#eventually stuff ryder does Matters

[crqstalite]

also also, people are aware of ryder’s age right? like at some point once everyones Not Dying they gotta start asking questions and stop revering them, esp once they have other pathfinders aboard the nexus. ryder has been operating as some sort of space jesus loosely controlled by addison and tann — people are gonna realize their inexperience eventually. yk, once it comes to electing their leaders and political problems rather than outright survival from the kett are in the spotlight.

[stanleyvampire14]

Hi! To clear up some confusion because multiple people keep asking me this; “Who is the Emerson family?” Or at least a member of them TW FOR MENTIONS OF DEATH AND SEMI-VIOLENT SCENES

Let’s start with Mr. Emerson himself! John Emerson!

John is a policeman that usually either gets stationed in the neighborhood he lives in, or he goes around patrolling other neighborhoods in the town. He’s been in the police business for a while (years) and he likes doing it! He loves helping people! However he does have a side to him that can and will kill you (or at least seriously injure you) if you hurt the people he cares about, mainly his family. His immune system isn’t very great and he gets sick a lot around the flu season, which kinda sucks, but he refuses to not go to work, which kind of worries Mary (and Ryder as well). It’ll get to the point where Mary forces him to stay in bed, she will literally wrap him in a blanket to make him stay. He is very loyal (COUGH COUGH. @lord-of-the-bundle-of-sticks @todds-diary @that-fruitier-emo) and we love him for that. He taught Ryder basic manners and to actually respect women, despite most fathers at the time not caring about the latter, which is why Ryder is so insistent on teaching that to the other kids (island kids and daycare kids). Ryder really looks up to him, even after the island, although he’s more subtle about it after the island because he’s more reserved in general. Overall a great guy, I’d talk to him about my problems and he’d hug me as I rambled.

Next is Mrs. Emerson, Mary Emerson!

She is a saint I swear…and pretty…Beautiful even…Anyways! She’s a daycare worker, she made her own daycare because the others in the area kinda sucked in her opinion (discrimination issues among various types of people + “what about the poor people with children :( we have to help them somehow”) she will literally give discounts near the holidays please go to her daycare. Literally the most comforting person aside from Ryder himself. She doesn’t care who you are (and she might know who you ARE before you realize, in Ryder’s case…🏳️‍🌈) she will be there for you, it doesn’t matter how hard you breakdown, she will find a way to comfort you. She says that she doesn’t have a favorite child in the daycare, but she definitely does (it’s technically Ryder but he works with her so he doesn’t count) nobody knows who it is and the kids try to play guessing games, and everytime she leaves the room to do something, the children repeatedly ask Ryder who’s the favorite and he doesn’t know either, but he says that he likes Klaus a lot (@lord-of-the-bundle-of-sticks oc) and Ira (will reveal all of the daycare children soon enough, also Ira is they/them). She taught Ryder how to cook and somehow Ryder surpassed her skills in cooking, but Ryder always says she’s better, because he IS a mama’s boy and he can’t bring himself to make his mum sad ever. I just wanna hug her and melt hhgfssmhgh….Oh I love her so…💚💚💚 She’s my wife but also not-

Lastly, my favorite little guy (he is 16, he is not little) Ryder Emerson!

Despite what all the kids think, he’s not actually an angel, he does typical teenager stuff (sneaking out at night, occasionally drinking because of Lust, and rotting in his room for months after the island! Y’know, totally usual behavior for teens please don’t rot in your rooms that’s bad for your mental health) and he might’ve indirectly caused a few deaths on the island, but we aren’t talking about that- He scarred Gluttony because he killed Sloth and Ryder obviously didn’t like that he bit Jack and Maurice out of self defense, and he might’ve smacked Roger on the head on the island at least twice…He got tired of them eventually. I swear he’s overall a good person, that island just really messed him up mentally and physically. In the fight between Jack and Ralph at the end, Ryder ended up getting scars from Maurice because Maurice slashed him with his spear, meaning to stab him (it was Jack’s command and Maurice was kind of a little gone). Speaking of the Merridew kid, he and Ryder are therapy partners/friends together due to their therapist thinking that exposed therapy would be a good thing for them, which it kind of was. Ryder got so much better after talking to everyone that survived on the island, even though he still feels iffy with some of them (Ralph, Roger, Maurice, Samneric all technically betrayed him in some way). His relationships with the sins (also @lord-of-the-bundle-of-sticks ocs) got so much better, although Gluttony’s was…Not good for a while, they eventually forgave each other in their own way, I’d like to say it started here, which I believe would take place a couple months after they got off the island: https://archiveofourown.org/works/52156768/chapters/131921551

Thank you for listening to my rambling, if you did.

Have a gallery of them, I really do love them…💙💚🩷 (I accidentally made it a timeline of events, oops)

This post was mostly for @cve-th3mvsic , but I hope this clears some questions up! ^_^

I will be linking this on my pinned post, just in case it gets lost in the massive amounts of posts I reblog and such.



[rainbowangel110]

Asking about your OCS

HI OKAY SO! Still trying to figure out the story and worldbuilding and stuff so I'm just gonna write the TL;DR

This world, we've got Essence. Every living being has it, no matter what. Some creatures can use their Essence and wield it. Basically, think any kind of power or magic from any media, that's basically what it is. Worlds beyond Earth, some just like us with almost no magic, and others who couldn't even survive without it.

But magic doesn't discriminate, which is why the Essence Community was created. A place where Wielders can gather and have, well, a community where they can train their skills, have a place to stay, connect with other users. It's basically artificial planets created around the arm, different planets can support different species of life, the planet we're on is Earth like.

NOW CHARACTERS! I'll try to keep this short otherwise this'll get the same treatment as @hecateisalesbian's ask about my characters (It's still in my drafts :D been so for months... anyways-) here we go!

Our main, Vanessa. A human born with the most powerful type of Essence! Yeah uh remember how I said that magic doesn't discriminate? Yep so uh even populations with no magic can have a little. As a treat. But wait, what's this? *gasp* it's an old foe... FEAR OF THE UNNATURAL!!! Dun dun dunnnnnn!!! So anyways, her parents freak out after finding out that their 5 year old has magic of all things, and they find this one guy who claims he can get rid of it. Sound legit. SIKE! He actually just wants to experiment on this anomaly he found, gives the parents amnestics, takes the kid, wham bam Christmas ham, now you got this wreak of a 8 year old with trust issues and zero knowledge of the real world on the run. Hooray!

Cue Sam Greenstone! A cervitaur (basically a centaur but replace the horse with a deer), who came to Earth cuz hey, even the non Essence-y worlds have magic problems sometimes. She finds Vanessa after the kid causes a massive commotion, detecting strong Essence on her, takes her to the Community planet we're on! She basically takes care of Vanessa as she has imprinted onto Sam like a duckling. She does her best. Character outside of Vanessa's plot, Sam doesn't live at this Community year round, she goes back to her planet for long periods of time, this place is home away from home. She helps train new wielders, and is an aspiring potion maker, and helps with the occasional corruption around the Arm.

We've got some Community friends! Nova, Solace, his little sister Nami, and Kiren. They all live together on this beach side house (as Solace and Nami are merfolk, specifically sharks (they're based off of Dwarf Lantern Sharks)) They're the best of friends who live here full time, and I'm still trying to figure out their plotlines and stories so not much here I'm sorry :(

And now Human friends! At some point, Vanessa gets sent down to a solo mission to clear out this corruption that's appeared on Earth, and is put in the middle of a highschool camping trip thing. (Essence Communities have contacts with non Essence wielders for reasons such as this. Convenient eh?) Here we meet Stacy, Ryder, and "Jae" (that name is a placeholder that's rapidly becoming not a placeholder), kids from this highschool who are grouped up with Vanessa for teambuilding! She learns about the human culture she missed out on through them, and they eventually learn about her powers. Initially weirded out by it, they come to accept it, and even get Essence Boosters (these help non wielders have the ability to use some magic of their own, mainly constructs) I've had a couple of daydreamed storylines for them and I hope that goes somewhere!

[ablogthatishenceforthmine]

Echo’s Unfulfilled Potential

I know a lot of people hate Echo, and are baffled by Jason’s apparent love for her character. I think some of the hate she gets is unfair, but there are a lot of problems with her character. However, I can see why Jason might love her character. And throughout the past through seasons, I have seen so much potential for her to be an interesting character... and there are hints of it here and there. But her character has yet to live up to that potential.

I thought Echo worked great in Season 4. She was the perfect minor villian for the season. That season was all about overcoming only caring about one’s own people. It was about all the different groups learning to reunite, about learning to care about all people, not just one’s own. Echo’s character is all about doing what’s best for her people whatever it takes, and whatever it costs, no matter the detriment to others. Thus, she is a great embodiment of what many of the characters on the show are trying to overcome. And, the show leaves her in such an interesting place at the end of the season, as the fish out of water. She has never been to space, and she is stuck with people she doesn’t really know for 6 years. Emori is in a similar boat, as she is also a grounder in space. But she has her relationship with Murphy and her friendship with Raven, so she is not as out of place as Echo was. This left the audience with intriguing questions. How would Echo fit into this group? What relationships would she develop with the other characters? How would this time affect her loyalties? How would this time change her?

Season 5 does not do a great job of answering these questions. Her dynamic and place in the group is too generic: a problem with the Space Crew’s dynamic and a lot of its relationships in general. It’s just shown that they are family and that there care about each other, but many of the characters don’t have a specific dynamic: the exceptions are Bellamy-Monty, Murphy-Emori, Murphy-Raven, Bellamy-Murphy, Bellamy-Raven, and Monty-Harper. Most of these dynamics and relationships were established before Season 5, so the show does not do a good job of showing a difference these five years have made. 

Echo does not have a distinct dynamic or relationship with anybody apart from Bellamy, and even then, their romantic dynamic is pretty generic. Their relationship doesn’t really add anything to either of their characters, and doesn’t say anything about who either of them are. While I know a lot of people hate this hearing from the Bellamy and Bellarke side of things (and i do too), I think this relationship is much worse for Echo’s character than it is for Bellamy’s character. Throughout Seasons 5 and 6, Echo is often stuck in the girlfriend role. Her character is often about Bellamy, loving Bellamy, worrying about Bellamy, trying to help/protect Bellamy. Other than this, Echo often serves some plot functions, that could be filled by other characters and don’t often say much about her character. But In Season 5 and 6, it largely didn’t feel like she was much of a character on her own.

Season 6 also has a major issue with her character; it doesn’t explore what Monty’s final plea to be “the good guys” means to her, if it means something at all. We get an exploration of what Monty’s message means to almost every other character but Echo. We see Clarke and Bellamy trying, and eventually succeeding, to do better. We see Raven react to it with self-righteousness (not my favorite plot, but at least its a reaction). We see Murphy ignore it and then find his way back to trying to be a good guy; Emori has a similar journey of this, but it is far less explored. But watching Season 6, I had no idea what Echo felt about this “do better” quest. She never talks about it, or even mentions this idea.

She also behaves in ideas contrary to this mandate, but it is never commented on. Echo violently kills Jade, immediately plans to go to war after finding out about Clarke, and kills Ryder. But watching the season, I had no idea how the show wanted me to think or feel about these actions. Am I supposed to be critical of them? Am I supposed to see them as acceptable? Am I supposed to see Echo as ignoring or failing the quest to do better? Unlike with every other character, the show doesn’t seem to frame her actions in the context of the aim to do better. She seems weirdly exempt from this theme, which left be confused about her character the whole season. I didn’t know how I was supposed to see her.

But throughout these two seasons, Echo’s character is full of potential. Think about her character. Think about her backstory. From when she was a young child, she was trained as a spy. Trained to obey and to follow. It’s hard to shake that off. She does what she’s told, unquestioningly. Who is someone is that much of a follow? What is their sense of self? Do they have one? This is so interesting to me! Someone trying to find out who they are when they’ve always had to be whoever they needed to be, whoever their leader wanted them to be. That is an interesting character! And I can see why Jason would be so interested in a character of this backstory, and of this mentality. But this potential in Echo’s character has yet to be fulfilled, and all that interesting stuff has yet to be fully realized. There are hints of it in a few scenes of Season 6: her flashback backstory, and her confiding in Bellamy about her family and her difficulty with emotions. The latter of which I think was poorly executed, and felt forced, even though I like the idea of it. But I thought the flashback was interesting and did provide insight into her character. Although I do think both these character details would have better revealed in Season 5 rather than Season 6. But overall these are just little swipes at Echo’s potential.

So Season 7. I really like Echo’s character so far in Season 7. Her character has greatly benefited from separating from Bellamy. While she is still driven by her love for Bellamy, she interacts and forms bonds with other characters: Echo, Gabriel, and Dev. And it feels like the show might be planning to fulfill her potential, to explore the ideas that I mentioned above. In the season premiere, hallucination/Anamoly Roan straight up asks Echo who she is when she doesn’t have someone to follow. So, it seems like Echo’s journey this season might be exploring this idea! Hallucination Roan also refers to Bellamy as someone Echo claims to love. Maybe this season will also explore the Becho relationship in a meaningful way (and hopefully result in their breakup). For the first time, Becho makes sense, at least for Echo’s side. Echo is forever a loyal follower, and Bellamy is an extremely charismatic leader. Is it any wonder she fell for him? Is the reason she is so desperate to get back to him more complicated than just love? Maybe she needs him because she needs a leader, someone to be devoted to, someone to follow? Now that she thinks Bellamy is dead, who is she? Does she even know who she is? Do we? Who is Echo when she has no one to follow? I hope this season explores these ideas, and finally lives up to the potential that Echo’s character has always had. I’ve been disappointed by the show before. And maybe I am getting hyped about this for nothing.  I don’t know for sure that Echo’s potential will be fulfilled this season... But I still have hope.

[tmtica]

LOSER LIKE ME, aka jordan joins the new directions

so essentially this is mostly for fun but also a reference point for my glee au that I only write with like 3 people in but I’m pretty much married to at this point. I’ve organized the majority of this playlist in order of what jordan tackles in the glee club for the weekly assignments + the in-between numbers she folds into her repertoire for fun / for assignments that we never saw in the show but could easily exist.

SEASON 2

episode 1, audition:     mustang sally, wilson pickett

I know roderick auditions with the same song in season 6 but here at traumantic productions I do whatever I want and I want jordan to pull off an unexpected audition song that secures her place among the underdogs within new directions, thank you.

episode 2, britney/brittany:     what u see (is what u get), britney spears

it’s one of jordan’s favorite britney songs and speaks to how she’s determined to stay true to who she is no matter what peoples’ perceptions of her is (even though she’s still young and finding herself)

episode 4, duets:     you really got me, the kinks/cherry bomb, the runaways

pre-determined mash-up for the breadstix dinner for two duet competition with @nostlgic‘s john bender; it’s like pulling teeth at first but eventually the two end up seeing eye to eye and pull off a performance with jordan rocking the electric guitar and channeling her inner joan jett; they don’t win but they do a damn good job regardless.

episode 7, the substitute:     crushcrushcrush, paramore

holly holiday said the glee kids can do whatever the hell they want and jordan wants to do more pop punk. also, any excuse to bust out the guitar is a good one.

episode 8, furt:     stand by me, ben e. king

one of jordan’s favorite love songs and one she pulls out for carol and burt’s wedding.

episode 12, silly love songs:     take a chance on me, abba

jordan (and this totally isn’t me projecting) really wanted to tackle abba for the “sing love songs for valentine’s week” assignment, so what?

episode 15, sexy:     froot, marina and the diamonds

I know this song came out in 2015 and the episode aired in 2011 but this would be the least terrible infraction the show has ever had with continuity, also it’s a banger of a song, also I already know the staging goes from jordan starting out singing in the choir room for the assignment and by the chorus shifts to her singing in the auditorium in full old hollywood glam, as it should be. I’m a genius, thank you.

episode 17, a night of neglect:     kiss me fool, fefe dobson

I fell down a rabbit hole of music I listened to in middle school and fefe dobson is severely underappreciated and neglected as an artist, and kiss me fool is the perfect combo of soulful and rock that captures jordan’s taste in music. she’ll shred through the hecklers..... until sue unplugs her amp/the mic/something to that effect.

episode 19, rumours:     the chain, fleetwood mac

I picked a song off the album that wasn’t covered in the episode since it has to be rumors-specific but hey...... this actually works really well.

episode 20, prom queen:     i want you to want me, letters from cleo; DONTTRUSTME, 3OH!3

jordan performs two songs (possibly more) for the prom; i want you to want me is a duet with @nostlgic‘s john bender once again, and she pulls out DONTTRUSTME because it’s a great party song.

SEASON 3

episode 1, the purple piano project:     trouble, p!nk

jordan wanted to do more p!nk and figured this would be a good recruitment song for the glee club, to showcase the different music they do

episode 3, asian f:     fame, irene cara

her audition song for the musical; she’s going for anita and rightfully gets stomped out of the running by santana (I will never stop simping for santana) but she enjoys being one of the shark girls all the same.

episode 7, i kissed a girl:     nineteen, tegan and sara

it’s the gayest song I could think of that would be in jordan’s wheelhouse. I’m doing this for the lesbians.

episode 10, yes/no:     your song, elton john

I know ryder covers this later but once again I do not care. it’s another favorite love song of jordan’s and one she would present to mr. schue for his proposal to emma.

episode 11, michael:     the way you make me feel, michael jackson

michael jackson tribute week? she’s bringing the energy, the vocals, and the dance moves, as she should. also she’s ready to kill sebastian but that’s beside the point.

episode 12, the spanish teacher:     como la flor, selena

yes I am biased but also how the fuck can you do a week dedicated to latin artists and not cover the queen of tejano? enter: jordan. everyone say thank you.

episode 13, heart:     fall to pieces, avril lavigne

love song themed episodes = more favorite love songs from jordan, this one being a more alternative/pop punk one. who doesn’t love old school avril?

episode 16, saturday night glee-ver:     she works hard for the money, donna summer

this isn’t on the saturday night fever album but donna summer is the queen of disco in jordan’s opinion and she, like me, does what she wants.

episode 19, prom-asaurus:     heart of glass, blondie; tell it to my heart, taylor dayne

I might change this/add more but jordan went through an 80s mood that month and just felt like the two above would be solid for prom (and she’s right!).

episode 22, goodbye:     don’t you (forget about me), the simple minds

yes this was covered in later seasons but I do not care it’s iconic and she’s gonna sing this to the seniors come hell or high water.

SEASON 4

episode 2, britney 2.0:     what it’s like to be me, britney spears

another empowering britney song for britney week, take two. pretty much same deal as before.

episode 7, dynamic duets:     SOS, ABBA; you don’t mess around with jim, jim cocre

this episode was superhero themed with the duets and I think both songs fit the theme and are also in jordan’s reach; she probably picks ABBA but that could change.

episode 11, sadie hawkins:     still into you, paramore

once again this is specific to @nostlgic‘s john bender but in general...... such a good love song. I guarantee you if you sing this at your crush they will instantly fall in love with you.

episode 12, naked:     maneater, nelly furtado

truthfully I can’t remember why I thought this would fit into the episode theme but once again, I do what I want and so does jordan.

episode 13, diva:     if i could turn back time, cher

I realize that the network probably couldn’t afford the royalties to cover cher’s music but is that gonna stop me from proclaiming that jordan does exactly that during diva week? of course not.

episode 14, i do:     everywhere, michelle branch

this doesn’t fit the rest of the episode so this is probably gonna change but hey, michelle branch is underrated and I’m doing everyone a favor here.

episode 16, feud:     1, 2 step, ciara ft. missy elliot/disturbia, rihanna

ciara and rihanna had a very brief feud that mostly happened on twitter and was resolved with little drama but since the episode is about doing music/mashups incorporating two artists with beef, this works. and it’ll fucking slap.

episode 17, guilty pleasures:     before he cheats, carrie underwood

did you know jordan actually really loves country music? well, now you do.

episode 19, sweet dreams:     sweet dreams, eurythmics

the assignment was about dreams and jordan decided to slack off that week with the music. she still pulls it off. will schuester is probably still a dick.

episode 20, lights out:     edge of seventeen, stevie nicks

power goes out at mckinley and the glee club is challenged to perform music stripped down and acoustic; could you imagine how hard an acoustic version of edge of seventeen would be? you’re welcome.

episode 21, wonder-ful:     sir duke, stevie wonder

it’s a stevie wonder tribute episode and you best believe jordan’s doing his best (my opinion) song

SEASON 5

episode 1, love, love, love:     it won’t be long, the beatles

beatles tribute episode 1/2; it’s a song they didn’t cover and one she could handle. also it’s just a good song.

episode 2, tina in the sky with diamonds:     can’t buy me love, the beatles

same as above, performed at prom, most likely with help from fellow glee-clubbers. she might even don a suit for the performance. she’s absolutely playing guitar.

episode 7, puppet master:     since u been gone, kelly clarkson

from what I remember, the glee club is just going through ideas of what they could do for a setlist for their next competition and jordan would prepare this banger for consideration

episode 9, frienemies:     cruel summer, bananarama

I honestly can’t remember this episode beyond the rachel/santana stuff but it’s a good song, let her do it

episode 10, trio:     follow me, uncle kracker

see previous

episode 12, 100:     how will i know, whitney houston

the aforementioned song was such a good cover in glee and one of the new directions performances jordan would absolutely want to revisit.

episode 14, new new york:     dancing in the street, martha reeves & the vandellas

I just think this number would be fun to see with jordan exploring the city with her friends in NYC and with literal dancing in the street (because that totally happens in new york without motorists getting pissed)

[clownsgobeepbeep]

Basically the next stuff that happens in my story that’s long dead

I believe that last thing I posted was some memories of Missy and Stripes when they were much much young, and that Stripes in the future timeline comes home to a bloody mess

As it turns out Ace and Ferry’s triplets are missing and surprise, surprise, they have been taken away by Missy. The kids feel somewhat lied to thanks to Missy who convinced them that Ferry and Ace hated her for no reason and prevented her from ever meeting her grandchildren. The one who is mostly attached to her is Bingo, because she has always felt that her spider-like/dark abilities have been repressed and finally she can relate to somebody who is also family.

Missy discreetly threatens Ace and Ferry, saying that she’ll eat up the triplets if they refuse to cooperate. Long story short, Ace has to take her to the D’Vitt mansion because he’s trusted. Once there, Missy rids of him and begins her bullshit since she has grown in power thanks to Risus. In the end, she finds Carol who she ends up kidnapping after badly injuring, in other words, Caroline eventually bleeds out.

With Ferry, who has been forced to stay with the triplets so that she didn’t run off to ask for help, Nalia and Decla visit to help break them all out of the lair. Bingo is very hesitant, but Decla convinces her and it’s emotional and stuff. Ferry takes the kids to safety and talks with the other clowns such as Jelly, warning them more about Missy who already knows she and the triplets are out. 

Back with Ula and Schrader who is somewhat over his existential crisis, they (along with Basil and Flora) go back to their dimension where they are met up with Cantarella.

Honestly, I’m just so tired of this so I’ll just bullshit the deets.

She leads them over to Jelly’s park again where they also see the band boys(everyone else is safe, hurrah). Unfortunately, the guys aren’t being very nice because they’re actually being used as puppets under Risus’ control. Iiiiiit’s fight time. Nobody can help because Risus has literally created a force field that prohibits anyone else from going in or out. Risus is using the boys’ internalized anger and jealousy/envy and using it as fuel to kill Ula and Schrader.

The boys try to beat them up and at one point the twins have Schrader down while Dante is choking Ula(remember that one picture from a long time ago?). However, Ula makes him snap out of it by singing his favorite song that they love to jam to together: Dancing Queen.

Dante snaps out of it, and so he helps break the twins out of it too.

Long story short, the baddies are quite pissy about it and they come out to play. Big fight ensues, oh no.

Basil and Flora help out, but they are weakened more and more thanks to Cantarella who is bringing out Schrader’s self consciousness and doubts, constantly reminding him that he just won’t end up with Ula.

At the same time, Missy is really taking down the kids who can’t do much for themselves while Ula is being chased by the nasty Ryder who has the audacity to make some nasty remarks. In an effort to make things better, Ula finds the chance to give Schrader a passionate kiss that boosts his confidence for just a bit.

With that, Basil and Flora find some strength and push Missy off of themselves. However, Cantarella intervenes and grabs Ula by the hair, dragging her away from everyone to finally kill her.

Cantarella is extremely strong and Ula can’t get out of her hold, so she comes up with only one thing since nobody else can help her: she transforms her arm into a blade and cuts off her own hair.

Cantarella is shook as Ula runs away, finding a spot to hide and conceal her cries of pain before Schrader manages to get away from Ryder and he holds her to help. Unbeknownst to them, Robyn and Rayden pick up the bloodied hair and keep it safe in their hiding spot by freezing it.

More fighting ensues and basically Cantarella’s insults towards Schrader are so bad + she reminds Ula that she’s already got a boyfriend who she has to prove her loyalty to that Flora fades away. Soon enough, Basil follows through, but he does so in Ula’s arms and he clutches her hand, actually smiling through the pain and telling her that no matter her decision, they will always love her.

Goood, that’s so terrible. I’ve ruined Basil.

In an anger, Ula grabs Flora’s basket(which did not disappear) and she calls upon Twoey(who she is told is the plant she has been growing ever since she was 10) and the plant buddy helps out in taking down everyone. Cantarella manages to rip through the vines and such, fighting the entire time. She even manages to land a powerful blow to Schrader’s head, not killing him but instead managing to finally deafen him. She then receives some degradation from Missy. In the process, some things about Ryder are spilled(a.k.a. what he attempted to do to Jelly, killing Ula at a very young age, etc.) and Cantarella finally realizes that maybe her parents aren’t such cool people after all.

Before making the escape of the century, Cantarella helps out a bit and even manages to ward off a very surprised Risus. 

Ryder and Missy are overpowered and have nobody else to help them, but Ryder still has some strength in him to try and attack the pair. However, Ula stands her ground and warmly smiles at him before speaking forgiveness. Ryder laughs at this and lunges once again, but he stops himself when he feels a weird sensation. Everybody sees as Ryder’s body begins to literally crack, light pouring right through before he basically explodes. 

With this explosion of light, Missy is blinded and is crawling her way trying to help herself. However, surprise surprise...Stripes has entered the chat. In an anger, he lands the final blow on Missy(by using Basil’s knife that has yet to disappear ‘cause of reasons...), and Missy is finally killed. 

Going back to Ryder who has technically died, Ula finds the blackened spot with a few lights. She gathers them up, realizing that a few had rolled away to one of the broken down stores selling “Garden Bud” toys. One of the light actually landed on top of one of the dolls, giving Ula an idea.

Timejump to the past(a.k.a. current times), Ula is in the park with her siblings. Davey is taking a nap and Cordelia is playing with her before they’re approached by somebody, and he introduces himself as Rowan. 

Rowan tells her that she might have heard of him because she’s good friends with his brother and sister, Basil and Flora. Ula is excited and basically becomes friends with him, especially as Rowan(while holding back tears, knowing what has happened in the future) says that they both love Ula very much.

Before they can talk anymore, Ula is called and she has to go home. She parts from Rowan who finally lets out his emotions while hiding behind some bushes and trees, but he feels a tap on his shoulder.

He looks up and, to his surprise, he sees Basil. The two share a warm embrace, Basil then leaving a hand on Rowan’s shoulder as they still go about their original plan: it’s now Rowan’s turn to watch over Ula, especially with a certain creep lurking around...

Any questions???

I literally just bullshitted that and probably forgot to include some parts, so ask if you’re confused. This story is shit, I know.

[surveys-at-your-service]

Survey #295

i’m not listening to music so am blanking on lyrics to put here lol

Who’s your favorite rapper? And your favorite song by this rapper? Eminem. "Cinderella Man" is probably my favorite, or "Space Bound." How about your favorite band? And your favorite song by this band? Ozzy Osbourne, if I had to pick solely one. God, picking a favorite song, though... idk, maybe "Trap Door," but it's almost impossible for me to decide. Have you ever had the cops called on you? For what? No. Would you rather be home alone, or have people with you? Why? I'd rather have people home, but alone in my room. I just feel less lonely. Have you ever dropped a class in school? Which class, and why did it suck? I dropped some class in college that I can't remember the name of... I completely misjudged what it would be like. I had absolutely zero interest. I feel like I've dropped another, too? Have you ever taken someone back, who ended up just hurting you again? No. Do you have a little sister? What’s her name? Nicole. What was the last thing you printed? Is there even ink in your printer? Something for school, I'm sure. Do you remember the first time you ever drove a car? Who were you with? Yeah, my driving instructor in HS. Have you ever been in handcuffs? Why, exactly? Yeah, to be transported from the ER to psych hospitals, as well as handcuffs among other restraints when going to court to explain why I was eligible for an earlier discharge from the hospital. That's one of the scariest experiences of my life, feeling like a bound lunatic. Have you ever had to be put to sleep at a hospital? Why? Yeah, for two surgeries. Do you actually have a calendar on your wall? What are the pictures of? I have two old meerkat ones that are just for decoration. Have you ever been on a cruise? How many? Where did they go? No. Do you have a favorite author? No. Does your significant other boss you around a lot? I don't have one, but I wouldn't tolerate that shit. Do you know anyone who has overdosed? Me, but I obviously lived. I think I've loosely or distantly known people who weren't so lucky. Are you a fan of PDA (public displays of affection)? As long as it's not too intense, I think it's sweet. It's beautiful to see love expressed. When was the last time you went bowling? A few years ago for Girt and my first date. Do you personally know anyone who is transgender? I do. Have you ever written anything longer than 10 pages? Yes, for school essays. I think my longest was about toxic masculinity. I'm actually really proud of it; I think my instructor used it as an example for her next semester's students, given that I was notified of an influx of views on it. Do you have any names picked out for your future children? What are they? Hypothetically speaking, if I had a daughter, Alessandra is her name, period, lol. I would like to name my never-happening son Damien, but I'd be more open to suggestions from my partner. Have you ever been given a lapdance by an actual stripper? Oh yikes, no thank you. Do you have/want any piercings? I have a good number and seriously want more. What side of the bed do you sleep on? More towards the left. Who is the last person you told a secret to? Nicole, about Misty coming down here for a visit. Have you ever been on an island? Yes, just off the NC coast during a 4th grade school vacation. It was amazing and even had wild horses. What's your favorite job you've ever had? I guess GameStop was the best, since I was actually interested in what I worked with. Do you have any vacations planned? No. Do you enjoy getting manicures/pedicures? How often do you get them? I mean it's nice I guess, but it's not something I'd spend money on. Have you yelled at anyone today, and why? No. Do you own anything with your state or providence's name on it? No. Do you like the Paranormal Activity movies? Yeah. Paranormal is my favorite subgenre of horror. What's your favorite way to eat peanut butter? On waffles, haha. Do you like bows? Yeah, they're cute. Have you ever made a 'haul' YouTube video? No. Has a boyfriend ever made you breakfast? Yeah, that was quite ordinary with Jason since his original intention was to be a chef. What do you gather your change in? My wallet. Do you like to play Angry Birds? I never have. The movie was cute, tho. Do you like Cheez-Its? Oh GOD. I looooove Cheez-Its and they need to be kept away from me to avoid bingeing on them. Have you ever been pulled aside for a random bag search at an airport? I don't think so, no. What’s your favorite flavor of Jell-O? Watermelon, I think? Or strawberry? Do you have any games on your computer? Which ones? On my personal laptop, I have World of Warcraft, Alien: Isolation, Resident Evil 6, and both Amnesia games. I think that's it. What's a musical instrument you think sounds really beautiful? Violins. Do you have a favorite type of pasta? (like a shape of noodles, not dish) I'm not particular about this, really. What's the coolest natural event you've ever witnessed? Maybe the blood moon. Are there any waterfalls near where you live? No, just dams. Do you personally know anyone who is an author? I know people who have had smaller works published, but calling them an "author" feels odd since it's not their actual career or anything. Is that rude? Do you own a polaroid camera? No, but that'd be cool. Do you think you’ll ever end up in rehab? No. Who’s your favorite Kardashian sister? I don't have an opinion. Is there someone you absolutely cannot stand but have to tolerate? My sister's husband. "Absolutely cannot stand" might be a bit strong, but... Do you want to go to pregnancy classes? If I was to ever be pregnant, no. My mom would be able to answer all things related to this, haha. Do you ever cringe at the thought of living in a disgusting house? Yes. What color are your bathroom towels? We have a variety. How often do you let cleavage show? I'm not very revealing, but I'm also not self-conscious of allowing some. Does vintage stuff appeal to you? Yes! Where do you want to go? I'd love to visit Sara again, but not so long as Covid hangs around. Have you ever had feelings for two people at the same time? Something like that with Jason and Juan before I chose Jason. I don't even really know if I like-liked Juan versus just being flattered by him. Would you ever throw out or give away something an ex gave you? I mean, what's the item in question? And are we on good terms (not that that would always matter)? What's the biggest annoyance in your life right now? Right now, Covid. I know, surprising I didn't say "not having a job," but so long Covid is an issue, I don't think I would be comfortable having one. I can't bring that shit home to my weak mother. Who do you feel most comfortable talking to about anything? Mom. What do you want right this second? To actually be skinny again. It's hard to believe in my teens I thought I wasn't. Are you one of those people who never drinks soda? I'm actually quite the opposite... It's sad, I know I'd have less trouble losing weight if I could just stop drinking it regularly. Have you ever been afraid to get up and go to the bathroom? ... No...? Have you ever paid for any kind of online membership? I don't believe so, no. Who’d you last see in a tux? Hm. Probably when I shot a wedding. Out of everyone you know, who has the most heart? Uhhhh I dunno. Who’s the bravest person you know? Probably my mom. Who would you want to have your back if things got tough? Again, my mother. Have you ever dated someone who was really sporty? Nah. Are you any good at writing? I think so. What’s your favorite form of writing? I don't know if it counts as a "form" as much as it is a subject, but RP. Writing with characters you yourself have created and actually engaging with other's inventions is very fun. Have you ever done something terrible, but took forever to feel bad? Yes, over things I'd said to Jason following the breakup. It literally took years because I was so convinced it was all justified. What did you dream about last night? I don't remember. Sure feels great though that my nightmares are chilling out. What profession do you admire the most? That's tough, but probably those that put their lives on the line for others, like firefighters. I also have massive respect for people like doctors, given all the time and work they put into their education to become one and help others. Have you ever made a fake profile, for any reason? No. Have you ever questioned your sexuality? Well, seeing as I was an initial homophobe that eventually realized I was bisexualllll... Do you have a garden at your house? No. Do you like making puppet figures with your shadow? When I was a kid, sure. Have you ever played strip poker or would you ever? No, but I won't say absolutely never if I was just with my s/o. It's not something I'm actually interested in doing, though. Would you date someone who didn’t want to have sex until they were married? Yep. Would you date someone who went to church on a regular basis? To be totally honest, I don't know if me and a person that actively religious would work out, but I'd try it, ig. What is your favorite curse word? I say "fuck" way too much lmao. It's an intense word and I'm a passionate person, lol. What movie do you know just about every line from? None. Do you prefer cupcakes or muffins? Cupcakes. What are the three “nevers” of your life? To name just a few that I'm absolutely certain about, I'd never do hard drugs, commit murder (unless in self-defense, but is that even "murder?"), or abuse somebody. Last board game you played? I think it was "Sorry!" when I was babysitting Ryder. Last card game you played? Christ, Uno. My niece went through a phase of like obsessively playing it with me because I would let her win. Last thing you got for free? Christmas gifts. How long have you been tattooed? If you’re not, do you want to get tattooed? I got my first tat the day I turned 18. Last baby shower? My sister's last year. Last wedding? A repeat photography client's. Her family is lovely. Last funeral? I don't think I've been to a funeral (not wake) since I was maybe a preteen and my childhood babysitter died... It's sad that I didn't go to my grandmother's, but I didn't really have that choice. What is your band’s name? Or fantasy band ;)? Haha, my Rock Band one was "Bullets and Butterflies." How many different strip clubs have you been to? None. Do you have any nieces/nephews? Technically a lot, but only three are regular parts of my life. How many cars have you ever owned? Me personally, none. Can you do math in your head well? ABSOLUTELY not. Who is your favorite Star Wars character? I only care about the Ewoks ok. I'm not a fan of the franchise. Have you ever been to a bachelor/bachelorette party? No. Have you ever bailed anyone out of jail? No. Have you ever given someone a fake phone number? No. Do you have any bumper stickers on your car? N/A Have you ever gone golfing? Only mini-golfing as a kid. Well, and on an anniversary date with Jason. Actual golfing doesn't interest me. If you became famous for something, what would it be? To be entirely realistic versus idealistic, probably something I wrote. How many friends do you have that are married? A whole lot. Do you still have your wisdom teeth? Yes. When you were a kid, were you ever afraid of cooties? No, it was just a playful joke. Do you ever go Christmas caroling in December? No. Do you like mango? Mango flavored stuff, oh yes. I don't like actual mangos; they're too mushy. What was the last thing you got falsely accused of? I don't know. Have you ever been kicked out of a store? No. What does caffeine do to you? Nothing, really. I think I'm too accustomed to it being in my system. Would other people describe you as creative? Very. Would you rather paint or carve a pumpkin? Hm, maybe paint. Names of best friends you've had: Brianna, Kimberly, Jenna, Megan, Mini, Sara... I don't remember them all. Were you one of the smartest in your class? Through most of my school experience, yes. Will you let your kids have a YouTube channel, do you think? If I wanted kids, it would depend on their age and what they were making. Have you ever owned a designer purse? No. Do you like the taste of Tums? Taste, yes. Chalky texture, fuck no. I like the chewy ones, though. Are you currently learning a new language? No. What culture are you most interested in learning about? Maybe Indian? Do you own anything skull print? Oh, loads of stuff. Who are the three people you consider yourself closest to? Mom, Sara, and uh... Dad. Do you like crackers with your soup? Soggy crackers are gross. I don't really like soup, anyway. Which ex of yours means the most to you? Sara. What is something that never fails to make you feel accomplished? Cleaning. Do wooded areas freak you out in the evening or night? No, I love 'em. Have you ever ridden on the back of a motorcycle? No, I'm not comfortable with the idea of riding one. Do you iron any of your clothes? No. Do you think long, straight hair is pretty? Yes, if it's healthy. Do you have a fireplace in your home? Yes. Did you have a class pet in grade school? No. Have you ever owned an aquarium? No. Do you prefer mints or gum? I'd say gum. Popsicles or fudgesicles? Ohhh, fudgesicles. What is your favorite flavor of hot pockets? I only even moderately enjoy the ham and cheese ones. Do you like apple juice? Yeah, but there's definitely better juices.

[love-of-fandoms]

Don’t Tell Ryder; IV: New Pet Mom

Chapter 4 of Don’t Tell Ryder (Master List)

Pairing: Evfra de Tershaav + OC

Words: 2751

After leaving Jaal in the tech lab, Cassiel went to set everything up for Mr. Tumnus.

“Oh god, I hope they can be litter trained,” she muttered as she grabbed a box from the Nomad’s bay. Her hands went to her hips as she thought about what she could use for litter, eventually grabbing some soil that hadn’t yet been moved into the plant lab. “I’ll pick up something next time we stop,” she grumbled as she dragged the box and huge bag of soil to her and Colin’s shared quarters. Mr. Tumnus was just zigzagging in front of her, tail excitedly wagging as the doors to the Pathfinder quarters opened.

“Yep, this is it!” Cassiel said, and Mr. Tumnus went immediately to her bed and jumped up on it. Cassiel giggled as he snuggled into the blankets. “Does that smell like me?” she asked, pointlessly. The flanjaak just blinked up at her as he rubbed his back against the bed. Cassiel giggled and quickly poured some of the soil into the box so there was a thin layer on the bottom. 

After everything was set up, Cassiel flopped on her bed next to Mr. Tumnus, who whimpered as he snuggled into her stomach.

“What’s the matter baby?” she asked, knowing he couldn’t verbally answer. The flanjaak simply looked up at her, his beautiful galaxy eyes widening slightly. “Are you hungry?” she asked, sitting up before freezing. “What do you even eat?” she paused, thinking for a minute, before realizing this might be a big problem. “Shit!” Cassiel booked it to the tech lab, quickly gesturing for Mr. Tumnus to stay, not that he made any move to get up, he simply closed his eyes and took a nap. 

Cassiel didn’t even think to knock as she burst into the tech lab.

“Jaal!” she yelled, and the purple angara startled, dropping something. “Shit! Sorry,” Cassiel frantically dove to catch it and thrust it back into his hands. “Do you know what flanjaak’s eat?” she asked quickly, and Jaal blinked at her in shock for a second.

“Are you even breathing?” he asked finally, and Cassiel blinked at him, deliberately taking a breath after realizing that she hadn’t taken a breath since she came into the tech lab.

“Yes, but food?” she got out, and Jaal thought for a second.

“I’m not actually sure,” Cassiel groaned at that answer.

“Evfra seemed to know stuff, right? Can I have his message info?” she asked, and Jaal nodded, pulling up his tool and chuckling as he gave her the information. 

“Thank you, bye!” Cassiel rushed, and as quickly as she stormed in, she was gone. Jaal just sighed, laughing slightly as he went back to cleaning his rifle, which he didn’t think Cassiel even noticed was the object she caught and handed him.

As Cassiel walked through the Nomad bay to the lift, she quickly typed out a message to send to the Resistance general.

From: Cassiel Ryder

Subject: MR. TUMNUS NEEDS FOOD

MR. TUMNUS IS WHIMPERING AND I THINK HE’S HUNGRY AND I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT TO FEED HIM PLEASE HELP!!!

-A Concerned Pet Owner

It occurred to her only after she hit send that perhaps that wasn’t the most professional message to send, and not very wise to send to someone who she had only spoken to for maybe 5 minutes. She cringed, not really noticing the doors next to her sliding open until Lexi’s angry voice spoke up.

“CASSIEL MIRA RYDER!” they screamed, and Cassiel slowly turned with a nervous smile.

“What’s up Lexi?” she asked, shoulders hunched as she prepared for the tongue lashing she probably deserved, though she wasn’t sure what she had done this time.

“You brought an animal on board without me scanning it?!” Lexi shouted, glare steely as Cassiel flinched at their volume.

“I forgot?” she said, though it sounded more like a question with the anxious raise in pitch of her voice. Lexi was not appeased by this statement by any means. She grabbed Cassiel’s arm and dragged her to the Pathfinder quarters, knowing that was where the animal would be.

“You forgot?” she demanded, and Cassiel quickly went to rouse Mr. Tumnus.

“Well, yes,” she muttered, smiling gently at the flanjaak as he woke up. “But look at that face!” she gushed, turning his head so he could give his adorable Andromeda Puppy Dog Eyes™ to Lexi. The asari doctor sighed and raised their tool, scanning him quickly.

“Yes, adorable, what is it called?” they asked, monotone, conveying their lack of amusement of this situation. Their tool pinged, showing Lexi that Mr. Tumnus was not carrying anything harmful.

“Mr. Tumnus,” Cassiel answered, and Lexi sighed.

“I mean its species,” they clarified, and Cassiel giggled.

“Oh, he’s a flanjaak,” she said, and Lexi nodded.

“He’s safe, but I don’t want anything like this happening again,” they pointed a finger in Cassiel’s face, and the human nodded.

“Of course, Lexi,” she confirmed, and the asari just sighed.

“I’ll also need to meet this Jaal,” they said, and Cassiel nodded.

“Sure, I’ll bring him to medbay after I give him a tour,” she said, and Lexi nodded as they left. 

Around 10 minutes after the ship’s doctor left, Cassiel’s omnitool pinged, and the woman quickly opened the message, sighing in relief when she saw it was Evfra.

To: Cassiel Ryder

From: Evfra de Tershaav

Re: MR. TUMNUS NEEDS FOOD

I’m assuming this Mr. Tumnus is the flanjaak? What kind of name is that? 

Flanjaaks can eat almost anything without getting sick. Whether or not they’ll like it is a different thing entirely… they all have different tastes. The best course of action is to feed him small amounts of different things to find what he likes.

-Evfra de Tershaav, An Annoyed Resistance General

Cassiel giggled at the way he signed it, kind of a copy of how she signed her original message. Perhaps he had a sense of humor? Cassiel nudged Mr. Tumnus up, walking to the kitchen and rereading Evfra’s message. Flanjaaks were apparently just Andromedan goats, eating anything. At least Mr. Tumnus hadn’t started eating the ship yet. Mr. Tumnus sat next to the table as she opened different cabinets, looking for extra ration packets. Unable to find anything, Cassiel pondered for a moment.

“Drack!” she shouted, and giggled as she heard a thud before the Krogan came bursting into the kitchen.

“What?” he asked, panting slightly, obviously thinking there had been some sort of emergency.

“Where are the extra ration packets?” she asked with a pout, pointing to the empty cabinet where they were supposed to be, and Drack laughed a bit.

“Getting hungry, squirt?” he asked, and Cassiel’s pout deepened.

“It’s not for me!” she whined, pointing at her new pet. “It’s for Mr. Tumnus,” Drack just chuckled, reaching on top of the cabinets where none of the human crew could reach and pulling a couple packets down.

“Why were they up there?” she asked as Drack handed them to her.

“Liam kept sneaking them,” he said, and Cassiel giggled.

“Thanks grumpy Grandpa!” she said, giving him a quick hug and then jumping out of range, rushing out before Drack could react.

“You’re lucky you’re cute, otherwise I would’ve spaced you a long time ago,” he called after her, and Cassiel shook her head, amused as she returned to the Pathfinder quarters with Mr. Tumnus in tow. As she ripped open one of the packets and set the contents down in front of Mr. Tumnus, SAM’s voice rang through the quarters.

“Cassiel, Jaal ama Darav is looking for you,” he said, and Cassiel nodded.

“Okay, send him down please,” she said as Mr. Tumnus sniffed the rations before turning his head away with a flinch. “Okay, not that one then,” she said, opening the next one only to get the same reaction. The doors opened just as Mr. Tumnus was beginning to munch on the third rations packet, Cassiel letting out a sigh of relief as she quickly looked at which ration it was, taking a mental note so she could be sure to order extra for her new pet the next time they restocked the kitchen.

“Ready for your tour?” she asked as she turned to Jaal, who had stopped just at the threshold to the room. The purple angara nodded and Cassiel gestured to the Pathfinder quarters. “So these are the Pathfinder quarters, which Colin and I share, however the crew often spends downtime in here with us,” she said. “You’re welcome to as well, but don’t feel pressured to, we want you to be comfortable, and if relaxing with the crew does that, great! But if not, don’t bother,” she chuckled, leading him to the galley as Jaal said nothing, just nodded curtly.

“This is the galley, I noticed there was a crate of nutrient paste you brought?” Jaal nodded again. “If they need to be refrigerated or anything, here’s the spot, we eat meals communally usually, or at least when we remember…” Cassiel scratched the back of her neck with an awkward laugh. “We have a rotating schedule of who cooks, some of the crew are more capable cooking than others, so sometimes we all just grab nutrient bars or rations packets,” she grimaced as she remembered the last time that had happened, a couple days ago when Liam  and Gil decided to team up and almost ended up burning their clothing off. Cassiel exited the galley with Jaal following behind her.

“So you already saw the crews quarters, that’s the medbay,” she pointed to their left. “I’ll take you there last so Lexi, our ship’s doctor, can meet you,” she explained as Jaal tilted his head in curiosity, answering his silent question of why they weren’t going in.

“So this space is the Nomad bay, our ground vehicle,” she said when Jaal just gave her a blank face at the term “Nomad”. “And over here,” she led him to the right. “Is the space Liam has commandeered as his own,” the door opened and Liam waved at them from his (disgusting) couch, a beer in his hand.

“Cass, Jaal,” he greeted, and the pair nodded back.

“Hey Liam, just showing Jaal around,” she said by way of explanation, and Liam stood with a nod, setting his beer down on the coffee table.

“I’m Liam Kosta,” he introduced, sticking his hand out to shake the angara’s hand. Jaal simply stared at the gesture, confused. “Oh, human greeting, a handshake,” he explained, demonstrating with Cassiel before turning back to Jaal. The angara awkwardly took his hand and shook it before pulling away quickly. “Lookin’ forward to working with you, new guy,” he said, and Cassiel rolled her eyes as she left, gently nudging Jaal so he would follow.

“See ya,” she bade the brit goodbye as she brought Jaal over to Vetra’s space.

“This is where Vetra spends most of her time,” she said as the door opened, but it appeared that the turian wasn’t there. “She’s pretty cool, gets us whatever we need,” she explained as she pressed the call button for the lift. “She was a smuggler before Andromeda,” the lift came and Cassiel hopped on, Jaal stumbling a little when it rose. Cassiel held out a hand, not touching him, but there to steady him if he needed it.

“You alright?” she asked, and Jaal nodded.

“Angaran ships are not this… smooth,” he explained. “For take off and landing we always need to be strapped in, and even once we’re coasting we must always be aware,” Cassiel tilted her head.

“A lot of Initiative ships are like that too, in fact Kallo, our pilot, he’s the one who came up with this gyro-something system…” she trailed off. “I can’t remember what it’s called and I couldn’t explain it to you if I tried, but I’m sure I could help the Initiative science officers figure out some sort of information sharing thing?” she paused in thought, telling herself to write Kesh about it later.  The lift stopped, and Cassiel moved on with Jaal behind her.

“That’s where our engine core is, Gil tends to hide away in there, he’s our engineer,” she explained, not bothering to go in, just waving to Gil through the window. He didn’t even notice, as he was hunched over one of the panels fiddling with something. They went back to the main area of the Tempest, and Cassiel gestured around.

“This is our research station, you know the tech lab, obviously, that’s the plant lab, and up there is the vid con space where we had our meeting earlier,” she pointed to each location as she said its name, continuing on over the glass pathway, excited to show Jaal the bridge.

“Are we not going in the plant lab?” Jaal asked, and Cassiel flinched.

“Uh… no, that’s where Lieutenant Harper spends her time, and I don’t want to step on her toes anymore today,” she said, laughing nervously. Jaal gave her a nod.

“I will endeavor to not need to go in there, then,” he said resolutely, and Cassiel flinched again, eyes widening.

“You know, it’s not that she’s a bad person!” she rushed to remedy his outlook on Cora. “You shouldn’t form your opinion of her based on how she treats me,” she said, and Jaal shook his head.

“Her hostility would only serve as added tension,” he said, and Cassiel shrugged her shoulders slightly with a nod, unable to deny that Cora was really hostile to him on their first meeting.

“I can see why they sent you for first contact,” Jaal said with a slight smile, and Cassiel looked over at him in happy shock, the doors to the bridge sliding open.

“Jaal ama Darav, did you just make a joke?” she giggled, and the angara shrugged.

“Did I?” he smirked back at her, and the human shook her head.

“Anyways,” she raised her voice a bit to get them back on track. “This is the bridge! Kallo Jath over there is our pilot, a genius even for Salarian standards,” said pilot coughed, a dark purple hue coming to his cheeks. “You know it’s true Kallo, hush,” she chuckled as he simply “hmphed” and went back to piloting. “Over there is Dr. Suvi Anwar, our science officer, and general morale booster,” she threw an arm around the redheads shoulders, and the woman turned to greet their new crew member.

“Hello Jaal,” she greeted in her ever pleasant brogue. “Don’t listen to Cass, keeping everyone sane is her job,” that earned her a smack on the shoulder. Jaal smiled slightly at the woman as she sent a glare up to Cassiel. Turning, Cassiel led him back towards the doors. 

“That’s the escape pod, which Peebee has commandeered as her space, and that should be pretty telling,” she giggled. Peebee’s muffled voice came from the other side of the door Cassiel had gestured to.

“I heard that!”

“Am I wrong?” Cassiel shot back, and silence followed. “That’s what I thought,” they turned to the door opposite the escape pod.

“This is the loadout room, where teams usually get ready for missions,” she explained, sighing at the mess she saw. “Vetra likes to play with mods, so I’m assuming that’s why there are so many different pieces of guns and scopes and everything on the floor,” she said, and Jaal chuckled.

“I can identify with that,” he said, and Cassiel nodded. She led him back to the tech lab, giggling a bit when he jumped because of the lights dimming.

“What is that?” he asked. “Are we under attack?”

“No no, don’t worry,” Cassiel soothed, putting her arms up in a placating gesture. “It’s the Tempest simulating nighttime,” she explained, and Jaal nodded after a tense pause.

“Oh,”

“Goodnight Jaal,” Cassiel said, heading back to the Pathfinder quarters where she had left Mr. Tumnus.

“Goodnight,” he said back, and Cassiel shot him a smile over her shoulder.

“Now then!” she said as she walked into the quarters, and the newly adopted flanjaak looked happily up at her as he finished off the ration packet. “Litter training!” she moved Mr. Tumnus over to the litter box, prompting him to step in.

Eventually, after Colin had come in and the siblings had gotten ready for bed, Mr. Tumnus crawled up onto Cassiel’s bed once more.

“Night,” Cassiel said, her brother echoing her, and the human woman snuggled into the flanjaak as she drifted off.

Next Chapter

[theseerasures]

A choked-off scream jerks Kristoff awake. (11)

original fic here; go here if you’re wondering what’s up with the whole sydani business.

He’s not exactly sure what jolts him awake in the middle of the night, so Kristoff just lets the heavy lull of sleep wash over him again while half-heartedly trying to feel out what’s going on. He’d heard…something…

The room feels weirdly cold, so he tucks himself deeper into the nest of blankets, bumping into something warm and solid. Anna, his sluggish mind informs him, shortly before Anna helpfully confirms that guess by letting out a loud snort and smacking him right across his chest.

That at least gets him to open his eyes. Anna’s a lump of bed hair and drool next to him, but there’s someone else in the room–sitting hunched at the edge of the bed.

Kristoff squints in the darkness. “Elsa?”

Pieces of the night before start filtering in. Right. Elsa had come over to visit. Anna had said “Family sleepover!” Kristoff had said “What?”

And now here they all are. “Elsa?” he whispers again.

“I’m fine,” Elsa says. Her breathing’s coming out in visible puffs in the sudden chill, and Kristoff hears it stutter slightly before going back to being purposefully, painfully even.

“You sure?” His eyes flicker down to Anna’s sleeping form. “Should I–”

“No,” Elsa replies at once. Her hand flies up–to stop him from shaking Anna awake, Kristoff thinks–but it just ends up colliding into his palm.

She’s freezing; his fingers automatically close around hers in a loose clasp. “Okay,” he agrees quietly.

Elsa stares down at their hands before letting them drop bonelessly onto the mattress, like the prospect of either holding on or letting go exhausts her. “Let her sleep,” she repeats, her voice cracking halfway through.

Kristoff doesn’t reply. He tightens his grip, squeezes hard enough to hurt, willing the warm life in his hand to pass into hers.

Eventually, the room heats back up, and he gets small squeeze in return. “Thanks.”

“Anytime,” he promises. Means it, too. She’d do the same for him; has done plenty of times already.

He settles back into the covers, but Elsa doesn’t move. After a while she clears her throat. “I think I’ll get some air. Just…a quick walk on the grounds.”

“Huh?” His head got sleep-muddled again as soon as it hit the pillow. “Oh–sure, yeah. I can–”

“Kristoff, it’s okay,” She stops him before he can untangle himself out of bed, “I’ll be alright on my own–you should go back to sleep.”

“But I–” A huge yawn cracks his jaw before he can finish. Elsa cocks an eyebrow at him. She looks…almost back to normal. “Are you sure?” He asks anyway.

“I’m sure.” She pats his shoulder, and is out the bed and through the door before he can argue further.

–

He wakes up hours later with a sharp pant.

The sun hasn’t hit the bed yet; it must be still pretty early in the morning. Anna’s completely starfished out, asleep, but Elsa’s nowhere to be found.

Kristoff gets up, letting a muffled grumble escape as he scrubs his face with his hands. Some things never change, alright–like certain people’s tendency to decide they’re done sleeping as soon as they wake up, even if they wake up in the middle of the night.

He means to check in Anna’s office, or maybe the library, but finds himself wandering out of the castle altogether and making for the stables. Elsa said she was going for a walk, right? Maybe she stayed out.

Sven’s still asleep too, but pokes his muzzle into Kristoff’s hand anyway when he meanders in. “Hey, buddy,” Kristoff says, happy to oblige with a few scratches.

Instead of waking Sven up fully, though, he just ends up sitting down on the floor. Sven cracks an eye open at this, letting out a soft, questioning bark.

“I’m okay,” he answers quickly. “Just…getting some thoughts together.”

His fingers start idly running over Sven’s coarse pelt–smoothing out matted, tangled parts, pulling out burs, bits of dirt. It’s been a long, hard year for them, but when hasn’t that been true? They’ve been through a lot together, him and Sven.

Something in stomach twists slightly, but he shoves it aside. Anna’s gonna be upset if Elsa misses breakfast just because she lost track of time, so he really should get up, get going and look for her.

“I was having a great dream,” a drowsy voice drifts in through the stable doors, “It was warm, and sunny, and I got to stay in bed past noon for once, and my family and I, we just hung out, because it was the weekend.”

“That does sound pretty awesome,” Kristoff agrees, feeling his lips tug up, just a little bit.

“I know, right?” The door swings open to reveal a yawning Anna. “Then I woke up and remembered: oh yeah! My family is filled with obnoxious workaholic early-riser types.”

“Hey, don’t look at me,” Kristoff replies as she drops down unceremoniously next to him on the floor. “Elsa got up first. She had a…it was still dark.”

“Huh,” Anna says, staying where she is.

That makes him frown. “You don’t wanna go look for her?”

It takes awhile for her to answer. “You know what I wonder sometimes?” she says finally, “Who takes care of Elsa when she has a nightmare in the Forest?”

He looks down at her; she looks serious about the question. “I guess it could be…Honeymaren, or Yelana, or Ryder…”

“Maybe the Spirits, too,” Anna agrees, “But it must have taken some adjusting, right? She probably had to do it herself, at least for a while. Maybe she still does.”

“And that’s…okay now?” He’s starting to feel a little lost in all this. “You think Elsa–”

“I think Elsa’s gonna come back when she’s done working through whatever she needs to work through, and if she just left without saying goodbye I’ll murder her myself,” Anna says. Then she frowns slightly. “Besides, she has a magic horse that takes her anywhere she wants now. It’s not like I can catch up with her even if I want to.”

He studies her for a moment, then throws an arm around her shoulders. “Nah. I bet you still could.”

Anna smiles at him before cuddling into his chest. “So what about you?”

“What about me?” He starts a little at the tone of his voice–like he’s bitter.

Anna doesn’t seem to notice. “You getting up freakishly early is normal, but you’re usually doing stuff instead of moping around in the stables. Wanna tell me what that’s about, sydani?”

She says that last word like she’s proud of it. “What?”

“Sydani,” Anna repeats, “You know, like heart? You call me that sometimes when I wake up from my nightmares. I figured it was a word from when you were little.”

Her head tilts up, searching his face anxiously now. “Did I say it wrong? The old dictionary in our library wasn’t super clear about the pronunciation–”

“No, you said it right,” Kristoff says, “Or, well–I don’t know.”

He stares blankly ahead. Sven’s snoring again. Sydani. He thinks he does remember hearing it, some place warm and small with voices that sound like songs.

“I didn’t know,” he continues finally, feeling that something twist in his stomach again, “What it meant.”

Anna’s quiet for a second; then she tucks her head down again and starts playing with the calluses on his hands. “Did you have a dream about them? Your birth family.”

Kristoff shrugs, letting a little sliver of the something expand, just a little. “I don’t remember. So…probably.”

A soft huff of air hits his chest as Anna breathes out. “We could try finding them, you know.”

“You’d do that?” He asks, startled.

“Kristoff.”

Yeah, okay–he probably deserves that eye roll. “Right.”

She nods firmly. “We can take the others, too. Or not! It’s your call. It can also be just us, with the finding-stuff-out, and the danger–there’ll probably be danger. It can be like a husband-and-wife fact-finding mission! Unless you wanna go before the wedding? The timing’s a little tighter there, but I bet I can make it work.”

Her energy for the idea is infectious, but the something digs harder into Kristoff again, makes him look away. “I’m not even sure if I wanna know, to be honest.”

He has this now. This, and the Trolls since always, and Sven since before that. Does it even matter that there was a him, even before before? Or that he doesn’t really remember how and when that him ended? Maybe he just got lost one day and they never found him. Or maybe they left him behind–because they had to, or because they just didn’t…

The something lodges itself in his throat now. He stares down hard at the top of Anna’s head, willing it to go away. Why should it matter whether he was left behind or did the leaving? He’s seen enough these past years to know how deeply either one can hurt. What will knowing for sure give him, anyway? It won’t bring them back; he’s not dumb enough to think otherwise.

“That’s okay, too,” Anna says after he’s been quiet for a while. She squeezes his hand. “We get a whole life to figure it out.”

He feels the something ease up when he squeezes back. “That’s the plan.”

They probably look goofy, just smiling at each other on the stable floor, but whatever–it’s nice.

Then something in the rafters squeaks. “What?”

But Anna just rolls her eyes again. “Elsa,” she calls out, “If you sent Bruni up there so he can jump down on my head, I swear…”

The menacing trail-off apparently works, because a few seconds later the door swings open. “I didn’t,” Elsa says, unconvincingly, as Bruni jumps down on Anna’s shoulder instead.

“Uh huh,” Anna replies skeptically, but she gives Bruni a little pat and kicks her feet into Elsa’s lap when Elsa sits next to them.

“Good walk?” Kristoff asks.

Her smile looks a little careworn, but it’s real. “Good. Good talk?”

“Good,” Anna answers for him. He nods, then tilts his head back so it can rest against the stall. The low light of the stable is making him sleepy again, and he’s pretty sure he’s not the only one; Anna’s practically horizontal now. Sven’s still snoring away, everything’s nice and warm…

Elsa’s stomach lets out a long, aggressive growl. “Sorry,” she says sheepishly as they both blink up at her. “Maybe we should…head back to the castle instead of bonding in a dirty, foodless shack?”

“Sven would share a carrot with you if you asked,” Kristoff teases, but he’s getting up already, and pulling Anna along with him.

The sun’s pretty high up when they head outside, and there’s not a cloud in the sky. A gorgeous day. “Looks like your dream might come true after all,” he says to Anna.

“Hm,” she says neutrally, and then starts to whistle.

It’s a pretty tune, if a little eerie-sounding, and it makes Elsa stop in her tracks. “Anna,” she says, eyes narrowing in suspicion. “What are you–”

Kristoff’s pretty sure he hears a flutey chime in the breeze–almost like laughter–before a pile of mud flings itself from nowhere into her face.

“Ha!” Anna gloats, “I knew it–your ice dresses can totally get dirty.”

“That was something you wanted to know?” Kristoff asks, nonplussed.

Anna opens her mouth to answer, but they’re both distracted as Elsa slowly reaches up to wipe the mud from her eyes. Then, without a word, she waves her hand, siphoning the filth from her dress and folding them into a snowball that grows, and grows, and grows, until it’s bigger than most people.

“Wow!” Kristoff says.

“Oh, no,” Anna says.

She grabs his hand and starts to run.

[embarrassingsmartphonegame]

Anything (Chapter 5) - Nik Ryder x f!MC

Summary: After surviving an attempt on her life, she discovers there are worse fates than dying. And they’re all ice cold.

Warnings for this chapter: gun violence, swear words, and some fluff

Links to previous chapters: one // two // three // four

True to her word, Leah returned to Nik’s apartment a few hours later with more sleep under her belt than in the past three months. She smiled shyly as she walked into his apartment and noticed that he shaved his beard to his old neat stubble, and her stomach did a funny flip as he led her to his car. The two made disjointed small talk coupled with long bouts of silence; it was as if the events of the previous night hadn’t happened now that it was daylight and the two were more awake, more sober. And neither wanted to admit that they were surprised by the turn of events. 

Leah still tried to wrap her head around the fact that not only did Nik not hate her after she suddenly left, but he was also willing to go with her to Lamrian on her wild goose chase to find herself. And Nik was still wary it was all a dream or a trick and that she wasn’t actually there with him, that he truly had lost her like he lost everyone else in his life. Both stole sneaky glances at the other as they drove Nik’s car and walked through the woods and eventually towards the vast, open fields to the cathedral guarding Lamrian quietly, still keeping a careful distance from each other.

“Soooo…” Leah began, keeping her eyes trained forward. “Anything weird happen at the Graveyard Shift while I was gone?”

“I mean...it’s always weird in this city,” Nik replied, his eyes also trained forward. “But Garrus and Krom are still going strong. Never seen either of ‘em that happy; it’s kinda cute but kinda gross.”

“Aww, that’s so great! They deserve each other!” Leah remembered that night she and Ivy convinced Krom to make a move since it was so painfully obvious they liked each other. “Is Ivy still making you hunt ghosts for her services?”

“Strangely enough, she hasn’t been accepting any requests lately,” Nik chuckled, shaking his head as he recalled the time Leah tagged along to hunt a ghost for Ivy. “I think she’s been busy with some research. Something about her New York vampire Internet friend’s friend dying and then turning into a vampire while being a Bloodkeeper, whatever that means. And I think trying out some human video games with that same friend.”

“Okay now that’s wild, complete bonkers. I hope that person’s okay; dying wasn’t exactly a walk in the park…” Leah shivered, all of a sudden feeling cold even in the late spring weather of Louisiana. She tried to block out the memories that plagued her for a good two months after she left New Orleans.

“I know I probably shouldn’t ask, but how did you cope after everything?” Nik asked, glancing at her to make sure she was okay. “I can’t even imagine what that was like for you. You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to.”

“How did I cope? Well...I didn’t.” Leah laughed mirthlessly, a smile not quite reaching her eyes. “I think I already told you the majority of it: stuck with my boring office job, avoided my mom, tried to pass the time with hobbies but failed so I got drunk a lot and did a bunch of people and other bad stuff. But probably the worst thing I did was cut my own bangs at 4am.”

“...Seriously?”

“Yeah I was having a crisis.”

“Because you saw your best friend get attacked, were hunted down relentlessly by a genocidal monster, found out your dad’s a Fae lord, saw your dad die, and then you died?” Leah blinked as he listed it all out in one breath; had she really been talking about it that much?

“Well...okay yeah pretty much. But also because I turned 25.”

Nik paused, confused. “What does that have to do with anything? Is that seriously a crisis?”

“A mid- okay fine not really, quarter-life crisis.” Leah let out a small laugh as she hazily remembered her conversation with Kristin, shaking her head and putting her hands in her pockets. “You’ll understand when you’re older.”

“I’m only a year younger than you, rook.”

“Then we’ll have a talk a year from now.”

Nik let a grin spread across his features. “That mean you’ll still be here a year from now?”

Leah shifted her eyes for a moment, and when she spoke again her voice was the perfect mix of playful and sincere. “Maybe.”

The two paused as they reached their destination. The castle guarding Lamrian loomed over them, its broken windows staring down at Leah like judgment. Leah felt very small. She felt as if she was a specimen on a petri dish placed under a microscope, and the Fae just behind those magical doors were scrutinizing her every being. 

Leah froze in fear, and she could feel the panic rising in her tight, tight chest. Nik noticed her expression and instinctively took one of her hands in his, giving it a small squeeze. “Hey, it’s okay. You’re okay. And I’m with you every step of the way.”

But she couldn’t. She couldn’t get a hold of her emotions, no matter how hard she tried or what she told herself she needed to do. Tears sprung on the corners of her eyes and ran down her face freely, and big, gasping sobs escaped from her mouth. She wrenched her hand from his, turned her back to the castle, and started walking away. Leah was hunched over and her hands grasped each other as she walked with Nik following her.

“Shit, shit, shit!” Leah could only see red, and that red was directed at herself. “I really dragged you out here for nothing! Why can’t I fucking face them?!”

Nik stopped her by placing his hands on her shoulders and turning her around so they were face-to-face. “Rook...breathe.”

She shook her head, trying to will the tears away but failing and launching into an anxiety-fueled. “Ugh, this is pathetic and embarrassing. I never should’ve stepped foot in Lamrian and I keep dragging you into my problems. I drag everyone into my problems! Kristin’s probably still paying for an entire week of hospital bills, Vera had to face her mom, Cal had to go against his pack, you and Katherine risked your lives by hunting Thomas down...fuck! When this was all happening, I should’ve just ignored you and stood in an open field and let the Bloodwraith—”

She was cut off by him pulling her into his strong arms, squeezing her so tightly she had no choice but to stop talking. “Don’t. I mean it, rook. Goddammit.”

“Why do you keep helping me?” she sobbed into his shoulder. “All I do is drag you down.”

He rubbed her back tenderly. “Because I want to. I care so damn much about you, rook, you have no idea.”

Before Leah could respond, the sound of someone clearing their throat came from behind them. Nik instantly positioned his body in front of hers, his crossbow aimed at the voice before Leah could even blink. He put it down once they realized that it was the same Fae guarding Lamrian. His lips were set in a straight line and his eyes devoid of any emotion, a soldier on duty.

“Daughter of Lamrian,” he kneeled reverently as he spoke. “You have returned. Welcome. Let me lead the way.”

“Thank you. But unfortunately, I can’t come inside. It’s not the right time.” Leah steadied her breath. She appreciated the fact that he ignored her crimson red eyes and shaky voice. “But will you please relay a message for Lady Thalissa for me?”

“Anything you wish is my command.”

“Please tell her that Lord Elric loves her and will be waiting for her. And that I’m sorry for everything that happened and will one day return. Just...not today.”

He nodded and straightened up, preparing to relay the message. Leah stopped him. “And also...this is for the people of Lamrian: I’m sorry. I’m just sorry that they lost a leader and an heir because of me.”

The Fae guard nodded again, his lips in a thinner, harsher line; Leah could have sworn that his eyes displayed hints of anger and grief before they fell into the trained dutiful expression. She let him walk away, and when he was finally out of sight in the castle she let out a breath she didn’t even realize she was holding.

“You did the right thing, rook.”

“Then why do I still feel so shitty?”

The two began to walk back to Nik’s car and eventually reached the woods. “It’d be weird if you didn’t feel like shit. It’s a lot, and sometimes you feel like you’re never gonna get out of that tunnel. But you will. And I’m here.”

“Nik, I--” But Leah was cut off by Nik suddenly shouting and tackling her to the ground as a knife embedded itself to the tree right behind where their heads were seconds before.

“Son of a bitch…” Nik muttered, quickly dragging them both back to their feet. “Can’t catch a break for one day!”

“What the fuck was that?!” Leah ran with him through the woods, her hand attached to his.

“He’s back. Remember that shapeshifter I pissed off? He must’ve followed us.”

“That I did, Ryder,” a snide, mocking voice replied from behind a tree. A man dressed in all black stepped out of the shadows. “A little birdie over your shoulder as you paid attention to your little girlfriend here.”

“For fuck’s sake, Mark, it was nothing personal. Grave robbing is a sick, sick thing to do!” Nik got into a fighting stance with his crossbow on his shoulder and Leah directly behind him.

“You just can’t appreciate the intricacies of a human bone broth soup!”

Leah grimaced in disgust and poked her head out to the side of Nik’s body. “Ugh, that’s what you were using it for? That’s messed up.”

Mark’s eyes flashed with rage, putting his hands in his pockets. “Just shut up, and you’re dying with him!”

“To hell with you!” Nik shot several arrows at him, and Mark rolled out of the way and back into the shadows. “Leah, stay out of the way!”

“I’m not letting you do this alone!” Leah stubbornly replied, running after him hunting down the shapeshifter. She channeled all of her energy into her palms, but to no avail. “Seriously, let me help!”

“You can help by keeping yourself safe!”

“He’s right; this ain’t a place for ya, missy.” Mark threw another knife from the shadows, and Nik deftly avoided it and more arrows. But Mark turned into a crow and flew above their heads to avoid the attack.

He landed on a tree and turned into a jaguar, and promptly lunged at the both of them from above. Leah managed to get out of the way but Nik punted him in the abdomen with a powerful kick. Mark landed a few feet away, groaning in pain and back in his human form. But within seconds he pulled a pistol out and started shooting at them. Nik and Leah ran in a zig-zag formation with the murderous shapeshifter hot on their heels.

“Arghhh!” With Leah a few feet ahead, Nik suddenly went down, clutching the side of his right thigh. He pulled his hand away for a moment to assess the damage, and Leah could see a linear laceration on his skin from where the bullet grazed his leg.

Leah watched in horror as the shapeshifter suddenly appeared above Nik, a heavy boot on his hand nearest to his crossbow and the gun aimed at his head. Mark grinned maliciously. “Nighty night, Nighthunter.”

“NOOO!” Leah shouted, sprinting towards the barrel of the gun and blindly pushing her hands out in front of her. All of a sudden two identical blasts of light bounded from the palms of her hands, both hitting Mark square in the face. The skin and nerves on her hands were burning, but she didn’t notice or care, adrenaline pumping through her vasculature. She could feel a power, a deep and great power bursting forth from her core. With a shriek, she sent more blasts towards Mark, the power boundless and suddenly at her disposal to do what she wanted. And all she could focus on was destroying Mark.

“Leah! Leah!” A seemingly far away voice called her name, but it didn’t register until she felt two arms wrap around her from behind. “Come back to me! Rook!”

Leah stopped blasting at her target, and a white haze that she didn’t even realize was present suddenly dissipated from her vision. She finally realized where she was, and that she was responsible for the pile of ashes on the ground where the shapeshifter once stood. Leah fell to her knees and Nik went down with her, refusing to let go.

“I...I did that,” Leah whispered, looking down at her trembling hands. “My powers...they’re back!”

“You saved my life, rook.” Nik held her with one arm as he pressed down on the wound on his leg. “That was...that was the most power I’ve ever seen from someone.”

Maybe it was the fact that their faces were suddenly so close to each other, or maybe it was the fact that they avoided certain death again. Maybe it was the silence gathering around them, warm and electric. Maybe it was the tenderness in his expression as he held her. Leah brought one hand up to his cheek and pressed their lips together softly, and they both sighed in relief as they kissed. A warm, gentle rain misted around the pair. Leah pulled away, and both sported giddy, shy smiles.

“Not how I expected today to go...but this is perfect...well, perfect for us.” Leah hauled him up and to his feet and tied her light jacket around his thigh as a makeshift tourniquet. “Best way I could help was staying out of the way, huh?”

Nik shook his head in disbelief as they walked. “You are the most bullheaded and impossible woman I’ve ever met. I would be dead now if it weren’t for you.”

“Nik…” Leah began seriously. She knew what she finally had to do. “What happened today...I want to be with you. As your partner, both personally and professionally.”

His eyes met hers, and he searched for any signs of hesitation only to find none. His face was completely relaxed for the first time since she met him, and it sent her heart fluttering. “Are you sure about this?”

“You’re a mess...and I’m a mess.” She shook her head, chuckling incredulously. “But that just might be why we’re perfect for each other. I’m in love with you, and I think I’ve always known it. Being your partner is what I want, if you’ll have me.”

“Goddammit, Leah…” He laughed with her before he spoke again, his voice vulnerable and sincere. “I love you too. I want you with me every second, from the moment I wake up to when I rest my head. I want you with me in the trenches, and then I want you with nothin’ at all between us.”

Every word lifted a heavy weight off her heart, and Leah beamed as she took Nik’s hand. “That’s all I want, too...partner.”

The now-official couple reached Nik’s car, but instead of getting in, Nik opened his trunk. Leah quirked an eyebrow. “Getting something?”

“You could say that,” Nik replied, stepping out from behind the car with his hands behind his back. “I’ve had this in here since the day you got out of the hospital, and I couldn’t bear to even look at it. Now that you’re back, though…”

“Are you...nervous?” Leah couldn’t help the teasing, amused tone in her question as she noticed his blush. She had to admit it was odd yet slightly satisfying seeing him squirm. 

“...You left this.”

Nik held out her cherry red leather jacket, the same one he gave her on her first night in New Orleans. Leah ran her hands down the soft, worn leather, smiling softly. “You really kept this all this time?”

“Well...yeah.” Nik rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. “Maybe I hoped that you’d come back one day.”

“Well you were right, Mr. Nighthunter.” Leah put the jacket on, relishing in the familiarity of the cool leather and smell of the bayou. “How do I look?”

Nik smiled brightly. “Like it was made for you, Ms. Nighthunter.”

She sidled up to the driver’s side of the car mischievously. “Awesome, now get in.”

“Wait, what? Who said you were driving?”

“You got shot in the leg! I need to take you to the hospital!”

The pair continued to bicker the entire ride to the emergency room, and amidst the chaos Leah grinned; she wouldn’t have it any other way. Everything was different, but maybe it would be okay after all. 

==============================================

A/N: Andddd after almost 4 months (!!!)...I’m back on this series with a real chapter. Thank you so much to whoever has stuck with reading every chapter; this is my first time actually writing a multi-chapter fic. There’s one chapter left before I move on to my next Nightbound series, which is pretty much a sequel to this story and the canon story. I hope you enjoyed this, and I welcome any and all comments!

Tagging: @furiouscloddonutpeanut @nighthunterkatherine @saivilo @samara-rani @god-save-the-keen @xxdangerouscapri15xx @inlovewithrebels

[roonilwazlibisawriter]

Rumors

It was a vague memory but man was it beautiful. He held me in his arms and spun me around. We’d float across the pavement as the snow fell around, covering up where our feet had once met the ground. He laughed and my heart skipped a beat. I smiled as I just watched his eyes and facial expressions. He was telling me a story about what had happened with the boys that day but I wasn’t really listening. I was too mesmerized by the beauty of this boy. The way his smile spread across his whole face, how his eyes showed every emotion he was feeling at the moment even if his tone said the opposite, the way he’d glance up as if there was cards above my head reminding him of how the events had laid out, how he wouldn’t look straight at me but everywhere except, making me think he was replaying the whole scene in his mind and watching it with his eyes. We had still been twirling and soon we stopped as he fell down, pulling me with him. I just lay there laughing as he brought me into his arms. The snow had lightened up yet it continued to fall around us.

             “I love you.” The words meant for my ears never reached their destination as they floated off with the wind and soon so did the vague little memory I cherished with everything I had.

I slowly opened my eyes and saw that it was the middle of the night. I sat up, my head throbbing, before getting out of bed with a sigh. My bed made a rustling noise as I moved and I turned to see tissues long forgotten all scrunched up in a pile where he used to be. My eyes became watery and I shut them once more as another memory came to my mind.

“I can’t do this anymore.” He had said as he walked out the door. The boys followed, carrying his stuff so he wouldn’t have to come back and get it. They gave me a sympathetic look but didn’t say anything. I knew once they walked out that door, I’d lose the relationships I had with them as well. He had said that it was just not working with the distance and travelling and so I figured it wouldn’t work with them either. I seriously thought we could fix this and make this relationship work but it just ended.

I opened my eyes and walked out to the kitchen. I grabbed a glass of water and some medication for my headache. I looked at the door as I sighed and thought about it. It had been almost a couple of months and I still missed him, everything about him. His touch, his voice, his smile, his eyes, the way he’d hold me in his arms or speak sweetly into my ear. He’d always make me a nice cup of tea when I was upset and I would sniffle as he held me close, telling me everything would be alright. I felt a pain in my chest as I thought about it. I hadn’t heard or seen any of the boys since then. I didn’t go on the internet in fear of seeing something about him. I was really happy for how big the band was becoming but I knew the minute I saw his face, I’d crash completely and be back to square one. A light flashed by the window as I subconsciously touched my stomach.

My stomach. My period hadn’t come last month but I had brushed it off as I had gotten started on a new exercising workout and I knew from experience that changing exercising plans tend to screw up your schedule but I hadn’t yet gotten it for this month either. I hadn’t done anything about it. I was too afraid to take a test. I knew I would soon need to figure it out but I just couldn’t do it. I removed my hand from my stomach as I moved the glass to the sink and walked back to my room. I cleaned up the tissues before curling back up under the covers, soon falling into a deep sleep.

   The next day I went to the store and got a test. I returned home and locked myself in the bathroom as it made me feel a bit more secure even if I was the only one there. It took me another two hours before I finally opened it and peed on the stick. I then waited for a minute or two before leaning over and looking at the stick that sat there on the counter. One line. I’m not pregnant. I didn’t know how to react. I sighed before throwing it into the trash and unlocking the door. I walked out and went to grab my phone as it went off.  I look at who’s calling. Shelby. I answer it.

“Hey, Shelbs. What’s u-“ I didn’t get to finish even asking as she started screaming into the phone. I pulled it away from my ear for a second before returning it and saying, “Shelby! Calm down, slow down, and repeat.”

“Go look online! Go check twitter! Right now and don’t hang up!” She said it very out of breath and rushed but I did as she told me to. Someone had sent me a link. I pushed on the link and a small article was brought up with the heading: JUST AS THE BOYS ARE GETTING BIG, IS IT THE END FOR ONE OF THEM?

             I scrolled down and saw a picture of me leaving the store from this morning. I scanned over it and almost dropped the phone.

             “It’s been two months since anyone’s heard anything about Ryder Bradley’s relationship. He hasn’t been reported with his girlfriend for almost two months now yet it seems as though she was caught leaving the pharmacy today after being spotted buying a pregnancy test. Is she cheating or have they been meeting up on the DL?

             These boys have gotten…”

I stopped reading after that point. They didn’t know. They didn’t know we had broken up. Not only did they not know but now everyone thinks I’m pregnant with Ryder’s baby or that I cheated on him. I knew they were becoming big but not big enough to have articles as such written about them. I must have missed a lot in the two months I have been disconnected. I realized Shelby was still on the phone and I grabbed the phone that had slipped into my lap. I brought it up to my ear before sighing.

“Did you read it?”

“Yes.”

“Is it true?”

“We broke up.” I didn’t say anything else before ending the call. I sat there stunned. If all these people had seen this, does that mean he’s seen it? I didn’t know and I was too scared to find out. I heard my phone go off and I answered it without looking, thinking it was Shelby again.

“Hello?” My voice was tired and so was I.

“Is it true?” Even though I barely heard the question, I knew. I knew that it was him. He had read the article and now he was searching for an answer. I knew I would eventually have to give him one but for now, I couldn’t so instead I hung up the call before throwing my phone and locking myself in my room. Oh man, what is going on? I couldn’t comprehend anything as I slowly drifted off into a sleep while my mind shut off. What was I going to do?

When I awoke again, it was late. I looked at the clock and it read 8:00. Guess not that late. I got up and quickly found my phone. I saw a bunch of messages from Shelby. I then saw I had 15 missed calls from Ryder, 8 from Evan, 3 from Ben, 5 from Ash, 3 from Shelby, 1 from my mom, and even 1 from Ryder’s mom, Liz. I sighed. I then looked at my laptop that I had forgotten to shut and I go over and wake it up. I had a bunch of direct messages and tweets. I didn’t want to look at them so I shut my laptop and looked around my house. It was spotless. It still felt empty as it had once been filled with all of his stuff. I knew I had to do something so I grabbed my phone. I pulled up Ryder’s contact and sat there, trying to find the courage to press his number and call him.

               An hour passed before I finally pressed the number and held the phone up to my ear. It rang only once before a very familiar voice rang through and into my ear. “Hello?”

             “Hey.” I heard the echo so I guessed I was on speaker.

             “Hi.” I could tell he was searching for answers by the hesitant tone he spoke with.

             “So I know you want some answers. I’m not pregnant so you can breathe.” I heard the whole room fill with sighs. “Sorry for the big scare.”

             “It’s fine, just glad that it was cleared up” I nodded before realizing they couldn’t see me.

             “Yep, so is that all you needed?”

             “I guess so. Thanks again. Oh, hey we’re home for a little bit, so you might see us around.” I knew he was trying to be polite but I couldn’t take it. I scoffed lightly hoping he wouldn’t hear. “What?”

             “Oh. Just that I don’t think it matters since you all pretty much cut off any contact with me since that day. I know you are trying to be polite but I don’t want to hear it. I thought we were all friends and even though we stopped dating, I didn’t think that meant we’d stop talking. It hurt and the fact that you only contacted me because of a stupid rumor hurts even more because you’re not calling to see if I’m okay, but rather to make sure your career is okay. I’m happy that you have become so successful but please don’t try to act like everything’s okay between us. If I see you around then fine but I doubt I will. I’ve got to go.” With that I hung up the phone and started crying. Ryder wasn’t a bad person and I feel so bad for saying what I did but it hurt when they all just cut off any type of communication and such. I had tried to text them a few times to see how everything was going but they didn’t even answer or acknowledge me. I just wanted this day to be over. I walked back to my room and this time when I fell asleep, it wasn’t to escape but rather to disappear from the world into a world of my own that I could find some peace.

               The next day, I got up early. It was about 8:00 and it was a Saturday. Nobody else was usually up this early on a Saturday so I decided to go for a run. I ran down to the park near the house and just decided to run around it for a bit. I had my phone with me to play music and after a good 45 minutes of running. I stopped at a bench to stretch a bit. I wasn’t really paying attention as people started to show up as I was lost in the music that was playing. I turned around to start walking back when I ran into someone. I was about to apologize but when I looked up, I found Ash looking down at me. I sighed before trying to walk around him. He stopped me though before signaling for me to pull out my ear plugs. I did as he asked.

             “Ash Stevens. How is it that I run into you after a day like yesterday?” I knew my voice sounded a bit snappy but he just laughed it off.

             “Hey. I’m not alone. The other boys are around here too, somewhere. How are you doing?” He gave me a small smile as I sighed and looked down.

             “I’m okay. How are you and all of this?” I knew he knew what I was getting at.

             “I’m good. I’ve missed you. I know you were upset about how everything went down but we just didn’t know how to contact you. You looked so upset and hurt that day and all of us thought there was no way we could make it up to you. It was the wrong way to go but it happened and we can’t change it.” I nodded as tears lingered in my eyes. I saw the others walking up behind.

             “It was nice to see you but I really can’t do this. I miss you too.” I didn’t look up but quickly walked around him and I heard the others say hey but I kept my head down as I began to run back. That hurt even more because I missed them so much. Things would eventually be okay but for now I needed time to process this all and heal.

                As I arrived back at the house, I had to hold back a scream. Once inside, I just let it all out. I screamed and yelled out at the frustration I felt for this whole situation. I was tired and upset but more than that, I just wanted everything to be okay again. I have my faults and flaws and I know I’ve made mistakes but so did everyone else. I knew eventually I’d have to get over it and become friends with them again or I’d have to completely shut them out. There was no in-between. After I was done letting out all I needed to, I decided to take a shower. I stripped my clothes off and stepped into the water that was waiting for me. It was perfect. It was hot and the steam quickly filled the bathroom up, fogging up the mirrors. I just let myself relax as I let my mind wander, soon creeping upon a lost memory that had been tucked away safely.

             I giggled as he ran his hands over my back, the water cascading down onto our heads. It wasn’t sexual or anything but rather a sweet innocence to it as his hands lingered a little once they reached the lower part of my back.

             “Stop. It tickles.” I giggled again as he moved his hands back up to my shoulders.

             “Has anyone ever told you that you need to just stop stressing or worrying? You are so tense and your muscles are completely tight. You just need to let go and have fun once in a while.” He started rubbing my shoulders and it hurt a tad bit but it also felt really good as he kneaded away the knots that were there.

             “You know I can’t do that. I’m just that type of person. I try but then I freak out even more because it feels irresponsible and somewhat scary.” I sighed as I leaned back into his chest. He leant forward and pressed a kiss to my temple.

             “Just breathe. Don’t think about it. You think too much and that’s what gets you into trouble. Instead of overthinking, acknowledge that the problem or assignment is there and then give yourself a break. If it can’t be fixed within the next couple of minutes or you don’t have a time restriction or just don’t know how long it’ll take then don’t worry about it. It’ll work itself out.” He had grabbed my hands during his little speech and he was now playing with them. The water had turned warm instead of the hot it was when we first got in and we knew we’d have to get out soon. I knew he was right but I didn’t know how to do that but in this moment, I had achieved that, even if it would end once I was out.

             “You’re so smart..” My voice trailed off as my eyes began to droop. The shower was becoming a nice little cover to keep me safe and warm but I felt it being turned off. Ryder moved to pick me up and he whispered softly in my ear to just sleep. I nodded before curling into his arms…

             I jolted up, finding instead of hot water but now a cool light waterfall coming down on me. I turned it off and stepped out of the shower, wrapping myself in a towel. These memories were becoming a nuisance, always coming at the worst times. I put on some pjs, threw my hair up into a bun, and made some nice hot chocolate. I curled up under a blanket as I turned the lights off in the house and popped in one of the many chick flicks I had for days like this. As it started playing, I wondered what it would be like to have these moments that are written about or directed. Sure, they’re movies but someone somewhere must experience a moment like this at least once.

             I had only gotten halfway through when there was a knock on the door. I paused the movie and got up. I was just at the part where, just like in every chick flick, the boy and girl get into a fight and all you do is feel bad. My eyes were puffed up from crying and I had a big sweater on. I didn’t check to see who it was as I swung the door open. Before my eyes, I found the most beautiful human being alive. Ryder Bradley. Even after everything, he was still so mesmerizing to me. I knew I’d eventually have to talk to him so I just stepped aside as he walked on in. I had pictured this moment so many times going over different scenarios but right now my mind was blank. All the practicing and rehearsing was gone.

             I looked over as Ryder stood in the middle of the front room. He was fiddling with his hands and was peering down at his feet, as though something was bothering him. I walked over and sat back in my spot. I didn’t say anything. He didn’t say anything. I resumed the movie, the room still dark, and the only light source was the sun that seeped through the windows and into the house. Ryder walked over and sat down next to me. He moved to pull me in and I cuddled up into his arms. We just sat and finished the movie, holding each other tightly as though any moment this could all disappear and we could lose one another forever.

             The movie had to come to an end and so did the little fantasy we had lost ourselves in for the last 45 minutes. We pulled apart and I got up to turn on the lights. I didn’t turn around once everything was illuminated by the lights but instead kept facing the wall.

             “I’m sorry. Not just for the way I acted over the phone but for the last two months and that day. I never should’ve left. I should’ve fought for you and done what was right. I thought that becoming big would be too hard for you but I should’ve known better. I don’t know why I ended it. Maybe I was scared. Actually I know I’m scared. At this moment, telling you this, waiting for a response. I feel so vulnerable as though any moment, I could lose you forever whether it be just as friends or more. I haven’t been able to sleep or eat or focus on anything since that day. I know nothing I say can make up for it, but I’m asking for you to just understand how much I truly am sorry and how much I have missed you.”

             I had started crying once again, man was I emotional, and I didn’t want this to end, not even in the slightest. I didn’t want any more words to be exchanged. I turned around and walked quickly over to him before crashing my lips against his. He pulled me to him, holding me as close as possible as we both desperately grasped at anything we could. We needed each other and I don’t know what was going to happen but for now, I needed him. To hold me, to whisper sweet nothings in my ear, to kiss me, to pull me closer, to act as though the past two months never happened. I pulled at his shoulders and he wrapped his arms around my waist, lifting me off the ground. He gently set me back down and pulled away. I looked up. My face covered in tears, my hair disheveled, my clothes all wrinkly, my nose red. He studied my appearance for a minute before a small smile graced his beautiful face.

             “I have never seen you looking more beautiful than in this moment.” He whispered it softly, the atmosphere now a calm warmth and I just looked into his eyes. His eyes told me everything. He meant the words that just came out of his mouth. He didn’t need to say that, but he wanted to. “Even with everything that has happened, you have stayed strong and graceful. I don’t know why and I don’t know how but I do know that there isn’t anyone who will ever compare to you in this moment when you look so scared and frightened yet so beautiful and serene. I don’t know how to explain it but you just are worth it.” He trailed off and I could tell he was having a hard time with his words. I looked down before glancing up at him.

             “I love you, Ryder Bradley. Never forget that. I don’t know what’s going to happen but I can’t take not being with you for one more moment. Even after everything, I still need you just as much as I did two months ago.” He looked up at me, looking for the truth in my words and I knew he saw it. We didn’t move. We just stood there for a moment before he grabbed me and swung me around, kissing me all over my face. I guess now I’m one of those girls that gets written about and it felt good.

[ashtheshortstack]

take my scars & make them stars - ch 4

Rating: M Ship: Kristoff/Anna Chapter Four

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

Previous Chapter/Next Chapter

It was a date. He said it was a date. As much as that excited her, she didn’t want to jump into something too soon. Especially with her health. And when she explained that to Kristoff, he completely understood. Which only made her like him more.  

So, they were dating. But there wasn’t a label. Anna couldn’t bear saying she had a boyfriend during this trying time of her life. 

But, even though Kristoff wasn’t her “boyfriend” didn’t mean she didn’t start popping by the coffee shop on the regular to pay him little visits. It was always the same excuse—that Elsa wanted coffee. They both knew it was a lie, but it gave her a reason to go up to the register.  If she stuck around too long, sometimes Kristoff would take the coffee. S’mores lattes weren’t his favorite, but he didn’t seem to mind. 

Anna had never used Snapchat—she’d thought it was silly to send pictures all the time—but after Kristoff asked if she had one, she downloaded the app in an instant. And, quickly, that became the way she kept him updated throughout her day. Kristoff’s snap stories were very sophisticated. They didn’t usually feature his face, but mostly the coffee shop with different work-day filters. Lots of snaps of Sven being excited when Kristoff arrived home from work. On the occasion, there would be a Sven shaming story if the dog tore something up while he was away. 

But the private snaps he sent to her privately were much goofier. And she appreciated that. Anna liked that he was so real with her. So himself. Maybe he put on a front for those who viewed his stories, but not her. 

Kristoff sent her a picture of a large spill of coffee all over the floor of the shop with a caption of “why” and that’s all. Anna couldn’t help but giggle from her seat in the hospital lounge. At least the chairs she sat in during chemo were comfortable. And with Kristoff sending her entertaining snaps, it made her day just a little better. He always had a way of cheering her up no matter how miserable she may have felt. 

She sent him a selfie of her grimacing and looking away from the camera with the caption “at least it’s not vomit this time”. Did she keep bringing it up? Yes. She was mortified about the whole situation, so making fun of it at least let Anna live down her shame. 

His response was quick. A selfie of him grinning stupidly with “i’ll clean up your vomit anytime” attached. She snorted at that. Why was he sweet and disgusting at the same time? But she appreciated it nonetheless. 

Dr. Mattias entered the room with his usual smile, preventing Anna from returning a snap. She’d have to wait and send him a response later. 

He greeted her as usual before sitting in the chair across from her. “So, Anna, how are you today?” 

“Pretty good, considering,” she replied with a smile. She couldn’t help but feel a bit giddy. It was probably a bit obvious to Dr. Mattias that she was bubblier than usual. But that was okay. Everyone was allowed a good day. Especially when on chemo. 

“That’s great,” he said, clicking his pen. “How are your symptoms?” 

Her mind flashed to her date with Kristoff. Pursing her lips, she glanced away. “Um, I was wondering about physical therapy?” 

Dr. Mattias seemed stunned at her words, his brows raising, but he answered her anyway. 

                                                     o~o~o~o

  Anna sent Kristoff a snap video of her walking on the sidewalk downtown towards the coffee shop. In response she got a blurry image of his face with “oh shit” across it. She couldn’t help but giggle. He really was funny, even if he didn’t want to admit it. She could tell Kristoff was jittery and had a rough exterior… but she planned on cracking it down. 

The bell rang above her head as she entered the door. There was a new barista there she didn’t recognize. The girl had raven hair and a darker complexion… she actually looked a lot like Ryder. Maybe, they were related? 

Kristoff smirked when he saw her. “Why hello there, how can I help you today?” 

“Hello, Christopher,” she cooed. 

Rolling his eyes, he shook his head. “Oaken ordered me a new name tag, will you stop harassing me?” 

“No.” 

He snorted. “So, a s’mores latte for Elsa? ” Kristoff smirked, a knowing glint in those honey-brown eyes. 

Anna shook her head. “Nope! I’m having a cheat day. It’s getting chillier so I can reasonably get a hot cocoa. For Anna. ” 

“Well, well, well,” he grinned. “I finally get to write your name on a cup today.” 

Humming in response, Anna pulled out her wallet. “I guess it’s just your lucky day,” she teased with a grin before handing him her card. 

“Yeah, sure. It’s a true blessing when I get to write ‘Anna’ on a cup. As if it isn’t a common name.” 

“Bet you think about me every time another Anna comes in.” 

Kristoff’s cheeks flushed at that. “Shut up,” he pouted as he snatched a cup from the counter and headed over to the machine. 

Giggling, Anna moved to the side as the girl took the next customer. Her name tag said “Honeymaren.” Jeez, no wonder the owner couldn’t order the correct names. Did anyone here have a basic name? She was a little jealous of the uniqueness of it. Perhaps how her name was pronounced was a little different, but still. 

Kristoff returned with her cup and handed her the credit card as well. “Here’s your special cheat day drink, feisty pants. Glad you went with a caffeine free option.” 

“Well, I can’t get too crazy.” 

He laughed.

“When do you get off?” she asked, smiling slightly. 

Shoulders slumping, he sighed. “Still got a few hours today.  How about we meet up tomorrow? I have some work on the job site first, but I can see you afterwards?” 

Anna sipped at her hot cocoa with a smile. “I’d like that.” 

“I’ll text you?” 

“Yeah,” she said with a smile. 

                                                 o~o~o~o

  It didn’t take long after she left the coffee shop for the snapchats to start again. It was nice that she received so much attention from him. Kristoff really knew how to make a girl feel special.  

When Anna made it home, she was utterly exhausted. She crashed on the couch, finishing off her hot cocoa with a sigh. Setting the cup on the side table, she flopped back on the cushions. 

“Hey, long day?” 

Anna sighed when she saw Elsa rounding the couch to sit on the arm with a smile. “You don’t know the half of it,” she murmured. 

Elsa smiled at that. “I see an Arendelle Roasts cup, so someone paid Kristoff a visit.” 

“I did…” 

Her sister just gave a knowing smirk before looking away. “Sooo, how was chemo today?” 

“Same as usual… Miserable.” 

“Uh huh.” 

“Well, it was a little better actually. Kristoff convinced me to get a Snapchat, and we’ve been snapping each other a lot. He sends me some really funny stuff. I dunno, it was just a nice positive during treatment today. Does that seem silly?” 

Elsa was smiling at her. “Whatever makes you happy, Anna. Just a little pick-me-up is better than nothing,” she paused, “but we both know Kristoff is a little more than that.” 

The dreamy sigh that left her lips was a bit embarrassing. She couldn’t help it though. Kristoff made her mushy inside. He really did make her happy. It was a nice change of pace. 

“He’s really great, Elsa. Why couldn’t I have found him sooner? Ugh, I wish he’d gone to academy… maybe I’d never been with Hans.” 

Her sister gave a small shrug. “Life works in funny ways. This was just the right time to meet him.” 

Humming, she nodded. “Maybe, you’re right. He did say he used to be kinda grumpy.” 

Anna heard a faint laugh before slowly nodding off to sleep. 

                                                 o~o~o~o

  Kristoff had asked her to meet him in the park the following day. Anna wore appropriate fall clothing. She was so excited that it was finally cooling down. The heat was so exhausting, especially while she was on chemo. The treatments made her feel so weak and heat did not mix well with her symptoms. It sucked. A lot. 

Fall would be a calmer time. She hadn’t yet experienced chemo with the cold… she wasn’t exactly looking forward to it. But her light jacket over her purple dress and dark leggings was comfortable and worked well with the temperature. She was a little disappointed she wouldn’t be able to participate in the pumpkin spice craze as it began due to her ban on caffeine. But it would just make it all the worthwhile for next fall. 

Anna sat on a swing that overlooked the pond. Ducks waddled by, making her giggle at their quacking. There were a few girls sitting on a picnic blanket nearby… but Anna chose to ignore their frequent glances in her direction. It wasn’t exactly a poor you stare, so Anna wasn’t quite sure what to make of it. So, she stared at her phone and ignored them the best she could. 

Only when Kristoff told her that he’d arrived did she look up from her spot. She waved at him when she saw him crossing the browning grass. He wore a clean green flannel, but the skin beneath glistened. His hairline was damp as well. Clearly, he’d gotten a bit sweaty while working on the site. It was strange… the sudden spike in her libido at seeing him like this despite her sex drive practically being nonexistant since her first few months of chemo. Sure, she’d had thoughts about Kristoff before, but not like this. She hadn’t felt desire for someone in so long. And Kristoff definitely triggered such a reaction from her. 

But how was she to help it? His shaggy blonde hair, tanned skin in sight where his sleeves rolled up to his elbows, rugged torn jeans, and work boots… it suited him. And Anna couldn’t get enough of it. As much as she loved Kristoff in a cream colored apron and a button up, this just did many different things to her. 

Kristoff returned her gesture, waving a large palm in her direction as he sped up to reach her. There was a grin etched along his lips as he approached. When he came to sit with her on the swing, it seemed entirely natural for him to place an arm on the back of the bench behind her as Anna snuggled into his side. 

“Hey, how was work today?” she asked, smiling up at him. 

Giving a lopsided shrug, he hummed. “Nothing too exciting. Building, measuring, hammering--the usual,” he glanced down at her. “How was yours?” 

“Laid around, puked some, drank a smoothie because I can’t chew--the usual,” she laughed bitterly. 

“It’ll get better, you know.” 

Sighing, she nodded and leaned her head against his chest. “I know.” 

“Did you talk to your doctor about your symptoms?” 

Anna sighed. “Yes, we decided on some physical therapy options to help blood flow to my fingers. I just--God, Kristoff, I can’t wait until this is over. I mean, I know it’ll never be over over. Dr. Mattias already told me I’ll have to go back for regular number checks the rest of my life once in remission. But there can’t help but be that part of me that wonders if there’s more they don’t know about. If I’ll never actually be in remission and--oh, jeez. I’m sorry, Kristoff, I’m totally being negative and rambling.” 

Kristoff’s palm patted her upper arm lightly. His eyes seemed so sad when he regarded her. “Hey, hey, it’s alright. You’re free to rant as you please. Don’t stop for my sake.” 

She couldn’t help but smile. “Thank you. I don’t mean to just--talk about myself so much.”

“I like hearing you talk about yourself.” 

She snorted. “Don’t lie.” 

Cocking a brow, he smirked. “But I do. I really admire you, ya know? The way despite how everything you’re going through, you manage to keep a smile on your face.” 

Anna felt herself swoon at the compliment and hoped her reaction didn’t show too much on her face. Even though she trusted Kristoff, she had jumped into a relationship too quickly before, so she didn’t want the blonde to know how crazy she was about him. How much his compliments meant to her. Even the small ones. 

She responded by snuggling closer to his chest, pressing her body against his own. God, he was so much bigger than her. Anna knew she was scrawny from treatments… would he still be this broad compared to her even when her body returned to a healthier weight? She glanced down between them, noticing his hand sitting on his own thigh. Without a second thought, she grabbed his palm with both of her own. Anna idly played with his fingers, really noticed the contrast with her own. His hands were so healthy while hers… were so boney. And tiny. And weak. Her fingers ached just trying to squeeze his. 

Kristoff chuckled, turning his palm over and opening his fingers to her. Anna’s lips twitched and she gazed up at him as she intertwined her fingers with his. Humming, she relaxed into his touch as his thumb gently rubbed the back of her hand. The touch actually sent a warming sensation to the tips of her tingly fingers. 

It was nice being like this. To just enjoy one another’s company. She was sure she would find something else to talk about, but for now… this was enough. 

As she opened her mouth to speak, she looked up at him. Only to see him scowling off in another direction. His brows were pinched and a tight frown was etched along his lips. Anna followed his line of sight to see who he was glaring so harshly at. It was the two girls who had been staring at her earlier. They were giggling and whispering at their phones until they looked up and saw Kristoff’s eyes on them. The smiles on their faces quickly fell as they both glanced around uncomfortably, each looking very ashamed. Kristoff didn’t stop his squint until the two girls packed their things and quickly left. 

The entire encounter didn’t last but five minutes, but it felt like an eternity to Anna. What had they done to make Kristoff so angry?

“W-What was that all about?” 

His face relaxed as they watched him leave, eyes softening when he gazed at her. “Sorry, they were taking pictures.” 

Anna felt her cheeks flush as she glanced down at her lap. “Oh…” There was a beat of silence for a moment as she gathered her thoughts. “Well, I now know what you meant when you said you used to be grumpy. That glare could scare off anyone.” 

Snorting, he shook his head. “Sorry… People like that just piss me off. It’s not your fault that you’re going through this. You aren’t a side-show attraction.” 

“You’re amazing, you know that?” 

“No,” he shook his head. “It’s you that’s amazing.” 

She giggled at that before tapping on her knee and pursing her lips. “I… I-I need to know, Kristoff. What did you really think of me when you first saw me?” 

“That you’re beautiful. You have the most amazing eyes I’ve ever seen, and your freckles are adorable.” 

“That’s it? You didn’t think ‘oh, poor thing she looks sick?’” 

He shook his head. “You’ll never look like that to me, Anna.” 

Her lips twitched. “Yeah? What will I look like?” 

“A fighter.” 

Anna’s eyes went wide. Her cheeks flushed as she glanced away. “That’s just cheesy, and you know it.” 

“But it’s true,” he said with a grin. 

“You think I’m really a fighter?” 

“Yeah, like a warrior who has a battle to win. And I have no doubts you’ll see this fight to the end. Don’t you believe so?” 

Anna squeezed his palm. “As long as I have you.” 

[delicateisfearless-blog]

Stranger Things Review |Season One

So I have just finished the first season of stranger things and I loved it. I had considered watching it in the past, but I thought it would be not as good or just another Riverdale (no shade! But they do drag some things out!!) But I think because the show has like eight episodes that's why it wasn't all over the place. Like the way it was written and the way it was shown to us was just perfect. I felt that we did see all the important characters equally, other shows have a hard time doing that but I really think this show did pretty well at keeping us with everyone each episode.

I would love to talk about every part of this first season but that would take days if I did that and I really need to start on season two. So I'll try to make this review as short and sweet as possible.

The Mother Who Believed

Joyce was one of the characters that truly stuck out this first season. Not only is she the first one to believe all the stuff that is happening, but she believed--or she knew that Will was alive. She isn't selfish in finding her son, she wants him back but she still told El to let her know if she couldn't handle being there long. Despite the fact her life is far from perfect she is a good mother who loves her boys and that's clear.

The females written this season (Joyce, El, and Nancy) were all strong women and I loved that. They had vulnerable moments for sure but that doesn't take away anything. Strong women can show emotion, they can be vulnerable. Joyce wasn't the woman who wanted to be saved, she figured out Lonnie and got him out of there.

Joyce is played by Winona Ryder who I first remember seeing in Bettlejuice as Lydia. (If y'all haven't seen that movie your tasteless af. I don't make the rules y'all!) I think if somebody else had taken on Joyce, then the character wouldn't have been brought to life as much as Winona plays her. Winona honestly had me bawling my eyes out in so many scenes, her talent is just saw raw, real and beautiful.

Even when she was in the most dire of situations she still refused to cower in fear. She didn't care. She had one job to do and that was to bring Will home. And at the end that's what exactly happens, I was crying when he came back and she had me in absolute tears---I'm crying writing this.

The Sister That Lost

Nancy was my favorite character this entire season. I knew before I actually watched that she would be, it was this vibe I got with her. The character isn't by any means perfect---she's this teenaged girl who just wants the guy and to matter. She's a teenager so she is intended to not always make the most calculated decisions, but still she was a major badass this season.

I think Nancy is a little naive in the beginning and even Barb sees that. But I think after she takes the next step with Steve The Shamer (sorry I'm still salty he and his friends pulled that sh*t!), Barb going missing, and the argument with Jonathan makes her realize that she is in fact being naive with chasing after somebody with horrible taste in friends.

There's this scene in the finale where she is smiling at the boys all being reunited. She's smiling but you see it fall and in that moment I just knew she thought Barb, and how she couldn't be reunited with her because she was gone. Her one true friend was dead and she had lost.

What I loved most about Nancy is that she wasn't scared. When it came down to it she went along with Jonathan---it was even her idea to go through with it--she wanted to get rid of it. I do think apart of her wanted to do it to protect Mike, but it was clear the main reasoning was justice for Barb.

The Superhero

El is introduced as this girl with these magnificent powers. She doesn't really know much about the world or what a lot of things mean. She starts learning stuff through Mike by starting off with friend. She doesn't really talk much but we do learn a lot about her as the episodes go on.

We see the brilliant and talent Millie Bobby Brown give off a spectacular performance as we see flashbacks to what she went through and just why she's trying to leave it all behind. I think Winona Ryder was the powerful actress this season, but Millie isn't far behind. When Mike pushes her away from him you see just how hurt she is and that she doesn't really understand. Her portrayal of El was just heartbreaking. She took on this role of this tragic girl who has had to deal with some horrible monsters and gave her hope, and then she lost that hope because she knew she had to take away the monster that was hurting her friends.

The Heartbroken Man

Jim Hopper is a character I wasn't sure what to think of at first. He came off as arrogant but we soon learn that he's this man that is completely lost and heartbroken in the world. As the season progresses we see more of Hopper and we learn that he has lost his daughter Sarah due to cancer.

In his flashbacks we see what appears to be a strong man who is positive. But when we see him by himself he is this broken man crying on hospital stairs because she's sick. I think what drives him to want to save Will is his daughter, it's as if he has this second chance to save somebody's child from dying.

I really fell in love with the character by the end of the season. He was great, a true asset to the series. Without him I don't think they would have had that chance to get Will back. He and Joyce really made a great team and I loved watching them work together.

Oh you should know that David Harbour going to be in the new Hellboy and Blackwidow. I have no idea if Hellboy is out yet but if you like the actor wait for them, I know so many people have waited for Blackwidow movie for years and the fact he's in it might add to the excitement.

The Photographer

Jonathan is a character that I was looking out for. I knew a spoiler and I was scared to watch the scene because I was afraid I would cringe. It's the scene where Steve breaks his camera, it was a well acted scene between the two males who are clearly after Nancy's heart. I think what Jonathan did was um a stranger thing to do--get it?

But he's weird. He's a weirdo, but I don't want to call anyone out here. (Riverdale.) This is how you write a weird socially awkward character. You have them act like this (not the camera thing, that's got nothing to do with being socially awkward.) But there are scenes where we see Jonathan putting up signs and you can just tell this is how he is. You don't need him to proclaim it outloud as him "being weird" you just know he is.

I actually really liked the Jonathan character once we got past the photos. He is this guy who helps around the house, cooks and tries to bring in extra cash. You see just how much family means to him---we see just how different his home life is compared to Nancy's. Nancy's family for sure isn't suffering but they aren't really all that close, but we see that Jonathan had a bond with his brother where they would listen to music together. I think the only thing in common is that there's complication between parents.

And as the season progressed I found myself loving him and Nancy over Nancy and Steve. I am looking forward to what's next for them in season two seeing as it was hinted in the finale something will arise between them at some point.

The Self-Sabotaging Jerk

Steve Harrington. I didn't really like him this season. I thought that he was pretty awful to Nancy this season. I'm not saying he didn't have his "good guy" moments. But he laughed when his friends cracked jokes and mocked her for taking the next step with him and then the slutshaming thing just really didn't set well with me either.

In the finale when he is cuddled up next to Nancy I felt nothing. I didn't feel happy they were together, it just felt like him slutshaming her was overlooked. I know she most likely forgave him by this point but I still didn't feel happy by it. But people said he will grow on me eventually. So I'm not saying I'll never like him, I just feel disappointed in him is all.

I think his problem is that he self sabotages good things in his life. I think he does this by wanting to be in with the right crowd and feel accepted into that life. But I think most likely based on some of the scenes that almost losing Nancy and getting punched he realized that he can't be that person anymore.

I did feel bad for him in the scene where his friends are being horrible to him. I think that's the most I felt bad for him, I didn't care about his selfish worries after Barb went missing. But I am open to seeing what they do with the character and how they'll get me to fall in love with him.

Boys On A Mission

The Party consists of the boys: Mike, Will, Dustin, and Lucas. And now El seems to be a member but seeing as I've discussed her already I'll leave her out of this one. So Mike is very loud in personality and I think that's what people love about the character. I didn't expect to like the character as much as I did, but the thing about this show is you don't hate the main characters, or I couldn't at least. They are all complicated and as the series goes you kind of see that. I did think Mike was a little selfish and didn't consider how his friends (mainly Lucas) was dealing with everything. But I still love the character and the actor did such a good job with the character.

I did kind of feel like Lucas and Dustin weren't really going to be that significant at first which is crazy because they do in fact appear a lot. I think what made me believe that is because Mike did become really involved with El, so I could understand why Lucas was jealous at first. But the fact that Mike became obsessed with El didn't take away Dustin or Lucas, they were still there. Annoyed but still there.

I do think Lucas was harsh with her but I understand that he was scared to trust letting anyone else into the party. Dustin has a very follow the leader type personality but that won't stop him from telling his friends like it is or calling them out on their sh*t.

Will is very interesting. He is bullied for being more I guess feminine and called fairy. Although he is possibly on the feminine side (we didn't really see much of him. He was barely in the season seeing as he was in the Upside Down) but that doesn't necessarily mean he is gay. I think the fact that showing this character be called these names and in his brother's room listening to music to block it out was one of the saddest things. Whether or not the character is gay doesn't matter, it's great if he is it's fine if he isn't. I think this character is a example to what is against toxic masculinity, guys thinks it's weak to cry or do more feminine stuff.

I think the lengths the party would go for one another is beautiful and what true friendship looks like. And I can't wait to see what's in store for these buds in season 2!

And with that...

So I think I covered all the important characters. Maybe I should have said something on Karen Wheeler... So right quick I had seen people talking about her before as not being the best mother. But she actually was a pretty good mother, she spent the entire season trying to get her children to open up to her and she worried about them nonstop. So Karen was a pretty good mother and I actually really liked her. My favorite mom on the show is still Joyce, but Karen is a close second.

And with that I just want to say that this season was one of the best I've ever seen of any show in this type of genre. Thank you and have a beautiful time and I hope to be on season 3 in a few days :)))))

[capricxs]

early morning kiss!!! benjie & georgia

not an early morning kiss but has same Soft Energy

“you’re drunk.” maggie giggles, vincent dragging her closer in a twirl.

“i am not, i am just having a good time.” but his cheeks are pink and his breath smells a bit too much like wine.

then again, she’s just as tipsy. “you need to be stopped.” she moves to the christmas music, but still goes to grab the glass from his hand. he raises it above his head, out of her reach.

“no, it’s my wine.”

georgia sneaks up behind him, snatching it from him and tutting with her tongue. “it’s my wine now.” she chugs the rest of the glass, setting it down.

they look over when the door opens, seeing benjamin grunt as she shakes the snow from him. “there’s no way we’re going anywhere tonight.” he shakes his head, kicking off his shoes. “the car’s pretty buried, and i can’t imagine the roads are in any condition to drive.” he drapes his jacket over the back of the car. they’d been there hours, eating and drinking and playing games. georgia had been helping maggie make christmas cookies since the afternoon, which vincent supervised to make sure they didn’t burn them. benjamin didn’t get to come over until later when his classes had ended.

vincent hums, grabbing onto maggie’s hip and moving to grab his phone. with a few swipes, he’s nodding. “yeah, you’re not the only one who is recommending it. everywhere’s got a weather warning.” he clicks his phone back off and puts it on the coffee table. “well,” he gives maggie a squeeze. “no need to panic, let’s make a party of it. more wine?”

“how could i say no.” georgia shurgs. she moves over to benjamin, who’s still standing close to the door. her hands slide up his chest, rubbing tenderly. “are you okay?” she whispers.

“i’m fine.” he pushes a smile. “just never like being stuck somewhere. but if there’s any place i’d want to be stuck, it’s with these idiots.”

“i mean, if we were stuck by ourselves, we could be having our own fun.” she licks her lips.

he chuckles, hand on her neck. “that is true. this is a second to that, then.”

“alright, well let’s go figure out what these two idiots have in store of us.” she takes his hand, kissing his knuckles. when they go back into the kitchen, they find maggie, pressed against vincent, who is leaned against the counter, his hand on her lip. it’s very obvious their tongues are getting familiar with each other again.

“excuse me.” georgia hollers. “you have company.”

vincents hums, and maggie pulls away, brushing back his hair. “sorry.” she giggles. “he’s just so charming.”

“yeah yeah.” georgia grunts. “where’s the hard stuff, book boy?” she hip checks him, opening up the freezer. “you saving this whiskey for something special?”

“i guess this is that special event.” he shrugs.

georgia’s already unscrewing the top, going to their cupboard to pull out four shot glasses. “alright guys. here’s to that bitch of new york weather.” she hands everyone their shot. “we’re going to suffer here together.” she nods, doing the shot with ease.

maggie made a gagging noise when she put it down, vincent shaking his head, and benjamin stayed silent.

“how about a movie?” maggie suggested. “like a christmas story? that’s a nice one.”

“oh yeah,” vincent nods.

“is this just an excuse for you guys to try shit under the blankets.” georgia narrows her eyes.

“no,” vincent says in an over exaggerated tone. “of course not.”

“stop.” maggie playfully hits him. “no we will not be trying anything.”

“great, then we will.” georgia puts her hand on benjamin’s arm.

they did another round of shots when the movie started, and they only lasted about twenty minutes before the movie was completely disregarded for their arguments about who was the hotter 80s heartthrob. georgia was shocked and offended that benjamin was partial to winona ryder, thinking he would have been more one for molly ringwald. 

maggie didn’t even know. she just always like freddie prinz jr, who wasn’t even in the right decade. 

“you have a terrible taste in men.” georgia scoffed, drinking her glass.

“no she does not.” vincent chimed in. “her taste is exceptional. freddie was king of romcoms.”

“thank you, babe.” maggie kisses his cheek.

“of course, dear. always here to defend you.”

“gag.” georgia rolls her eyes, looking to benjamin. “so you liked ‘em brooding huh? edgy and weird and stuff?”

“sure, i just thought she could snap me in two and that was hot.” 

“yes! that’s what it was about her.” vincent exclaims, a bit too loud for everyone’s liking. maggie just patted his thigh to keep him under control. “she was hot too, yeah.” he says quietly to maggie, as if trying to defend himself.

“i know, i know.”

eventually they just turned the movie off, going back to the christmas playlist they found earlier in the evening. georgia and benjamin watched from their spot on the floor as the other couple danced. everyone was considerably drunk. even if georgia and benjamin weren’t dancing, they were having their own conversation quietly. her back against the couch, his body outstretched on the floor. her fingers trailed over his exposed bicep, her tongue frequently lathering her lips. 

“you like christmas?”

his eyes fall shut, and he hums. “it’s not the worst time of the year.”

“that’s optimistic.” she chuckles.

“no, i do like christmas. it’s lost a bit of charm since devon grew up, bt it’s still nice to just come together. now that he’s older though, i can typically go home to my family while he spends it with his mom.”

“that must be nice.” she smiles, her words warm. “i’m sure your family adores seeing you.”

“they get mad i don’t bring devon, but i know it’s a lot for him to travel like that.”

she nods. “my family just fights over who gave the better gifts and then my dad falls asleep watching football while my mom and sisters get wine drunk. my brother got smarter and just spends the holidays with his wife’s family.”

“sounds like your family is a real treat.”

“you have no idea.” she laughs.

“you know.” his hand slides up her arm, pulling her down so she’s against his chest. his fingers run through her hair, grabbing onto her tightly. “you should come with me this year.”

“what?” she bursts into laughter. “you’re drunk.”

“yeah, so?” he shrugs. “i want them to meet you. you’re special. first woman in a long time i’ve wanted to bring home to them.”

“aw,” she coos, her fingers dancing along his chest. “that’s nice. ask me again when you’re sober.”

he rolls his eyes, but can’t help but grin. “deal.” he pulls her head down, brushing their lips together softly at first, only to capture them more deeply. she takes a long breath in, pressing against his chest as she kisses him back. 

“hey!” maggie calls out behind them. “if we can’t make out, neither can you.”

benjamin releases his grasp on her, holding out his hands in defense.

georgia kisses him one more time before sitting back up.

“we should sleep.” vincent mumbled. “or at least… seek our own beds.”

“just say you want to fuck her, jesus.” georgia huffs.

“the couch pulls out. give me a few minutes i’ll have it ready for you guys.” vincent ignores her, going upstairs, only to end up tripping and causing a loud thud. maggie rushes to his aid, their laughter filling the stairs, followed by a few more softer thuds. 

georgia and benjamin sit in silence, only for a moment. once the lighter dies, georgia looks down at benjamin, who’s smirking at her. “what are you so pleased about.”

“nothing.” he shakes his head. but they both know. with another beat of silence, georgia pushes herself off, straddling his hips and leaning down to kiss him, harder and with far more intent this time. his hand moved to grab her ass, pressing her against him, where she can feel him get hard. 

it’s the little movements, the small grinds and what pleasure she can find from his hard on through his jeans, pressing into her, that causes her to moan into his mouth. he’s always bold, and is never a man to waist time, but now less so than usual. his hand slides under her sweater to cup her breasts, pulling down her bra to feel over her hardened nipples.

“benjamin.” she whispers, breathless. “we should wait until they’re in bed.”

“we could.” he grumbles, pinching her nipples and making her grunt. “what if we just see how far we get until they come back down?”

“you are insane.” she giggles, his lips attaching to her neck. the hand on her ass slides between her thighs, pressing directly into her, making her gasp. “benjie.” 

“yes, baby.” he purrs, his fingers moving in circles over her jeans.

“i can’t wait to have you inside me.” she moans, moving her hips back into his fingers.

“me too, babe.”

he kept rubbing her through her jeans, his other hand working her breast. his lips moved to meet her’s again when her moans were becoming to raise in volume. he could get her to be quieter, but hadn’t stopped. he only picked up pace, feeling her hip movements only suggesting she was getting closer and closer. her fingers tightened in his hair and and she was frantically moving her body against him. her words begging and pleading with him.

when she finally did come, her body trembled, shaking above him and her face pressing into his neck. her body froze for a few moments, his hand rubbing over her ass tenderly. he told her she was a good girl, and she hummed, kissing his jaw. it took a few more seconds before reality came back to her.

“they’re fucking up there, aren’t they?” georgia whispers.

“yeah, probably.”

georgia groans, her hand rubbing up and down his side. “we’ll just wait then. you made me come so we should let them do the same.”

“you’re an amazing friend georgia, really.”

“shut the fuck up.” 

she can hear his deep chuckle in his chest and it only makes her eyes fall shut. “can’t wait to have you fuck me on their pullout.”

except, in a matter of minutes, the two of them were passed out, on top of one another.

sure enough, with maggie’s legs wrapped around vincent’s hips, her top pulled down her shoulders to expose her breasts to his mouth, she came around him, a hand clasped over her mouth so she wouldn’t be heard below them. vincent wasn’t much further behind her, hips stunting in an uneven rhythm, until he came on his own, breathing down her chest.

“i love you.” he muttered into her chest, her fingers brushing his hair back.

“i love you too, vinnie.” she chuckles. “we should get them their stuff for the bed now, though.” she pats his shoulder.

“oh, right.” he lets her down slowly, letting her fix himself. he does the same, putting his jeans back on and brushing his hair into the spot it was before. “hope they didn’t notice.”

it didn’t really matter if they had or not, because when vincent and maggie came back down, with everything in their arms, they noticed the two, sleeping, with georgia on top of him, hands in his hair, and his hand on her ass.

“romantic.” vincent says to maggie.

“not any less romantic than you are.” she shrugs, taking the coffee table and sliding it back. “hey lovebirds.” she kicks georgia’s hip. “you’re in the way of us making your bed.”

georgia groans, looking up with her eyes squinted. “you guys done fucking?”

“what?” her skin grows hot and her cheeks turn pink. “how did you know.”

benjamin laughs from under her, his eyes still closed. “you two can’t be along for longer than five minutes without fucking. we just assumed.”

“i hate how right they are.” vincent chimes in.

“don’t encourage them.” maggie rolls her eyes.

georgia and benjamin don’t get up, instead they just adjust themselves to be out of the way of them making the bed. benjamin just grabs georgia further, twisting on his side to wrap his arms around her, locking her in against him. “oh thanks, benjie, this is nice.” she chokes out.

he hums, head in her neck. “goodnight.”

“you still have to keep your word, mister.” she pokes his side.

he doesn’t reply. so she lays limp in his arms, looking up and vincent and maggie help each other to set up the bed. “i’d be disgusted by what you guys just did, but you’re so damn cute it’s next to impossible.”

“very sweet of your to say, georgie.” maggie looks over at her. “we try.”

“on one hand, your love is disgusting. on the other hand, goals, you know?” she pouts.

“you two are perfectly goals, georgia.” maggie says reassuringly.

“well yeah, but like… not always.”

“i can still hear you.” benjamin mumbles.

“shush, i’m gossiping about you.”

“oh, well thanks for being up front.”

“no talking.”

maggie raises her eyebrows, looking from vincent, to maggie. vincent does the same, and he decides it’s his turn. “maybe if you two stopped fighting so goddamn much, you’d be happier.”

georgia snorts. “easy for you to say. you’re about as agreeable as a block of cheese.”

vincent’s eyes narrow, looking to maggie. she can’t help but grin as he mouths, what does that even mean? 

maggie shakes her head with a snicker. “he might be agreeable, georgie, but he’s got a point. you two are quite volatile.”

“if i may.” benjamin clears his throat. “it makes for a fantastic sex life.” his head is still buried in her neck, voice mumbled.

“see?” georgia nods.

“but aside from that,” benjamin mumbles. “georgia is the most special lady ever and even if she makes my blood boil sometimes for how overdramatic and unreasonable she can be, her passion and resilience is what I admire most about her. i wouldn’t give up the fighting if it meant giving that up in her.”

“oh,” maggie raises her eyebrows.

“really?” georgia whispers, nudging her head to try and dig his out. instead, he just pulls her tighter, and tucks his head in even more. 

“yes.” he confirms.

“well then nevermind. you guys suck.” georgia looks up at the two of them. “we’re number one now.”

“okay.” vincent nods. 

maggie and vincent go back to setting up the bed, when georgia nudges her head back to him. “i’m going to remember that for the next time we fight.”

“good luck. i’m very drunk now and i’ll tell you i was lying.”

“but you’re not lying, right?”

“no of course not.”

“good.” she kisses his temple, rubbing his back.

“okay guys, the bed’s ready.” vincent announces. he walks over to the light, switching it off, and turning on the lamp instead. “we’ll let you guys get settled. maybe tomorrow i’ll make some pancakes.”

“that sounds nice.” maggie steps over the coffee table to take his hand. “night, guys.”

“goodnight!” georgia calls back, as benjamin grunts.

she watches them go up the stairs, only to pat benjamin’s arm when they’re out of sight. “you better fuck me like you meant every last one of those words, benjamin.”

he chuckles, finally peeling back from her. he stands up slowly, knees cracking, and then bends back down to pull her hands to get her to stand. “take off your pants.”

[padawanlost]

Anakin Skywalker & Slavery

Continuation of this post (a question by @ask-the-almighty-google)

Anakin, as a Jedi, had a unique approach to slavery. I’m aware this is a divisive topic with opinions ranging from “Anakin was worse than Jabba” to “Anakin did nothing wrong”. Instead of doing a “opinion piece” I decided it would be more constructive if we could look at the facts. My personal opinion will still be a part of this but today I’ll try to show more and talk less.

Anakin, as a child born in slavery, was deeply traumatize by his experiences and that certainly influenced how he look at it. His reactions to slavery were personal because it was something deeply personal to him. Anakin was wrong in not fighting for the clones but to expect Anakin to passionately the cause is unrealistic because he spend the previous 10 years old his life behind constantly criticized for that exact same behavior. He did want to save all slaves but the Jedi “beat” that dream of out him.

“Worried about helping Jabba? Don’t worry, everyone else is, too.” Anakin could never answer her. He tried not to think about it, but the thought was like a corris weevil, eating away at his resolve. The Jedi had never tried to rescue his mother or buy her out of slavery. Instead, they had taken him, given him this new life, but left her behind on Tatooine. He had just accepted it at the time, but now … now he knew how much power Jedi had, and all he could wonder is why she hadn’t been worth their time and trouble, too, if only to keep him happy. Not even Qui-Gon Jinn had cast a backward glance at Shmi Skywalker. As the months and years wore on, the question would not leave Anakin alone. He didn’t want to let resentment eat away at his fond memories of his old Master, but he couldn’t stop it sometimes. […]The Jedi Council had credits. Real wealth. Would it really have been beyond them to buy his mother out of slavery? Anakin accepted that some things had to be learned from the cradle. He was already full of attachment and emotion, too set in his ways of being a messy, ordinary human to adopt the aloof serenity—the unloving detachment, the arm’s-length and measured compassion—a Jedi needed. He did his best. Why wasn’t my mother worth saving? [The Clone Wars by Karen Traviss]

Why won’t they help me free my mother? It’s not fair! It’s not right! Countless times, Obi-Wan explained that every Jedi had to obey the directives of the Jedi Council, and could never use the Force for selfish purposes. He urged Anakin to consider how freeing one slave on Tatooine might lead to the deaths of others, as some slavers might prefer to destroy their “property” than release them from bondage. The Jedi also had to answer to the Galactic Senate, and for the time being, the Senate had little interest in anything that happened on Tatooine. Why do the Jedi have to answer to anybody? Anakin wondered. Despite Anakin’s desire to distance himself from the slave he had once been, he was unable, or unwilling, to shed the other aspects that had defined him on Tatooine. [Ryder Windham’s The Rise and Fall of Darth Vader]

This was a constant in Anakin’s years as a Jedi. every time he tried to bring up the subject he was told how wrong he was by these powerful and wise beings he so admired. Eventually he stopped asking. He buried his dreams.

When they'd met, Anakin had been a warm-hearted nine-year-old boy with an open nature. He was twelve and a half now, and the years had changed him. He had grown to be a boy who hid his heart. [Jude Watson’s Deceptions]

Slavery became a sore topic. Something he tried to hide at all costs. And, if possible, avoided thinking about at all costs.

Anakin regretted it as soon as he said it. He’d made it sound more as if he had some wild, dark past, and nothing was better guaranteed to keep Ahsoka asking questions than that. If he explained he’d been a Hutt’s slave, she’d dig away at it until all the bad stuff came out. It was hard enough telling Padmé, and she was his wife. [The Clone Wars by Karen Traviss]

I think he internalized and eventually blamed it all on himself. He admitted to himself he had a part in  it too and that guilty ate away at him.

When the war was over he’d go back to Tatooine and see. When the war was over he’d buy any child he found enslaved to Watto and find them a home where they might live and love in safety. Belonging to no one but themselves. I should have done it before now. Wasn’t that my other childhood dream? Become a Jedi and free the slaves. Instead I became a Jedi and let myself forget. Let them convince me that it’s not our job to remake the Republic. The Jedi were keepers of the peace, not legal enforcers. That was the Senate’s job. How many times had he been told that? He’d lost count. But the Senate was falling down on the job, wasn’t it? What was the use of having anti-slavery laws if the barves who broke them never paid for their crimes? It was enough to shake his hard-won and harder-kept faith. If scum like Watto and Jabba and the other Hutts kept on making their fat profits on the backs of living property—and if the Senate continued to turn a blind eye—how could anyone believe in the Republic? How could he? [Karen Miller’s Star Wars: Clone Wars Gambit: Stealth]

Anakin wasn’t sure how he’d react when he saw Watto again. Although his former master had been kinder than other slave owners, Anakin had always resented the fact that Watto refused to free his mother. Watto isn’t entirely to blame, Anakin mused, wondering just how hard Qui-Gon had tried to liberate Shmi. Slavery is allowed here, and Watto is just a businessman. [Ryder Windham’s The Rise and Fall of Darth Vader]

There are credits in slavery—and credits trump justice. Always have. Always will. And the Jedi? They didn’t want to get involved. Even Qui-Gon … So I guess it’s up to me. I failed my mother. I didn’t go back for her and she died. But when the war is over I’ll make good on my word. I’ll fight slavery wherever I find it … and there’ll be no mercy for those who steal lives. [Karen Miller’s Star Wars: Clone Wars Gambit: Stealth]

Jabba grew fat on the misery of beings like Anakin’s mother. He’d probably taken a percentage of the very transactions that had kept Shmi Skywalker in slavery. And still I have to save his son. Because we need his goodwill. His space lanes. The idea stuck in Anakin’s throat like a splintered nuna bone. The pain was palpable. [The Clone Wars by Karen Traviss]

He buried it so deep he became a Jedi. on the surface, he was very much a Jedi (not as dismissive of slavery as the detached Jedi but still unwilling to face the full reality of the situation). However, it still hurt him.

 Anakin wondered whether it was expedience, simple logic—both he and Kenobi spoke Huttese and were experienced in covert missions—or some exercise in character building. Yoda knew Anakin’s past, that he and his mother had been slaves of a Hutt. Jabba raked off a cut from the slave trade, too, so he was personally connected to Anakin’s boyhood misery, and even his mother’s ultimate fate. Callous didn’t begin to cover it. Anakin’s instinctive reaction would have been to tell Jabba that it was too bad and that people you loved got killed all the time. [The Clone Wars by Karen Traviss]

Again, he buried his feelings and thoughts because that’s what the Jedi taught him. when the Clone War begins, that’s what he does. He buries everything. It’s a result of his traumas and his jedi upbringing. But let me you, Anakin did care about the clones. No, he did not fight for his rights or recognized their status as slaves but this idea that Anakin didn’t care about the well being of his men is as fanon as fanon gets.

I know this is a contraction hard to grasp. I mean, how can’t some fail to notice someone is a slave, keep them enslaved and still care about their life and grief for them? sounds impossible, right? But it’s not. These kinds of contractions are what makes us humans, what makes great characters great. How can Obi-wan love Anakin and still cut of his limbs and leave him to burn? He is human. This is not a simple matter that can be summarized with a simple right or wrong answer.

It’s not darkness. I’m not dark. This isn’t anger— It was okay; they’d always told him so. He was fighting to save his men, and if he did terrible things out of compassion, out of love, then he wasn’t turning to the dark side. That was the Jedi way. For my mother. For my men. For Padmé. [The Clone Wars by Karen Traviss]

Impatience. Concern. Relief. Loneliness. Weariness. And grief, not yet healed. Such a muddle of emotions. Such a weight on [Anakin]’s shoulders. Months of brutal battle had left [Ahsoka] drained and nearly numb, but it was worse for Anakin. He was a Jedi general with countless lives entrusted to his care, and every life damaged or lost he counted as a personal failure. For other people he found forgiveness; for himself there was none. For himself there was only anger at not meeting his own exacting standards. [Karen Miller’s Star Wars: Clone Wars Gambit: Stealth]

Under [Anakin]’s careless confidence, she sensed a hint of that unhealed grief. The loss of greenies Vere and Ince during the Jan-Fathal mission … the loss of other Torrent Company clones since then … his pain was like a kiplin-burr, burrowed deep in his flesh. Anakin had a bad habit of nursing those wounds, and no matter what she said, tactfully, no matter what Master Kenobi said without any tact at all, nothing made a difference. He hurt for them, and always would. [Karen Miller’s Star Wars: Clone Wars Gambit: Stealth]

[Anakin] looked at Ahsoka. “Fine. You can go. But I want to be kept informed of Torrent Company’s status. Don’t make me chase you for updates, is that clear?” She managed to smile. “Yes, Master. Thank you.” “And Ahsoka …” He felt his heart thud. “Tell Rex—tell all of them—that anything less than a full recovery is unacceptable. Tell Rex I—” He had to stop. Obi-Wan was in earshot, and they were not supposed to care so much. [Karen Miller’s Star Wars: Clone Wars Gambit: Stealth]

 [Anakin] hit the cockpit canopy switch, fast. “Obi-Wan’s fine, more or less,” he told the anxious droid, firing their fighter’s thrusters. “Ahsoka’s pretty banged up, though. So are Rex and Coric. They’re on their way to Kaliida Shoals.” R2’s mournful whistle said everything Anakin couldn’t … or didn’t want to. [Karen Miller’s Star Wars: Clone Wars Gambit: Stealth]

Rex. Coric. Ahsoka. And fourteen dead pilots. Scores more dead and wounded ground troopers. Why can’t we stop this? Why can’t we catch Grievous? Dooku’s only one man. How can he defy the entire Jedi Order? Who is his Sith Master? Why can’t we find him? Day and night the questions ate at him. They ate at Obi-Wan, too, but somehow his former Master seemed able to live without knowing the answers. Or else he was just better at hiding his dismay. His fear. [Karen Miller’s Star Wars: Clone Wars Gambit: Stealth]

Anakin did ask himself questions but over 10 years of being told he was wrong does take a toll. And we need to remember Anakin was 19 years old kid pushed into a war by his superiors. A lack of self-analysis, a narrow view of the world and political nativity comes with the package. Anakin *is* concern about slavery but he is a flawed person with his own blind spots. It’s the famous cognitive dissonance we all know so well.

I’m not saying Anakin is right but deference is an important part of the character. Anakin cannot be the sort of person who is too aware of what’s going on around him or else he wouldn’t turn into Vader. He had to be written this way to explain why Vader exists. If Anakin had questioned the Republic’s slave army he wouldn’t have become the Vader knew from the OT. He had to be kind of guy who blinds follows his superiors even against his own self-interest.  

[raeofgayshine]

The World We’re Gonna Make

Some background info/a look at the characters in my Orphan Au verse. If you want to read more about their adventures, there are two stories that have been posted to go along with it so far, which you can read here and here

Logan Lockerman: - He’s the oldest (by a couple of months but still) - He’s very protective over the others and worries about them constantly, he’s basically the Mom Friend - Placed in the system when he was born, has no idea who his parents are and doesn’t give a shit either - He’s trans, which was something he discovered when he was like three (Patton helped him choose his new name) - People always tell him he’s too young to really know though and so most adults refuse to call him Logan or use the right pronouns. - Logan almost always corrects them though even if it makes his situation worse because he does not have a chill, someone please stop him - Thomas calls Logan the right name/uses the right pronouns from the start which helps with trust - Literally is the biggest troublemaker ever, because he’s stubborn as fuck and also refuses to follow any sort of rule he thinks is stupid or unfair. Has his own agenda in life, most of which revolves around keeping Patton, Roman, and Virgil safe and with him at all times, and will do whatever it takes for that to happens - Gives zero shits what anyone thinks about him (except he sort of cares what Patton, Roman, and Virgil think and eventually Thomas too) - He’s the honorary grandson of a knitting club that meets in the library every Wednesday night. They all love him and his rebellion, especially once they see him interact with Pat, Ro, and V, and are always giving him tips on how not to get caught. They’ve taught him how to knit although he doesn’t admit that, and help him whenever he needs to do something he maybe shouldn’t - They’re also totally chill with him being trans and are willing to fight people who say he is too young - Literally the best role models ever, I love them - A tol boy. Even at 12 he’s already v tall and still growing. None of his pants fit him anymore, so Thomas has to take him shopping after he takes them in just so that he has something that fits - Used to cut his own hair when it got too long with a little help from Patton, and while it always looked a little messy it was better than the dysphoria caused by long hair - He gets his first real haircut after moving in with Thomas when Patton asks to borrow scissors to cut Logan’s hair and Thomas offers to book an appointment with an actual hair stylist instead - Is a huge fucking nerd who loves space and would love to be an astronaut except that it would require him to leave the others and he’s too attached to do that (although he would never admit that because “ew, feelings” - “VIVA LA PLUTO, FUCK YOU” - Likes watching the stars when he’s stressed, it calms him down. - He also likes talking about the stars with the others when they’re upset, it’s basically the only way he knows how to calm them down. It works most of the time. - Also is really fascinated by the ocean but hasn’t spent a lot of time studying it. It lowkey scares him as much as it fascinates him. - Maybe wants to be a marine biologist, who knows, he’s fucking 12 after all - Self Care who? I don’t know her. - Will fight his family if they don’t take care of themselves but he doesn’t do it himself - A true disaster gay - Would stay up all night studying if Patton could sleep alone. Sometimes he sneaks out of bed if Ro or Virgil joins Patton because of nightmares and will sit reading at his desk for hours until one of them wakes up and drags him to bed - Has passed out his desk several times. Has literally zero regrets, unless Patton finds him and scolds him because Patton is good at making him feel guilty for doing that. - Hella smart, which he uses to keep from getting caught doing things he shouldn’t - Grew up too fast and never got to really act like a child because he always felt the need to protect the others from the day he met Patton - Has trouble letting loose, even after they are taken in by Thomas, although slowly he learns to relax just a little, and there are rare times he completely lets himself go - One of those times is when they visit the Planetarium and Science Museum, and Logan lets his enthusiasm and joy take over as he drags the others around to each exhibit, excitedly explaining everything he knows on each topic before they move on. - A true Slytherclaw

Patton Morgan: - The second oldest - The softest puffball ever, unless you hurt his friends in which case he will fight you zero hesitation - The Dad Friend who will adopt literally anyone who needs him even if they’re older than him it doesn’t matter, you’re still one of his kiddos - Was given up when he was a few months old for unknown reasons, always has been curious about his parents but there’s no information to go on so he tries not to let it bug him. Besides he has his own famILY and he loves them more than anything - Gives the best hugs, and gives them all the time. Always greets people with a hug, even if it hasn’t been the long since he last saw them - Has trouble sleeping alone so he usually sleeps with Logan especially when they were kids. - Loves all animals, especially cats, even if he’s allergic and cannot resist helping an animal in need. He’s gotten in trouble quite a few times for hiding injured wild animals in his room that he was nursing back to health - Animals love him just as much back, everywhere he goes he attracts them like a fucking Disney Princess - Not as much of a troublemaker as Logan, doesn’t like breaking the rules or making others upset with him, but will do it when necessary, usually to protect his family - Loves to bake and taught himself to do so with a bit of help from Logan when he was 7. Always gets in trouble for baking unsupervised, and has burned himself more than once by getting distracted - Tried to cook once and ended up almost setting the kitchen on fire. He’s not allowed to cook anymore. - Loves to draw and is actually pretty good at it, but thinks of it as more of a silly hobby than anything else (as in he doesn’t think he’s that great but he others strongly disagree) - Owns way too many coloring books that he likes to share with the others when they’re stressed, it’s the ultimate relaxation technique - Looks on the bright side of life and tries to keep a positive attitude as much as possible. - Loves make others happy it is his favorite past time - Shorter than Logan but not by much. He’s covered in freckles and has curly dirty blonde hair that’s almost always messy and impossible to tame but in a cute way - He’s adorable and he knows it and uses it to keep himself and his family out of trouble - Convinced Logan to get matching glasses because he thought it was cute - Has a super pretty singing voice but always gets really shy about it and insists it’s not that good - Spends a lot of time threatening to fight his friends for not believing in themselves or thinking they’re not good enough/good at something, but also is a major hypocrite because he always talks down about himself - Needs! To! Learn! Self! Love!! - Wears his heart on his sleeve and always feels every emotion like, 10000%, which leads to him getting hurt a lot and the others threatening to beat people up - Used to get bullied until Logan found out, afterward which everyone was too scared to even look at Patton wrong because Logan is hella fucking protective when he needs to be - Loves Christmas, to the point where as soon as Halloween is over he’s blasting Christmas carols and watching Christmas movies, he even makes his own decorations out of paper because that’s all they have and covers everything with cheer - Has a journal where he writes all the good stuff that happens every day which helps cheer him up when he’s sad - Aggressively loves you tbh - Cries when he’s angry/frustrated, which often makes people think that he is weak/they need to baby him - Does Not need to be treated like a child, he can take care of himself perfectly fine thank you very much - Never is ashamed to admit when he does need help, which is why he gets frustrated when people don’t believe him when he says he can handle something - Good at reading people and always knows what they need to hear when they need to hear it - Has the best puns - An honest to god Slytherpuff and it’s terrifying

Roman Creasy: - The baby - The smolest child, will actually fight you if you point it out though - Was raised by a single mother until he was 5, it had always been just the two of them and they were really close so he was super upset when she died - She was killed in a car accident by a drunk driver. Roman walked away with only a few cuts and bruises - Roman doesn’t really like riding in cars and gets antsy when he has to be in them too long as a result - Learned from an early age that nothing in life comes for free so if you want your dreams to come true you have to work for them - Believes that anything is possible if you’re willing to put in the effort, no dream is too big even when others say it’s unrealistic - Wants to be an actor on Broadway and has since he was two and his mom took him for the first time to the local theater. He fell in love instantly with the music, the dancing, the sparkling lights, and declared that that was what he wanted to do - He spends a lot of time practicing even though others don’t always see it like that. He’s always singing, dancing, trying to get better, every story he tells is a performance because he’s practicing for being on stage - Loves all things Disney and will defend the movies to his grave, if you insult them in front of him you’ve made a mistake because he will go off on you - His favorite princess is Mulan and his favorite prince Flynn Ryder - One of the last things he has from before his mom died is the prince outfit she bought him for Halloween when he was five. It was too big then, and now it’s mostly falling apart, but he still wears the sash when he plays prince - After Thomas takes them in, Thomas buys him a new costume that Roman wears basically all the time - Is always covered in cuts and bruises from “Questing”, and from doing things like climbing trees he shouldn’t or climbing on top the monkey bars and falling off. - Roman gets into a lot of trouble but usually on accident, he’s an act now think later sort of person, often times he sees rules as a challenge rather than something to be followed, and he doesn’t hesitate to save someone in trouble (He’s gotten into a few fights with bullies at school, Logan is proud and Patton just concerned). - He writes stories all the time but will only share them with his family because he doesn’t think they’re that good. - He also has the tendency to start things and never finish them because he just has a lot of ideas - He carries a notebook around so that he jots down his ideas whenever they come to him so he doesn't forget them because his mind is just always going - Whenever he has nightmares he’ll sneak into Patton and Logan’s room and depending on what it was about depends on who he wakes up for comfort - Most of the time he wakes up Patton because a hug from him can cure basically anything and he’s the best at comfort - When he dreams about his mom though he usually wakes up Logan because he needs the comfort of the mom friend - Is adorable as fuck and knows it. His hair is a light brown and a little wavy, the ends are dyed red after he moves in with Thomas and he mostly keeps it pushed out of his face but when he gets really excited some of it falls in his eyes and it makes him look even more adorable, he has freckles on his face from the sun but that’s it. - He’s almost always happy and excited and is like the most precious child in the world, always ready for adventure, he’s basically like a puppy I love him. - He’s really smart but has trouble sitting still and learning, but Logan helps him out by taking the time to explain things in a way that keeps Roman interested and at a pace he can understand - Took dance classes before his mother died and really wants to take them again, but he also doesn’t want to bother Thomas by asking so he just tries to teach himself from videos he sees online - Thomas catches on at some point and signs Roman up for classes and Ro cries he is so grateful - Pretends that he’s super confident and bulletproof and like nothing can hurt him, but is actually really sensitive and takes everything that people say to heart - Craves validation and being praised which leads to him going out of his way to get attention - Is such a people pleaser. He wants everyone to like him and gets upset when they don’t - Needs to be protected he is literally so pure - Self-identified Gryffindor willing to fight you about it, but could easily be Ravenclaw or Slytherin

Virgil Antley: - The newest to the family, he’s only been with them about five months before Thomas takes them in - The second youngest, about 6 months older than Roman - They are all very protective over him, literally the other three would kill for Virgil without a second thought. - An anxious babe, but also really soft and sweet. - Just wants to be loved tbh - Cries when people yell at him. - Usually assumes if someone is mad it’s his fault and tries to apologize even if they’re not mad at him - Because of his anxiety there’s a lot of times that he can’t talk, so Logan taught them all sign language so that they communicate when Virgil has trouble speaking - Was put into the system after his parents were arrested for drug charges and stayed at the same group home as the others for 4 months while his parents went to rehab and tried to prove they were fit to have a kid again - Got really attached to the others after Logan calmed him down from a nightmare talking about stars and then Patton cuddled him until he fell back asleep. - It took him a little longer to warm up to Roman cause he’s so loud and excitable, but after Ro fell asleep on him one night Virgil decided he didn’t mind him so much - Virgil is highly protective over Roman, and will fight anyone that touches him. - They bicker a lot and can be sort of mean to each other but in a playful way and if anyone else said the things about Ro that Virgil did (or vice versa), Virgil would kick their ass - After 4 months had passed his parents came to take him home and Virgil doesn’t really want to go but there’s literally nothing the others can do. - Logan yells and throws a fit because there’s clearly something off, no kid should be afraid of their parents like Virgil is of his but there’s literally nothing they can do - Two weeks later Virgil’s parents get arrested for child abuse after Virgil misses like three days of school and they come to his house to find him locked in the basement covered in bruises - He had a broken arm and quite a few bruised/cracked ribs from where he fell (was pushed) down the stairs and a concussion, as well as being dehydrated from being locked up for so long without food or drink. - The three boys sneak into the hospital to see him when they find out and refuse to leave Virgil’s side until he’s discharged and eventually the doctors give in because it would honestly just cause Virgil more trauma at this point to remove them then to let them stay - He returns to the group home after a few days in the hospital for about a week, until someone (Thomas) offers to foster him so that he could get access to the care he really needed to recover from the trauma - Which leads to Thomas taking in all four boys after he sees them together and decides they can’t be separated - Before meeting the others Virgil was pretty touch starved, so afterwards he becomes super clingy and is usually always in physical contact with at least one of the others in some form. It also helps calm him down and keep him grounded when his anxiety is !!!! - Learned to play the piano from his music teacher when he was 5 and was basically a natural. - By the time he moves in with Thomas, who has a piano in his living room, he hasn’t played in over a year and it takes him a while to actually work up the courage to do so again, but he’s still just as good. - He wants to learn other instruments when he gets older, but right now hasn’t decided exactly what yet - Average height for his age, but also too skinny thanks to neglect. On the paler side, but not necessarily in the way that looks unhealthy, it’s just his skin tone. - Likes to hide behind his fringe (which is dyed purple thanks to Thomas) because it makes him feel safer. He usually wears an oversized hoodie for the same reason - Has the cutest fucking puppy eyes that you cannot resist and melts even the most frozen of hearts - Is honestly a really chill child, especially compared to Roman who is sort of high demand, he doesn’t require much attention on a day to day basis but he does like it when he gets some - Has a curious side that he doesn’t show a lot because anxiety, but like as he becomes more comfortable around the others he starts asking more questions. - Once he gets started, its hard to get Virgil to stop asking questions, he always wants to know more, partly for the fun of it, partly because the more knows the more his anxiety is eased - Likes science because it’s a lot about asking questions and trying to find answers. - Logan and Virgil have gotten into a lot of questionable situations in the name of science -Tbh he’s a Griffinclaw but he will literally fight you over that

Thomas Sanders: - The foster dad who takes the boys in - In a constant state of s t r e s s - Is Trying His Best with mild success - There are good and bad days, though he likes to think there’s more good than bad over time - Just wants the boys to be happy healthy children who aren’t worried about things they shouldn’t be, like not getting food or being separated or being punished for giving their opinion - Although yelling isn’t the best way to share your thoughts, Logan, there is a polite way to disagree with someone especially if they’re willing to listen to you there’s no need shout - A pure soul - Often bites off more than he can chew because he just wants to help others out and make them happy - Signed up to be a foster parent so that he could help out kids in need - Virgil was supposed to be his first foster kid, alone, but when Thomas met the others (and maybe was threatened a bit by Logan and Patton) and saw the four of them together he decided he was going to take all of them - A lot of people think he’s crazy for taking on four kids his first time, especially when all of those four kids are known for making trouble and/or were dealing with effects of various types of trauma - Thomas thinks he’s crazy a lot of the time too, but at the same time these boys are worth it - A high school music teacher who also helps out a lot with theater, also basically the coolest teacher in school everyone loves him - He learned sign language after he decided to be a teacher because he figured it could help out with students/parents/siblings - Acts whenever he has a chance at the local theater downtown - He takes the boys there one Saturday and Roman falls in love instantly - Honestly one of the things that helps Roman open up to him - Does his best to support the boys however he can, like getting Logan new clothes and a haircut, buying Virgil sheet music and letting him use the piano, taking Roman to dance classes, and very easily being talked into adopting a dog by Patton (He had been debating on doing it anyways, and Pat had a good point it might help the others open up and trust him more and also help Virgil relax a bit) - Is super excited/proud whenever one of the boys opens up to him a little or even when they just start to relax more in his presence - Almost cries the first time Virgil talks to him tbh because it’s such a big deal - Loves to do things that makes the boys happy and spends so much time trying to figure out what they each enjoy so that he can take them to those things - He tries his best to accommodate each one of the boys and their little quirks - Like that he shouldn’t ever raise his voice around Virgil and to make sure he gives the boy extra reassurance when something went wrong - Or that the best way to get Roman to do anything, even the things he didn’t want to do, was to make it seem like a quest of some sort - Realizes early on that Patton hated being treated like he couldn’t take care of himself so he lets him have independence first, and when he does offer help makes it clear it’s not because he doesn’t think Patton is capable, but because he just likes to help - Picks up on the fact that Logan shoves aside his own needs and wants to put the others first, so he makes it his mission to give Lo gentle reminders to take care of himself, steps in when he gets too stressed and gets him to relax, and encourages him to indulge in the little pleasures he otherwise wouldn’t. - Before the boys move in with him, Thomas doesn’t cook a lot, he doesn’t really know how and with his schedule and school there wasn’t always a lot of time, but when he takes them in he makes an effort to start cooking more, and although it’s a bit of a disaster at first with the help of Logan (who treats cooking like a science), between the two of them they manage to figure it out and soon it becomes pretty rare that they set off the fire alarm - Patton teaches Thomas how to bake!! It’s really cute, and it’s one of the ways they bond from the very beginning. - Thomas is open from the start with the boys that this is just as much of a learning experience for him as it is for them, all of them are in this boat together trying to figure out how it works and the best way to go about things, they might make mistakes but it was okay because none of them were perfect - Still, Thomas always gets upset with himself every time he says/does something that sets back the progress he’s made with the boys. He tries not to let them see that though because he doesn’t want them to blame themselves. - Loves his boys from the moment he meets them, lowkey wants to adopt them after a few weeks but like is too scared to bring it up because he doesn’t want to scare them off - The Best Dad - A Hufflepuff through and through