#ewvanda insp

[mrs-mikko-rantanen]

Sparks Fly

1,573 words. Ewvanda. Pre-relationship modern!au setting. Mutual pining, but Avanda is a clueless dumbass. I say mutual pining but its Av's pov so really its just her pining really hard for 1,573 words. I've been sitting on this for so long, part 1 of ?

Avanda watched the dark grey clouds expectantly. They'd been threatening rain all week, but so far hadn't actually made good on it. She was starting to go crazy. Her living situation was already...tense.  Ewan was practically moved in. If he wasn't staying on the couch here in the apartment that she and Thane shared, then she was on the couch in his family's apartment above the Base. That was ideal. Or, it would have been; could be at least. Maybe if Ewan felt the same way about her that she felt about him. Maybe if they shared more than a lingering glance when they thought the other wasn't looking. 

Maybe if they were together. 

But as it was; Ewan was only doing his job. And Avanda was only obeying her father's suggestions. She and Ewan weren't in love. They were both just following orders. 

Ewan shifted at the dining room table. He had papers scattered all across it. Maps and plans; mission summaries and intelligence reports. He was piecing something together with a precise organisation in his head that was severely lacking on the table. He shuffled a stack of reports and sighed a little. The sound was copied by the clouds outside, who seemed to be letting out a low rumble of thunder in agreement. 

Avanda turned her head to the clouds once more, a small smile spreading on her face. She waited for the first drops to begin to fall before she made her move. 

Finally. 

"Come on." She stood up from her place on the couch, pulling the hair tie out of the end of her braid. 

Ewan looked up with a slight scowl. "Excuse me?"

"I said 'come on.' I'm going outside. As my diligent bodyguard, I assume that means you're coming too." She had made it to the door by now, and was kicking off the ballet flats she wore in the house. 

"Lass--" She grinned as she heard the chair he had been sitting in scrape against the floor. "D'you not see the weather out there?"

"Of course I do." She grinned mischievously at him as she pulled the door open to the complex's shared yard space. "Why else d'you think I want to go out?" Without waiting for him to argue more, she stepped outside. 

Her feet hit the wet grass and she smiled as her fingers combed out the last of her braid. The rain felt amazing as it landed on her skin, and she lifted her face up, her nose wrinkling as the droplets hit her eyelashes. She giggled a little and spun on her toes to look at Ewan. The young man was watching her through the screen door, his arms crossed over his chest and a small smile ghosting his face. He shook his head a little and turned back into the house.

"MacClyde! Get out here!" She called with a small laugh as her feet splashed in a puddle. 

Ewan returned with her shamrock in hand. It was her only houseplant in the apartment; and a source of great pride since it was the only plant she hadn't killed. He placed it on the edge of the concrete that separated the grass and the patio space, then stuck his hands in his pockets and leaned against the wall; shaking his head again as he watched her. Avanda laughed again and turned her back on him, humming quietly as her toes sank into the soft earth. Her hair was wild from the wind and the water, and she sighed happily as she pushed the tangles away from her face. She turned again to Ewan and saw that he now had a lit cigarette between his lips, and was tucking a lighter and the pack back into the pocket of his jacket. 

"Hey! No smoking!"

"I'm outside." Ewan argued, "I was told it was fine if I was out of the apartment."

Avanda crossed to him now, the mischief in her eyes growing. "Yes. But I said no smoking." With a confidence that surprised even herself, she reached up and plucked the cigarette out of his mouth, tossing it into a puddle deep enough to extinguish it. 

"Lass." His voice was thick with frustration and his eyes narrowed a little, but the smile that played at his lips still told Avanda that he wasn't really angry. 

God she wished he'd kiss her.

She shrugged. "Bad for you."

He ignored her, pulling another one out of the box. He eyed her carefully and she held her ground. Wet hair hanging in her eyes and a crooked grin still painted across her face. He dropped her gaze and lit the cigarette. She promptly pulled it back out of his mouth and tossed it to share the watery grave of it's brother. Ewan let out an annoyed hiss, a wisp of smoke escaping between his teeth. 

"Lass. These aren't exactly inexpensive."

"Then quit buying them." She shrugged and crossed her arms. 

Ewan raised an eyebrow at her and held a third cigarette in his mouth. "You're just going to throw this one out too, aren't you?"

Avanda smiled. "You catch on quick, MacClyde."

He sighed. "Look, you're getting to do your silly little stress relief out in the rain, why can't I do mine?"

"Because mine isn't hugely detrimental to my health."

"You'll catch a cold." He gently lifted a strand of her dripping hair, brandishing it at her a little before tucking it behind her ear. Her heart slammed madly in her chest, and she was terrified he would hear it. 

"You'll catch cancer." She argued. 

Ewan held her gaze for a very long time, thinking as he clicked the lighter on and off, but never lighting the cigarette. 

God she wanted to kiss him. 

The rain was still pouring down behind them and the flame from the lighter kept lighting his eyes. Each time she noticed more and more about them. 

Click. They were different colors. Click. The left one was blue, the right one brown. Click. The brown one was the same color as her coffee in the mornings. Click. Darker even. Click. When he smiled, they lit up like Christmas lights. Click. Right now they were nearly blinding. Click. And that was just with a teasing little grin. Click. What must they be like when he really smiled?

Ewan let out an even longer sigh now, returning the unlit cigarette to the carton. "Now what?"

Avanda smiled. A thought tugged at the back of her mind, and she wondered if she should ignore it. The thought slid between her lips before she had a chance to argue. 

"Come dance with me."

"You're mental."

Avanda blushed a little. "Oh, come on MacClyde. You know you want to."

"I don't dance." 

"That's a lie."

"You have no proof to support that."

"Call it a hunch."

Ewan blinked at her a few times. 

"Come on. Please?"

Another sigh. He sighed a lot. It had annoyed her a little at first, but now the sound had grown on her. It felt safe. 

"If you tell anyone--"

She didn't wait for him to finish the threat. She grabbed his hand and pulled him off the sidewalk and into the grass with her. The rain was coming down so hard that even in parts of the lawn there were deep puddles of water; splashing and rippling as droplets hit the surface. She laughed as the rain hit her skin again, and tossed her hands into the air with the thunder, pulling Ewan's hand into the sky with her's. He laughed too now, and she noticed that he was hopping on one foot, trying to pull off his boot and his sock. He stumbled slightly, and she held him up; shrieking with laughter as she started to tip over as well. Once both of Ewan's shoes and socks had been tossed to the safety of the doorstep, he turned and grabbed her waist, spinning them in a circle. The motion caught her by surprise, and she grabbed his shoulders with a gasp as her feet left the ground. Ewan spun her around and sang a chorus of some old Kerridwen song in Gaelic as he danced, and Avanda could swear she was flying. Almost as suddenly as it had started, it ended again. Ewan dropped her right into one of the puddles. Avanda screeched again and he laughed, hard. She scrambled to her feet again, flicking hair out of her eyes as she did; kicking water at him. 

"You've done it now, MacClyde. You've really done it now!" She kicked and splashed the water at him. He laughed and splashed back at her. By the time the storm had passed, both of them were soaked to the bone. Breathless and gasping with laughter and--

--and Ewan's hand clasped her's tightly as he pulled her back inside. He didn't let go as he scooped up the houseplant and handed it back to her. He didn't let go as he opened the door and held it for her. 

God, how she wished he would kiss her already. 

But as his fingers broke away from her's as he went to get some towels, she was reminded that he never would kiss her. That was only a fantasy. 

And yet….no matter what, they had danced in the rain together and laughed until their sides ached. And that was something, at least. 

[mrs-mikko-rantanen]

Me too, thank you!!!

"Come to bed, please, just lie down."

"I can't, I'm supposed to protect you."

"Then do it from this mattress. You're so tired, you need rest. I promise I'll wake you if danger comes lurking."

[mrs-mikko-rantanen]

Dive

1,105 words. Ewan and Avanda are dating, but hiding it. Ewan's badly written stutter god I'm sorry. Ewan being a little insecure? Worried? Vulnerable?? Soft times.

Ewan had always been known to have very strong emotions. As a kid, he had been one to cry when he got angry or frustrated; a trait that he fought with even as an adult. He was known to get fired up very easily in Renegade meetings. Adair made it a point to stand to one side of him in case things got heated and he needed to break up a fight. But it wasn't just his anger that he kept close to the surface. His laugh and smile were infectious, often spreading around the family's apartment like a blazing wildfire; and near impossible to stop once it started. He felt every emotion deeply and to it's full extent, so it was no surprise that he fell in love just as hard. 

Avanda had come out of nowhere. Like a rock thrown into the peaceful water of a silent lake, she had come into his life suddenly, changing everything. 

What had started as a one-sided crush had turned into silent pining. Pining had grown into dropping hints. And dropping hints had resulted in a sudden and desperate kiss after a mission had gone sideways. And that kiss...well the kiss had turned into more kisses. Hidden and stolen in the dark, tucked into the corner. Fingers barely brushing, even when they thought no one was looking. Worried promises whispered into each other's hair before one of them left on a mission. And tearful rendezvous after those missions; clinging to each other like lifelines. 

It was one of those reunions that they were in now. Ewan was back. He'd made it home, safe and sound save for a few scrapes and a broken rib. Avanda had shed a few tears, burying her face in his chest. Now she'd calmed down some. Ewan was hunched over slightly, making himself short enough that she could rest her chin on his shoulder as she stood on her toes, clinging to him. One hand traced up and down his spine, the other tangled in the curls at the base of his neck. 

A thought bubbled up in Ewan's chest, a cold dread that he'd been working hard to ignore ever since that first kiss. He straightened up slowly, tears choking him. 

Avanda pulled back as well, a small smile fading as she looked at the worry in his eyes. 

"What is it?"

"Av…" he swallowed hard, eyes sliding away from her's, "What are we doing?"

"What do you mean?" Her hand had moved from the back of his neck, resting now on his cheek. With a shaking hand, Ewan gently removed it from the side of his face.

"Wh-what are-are- Av, w-what are we?" He stuttered, hands shaking as he still refused to meet her gaze. "What are we- d-doing? What-what are...we?"

"I'm sorry, I'm not sure what you're getting at." Her tone was soft and he could tell that she was trying to understand, which only hurt him more. He drew back a little, blinking fast and trying to hide the tears. 

"Are-do you-? I--are we-?" He sighed. "Are we...official? Or is this- just a way to blow off steam...for--for you? I know-  I know how I feel. About you. About...us. But- is that…?" He sighed again, this time forcing back tears as he continued. "I don't want this to be...just some wartime fling. I can't--I can't survive that. So if you want out; if this isn't something you really want…"

His eyes flicked back to Her now, looking for a reaction. She nodded once, licking her lips a little as it all clicked into place. Ewan's heart pounded in his chest. Were these even answers that he wanted? After trying for so long, he finally was here with her; at least in some capacity. So why was he throwing stones at whatever frail form of perfection they shared?

"Ewan, this….this is complicated." She agreed, twisting her hand out of his grasp. She rested it on his chest and his heart froze as she played with the zipper on his jacket. "I don't know what it is, exactly. But I know it's not like anything I've ever had before. And it's definitely not just 'blowing off steam.'" She smiled up at him. "I know that I care very deeply about you. I know that you make me happy, and that I feel safe around you."

Ewan couldn't stop the corner of his mouth from twitching up in a small smile as she spoke. 

"I know that I would do anything to make you feel just as safe. I know how you take your coffee, and I know what kinds of music you like. I know that you smoke when you get too stressed; a habit, I hope you know, should fall to the wayside if you plan to keep me around much longer." Ewan chuckled a little, his own hands finding their way to Avanda's hair as she spoke still. "I may not know what label to use for you when I introduce you to people, or what the future holds for us. But I know that I love you. And for me, right now? That's enough." 

Ewan framed her face with his hands and pressed a kiss to her lips. It was soft and slow, and long. Her hand rested over the back of his his, a thumb tracing the edge of the tattoo on his wrist. Ewan broke the kiss, resting his forehead against her's as the two of them caught their breath. 

"I love you too. Maybe more than I should, but--but I do. I know that. I know that I will give my all for you. If you asked it of me, I know I would fly. I live and die by your words. I know that whatever it takes, I will be yours; if that's what you want." 

Avanda's hands rested on the back of his neck, tracing the wings tattooed there where they peeked out from the neck of his shirt. He felt her nod, their foreheads still pressed together as she pulled him closer. 

"It is. I do want that, I want you." She kissed him now, her lips still tasting of tears, "I want to be yours, and for you to be mine."

"Then I am yours, m'lady." He shifted the grip he held on her hand, pressing a kiss on the back of it as he drowned in the ocean of her eyes. "Tha mi leatsa cho fad 's a bhios tu agam." I am yours for as long as you will have me. 

[mrs-mikko-rantanen]

P🌕S

"Shit." Ewan scrambled, trying to catch the mug before it fell to the floor. All he succeeded in was batting it across the kitchen, with even more force than it would have had before. The ceramic met the tile and shattered loudly. Ewan's jaw and fists clenched tightly as he stood staring at the mess. His lip trembled and he could feel the tears welling up in his eyes as his heart pounded. 

"Ewan? Are you alright?" 

"Fine." His voice cracked as he rubbed the heels of his hands into his eyes, trying to stop even more tears from forming. His back pressed against the wall and he slid down it to the floor next to the open dishwasher. 

"Ewan?" He could hear the concern in her voice as she came into the kitchen. "What happened, love?"

"I-I broke a mug." Ewan scowled, wiping his eyes with the back of his wrists. 

"Are you ok? I don't smell blood, did you get cut?" He watched as she gently picked up each piece of the broken mug, placing it in the trash. 

"I'm fine." His voice cracked again and the tears started again. "I'm fine! I'm fine, nothing's wrong, it was just a stupid mug…"

"Baby," Avanda scooted closer to him, gently reaching out and resting on his knee, "It's ok, it was just a mug; these things happen."

"I kn-know that!" He felt terrible. He shouldn't snap at her like that, she was just trying to help. "I just… I broke a mug!"

He leaned forward now, resting his head in the crook of her neck and sobbing loudly. He felt her stiffen a little with some surprise, and then relaxed, wrapping her arms around him. 

"Ok, it's alright, love; just take a breath now." 

They sat there on the floor for a little while before he felt her shift a little again, her head turning to look at something next to the fridge. "Ah. I see."

Ewan sniffled a little, "What?" 

"Nothing. How about you go sit on the couch, pick a movie for us. I'll order some food, finish up the dishes, ok?"

Ewan wiped away a few more years and nodded. "Yeah, that--that sounds good. I'm sorry…" 

"Don't be. Just...go pick a movie." She offered him a smile and framed his face in her hands. Her thumbs gently traced over his cheek bones as he nodded, wiping tears away. She chuckled a little and shook her head, then pressed a kiss to his forehead. "I love you." 

"Love you too." He mumbled. He hauled himself to his feet, and into the living room. He didn't pick a movie though. He let himself lay on his side, his head on the armrest, and cried silently a bit more. 

Avanda came out about twenty minutes later, just as the food was delivered. She brought it to him and smiled again, showing the blankets she'd brought with her. 

"Burgers and fries, and a milkshake." She said, handing him the bag of food. Ewan's mouth watered at the smell and he couldn't help but smile a little as he sat up on the couch, legs folding criss-cross-applesauce as he pulled out a few fries. 

"Thank you." He mumbled. 

"Of course." Avanda said, draping one of the blankets over him and gently squeezing his shoulders a little from behind the couch. She leaned around to press a kiss to his cheek and smiled a little. "I know how to take care of my Scooby Snack."

[mrs-mikko-rantanen]

Out Of The Woods

Avanda winced and waved a hand at Cyrus, forcing a smile and a shrug. She was fine. Absolutely totally fine. Besides, they had already bandaged the wound and she had pulled on a simple white shirt over her now torn Ball gown. She'd rolled up the sleeves a little and tied the shirt back behind her, and any of the blood on it wasn't her own. As far as she knew, anyway. She had done everything she could to hide the wound from her vigilant guard, who had enough to worry about right now. Troops to lead and direct, orders to follow and pass on, and no doubt was helping Jace secure the castle. He didn't have to worry about her little scrape as well.

She smiled at the soldier she was helping, offering them a comforting squeeze on the shoulder before turning to find where she was needed next. She hadn't seen him walk in. Didn't hear his voice. There was no way she would have known he had even come in, but something made her turn her head towards the door. Ewan was leaning against the doorframe as he talked to Castor, watching her. His eyes met her's and she smiled at him, relief crashing over her in waves as she saw him. He was alright. Of course he was. She set down the bandages she had been carrying, trading it for a towel that she used to clean her hands off as she approached the two men.

"Highness." Castor nodded his head to her slightly, and she returned the bow to the other Royal. "I was just on my way to find Greywolf. If you'll excuse me." He smirked as he stepped away now, leaving Avanda and Ewan alone amongst the crowd.

Ewan traced a finger along her jaw before pressing a gentle kiss to her lips. Her eyes closed and she melted into it.

"Hey." Ewan whispered against her skin.

"Hey." She replied with a smile. "You're alright?"

"I'm fine. You?" He was trying to hide the worry in his voice, but was failing. His hand rested on the back of her neck, a strand of her hair twirling around his finger.

"Absolutely."

"You're covered in blood."

Avanda forced a chuckle and waved her hand around the room. "I've been helping Cy." She said, "None of it's mine."

Ewan let out a huff of air and raised his eyebrows. "And the shirt...?"

"I wanted to keep my dress clean!"

Ewan's eyebrows lifted even further as he leaned back, his eyes flicking down to several splotches of blood along the skirt, a question in his mismatched eyes.

Avanda shrugged. "Couldn't find any pants."

Ewan sighed, relenting and framing her face with his hands and kissing her again. His hands slid down her arms until they rested on her waist and hips, moving to gently hold her.

Avanda's breath caught ever so slightly and her practiced smile flickered just a little as his left hand ghosted over the still tender wound below her ribs.

Ewan frowned a little, noticing the instantaneous change. His head tilted to the side and Avanda shook her head.

"It's nothing. I just remembered someone should go check on Frostbane. He should be waking up soon, he's going to want answers. And Jace."

[mrs-mikko-rantanen]

Perfect! It's what? 1920?ish? In Egypt.

Ewan is trying to make his way as an archaeologist and explorer, but is having little luck. Things just...keep falling through.

Hes living and working in Cairo as a Librarian for a friend of his late parents; helping with the upkeep of some artifacts in the collection there.

His Treasure hunting twin pops up, as he usually does after a dig, with some little trinket; what looks to be a puzzle box.

(Sidenote: this au gets a brand new Adair. Yes he boxes, yes he has some medical knowledge, he was a medic in the army for a bit, but hey now he picks pockets and is just basically going on adventures looking for money. A very new attitude for him. Crime?? He can have a little bit, as a treat)

Ewan looks it over, unlocks it, and finds a map to an ancient city and the treasure within.

(Obviously the map gets ruined.)

Not to worry! Adair thinks he'll be able to trace down the person he got the puzzle box from!!

Aaand he takes Ewan to the local jail.

Where they meet a wild, crazy, unkempt redhead whos fighting the guards.

She charms Ewan into getting her released before her execution, and, begrudgingly, agrees to take them to the city.

From there it's basic treasure movie tropes really.

Ewan, a scholar in over his head, but still plenty short tempered and firey, very determined.

Avanda, the bold and brash fighter, "just here to get paid" but actually starts to care about this stupid, cute librarian.

Adair, plucky comic relief.

And most importantly:

Ewan being kidnapped by a resurrected mummy who wants to sacrifice him to bring back their former love from the dead and oh yeah avanda gets to be a total badass and save him.

TLDR:

Ewan:

Avanda:

Would you like to hear my newest ewan x avanda au idea?

Please please yes 😳

[mrs-mikko-rantanen]

Hi. Just here to remind everyone of early relationship Ewvanda cuddles. In that sweet soft zone where they're trying to keep the relationship a secret? And they both work so hard all the time? Abd so sometimes they get super exhausted and they happen to have a spare second where no one else is around and they just look at each other and theres so much pining in both of their eyes and they're both so in love and so full of love that they can't put words to because they don't want anyone else in the world to hear except for each other but also they're still learning about the other one so they aren't even ready to tell them so they just share that look and a few simple words and a warm hug and for the first time in God knows how long they feel safe and they start to feel like the only place theyve ever truly felt safe at all is in each other's arms and then they snuggle up somewhere and then they drift to sleep only to be surprised back awake by someone probably one of Ewan's brothers and then they both blush and Ewan's stutter is so bad that he cant even get any made up excuse out and *gasp* yeah. Just dont forget about that.

[mrs-mikko-rantanen]

Ewan blinked as she blew smoke past his face, then rested a hand on his chest. He grit his teeth a little and tried to ignore the way his heart rate sped up.

"And what about you?" She cooed, gently stroking his cheek, "Who worries about you, dreamboat?"

Ewan took the cigarette back from her and took one last drag before dropping it to the ground and stomping it out.

"No one needs to worry about me." He shrugged, "I've done just fine without it."

She chuckled. "Have you? If it weren't for me, you'd have a bullet right about here." She tapped her finger where it rested over his chest.

"I don't need anyone to worry about me. I can take care of myself just fine." He repeated.

Avanda hummed a little. He wasn't sure if it was meant to be a laugh or not. "Well. Your food's here. And I've got a message to deliver." She stood on her toes and pressed a quick kiss to his cheek, near the corner of his mouth. "If you won't let me worry about you, then you'll need all the luck you can get."

And with that, she melted into the shadows again.

[mrs-mikko-rantanen]

💎Jewelry 💎

So. For starters. The necklace we all know and love.

William gave it to Mary, very early on.

Its simple. A leather cord with a simple silver ring. It's not flashy. He made it. Tied it. And was a little embarrassed by it.

She deserved better.

Mary loved it.

She wore it every day. And she always beamed with pride when someone complimented it.

And then the Revolution picked up even more.

William went on more and more missions.

She worried. All the time.

And shes a nerd. A romantic. Loved the idea of a knight taking a token from his love.

So she unclasps the necklace and places it around his.

"For luck. Keep it safe. Bring it back to me"

And that becomes their thing.

Before each mission. No matter what.

And when Will gets back, he returns it to Mary.

It's Mary's necklace, but sometimes she lets Will wear it.

On her deathbed, Mary leaves it to Ewan.

And he wears it. Every. Single. Day.

Its a part of him.

He meets Avanda, they fall in love, blah blah blah.

The necklace that was Mary's is now Ewan's; and sometimes he lets Avanda wear it.

The same situation. Avanda leaving for a mission?

Ewan sends his knight in shining armor with his blessing and token of his love, and whispers for her to come home.

Now back it up a bit.

Early on in their dating, he buys her a necklace.

Its a little turtle, the shell made up of little green gems.

He shuffles and stutters and says hes sorry.

Turtles arent really her thing. Like she sorta likes them? Maybe? He just...its green. And turtles are...ocean animals....and she likes ocean stuff? Like he associates her with the ocean? But since its green it'll look good with any of her avocado stuff? And--

And Avanda loves it. She wears it a lot.

Thinks of it as a little friend.

She maybe doesnt wear it everyday because she likes necklaces and has a lot of them. But she wears it more than her other necklaces for sure.

Ewan gets captured on a mission. A rescue team is put together. She volunteers.

(Or maybe the rouge!au but she didn't really have a chance fir goodbyes so nvm but the angst there cpuld be fun but no forget I said this)

She's saying her goodbyes before the team leaves. Promising to bring Ewan back to his brothers.

Carrick's crying. Trying to keep anyone from seeing it. Hiding it.

Avanda kneels in front of him. Says a few goodbyes. He shrugs. Tries to say he's old enough he should be allowed to go.

She says he needs to stay safe. Promising over and over to save his brother.

He shrugs again. "Whatever."

And she has an idea.

"Hey. I have something that's really important to me. I need you to keep an eye on it for me while I'm gone, ok? Keep it safe for me?"

And she unclasps her turtle necklace and puts it on Carrick.

It's Avanda's necklace. But sometimes she lets Carrick wear it.

[mrs-mikko-rantanen]

I just did the ones who are in relationships right now, because I have NO clue how the others would react tbh

Was not tagged, but it looked fun and like @commasinsidequotes said it was open to anybody who wanted to soooooo here we are

Tagging: @scribbles-to-feed-the-void

[mrs-mikko-rantanen]

"If we're going to leave, it has to be soon." Nyar's words were met with agreement.

"Before they send someone to check on us." Caelum said with a nod, "Because whoever comes up here won't leave for who knows how long."

"There's a go-bag under Ewan and I's bed in our room. And I know where we can get more supplies." Avanda stood up, running her fingers through her hair. "I'll be ready to go in fifteen minutes."

"Fifteen?" Nyar frowned.

"I have to do something."

*.*.*

Adair let out an aggravated groan, pacing behind Tessa's computer.

"Ok, ok I was wrong. Someone could be worse than Zombie. Get out. Go upstairs and check on them, ok?"

Adair sighed, nodding. "Sorry. Just--"

"Keep you in the loop. Of course."

Adair tossed a last, pained glance at the computer screen, like it was a window to his twin before heading upstairs. He knocked, waiting for an answer. When none came, he frowned and knocked again.

"Av?" Nothing. He pushed the door open. "Av, I just--" he stopped. It was obvious that they'd left. "Shit."

He pulled his phone out and groaned yet again. "Cas?...yeah, you need to get up here, now."

*.*.*

"How--"

"Is that really important right now? The important thing is they're gone." Castor snapped.

"Marin said he'll start checking the drop boxes and safe houses for any activity." Adair reported, "For now though, we should try to look for any signs about where they might be heading."

"Av's go-bag is missing." Castor said, "Wherever they are, she figures they'll be there a while."

The three of them spread out a little, looking over the space. Castor frowned, seeing a discarded flannel that he'd seen Avanda wearing all day. A flannel, he knew, was really one of Ewan's. It was folded gently, like it was ready to be put away. There was a slight bulge in it, and he frowned as he crossed to the shirt. He pulled the shirt open, the buttons undone, and felt his heart sink as he saw what was wrapped there.

"Addie. Come have a look at this." Adair and Ferret were at his side in a heartbeat, looking over his shoulder. "Is that what I think it is?" Castor let the question fall into the open. His knowledge of Keridwen traditions was substantial, but he wanted to be sure.

Adair lifted it gently. "I think so, yeah."

His wrinkled his nose a little. "Is-is that Av's hair?"

"Yeah." Castor nodded as Adair gently turned the braid over in his hands. "We're fucked."

"Wait, why? What does this have to do with anything?"

Castor lifted a loose end of the braid gingerly as he examined it. Avanda's delicate work was precise and beautiful. The thick main braid was even and smooth, and the two small braids securing either end were so small that he wondered how she'd even managed it.

"What is it?" Ferret asked again.

"Snaidhm Dòchas." Adair answered, "A knot of Hope. It's an old Keridwen custom. There was a legend--" he paused as he chewed his lip, cutting his ramble short to give only the important information. "It's a symbol of mourning, vengeance, and hope. If someone disappeared, their loved ones would often shave one side of their head and save the locks like this. It was a sign of their heartbreak, but also of their hope that the person was still alive."

"And a sign that they were going to go to war to find who they'd lost." Castor added. "When Av got taken by Sevoc; Ewan did the same thing. He just didn't have a braid to show for it because his hair wasn't long enough."

Ferret narrowed his eyes and shot a look at Adair. "And you?"

Adair was confused. "Me?"

"When my sister was taken. You never shaved your hair."

Adair opened his mouth to speak, but Castor beat him to it.

"It's a really old tradition. The tradition itself is practically a legend. No one really does it anymore, and they haven't really for centuries." His jaw was clenched and his voice sharp as he spoke. "It doesn't prove that Ewan loves Avanda anymore than Adair loves Aislin--"

"All it proves is that Ewan and Avanda are both...slightly overdramatic traditionalists, which shouldn't surprise anyone, really." Adair cut his brother off, sensing a potentially long lecture. "Besides, if Ash had been gone much longer, I probably would have."

Ferret's jaw clenched a little and his eyes narrowed some as he considered the explanation. Finally satisfied, he turned to the braid.

"So what do we do with this then?"

Adair shrugged. "We keep it safe until they get back. Keep it with the flannel, and put it--" he froze, frowning.

"What?"

"Well....we're supposed to put it on the mantle. That's the tradition, anyway. But there's not really anything like that here..." Adair turned around, looking for somewhere else to keep it.

"I'll take it." Ferret spoke up, "My mom has a mantle. I don't know if it has to be in their house or if it has to be over a mantle," Ferret shrugged, scowling a little. "But she would be more than happy to keep it."

Adair and Castor shared a look. Castor shrugged.

"It would be easier than sending it to her dad." He admitted. "And she is...basically family to you and Ewan, always has been. I think it'd be appropriate."

Ferret gathered up the flannel, an eyebrow raised at Adair and Castor as he did so, waiting for them to tell him he was doing something wrong. Adair tucked the braid in it, folding it inside the shirt.

"I'll come with you. I'd like to explain everything to her."

[mrs-mikko-rantanen]

[mrs-mikko-rantanen]

Minty

Ewan wasn't allergic to peppermint essential oil. It just made his nose tickle and thus inspired a fair bit of sneezing. His mother had thought it was funny, and Adair had teased him for it. There were nuances to it, he had learned through the years. He didn't have a reaction when it was applied to his skin, and after a couple of minutes he generally seemed to get used to it. But if someone else in the room was wearing it and walked by him, he was going to sneeze. Especially if they kept moving and then returned later. He had to have time to adjust to the scent. 

He didn't always make that connection, however. Sometimes someone would walk by him seven or eight times, he would sneeze every time, and never notice the Christmas time smell following them. 

This was very difficult for him to accept when he first met Avanda. 

It had been a long day on the base, perhaps two weeks after her return, and he had been on high alert. Her crew was slowly coming to terms with the Renegade cause, and she had been doing what she could to help his brother get a hold of more advanced supplies for the base hospital. Ewan had been standing nearby running security and helping her with one of the computers. After he'd turned away to sneeze for possibly the seventeenth time, she spun around in her chair, arms crossed and glaring at him. 

"Go home, MacClyde. I'm on a Renegade controlled base, and I doubt anything bad is going to happen to me for ten minutes while I finish this up."

"But--"

"Besides, Adair's here and Castor can fill in for your 'watchdog' duties." When Ewan opened his mouth to complain again, she kept talking, hurrying to shut him down. "You're clearly getting sick. All that's going to do is slow you down. Go upstairs and get some rest, and I'll see what I can do for you when I get done here."

Begrudgingly, Ewan did as he was told. It had been too long since he'd slept. He would never admit it to anyone, but he could see the sense in what Cas, Addie, and Avanda had all told him about overworking himself. Sort of. He flopped down onto the couch and was asleep almost instantly. 

When he woke up, Adair was in the kitchen, quietly making dinner. 

"Where's Alistairion?" Ewan asked, glancing around the apartment. 

"Downstairs. Don't worry, Cas is keeping an eye on her, and he's gonna give her a ride home. She said she hopes you feel better." Ewan did not miss the small smirk growing on his twin's face.

"I'm not sick. I just couldn't stop sneezing." Ewan snapped. 

Adair let out a small bark of laughter. "Of course you couldn't! Ohhh it all makes sense now."

"What?"

Adair set down the wooden spoon he'd been using and shot his brother a look. "She was wearing peppermint oil."

"What? No I would have noticed-" Ewan cut himself off quickly, aware that his comment would only open up room for his brother to tease him about the crush that he was very much in denial of. 

"Of course. Yet here you are, an hour later, with no sniffles, no sneezes, and seeming quite alert after what I can only assume was a good nap."

Ewan's scowl deepened and he grabbed an apron. "What does it even do? Is it just a perfume? Or does it...do something?"

Adair shrugged, passing Ewan the spoon. "Kind of a lot, actually. Usually it's used for it's calming effect, but it's also used for mild pain treatments. I also read an article about it being linked to-" Adair stopped with a sigh, catching himself just before the ramble got too out of control and he strayed from the topic. "I'm willing to bet that she uses it to help regulate headaches."

"Headaches?" Ewan asked carefully. 

"Yeah. Mum used it for a lot of things, but headaches more than anything. Hamish says it works wonders for them."

Ewan shrugged a little and decided to pretend that he didn't care about the matter anymore. 

A few weeks later, Ewan and Avanda were on a mission together. It was a simple scouting mission, but it was like a stakeout scene in a buddy cop movie. They sat together in the car in relative silence for about an hour, watching the area intently. 

Ewan shot a glance at the redhead and frowned. "You alright? You've been a little off today."

Avanda grunted, not moving her head from where it was resting against the window. "Migraine."

"Oh. I'm sorry. Do you have any meds with you?"

"No."

"Ah." He shifted a little, digging in his pockets until he felt the small bottle. "Here. Addie says this helps some people?" He offered it to her and she reached over, taking it. 

"Yeah, actually it does. Thanks, Ewan."

"No prob-no-no problem." He stuttered then cleared his throat. That may have been the first time she'd used his first name without Adair around. Usually it was 'MacClyde,' unless his twin was around to cause any confusion. He clenched his jaw as the car filled with the minty fresh aroma, trying to fight back the sneeze. 

"Thanks." She handed it back to him and he nodded, not trusting himself not to sneeze if he opened his mouth. 

There was only so long that he could fight it however. When he did sneeze, he ended up hitting his head on the steering wheel. 

"Bless you." Ewan didn't miss her small laugh, which only made him blush harder. 

"Tha-thank- ACHOOO- thank you." 

[mrs-mikko-rantanen]

Some Ewvanda kids who share their father's heterochromia.

[mrs-mikko-rantanen]

Avanda let out a sigh, bordering on a frustrated growl. "It's not worth it, Ewan. I can't sleep. It's fine."

"Shhh." Ewan's eyes were closed and his face scrunched up as he pulled Avanda closer to his chest. "Easy lass. Just...take a deep breath." Avanda started to protest again, only to be shushed again.

Ewan's fingers ran through her hair, gently untangling the knots she had worked into her hair in the hours she'd spent tossing and turning. He hummed softly, a few words slipping from his lips now and then.

Avanda sighed again, shifting and trying to get more comfortable.

"Be still, lass. Just be still." He pressed a kiss to her nose a little, humming again. "Just breathe."

By now, her hair was smooth. Soft and free from tangles. Ewan still ran his fingers through her hair. He smiled as he felt her breathing slow and become more regular. He kissed ger once more, his hand playing with her hair until he fell asleep as well.

[mrs-mikko-rantanen]

rogues reactions to finding their partners angel tattoos? and also joint reaction if it ever come up in conversation maybe and they realize that all three of them all have angel tattoos? or would it not be that big of a thing to them?

Nyar: probably gently reminds jace about it anytime ey try to pull that "I dont belong anywhere" shit. "You sure about that lover? 'Cuz you've got some feathers that say otherwise." Got a huge grin the first time he saw the tattoo BC he was just like. "This is a sign, right? This is what signs are??" 10/10 makes him soft and happy but this boy drinks so much fcking i-love-my-partner juice that this isnt even kinda a surprise.

Caelum: probably finds it on accident and asks how long Dragon's had it. Doesnt say much about it, but its his favorite of Dragon's tattoos. He gets a stupid grin on his face every time he sees it. 10/10 will kiss it anytime it is exposed.

Avanda: tbh she noticed it pretty early on bc Ewan has had this tattoo forever. It did Not™ add to her pining, no sir. She did Not™ start thinking that it was a sign that maybe she should give this dipshit hick with a terrible accent a chance the second she saw it, and she does Not™ think that its very sexy of Ewan to have this tattoo in the first place. 100/10 denial. Refuses to mention how much she likes the tattoo yo Ewan, but he never misses the way her fingers trace it when they kiss so. Theres that.

If Ewan doesnt see them/find out on his own; he'd probably mention his own during recovery? Like Dragon wondering why all three of them went Rouge, when they're some of the most important members of the Revolution, and Ewan maybe shrugs and scratches his tattoo and says "Well you wear the wings and they call you their's...and none of them are exactly the type who take loyalty lightly..." But tbh I like the idea of him finding out about the tattoos on his own somehow and just...quietly claiming them as his bros now. If either of them volunteer for a mission, you'd better believe he's going too bc he has to now, he doesnt really have a choice now does he? And if they ask him about it maybe he just shrugs and says like "Well someone has to watch your back...and your wings." And then teases them about bringing them back to their boyfriends