5 sounds hollow and would offer ample space for Erik to hide inside it. According to Gérard Fontaine’s research, the pillars being hollow applies to all the pillars in the auditorium of the Palais Garnier. Whether that proves or disproves anything is up to you... Leroux’s plan of having the lake drained in order to obtain the ultimate proof of Erik‘s existence - finding the entrance to the house by the lake - did not go through, but Leroux still sustains his hope of one day finding the score of „Don Juan Triumphant“ there (that is, if Christine had not taken it with her when she came to bury him).

Leroux then gives a summary of Erik’s life according to the Persian. Erik was born near Rouen in France and ran away from his parents as a young boy, as they were afraid and horrified by how he looked. After being exhibited as a “living corpse” at fairs, he became a singing sensation and garnered a reputation that reached as far as Persia. The daroga of Mazenderan was sent to bring Erik to Persia as entertainment for the “little sultana”. Erik, who also worked there as an assassin, is described here as amoral, “not knowing the difference between right and wrong”. Even though he does not have an evil heart, his life up until this point has left him completely without a moral compass of any kind.

After building an ingenious palace for the shah, Erik’s execution was ordered so that he could not divulge its secrets to anyone. The daroga was supposed to carry it out, but as he owed Erik favours (and was the one who brough Erik to Persia in the first place), he helped him escape instead. He was punished for this and went into exile to Paris. Erik took a detour to Asia Minor and Constantinople before he ended up in Paris as well. It is also mentioned that Erik could make lifelike automata, which is reflected in the musical in the form of the monkey music box and also the “mirror bride”, a physical representation of Erik’s dream of a loving wife.

Once in Paris, Erik decided that he finally wanted to live a normal life, and placed a successful bid to work as a contractor on the Opera House. Wishing to hide his face from the world forever, he built his comfortable home into the foundations of the Opera. Erik’s plan to live out the rest of his life in peaceful tranquillity went well - until he crossed paths with Christine Daae and lost his heart to her completely. And the rest is history…

Leroux here gives his own view of Erik: “He had a heart great enough to hold the empire of the world, and in the end he had to be content with a cellar.” With a normal face, Erik, with his brilliant mind and extraordinary talents, could have had the world at his feet. And even though no one had ever loved him, he still had a heart capable of feeling deep, pure love, which is pretty remarkable. His beautiful voice is a reflection of the beauty he carries inside his soul - which was sadly eclipsed by his ugliness, which did not allow him to live “like everyone else”. The great tragedy of his life was his face, which kept others from treating him as a human being and recognizing his full potential. He is therefore clearly worthy of pity, instead of being cursed and condemned as evil.

Leroux had already mentioned in the Prologue that he believed the skeleton found in the cellars of the Opera was Erik’s. Now he finally reveals why he was so certain of that: because Erik’s skeleton wore the gold wedding ring on his finger, which Leroux believes Christine had placed there. Even though Erik had set her free and given her the ring, she later came back to him, and this time it was certainly not out of terror. With Erik dead, none of his threats would hold any more sway over her - and yet, she still returned to him to keep her promise. She not only buried him with the wedding ring, but she slipped it onto his finger, ultimately fulfilling her promise to accept him as her husband. In a sense, she buried him with her love, and that is truly a bittersweet and beautiful ending. After everything he had to endure, Erik’s life ends with a kiss and a ring on his finger, put there by the woman he loved more than his own life, and with Leroux praying for his salvation. That may not be a traditional happy ending, but it‘s very powerful. And it’s definitely not a villain’s ending.

As „Faust“ is the most strongly referenced work in „Phantom“, it is also worth comparing how the endings are different. In the final act of Gounod‘s opera, Faust and Marguerite first swear their love to each other, but when Marguerite sees Mephistopheles and realizes who Faust really is, she turns away from him and chooses death instead, while Faust is dragged into the fires of hell. Her famous last words to him are „You horrify me!“ In „Phantom“, the progression is almost the other way round - Christine is horrified at first, but then accepts Erik and chooses life instead of death.

It should also be noted that the ending in the novel is so vague that it also allows a lot of room for the reader’s imagination. Was Erik really dead when Christine returned? He himself was announcing his death, so it would not even be so very unlikely. But as this is Leroux’s story, the official reading would of course be how he himself imagined the ending: Erik dying and Christine coming back to bury him. This might be my favourite line from the novel:

“The skeleton lay near the little fountain, where the Angel of Music first held the unconscious Christine Daae in his trembling arms after taking her into the cellars of the Opera.”

As if the return of the ring was not enough poetic closure, he also asked to be buried in the very spot where he held the love of his life for the first time...

Symbolism and Metaphors

Now that we have concluded the epilogue, I would like to add a few more notes on the general themes which are present throughout the novel and still influence how we feel about it today.

To understand the extent of symbolism employed in „The Phantom of the Opera“, it is necessary to understand the cultural mindset and environment in which it was written. At the turn of the century, the arts (and sciences, as evidenced by the slowly emerging works of Sigmund Freud) were rather obsessed with the fateful connection between Eros and Thanatos - love as the life-bringing force, and death as the destructive force. Both were often seen as intertwined and mirrored in the other.

Erik is the personification of Eros and Thanatos. He unites both forces in him to a degree unparalleled by any other character in the story. The death symbolism that is also clearly reflected in how he is described, would be both perceived as horrifying - and yet not without a strangely seductive fascination inherent in it. Death is intricately tied to darker feelings of passion and desire.The “Eros” and the “Thanatos” part of his character are intertwined, but his character also oscillates between the two sides in the course of the story.

Music in „Phantom“ also serves as a metaphor for romantic love, not only in the spiritual but also in the physical sense, as it is connotated with “passion”, “fire”, “ecstasy” and “rapture” throughout the story. Erik’s teaching awakens “an ardent, voracious and sublime life” in Christine, symbolizing the burgeoning romantic feelings in the young woman. She is terrified with the changes going on in her, which is also in line with how „Eros“ was originally viewed: as a frightening loss of control. Erik says in “Apollo’s Lyre” that “some music is so formidable that it consumes everyone who approaches it”, and Christine states that “Music has the power to abolish everything in the outside world except its sounds, which go straight to the heart”. In both sentences, the word “music” can easily be replaced with “love” - especially in Christine’s example, it would be the musical equivalent of “love is blind”.

Like in other (gothic) romances - “Wuthering Heights” being perhaps the prime example - the two rivals in the principal love triangle represent two very different types of love: one is intense and passionate, but also consuming, terrifying and potentially destructive, and the other is safer, but also somewhat chaste and lifeless. Erik and Raoul each represent one of the two extremes. This contrast is exemplified in the scene at the Masked Ball: Raoul wears white, the colour of innocence, while Erik wears red, the colour of passion, but also of danger and blood.

It is suggested in the novel that Erik and Christine were chained together by fate (“La destinée m’enchaîne à toi sans retour”), and I believe they were destined to save each other. Erik saved Christine from her grief in the wake of her father’s death and brought her back to life, and Christine saved his soul by being the first person in his life to accept him and grant him true happiness. „Phantom“ may be a tragic love story, but it is also a hopeful one, as love proves stronger than death. Christine’s choice, Erik‘s sacrifice and the skeleton’s wedding ring are all symbols of love triumphing over death.

#phantom of the opera #lerouxreadingguide #leroux phantom #gaston leroux #leroux erik #christine daae #erik x christine #le fantôme de l'opéra #the phantom of the opera #erik the phantom #raoul de chagny #opera ghost #classic literature #gothic romance

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pl-panda · 4 years ago

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The vines that bind us - Chapter 4

Chapter 1 || Previous || Next

She was now back in Gotham and it was time to start acting like it.

The break came sooner than expected. Mari might have actually missed it if not for the text from Chloe that they are on their way. Mr. Drake locked the doors to his office from the inside to made sure nobody interrupted him unless Batman started skateboarding in the lobby (his words). She really didn’t know what to think about the young CEO. So far their interactions were limited to the brief moment of panic before meeting Luthor, followed by this brief moment when he locked the doors.

When she arrived in the cafeteria, Chloe was already waiting for her with Ethel. They took over a table in the corner and already littered it with various documents and folders.

“Um… Hi?” Mari greeted them.

“Oh, Mari-bear!” Chloe grabbed the girl by the wrist and dragged her to the table. When she was seated, several papers were put in front of her.

“So! Ethel and I read through the contract and we have good and bad news? Which first?”

“Let’s get the bad out of the way.” Mari nodded.

“You’re stuck in that job for half a year.”

“What!?”

“Don’t worry.” Ethel palaced her. “It’s not as bad as it looks. The whole deal was that you could be hired at any point of your internship for a period of six months, after which there would be a revision of your contract to either terminate it or make it more permanent.”

“Who does that kind of thing?” The girl shouted a bit louder than necessary, but nobody paid them any mind. Alya and Lila were clearly visible at the other side of the cafeteria with a large crowd around them.

“It’s practically never used. I mean now you have all the benefits of being Wayne Enterprises’ employee. Plus you will actually have a salary. And Sarah’s salary was nothing to scoff at.”

“But… What about school!? I know we were allowed to leave for two months, which by itself is crazy if you ask me…”

“Given that our headmaster is an idiot that bends under whoever throws money at him and our teacher should never be allowed to be in the same room as any child…” Chloe muttered in French.

“Yeah. I get your point. But I can’t just leave school for six months!”

“Puh-lease!” Chloe waved her hand dismissively. “We both know you could’ve graduated in the middle of last year if that Chienne and Connard allowed you. And you would have the perfect scores. Hey! I’m sure you can sit SATs in Gotham while you work here.”

“And my commissions?” She looked at the blonde. “Marigold Désign et Création is only starting to get some popularity. I can’t just close the store! Oh no! What about my Flower Shop in Paris? The girl I hired was supposed to work there only for like… three months best! I can’t just suddenly… Oh no! You know Sang hates being away from me! And what if Bleue outgrows her pot? And don’t get me started on Rouge! He is…’

Mari suddenly felt two hands on her shoulders. “Goldie! You’re spiraling again.” Chloe stared in her eyes. “And your eyes are showing.”

That finally calmed Mari. She usually tried to suppress her natural look in favor of how she used to appear. Her iridescent green eyes were kept blue and dark-blue hair muted to the point it seemed black. Plus her skin was not green unless she was using her powers. She was not sure where that skill came from and she was ninety percent certain her mother couldn’t just mute her green skin and fiery red hair. Still, she was glad that she did not have to look like an Akuma 24/7.

“Thanks, Queeny. I’d probably have a breakdown if not for you.”

“You have a Flower Shop in Paris?” Ethel asked curiously.

“My… It used to be a bakery before I inherited it. Since I like plants more than bread, I turned it into my own greenhouse. I used to only have a small garden on the rooftop, but then I kinda… filled every room with plants.” Mari suddenly blushed.

“Whoa. You sure do love plants. Are you sure you’re not related to Poison Ivy?”

Chloe half-expected Mari to start trying to deny it or babble.

“And what would make you think that?” The girl joked instead. “Just because my plants don’t wither at my touch, I am related to a villain?” It might have come harsher than she wanted, but her bright smile and pearly voice made it clear that she had no hard feelings.

Ethel laughed. “True. I’m sorry about the commissions and the store. I really wish there was something WE could do, but our hands are tied.”

“How am I supposed to be a personal assistant? I have like zero experience or even theoretical knowledge!”

Ethel opened another folder and read something. “Well, you were class representative, ran your own small business, kept up with school work, met with clients, and babysat several kids. That’s pretty much what you have to do now. Just make sure that the baby is doing things on time and organize his time.”

“Ha ha ha.” Chloe deadpanned. “Why not ask Nathalie? She liked you well enough.”

“I can’t just call her and ask her to teach me!” Mari protested. “I mean she must be very busy!”

“We can go find the disaster boy. He can definitely convince her.”

“I can’t just use Adrien like that! And besides, we don’t need to look.” She pointed at where the Blond boy sat next to Lila. He was clearly very uncomfortable with his situation, but they both knew that he couldn’t go against his father’s orders. Apparently, ‘Lila was good for business’.

“Then we can go now. Thank you, Ethel.” Chloe said as she grabbed Mari and started to drag her toward the group.

“Stop it! Queenie! You know…”

“Hush! I will deal with the idiots if they try anything.” The blonde silenced all protests.

The two approached the group just as Lila was finishing a ridiculous tale about how she was on good terms with the bat-family. Alya was of course recording the whole thing and streaming live. When the class spotted girls approaching, Kim and Ivan quickly turned into bodyguards blocking them from joining.

“What do you two want this time?” Sabrina asked with venom.

“Like I would lower myself to dealing with the common rabble. I came to speak with the only person here who doesn’t have a negative number of brain cells, so be kind enough to let us pass. Or just pry Adrien from Lila and we will leave you to your fantasy world.” Chloe stared down at her former follower (they were never really friends).

“Nobody asked you!” Rose shouted.

“Sabrina did.” Mari pointed out. She was not sure why, but she felt much more confident in her dealing with the class now that they were in Gotham. Maybe it was because they were now on her own turf, maybe because there was no Akuma risk, or maybe she was just done.

“Shut up you bully!” Alix shouted. “Adrien doesn’t want to go with you anywhere!”

Over half of the WE employees disperse, not wanting to be pulled into the drama. The ones that stayed were just looking between the two groups.

“Actually,” Adrien started, surprising everyone, Lila included. Why was her boy talking? She didn’t order him to talk. “I’m curious about what they want. The break is almost over anyway so we should probably get going back to work.” He said diplomatically.

“Whatever!” Alya put her phone down.

When the class and the spectators dispersed, Adrien sighed in relief. “Kwami I hope Gerard gets here soon. He usually tries to at least limit the Liar somewhat. Then again, he won’t be coming to WE…”

“It’s a tall building. I’m sure that we could make it look like an accident.” Chloe grinned.

“We are not killing her!” Mari protested.

“Spoilsport.” The Blonde deadpanned.

“Anyway, is that a social call or do we have some situation? Please tell me it’s not an Akuma.”

“Not that I know of.” Mari quickly checked her phone, but so far no messages.

“Mari here got hired.” Chloe did not bother with subtlety.

“Congratulation!” The boy beamed. “I knew you would do great here. We should go to celebrate on Friday!”

“Except I have no idea how to be a personal assistant.” Mari moaned.

“Oh! That’s no problem. Let me just call Nathalie.” Before the girl could protest Adrien already had his phone out and dialed his Father’s PA. “Nathalie?” He asked when the face appeared on the screen.

“Adrien. I’m sorry but your father is not here. He left Paris and won’t be returning for some time. He will be supervising the acquisition of new resources in China.” She informed him.

“Oh. That’s no problem. I actually wanted to speak to you.” He smiled brightly.

“Huh?” She asked surprised.

“My friend Marinette found herself in a peculiar situation of being hired as a personal assistant. Would you mind giving her some pointers?”

“Sure. Please forward her my personal number so she can call me in an hour. I will be free by then.”

“Thank you, Nathalie. You’re the best.” He waved the woman goodbye and hanged up. “See? No problem at all.”

“Um… Okay… Thank you so much!” She hugged him tightly.

“Sure. That’s what friends are for. What about the Friday celebration?”

“Well, I can give you all a Marinette tour through Gotham…” Her smile grew a little mischievous “Or you can get Marigold style trip.” They all laughed before scrambling to do their respective works.

Mari got into the elevator and pressed the top-floor button. Slowly, the doors closed and it went up. When she arrived, she looked around to check if anyone was looking for her before walking to her desk. Out of nowhere, a blade pressed itself to her neck.

“Who are you and what are you doing here?” A low voice asked from her right, slightly to her back. Immediately, she tensed.

“I work here if you must know. Now I apologize for the delay if you needed something, but I was trying to sort out a certain problem. Do you have an appointment with Mr. Drake?”

“Tt. I’m not in a mood for games.”

She smiled slightly. Acting faster than would be expected, she grabbed the blade in a monkey grip and pushed it away. The attacker then tried to swing it at her, but she managed to side-step. Doing a quick lunge she managed to punch his hand and make the blade move to the side while walking into the guard. She delivered a strong punch to his face, followed by a low-kick to the back of his knee, forcing him on one knee. The daze caused him to loosen the grip he had on the sword. Mari kneeled on his legs, pinning him down and at the same time stole the sword and threw it away. Before he even had a chance to explain anything, she delivered another punch to his head, making the boy see stars before everything turned black.

She gathered herself and walked to the sword. It was rather simple ninjato that she stored under her desk. There was a tablet with the WE logo on it that she promised herself to check later. The intercom had at least two dozen buttons. They were all labeled with some shortcuts she did not understand, so instead, she picked the security number from her WE employee handbook and called.

“Um… Hello?”

“Hello. What’s the problem miss?”

“Yes. My name’s Marinette. I’m the new PA to Mr. Drake. When I returned from break some boy attacked me with a ninajto. I managed to knock him out, but I would appreciate if someone came here to…” She didn’t get to finish because a burst of loud laughter came from the other side. She stayed silent for a few moments, baffled at the reaction. Finally, she had enough. “Good to know the fact that someone almost chopped me with a Ninjato is funny to you, sir, but personally I do not find the situation laughable and I would appreciate if you showed at least some concern over the terrible breach of security that is firstly bringing the sword to the building and secondly trying to kill an employee!” She screamed loud enough to make her cup of (now cold) coffee shake. Only now she realized that her hands were trembling.

“Um… of course, madame. I will be sending someone up right away… madame.” He hanged up. She still heard that he was on the verge of laughing.

Mari collapse into her chair and stared angrily at the boy on the floor. She was afraid to walk to him. She was definitely getting some plants here tomorrow. That would make her feel safer. Nervously, she started to design. She didn’t even notice that she was using the boy that attacked her as the base.

After a few minutes, the doors of the elevator opened and two guys in suits walked in. As soon as they saw the unconscious boy they broke into a fit of laugher. Mari stared at them before recognizing one of them as Grayson, who was giving them the tour earlier.

“Oh! My! God! She actually knocked Demon Spawn unconscious!” The other one said through tears. Mari decided she didn’t like him either. They were supposed to be helping her, not laughing more.

“Excusez-Moi! I was attacked here! During the tour, I was led to believe this is a respected company,” she made a jab at Grayson, who only laughed more. “In respected companies employees are not attacked with a sword when they come back from the break. So can someone explain to me what the actual fuck?!” She swore.

“This is gold. I’m calling B. Wait! I need a picture or he won’t believe me!” The not-Grayson kept rambling, completely ignoring Mari. Angry, she picked a pencil from her desk. Taking a few seconds to aim, she threw it. The impromptu projectile sailed through the air until it hit the elevator button, making the doors open. This finally got their attention, especially since the pencil passed not-Grayson by an inch from his ear.

“What the…?” He was interrupted when the girl stormed past him and entered the elevator. She was now holding the ninjato through a tissue. “Where do you think you’re going?”

“To HR. Maybe they will help me.” She answered simply and sent them a glare. “It’s clear that you two dumbasses aren’t doing anything.”

Grayson held the button, stopping the doors from closing “Hey! Aren’t you supposed to be French?” Dick asked, confused by her strong Gothamite accent that showed itself.

“Aren’t you supposed to be helping?!” She shouted at him.

“Ugh… My head…” A groan came from the floor.

“Aww… I didn’t get any pictures.” Not-Grayson grumbled.

“Tt. Shut up, Todd.”

“How is the view from down there Demon Spawn?”

“I don’t have time for games. There’s some intruder on this floor. She claimed to be Drake’s personal Assistant, but we all met Sarah.”

“Um… Baby D, did no one inform you about the french class coming for an internship starting today?”

There was suddenly a glimmer of realization in the boy’s eyes. “Oh…”

“Oh?” Mari screamed. “that’s all you have to say?!”

Her would-be attacker jumped at the sound of her angry voice. When their eyes met, the two had a staring contest. It continued for a moment, neither wanting to leave it be. Dick and Jason observed with amazement how that little girl was able to rival Damian’s glare and not wither immediately as most would.

“While I enjoy seeing the two of you fight for dominance, can someone explain to me what exactly happened?” Todd finally broke the silence. Mari immediately turned her eyes at him. He briefly noted that her blue eyes had a green tint in them that he did not notice before.

“What happened is like I said. I after I returned from break that imbécile attacked me with the sword. I had some self-defense classes, so I managed to disarm him.”

“Some? You had ‘some’ self-defense classes and you disarmed Demons Spawn?”

“Okay, I’ve been practicing since I was five. Happy? It doesn’t change the fact that he attacked me!”

“You’re the one that attacked me. I was merely ensuring you were no threat.” Damian tried to argue.

“By pressing a sword to my neck?” She asked/shouted. “Please! This is Gotham.”

“She has a point.” Dick decided to intervene. “Okay. We will make sure that Damian won’t bother you anymore… and maybe add some bonus to your next paycheck for the trouble he caused. Our father will definitely hear about this.”

“Your father…?”

“Bruce Wayne.”

“Oh… Fine. But I’ll be keeping the ninjato for now.” She said in no-arguing tone. It was clear that Damian wanted to argue, but his brothers pushed him into the elevator while Mari walked to her desk. She put the sword under the desk and mentally added some hooks to her shopping list. If that rich idiot thought he would get away with attacking her with a sword, he was sorely mistaken.

The tablet turned out to have a complete calendar with all planned meetings, a ready to-do list, and access to inter-department chatrooms. There were more apps that she decided to look up later. For now, she opened Mr. Drake’s schedule. He had quite a lot of office hours, but she also noticed that there was a press conference set on Friday, several meetings throughout the week, and a few other stuff. Definitely much cleaner than Adrien’s schedule that she already knew by heart.

As the hour was mostly up, she knocked on the office doors to see if her boss needed something done. He shouted a barely-audible ‘busy’ and she did not try to intrude. Probably some important stuff. She pulled her phone and called Nathalie’s number that Adrien sent her earlier.

“Hello, Marinette.” The woman greeted her.

The next several hours were spent on the crash course about everything that being Personal Assistant boiled down to. Ethel was right. Her work as Class Rep, babysitter, and the business owner gave her quite a few necessary skills. What nobody mentioned (because nobody knew) was that her obsessive Adrien stalking also came in very handy. Most of what she practiced with Nathalie was about dealing with people and applying her skills in the new job. By the time her work was ‘over’, she had a bit more confidence. Mari was still panicked over the amount of responsibility that befallen her and the additional work and reading that she would have to do after hours. It was a pure blessing that this day was empty. Nathalie also gave her an incredible amount of pointers about how to deal with situations when the Boss is absent most of the day. She could guess that Gabriel kept dumping more work on the poor woman as he locked himself away to design. The last thing before she entered the elevator was to pull out the drawers in her desk and hide the ninjato behind them. It fit perfectly and the drawers didn’t seem that out of place. She suspected the boy would try to take it back when she was gone.

As she was leaving the elevator to meet with her class, she spotted Chloe talking lively with Ethel. Madame Bustier came through the main entrance. Once the class gathered in one place, she gave some speech about how proud she was of them and thanked Lila for the opportunity. Mari used that time to check on the class. Some looked quite happy, others had sour moods. Adrian managed to sneak away from Lila and was hiding behind the girls.

Just as they turned to leave, the front doors burst open and several guys (and one woman) in green suits with purple question marks walked inside, followed by a man in a similar suit. He carried a cane with a question mark on top and a green bowler hat with a single question mark in the center. Mari resisted the urge to gag. The fashion disaster that was Riddler entered the house. Seriously! Who mixes deep green with neon purple? And not to even mention the Hawaiian shirt she could spot under his suit. Whoever dressed that guy deserved to be shot. And it had to be a custom job, because what store would dare to sell such monstrosity!? She also noted that people got on the ground so she did the same. Her senses tried to reach to nearest plants for some comfort, but all of them were fake. Why does no one keep real plants in this building? Then again, Mr. Drake had and they were almost dead.

“Well, hello Wayne Enterprises!” He greeted them. “Riddle me this: It belongs to you, but other people use it more than you do. What is it?”

“Name,” they heard a voice say from the back.

“Yes.” Riddler seethed. “And I really don’t like it when someone uses mine in their ridiculous stories. Now, which of you can tell me where I can find Lila Rossi?

#maribat au #maribat #Mother!Ivy #miraculous lb #miraculous ladybug #miraculous #batman #dc #MLB

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alpacaparkaseok · 4 years ago

Text

Mine

13. Agust D

Genre: Min Yoongi x oc

Warnings: none

Word Count: 4.2k

I have a surprise for you guys in this chapter!!! 😊😊 Aaaaand we’re all set up and ready to go for the finale!

2 Months Later

Anacortes, Washington, USA

The distant sound of a bell pulls me back to reality, and I turn to face the wind. Waves are pushing their way onto the shore, the choppy water fighting for my attention.

I watch as the ferry grows ever closer before putting my earbuds into my ears to answer my incoming phone call.

“Funny, I was just thinking about you,” I smile as I close my eyes.

“Really? What a coincidence. What are you up to right now?”

“Just about to board the ferry. You?”

“I’m going to head to bed soon.”

“Wow, so early. You’ve become so disciplined!”

Yoongi’s breathy laugh fills my ears and I can almost picture him rolling his eyes if I close my eyes tightly enough. “I’m assuming you’re not available to facetime?”

Frowning, I shake my head even though he can’t see me. “No, too many people around. You’ll just have to deal with the beautiful sound of my voice.”

“That’s what I was afraid of.”

It’s been two months since I last saw Yoongi outside of Bong-cha’s apartment. The chill that comes with currently residing in the northwestern United States is almost the same as I felt that morning when we said goodbye.

‘Young Rising’ came out just over a month ago, and it’s received a lot of success. Thankfully it was just enough to help me land a role that is already receiving speculation for possibly being a critically acclaimed role.

It wasn’t the one I originally wanted, that role went to Bryce Dallas Howard. I suppose I’ll have to try for a 1700’s romance some other time. This time around I get to play the daughter of one of the first lighthouse keepers in the United States and all the crazy events that unfold. It’s fun, and getting to take the ferry out to the San Juan islands here in the state of Washington is an added bonus.

My favorite part of the role? Every morning I get to sit here and watch the ocean and talk to Yoongi.

“Rude, but I’m not surprised. Isn’t it barely midnight there? You really are heading off to bed early.”

“Yeah, it’s midnight. What can I say? It was a long day and I’m exhausted.”

Now that I listen closer, I notice the hint of tiredness in his tone. “Why? What happened today?”

Yoongi sighs as I get up to board the ferry. Another great thing about being here in Washington? It’s cold and rainy enough that nobody bats an eye at me. I’m decked out in my raincoat and my beanie is pulled down low. During this time of year there aren’t many tourists either, so most mornings it’s just the ferryman and I. Today there are a couple of small groups milling about, though.

All the better. It gives me an excuse to not facetime Yoongi and have him laugh at my bundled up state. Which, for the record, he finds hilarious.

“Promise not to laugh?”

“Promise.”

There’s a second hesitation before he speaks up again. “I miss you.”

It’s a blow straight to the heart, and I cling to the railing so as to not fall overboard. We try not to dwell on our current state too much, things are complicated enough. Still, it’s nice to know that I’m not the only one struggling with this.

“Why would I laugh at that?”

“I don’t know, you like making fun of me and how weirdly sentimental I can get-”

“Soft. That’s the word you’re looking for.”

“...right. How could I forget.”

“I miss you too, Yoongs. A lot.”

It’s silent on the other end of the phone for a little while, so I just lean up against the railing and watch as the ferry begins to edge out to sea. Once again I close my eyes against the crashing waves and try to convince myself that I’m sitting in the genius lab or making a mess of things in the kitchen.

How could a span of less than a week affect me so much? It’s a question that I’ve come back to many times over the past couple of weeks. Occasionally I get a moment of understanding. Sometimes that understanding comes late at night as I cuddle up in bed, propping my phone up to chat with Yoongi as he sits at his desk in the genius lab and tells me about what he’s working on.

Just watching him mumble incoherent things under his breath and seeing his eyes flit back to his phone to check that I’m still there makes me realize that there’s so much going on here. So much going on whilst being so far apart.

At least the media frenzy has died down a bit. Sure, there’s still a lot of theories tumbling around, but the mobs of heartbroken fans seems to have lessened significantly.

“Are you sure that’s everything, though? What else have you got going on?”

“What, me missing you is not enough?”

I chuckle into the phone. “Nope.”

“Fine, you caught me. We’re finishing up the final touches on the mixtape and I always just get really stressed before a release, you know? Like you did the night before ‘Young Rising’ premiered?”

Shuddering at the memory I groan. “Ugh, don’t remind me. But what is it exactly about this mixtape that has you so nervous? I mean, this isn’t the first time you’ve released one. Maybe whatever helped you de-stress last time will help you this time around, too.”

There’s a long pause but I wait patiently for him to speak. The island is just coming into view now, I’ve probably got about fifteen more minutes before I’m officially on the clock and have to hang up.

I hate that part.

“I’m not so sure...it’s different this time around.”

I frown. “What’s so different? You’re even more loved?”

A wry laugh on his part. “No, not that. It’s just...this mixtape, these songs...they’re even more personal this time around. Sure, I’ve talked about some pretty personal things on my previous mixtapes, but this time around the entire mixtape is personal.”

That’s news to me. Ever since Yoongi changed the concept of the album he’s kept everything under lock and key. He told me he kept most of the tracks, ‘My First Mistake’ obviously being one of them. Other than that, though, I have no idea what to expect.

“Yoongs...I think that will make this mixtape your best one yet. Really. People will be able to relate to it, and they’ll love you even more for it. Just, get some sleep tonight. You’ve worked your hardest - don’t try to brush it all off, you’ve nearly worked yourself to the ground over this mixtape! - and that’s all you can do. I’m absolutely positive it’ll be great.”

“Thanks, Car. So what scenes are you doing today?”

We get lost in the conversation for the remainder of the ferry ride before suddenly the ferry is coming to a stop. I hurry off the boat, the tell-tale change of tone tipping Yoongi off to what I need to do.

“Talk to you later?”

“Yeah, sounds great. Get some sleep!”

Yoongi chuckles. “Will do. Have a great day.”

I sign off the phone and roll my shoulders. One of the producers, Melissa, is waiting for me in a little golf cart.

“Hey Cara, ready for the day?”

Grinning at her, I jump into the passenger seat. “Definitely.”

🌙

It’s the middle of the night when I’m awoken from my slumber, and I groan as I contemplate just turning my phone off. It was a late night, I’ve probably only been asleep for a couple of hours at this point.

When I see who’s calling, though, I pick up.

“Bong-cha?” I ask blearily. “What’s up?”

“Have you listened to it yet?!”

I hiss as Bong-cha screams into my ear. “What are you talking about? Did you and Jimin finally kiss or something?”

“No, you idiot. Yoongi’s mixtape!”

My eyes widen and suddenly I’m completely awake. “His mixtape? I-it’s out? When?”

“It just dropped like an hour ago! Didn’t he tell you? I mean, I get that he wanted to surprise everybody, but I thought he’d at least tell you.”

I’m already on my music app, searching for Agust D. When I finally hit search, I scream involuntarily.

“That little punk! He didn’t even tell me!”

“Wait, Cara!”

“What?”

“Just, listen to it.”

“That’s what I’m trying to do, weirdo.”

“No, but really listen to it. I mean, it’s about you.”

My chest stops rising as my air gets cut off. “What do you mean it’s about me? We already knew about ‘My First Mistake’-”

“No, not just that track. I mean it’s all about you. Just look at the name of it! Isn’t it a little weird that he didn’t stick to his m.o. and title it ‘D-3’?”

I was in such a rush to click on his profile that I didn’t even bother to look at the title. When I do, I come gasping up for air.

Mine.

Written there in big, bold letters is the word mine.

“That doesn’t mean any-”

“Nuh-uh, you listen to the mixtape and then we’ll hash out the details. Got it?”

“Fine. Call you in the morning?”

“Isn’t it already morning for you?”

“Yeah, 4!”

“Right. Yeah, call me later.”

Clicking off the call, I take a deep breath to steel myself before clicking on the album. 8 tracks stare back up at me, most of them I recognize from that first night in the genius lab. The leading track is ‘My First Mistake’, which makes me smile. When my eyes trail down to the final song, I can’t help but click on it.

My Last Mistake. Turning the volume up, I sit back against my headboard and listen. And then, note by note, I fall under his spell.

Yoongi’s heartbroken voice talks about details of his life, how he goes by many names. The world knows him by Suga. His true fans know his other name, August D. Min Yoongi controls the strings of those two personas. A heavy beat pounds out the words alongside him.

Then the music slows, becomes calmer. Clearer.

In the most tormented voice he can manage, Yoongi talks about a girl that called him Yoongs. He talks about a girl driving under the stars that called him Yoongs and how in that moment, he decided that none of the other names mattered anymore, just so long as he could hear her say it one more time.

As the song falls from its crescendo, Yoongi brings up his last mistake.

“What’s your last mistake, Yoongs?” I whisper, hoping for an answer.

He answers it a moment later, the same melody from ‘My First Mistake’ being played out, only this time it’s on the guitar rather than the piano.

He’s reminded of his last mistake every time a plane flies overhead and he can’t run fast enough to catch it.

🌙

The entire mixtape is hauntingly beautiful.

As I finish listening to “Naksan”, a song set Naksan park, and what I assume to be the gazebo that overlooked Seoul, I lean my head back and sigh.

There is so much we don’t say. There is so much that Yoongi has never said, but now I’m beginning to realize why he was so nervous about this mixtape.

Here, crammed into these eight songs that talk about everything from t-shirts to being oceans apart, Yoongi says everything he never could before. It’s obvious, painfully so. He didn’t try to cover anything up.

I am so dead.

Yet, I can’t find it in myself to care. The only thing I wish I could do right now is show up at his apartment and sit down on his couch. Maybe eat some food, and watch as he fumbles for an explanation to this mixtape that is no longer a mixtape but more a cry out into the void.

And of course, don’t even get me started on the title track. The song that the album is named after, “Mine”.

In it Yoongi recalls his dreams of having a big car and house, and how he gets to call all those things his now. He has it all, essentially. And yet, the one thing he wants more than anything is far from him.

‘I have it all, I hear them say it. I have it all, they chant over again. When will they realize that it means nothing to me, if I can’t call you mine?’

Dragging myself to check Twitter, I see what the number one trending topic is right now.

#Mine

And in second place?

#CaraisMine

Somehow, I can never quite make it to first place. How disappointing.

Groaning as I realize that the sun is about to come up, I linger over Yoongi’s contact information.

One call. That’s all it would take. A single phone call, and maybe everything would change. But what would I even say?

Hi, it’s the girl that’s ridiculously in love with you. Do you feel the same way? Great! Let’s end our careers and live in Fiji!

As enticing as that sounds as I watch the rain pouring down, I know that it’s unrealistic. I’m here, caught up in some strange, long-distance relationship that’s technically not a relationship.

And Yoongi’s there, hopefully receiving all the praise he deserves for coming out with yet another great mixtape.

So I just let the dim light from my phone fade out before slipping back down under the covers. I know what Yoong is thinking now.

Ball’s in my court. But how on earth do I return it?

🌙

Seoul, South Korea

“And she still hasn’t said anything about it?”

Yoongi knows that Taehyung is trying really hard to understand his current predicament, but if he asks him if he’s heard from Cara one more time, he’s going to lose his mind.

“No.”

“Have you reached out to her?”

“No.”

“Why not?”

Sighing, Yoongi rubs his hands over his face. “First, because it’s only 8 o’clock in the morning over there. Second, I basically just told the world about my feelings for her, I think I can give her a little space to breathe before jumping on her.”

Taehyung plops down beside Yoongi, his eyes wide. “You’re really stressed, aren’t you?”

Somehow the question makes Yoongi laugh. “You think?” He feels restless; he has for the past two months. He thought releasing the mixtape would diminish that feeling, but instead it’s been heightened to the point that he can’t hardly sit still anymore.

Which is saying a lot, because Yoongi loves sitting still.

“Hyung?”

“Hm.”

“I think you should borrow my car and go for a drive or something. Just get out for a while. You’ve been cooped up in this studio for weeks; it’s messing with your head.”

Sometimes Yoongi forgets how much everyone cares about him. It’s in times like these that he remembers. Without saying much else he takes Taehyung’s keys that he extends to him and heads out.

When he gets into the car, he doesn’t know where he’s going. His mind is filled with worry and doubts and worst of all, regret. Was he too blind in his feelings that he overlooked Cara’s? After all, maybe she’s listening to the mixtape right this very moment and wondering why he would write something like this.

Maybe she hasn’t called him yet because she’s trying to come up with a way to let him down easy.

Yoongi drives and drives, turning up the music so as to drown out the thoughts in his head. He drives on and on, clueless to the fact that it’s the middle of the night and he should really be heading back to the apartment now.

When he parks before a lit path that leads up, Yoongi realizes that his body knew this entire time where he was going.

Without questioning it further, he hops out of the car and shrugs on his coat and mask. It’s late enough that hopefully most people will have had the sense to go home.

As Yoongi climbs up the path he only passes a couple of people; a couple that are too tangled up in each other’s embrace to even notice him. The path continues ever upward until he’s panting, but he’s grateful for the burn in his lungs. For a brief moment, his mind isn’t consumed by the what ifs of his current situation.

As Yoongi clears the final steps, his gaze immediately turns to the gazebo just down a ways. It’s the same as before, the night a similar one to that night when he watched Cara from afar before mustering up the courage to go talk to her.

Tonight there is one major difference. As Yoongi edges closer, there’s a tightness in his chest. There’s some part of him that half-expects Cara to appear, leaning up against one of the pillars and looking out at the city.

As Yoongi steps into the gazebo, that wish vanishes into thin air.

It’s empty.

Cara is not here. Yoongi is, though. Which has proved to be the most miserable thing in the world over the past two months. Cara is gone, but somehow Yoongi is still here and seeing her everywhere he goes.

The songwriting and production process is enough to make anyone go a little insane. Usually, once the project is finished, Yoongi feels like he can finally breathe again. He’s able to enjoy the fruits of his labors.

Not tonight.

At first he laughed at himself, back when he’d first started learning about Cara from Bong-cha and curiosity overcame him. He thought it was silly of him to want to learn everything about her and what it was that made her tick. There was just something about her that made Yoongi dive right in.

Of course, the boys had noticed. Even Bong-cha, who hadn’t known him for very long, had noticed the difference Cara had made. That was before they even met. Before any of this had even started.

Yoongi knows his place. His place as one of the most famous stars in the world, his place in the group’s dynamic, his place among his family. His place among ARMY. Yet, when he met Cara, it was like the ground disappeared under his feet and he’s been falling ever since.

He used to come to Naksan park often and just think. He’s not one for hiking around outdoors, but something about the view and the beautiful architecture of the gazebo and old city walls that line the path have helped him think.

He used to stand where Cara stood, and think about everything. However there was one topic that he tried to avoid at all costs: love. It wasn’t because he didn’t believe in love or didn't want it; if he’s learned anything from his time with ARMY he’s learned about love. But there was always this giant, impenetrable wall that stood between him and love.

Yoongi knows his place, and because of that clear role he has also always known that him falling in love with someone other than his fans was off the table.

That night when he came to meet Cara, he was coming to tell her just that. He was coming to tell her that he was a horrible human being that was dangerously close to breaking that unspoken rule, and he needed to mark a clear line in the sand. Friends, he had thought We can still be friends.

Yet, as he’d watched Cara head to the same spot; the same pillar he had frequented so many times, his words had gotten caught in his throat. She’d looked out over the city and Yoongi would have given anything to know what she was thinking.

Instead, he’d just asked for what so many people had been unable to give him throughout his career.

Just someone to sit in silence with.

No demands, no questions, just be together.

And as Yoongi sat swimming in his feelings, Cara’s head resting on his shoulder, he learned something about himself.

Yoongi had avoided the topic of love for so long not because he didn’t think it was appropriate for his lifestyle, but because he’d known deep down that the chances of him finding someone he was willing give everything up for were nearly nonexistent.

Cara’s hand was wrapped up in his, sharing his pocket. Quiet breathing, feeling warm despite the oppressing chill. No demanding answers, just sitting together.

He had realized that while he was looking for someone to convince him to leave everything behind, he was sitting beside someone that already understood. Someone that would never tell him to abandon it all just to be together.

He was sitting beside someone that might just be open to the possibility of being together, and would be open to the chaos that would ensue. There was no need to change everything to be together, but there would be the need to fight for that privilege of calling Cara his.

As Yoongi now steps into the gazebo and rests on the bench opposite from where they had sat, he remembers when it all started.

The night after he’d watched ‘Under Nine’, he’d felt restless and wandered up here. It was the first time in over a year that he’d come here. He knew why he didn’t bother to anymore; he didn’t feel inspired anymore when he looked out over the city.

Yoongi had seen the world, and he’d fallen out of love with it.

It was a horrible, lying, cheating thing. He’d seen too much suffering, fought so hard against it just to see evil rise up again and again.

Yet when he came up here that night after watching Cara on screen and seeing that humanity can be beautiful even in all its flaws, something amazing had happened.

He looked out over the city, and a little spark had jumped up in his heart. That night, Yoongi looked out over the world, and began to fall in love again.

Yoongi has never been very confrontational. Some may think he is simply due to his status as a rapper, but that’s never been the case. However, he is known for his undeniable work ethic. For his unending effort to obtain what he thinks he deserves.

When Yoongi placed a letter into the mail a few days ago, he was reminded of why he was going to do everything in his power to make this work.

When he looked at Cara, he thought that she deserved a chance at love, too.

Giving one last look out at the city, Yoongi gets up and stretches. There are a lot of uncertainties swirling about right now, but there is one thing he is completely certain of.

He is going to do everything in his power to give him and Cara a chance.

🌙

Anacortes, Washington, USA

I have mail.

It’s the first time in a long time that I’ve gotten mail, but I can’t fight the feeling of dread as I wonder if the awkward pleas from fans are about to start up again. There’s a single envelope addressed to me sitting on the ground in front of my hotel door, which I scoop up before heading back inside.

No work today; we’ll be taking a two week break to wait out the rainy season before picking things back up again. I’m grateful for the small reprieve, I would much rather stay cuddled up in my blankets today while I try to wrap my mind around everything.

I haven’t reached out to Yoongi yet. Granted, it’s only 10 am, but I still feel a little guilty. I just want to make sure I have my thoughts in order before I freak out, you know? After all, there’s still a chance the mixtape being about me is just a coincidence...right?

Stacey, my PR rep, just got off the phone with me. Nobody really knows where I am right now, which is good. There are perks to being holed up in a small town in the northwestern United States.

She gave me an earful on how many calls she’s received over the course of the last few hours from various magazines and gossip collectors. When she asked me if there was a statement she would like for me to relay, I blanked. Stacey just laughed and said she’d come up with some vague for the time being.

My attention returns to the item in my hand. Cautiously opening up the letter, my brows furrow as I take out a small slip of paper and a piece of thick cardstock.

Cara,

Hopefully this gets to you when it’s supposed to. I thought of just sending you an email but that seemed to detract from what I was going for. You understand, don’t you? When you told me about your break from work, I managed to pull some strings. Follow the directions on the back of this letter, I’ll be waiting for you. And no, I can’t do this over the phone. It’s an ‘in-person’ kind of thing.

Yours,

Yoongs

Flipping the letter over I frown when the directions are in French. Then, scrambling for the cardstock, my mouth drops open as I see just what Yoongi is talking about.

One boarding ticket for tomorrow morning, leaving at 10am.

Destination?

Paris.

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only one chapter left! 💛💛

taglist: @eusticenatalie @agustneeds @prdshobi @oceandeep @taylorroe3 @dreamcatcherjiah

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idmakeitbehave · 4 years ago

Text

This I Know {Spencer x Reader}

Chapter Four

masterlist

series table of contents

summary: a little backstory, a little panic- all in a day’s work

word count: 1.6k

July 2004

“Remind me why the hell we decided to do this in the middle of the summer? I swear it has got to be the hottest day of the year,” you grunted, sweat dripping down your back as you weaved through the hurdles.

“Crime waits for no one,” Mia huffed as she ran alongside you. “Besides, we need to beat Gomez and his squad. Show those boys who’s boss.”

“I already beat him in hand to hand, what more could he want?”

“I think he needs a little more ass-kicking, take him down a peg,” she said.

A whistle sounded across the yard. “Ladies! Less chit-chat, more laps.”

You exchanged a look with Mia before dashing off to the track, her not far behind you.

You were halfway through your tactical training at the Academy, and while it was the most difficult thing you had ever done, you had never been more motivated. After finishing your second degree, this one in Behavioral Psychology, you had been trying to plan your next move when you had seen them. There was a killer on the loose a town away from you, one with a penchant for young college students and ritualistic staging. You had been following the murders via the news, simultaneously worried for your own safety and fascinated by the case. A press conference caught your eye where you learned that the BAU was in town- the Behavioral Analysis Unit. You had heard of them of course, who in your field hadn’t? But it wasn’t until you attended a seminar a few months later by the man you had seen on the news, Jason Gideon, that you knew. This was what you were meant to do. You made it your life’s mission to get on that unit, whatever it took.

Mia was one of the first classmates you met at the Academy, and the two of you had become friends almost instantly. You were paired up for one of the first drills, and you had both reveled in the fact of being the only all-female team to make it through. Your shared drive- that and your love for baking, musicals, and all things ghost related- had bonded you from that moment on. You couldn’t imagine life without her.

You made it back to the dorm with Mia after a grueling day of defensive drills and scenarios, both drained. Flopping onto the floor beside you, she let out an exhale. “What. the. hell.”

You smirked at the way she had her arm dramatically across her forehead, her legs sticking up on the side of her bed. The feeling was completely mutual.

She propped herself up on her elbow, wiping her hair out of her face. “Aren’t you exhausted?”

“Obviously, Mee.”

“You don’t look exhausted. You look… psychotic,” she said.

You let out a laugh, rolling your eyes. “If you’re trying to profile me, I think you might be way off.”

“Hey now,” Mia snickered, kicking you lightly in the shin. “You’re the one who wants to be a profiler. I just want to be on the good old goon squad, busting down doors and shit. I don’t need to know anything about that psychosis crap. But either way you look psychotic.”

You looked down at your sweaty outfit, covered with grass, mud, and other various stains from the day. There was a tear in your pants from when you had tackled the mock-unsub and single-handedly taken him down during a drill, much to Gomez’s dismay. You could feel your hair matted with mud from the takedown, and you saw yourself through Mia’s eyes. The bright smile on your face definitely didn’t match just how beat up and worn out you looked, but you couldn’t seem to keep it off your face.

“I’m just happy, Mee. This is exactly where I’m supposed to be. Exactly what I’m supposed to be doing.”

“You’re gonna do great things, buttercup.” Mia lifted a fist out to you, dramatically sighing with the effort.

You bumped it with yours, that same grin still on your face. “We both are.”

—————

Present Day

You pressed yourself into the corner of your room, arms wrapped tightly around your legs. You could feel a panic attack coming on- your breath was coming out ragged and your vision was blurring. The events of the past few days had finally caught up to you. The compartmentalization that you so often used when things went wrong was failing you. This was just too much, more wild than you had ever had to deal with before.

What was real? Did you even know anymore? More to the point- would you ever know? The possibility that you might never remember threatened to suffocate you.

Spencer came back into the room, taking one look at you and dropping to the floor beside you. “Hey, hey, look at me.”

You started to shake, your chest heaving as you sobbed. “I can’t breathe, Spence. I-I can’t breathe. It hurts.” Hot tears ran down your face and you felt a warm hand on your cheek.

Spencer whispered your name at first before repeating it more forcefully, turning your face towards him. “Look at me.”

You were looking right at Spencer, but it was hard to make out his features, your vision still swimming. “It hurts,” you whispered, still gasping for air.

“You’re having a panic attack,” Spencer murmured. “You’re safe, you’re here in our apartment. You’re with me.” He meant well, of course he did, and you were sure that he had used the same words to ground you before, but given the current circumstances, it did little to help you.

“I-I don’t know you,” you cried, the thought just serving to panic you more. “I don’t know anything.”

A look of anguish flashed through his eyes, but he concealed it quickly- too quickly for it to be anything but forced, practiced even. “Can you breathe with me? Take a deep breath.” He counted to five, breathing in deeply and motioning for you to do the same.

You took a shaky breath, your hand gripping the one that Spencer held on your face. You were squeezing it so hard that you were sure he must be in pain, but he made no move to remove his hand from your grasp. He repeated the breaths in and out, and you mirrored him as you tried to control your breathing.

Spencer wiped the tears from your face as you hiccuped, choking back a sob. “What do you need?”

“I need space,” you gasped, “I need Mee.”

Spencer nodded, handing you your phone from the bedside table. “Take another breath, angel. Call her. I’ll be right outside.”

You grabbed your phone from him and nodded your thanks, your breaths slowly becoming steady. He pressed a kiss to your forehead before heading towards the bedroom door. You smiled weakly as he closed the door before dialing a number you had known by heart for the last six years.

“Oh buttercup, I’m so glad to hear from you.” The familiar voice on the other end was so immediately comforting, you heaved a sigh of relief, your arms finally relaxing around your legs.

“Mee,” you cried. “Mee, thank god.”

“Spencer told me what happened, I was so worried about you. I’m sorry I haven’t called, I wanted to give you your space until you were ready. How are you doing?”

“You know Spencer?”

You hadn’t even considered the possibility, these two worlds colliding. They felt like entirely different universes. This somehow made it seem more real. If Mia knew Spencer, it was real. You desperately wanted it to be real. You needed it to be.

Mia let out a sad laugh. “Of course. You haven’t stopped talking about that boy since the day you met him. I had to meet him to give my approval, obviously.”

“Oh Mee, it’s so good to hear your voice. I can’t believe this is happening. What the hell is happening?!” You paused, considering the distance of the past two years. “We’re still friends, right? We still talk? I will never forgive myself if we’re not still friends.”

She scoffed. “Hey now, you couldn’t get rid of me if you tried. I’m still in the LA field office though, so we don’t see each other very often. But we talk on the phone at least every week. And we visit when we can- I met Spencer one of my first trips out there, right after you started dating.”

“God. I wish- I wish I remembered anything.”

What had it been like- two of your favorite people meeting? You liked to imagine that it was wonderful, that Mia and Spencer had gotten along straight away. What if you never knew?

“I know, it’s gotta be a lot. I can’t even begin to imagine. But hey- Spencer said you were being your usual badass self when it happened. Not that that surprises me in the least.”

“He said that?”

“Not in so many words, but we all know you’re a badass. Always have been.”

It only took a few minutes of talking with Mia for you to be able to calm down completely. The two of you talked for the better part of an hour, laughing over tales of the Academy and your time together. Mia told you a little bit about what had been happening the last two years, but you were grateful that she kept bringing it back to a time you remembered- a time you knew. The comfort of talking to someone you knew, someone you actually, truly knew, was like no other. You could have cried from the sheer relief of it.

There was a pause before you spoke again. “Mee? Am I happy? Here, with Spencer? In this life?”

The laugh on the other end was joyous. “Of course, buttercup. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you happier- even that time you kicked Gomez’s ass.”

“There is nothing I would not do for those who are really my friends. I have no notion of loving people by halves, it is not my nature.”-Jane Austen

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Taglist: @rexorangecouny @illuxions-x @cal-ifornication :)

#spencer reid x reader #spencer reid #spencer reid angst #spencer reid fanfiction #spencer reid imagine #criminal minds x reader #criminal minds fanfiction #spencer reid fluff #sarasstuff #thisiknow

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wordsablaze · 4 years ago

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7/13 - soulmate’s deathdate on your wrist

A Dozen Denials Soulmate-identifiers exist to make things easier unless you’re Jaskier, who’s equally as deep in love as he is in denial. But there’s only so many excuses you can make to avoid the truth… (aka jaskier’s soulmate is definitely a witcher, just not the one he first assumes)

A/N: this one’s techincally cheating bc i don’t vibe with mortal jaskier but oh well :p

previous chapter

Anyone with magic was usually immortal.

That was common knowledge really, to anyone who’d ever hired mages and witchers or anyone who’d heard the stories of their battles and reputation. Unfortunately, where most townsfolk might marvel at an extended lifespan, nobles tended to frown upon it; nobles tended to see it as something unnatural and therefore unwanted, as something that should be feared or frowned upon, as something that made magic-users even less human and not at all desirable.

Nobles like Jaskier’s family.

Jaskier grew up with the knowledge that living forever would be awful because it meant you were inhuman, it meant you were monstrous and existing against nature, it meant you weren’t the perfect picture of nobility that you should be. And unfortunately, being linked to someone who was going to live forever made you the same just by association.

At first, he hated it.

He hated the little ouroboros symbol etched into his wrist.

But just like the heartbeat he eventually grew to love under his skin, he eventually accepted that the symbol over his skin simply meant his soulmate would probably outlive him. He was happy with it, in fact, because he’d never want to have to bury and outlive someone he loves, and despite all the taunts from his siblings that he’d probably be forgotten as soon as he passed, he didn’t mind it too much.

Yes, he threw himself into perfecting his songs because the idea of being wholly lost to time absolutely terrified him, but he was fine - totally fine.

And then he met Geralt, who always wore armour until he didn’t, until Jaskier dumped water on his head in bathtub after bathtub, catching sight of a similar ouroboros on his wrist every so often. A familiar ouroboros that meant Geralt's soulmate was also not just human, that meant Jaskier was also destined to live until he was killed.

At first, he thought he was wrong. He thought that he’d just been seeing things or that somehow Destiny had gotten things mixed up, for he was a noble and he couldn’t possibly be immortal.

“Jaskier, you’re alive,” Geralt says with something like shock in his voice.

Said bard nods, sitting up on the healer’s bed. “Wouldn’t be very interesting to die at the hands of a small cliff,” he jokes.

Geralt hums, then in a rare moment of unfiltered humour, smirks. “Lucky the cliff wasn’t the same size as your stupidity, then.”

Jaskier splutters, flushing red, and chucks a pillow at Geralt. “Excuse you, I was trying to help!”

Gently tossing the pillow back, Geralt shakes his head. “It was a stupid distraction.”

But Jaskier can read between the lines and since he’s only been halfway unconscious when Geralt had carried him all the way back on foot because he’d forgotten about Roach in his concern, he doesn’t take offence, simply glad to still be alive.

“Most humans would have died from this,” Geralt tells him after having pulled an arrow out of his leg that’d only been there because he’d annoyed the wrong person.

Jaskier blinks. “Was that an insult or a compliment? I’ve lost too much blood to decipher your tone.”

With a soft laugh, Geralt finishes making sure he won’t actually bleed out before sitting back and shrugging. “You can choose.”

“Can’t you express your gratitude for your very best friend in any other circumstance, Geralt?” Jaskier asks incredulously, his brain too tired to even decide if he wants to stay awake or not.

Geralt only frowns, clearly wondering how he’s meant to do that, and for a second, Jaskier wants to laugh at the ridiculousness of his witcher being confused about the etiquette of conversation. He doesn’t though, he only takes Geralt’s hand and squeezes tightly, both as a reassuring gesture and because he’s in a rather large amount of pain.

“Loving the wrinkles, bard,” Yennefer drawls.

Jaskier rolls his eyes at her abrupt reappearance, not even looking up from his songbook. “Likewise, my dear witch.”

Geralt intervenes before either of them can go any further. “Neither of you have wrinkles?”

Yennefer and Jaskier share an exasperated look before the bard goes back to rearranging verses and the sorceress turns to Geralt with a sigh because it’s her turn to explain things to their somewhat clueless mutual friend. “Don’t take everything so literally, Geralt.”

“How else am I meant to take it?” Geralt asks, but the other two take it to be rhetorical, with Yennefer switching to discussing something about their latest contract.

Not bothered about the creature they’re discussing, Jaskier pauses only for a moment to ponder the exchange because in truth, he really ought to have wrinkles at his age, but he doesn’t dwell on it because the tale of the wyverns he’s weaving is far more compelling.

“Jaskier!” Geralt yells moments before tackling him.

Jaskier groans as the two of them land on the uneven ground, something flying over their bodies as they do, but doesn’t get much time to register any pain before Geralt is pulling him upright, tugging him along until both of them are out of range of whatever it is they’re under attack from. It’s only when they stop running that Jaskier realises the sharp pain in his chest isn’t just breathlessness.

“Geralt! Geralt- can’t... breathe…” he manages before the world fades to nothing.

When the void fades back into awareness, he’s met with the all too familiar sensation of bandages wrapped around his torso and the sight of Geralt’s puzzled face hovering above him.

He blinks. “Am I dead?”

Geralt blinks back at him, then scowls. “Apparently not.”

Jaskier makes a face, scrunching his nose up and furrowing his brows. “No need to sound so disappointed. You’re the one who saved me and it gets a little confusing when you look like you regret it every time.”

At that, Geralt’s expression softens. “No, I don’t regret it. I, uh- you broke a few ribs. I thought…”

“You thought I wouldn’t make it? I’m sorry,” Jaskier murmurs, then cracks a smile. “Foolish of you to assume you’d be free of me so easily.”

Thankfully, Geralt smiles back - it’s small, barely a curve of his lips, but it’s a smile nonetheless - and nudges him carefully. “Not being free of you isn’t so bad.”

Jaskier positively beams at him.

Eventually, he just accepts the small ouroboros on Geralt’s wrist.

He figures that, as many nobles are prone to doing, someone had lied about sleeping with someone else at some point along his lineage. And he silently thanks whoever it was for being too concerned with upholding their honourable reputation to tell the truth every time he makes it out of situations where he’s readily informed he’s lucky to be alive.

Geralt’s ouroboros is slightly different to his, sleeker and longer, but he doesn’t worry about it, knowing it’s probably related to how and why the two of them have longer lifespans than the average human. He’s perfectly happy just knowing that he can literally spend the the kind of forever that he writes so many balled about with his soulmate because the length of their lives match almost perfectly.

(little did he know his matching forever was still unknown to him.)

ik it’s chaotic but the trope is perfect for confusion here :)

thanks for reading! masterlist | witcher blog: @itsjaskier | next chapter

#i hate tagging this one bc it's a mess #the witcher #fanfic #jaskel #well it's eventually jaskel #geraskier #but not really #jaskier #soulmate au #soulmates gone wrong #hurt comfort #hurt jaskier #angst and fluff #idek #my writing #add

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ayamari-no-goshi · 4 years ago

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Verboten 15 | (T)

ff.net | AO3

Fandom: Danny Phantom (DP)

Summary: AU. When Danny was five years old, he went missing for 2 weeks. In the years that follow, his family tried to make sense of what happened, only for the truth to be discovered years later.

Warnings: rated T for violence, mentions of death, language. Be prepared for some very weird things

Parings: Danny/Sam

Notes: originally uploaded to Ff.net. Cross-posted to AO3 and tumblr. This fic is very heavily inspired by folklore surrounding mysterious wilderness disappearances

Chapter 15

It took almost twenty minutes for Danny’s mom to finish her tirade against the police. Watching her flip out on the officers was almost therapeutic, and by the time she was done, he was more amused then terrified. It made the actual interview much easier.

The police were initially skeptical, especially since his dad took the lead on explaining what happened. His childish excitement at getting to chase something made it sound like some made up fantasy, but that changed when Vlad gave his account. With his reputation, they were forced to take it seriously.

The older of the two officers, O’Brian, took the statements as his partner, Kiziah, reviewed the scene for any clues or evidence of how the creature got in the house. Other police offers were on the way to do a proper investigation.

“You’re the one that reported that murder… That was just, I guess it’s two days ago now,” O’Brian mentioned as he glanced at Danny, who nodded. “We chalked up the weirdness of your original statement due to shock, but if you’re telling me this thing is the same perp, I have no idea what we have on our hands.”

“I… I don’t really know if it was the same thing or not, but it looked like it.”

The officer frowned as his partner returned. “No obvious sign of a break in,” Kiziah stated, “but I don’t want to touch anything without an evidence kit. There’s definitely a weird substance in the living room and near the front door that will need analyzed.”

“You didn’t hear anything?” O’Brian looked back towards Danny and his parents.

“To be honest, our family tends to be heavy sleepers,” his mother explained as she gave him a sheepish grin. “Jack can sleep through almost anything, and I tend to wear earplugs.”

“And I am of the opposite,” Vlad stated as he made himself a cup of tea. “However, it wasn’t until I heard Daniel sprint up the stairs and bang on his parents’ door that I awoke.”

“Sorry about that.” Danny winced at he glanced at the man. Vlad didn’t seem as creepy as he had the previous day, but something still seemed off about him.

The man gave him a dismissive wave. “No worries, my dear boy. I believe your actions were more than understandable given the circumstances.”

“Err… I guess you want me to say if I heard anything?” Danny shook his head as the officers stared at him. “I didn’t. It… it was just a feeling, you know? Like when you get a sudden chill.” That statement was true enough. He figured it probably wouldn’t be a good idea to state the more paranormal aspect of it. “I thought I was just being paranoid until I looked down the stairs and that… that thing stared back at me.”

An awkward silence fell as O’Brian took some more notes. It was only broken when Kiziah received some sort of notification and moved to let the investigation team in. They quickly went to work examining the scene and looking for anything out of the ordinary. While they worked, an older man with a scar down the right side of his face took O’Brian and Kiziah aside and spoke with them. Once they finished, the older officer approached Danny and his family.

“I’m Lieutenant Metzger, and I’ve recently been put in charge of the investigation of the recent murders in the city. You’ve probably heard the rumors this is a serial case. Well, that’s true.” A muscle moved in the man’s cheek as he seemed to debate with himself over how much he could tell them. “Due to some of the details, we were under the impression these were ritualistic in nature and called in the FBI for some help.” He sighed before asking, “Is it okay if I sit?”

“Sure,” Danny’s mother shared a confused look with her husband before she asked the officer if he needed some coffee.

When he agreed, he waited until there was a cup in front of him to continue. “Look, I don’t want this being leaked. We don’t need people thinking the police force is wasting money on chasing fairy tales.” Once the Fenton family agreed, he continued, “You aren’t the first one to report something not quite human around the time of the incidences. Due to shock and figuring it was some sort of disguise, we originally disregarded that. However,” he glanced around before he leaned in, “one of my own officers gave a report earlier this week of glancing something inhuman. It actually attacked his patrol car before it vanished. On top of that, I don’t think whatever that thing spilled on your carpet has any sort of mundane explanation behind it.” He sighed and rubbed his eyes, “Mr. and Mrs. Fenton, I’m going to be frank with you. I would like to contract you for some sort of weapon for this thing. From previous experiences, I’m fully aware your… experiments don’t tend to do harm to people, so if… by the off chance, this isn’t something normal, we’ll have a way to stop it.”

Danny’s father immediately lit up in excitement. After rambling some idea, he ran down to the lab to act upon it before anyone could stop him.

“Don’t mind him,” his mother fondly chuckled. “Jack is very enthusiastic about our work.”

“I… uh… take that you’re willing to help us?”

“Oh, absolutely. If this thing is what we think it might possibly be, we were going to do that anyways. But I do need to ask you something. You mentioned you thought the attacks were ritual in nature. I’m not really sure how to ask this, but for those poor people, was there a part of the body missing?”

Metzger’s shoulders tensed at her question as his eyes narrowed. “How did you know about that?”

“Wait… wait, you’re telling me… that thing… what it was holding in its hand…” Danny couldn’t say it. The memory of the blood dripping from that thing’s hand temporarily overwhelmed him. He must have swayed as his mother gently put a hand on his shoulder.

“You don’t have to stay if you don’t want to. If you decide to go help your father, I think he’d gladly welcome the help.”

Danny shook his head at the suggestion. He needed to stay put. It just felt safer with her and the officers around. She must have somehow understood as she gave his shoulder a motherly squeeze.

“You didn’t answer my question.” An irritated edge crept into Metzger’s voice.

His mother calmly turned back to him and returned his gaze. “I didn’t until just now. After Danny relayed his story, it struck a chord with me, and I did some digging. There is folklore in different parts of the US which tells of creatures who steal the life of humans and often a part of the body. If… if that’s what’s happening, then we’re in trouble.”

“What do you think this thing is doing?”

“Nothing good. Throughout history, humankind has offered up blood and other bodily sacrifices to gods, spirits, monsters, and everything in between. While usually the Aztecs come to mind, you can find evidence of this around the world. It’s believed those sacrifices would either strengthen or appease whichever entity was the focus.”

“Maddie, are you suggesting this thing is doing something similar?”

She nodded. “I… We aren’t sure if this thing is trying to strengthen itself or if it’s taking its gains to something else.”

A different memory surfaced in Danny’s mind. “That… when we were being rescued… the… the person that helped us get back… he said the A-listers got targeted for their blood,” he stammered before he could stop himself.

Everyone in the room stared at him. He and his friends really hadn’t talked about Frostbite. They mentioned to the police they thought someone helped them, but purposely left it vague. With how disoriented they were when they were found, the police were under the impression the trauma obscured some of their memories. Well, the cat was out of the bag.

Matzger stared at him. “Are you telling me what happened to your classmates may be related to… to this thing?”

“I don’t know. Maybe? Like I told my mom before you came, the person who grabbed me and my friends isn’t the same… whatever that thing is. But, I don’t know what Dash and them encountered after we got separated.”

“Hmm… what about the person who helped you?”

Danny shook his head. “Not the same person. He called himself Frostbite, and…” How could he even explain Frostbite? He was a ghostly yeti with an ice arm for God’s sake! “I didn’t think he was real,” he eventually stated as he glanced down at his hands. “He was so friendly and helpful. He was so much different than that thing.”

“Honey, you never really talked about this Frostbite person before.” His mother tried to reach out for his hand, but he pulled away.

“I… I thought he was a dream or hallucination or something for a while.” He hoped he sounded sincere. It was somewhat true after all. The fantastical nature of what happen still didn’t seem real to him, but he knew better. “I think he had helpers… there were other voices besides his.”

“That would line up with some of the evidence we have from your case,” Matzger stated as he rubbed his chin. “The injuries of you and your two friends were vastly different than the others who went missing which suggested multiple perpetrators. One of the other boys did mention that he thought they were rescued by a small group of people. I will have to take a closer look at the injuries of your classmates to determine whether or not they match up with our current victims. That should give us an idea if it’s the same thing or something different.”

“Sir,” officer Kiziah interrupted, “we’ve finished our initial sweep. We did have some trouble trying to keep Mr. Fenton out of the way in the basement area, but he’s promised to stay at the one table while we work. He’s apparently drafting some blueprints. Forensics is here and are working on collecting evidence. They’re hoping to talk to you.”

He sighed. “Thank you, Kiziah. Can you explain to them their options during our investigation progress?” After flashing them an apologetic smile which seemed out of place with his features, he told them he would be in touch and excused himself.

After shaking his head at his superior, Kiziah stated while the family could stay in the house during the investigation process, it had the possibility of accidentally contaminating evidence. He recommended for them to stay at a local hotel for a time.

Although his mother seemed hesitant to leave the house, she eventually agreed to head to a hotel after Vlad made a show of being concerned for the family’s safety. It took a bit of time to get his dad to leave the basement, but by the time seven am hit, Danny found himself in the best hotel in Amity Park, per Vlad’s firm recommendations.

After sending his friends a few texts to let them know what happened, that he was fine, and where he was, he told them he’d call them after he got some sleep. Although he wasn’t exactly happy he shared the room with Vlad, the pristine bed ended up being far more important to him than any worries.

…..

Several hours later, Danny woke up to one hundred and three texts, fifty-four missed calls, and eleven voicemails. Sam and Tucker had only one voicemail and call apiece and only a handful of texts. The rest were from his sister. Groaning, he sent Sam and Tucker messages to let them know he’d call them after he contacted his sister.

He really didn’t want to talk to Jazz at the moment. When she was scared, she became spastic, and a spastic Jazz was the last thing he wanted to deal with at the moment. Okay, the third to last think he wanted to deal with. The creepy thing and Plasmius took the top two places.

After taking several minutes to do everything other than call his sister, he finally buckled down and called her. As predicted, she spastically demanded to know if he was okay while berating him for not contacting her sooner. He just let her talk while making the occasional ‘uh huh’, ‘sorry,’ and ‘yeah.’ From experience, he knew it was better to let her get it out of her system.

He put Jazz on speaker while he attempted to find the hotel’s TV remote. Vlad didn’t seem to be in the room which really didn’t bother him. The man didn’t need to listen to Jazz flipping out after all. Eventually, he found the remote next to a message from Vlad stating he and his parents went to discuss something with the police and would be back with food.

“Danny, are you even listening to me?” Jazz demanded. He must have been quiet for too long.

“Uh? Yeah, I just happened to find a note Vlad left. You were saying something about how it was irresponsible for Dad to go running after the thing?”

“Wait, are you telling me you were left alone after everything that happened?”

“Jazz, I’m seventeen. I think I’m perfectly fine being alone for a few hours.”

“You were kidnapped by a crazy man and then were attacked in your own home! Do you really think it’s safe for you to be alone right now?” With that, she flew into a different tirade.

Knowing it would be a while, he decided the TV would be a preferable alternative to his upset sister. He turned it on only to have it immediately turn off. Thinking he accidentally doubled clicked the button, he tried again only to have the same result. Thinking the remote was damaged, he moved to try the button on the machine. Only, it turned on by itself. It and the lights began to dim and flicker, and his breath began to mist.

Glancing around, he watched as a girl emerged from the wall. At first, it seemed she didn’t notice him as she moved towards the opposite wall, but she stopped midway and faced him. She looked human but her entire body seemed insubstantial and almost wispy. Her skin, if it could be called that, was an unearthly white while her blue hair flickered like a flame.

She smirked at him while moving a little closer. “You shouldn’t be here, Baby Pop.” Her sultry and musical voice seemed far away, almost as if it was being broadcasted over an old radio. “Don’t know what you’re doing on this side of the veil, but you shouldn’t stay here.”

“What… what are you talking about? Who are you?” he stammered while vaguely registering Jazz asking him what was wrong.

“I like to slip to this side for some fun, but I might stick around a little longer this time. It’s already chaotic here, and a little more might do me some good. Besides, it seems I need to make a few people remember I still exist.” After appraising him, she gave another smile and headed back towards the wall. “You might want to get out while you can, Baby Pop. Things might get a little hot, and you new guys often aren’t strong enough to deal with the heat.”

“Hey, wait!” He tried to get her to stop, but she just vanished back into the wall. Unsure what to do, he stood in the center of the room dumbfounded until he realized his phone was still on speaker and his sister was calling for him.

“Hey, Jazz, I’m going to have to call you back,” he stated as he moved towards the door. “Something really weird just happened.” He hung up on her as he ran into the hallway looking for some evidence of the ghost.

He barely made it to the elevators when the fire alarm sounded. Not wanting to stick around, he quickly found the stairs and made his way to the lobby as the rest of the guests started to follow suit. By the time he reached the third floor, he began to smell smoke. There had to be a fire. Is that what that ghost meant? Did she somehow set it?

He really hoped that wasn’t the case. He really only needed on potentially supernatural thing causing problems in his life at a time.

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ghostcat3000 · 4 years ago

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Fic Writer Interview

I was tagged by @irazor and I’m late on my reply. sorry. my apologies.

Name: ghostcat3000 here and Ghostcat on AO3

Fandoms: SKAM, Call Me By Your Name, The Defenders/Jessica Jones, Daredevil, Veronica Mars, Gilda, The Clouds of Sils Maria, You’re the Worst, The Zero Effect, New Girl, The Handmaid’s Tale

Where you post: AO3 (link above)

Most Popular One-shot: II. Andante, which, while technically part of a larger series, can stand-alone. For CMBYN, romantic dithering in late ‘80s NYC.

Most Popular Multichap: Also, technically part of that same series, but III. Rondo: Allegretto Moderato. A first-person exercise in fevery Id. CMBYN and could be read as a stand-alone but works best when read after the story above.

Favorite story you’ve written so far: My favorites are almost always stories I am currently writing. In this case, it will be:

1. My SKAM Nordic noir AU Rest Easy which is my first time writing a proper, plotty genre story. I really love these versions of the characters and the whole vibe of the piece. A labor of love with ten readers and I know them all by their actual names. Everyone else will be like, que?

2. [spoiler redacted]* (*not the actual title) which I am currently co-writing with @irazor since--checks chat--October of last year. It was supposed to have been a porny one-shot but it has become a long, tonally complicated love story. It is so profoundly lovely in parts (Raz) and incredibly fucking goofy in others (me). We’ve written it with a lot of laughter and love so we hope our readers love it as much as we do.

3. For posted stories, I’m going to say Five Stages of Grief (The Never Mind The Albatross Remix). It’s a remix of an excellent story by igrockspock but it’s about something else entirely and it’s less than 1k words. It’s very simple but I think it packs a punch.

Fic you were nervous to post: Probably IV. Finale: Rubato e affettuoso, also from the CMBYN Piano Sonata in G Major, "Pense-bête" series. It’s so tricky, structurally, it has to mirror the final movement of a sonata, which are the previous chapters...and it’s smut-heavy, but like, feelings porn heavy on the characterization piece. I worked super, duper hard on it and kind of lost it a little. I really liked parts of it a lot but I had a feeling it wouldn’t be well-received. There’s still one chapter left and a part of me thinks that maybe an unfinished sonata is the way to go. I know how it ends, which is well, so I know I’ll finish it eventually. I have a few dedicated readers that I definitely think deserve a good landing on that one.

How do you choose your titles: Song lyrics usually. Or poetry. Something relating to the story itself.

Do you outline: In my head.

Complete: I have four unfinished stories. This is why lately I have been trying to post only when a story is complete. So I can stop being that person.

In progress: See above. Plus bits and bobs of some very strange AU ideas, one of which will definitely be part of...

Coming soon/not yet started: ...SKAM Big Bang 2021, which I am helping to moderate. The stories I am juggling have the TBD titles of: Slug Juice, Rødekornet, and Drinking the Kool-Aid. Plus a Killing Eve AU that would disappoint everyone.

Prompts?: I don’t do prompts because I will fuck up your prompt so hard that you’ll be left wondering what you did to deserve such horrors.

Upcoming work you’re most excited about: Good ole [spoiler redacted]* and Rest Easy, fo sho.

Tagging: no pressure of course @ferrame @blithers @angel-in-new-york-city @isaksbestpillow @etal-late @teejaysnow

#fic writers meme #meme time #Ghostcat replies

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ranma-rewatch · 4 years ago

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Episode 9: True Confessions! A Girl's Hair is Her Life!

Good morning, good evening, and goodnight everybody. Today I’ll be covering the ninth episode of Ranma 1/2, which is also the third episode in Ryoga Hibiki’s introductory arc. I don’t really know what to expect from this one, most of my memories of this arc are from the front half, but I’m interested to see where it went next. Oh, and with this episode I’ll be halfway through the first season! So that’s neat. Well, next paragraph I’ll have rewatched the episodes, so I’ll see you then.

That was a pretty interesting experience. It really feels like this episode was adapting two different chapters, each with a radically different tone, and together they kind of add up into a good summating of the Ranma 1/2 experience, only missing the acting scenes and love dodecahedron elements to tie it all together.

As you might have expected, this episode begins right where the last one left off, just as one of Ryoga’s weapons chopped off a chunk of Akane’s long hair. At first, she doesn’t react at all, leaving Ranma to feel really bad about it, talking with one of the school girls there about how getting a bad haircut out of nowhere like that would feel terrible for any young woman. This is also when the students realize they don’t know who this red-headed ‘girl’ is, but Ranma tries to change the subject.

Ryoga steps up, not to continue the fight with Ranma, but to point out that at least Akane wasn’t actually injured. Still, Ranma brings up that it still hurts Akane emotionally. They both ask Akane to punch them, to let out any anger she might be feeling. She ends up doing just that before walking away, and it looked to be some damn good punches too. That doesn’t seem to be enough though, as she also shatters a metal telephone pole on her walk home, and in the process realizes she twisted her ankle earlier. Her first instinct is to go and see Dr. Tofu, but she doesn’t want him to see her like this.

Instead, we cut to Akane in her room, remembering why she grew her hair out in the first place. We flash back to Akane as a young kid, fresh from a fight at school, going to see Dr. Tofu. Back then, she had short hair, and it’s clear even then she was fond of the doctor. But the high school age Kasumi shows up, turning Tofu’s brains to mush, and causing him to refer to Akane as a ‘he’. As they walk home together, Kasumi tells her little sister that if she tried to dress less like a boy, maybe people wouldn’t mistake her for one. This leads Akane to think that maybe if she grows her hair as long as Kasumi’s, maybe Dr. Tofu would like her the same way he likes Kasumi.

Coming out of that flashback, Ranma is at Akane’s window, but she doesn’t want to talk to him. Instead, she goes to see Kasumi, who is shocked by what’s happened to her hair. Instead of telling her the truth, Akane just says she messed up cutting it herself, and asks for Kasumi’s assistance in making it even. There’s a brief cutaway of Ryoga trying to head to the Tendo household to fight Ranma, only to be waylaid by an old lady asking for his help.

Sometime later, Ranma is back in his uncursed form, and he learns from Kasumi that Akane is going to Dr. Tofu’s. It’s then that he, and the audience, see Akane with short hair for the first time. Ranma apologizes as hard as he can, but tells him that she’s over it, and that him being nice to her feels weird.

At the clinic, Dr. Tofu is surprised by her short hair as well, but tells her it’s cute, and suits her a lot better than long hair did. As he’s tending to her injury, she starts crying, which turns into sobbing into the doctor’s shoulder as he offers comfort. Afterwards, Akane is heading back home with Ranma, apparently feeling better after crying, and he points out that she got what she wanted: Dr. Tofu said she was cute, right? But Akane says she’s over all of that now.

For reasons that are clearly mysterious and not due to jealousy about some other guy telling Akane her hair was cute first, Ranma makes it clear he likes her shorter hair as well. When she reacts with confusion, wondering if he’s okay if he’s complimenting her like that, Ranma starts to backpedal, before instead doubling down, really telling her it’s cute. She smiles at that, and thanks Ranma even if she might still suspect he doesn’t really mean it. To which, we can hear Ranma’s thoughts, as he is amazed to realize she does genuinely look cute. But while he’s distracted, Akane tips him over into the water.

That’s the end of that part of the story. Next part begins with Ryoga finally reaching the Tendo estate, a week after the previous events happened, in the night, in the rain, using an umbrella to protect himself. When he gets inside the house, he finds Ranma asleep, and tries to wake him up so they can properly fight. Ranma dodges attempts by Ryoga to hit him awake, and when Ryoga tries using shouting to get him up, all he succeeds in doing is instead waking up Ranma’s father in his cursed form, who knocks Ryoga and Ranma outside in annoyance, where the rain triggers Ranma’s curse, and Ryoga is still able to use his umbrella to keep himself dry.

As they prepare to fight, Ryoga finally decides to give Ranma a clue as to why he’s so freaking angry at him: after Ranma missed their duel, Ryoga followed him and his father to China. Ranma quickly puts two and two together, asking Ryoga if he too went to Jusenkyo, if he also has a curse. Meanwhile, Akane and her sisters wake up from the noise, and they assume there’s a prowler around. The other two hide behind Akane, and she throws a dumbbell at who she thinks is an intruder, nailing Ryoga hard enough to make him drop his umbrella. This finally activates his curse, but he scampers before anyone can see what it does to him. All Ranma can find afterwards are his clothes...and a mangy dog not far away.

Back with Akane, she finds an adorable black piglet in her room wearing a yellow and black bandanna that’s soaking wet with cold rain, and takes it downstairs to take care of it. Ranma has assumed the dog he found is Ryoga, but doesn’t want Akane to know that, trying to protect Ryoga’s secret. However, Akane quickly realizes that it’s one of their neighbor’s dogs, and Ranma confirms with hot water that it isn’t Ryoga. Then, as he goes off for a hot bath, Akane passes him the pig, since the animal needs a bath too. Ranma does it, even if he doesn’t like it, but as he finally pushes the resisting animal into the water, Ryoga emerges. Cliffhanger! Again!

Alright, like I said before, this episode is functionally two separate stories glued together, so let’s handle one and then the other. First thing I noted about this episode was that there’s a quick shot of Nabiki looking concerned for Akane after her hair accident. I only point it out because she’s known in the fandom for being fairly ruthless and sociopathic, and this is a moment that kind of goes against that. Nabiki obviously loves money, and can be quite selfish, but she does have some empathy for her baby sister.

I can’t remember if this is exactly the first time in the series thus far attention has been called to Ranma’s curse kind of giving him a weird secret identity issue with his schoolmates in general, but it is at least the first time it’s been given as much focus as it was at the start of this episode.

This is also where Ryoga starts getting some more shades to his character. From what we’ve seen of him thus far, it wouldn’t be unexpected if he’d just kept trying to fight Ranma, but even without knowing Akane at all, he still accepted the fight was at least paused, and once it was made clear to him how devastating this was to her, he offered to be punched if it would help. I also think the way he phrases that offer gives some insight into him: he talks about how letting the anger out by hitting him would make her feel better. Is that what his vendetta with Ranma is, a way to unleash all the anger roiling inside of him?

There is a neat bit of imagery around there too, how for a second Akane’s facial expression makes you think she won’t hit them, then we see construction equipment in motion that feels like it symbolizes violence, then we cut to her just walking away. It isn’t until we see their swollen faces that we know she did follow through on their offer.

Aside from those sorts of details, I just really like the mood of this entire first half. There are very few attempts at jokes, instead just focusing on Akane’s mental state. I feel like, while her situation is pretty strange and specific, it’s easy to relate to. I think we’ve all, at some time or another, been hurt by someone else without them realizing it, over something that only mattered to you so much because of some odd, ineffable thing that just you understand.

Throughout the segment, Akane waffles between shock, anger, trying to make the best of it, sobbing, and moving on with her life. I particularly enjoy the bounceback of her trying to take control, getting that haircut with Kasumi, getting compliments for it...only for it to stab into an emotional vulnerability, causing her to break down with the doctor. That all really worked for me.

The same is true for Ranma’s reaction. I don’t know if we’ve ever seen him this hung up on hurting someone else before. He’s clearly bothering her at some points by not leaving her alone like she clearly wants him to do, but he gives a genuine apology, which is clearly really something from him, and his compliment at the end was so cute. It was adorable shippy nonsense, and I adored it. This segment of the larger episode also had a lot more to do with our previous arc, about Akane and Dr. Tofu, than the Ryoga plot, effectively serving as the capstone to that tale.

I feel there was nearly as much to like in the second half. This part was definitely more jokey, with lots of Ryoga being bad at directions, silly background music (which I honestly can’t stand, it’s just a weird personal thing for me), and wacky hijinks with Ryoga as a pig.

But there was still meat to be found with the funnies. Once again, they took the time to establish Ryoga a little better with how he acted towards Ranma. For someone always shouting about how he wants Ranma to die and go to tell, whose vengeance drives him, he had a perfect opportunity to just kill him in his sleep. But it didn’t look like he even considered that. Instead, he just kept trying to wake Ranma up so they could fight. You could argue Ryoga is too dumb to have thought of that, which feels like the kind of thing Ranma would say, but I’d counter that maybe it’s a sign that Ryoga is more about talking about killing than actually doing it. In a kind of equal and opposite event, I liked how Ranma was just immediately all about helping Ryoga once he learned about the curse, trying to assist the dog he thought was Ryoga while keeping it a secret from Akane.

This is also when we finally learn why Ryoga is so angry at Ranma, or at least begin to get the larger picture. It wasn’t just bread, or a missed duel, but that Ryoga kept on Ranma after that, leading to him being cursed to become an adorable little piglet when exposed to cold water. He definitely manages the curse well thanks to his umbrella (I don’t know why Ranma never thinks to try just covering his head), and the care he’s taken to use it to avoid getting wet in the last episode and in this one was some foreshadowing as to what his deal was.

On the whole, this part of the episode was more like set-up for the next one, but it wasn’t bad at all. Together, the two pieces actually meshed together pretty well, at least to me. I got my emotional feels, I got my shippy moments, and I got my boi Ryoga. What else could I want?

Like I said last week, there are other characters I could be doing spotlights for who’ve already been introduced, but they haven’t really done enough yet to be worth covering, at least in my opinion. Thus, we’re going back to Akane.

Since the second episode, we’ve gotten a lot more of who she is, especially between this arc and the one before it. They’ve kind of toned down the whole ‘hates boys’ aspect of her character, and instead refocused on her feelings towards Dr. Tofu, towards Ranma, and towards herself.

I think it’s clear, even to Akane herself, that her crush on the doctor is childish. She likes him because he’s an adult who’s always treated her seriously, appreciated her for who she is, and given her his time. At least in my experience, a lot of people have had some kind of affection similar to hers, towards someone older than us when we were too young to do anything about it. Even as we get older, and we know there will never be anything with that person, we still have a hard time letting go of it.

With Ranma, I think a firm pattern is developing. Aside from occasional moments when she takes her frustrations out on Ranma, Akane is generally becoming more fond of him. Between this episode and episode 6, one could argue she’s starting to actually like him. The problem is that Ranma is kind of a jerk. He regularly does stuff to make her upset, at which point he either makes it worse or starts acting nice. She clearly appreciates when Ranma is trying to help her and cheer her up, but it doesn’t stop the fact that his default setting is ‘abrasive’.

Most importantly with the first half of this episode, we’ve gotten a good look at how Akane sees herself. It’s pretty obvious that the long hair/short hair issue isn’t just about how long her locks are. The issue represents her struggle between being herself, a tomboy who enjoys fighting and martial arts and being more free-spirited, versus being who other people want her to be, more traditionally feminine. It’s honestly kind of weird in the first half of this season, watching her with the long hair. Short haired Akane is cuter, I think it’s hard to deny that, but it’s also her being happier with who she is, and that’s the cutest thing in the world. I’m still not 100% happy with how they handle her violence towards other people, but I talked about that last time, and it doesn't feel like that’s something the show will ever really address.

If it wasn’t clear before, I quite enjoyed this episode. The only particularly weak parts for me were with Ryoga escorting the old lady around, but they were short and didn’t do too much to mess up the pacing. I won’t lie, I’d say this is actually the second best episode so far, only falling behind episode 7. That makes the current rankings:

Episode 7: Enter Ryoga, the Eternal ‘Lost Boy’

Episode 9: True Confessions! A Girl's Hair is Her Life!

Episode 2: School is No Place for Horsing Around

Episode 6: Akane's Lost Love... These Things Happen, You Know

Episode 8: School is a Battlefield! Ranma vs. Ryoga

Episode 4: Ranma and...Ranma? If It’s Not One Thing, It’s Another

Episode 5: Love Me to the Bone! The Compound Fracture of Akane's Heart

Episode 1: Here’s Ranma

Episode 3: A Sudden Storm of Love

Next time, we’ll have into the back half of the season and the last episode of this storyline with episode 10, “P-P-P-Chan! He's Good For Nothin'”. See you all then!

#episode 9 #True Confessions! A Girl's Hair is Her Life!#ranma 1/2 #ranma saotome #akane tendo #ryoga hibiki #anime analysis #anime rewatch

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saiilorstars · 4 years ago

Text

Falling in Temptation

Ch. 15: The Task of Death

Previous chapters • Sequel to Stars Dance • Fairy Tale Memoirs (Companion story)

Fandom: Doctor Who

Pairing: 11th Doctor x Female OC

Chapter summary: Melody Pond strikes back against the Doctor with a secret weapon from Kovarian. When the Doctor is dying, who can save him?

Taglist: @ocfairygodmother @anotherunreadblog @maaaaarveeeeel

4 Months After Demon's Run.

The Doctor, Lena and the Sapling all awaited outside the TARDIS in the center of a crop field. It was no ordinary crop field though because somebody had decided to write 'Doctor' in it, making it the number one headline in Leadworth. The Ponds were very creative, the Doctor would give them that. With no other choice, he had to come back and visit them to update them on the search for Melody and Avalon. In no time they saw Amy and Rory coming to a halt in their car, both getting out with utter urgency.

"Seriously?" the Doctor raised the Leadworth newspaper to the pair. "You do realize you can't do this, right?"

"You weren't answering your phone," Rory snapped at the Doctor as he shut the car door. Neither of them looked guilty for what they'd done.

"Because we were searching," Lena explained. She was supposed to be in charge of keeping the connection between the Doctor and the Ponds, given the Doctor's reputation with phones and whatnot. But in the end, they'd gotten in too deep with the search after getting the clue Avalon left behind for them.

They took every Black Market by storm afterwards, and there were a lot of them. The Sapling had even used his unique abilities to instill new fear in those who were holding things back. With a raging, gigantic tree threatening them, everybody sang like canaries.

Kovarian had been picking up devices for mind altering. Brainwashing to the next level.

Others reported that she was gathering chipping devices. She would probably be branding Avalon and Melody soon enough.

Several of the people described watching Kovarian order Avalon to go to the end of an aisle and back. It was an odd test for them but the Doctor straightaway knew what the purpose of it was. Kovarian wanted to see how conditioned Avalon was. If she came to and back without so much of a kick in protest, it meant Avalon would be a loyal, dependent toy. And all that took the trio a month to gather, leaving everybody back on Earth in distraught over their lack of communication.

"OK, you've had all summer," Amy got straight to business and walked for the Doctor. It'd been the longest summer of her life, definitely the most unbearable one. Things had to be better now. "Have you found them? Have you found Melody and Avalon?"

The Doctor took a moment to look back on his recent efforts to find both mother and daughter. He handed the newspaper to Rory. "Permission?" he asked the human.

"Granted," Rory motioned for him to go on.

The Doctor hugged Amy tightly, "You know who Melody grows up to be, so you know I will find her."

"But you haven't yet?" Amy assumed the last the words, "Not even Avalon?"

"No," the Doctor quietly mumbled.

"But we won't give up," the Sapling said with a finger raised in the air. It brought a momentary smile from Amy, but it was short lived when they heard Rory's puzzled question.

"Hang on, what's this bit?" he was staring at the newspaper with Lena as the picture of the crop circle now showed a slash through the word 'Doctor'.

Amy walked over and took a look, "That wasn't us."

The Doctor took the newspaper and tried seeing where the line would be coming through in the real world. Everyone gathered behind him to try and pinpoint where the exactly that mysterious line came from. However, he stopped and lowered the newspaper when the noise of car came into hearing shot. They screamed as a bright red Corvette headed straight for them. They jumped out of the way just as the car did an abrupt stop only inches from the TARDIS. The driver's door opened up and out stepped a dark skinned young woman with blue eyes and black hair, dressed in a pink and black dress with black boots.

Lena rubbed the dust out of her eyes and immediately recognized the woman across them. "Mels? What are...what are you doing here!?"

"Lena can't you ever keep up?" Mels raised an eyebrow. Lena rolled her eyes but didn't say anything back. She wasn't quite for Mels' attitude. "I was following you. Oh, and I also acted as a delivery girl."

"Um, where did you get the car?" Rory dreaded to ask. It looked far too new for Mels to own.

"Like I said, I'm acting as a delivery girl right now," Mels whistled through her fingers and made everyone cover their ears.

The passenger door of the door opened up and out stepped a familiar, messy ginger haired woman.

"Avalon?" Lena's mouth fell open.

"Mother!" the Sapling squealed and jumped to his feet. He and Lena ran towards Avalon, each encasing her in a tight hug. However, Avalon didn't say anything. She cocked her head to the side, darting immediately to Mels as if she held all the answers.

The Doctor straight away noticed something different about Avalon. It was what stopped him from running towards her. She was looking around like she was new to the place, her eyes filled with confusion and...fear? That was not his Ava, not by a long shot. However, nobody else found such differences in that moment. Amy and Rory had followed in the others' foot steps and ambushed Avalon in more hugs. The Doctor turned his head towards Mels and watched the woman smirk proudly, like she knew what was happening.

"Get off me!" Avalon suddenly cried and pushed everyone away from her. Her nose crinkled while her eyebrows knitted together. She was angry. "Get the hell away from me!"

"A-Avalon..." Rory tried taking a step towards her but she drew back the same step.

"Stay away," she warned them with a pointed finger. "Mels!"

"Oh don't worry," Mels strolled over to the woman's side and swung an arm around her shoulders. "They're pretty harmless."

"I don't...I don't understand..." Amy directly looked at the Doctor for the answers they were demanding now.

The Doctor walked up to Avalon and struggled to ignore the fearful retraction of her steps. "Avalon, do you know who we are?"

She looked him over and stared at him for a few minutes. In those minutes, the Doctor studied her to the brim. Her eyes were red and puffy, a clear sign that she'd been crying not too long ago. Her voluminous hair was a bit lifeless at the moment, as if no care had been given to it in a good while. Her skin was a shade of sickly pale and she did look like she'd lost some weight. If he looked really hard, he could see her shake as if she'd been shocked. The bruises on her arms were heartbreaking. It was a heavy challenge not to touch the healing stitches on her arms.

"You're the Doctor," Avalon said after a moment but when she did, the Doctor swore there was a brief flash of anger in her eyes.

"Did she lose her memory? Is that what's going on?" Lena called from behind, attracting the eyes of her sister. "Avalon?"

"Lena," she recited before doing the same to the Sapling, Rory and Amy. "They...they did something...I c-can't...remember...my thoughts..." her shaky hand tried to gesture something beside her head. "All j-j-jumbled up."

Now the Doctor laid dark, suspicious eyes on Mels who couldn't seem more delighted with the scene. "Where did you find her?"

"What, did you lose her or something?"

The Doctor glared and waited for her to say what he needed to know.

"Mels, this is important," snapped Amy. "Where did you find Avalon?"

"Gah!" Mels dramatically threw her arms in the air. "What does it matter? I found her on the entry road to the town! Poor thing can't remember, well...a thing!" she gently tapped Avalon's head, a small action that still elicited a great flinch from Avalon. "Hello? Nobody's home!"

The Doctor yanked Avalon away from Mels with a look warning her not try that again. "Was anybody with her? Did she say anything?"

"So boring," Mels rolled her eyes. "I'm kind of in a rush, actually. Errands to run and whatnot!" A few seconds later, the group heard the blaring sirens of police cars.

There was a collective groan from Lena, Amy and Rory.

"Mels, did you steal the car?" Rory was too tired to deal with this nonsense.

"I'll have you know that it's mine," Mels wagged a finger but at the growing glares of her friends she groaned, "...ish! It's mine-ish!"

"Oh, Mels, not again?" Amy sighed as she rubbed her forehead, "We really don't have time for this today."

"You can't keep doing this. You'll end up in a real prison," Rory added.

"I can see why your father disapproves of her," the Doctor whispered to Lena as he brought Avalon towards the TARDIS.

"Mhm," Lena crossed her arms, "She's half the reasons why Avalon was put under arrest."

"Is that the phone box!" Mels was studying the TARDIS from her spot, somewhat impressed. She'd heard Avalon tell the stories of the box but it didn't compare to seeing it in person. "The bigger-on-the-inside phone box? Time travel - that's just brilliant," she then eyed the Doctor, "Yeah, I've heard a lot about you. I'm their best mate."

"Then why don't I know you?" the Doctor challenged, still unable to trust her despite her relation with the entire group, "I danced with everyone at the wedding. The women were all brilliant, the men were a bit shy."

"I don't do weddings," Mels made a face. She looked back as the sirens grew closer, "And that's me out of time," she took out a gun and aimed it at the Doctor.

The Doctor pushed Avalon away within the second. Rory lunged to catch Avalon before she would fall and once he touched her, he realized how incredibly cold she was.

"M-Mels...not yet..." Avalon said before she even realized she said it. There were so many thoughts inside her right now, she had to sort which ones were pertinent to the situation.

"Mels, for God's sake!" Lena groaned, "You're actions get stupider by the day. Avalon is...sick," she considered her choice of words carefully since her sister truly looked terrified as she basically clung Rory, "And we need your help so put that thing away."

"I'll get her to put it down," the Sapling glowered at the woman. He put his hands together and extended them forwards...when the Doctor pushed them down. "Father!"

"No," he said calmly. He needed Mels inside the TARDIS so he could question her until she passed out from exhaustion. She had more information than what she was letting on and he wasn't going to let her get away.

"I need out of here, now, can you deliver?" Mels looked at the Doctor questioningly.

"Anywhere in particular?"

"Well, let's see! You've got a time machine, I've got a gun. What the hell - let's kill Hitler."

~ 0 ~

Yes, the Doctor could see why Ryland Reynolds disapproved of the Mels' friendship with his daughters. First, she influenced Avalon negatively, she wasn't very well-mannered, and third...because...

"You've shot it!" the Doctor shouted angrily as he stared at the bullet hole that was in the time-rotor casing, the TARDIS already affected badly with the sparks and smoke it billowed while flying out of control. The Doctor turned to Mels, "You shot my TARDIS! You shot the console!"

The girl was holding onto the railing, "It's your fault!"

"Argh! How's it my fault?!"

"You said guns didn't work in this place. You said we're in a state of temporal grace!"

The Doctor tried working the controls to get them flying in a stable manner, "That was a clever lie, you idiot! Anyone could tell that was a clever lie!"

The travelers were thrown all around the room as the TARDIS crashed into a landing, God knew where. The Doctor had opened the doors and pulled out Avalon first since she looked the weakest out of everyone.

"Out, out, out! Everybody out. Don't breathe the smoke, just get out!" he called to the others whilst coughing from the smoke spewing out from the box.

"Where are we?" Amy stumbled out the box, with her pulling the Sapling.

"A room."

"What room?" Rory coughed.

"I don't know! I haven't memorized every room in the universe. I had yesterday off," the Doctor caught Mels trying to get back into the TARDIS, "Mels, don't go in there!"

"Oi!" Mels frowned as her gun was snatched away from her hand.

"Bad smoke! Don't breathe the bad, bad, smoke. Bad, deadly smoke, because somebody shot my TARDIS!"

Lena stood beside Avalon, helping her stand straight, "You okay?"

"I-I have to do something," Avalon coughed and struggled to breathe in. "My body hurts!"

Lena knew that had to be true. Avalon looked exhausted and the last thing she needed was to be bounced all around inside a shot time traveling machine. "I know, I know, we're going to get this all sorted and then you're going to take a big nap! We could make hot chocolate and oh! We could watch Sleeping Beauty!" she threw her arms around Avalon, momentarily relishing that her sister was back. She was alive!

"What?" Avalon only frowned. "What's Sleeping Beauty?"

Lena pulled away and incredulously looked at Avalon. She had no idea, she really had no idea! Lena turned to the Doctor for some help. "What did they do to her?"

The Doctor let go of Mels but not without warning her to stay put. He strode up to Avalon and took her by the head, specifically studying her eyes. "It's ECT side effects and the overuse of memory wipes. They've been working very hard on her."

Avalon scrunched her face and tried pushing his hands off her. "Stop it! Let go!" she exclaimed, a bit too frantic for such a small moment.

But the Doctor knew that had to be a consequence from whatever torture she'd gone through. He let go of her and kept his hands raised, wanting her to see that he wasn't one of those people who would hurt her. "Ava, it's me. Remember? I'm...well...I'm your Fairy tale man, remember?"

There was no significant reaction from Avalon - that alone hurt the Doctor - but she did abandon her brief suspicions over him. "You're...my friend..." She suddenly yelped when a sharp pain struck her head. She cried and clapped her hands to head. Images were running through her mind but they were going so fast like somebody had pressed the forwarding button 4 times.

"Yes, glad we got that cleared up," the Doctor rocked on his shoes. "Because as the 'fairy tale man' that's not the right thing to do."

Avalon briefly smiled but it was done with flushed cheeks. "You know you don't have to keep answering to that name, right? It was a stupid nickname I gave you when I was some stupid kid..."

"It's not stupid," the Doctor promised her, though his amused expression didn't quite convince her.

"Please, what do you call him, eh?" Idris encouraged Avalon to say the answer out loud. "That name you gave him when you were just seven years old."

"Fairy-tale man," Avalon answered slowly, still in confusion.

"And that is exactly what he doesn't want to lose," Idris smiled sadly, "That image you have of him since you were seven."

The Doctor and Lena struggled to calm Avalon down but suddenly, just like that, Avalon sucked in a deep sharp breath and snapped her head up. "You're my Fairy Tale Man!"

"What was that?" Lena frowned. "Avalon, you were in pain-"

Avalon practically shoved her sister away and grabbed the Doctor's arm. "You're my Doctor! You-you found me!"

The Doctor didn't exactly know how she was getting her memories back, nor if it was a trick, but he wanted to be a bit happy right now that she was remembering him. "Yes, I am. I am..."

Avalon took him into a tight hug. The Doctor wrapped his arms around her waist, holding her tightly as if she were about to disappear again. He kissed her hair a few times, not that she would notice.

"Doctor, this guy, I think he's hurt!" Rory had found an unconscious man on the floor, his body poking around his desk. Rory rushed over to help him but when he did, he found that the man was alright. "No, hang on. No, he's... he's fine." Well, something good had to happen he supposed.

Against his wishes, the Doctor pulled away from Avalon and gave her a small smile. "You'll be just fine now, Ava." She nodded and watched him go then patted something in her back pocket.

"Mother!" the Sapling would take his turn and hug his mother. "You're okay! We've been looking for you!"

"That's you're kid?" Mels gave a horrid-eye stare at the Sapling. In return, the Sapling stuck his tongue out at the woman.

"Ooh, hello! Sorry, is this your office?" the Doctor asked the man who was now getting up. "Had a sort of collision with my vehicle. Faults on both sides, let's say no more about..." words left him when he saw Adolf Hitler turning around "…it."

"I remember him..." Avalon's eyes widened in horror at the sight of the man.

Slowly, the companions moved to the Doctor, "Is that...? No, it can't be, Doctor?" Amy struggled to speak coherently.

"Thank you. Whoever you are, I think you have just saved my life," Hitler honestly said, chuckling at the group.

"Believe me... it was an accident," the Doctor blinked rapidly.

"What is this thing?" Hitler blinked at the sight of the TARDIS and walked to it.

"What did he mean we saved his life?" Amy tapped the Doctor's arm, "We could not have saved Hitler."

"You see?" the alien groaned, "You see, time travel, it never goes to plan."

"I think we need to get out of here," Lena shook her head.

"This box, what is it?" Hitler looked at the group.

"It's a police telephone box from London, England," the Doctor walked over, "That's right, Adolf, the British are coming!"

Hitler didn't seem to take notice of the answer as he watched past the group to the man who tried killing him rise to his feet, "No, stop him!"

Rory punched Hitler on the chin and picked up the gun while Hitler fell to the floor, "Sit still, shut up."

Lena and Amy went to check on the second man. "Are you OK?" she asked as she and Amy helped him up.

"Yes, yes. Yes. I'm fine. I think he missed."

"He was going to kill me," Hitler tried saying but there was nobody listening to him.

"Shut up, Hitler!" Rory ordered with the gun still aimed.

"Rory, take Hitler and put him in that cupboard over there now," the Doctor ordered as he went to the attacked man, "Do it!"

While Rory shoved Hitler into the cupboard while the Doctor helped the second man sit up. "Are you okay?" he wondered.

"Oh, I..." the man started but fell back, unconscious again.

"Um, he just fainted," Lena remarked, surprised.

"Yes, that was a faint," the Doctor agreed as he stood up and studied the man, "A perfect faint."

"What? You think that was intentional?" Lena looked at the man with new suspicion. There could not be more trouble right now, this was just really bad luck.

"Mels?" Avalon's voice pulled the group's attention. She was gazing worriedly at Mels across the room who had her hands pressed against her stomach. "Are you alright?"

"Hitler..." Mels looked at the cupboard.

"What about him?" Lena raised an eyebrow, half expecting the woman to make some cruddy joke about their situation.

"Lousy shot," Mels said before she collapsed to the floor. Everyone dashed to her side, including Avalon who took first place at Mels' left side.

"Mels!" she took Mels' hand.

"Rory," the Doctor motioned for the nurse to start helping. He made sure the Sapling stayed a decent distance from them. The last thing he wanted was for the Sapling to see more blood than he needed to.

"I've got to stop the bleeding," Rory exclaimed.

"Well, how bad is it?" Lena stared at Mels with concern, knowing a cure from Avalon wouldn't work now.

"Just keep her conscious! Stay with us, Mels."

"Hey, look at me. Just hold on," the Doctor tried to get the girl's attention.

"I don't know what is so cool about you," Mels honestly remarked to him while looking at Avalon. "You said he was cool but he's not."

The Doctor rolled his eyes, of course she was dying and insulting him, "Alright, fine, let's make a list of why I'm not cool, then! Any suggestions?"

But Mels wasn't paying attention to him. She was whispering something into Avalon's ear. When Avalon pulled away, she was blinking rapidly. It earned herself some questionable looks from the others, especially the Doctor.

"Almost time," Avalon repeated, nodding her head.

"Time? Time for what?" the Doctor stared at her suspiciously.

"I-I don't remember..." Avalon looked down at Mels questioningly, "...is it time?"

Mels smirked and looked at the others anxiously waiting for her to either die or live. "Wanna know a secret?" she asked. "I didn't really 'find' her at the entry road," she whispered, "...she was handed over by the big ole boss."

The Doctor's eyebrows shot up, "WHAT?"

Mels smirked as her hands started glowing with regeneration energy. The Doctor quickly stood up and shooed everyone back, pulling Avalon to him in the process.

"No! No! Stop it!" she yelled at him to let go. She wanted to run back to Mels, but the Doctor held her arm to keep her still.

"Father, is she like you?" the Sapling was making a face as the regeneration energy got stronger around Mels.

"Last time I did this, I ended up a toddler in the middle of New York," Mels gazed at her hands that were almost completely enveloped by the energy. She really hoped this time she would get it right because it'd been a pain in the ass having to grow up all over again. If she got this right, then she would finally be free.

"OK, Doctor, explain what is happening?" Amy shot a look at the alien, "Please!"

The Doctor was nearly kicking himself for being so stupid. All this time, searching through the galaxies when he himself had said that Kovarian could hide Melody and Avalon right under their noses. "Mels, short for...?"

"Melody," Mels answered with a wide smirk. She knew exactly what he was thinking. "Gotcha!"

The Doctor then shot the same look back to Amy, a bit irritated she hadn't mentioned this to him. Nobody had bothered to mention that the mysterious friend 'Mels' everyone always talked about was in reality named Melody. That would've been extremely helpful. Amy, however, didn't see the problem so clearly yet...along with the others. "Yeah, I named my daughter after her."

"You named your daughter... after your daughter."

"Took me years to find you two. I'm so glad I did," Mels honestly said to her parents, "And, you see, it all worked out in the end, didn't it? You got to raise me after all."

"You're Melody?" Amy's eyes widened.

"No, my head hurts," Lena was thinking how they could have missed this. Mels never gave an indication that she knew more about the Doctor than them. She was always curious, yes, even asking questions like Avalon would.

Rory, however, was thinking farther ahead. "But if she's Melody, that means she's also..." he glanced at Avalon who didn't even notice as she stared in horror at her friend.

"Oh, shut up, Dad! I'm focusing on a dress size," Mels struggled to say right before the regeneration took her over. The group shielded their eyes from the blinding energy. Once it was over, a new, yet familiar, person stood across them. "Right, let's see, then!" River Song gasped as she started taking a look at her new self, "Ooh, it's all going on down there, isn't it? The hair!" she touched her hair and ran to a long mirror on the wall. It was incredibly voluminous. "Avalon, I beat you this time!" she cheered and glanced back at the ginger who was blankly staring at her. "You're going to have to pass on the tips, though!"

Neither knew their similar hair went deeper than just a coincident.

"Everything changes!" Melody laughed, "Oh, but I love it, I love it! I'm all sort of... mature!" she set her foot on the endpiece of a furniture beside her, "Hello, Benjamin!"

"Who's Benjamin?" the Sapling tilted his head.

"Tree kid, you couldn't keep up even if you tried!" River sighed and gasped as she passed her tongue over her teeth, "The teeth, the teeth! Oh, look at them!" she pointed to her mouth, "Excuse me, you lot, I need to weigh myself!"

The group leaned on the edge of the desk except for Avalon who had walked a couple steps away from them. Something was coming and she needed to be ready, but she couldn't quite remember.

"That's Melody?" Amy breathed in, her eyes wide as could be.

"That's River Song," Lena shook her head. She felt like something was compressing her head because everything hurt up there.

"Who's River Song?" Melody stood at the doorway with curiosity.

"Spoilers," the Doctor decided no word than that one fit better.

"Spoilers? What's spoilers? Hang on, just something I have to check!" and she ran back to the restroom.

"She's...River Song," Rory whispered quietly. Oh, time travel was really hurting right now.

"And she's also my sister's mother!" Lena whisper-hissed. Speaking of...

At the mention of Avalon, the Doctor stood away from the desk and walked over to her, "Ava?" he cautiously turned her to face him, "You alright?"

"Honestly, no," she put a hand on her stomach, "I feel terrible. I c-can't remember anything except th-that there's something really important I have t-to do. But I feel sick. And everything hurts."

"I promise you we will get you sorted as soon as the TARDIS is safe to get back inside in." He didn't want to touch her since almost every part of her arms were covered in bruises, but he did want to hold her.

"But what about Mels? Or, River..." she moved her hand to her forehead, "...all this time she was really the daughter of Amy and Rory? No, wait..." Avalon's head snapped to the side when she realized something, "I knew th-that already. I...I l-learned that...I'm forgetting things."

"Your head's a bit, uh, it's bit jumbled up," the Doctor gently said as he turned her head back to him. "But you'll get better."

"I-I..." Avalon blinked as if there was something in her eyes. The images were coming fast again.

"Ah, that's magnificent!" they heard Melody shout from the restroom. Quickly, she returned to the room with a bright smile, "I'm going to wear lots of jumpers! Well, now, enough of all that!" she shrugged and pulled out a gun which was aimed at the Doctor, "Down to business."

"Mels, what are you doing?" Lena sighed, "This isn't you. Well..."

"She's doing exactly what she's programmed to do, baby sister," the Doctor slowly moved for Melody.

"Where'd she get the gun?" Rory had to ask. How on Earth could Melody - River - carry a gun when she'd just regenerated?

"Hello, Benjamin," the Doctor recalled, "It was in the chair..."

"You noticed!" Melody chuckled and fired but found the gun was empty.

"Of course I noticed," the Doctor smirked at his quick-wit, "As soon as I knew you were coming, I tidied up a bit."

"So you're one step ahead of me, then?"

"Always."

Melody smirked and looked past him. "But are you though?" At the sound of a click, the Doctor turned back to find Avalon holding another gun at him from her spot. Alright, that one scared him a little bit.

"Ava, put that down..." he slowly raised a hand, barely moving an inch forwards when Avalon waved the gun at him again.

"I-I don't remember when somebody told me to do this..." she admitted, but it still didn't make her lower the gun.

"That would be me," Melody said for everybody's clarification. "Posthypnotic suggestion, anybody?" It was the same trick the Silence used on the humans while they were watching over her. "Kovarian made sure to leave her very well trained for this moment."

"You made Mother do this?" frowned the Sapling. "Why!? She's done nothing wrong!"

"Mmm, clearly you haven't learned everything about dear old Mummy," Melody rolled her eyes. "Mummy's not that innocent, you know? She and I...we've had our fair share of moments."

"If she's your friend, then why would you do this to her!?" Amy didn't know whether to cry over her daughter's twisted mind or scream out of frustration.

"Because it's what I'm supposed to do," Melody said quietly. "That's the order and I learned a long time ago that when Kovarian makes an order, you follow it...or else."

There was a sharp tinge in the last words that made everybody wonder what Melody had to go through to make that discovery.

"Hey, hey, Avalon, it's me," the Doctor was still holding his hands up. "We went over this remember? I'm the Fairy Tale Man and I came here to rescue you."

"No you didn't, you didn't save me," Avalon shook her head, eyes tearing up in a matter of seconds. It broke the Doctor's hearts because she was saying the truth. He failed her and her mother. "I-I can remember...bits and p-parts...they-they hurt me. And then...and then they hurt me again, and again..." her face scrunched with raw anger and despondence. "They kept hurting me..."

"I know, Ava, I know," the Doctor's own eyes teared up. "It's all my fault but listen, that will never happen again. I'll die if it means you'll live happily and safe. But right now, Ava, right now I really need you to put the gun down. It's okay if you hurt me, but you don't want to hurt Lena, right? Or Amy and Rory? Or the Sapling?"

Avalon's eyes flickered to the others in the room. They were all so scared - though she didn't know they were scared for her and not of her - and the Sapling seemed to want to hide from her. Something went off her in mind and it made her drop the gun on the floor. "Oh my God!" she blinked. The Doctor quickly seized the gun from the floor and gave it to Rory. "Oh my God! Oh my God! I didn't...Doctor, I didn't mean it! I-I didn't mean any of that! Oh my God!" she brought her hands to her mouth as her tears streamed down her eyes. "What did they do to me!?"

The Doctor hurried over to her and pulled her into another hug. She cried and shook between his arms while she begged him to forgive him.

Lena was infuriated to see her sister so...broken. Avalon was always so put together, a leader, and she knew exactly what she wanted at all times. Lena rounded on Melody with the ugliest scowl marking her face. "What did you do to my sister!? Fix her right now!"

"I told you," Melody shrugged carelessly. "Posthypnotic suggestion. Kovarian left instructions that I only reinforced."

"You whispered into her ear," Rory recalled the moment just before Melody had regenerated.

Melody smiled. "Use the gun when I use mine. Simple, but very effective."

"And where'd Avalon get the gun from?" demanded Amy.

"Kovarian gave her one!"

"You're a psychopath!" Lena erupted into a loud scream that could probably echo down the streets. She didn't care if this was her friends' daughter, nobody hurts her sister. "Avalon is your friend! Instead of helping her, you're dooming her!"

"I am helping her!" Melody argued defensively which just made incredulously glare.

"How are you helping her!?"

"I may be a psychopath, but I'm also honest."

"You were not a psychopath! Why would she be a psychopath?" Amy snapped at both women for using that horrible term. However, Melody didn't look at all offended by the term.

"Oh, Mummy, Mummy, pay attention," Melody groaned, "I was trained and conditioned for one purpose. I was born to kill the Doctor."

"Demons Run, remember? This is what they were building, my bespoke psychopath," the Doctor explained whilst still holding onto Avalon. He was rubbing a hand down her back, hoping to soothe her until she could understand that he had nothing to forgive her for. "What I can't understand is why you felt the need to get my Ava involved."

"Yeah, Mother didn't do anything wrong," the Sapling chimed in with his own glare.

"No, she only got involved," Melody shook her head. Things were supposed to have gone a different way but Kovarian just chucked Avalon to her at the last minute and expected Melody to work with what she had. "Nice going there. She always looked up to you. She went on and on about how the Doctor could save anyone. Well guess��what? You didn't save her nor me!" Because if he had saved her, she could've grown up with her parents. She wouldn't have had to grovel on the streets of New York, swallowed up by an astronaut suit. She could've had what Amy had as a child, what Rory had, what the Reynolds had. She could've been like them and then maybe she could've traveled with the Doctor too.

"You're right," the Doctor agreed with a nod.

"No, big brother," Lena turned back to him but he had long ago made up his mind about the matter.

"I didn't save either of them. I put them into this situation," he looked down at Avalon who had buried her face in his chest. "I put people I care about in danger and I don't save them."

"No, no, that's not true," the Sapling frowned. "You've saved so many people, Father. It's impossible to save everybody. Otherwise, this would be a fairy tale."

"Avalon," called Melody, "Time to go."

Avalon jerked between the Doctor's arms, but instead of leaving him she only drew back enough to look up at the Doctor. "I'm sorry," she sniffed.

"Hey, you don't have to be sorry about anything," he whispered and cleared off a few of her tears from her cheeks. Her skin felt so dry he picked up a few flecks of dead skin. "You just have to worry about getting better. I'm going to get you to a real doctor, and they'll fix you right up."

"But you are my Doctor," she frowned slightly. "Why are you saying nonsense? Nobody can fix me, only you can."

"My Ava, you have no idea how badly I want to change all this," he cupped one side of her face. "I-I wish I could turn back time and keep you safe."

"You said 'my Ava'," she said, choosing to focus on the best part of his words. "My Ava, you are everything to me. You've owned these hearts for a long while now," Her bright smile could light up anyone's day. "That's what he said. The other Doctor. He told me that, just before he died. Is that true for you too?"

The Doctor thought this was hardly the place to discuss this matter but his hearts did leap a bit now that he finally knew what his ganger had told Avalon just before they escaped the ganger factory. And the ganger Doctor got it spot on too. "It is," he admitted, swallowing hard as if there was something lodged in his throat. "But look at where that's gotten you, where it's gotten everyone..." his eyes looked over her to the rest of the group that he'd solely ruined.

"It's given me a new feeling," Avalon pulled him down closer to her face. "And-and I wouldn't change it. It's my story. And do you know what my story deserves?"

The Doctor could think of a few things, starting with 'safe' and 'happiness'. "Peace," he settled for in the end.

"Nu-uh," Avalon's smile turned sly seconds before she pulled him one more time to close the gap between them. She kissed him like she'd been wanting to for a while - that she could remember perfectly - and held onto his arms because if she kept going, she didn't know if her legs would be able to stand it. But the Doctor was also holding her and with her surprise kiss, he wouldn't be letting go of her anytime soon. He finally got a taste of her lips that, despite being chapped, were so sweet. For a woman who had quite a loud mouth - which he was really fond of - she had such a way of kissing. He could do this for hours...

"Avalon?" called Melody, almost snarling, as she headed for the open window, "Quit your snogging and get over here, now! Time to go!"

Avalon's body jerked again, forcing her to pull away from the Doctor in the process. She blinked fast and once she found Melody by the window, she walked towards the woman like a robot following orders.

"A-Ava, don't," the Doctor tried to stop her but Avalon ignored him and stopped by Melody.

"Look at that, Berlin on the eve of war," Melody put an arm around Avalon's shoulders, "A whole world about to tear itself apart. Now that's my kind of town. Mum, Dad, Lena, don't follow us. Tree kid...don't you dare go all gigantic on me. And, yes, that is a warning for everybody!" She specifically made sure to look at everyone except the Doctor, something he easily picked up on.

"No warning for me, then?" he slowly walked back to the group, thinking of the perfect moment to snatch Avalon from her. He wasn't going to let her take his Ava off to some deranged city.

"Rather save my breath," Melody smirked, "The deed is done and so are you."

The Doctor only had seconds to wonder what she meant when he felt his legs weaken to the point he wobbled till he would fall. Rory and Amy ran to help him stand.

"Father, what's wrong!?" the Sapling, frightened, rushed to his side.

Lena once again glared at Melody, knowing that she was the culprit of whatever was happening to the Doctor. "What did you do to him, Melody!?"

"Oh, that wasn't me," Melody proudly presented Avalon to them.

Avalon seemed horrified to learn, to remember, that it was her fault. "Oh my God!" she brought her hands to her mouth. "It was me!"

"It was never going to be a gun for him," Melody smirked even wider seeing everyone's reactions. "Doctor, the man of peace who understands every kind of warfare, except, perhaps, the cruelest. You shouldn't have fallen into temptation."

The Doctor put a finger on his lips as he looked at Avalon, the ginger completely destroyed over what she'd done. He didn't need to ask to know that she hadn't even remembered what she was supposed to do. Somebody had left those instructions in her head and she would've done them no matter what.

"Doctor, I'm sorry," Avalon cried and tried running to them when Melody grabbed her arm and yanked them out the window.

"NO!" Everyone cried as the woman disappeared.

"Why would Mother do this?" the Sapling sniffed as he looked at his father who really struggled to stand on his own.

"It's not her fault, Sapling," the Doctor said.

"What did she do to you, exactly?" asked Rory so that they knew what to work with. Meanwhile, Lena bolted for the window to see if she could catch where Melody was taking her sister to.

"Avalon, she-she poisoned me," the Doctor answered with a struggle.

"Don't let Avalon kiss you in Berlin," Rory remembered Ryland's words that he'd gotten from a future version of the Doctor. "You literally left yourself a message about this!"

"I'm terrible at messages!" the Doctor snapped, but truth be told he'd kiss Avalon again if the chance was at hand. "And don't start! Avalon didn't know any better, her mother tricked her!"

"Her mother," Amy sighed, "This is completely awful!"

"Oh, her mother is brainwashed too!"

"That makes it better," Lena returned to them, "How do we help you, big brother? Do you have a plan?"

"The plan is not to die," the Doctor pointed at her, "I gotta save my Ava. Take this! The TARDIS can home in on it," he gave Amy his screwdriver, "Now, go, get after them!" he pushed Rory to the window.

"But what about you?" Lena helped Amy to get him into the TARDIS, "You said the smoke was deadly."

"The smoke's fine. The poison will kill me first," he tried to humor and actually expected for Avalon to remark on that, only she was nowhere around anymore, "Now, get after Avalon and River! Sapling, with me! Poison can't really affect trees!"

The Sapling grinned and nodded.

"But I don't understand," Amy shook her head, "Why would Avalon poison you?"

"She didn't mean to, she was brainwashed," the Doctor explained fast, "The head is a delicate thing and they've managed to get into it. Now, please, just go!" he entered the TARDIS and left them to do their task.

~ 0 ~

Down in front of the building stood Avalon and Melody and were being questioned by German officers. While Avalon seemed completely wrecked, Melody was quite confident in herself.

"What are you doing here?" the officer demanded to know.

"Well," Melody stepped forwards, "We were off to this gay Gypsy bar mitzvah for the disabled, when I thought, "Gosh, the Third Reich's a bit rubbish, I think I'll kill the Fuhrer." Who's with me?"

"Shoot them."

Melody quickly stepped back, in front of Avalon and took all the shots for the both of them. After the shots were finished, she looked up at the officers while hugging herself, "Tip for you all...never shoot a girl while she's regenerating," she opened her arms and sent out regeneration energy towards the soldiers and laughed as she knocked the entire group down, "Ah! Now, that hit the spot."

"Please...we have to go back," Avalon looked up at the window where she was sure the Doctor was still in, "I-I killed him, I have to go help...maybe there's cure..."

"Oh, it's Judas Poison, didn't they tell you?" Melody grabbed a couple machine guns and moved over to a motorcycle.

"I can't remember," Avalon glanced at her, "But you do, you knew I was going to do that, didn't you?"

Melody smirked and started the motorcycle, "C'mon, Avalon."

"But Melody-"

"Look, you killed the Doctor. You committed a crime, they're not gonna want you anymore. But I will," Melody gestured to the motorcycle, "I didn't want you to do any of this but if we didn't do what Kovarian said, she would've killed us. We had to do this. Plus, it's the Doctor's own fault. If he would've been there for us, we wouldn't have gotten here."

"But my friends..." Avalon looked up at the building.

"I am your friend, always have been. C'mon, don't you feel like shopping?"

Avalon was terrified but Melody did ring some facts. She'd done a terrible thing, how could anyone forgive her for that? "Sh-shopping?"

Melody grinned. "Yup! New body, means I've got to get new clothes. Shall we?"

Avalon looked up to see Amy, Lena, and Rory climbing down and grew even more frightened. She didn't want to face them, much less her sister. Melody was right, she'd committed a crime. A crime against the most wonderful man she'd ever met, no one would want her after that.

"Avalon, no!" Lena shouted after her sister as the ginger hurried and climbed on the back of the motorcycle Melody was in, "Avalon!" but it was too late, the women were gone. "We have to stop them, we have to stop them now!"

A soldier came through the gate behind the trio, riding a motorcycle. He stopped in front of them and Rory stepped forwards to explain, "Look, I know how this looks, but let me explain everything from the beginning," but the soldier started reaching for a weapon and so he panicked. "Heil!" he saluted.

"Heil!" the soldier saluted back to him.

Rory took advantage and punched him down. He climbed on the motorcycle and motioned for the other two women to do the same.

"You're all punchy today," Lena remarked as she took her place behind Amy.

"Well, my daughter and granddaughter are out in a city on the brink of war, hell of a reason to punch," Rory shrugged, meaning every last word he said. He'd always cared for Mels and Avalon, Avalon a bit more since he'd met her first. But now after knowing who they were in reality, his protection fired up and he knew he would do anything to keep them safe, even if that meant punching Hitler.

"Can you ride a motorbike?" Amy dreaded to ask as he started the motorcycle.

"I expect so. It's that sort of day," Rory shrugged once more and drove off.

~ 0 ~

Melody had found a nice restaurant filled with elegant people and decided to hijack them, both men and women. While she tried several pieces on and checked herself in the mirror, Avalon sat at a nearby table with her hands in her hair, desperately trying to remember and process what she'd done.

"I might take the age down a little, just gradually, to freak people out," Melody chuckled as she tried on a captain's hat and looked back to Avalon, "Whaddya think?"

"What have I done?" Avalon mumbled to herself, "I killed someone, and not just anyone, but the Doctor. I killed him," she looked up at Melody with teary eyes, "Why did you let me do that? What's he ever done to you?"

"I was taken from my parents, you forget that?" Melody raised an eyebrow, "I was thrown into a life of hell because they're all afraid of him and needed someone to do the job that none of them could do."

"And yet��I'm the one who did it," Avalon stood up, "Your life may have been hell as a child, but when you came into Leadworth you became my friend and Amy's and Rory, even Lena's. Don't tell me your life was awful back then too."

"Of course it wasn't," Melody admitted quietly and looked around, "It was fun, the most fun I'd ever had."

"Then? Why did you do this to me?" Avalon gestured to herself, her voice breaking in the end. "They stole me and they did something to my head, brainwashed me, hurt me!" She frantically gestured to her injured arms. Melody did swallow hard at the sight of her nearly purple arms. "They did so m-many things to me...and you just let me kill the one person who could've saved us both!"

"I never had a choice, Avalon," Melody's voice softened, "You think I asked for all this? That I wanted my best friend to do what I was trained to do my entire life?"

"Then why did you let me do it!?" Avalon shouted, her tears strolling down her cheeks.

"Because it was either you did it or you died," Melody shrugged, seeing no other way to put it, "I didn't just find you on the entry road, you were handed over to me."

"By who?"

"Avalon, you seriously don't remember anything!?" Melody couldn't help but shout the question, quite exasperated that she really had to start from zero.

"I s-s-see bits and pieces..." Avalon screwed her eyes shut but once she did she saw the woman with the eye patch. "Mels...how could you do this to me?"

"Because I didn't want to see you die, alright? Anyone else, I wouldn't have cared," Melody snapped, honestly not even understanding herself why she had cared so much for her friend's safety, "But you, you are the only one that I can be myself without getting any scolds nor reproaches. It's either you did the task or they killed you on the spot."

"Well I would have rather died," Avalon exclaimed and leaned back on the table, sniffling, "You don't understand, Mels, you didn't make me kill just anyone...you made me kill my Fairy Tale Man. He was mine and he actually cared for me like no one else has. And now, he'll die and I'll lose my friends, my sister, my family. Cos you're right, they won't want me anymore. Who'd love a murderer?"

"It won't matter anymore, Avalon," Melody walked over to her and took her hands, "We'll have a fresh new start, I told you. We can travel the world and do things our way now. No following the rules and pretending to be who we're not."

"But with the Doctor I did do that," Avalon whispered, "He didn't care who I was."

"You killed the Doctor," came Amy's voice from behind them.

Avalon tensed and turned around, seeing Amy a couple steps away from them, "Amy, I know what I did, and there's nothing I can do anymore. She says my healing won't work."

"You killed the Doctor on the orders of the movement known as the Silence and Academy of the Question. You accept and know this to be true?"

Avalon raised an eyebrow, "I...don't understand what all that is. I can't remember, I swear. I killed him and I can't even remember who told me to do it."

'Amy' opened up her mouth and shot out a blue beam at Avalon, making the ginger cry out in pain, "No! No! Get off me!" she pleaded. It brought back the moments of her torture where they would carve her skin.

"That's not Amy!" Melody kicked the Teselecta robot of her mother back and managed to shut down the beam.

Avalon stumbled back onto the floor, "Oh, you don't say? I was just about to ask her when she got that new beam built into her mouth!"

"Oh your sense of humor is back," the Doctor's voice made her look to the side and see the alien standing beside the TARDIS, dressed in black tails and a top hat along with a cane.

"First of all, what the hell are you wearing?" Avalon raised an eyebrow, "You're dying and you stopped to change? You know what, I'm not even surprised."

The Sapling giggled beside his Father. "I think he looked nice! I need to find me a suit too!"

The Doctor spun around with a grin and made his way down the steps, "You should always waste time when you don't have any. Time is not the boss of you - Rule 408," he stopped in front of the robotic Amy, "Amelia Pond, judgment death machine. Why am I not surprised? Sonic cane!"

"Are you serious?" even Melody was stumped by the man.

"Never knowingly. Never knowingly be serious," the Doctor used his cane to scan the Teselecta, "Rule 27. You might want to write these down. Oh, it's a robot!" he concluded from the readings, "With 423 life signs inside. A robot worked by tiny people. Love it! But how do you all get in there, though? Bigger on the inside? No, basic miniaturization sustained by a compression field. Oh, watch what you eat, it'll get you every time. Amy, if you, Rory and Lena are OK, signal me," and then the Doctor got a signal from his cane, "Thanking you," he then gave out a cry of pain.

"Doctor!" Avalon ran to help him, "Oh my God, I'm so sorry!"

"It's alright, leg just went to sleep," he tried to humor her to no avail, "Just had a quick left leg power nap, I forgot I had one scheduled. Actually, better sit down, I think I heard the right one yawning," he sat on the dais of the steps with her help.

"I am so sorry for all this," Avalon stepped away from him. He probably wouldn't want her anywhere near him. "I can't remember, and I know that's no excuse but it's the truth. I don't remember why I did it, I just knew it after I did it and now I've killed you. I'm the woman who kills you." Flashes of the astronaut at Lake Silencio crossed her mind. It was her, wasn't it? She killed him at that lake. But now she'd rewritten time and killed him earlier. She felt sick and it wasn't because of her own injuries. "You...should have just left me that night...that you came back for me. You should have just left me there."

"No, hey!" the Doctor snapped a finger at her, snapping her out of those horrid thoughts. "I don't regret anything we've done in the past! The only thing I regret is not saving you sooner!"

"But I'm a murderer," Avalon whispered and glanced at the robot, the Teselecta. "And they know it. Everybody inside that thing...they know who I am. A murderer." She turned towards the robot, swallowing hard. "You should kill me."

"No, Avalon-"

"I accept my fault," she stepped towards the Teselecta, "I accept my punishment..."

With the confession, the Teselecta shot out a beam of light and trapped her in it. Avalon screamed in terrible pain, one that even made Melody flinch.

"Mother!" the Sapling growled and grew one of his left arms to smack the Teselecta, but the Doctor stopped him.

"NO! Don't you touch her! Do not harm her in any way," the Doctor shouted at the Teselecta and managed to stop the painful beam, leaving only a containment field around Avalon.

"Remember that Amy, Rory and Lena are still inside!"

But after that, the Teselecta turned on Melody and before the brunette tried making a run for it, she was trapped in a containment field as well. "I haven't done anything," Melody writhed in her field, far more awake than Avalon at the moment.

"According to records you are the women who kills the Doctor," was the response of the robot.

"Listen, I love my friend, but she is the one that kills him today, sweetie," Melody snapped, "So far, I've committed no crime."

"He's dying."

"Well, at least I'm not a time-travelling shape-shifting robot operated by miniaturized cross people," the Doctor called, eyeing the situation, perplexed to see Melody 'arrested' as well, "Which, I have got to admit, I didn't see coming. What do you want with them?" he pointed his cane to both women.

"She's Melody Pond, the woman who kills the Doctor. And she-" the robot pointed to Avalon, "-kills you today."

"How can I kill him if he's already dying!? Let me go!" Melody ordered.

"What is any of this to you?" the Doctor demanded from the robot, "Cos my friend there-" he pointed to Melody, "-has a point."

"Throughout history, many criminals have gone unpunished in their lifetimes. Time travel has... responsibilities."

The Doctor laughed, "What? You got yourselves time travel, so you decided to punish dead people?"

"We don't kill them. We extract them near the end of their established timelines."

"And then what?"

"Give them hell."

The Doctor's humor faded away immediately to be replaced by the darkness the Black Markets had come to know in the last month. "I'd ask you who you think you are but I think the answer is pretty obvious. So, who do you think I am? From everything I've heard, it sounds like you've got a record of mine being altered," he glanced at Avalon who was slowly coming around, "Gotta say, I'd love a peek."

"Our records office is sealed to the public. Foreknowledge is dangerous."

"Yes, well, I'll be dead in three minutes. There isn't much foreknowledge left."

"Sorry, can't do that..." There was a moment of silence before the Teselecta changed its mind. "Records available."

The Doctor wouldn't question the change so stood up with great struggle on his cane. The Sapling helped him walk on his wobbly feet. "Question. I'm dying... who wants me dead?"

"The Silence."

"What is the Silence? Why is it called that? What does it mean?"

"The Silence is not a species. It is a religious order, or movement. Their core belief is that silence will fall when the question is asked."

"What question?"

"The first question. The oldest question in the universe, hidden in plain sight."

"Yes, but what is the question?"

"Unknown."

"Well, fat lot of use that is, you big ginge! Call yourself a Records... Argh!" the Doctor fell to the floor with a cry of pain, "Kidneys are always the first to quit. I've had better, you know."

The containment field around Melody vanished and she dropped to the ground. She would've cheered if the field around Avalon hadn't turned into a flaming red that tortured her. Her shrill screams filled the room and perhaps the rest of the building. Everything was on fire. It felt like she was back with Kovarian and the Silence...oh. She remembered who gave her the order now.

The Doctor pulled himself across the floor with his hands and called out to the robot, "Amy! Rory! Lena! Can you hear me?"

"Yeah. What do we do? What do we do?" Amy's distraught voice came from the robot.

"Just stop them, please. She's your granddaughter, just stop them." Because the Doctor felt his life slowly slipping away. There was no more of his energy to use and the Sapling was still just a child. He was terrified. If he was to die, then he needed to know that Avalon would come out safe and sound.

"What did you say?" Melody stared at him with confusion from her spot.

The Doctor considered his next words while his gaze was stuck on Avalon. It was a huge no in the world of timelines telling Melody of her future, especially about something - someone - so important to her. But as the field stopped and Avalon dropped to the floor, completely unconscious, and the real Amy (or Rory or Lena) pleaded for his help through the Teselecta, he found there was no other choice. Besides, the universe owed him this.

"Please, now we have to save your parents. Don't run. Now, I know you're scared, but never run when you're scared. Rule 7. Please," he looked at Melody with urgency.

"Why did you say granddaughter?" Melody rose to her feet and frowned. "You said 'granddaughter', why?"

"Her mother, her real mother, is River Song, and she would kill you right now for what you've done..."

"Who is this River person?" Melody sighed with exasperation, "And why are you saying she's Avalon's mother? Emmalina is!"

"Imagine, imagine something for me please," the Doctor mustered his final coherent words. Not even the Sapling's strength could keep him up. He had to sit back down, preparing for his final moments. "Imagine that little Melody grows up and she goes to college and she has a baby of her own..." his eyes drifted to Avalon.

Melody slowly looked over to Avalon. Her face was covered by her hair. Melody inched closer to Avalon and touched her ginger locks. They felt like hers. "You're lying..."

"You're no fool, Melody, look into your past, look into the now. You've gotten along so good despite everyone else's opinions about you two, the Silence stole her and brought her back to you for some twisted mother-daughter job. You look me in the eye and tell me you're gonna let your parents, her grandparents and sister die," the Doctor ordered her and surprisingly Melody did as told. She looked straight at him and could feel his urgency radiating. "You know there's a special connection between you and Avalon. There always has been and this is why. Somewhere along your timeline you have a daughter, and you do love her. You've hurt her, now make it up by giving her, her grandparents and sister back. Rory can treat her after I...die. Do this for your daughter, Melody..."

Melody turned for Avalon, considering everything she'd heard. It made sense, all of it...but...to believe it...that was hard. She brushed a lock from Avalon's face, "Avalon..." she whispered, unable to bring herself to actually touch her now, "...Avalon, please? I didn't mean to hurt you. I was scared that they would hurt us both. Avalon, wake up."

"Go to her, Sapling," the Doctor urged the child with him. The Sapling was torn between staying with his father or going to his mother. They both needed him. "It's okay, Sapling," the Doctor offered him his best smile. "You go and help your Mother. That's what we wanted to do, remember? Help her."

The Sapling slowly nodded and walked over to Avalon and Melody. He knelt down beside his mother and gently shook her arm. "Mother, please wake up. Aunt Lena, aunt Amy and Uncle Rory need you. I need you too. And so does Father. I don't want my family to be ripped apart. I'm just a kid. I don't know what to do by myself."

Melody blinked at the tree child with a ripple of...sympathy? She knew exactly what he was talking about. She had no idea what to do with herself when she was a child. The Silence had given her full independence but she was a child. What was she supposed to do without her parents? She had to figure it out on her own sometimes. She wished somebody could have saved her way before any of this happened. She was just a kid...she shouldn't have had to live the way she had. And now she was the reason why another child would have to figure it out on their own. The Silence didn't do that, she did.

"I'm sorry," the words blurted from her mouth.

The Sapling met Melody's gaze with teary eyes. "Why would you hurt us? We worked so hard to find you, to save you, and you hurt us? That's not fair. You're taking my Mother, my Father, my family."

"No, no," Melody shook her head. "I didn't-I didn't mean to..."

The Sapling gently lowered himself to his Mother's side and brushed her hair with his hands. "Mother..." he sniffled.

~ 0 ~

Just as Lena, Amy and Rory were about to die, the TARDIS appeared around them, saving them in time. Lena quickly left her friends' side and ran for the console, "Big brother!" but she stopped when she saw Melody standing there and gasped at the sight of Avalon on the chair, trying to get out of it. "What did you do!?" she fiercely demanded from Melody as she ran to Avalon.

"i-it's fine, Lena," Avalon assured her. Her sight was coming back at least. "I...taught her to fly the TARDIS. Guess those lessons did pay off." She managed a weak smile while her sister hugged her.

"Where's the Doctor?" frowned Amy. "And the Sapling?"

"Then bring us back to the Doctor so he can help her," Lena ordered.

Melody looked around, refusing to tell her exactly what was going to happen to the Doctor in just a moment. Still, she used what Avalon had told her and successfully brought the TARDIS back to the restaurant.

Amy ran out the TARDIS first to find the Doctor lying on the stairs, nearly unconscious, with the Sapling at his side. Amy dropped on one of his sides, "You can't die now. I know you don't die now."

"Oh, Pond! You've got a schedule for everything," the Doctor managed to smile. From the corner of his eyes he could see Avalon coming out of the TARDIS with Lena's and Melody's help. She was safe now. Now it was okay to...to go.

"Doctor, what do we do? Come on. How do we help you?" Rory called to him as he and the others neared him.

"No, sorry, Rory. You can't. Nobody can," the Doctor sighed, "Ponds, listen to me, I need to talk to your daughter."

Everyone looked back at Melody who now looked completely uncomfortable. Slowly, she came towards the Doctor while the others backed away. She bent down beside him and whispered quietly to him, "You're not lying are you?" she glanced back to Avalon who was direcly staring at them with tears in her eyes, still filled with guilt.

"You see it now, don't you?" the Doctor questioned her, "Her eyes are yours, her hair is yours, her spirits are yours. But she doesn't know it yet, she thinks you're just a really close friend."

"I'm her mother...and I let her commit murder," Melody swallowed hard, if that didn't make her the worst mother of the year she didn't know what would.

"I need you to do something for me," the Doctor told her, "Find River Song and tell her something from me."

"Tell her what?" she raised an eyebrow and leaned down to listen to his quiet words. After she sat straight again, she had tears in her eyes, "Well, I don't know how..." but he gave her a pointed look that made her shift in place. She stood up and turned to the group, "Who's River Song?" she demanded.

Without a word, Amy moved to the Teselecta now host to no lives inside, "Are you still working because I'm still a relative? Access files on River Song."

"Records available."

"Show me her. Show me River Song."

Melody's tears strolled down her face as she now saw herself in the Teselecta. She glanced back at Avalon and shuddered a breath, "I lied."

Avalon shooed Rory off her, "What about?"

"There's no cure...but you have all the cures in your immune system...a well evolutionized system..."

Avalon's eyes half-widened. She raised her hands and turned them over. "And that would work? That would really work?"

"Might..." Melody shrugged with a small smile as she watched the ginger's hope increase by the seconds. "...but there could be consequences..."

"Don't care," Avalon snapped and hurried to the Doctor however she could on her wobbly feet. She came to sit beside him, ignoring the slight pain she felt on her knees. She motioned for the Sapling to move away. She would need a moment alone.

"What's she doing?" Lena looked at Melody suspiciously. One more trick from hers and this time Lena might just slap her.

Melody didn't answer and turned for Avalon, hoping her words would be true and...perhaps, do one good thing for her...daughter. She didn't want anyone to grow up the way that she did.

"I promise you after this you can chuck me into a black hole," Avalon whispered to the Doctor. "Or put me in jail. That's what I deserve. I'm so sorry for all this. Believe me, killing you is the last thing I wanted to do," she leaned down and stroked his hair, smiling slightly when he opened his eyes. He looked so weak and it was all her fault. He would never sit still, never lay down. He was always on the run, exploring different worlds, saving people here and there. He was the perfect man. A man that should not have to die.

"You remember those stories you wanted to see? The ones I wrote when I was younger? Well, they were all about you, stupid," Avalon's face blushed a warm pink as she explained what she thought she'd never say. "You're the Fairy Tale Man and you were always my hero, saving me...and do you remember when I couldn't sleep last year? You had to talk to me about my nightmare and you said I should dream up something that would ward the nightmares away? Well, you were the knight-in-shining-armor that fought off all my nightmares. You protected me. You've been quite the busy man," her smile spread as her blush deepened, "Now the princess - albeit an odd one - gets to save the prince."

"But Ava..." the Doctor could barely say those two words. Even with his bypass system, his lungs had expended his air.

"Be sure to rest for a bit before you go gallivanting through galaxies, alright?" Avalon leaned down, ignoring his weak attempts to stop her, and kissed him. Her fingers held onto the lapels of his jacket, as if she'd need it to keep him still. Her body glowed as the energy of her immunization began to transfer from her to the Doctor's. Avalon could feel her strength slipping away but she took comfort knowing it was going to the right place.

Towards the end, Avalon barely had the strength to raise her head. She weakly glanced at the others with a small smile. But her eyelids became heavy and before she knew it, she laid her head on the Doctor's chest and fell into darkness.

~ 0 ~

The next time Avalon opened her eyes, she was in a bright, white room. For a few seconds, she thought this was what the afterlife looked like...but then she heard a familiar voice.

"Avalon, sweetie, you're awake," Ryland was sitting right next to her bed - a hospital bed because she was in the hospital.

"Yeah, took you long enough," Gavin snorted but soon yelped when Lena elbowed him on the side. "I mean, yay, you're awake!"

Avalon scrunched her face and tried getting up, but everybody told her to stay put. "What's...what's going on?" she swallowed hard. Her body hurt. Everything was sore and moving the slightest caused a wave of pain to wash over her. "Owww."

"You're in the hospital, Avalon," Lena explained the bits most pertinent for the moment. "We brought you here after, um...Berlin."

It took only a few seconds for Avalon to remember what she did. "Oh my God! The Doctor!" she tried getting up again but Ryland pushed her down and kept a firm hold over her shoulders. "Daddy, stop! I have to go-"

"Avalon, it's okay! He's okay!" Ryland exclaimed over her voice. "The Doctor's just fine now." Avalon stopped struggling and studied Ryland's face for any indication that he was lying just so she wouldn't get up. Ryland knew her so well. "I'm telling you the truth. He's here, taking care of some things."

"So I...I didn't kill him?" Avalon's eyes flickered to Lena. "He-he survived?"

Lena smiled at her. "Yes. And as Daddy said, he's just taking care of some things. But you, Miss, you need to rest. A lot."

Avalon could care less about herself right now. She was just relieved that the Doctor had survived. "I...I didn't kill him."

"No, but you gave up something else," Gavin spoke up, sounding a bit irritated with her.

"What...?"

Ryland shot his son a look to keep quiet. What they had to tell her to needed to be done in a delicate manner. "Um, sweetie, there's something you need to know. You, uh...you saved the Doctor and nobody could be more proud of you for that, but...there were some consequences."

"Like?"

Ryland sighed. "Your immunity system has dropped, almost entirely. You lost the ability to heal people and your health has reverted to that of, well, an average human."

"Without those vaccinations all the babies usually get," Gavin chimed in, once again receiving the glares from his father and now his sister. "What? It's true."

Avalon was trying to understand what it meant, but it didn't take a lot of her thought process to figure it out. "So I-I don't have my abilities anymore? I don't have all the cures?"

"No," Ryland confirmed. "And the doctors here tried everything to activate it but there's nothing there anymore. We're going to have to be very careful for a long while now, until we can build up your immunity from scratch. But, even when that happens, it won't be like it used to be."

"I'll just be like Amy and Rory," Avalon nodded to herself. "Like every other human. I can get a cold now..."

"It's a bit more dangerous right now because you literally have no defense system."

"It's fine," Avalon swallowed hard and smiled. "It's my punishment for what I did."

"No, it's not," Lena frowned. "This was an accident but it is not because you did something wrong. Nothing is your fault. It's on Kovarian and the Silence." As soon as she spoke those two names, Avalon flinched. Lena regretted it deeply. "I'm sorry."

"No, no...it's okay..." Avalon bit her lower lip.

"How long were you with them, Avalon?" Lena decided to ask after a moment.

"...about...5 months..." Avalon scrunched her face when more memories started coming back to her. A lot of them included her screaming and begging for them to stop hurting her. "They-they kept..."

Lena reached for her sister's hand and held it tight. Avalon didn't have the strength, currently, to do the same. "It's okay, Avalon."

Avalon brought her free hand to her hair, pulling the strands as she continued to remember. Every pain she felt from the carvings, from the prodding, the needles. Her body was on fire. And she was so terrified.

"Avalon, it's okay," Ryland tried to take Avalon's hand off her hair but she kept pulling on it.

"I was so scared, Daddy! I was so scared!" The tears streamed down Avalon's face. "Everybody was prodding me like a-an experiment! They-they stabbed me with needles! They starved me! It was cold, it was hot! And I just wanted them to stop!" Her voice cracked in the end, but all in all she sounded like a terrified child when she burst into sobs. "But then I-I can't remember everything but...I know they did things to me, bad things. I don't want to go back there!"

"And you're not going to," Ryland promised her, almost crying himself because of her. He allowed Avalon to sit up so he could hug her tightly. "Nobody is ever going to touch you again. Not on our watch."

~ 0 ~

Melody stepped into a the admittedly nice building. Her eyes raked over the neat hallways and cheery decorations. It seemed to be very busy with employees - nuns - coming in and out of rooms. Patients, or inhabitants, were out making their daily lives. They looked happy. It seemed like a nice place to live...for now. She turned sideways, meeting her parents' gaze and the Doctor's. "This is it, then? This is where I have to stay?"

"It looks like fun," the Sapling made the comment to lift the spirits.

"It's your basic home for, well, anybody who needs it," the Doctor explained. "The Sisters here will help you make your way, whatever path you want to take."

Melody knew what he meant. Even though she knew about an important part of her future, the choice was still hers. "I am sorry," she said, even though it pained her to admit that she was wrong. "You have no idea what Kovarian is like...she doesn't take 'no' for an answer. She doesn't show mercy which is why I can't understand why she decided to wipe Avalon's memories. She had her for months and...she just erased it?"

"She did it for a reason," the Doctor muttered. Kovarian didn't do anything without a reason.

"But she didn't do a very good job because Avalon still remembers bits and pieces," Melody said, not understanding herself. Avalon didn't seem to have all her memories but she remembered what kind of torture strategies they used on her.

"That's her biology at work," the Doctor sighed. He had no doubt that within the coming months, Avalon would begin to remember more of her time with Kovarian.

"I wish I would've known," Melody looked at her parents. "I didn't know. But after spending years with Kovarian breathing over my shoulder, I learned the best way to survive is to just follow her orders."

"You're forgiven for everything," the Doctor assured her. He could see the guilt in her eyes from a mile away.

"Absolutely," Amy moved towards Melody and took her into a big hug. It soon brought Rory over as well. "None of it was your fault," Amy promised.

"But I just...I don't understand," Melody pulled away. "How could Avalon be my daughter? I don't...I don't even want kids. They're kind of annoying." The others chuckled, but she wanted to point out that she was being very serious.

"Well, that's up to you," the Doctor said, but Melody folded her arms over her chest and settled a sharp look on him.

"Mhm. You snogged my daughter and you expect me to believe that you don't care one tiny bit whether or not I have her?"

The Doctor's face flushed at the reminder. It made Melody smirk, much like Avalon would. "Well, I-I didn't mean to..." Truth be told, he would hardly call what happened between him and Avalon a kiss. There'd been two kisses and while the first one was a more of a kiss but it'd only happened because Avalon was brainwashed into doing it, not because she wanted to. And the second one? Well, he'd been dying. He could hardly remember it. It hurt his hearts realizing it.

"Oh forget it," Melody sighed deeply when she saw the Doctor getting lost in his thoughts. "I'll stay here for a bit, then, if that's what it takes to keep her safe. Whether she's my daughter or my friend, I do care about Avalon. I had to do what I had to do to keep us both alive."

"I believe you," the Doctor assured her.

"And...the Sapling...I didn't mean to take your family," Melody looked at the tree child. He no longer held contempt for her, but she wanted to make sure that he understood her. "I know exactly what that feels like and I never want to do that to a child."

The Sapling nodded and offered her a smile. "I believe you. You helped save my parents. Plus, your my grandmother."

"Oooh, that hurts," Melody put a hand over her chest. "That word hurts."

"Imagine great-grandmother," Amy muttered and shared a small laugh with her.

"So, Doctor, how long do I have to wait until I can see Avalon and apologize to her too?" Melody looked at the Time Lord anxiously. She didn't like the idea of being far away when Avalon was recovering from a situation she helped create.

"For a while," the Doctor answered, knowing that it wasn't the answer she wanted to hear. "The Silence and Kovarian are still out there and until we capture them, you shouldn't see Avalon. Plus, you might have your own Avalon to deal with further along your timeline."

Melody smirked. "Oh boy."

"But don't worry, she'll know that it wasn't your fault either."

"And what about the fact that I'm her Mother? Will she know that too?"

"Do you want her to know?" the Doctor challenged. The choice was entirely upon Melody because as far as he knew, it didn't matter from this point on if Avalon learned who her mother was.

Melody pursed her lips together. "I...don't know. I mean, if she wants to know then...I suppose I have no right hiding that from her. I owe her that much. So, if she asks, if she wants to know, you tell her. But you make sure-" she pointed a finger at him, "-that she knows that I do love her. She's been my friend for so many years, she shouldn't doubt that."

"Okay," the Doctor nodded. "Well, I guess it's time for us to go."

Melody faced her parents with a sad smile. "I'll see you around, then?"

"Definitely," Amy promised. "Stay out of trouble, Miss."

"Seriously," Rory warned her. "Out of it. Don't even think of getting into it!"

Melody laughed. "I'll try my best. But you know me...it calls me." She walked over to give them both a hug. While they said goodbye, the Doctor took the Sapling with him back to the TARDIS. The Ponds would need a moment to say goodbye to their daughter.

"Are we going to see Mother now!?" the Sapling hopped excitedly up to the console.

"Yeah," the Doctor went straight to the console. He shouldn't have done it but he downloaded his biography from the Teselecta archive. Now he knew exactly what he was in for, and it was not pretty. But so long as Avalon was kept out of it, he didn't care what was coming for him.

~ 0 ~

When Ryland emerged from from Avalon's hospital room, he spotted the Doctor, Amy, Rory and the Sapling coming down the hallway. He immediately searched for the woman responsible for all this mess, but she wasn't there. And she wouldn't be coming back soon, that much he could tell from Amy's and Rory's distraught faces. The Sapling didn't waste time and scurried down the hallway, straight into Avalon's room before anyone could tell him anything. He wanted to see his Mother so badly!

"Where is she?" Ryland still asked the group when they joined him. He didn't have to say her name for them to know he meant River.

"Somewhere, making her own way now," the Doctor said, glancing over his shoulder to the Ponds. It hurt them badly to let their daughter go, but it was the best thing they could for Melody and Avalon.

"Is she alright?"

"Yes, in what fits."

Ryland nodded then sighed. "Avalon's woken up, though she's been in and out of consciousness. The Silence, Kovarian - they did a number on my niece." His heart broke when he first saw Avalon's arms, when she sobbed about how terrified she'd been. "I want them to pay. All of them."

The sentiment was shared amongst the others, but they knew that they literally had to wait.

"It's a tricky thing, Ryland," the Doctor began, looking unsure himself...because he was. "Kovarian has created the perfect game here. We can't strike because of Time. We make one wrong move and both Melody and Avalon go 'poof!'." He did the hand gesture for effect, but he was sure the word was more than enough to make a point. "And that's not what we want, right?"

Ryland sighed with exasperation. "Of course not! But we can't just let this stand!"

"Oh, we won't," the Doctor said, his voice dropping low. "You better believe that I'm going after them."

Ryland wasn't one to doubt him, so he nodded but there was still heavy concern in his eyes when he glanced back at Avalon's room. "She's really hurt. I trust this hospital but I'm also scared. She lost her entire immune system. She has zero defenses."

"But we can fix that," Rory finally spoke up but then he realized that Avalon's biology was a bit out of his element so he looked at the Doctor just to be sure. "Right?"

"Yes, of course we can," the Doctor nodded. "But I'm going to need to take Avalon away for a while," he told Ryland, knowing that the man wouldn't be so happy about that detail.

And true to that, Ryland's mouth opened to argue. "But we just got her back!"

"And like you said, she doesn't have any defenses. Earth is filled with bacteria and germs that she cannot fight right now. The TARDIS is a sterile place where I can monitor her at all times, where we-" the Doctor gestured behind him to Amy and Rory, "-will look after her and raise her health. Physically and mentally."

Because of course there was no way in hell the Ponds would let go of the only piece they had of their daughter. Both Amy and Rory nodded affirmatively. Where Avalon went, they went. Period.

"I am a nurse," Rory reminded Ryland. "I know exactly what humans need. I'll help take good care of Avalon."

"I don't suppose I have a choice," Ryland mumbled, but he did realize that the TARDIS was the safest spot for Avalon at the moment. "But will you bring her when she gets better?"

"You have my word," the Doctor promised, raising his hand in the air. It would be some time before Avalon could leave sterile rooms, but he would bring her back to Earth the moment she could withstand it.

Ryland nodded. "Thank you. And...thank you for bringing her back. All of you." The Doctor gave a slight nod of his head but it was easy to see that he didn't feel like he actually did anything. He hadn't found Avalon, she had found him. "I trust you, Doctor. And you," Ryland gave Amy and Rory a half smile. "I trust that you'll keep her safe." He gave Avalon's door another glance before motioning them to go inside. "See if she's awake. I assume there's plenty to talk about."

That was an understatement. Still, the three of them took in some deep, brave breaths and headed for Avalon's room.

Avalon was asleep but with the Sapling's movements and whispers, she would end up waking up. Seeing the tree child did bring out a smile, which was all anyone wanted right now.

"Hey, don't try to move so much," Rory took the nearest seat beside her bed. "You gotta save your strength."

"Ugh, now you're sounding like my Dad," Avalon licked her chapped lips then made a face after it stung her. "I really need chapstick. Actually...I really need and want a bath."

"Lavender scented bath bombs await in the TARDIS," Amy promised her. She'd taken the opposite side and grabbed Avalon's hand first chance she got. There was a different feeling Amy got now that she knew who Avalon was. Maybe it was the part of her motherhood that she didn't get to live out with Melody, or maybe it was just the grandmother part of her too. She wanted to protect Avalon and be there for whatever Avalon might need.

"Mm, sounds nice," Avalon drew in a breath but it stung as well. "My entire body hurts. Even breathing hurts - how pathetic is that?"

"Don't say that," the Doctor spoke up for the first time, and it was only because that had come out automatically. He didn't want Avalon feeling bad for anything that happened. "You don't say anything like that, got it? Because you have no reason to put yourself down."

Avalon's gaze lowered the moment his eyes landed on her. She couldn't fathom looking at anyone right now. She was guilty. And embarrassed. "I'm sorry guys," her apology came in the form of a frail whisper. "I couldn't save Melody and I let them brainwash me."

"Avalon, this wasn't your fault," Rory reached for Avalon's other hand.

The Sapling squirmed his way around Amy's chair, going under Amy's arm that was holding Avalon's hand, until he was right next to his Mother. "Mother, you shouldn't cry. It was the bad people's fault."

"But neither of you have Melody because I couldn't hold onto her," Avalon raised her head, showing new tears in her eyes. "I had her in my arms and Kovarian ripped her away from me. I took care of her for a week and then I never saw her again. I'm so sorry."

Amy couldn't help the tears in her own eyes. "Avalon, the same thing happened to me and I'm her mother. But Kovarian was too smart. But hey, she's okay now and she's going to make her own way. This is where River Song starts and we'll be seeing her around."

"I didn't get to apologize to her," Avalon glanced at the Doctor. "Could I see her, please? I-I really want to talk to her. River's saved me so many times and the one chance I had to save her...I didn't do it."

"She doesn't blame you - actually, she's mad as hell with Kovarian," he gave her a soft smile. "You're so alike, actually."

Avalon would've smiled but instead of seeing him, she saw his dying body in Berlin. The tears doubled and whether she wanted to or not, she sniffled all over again. "Doctor, I'm so sorry! I nearly killed you! I-I didn't know I was going to do it but I'm so sorry!"

The Doctor forgot all about his own guilt for the moment as he moved up to her bed to hug her. Amy and Rory let go of Avalon's hands and the moment they did, Avalon clung to the Doctor's arms. Even the Sapling had leaned away, more on his great-grandmother's side, to give his parents some space.

"You're good, Avalon. You are so good, don't ever think that I will reproach you for anything," the Doctor kissed Avalon's messy hair.

"But I-I poisoned you-"

"-and you saved my life," the Doctor pulled away to give her a small smile. He poked her forehead, something that brought out a teary-eyed smile from her. "And now you lost your ability to heal people."

"I don't care," she said, sounding pretty damn certain about it too. "I saved you. I would do it again if I had to."

"I recommend you don't," the Doctor's gaze turned sharp just at the idea of her having to do it again. Next time, she might just use up all of her regenerations, however many she had. "I'm the Fairy Tale Man. I will do the saving around here. And I'm sorry I didn't do that before Kovarian hurt you so much."

Avalon completely let go of him to see her bruised and stitched arms. She screwed her eyes shut for a moment to push away any of those memories. "I can't remember everything...but I know that they hurt me. I can see some of it. I hate her so much."

"We're going to find her," Amy promised, her teeth gritting together as the raw fury crept over her. It only faltered when she saw the brief terror in Avalon's eyes. "But she's not going to hurt you again. She's going to have go through all of us first." Everyone nodded, including the Sapling.

"You stay far away, Mister," Avalon wagged a finger at the Sapling, relishing in his childlike giggle. She missed him. "I may be a terrible mother but I will still do my best to keep you away from danger." At the mention of 'mother', the others exchanged nervous glances. Avalon noticed it fairly quick and arched an eyebrow at them. "What is it?"

"Uum..." the Doctor would be brave and take the lead in the conversation. "You mentioned that your memory's a bit foggy?" Avalon nodded. "Do you remember if Kovarian mentioned anything about, I don't know, your parents?"

Avalon crinkled her nose. "No. Why would she?"

"Just curious," the Doctor checked for Amy's and Rory's reactions. He'd continue if they wanted him to...and they seemed to want him to. Oh boy.

"What's going on?" Avalon saw their discreet glances with each other. "What more is going on?"

"Avalon...we, uh...blimey, there's not an easy way to say it but...we know about your real Mother and..." the Doctor watched her face go pale - paler than what it already was - then was quick to go for anger.

"I told you I didn't want to know!" she practically snarled.

"But things are different now," Amy chimed in for the sake of her daughter.

"Yeah, I'm a murderer!" Avalon shot the Doctor a look. "I nearly murdered you and you want talk about my...my Mother?"

"Actually, her and-"

"No!" she yelled. "You know what? I do remember Kovarian mentioning something about that. My mother abandoned me because she didn't care about me."

"That's not true," Amy scowled, but in doing so it made Avalon even more angry.

"How would you know? Nobody abandoned you!"

"Because I know who she is and she didn't leave you behind!"

"Amy," Rory's voice was warning her to watch what she would say. Amy was distraught over their situation, more so by the fact Avalon would still believe in the lie that River abandoned her. But there was a reality that none of them were facing yet, one that nobody had asked out loud. River didn't abandon Avalon, okay, but then why did she give Avalon away?

Avalon squeezed her eyes shut. She tried to remember moments with Kovarian but her mind was all jumbled up and everything was fuzzy. She couldn't remember even if she truly wanted to. "My life is in pieces right now and I don't want it to be broken into smaller fragments. Please leave it alone. Please." Her begging reminded her a lot of when she had to beg for people not to slice her skin, or when she had Melody taken away from her, or pretty much every time she was in pain. New tears rolled down her cheeks and even if she couldn't move a lot, she put her best efforts to scoot towards the Doctor, trying to reach for his closest hand. "Please just forget about it. I don't want to know. I-I don't want to know!"

The Doctor wouldn't further victimize her like Kovarian had. He gave her a reassuring nod that he would not say anything. It brought her such relief that she thanked him over and over again, like he'd just saved her life. He checked Amy's and Rory's expressions and he wasn't surprised to find them grim. Their granddaughter hated their daughter because of a lie.

The Silence had ruined them from top to bottom and he let it happen.

#ocappreciation #doctor who #11th doctor imagines #dw imagine #doctor who fics #dw fics #doctor who imagines #11th doctor fics #oc: Avalon Reynolds #oc: Lena Reynolds #fic: falling in temptation

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ashtheshortstack · 4 years ago

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take my scars & make them stars - ch 7

Rating: M Ship: Kristoff/Anna Chapter Seven

Tags: Hurt/Comfort, Angst, Sick Fic, Cancer Fic, Chronic Illness, Chemotherapy, Modern AU, Coffee Shop AU, Fluff and Angst, Fluff, Eventual Smut, Angst with a happy ending, Mutual Pining, Mentions of Character Death

Read on Ao3

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TW: Blood, Character Death, Depression Mention, Grief

Kristoff was terrified when his mother told him she was pregnant. He ran away to his room, slamming the door behind him. Curling onto his bed, hot tears trickled down his cheeks and over his nose. It wasn’t fair, he thought. It wasn’t fair that he was finally happy and it would be taken away from him.

Bulda slowly cracked open the door, peaking in. “Kristoff?”

He sniffled in response, not daring to look at her.

“Oh, baby, what’s wrong?” she asked as she made her way to his bed.

Scooping him into her lap, Bulda stroked his blond locks. Kristoff tried to take comfort in her touch, but it only made him feel worse.

“You’re having a baby. That means you’re going to give me back, right?” he murmured as he wiped his nose on his sleeve.

“ What? Honey, what on earth would give you that idea?”

Pulling away, he tilted his head at her. What was she talking about? Shouldn’t she know exactly why?

“B-Because you got me because you couldn’t have a baby. And now, you’re having a baby so you don’t need me anymore.”

He watched Bulda sigh, her shoulders sinking as she shook her head. “No, Kristoff,” she cupped his cheek with a smile. “You’re my baby, too. My first one. This baby will be your little brother or sister.”

Kristoff blinked. “Really?”

“Of course, honey,” she tugged him back into her arms. “No one could ever replace you. You’re mine. And you’ll never be able to get rid of me.”

“I’d never want to get rid of you, Mama.”

She chuckled at that. “Tell me that again when you’re a teenager.”

When Pepper was born, Kristoff’s world tilted on its axis. Things were so different afterwards. Sometimes good and other times really bad. The constant squawling kept him up at night, making him cranky at times. He tried his best to put on a happy face, but it could be difficult at times. But Bulda always checked in. She always reassured him that babies were just like that and it would get better. She was right, of course. As Pepper grew older, Kristoff found himself by her side all of the time.

Despite being ten years older than her, Kristoff was able to relate to her. Able to help her with drawing and reading. When his parents bought him a guitar, he started playing and singing to her anytime he could. It made him smile when she’d giggle and clap along.

Pepper was full of attitude, and definitely kept her brother on his toes. When he was in charge of babysitting when she was four… somehow they both ended up soaked and covered in bubbles when she had tried to draw her own bath. Or when she shook a soda can, unknowing of the consequences.

Then blamed Kristoff for it.

The diagnosis came from nowhere. One minute she was a happy and healthy little girl… then she wasn’t. How had he not known? How could he not tell she was suffering all that time? Was she in pain? Had she been hiding this from him?

Kristoff was grateful that the hospital in Arendelle had such a great cancer treatment facility. They did everything for Pepper. Doing everything they could to give her a happy life.

During the weeks she’d stay at the hospital, he was there every single day after school. Kristoff sat on her bed, and each day he’d read her a new chapter of her favorite books. Princess themed tales weren’t exactly Kristoff’s cup of tea, but they were Pepper’s and he’d read them all damn day if she wanted him to.

“Hey, Kris?”

Pausing, he glanced at her. “Yeah?”

She gazed up at him with those wide chocolate eyes. “Do you think happily ever afters really exist?”

Kristoff smiled with a laugh. “Sure, why not?’

“What about love at first sight?”

He shrugged. “That one is a little more far-fetched, don’t ya think?”

Pepper pouted. “Why?”

“Uh, I dunno. It’s hard to believe that you could love someone just by looking at them, right?”

Poking him in the cheek, she gave him a look. “You’re a party pooper, Kris.”

“Hey, you asked me what I thought!”

“Well, you’re dumb.”

He scoffed, turning back to the book. “Maybe, you’re the one that’s dumb,” he muttered.

Pepper went silent next to him. Sparing her a glance, he saw her gazing out the window with that far away look in her eyes she got sometimes. Kristoff often wondered if the chemo messed with her attention span. It already messed with her appetite, her taste, the feeling in her fingers and toes. It wouldn’t surprise him if it messed with her head too.

“I hope you find it…” she sighed.

“What?”

Pepper smiled, still gazing out the window. “Happily ever after.”

Kristoff’s heart tightened. He hated it when she got like this. There was way too much wisdom in her voice for a six-year-old. It was frightening how mature she’d gotten in the last year and a half. He assumed that fighting to live could do that to a person, no matter what age. But still, it scared him.

Placing a hand on her bare scalp, he smiled at her when she glanced up at him. “You’ll find it before me… but any prince that wants your heart has to go through me first.”

“Kris, you can’t beat up my boyfriend.”

“I can and will.”

She laughed and shook her head. “No. I won’t let you.”

He was going to retort, but she curled into his side and looked at the book expectantly. With a sigh, he brushed off whatever else he had to say. Fine, Pepper could have the last word that day. Instead, he continued reading. Glancing at her occasionally as she dozed off.

She got worse. Kristoff wasn’t ready for her to go downhill so quickly. She had gotten to come home for a few weeks at a time, then she’d go back to the hospital for treatments. Pepper had even gotten to start kindergarten, which they hadn’t expected would happen. So why?

Why was she suddenly not okay?

The sound of harsh coughing echoed through the halls, gaining his attention. Then his mother was suddenly shouting from Pepper’s bedroom. Sharing a look with his father in the living room, they both jumped to their feet. Kristoff’s feet moved on their own as he sprinted through the house.

Pepper lay curled in Bulda’s arms, her little hands splattered with blood as she hacked into her palms. There were tears running down her little cheeks. Oh, God. Oh, God. Dread washed over him as his father was instantly on his knees beside them.

“Kris! Kris, grab the phone! Call the doctor,” Cliff shouted over Pepper’s horrendous coughing.

Swallowing the lump in his throat, he nodded. He ran to his parent’s room and snatched the phone from the nightstand. Scrolling through the contacts, he found the number.

“Hello? Dr. Mattias? Something’s wrong with Pepper.”

Seeing Pepper so frail… it brought out an emotion Kristoff couldn’t describe. It wasn’t sadness. No, it was beyond that. It was deeper than grief and anguish. This wasn’t an emotion that could be described. There was a heaviness in his chest that held him. The feeling trapped him. Made it hard to breathe.

They were left alone when his parents left the room to speak with the doctor. He’d never seen her so full of tubes… An I.V. dripped into her arm, tubes stretched from her nose… a feeding tube pumped her stomach. Her own body was betraying her. Refusing to work. Refusing to breathe. Refusing to let her eat without pain.

Kristoff grabbed her tiny hand. It was so small compared to his own. His family teased him about how he just continued to grow like a weed. It was then when he really noticed what they were talking about. Her palm pressed against his as he rubbed his thumb along her skin.

“I love you, P. You know that, right?”

Her eyes remained closed, but she squeezed his hand in response. A small smile touched her lips.

“Love you too,” she whispered, voice barely there.

After that, he remained silent. Kristoff leaned his head against her own. There weren’t any more words necessary. Just comforting her with his touch was all he could offer. When his parents returned to the room, the grief stricken gaze of his mother spoke volumes.

Pepper never returned home. She had good days and bad days. Sometimes she’d be up for venturing around the hospital. Kristoff picked her up, tugging the oxygen tank along with them as she chatted to him occasionally. The nurse snapped a picture of the two of them. He tried his best to smile, but Pepper simply waved.

When she was younger, she was a camera hog. She’d jump in front of pictures with a huge, silly grin. But as her energy tanked… it was hard to see that smile at all. Kristoff tried his best to get the occasional giggle out of her as he tried to tease and joke like they did before. But… as the days went on, Pepper didn’t say much of anything anymore.

She didn’t want to go anywhere. Instead, she’d lay in her bed all day and sleep.

In an attempt to cheer her up, Kristoff read her fairytale books to her again. They hadn’t gotten to finish the latest installment because of what had been going on. And Kristoff would be damned if he didn’t finish that book for her.

“‘The princess stepped into her royal duties and became queen. Her love stood by her, and the two married. And lived happily ever after. The end,’” he read.

“The end…” she sighed.

Kristoff glanced at her. She hadn’t moved from her laying position, eyes still closed. Her breathing was slow and even.

“When you… meet your princess… know that I told you so.”

A smile cracked along his lips. “Yeah?”

“Mhmm. She’ll be pretty.”

“You think so?”

“Yeah…”

Pepper didn’t say much in the following days. She was sleeping soundly when her heartbeat slowed. Bulda noticed first. The thumps on the heart monitor became more and more sparse with every passing minute.

His mother held her head, slowly petting her head.

“You can let go, baby, it’s okay,” she whispered against her daughter’s head.

Kristoff couldn’t stay. He stood and left the room as the heart monitor went flat. His mother’s sobs echoing through the room as he saw Cliff cross the room from the corner of his eye. He moved outside the doorway, leaning against the white brick. Kristoff slid down the wall, tucking his knees to his chest as he hit the floor.

She was gone.

The funeral was a blur. It dragged on but went way too quickly all at the same time. He was numb. And silent.

He was polite to those who shared condolences. It was nice to see his family, though the circumstances weren’t ideal. Why hadn’t they come to visit her more? Had they even cared about her at all?

Her kindergarten class was there… along with her teacher and a few more staff members from the school. She’d hardly been there most of the school year. But Pepper was so excited for the days she’d gotten to attend. It wasn’t much, but it was enough to keep her happy. To keep her smiling.

Her teacher spoke, his father said a few words as well. Kristoff couldn’t. His mother had asked, but he couldn’t do it. There was no way he could stand before all these people and mourn his sister in front of them. Frankly, it wasn’t for them.

The time he spent with his sister was private. Not to be shared.

He stood at the casket alone, gazing down at her small face. She just appeared to be asleep, and as much as he wanted to believe the false thoughts, he couldn’t. As much as he willed her to just wake up, she wouldn’t.

He was an only child again.

God, how he’d forgotten how lonely that was.

Grieving people do strange things sometimes. He didn’t know why he felt compelled to take a sunflower from the display around her. Pressing it to his chest, he gave her one last look, accepting that this would be the last time he saw his sister in the flesh.

“Let me know when I’ve found her, okay, P?”

A chill went up his spine.

Depression was different than he expected. He didn’t know it came with anger and aggression. Didn’t know it meant he’d be in fights at school. Didn’t know it meant he’d push everyone around him away, including his parents.

They let him have his space for a while, until Bulda tried to coax him back to life.

She gave a tiny knock at his door before cracking it open. “Hey, hun. You awake?”

“Yeah,” he murmured, sitting at his desk.

“Studying for the SAT?” she asked.

“Yep.”

Bulda crossed her arms coming to stand beside him, leaning her weight onto the desk. “How do you feel about it?”

“Dunno.”

Sighing, she closed her eyes. “Okay,” she smacked his notebook closed.

Kristoff reared back. “Ma, what the hell?”

“That’s enough, Kristoff Bjorgman, do you understand me?”

Fist clenching, he turned away from her and crossed his arms. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“This! I’m talking about this!” Bulda gestured to him. “Do you even remember the last time you smiled?”

Kristoff spared her a glance, but said nothing. He really didn’t want to hear this shit.

“It’s been a year, Kristoff, don’t you think your father and I miss her too?”

“I didn’t say you didn’t,” he muttered.

With another sigh, she pinched the bridge of her nose. When he heard her sniff, Kristoff felt a rush of guilt flash through him. He didn’t want to hurt his mother. Or anyone else for that matter. But that didn’t mean he wanted to talk to people. He didn’t want people.

“What is it? Why have you closed everyone out, hun? You never talk to your friends anymore. I haven’t seen you do anything but scowl for months. ”

She was right, of course. He didn’t talk to anyone. It felt like too much. It hurt too much. Why should he be allowed to live a normal life without her? Why did he get blessed with a future when Pepper didn’t?

“I just… I don’t know.”

Bulda stared at him, that worried expression only making him feel worse. “I feel like you do.”

Kristoff slumped in his chair. “Why should I just… move on? Like she was never here?”

“Oh, Kris… Moving on with life isn’t forgetting her. Moving on isn’t wrong. In fact, don’t you think Pepper would want that?”

He stared down at his lap with those words.

“I hope you find it… Happily ever after.”

Yes, that’s what she’d want. She’d want him to live happily ever after. And yet, there he was. Denying himself what he promised his sister.

“Yeah,” tears pricked in his eyes.

Bulda moved from the desk, wrapping him in her arms. “It’s okay to feel, baby. It’s okay to miss her. You don’t have to shut everyone out.”

“B-But what if I have someone I love again and lose them too?”

Kissing his temple, she murmured into his blond locks. “Isn’t it better to have loved and lost… than to not have loved at all.”

A sob escaped him then. Reaching up, he gripped her shoulders. “Please, help. I don’t--I don’t know what to do.”

“We’ll get you better. Together.”

Therapy did wonders for him. Kristoff had no idea how liberating it was to get all of his emotions out of his mind and out into the open. Though, he still wasn’t fond of making friends or talking to people… he slowly was able to communicate again.

When Bulda and Cliff brought Sven home, Kristoff had never felt happier. The companionship of the pup was all he ever needed. And God, he was grateful.

He’d never admit it aloud, but that dog saved his life.

o~o~o~o

It’d been three weeks since he’d heard from Anna. There were no calls. No texts. They’d lost their snapchat streak… The guilt ate him alive. Yes, he should’ve just told her. But when Pepper had heard of another child dying of cancer, the look of horror on her face always stuck with him. God, he didn’t want to make Anna feel that way too. And in his effort to protect her, he only fucked up.

He wanted her to forgive him so badly. When she pointed out the sunflowers at the park, Kristoff thought he knew. Thought that maybe she was the one. But fuck, he messed up.

Despite how miserable he felt, Kristoff continued to push through. He went to the coffee shop, went to the jobsite, did what he was supposed to do. It was better to have cared--maybe even loved--for Anna than to have not had her in his life at all.

He hated how petty he’d been when she was angry with him. Pulling that crap about how she didn’t tell him about her fiance? Of course, she didn’t. They’d only had a few dates. Weren’t “official” yet. He wasn’t entitled to her dating history. But… Anna was entitled to his past. That he hadn’t told her about. Shit, she’d had every reason to be mad. There was an entire part of his life he’d kept from her. It wasn’t right of him. It wasn’t fair to Anna.

It wasn’t fair to Pepper.

Damn, he was a fucking asshole. How could he mess up so badly?

As he wiped down the counter, the door chimed. Really? They were closing in four minutes. Was the need for coffee that urgent? Ryder had already started picking up the chairs for the day.

“How can I…?” he glanced up, stunned to see Elsa Anderson standing before him.

She gave a nervous smile with a half shrug.

“E-Elsa? What’re you--wait. Uh. S’more latte? I mean, is that what you’re here for?”

Waving a hand, Elsa brushed him off. “I might as well buy a drink since I’m here.”

Kristoff nodded. “Y-Yeah, uh.”

“But I need to talk to you.”

Ryder walked over, tapping Kristoff on the shoulder. “Need some help?”

“Uh, yeah. 12 oz S’more latte.”

With a nod, his coworker headed to the machine. Thankfully, they hadn’t started the intense cleaning yet.

Clearing his throat, Kristoff glanced away. “B-Before we talk, I just need to know if you hate me, so I have an idea about what type of conversation this will be.”

She laughed, shaking her head as she handed Kristoff her card. “I don’t hate you.”

He relaxed, putting in her total and swiping the card. “Oh, good,” he chewed his lip for a moment. “Uh, does Anna hate me?” he asked as he handed her back the credit card.

“No,” Elsa said with another small smile.

Kristoff’s shoulders slumped. “Thank God. I really messed up, Elsa. She has every right to--”

Elsa held up her hand. “Hey, you don’t need to explain yourself to me. I get it. It’s just… Anna has spent her whole life being ‘protected’ by other people. She just felt betrayed that you would hide something from her.”

Rubbing the back of his neck, he let out a guilty sigh. “She has every right to feel that way. I just--I didn’t want her to think that would be her outcome.”

“I know. I know it’s just because you care about her, Kristoff. Anna knows that too.”

Grinning slightly, he nodded. “Yeah, I… I really do. No one has ever made me feel the way Anna does.”

Elsa placed a hand over his. “I want you to be with my sister, Kristoff. So, you made a mistake. Everyone does. Anna’s made plenty. I just--I had to remind her that your heart is in the right place. And she realized I was right. B-But she just… collapsed,” she said with a grimace.

“W-Wait, what?” he asked, leaning over the counter.

“She’s been emitted into the hospital. Her doctor said she just got overwhelmed, but they’re keeping her sedated and keeping her overnight.”

Ryder, who had apparently been eavesdropping, slid the coffee to Elsa. Clapping a hand on Kristoff’s back, he looked worried. “You gotta go, dude.”

“Woah, what? What about you?”

“I can close up. Go see Anna.”

Kristoff didn’t need to be told twice. The hospital wasn’t far, but he didn’t want to leave his truck behind. Elsa jumped in the passenger seat and they headed down the street.

o~o~o~o

He followed Elsa down the all too familiar halls. Being there brought up a lot of memories… a lot of feelings Kristoff hadn’t thought about in a long time.

When they reached Anna’s room, Dr. Mattias emerged from the door. Kristoff assumed the stunned expression on the doctor’s face was mirrored on his own.

“Kristoff?”

Elsa quietly excused herself into the room, walking past both men with a hesitant smile.

“Hey, Dr. Mattias.”

“What’re you doing here?” he asked.

He gestured to the door. “I’m here to see Anna. She’s my… well… not really--uh.”

Dr. Mattias chuckled, raising a hand and shaking his head. “You don’t need to explain anything to me,” he paused looking over him. “Man, you’ve really grown since I’ve seen you.”

“Um, thanks. I think.”

“How are your parents?”

Kristoff bobbed his head. “They’re fine. Ma is working at the pre-school, and Pop is still working odd jobs here and there since he retired early.”

Dr. Mattias smiled. “That’s good to hear. I’m glad they’re well. What about you?”

With a shrug, he glanced away. “I’m alright. Could be better, I guess. But I’m working at Adrendelle Roasts to make money while I’m training at the jobsite.”

“Oh, you’re going into construction, huh? That’s suited for you.”

He laughed. “Yeah, Pop said so too.”

A silence washed over them. Kristoff desperately desired to cut the small talk. He just wanted to see Anna.

Dr. Mattias seemed to mual over something before sucking in a breath. “Kristoff, I just want you to know that I did everything I could for your sister.”

A sad small twitched to his lips. “I know.”

“And there’s not a day that goes by that I don’t think about her. If there was one soul I wish I could’ve traded my own for, it would’ve been that little girl’s.”

Kristoff shook his head. “I know. But you’re here… and I’m glad. Because Anna needs you.”

Dr. Mattias smiled with a nod. “Yes, of course. I won’t keep you then,” he held out a hand for him to shake.

But Kristoff tugged the doctor in for a hug instead. Dr. Mattias was stunned, but the blond just patted him on the back. “I can’t thank you enough for what you do,” he said before pulling away.

The doctor gave him another nod with an emotion Kristoff couldn’t quite read. Dr. Mattias gave Kristoff a tap on the shoulder before heading down the hall.

Kristoff turned to the door, taking a deep breath before he walked in to see Anna lying on the bed. Seeing the tubes in her nose as she slept sent a familiar dread shooting up his spine. But it was okay, he assured himself. Anna was asleep intentionally. He had to remember that.

He looked to Elsa who sat in a chair in the corner of the room. “Is it safe for you?” he asked. She had since put a mask on after entering the room.

“Not entirely. Being exposed to an illness could send me in here myself for a couple of days.”

Rubbing his palms, he glanced back to Anna. “You should go home. I can stay with her.”

Elsa’s brows shot up. “Oh, no way. Kristoff, I can’t ask you to do that.”

“I want to. I messed things up so badly… it’s the least I can do. Anna would want you to worry about your health too, you know? Anna can’t lose you too, Elsa.”

The flaxen blonde twiddled her thumbs for a second before standing. “Okay, but I’ll be back tomorrow to get her.”

Kristoff gave her a smile. “Alright. She’s in good hands, I promise. I--I want to make it up to her.”

Elsa stood, giving him a small pat before walking to Anna. She stroked her head, glacning back up at him. “Are you sure?”

“I can handle it.”

“What about Sven?”

“I’ll call my mom.”

Sighing, she nodded. “Okay. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Kristoff waved as she walked out the door. Carefully, he made his way over to Anna and placed a small peck to her forehead. “I’m so sorry,” he whispered. “I’ll do better from now on.”

He made his way to the chair and took a seat. He gazed out the window with a sigh.

“You told me so, P. Just help me get this right…”

#kristanna #kristoff x anna #the queen & her reindeer king #ash writes #frozen fic #anna x kristoff #kristanna fic #tw: cancer #tw: character death #cancer fic #angst #hurt/comfort #mentions of chemotherapy #tms&mts #take my scars & make them stars

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