#he's still terrified that silver will no longer love him after he finds out the truth

[cregansdingdong]

ɢᴜᴀʀᴅᴇᴅ.

Aemond Targaryen x Baratheon!Wife!reader | no use of y/n | warnings: he does get snappy for a second so very slight angst, his boo thang doesn't tolerate that so don't worry, period-typical misogyny, gets a tiny bit suggestive at the end but nothing crazy hes eating her coochie out off camera; lovers spat but he can't resist her this is so Honeymoon by lana del ray also love and war by Fleurie

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Aemond was not a man of many words. His wife knew that upon their marriage. She knew he had a fortress around his heart and his mind in order to better protect himself, and it wasn’t something she took complete offense to—there was no point in taking it personally; the walls would not come down because they took vows in front of the High Septon. Day by day, she would have to chip at him, speck by speck, brick by brick, until all that was left…well, she had yet to figure that part out. But still, she persevered. Their nuptials were built on a political agreement in the night—like everything else among the highborns—her father brutally negotiating his terms to bend the knee to King Aegon. She remembered what it felt like being stirred out of her sleep by her handmaiden, dressing in the dark to make an appearance for their princely guest. There had been little explanation at the moment, and even her sisters hadn’t a clue.

Until they saw him. One-eyed and formidable; standing there, the silver-haired Targaryen Prince didn’t need to do much to strike fear in the hearts of Borros Baratheon’s five daughters. Lined up like prized cattle, they waited for him to take his pick. She thought he’d pick Cassandra—the son they’d create together would most likely be the heir of the Stormlands. That was the smart choice. Instead, as she stared ahead humiliatingly, a gaze of amethyst locked onto the slope of her shoulder, trailing the silhouette of where her jaw met her neck. Her throat. It was predatory, almost, the way he inspected her. A viper choosing the most appetizing little mammal it could find. Then he approached her, somehow even taller than he seemed—he stood close enough that she could feel the heat of him emanating into her chilled skin, his even breath fanning lightly against her cheek. “This one.”

The words were so final. There was no arguing, no further negotiations to be made. He’d chosen her. That was all. A year passed, and it was a long one. His betrothed did her best to ignore the whispers of the men of her father’s court. One-eyed Kinslayer, they’d say, the youngest is his bride. He’ll come to claim her soon. The day did arrive when the Targaryen prince returned on dragonback to collect what he was entitled to. There had only been the bare warning of a raven just a day before, leaving her enough time to decide what she wanted to take to King’s Landing and send her trunks ahead. Vhagar arrived after dawn, her rider as stoic and unyielding as he’d been the last time they met. Saying goodbye to her sisters was difficult, but she managed, remembering the very firm prompt Lord Baratheon had given her about crying in front of the prince. And she didn’t, despite the indignation that came with being sold like a broodmare. Her entire life she’d known her birth would only be useful as a bridge between Houses—but being a bride of war felt shameful, vile, and held no pleasantries.

Meeting the dragon churned her stomach terribly. Other than a few of the quiet shushes in High Valyrian, Aemond hadn’t said much during the exchange. The ancient beasts hadn’t cared to eat her, thankfully. The first hurdle was over with. She rode on the back of Vhagar that morning—which was somehow more terrifying than it sounded…and a tad humiliating for how long it took her to actually climb to the mount. She’d expected him to rush her, to make a comment, but he remained silent and unusually patient. The journey itself felt longer than it was, her fists clenched around the hem of his doublet, but it was over soon enough. They’d married within the week, barely having said a word to each other. Every day after that was a power struggle. Aemond must’ve thought she’d be meek, or perhaps quiet, but he’d been either sorely mistaken or genuinely misled. But the deed was done, the marriage consummated thoroughly. He made his bed and he had to lie in it. Whatever the case was, their shared chambers—his idea—worked dually as a bedroom and a battlefield. While she was successful at times in penetrating his armor, the circumstances did not change even after half a year of marriage.

“What is wrong now?” She hummed, watching him stare down into the flames of the lit hearth, hands pensively behind his back. She knew his habits like they were imprinted in her skin. He only stood like that when something was bothering him. Her embroidery was paused in her lap as she waited. Aemond turned his head slightly, his eye flicking over to her. He said nothing for a few more moments, as if he was debating entertaining such a question at all. Sometimes he liked when she pushed at him. She wasn’t sure if this was that sort of evening. “Nothing you need to concern yourself with, wife.” There wasn’t as much bite to his words as she expected there would be, but if he wanted to start, she would finish. “I would like to concern myself, thank you, lest you go blind staring into the fire before our anniversary. What has you in such a foul mood, husband?”  She puts her craft down on the table, staring at him impatiently. He stiffened at her words, and she knew then that she struck a nerve. It seems to work though. Aemond’s features harden, the slightest bit of the real him seeping through his endless stoicism. “Small Council.” Was all he said. She gets the gist of it. “I see. Would you like to share anything else?”

“No.”

Something about the blatant rejection thrilled her. She was no fool as to what probably happened—the King was drunk, angry, or plainly at odds with whatever it was that her husband and the rest were trying to suggest to him. She’d heard from the Dowager Queen they had begun talks of making a match for young Jahaera. Aemond was a hard man to read, but he wasn’t completely indecipherable. “I’m going to offer you my council then.” She doesn’t wait for him to respond, legs uncrossing upon her standing. He doesn’t move as she strides toward the fireplace, as unyielding as she’d been the moment she entered the sept and became his wife. “His Grace, the King, is courageous and inspiring. He’s a man of the finest breeding and a formidable, yet merciful, attentive ruler–”

“If you’re going to give council that I did not ask for, at least speak plainly.” He grumbles, irritation emitting from his poreless face. “In this room, it is only you and I, and neither of us wish to lie. I care not to hear compliments of my brother fall from the lips of my wife.” She considers her words for a few moments. “Alright. The King is a drunk who lives in his own world—but he is still the King, and that means the ideas of his advisors can be very easily dismissed by a mere word if he so wishes. Attempting to speak sense into him, or to convince him, will never work when he has such power.” 

“If you’re suggesting I play into his drunk delusions, I will not.” He scoffs, eye narrowed in reproach. She tries not to get angry right away. “That is not what I’m suggesting. Before you so rudely interrupted me, I was going to say that your best chance is convincing the second highest person in the realm. The Queen.”

“This is a matter between men. Helaena is just as much in her own deluded world as he is—worse, even. She is dreaming her life away. Speaking to her is not unlike catching a cloud, wife.” Aemond says, walls coming back up to ignore her again. His coldness returns in an instant. “Your council has proven useless as I knew it would be. You should return to your embroidery.” And now she was angry. “We’re the perfect pair then, aren’t we, my prince? You dismiss me as Aegon dismisses you.” Her words came out like a challenge, daring him perhaps to actually consider what it was she was trying to say. He reacts accordingly. A long, slender hand wraps itself around her arm in an inflexible grip, yanking her to him seemingly to remind her of their roles. It didn’t hurt. The words were gritted from between his teeth. “What did you say to me, wife?”

“You heard me. Your unwillingness to accept another perspective of how to get what you want will be your downfall. And to think I was almost about to offer to speak to Helaena on your behalf. Perhaps she is a cloud to you, husband, but she’s quite tangible if you treat her like a human being.” She huffs. Aemond pauses at that, in thought as his hand loosens ever so slightly. “I should bend you over my knee for speaking to me that way—you’re lucky I’m not in the mood for it. Talk to Helaena then. Tell her Aegon is behaving like a stubborn fool and convince her that the Lannisters are the strongest choice for Jahaera if she cannot produce another male heir—I’m not asking.” His gaze stared down into her face, imploring her to refuse and see what was going to happen.

“Is my husband demanding my help?” She grins, something absolutely infuriating to him. Help. He loathed that word. “You said it yourself. You’re not asking. My idea must truly be valuable to you—my bond with Helaena even more so. I thought it was a matter between men?” The taunt in her voice was exhaled against every nerve in his body urging him to act. To show her how maddening she was. To fuck the teasing out of her right there beside the fireplace. He was itching to have her do as he wished, and to do with her as he wanted. “You’re testing my patience.” He warns, something uncompromising burning behind his eyes. So different, and yet exactly the same. His wife leaned in closer, undeterred. “If you’re not willing to say please verbally, husband, you can do it another way. Or, of course, you can hurry along to the next council meeting if you’re so eager to be at Aegon’s mercy. What will it be?”

“Another way?” He murmured, eyes locked down at the juncture of her throat. “Hmm. It seems we’ve come to an understanding, wife. Lift your skirts.”

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[reeeeeeeeeeeeeeeko]

Sebek Zigvolt crush head cannons 💚

my first post on here uhhhhhh hiii feel free to request if you enjoyed reading this :)

❦ Sebek is the type that when he develops a crush, he has no idea it’s a crush. Like he’ll assume he’s sick with some human disease and think he’s dying. After extensive research, as well as “help” from some of the other freshmen. He learns it’s not some human disease. He still isn’t sure what it is though, so he turns to the only source that could know what this sickening feeling in his heart is. Lilia.

❦ When Lilia tells him it’s love, (after copious amounts of teasing from the older) Sebek is confused. This isn’t like the love and admiration he feels for Malleus. It’s different, it consumes him and it makes him feel awkward. If he sees you around your other friends, it’s instant jealousy. Why weren’t you hanging out with him? Don’t you know they’re not fae that are training to be royal guard? He is the only one that can protect you. Sure Jack may be absolutely bulked up but still! Sebek has muscle too! 

❦ okay maybe it’s slightly more obsessive but still! He’s a sweetheart when the two of you are alone. Need help carrying your books? He’s already there grabbing them for you. Can’t reach something in the Alchemy lab? Luckily for you he had extras so you can take some of his! Can’t find your notes for magical history and you have an exam next period? He’s next to you offering his notebook and scolding you softly about the importance of placing things where you’ll remember them. He’s quite literally your number one helper. Other than Malleus, you’re the only thing on his mind!

❦ He didn’t even know how to confess at first. Spending hours going through romance novels in the library to try and gain some sort of idea on how to tell you he loved you. Even turning to using Lilia’s computer to search up the most romantic ways to express his love. Eventually, the older fae saw his struggle and decided to help. So, with new found knowledge, he gathered the things Lilia had told him to and went on his way to confess.

❦ Sebek had shown up to Ramshackle the very next evening, a bouquet of your favorite flowers wrapped in small lights, candied fruit, and a box of chocolates in his arms. He had tried to dress up abit, only to get poked fun at by Silver and Lilia. So instead he wore his dorm uniform, hoping it was formal enough.  Nervous was an understatement. He was terrified as he cleared his throat and knocked on the door, silently praying that Grim didn’t answer.

❦ He luckily got his wish, watching as you opened the door, a small smile on your face as you looked up at him curiously. “Sebek?” 

❦ He could feel his face burning a bright red as he bowed, offering you the gifts as he kept his eyes trained on the ground below. “[Name], it has come to my attention that I have developed romantic feelings for you.” His loud voice seemed to grow quieter the longer he spoke.

❦You were stunned for a moment, slowly taking the gifts from the fae with a small smile. “I’m flattered Seb…” He winced slightly, preparing himself for rejection. “Do you reciprocate my feelings, [Name]?” He straightened out his back, face still burning red as he looked down at you. Giggling softly, you nodded. “I do Sebek.”

❦he begins courting you immediately, granting you scary dog privileges from any students that think It’d he okay to treat you with disrespect. Like I said, he’s a sweetheart, practically putty in your hands.❤️

[irafuwas]

all of this yes!! his sudden departure, his flippant reluctance to face silver and malleus one last time before he left, his nonchalance towards abandoning the house he raised silver in, telling the boy he could leave it for the forest to tear down and reclaim - all of it makes so much more sense now in light of chapter five. he felt his role in silver's life was over and done with, he felt there was no need to return to a house that had long served its purpose, he felt that he had already served his purpose. he felt "if i do not love him, if i do not allow myself to pluck the stars from his eyes and call them my own then it will not hurt me when he leaves me."

i'm not sure if lilia has ever experienced being someone's first choice, and i think that might play into his difficulties with accepting love. he wasn't his parents' first choice. he wasn't meleanor's or levan's. his duty as a servant forbade him from being malleus's. so why should silver be any different? why should he choose to waste what precious little time he has left on this earth for lilia - for this wretched, weak old man who has nothing to give him in return?

once he finally awakens, i desperately need silver to question lilia - ask him why is he dreaming of all this warfare and strife, why is he choosing to relive every heartbreak, every sacrifice and regret, why is he choosing to accept the irrevocable destruction of his own personal nirvana. is this not meant to be his One wish, his One chance to at last taste and cherish and revel in all the happiness he has ever been denied!?

and i need lilia to look his son in the eyes and take his face in his trembling hands and tell him he is dreaming all this because Silver is his happy ending, that he'd rather set himself on fire all over again than accept a world where he never picks up that lonely little baby and weaves pure moonlight into every strand of hair on his head.

Lilia seems to dance around calling Silver his son despite obviously viewing him and loving him that way, tying into his inability to express his emotions properly and his habit of being unintentionally closed off

I hope the status quo change isn’t death, but Lilia being able to openly call Silver his son and Silver finally getting Vanrouge as his last name

[tragedybunny]

Things my heart used to know, things it yearns to remember - Astarion x F!Reader

Astarion sometimes has trouble sleeping now that he no longer can walk in the sun.

The sun is high overhead, the daylight shining at its brightest, playing off the water dancing in the fountain below the window of your rented room. The inn is nice, the owner a sweet older lady who doesn't ask questions about unusual sleeping habits of guests. Turning back from the window, you draw the drapes over it, shutting off the light from the room. "You need to get some sleep, love." 

Astarion looks up from where he was seated on the bed reading, a safe distance from errant sunbeams and sighs, reluctant even if he's clearly exhausted. "I know, you don't need to fuss over me all the time," he snaps the book shut to accent his peevish tone. You don't respond, giving his temper a moment to cool. Red eyes look down at the floor after a second, "I'm sorry darling, you know I hate it. And it feels worse today."

Ever since he had to go back to life out of the sun, sleeping has been fraught for him. Some days, like today, he's put it off for several days, and he's weary and irritable. "I know." Crossing the room, you take his hands. "It's alright,” your hands squeeze his, “but I really can’t have you on the road to Waterdeep this exhausted.” Despite the way he's changed, Astarion is Astarion, and you love all of him, even the parts that are still hurt and angry. 

“Why couldn’t Gale just teleport us or something? He’s a shit wizard.” You almost retort about him insulting his friends, but then his lips reverently kiss both your hands. "Lay down with me for a little while?" 

"Of course." Letting go of his hands, you wait until he's under the covers and then lay down next to him, arm wrapped protectively over him. 

This has become something of a ritual between the two of you whenever he’s afraid to sleep. Some days he’s afraid he’ll wake back up in Cazador’s manor, some days it’s fear that you’ll be gone when sunset comes, and on others, it’s the memory of faces, lured to their doom in the night. Only once did you make the mistake of walking away after an argument, and leaving him trapped alone in the day. You’d found him after, curled up under a blanket, terrified you’d never come back, knowing he couldn’t even try to find you until after dark. It had taken almost a week to get him to sleep again. Gently, you kiss the top of his head and run a hand through his silver curls. “Love you Sunlight,” his eyes have finally closed and you can feel him relaxing. 

“Love you too, Starry Sky.” Very softly, you start to sing a lullaby, one your favorite Nurse used to sing to you, an ancient tune, passed down for generations. Your noble parents didn’t necessarily make a loving childhood a priority, but you do have more warm memories than him, and this is one of the few ways you can share them. Fingers move from his hair to his back, tenderly stroking it while you sing. The way he responds to the old Elven song, you wonder if someone sang it to him over two hundred years ago, someone who loved him just as much as you do now. 

“Promise you’ll be here when I wake up,” he murmurs, half-asleep at last. 

“I promise Astarion, I’ll always be here.” 

[etheries1015]

A fearful Realization Pt. 2- Malleus X Reader

A continuation of This

A scenario in which you finally realize your feelings for the fae, however, the feeling doesn't leave you as elated as one may think. Perhaps it's time you came to terms with the fear of falling in love?

You slipped away from the party, excusing yourself with a quick apology to Silver as you found your way to the rooftop of Noble Bell Academy. Leaning over the edge your arms propped up on your elbows, heavy head being held by the palms of your hands. Using one arm you removed the mask to prevent the tears from ruining the fabric, wiping away with precision and avoiding any smearing of makeup you may have applied.

Staring over the beautiful stretch of the city, your eyes gazed upon the hundreds of people beneath the sun-kissed horizon as the sun slowly made its way to rest for the day. A gentle breeze blew through your hair and chilled the tears dry against your frosted cheeks. You had heard Silver run after you, clearly ignoring your desire to be left by your lonesome. So once the door to the roof opened you hadn't bothered to look back at the silver-haired boy, instead letting out a shaky and feeble chuckle through trembling lips. You didn't want anyone to see you in such a state, but as much as you wished to avoid it, there are things we as humans cannot control. Matters of the heart, for example.

"I...thought I told myself to give up on love a long time ago," You began to say, "I..." You looked down at the people walking around the city, some who were holding hands others laughing and coming together in joyous endeavors. You felt a tinge of jealousy as your heart stung with pins sticking deep within.

"I don't know why I bother, Silver," you choked out forcing a sob down your throat, "Because without fail- every single time- you somehow manage to convince yourself "His must be the personal in which I finally learn to love!" Your hands fell heavy to your side, turning away from the bustling of the city to stare in anguish at the mask in your grip. "This MUST be the right one."

"But it never is."

You sigh, finally deciding to place the mask on your face once more before looking up at the cloudless sky dusted in pink and orange.

"That's why I'm terrified. Our worlds are so different, there's no way he could possibly love me back. And even if he does, there's just...so much that can go wrong. I might still go home, and I don't want to do that to him-"

"Who, if I may ask, are you referring to?"

Your eyes widened with your heart dropping into the pit of your stomach, whipping your head around to find the source of the deep honey voice was not Silver; yet the very man you were desperately trying to avoid.

Malleus.

Your words were caught in your throat, the tears that had just stopped flowing threatened to return. In a panic you turned back around and shut your eyes tightly, hoping it was all some sort of bad dream and the Fae would magically disappear. It was inevitable though, this encounter. You would have to come to terms with your feelings to him one way or another, and this was the universes way of saying it was time.

"It's too soon," You whisper, "I can't-"

"You can," A reassuring hand placed itself upon your shoulder, urging you to look his way. When you turned to face the ethereal Fae, you had difficulty catching yourself to catch his gaze with your own. Malleus brought a gloved hand underneath your chin, using his agile fingers to tilt your gaze forcefully yet ever so gently to look into his entrancing emerald orbs.

"Am I right to assume you may be referring to...me?" You could sense a sort of hesitance in his voice, the confident man you saw singing up on stage was now standing vulnerable in front of you- and you were certain your resolve was no longer existent seeing him there under the glare of sunset. You gave a feeble nod in response to his inquiry, body trembling in terror for something you knew all to well about; rejection.

However it seemed to be the exact opposite of those deep-rooted expectations...instead, you found Malleus wrapping his arms around you, mostly to avoid showing you the un-princely blush that rested upon his pale cheeks and flustered appearance at the confirmation of your feelings. A moment of silence seemed to stretch into an infinity of uncertainty, yet was short-lived by Malleus making a rather...bold statement.

"Then I shall consider this day forward you to be my mate since I too reciprocate your feelings of affection." You shook your head in absolute bewilderment, pulling away from his chest to look him in the eyes, your mouth agape. Ah...there it was. The normal Malleus you knew- the one who was just slightly awkward and easily flustered- the one you knew not for his stoic nature and princely aura, yet his sensitive soul and animal-like silliness.

"Did you think that through?" You asked with an astonished chuckle at the rapid response the fae had given you, "I mean- first of all, I'm not from this world. Second of all, I'm a human-"

"None of that," He interrupted with a sly smile, "This is a time to rejoice, is it not? I believe we should celebrate by sharing a dance together," He smiled down at you, moving himself to grasp your hands into his.

You hesitate before deciding to drop your counterarguments, for now, the insecurities and questions can wait, you decide. Besides, everything was moving so quickly, you weren't even sure how to feel anymore. The emotions that seemed to take over your consciousness mere minutes ago were easily replaced with confusion and bewilderment, a far cry from what you had thought you would be going through when your confession came out. Malleus somehow had that effect about him, always swaying your emotions far left or far right- always knowing how to distract your mind from its own darkness, instead replacing it with something you weren't sure how to describe other than reckless abandon.

"Right now?" You responded with a breathy chuckle and raised eyebrows, "But there's no music up here...."

"I do not need music to enjoy a dance with you," He smiled, placing your hands where they needed to be for a classic ballroom-style dance, "so let's set aside your worries and simply enjoy the song of the wind and people laughing below, hmm?" With pursed lips and a deep breath, you allowed Malleus to lead the dance as you took your first step toward your new resolve.

-----

Masterlist

[bamfaholic]

Pietro Maximoff Headcannons

Specifically the Fox movies, portrayed by Evan Peters

A/N: Just my personal head cannons! This is a little bulleted list, and dedicated to my husbutch @snikt-addict <3

He's absolutely a stoner, he has a really good dealer so he knows the source. It's hard to get super close to him to be able to smoke a bowl for (practically) free but he's probably the cheapest and best dealer you'll find.

The bong/blunt rotations in his little basement cave are to die for

He's not stupid, either. He did very well in school, but once his powers manifested he got serious imposter syndrome. Everyone believes he's cried wolf, what believe what you can't see? So he gave up on his future. The Institute helps him rekindle his desire to pursue education and a career. He wants to go into IT

He also had a similar experience to Charles, where he thought he was the only "gifted" person out there. His mom was tight lipped, knowing the chances, and was praying her son wouldn't be like his father. He is exactly like his father.

He has a heart condition, with a main symptom of tachycardia and arrhythmia due to the strain of his super speed running. It's worse the faster and longer he goes.

He's hesitant to take any medications for this, let alone see a doctor. He's terrified of medical gaslighting and abuse from being a mutant.

Despite this, he gets dizzy spells. He doesn't pass out often, but if he goes pretty fast or isn't taking care of himself he's much more likely to end up kissing the ground

He also has EDS! He's very hyper mobile (you can see it in the movies, look at the original slow motion at the Pentagon - watch his fingers!) And his joints are fucky. He should be wearing compression gear, but good luck getting him to cooperate.

He damages his body every time he uses his ability, due to the gforce from throwing his body that fast. He doesn't care. He's had internal bleeding scares, and has ended up in the ER after some of his heists

He also needs that high carb diet. He's BURNING through calories, and fat won't burn quick enough for his super speed. Which is why he is constantly craving sugary foods like Twinkies and Ding Dongs. It's also why he's pretty skinny despite his diet.

He's an insomniac. Partly because of his depression, he has racing thoughts and it's always too quiet when people settle down to rest.

He's a kleptomaniac, but he doesn't take joy in it much anymore. It was fun at first, especially realizing he couldn't be caught, but now his fingers are sticky because he's addicted to the adrenaline rush and dopamine hit

He's also extremely poor. His mother is still single, and so she's a single income woman in the 70s with a young daughter. He often steals for his family, especially Wanda. He'll sneak her a toy or a treat when his mom isn't looking

He's the best bigger brother you could ask for. Is he perfect? No. But he loves Wanda and would die for her. He's not the best babysitter sometimes, ADHD goes brr, but be damned he can make a mean pancake and play princess tea party

He has a thick wall up. It would take a long time to really see the raw Pietro. Deep down he's a scared kid. He knows who his dad is, a terrorist, but his dad is none the wiser. He can outrun anything, anyone, but death. He's going to try, though, or let it be by his own hand.

Pietro goes by Peter mostly because he's an angsty teen, but to also hide his Romani and Jewish heritage. It's hard enough being Romani and a Jew, but the bigotry of being a mutant on top was too much so he's trying to stealth the best he can.

His imposter syndrome also latches onto the fact that he passes as a white person, but Wanda does not. His silver hair is natural, part of his mutation. His mother does look Romani too.

He's not religiously Jewish, neither is his mother or sister. His mother was raised reformed religious Jewish however.

He loves to tinker with tech, take things apart, sodder things, whatnot. It's all things he's stolen or dumpster dove.

His Walkman is his comfort object. It's hard to find him without it.

Man is AuDHD, needs severe stimulation. His stimming/fidgeting has damaged things before as he mindlessly goes super speed.

He is VERY angry at Erik for leaving him behind. The movies make it seem impossible for Wanda and him to be anything but step siblings but I hate that. Erik has no idea he has a son though, as Erik is a MAJOR family man. Pietro still holds it against him that he went on with his life while his mom scrapes by, especially with the social stigmas of the time.

[silkkorchid]

What went down in TWST RP in a week-

Covers 4/13 - 4/19

There is a war between potatoes and eggplants.? WHO IS MAKING THIS AND DOES THE STAFF KNOWN ABOUT IT!?

NRC Fashion is still at it against Lucius.

In the NRC Cooking club, 🍊will eat ANYTHING with chopsticks. But according to mod 🍋 , 🍊 tired to eat soup with chopsticks.

NRC Book club seemly be in a plush fight with everyone.

NRC host 🥀, why the heck you posted a video of people scuba diving while dancing?

NRC Book club, Fashion, Therapist needs help. ALSO BOOK CLUB WHY DID YOU DRINK RANCH AND PRETENDING ITS A SHOT!?

According to NRC Fashion 🐀, it was raining blot in Ignihyde when they went out shopping.?

Lucius is still at it being sassy.

There is a NBC Student Council Account. Rollo if you see this, please be prepared for a lot of craziness…

The aftermath of Sebek kidnapping still continues with that delusional family. NOT THE ZIGVOLT FAMILY! I would like to live a bit longer…

Rumors have it that Sebek smells Malleus’s socks. Where the heck did that came from?

Silver now inform that Diasomnia have an ice cream machine, but Lilia made a questionable combo of choice…

Silver fell asleep and woke up to his face being covered with markers(?).

Thea lost consciousness after eating Jade’s mushrooms.

Riddle came back after two weeks.

Riddle and several other people now know the existence of Riddle’s father tumblr account…

There is two Trey, and @/best-baker-of-the-heartslabyul knows the existence of AUs/ Alternate Universes.

Trey now realizes the existence of children (mostly everyone future children)

Flamingos are still on the loose thanks to someone in Heartslabyul forgetting to lock the gate

Deuce is just in pain thanks to an Anom about that people find his mom hot.

Does Rory love breaking doors like Garroth? (If you get the reference then good for you!)

It’s Ruggie birthday! We are all giving him some type of presents.

Ruggie isn’t allowing his child, Rory, have his duties.

Ruggie got caught by the NRC staff about his way of knocking people out.

Ruggie GET CHEKA OUT OF THE SPELLDRIVE COURT!

Mrs. Ashengrotto has listen to our advice to show us Azul baby photo. And she is trying to find the rest. BE READY AZUL

Thanks to Floyd giving us a dump of information about his parents’ height. I’m terrified if I come across them…

Rook digging into the NRC Monster Control inventory.? Also why does he need samples?

Epel is screaming at Grim and Ace since they haven’t given him his homework yet.

Idia is loosing his shit after the second floor of Ignihyde somehow disappeared.

Ida and Ori Shroud have a luma form.? They became one with the stars I suppose. Also Idia ded

Ortho being called the cutest person to exist. IN WHICH I AGREE

Ortho laser someone after they insulted Idia…

Che’nya still booping people

People are now impersonating others. Let’s see how this will go.

The possum of RSA has been stabbed.

Yuuna came back from the dead and now realize there is an Ashengrotto related to Azul.

Quartz shipping people.

@blind0raven loose it with Deuce SSR event card not coming home. And to add salt on the wound, Deuce came in to apologize. Idk if it was accepted

Raven also running away from their confrontation of her love to Deuce thanks to Amon.

Yuuko and I found a video where Ruggie was being kabedon. And his reason is money, classic Ruggie.

[sketch-guardian]

IMAGINE THE ANGEL STUDENTS WITH A MONSTERFUCKER MC (I don’t know if that’s the right word, this isn’t meant to be nsfw! But I’m talking about people who really like non humans and think they’re adorable and love everyone no matter their species! So sorry if that’s the wrong word, I don’t really interact with a lot of fanfics out of platonic child reader ones!!) AND LIKE MC WANTS TO GIVE THEM A LITTLE KISS WHILE THEYRE IN THEIR BIBLICALLY ACCURATE FORM, ESPECIALLY IF ANY OF THEM ARE INSECURE ABOUT IT, LIKE LITTLE REASSURANCE KISSES WHILE MC SAYS THEYRE BEAUTIFUL EVEN WITH THEIR SCARY APPEARANCE (SO SORRY IF THIS REQUEST MAKES YOU UNCOMFY, I DIDNT KNOW WHAT TO CALL IT.)

Don't worry, I understood what you meant☺so for this occasion, to make it clear that these headcanons are SFW, we'll use the term "monsterlover"✨(I like monsters, demons, angels, aliens and robots as well, so perhaps I can consider myself a monsterlover🤣). Also aw, it sounds like such a tender scenario💜I'll try to do my best with the headcanons💖(I should draw the New exchange students' true celestial forms sooner or later🤔but it's hard to find some free time to both draw and answer asks😖perhaps I should close the askbox for a few days in order to start the sketches, would that be okay?🙈):

"NEW EXCHANGE STUDENTS WITH A MONSTERLOVER MC DOTING ON THEM IN THEIR TRUE CELESTIAL FORM"

REMIEL

Remiel's true celestial form, as the Archangel of Hope, is quite intimidating to behold, in all its fearsome glory, it's quite majestic, standing around four meters tall, with her face completely obscured by a hood, a void filled with eyes, no mouth, with tufts of hair coming out from the shadows. Remiel, in that celestial form, wouldn't have legs, only torso and arms, instead of the lower limbs, black smoke would be visible from the bottom of her black robe. Remiel's torso would be open, resembling an exposed ribcage, with a bright silver spark inside, shimmering as if to represent hope amidst darkness. Remiel would have eight wings and hands with pointed talons, her weapon would also be a long scythe with a blade at both ends of the staff. Remiel wouldn't be able to speak in her Archangel form, she would only make otherworldly noises. The angel of death would be hesitant to show her true celestial form to MC, after all she would only use it for matters of life and death, she would know that for the human mind, her sight could be overwhelming to manage, however with some kind encouragement from MC, Remiel would change into her true celestial form, towering over MC, terrifying as ever, however her baby blue eyes would be innocent as always, showing she's still in there. Remiel would have to hold MC in her hands for them to reach her and, not being able to kiss, MC would stroke her wings or hair, to reassure her they aren't afraid, while Remiel would respond with a soft guttural noise, sounding almost like a whale, it would be her attempt to communicate her relief and fondness

NATHANIEL

Nathaniel in his true celestial form as the embodiment of Patience, becomes about two meters tall, with still six wings on his back and six arms floating, very thin pointed legs, arrows of blue light floating around him, slightly longer hair and a large mask covering half of Nathaniel's upper face, mostly hiding his several eyes. Nathaniel's weapon in that form is a bow and his form would be graceful, yet he would be able to land deadly punches with his six arms. Nathaniel would prefer not to show himself in his true celestial form, because usually he only transforms when he snaps, which is rare, it would be a bit difficult for Nathaniel to show his true self at will, however with a little insistence, he would sigh and warn MC not to be afraid, because while he might turn into a creature they might do not expect, it would still be him. Nathaniel, in his true celestial form, would cautiously lean closer to MC and nuzzle them, returning their caresses with his several arms, a little surprised by their lack of fear, but also relieved to be accepted for who he really is. Nathaniel's voice in his true celestial form would be more boomy and whispery

URIEL

Uriel's true celestial form as the embodiment of Justice would be rather powerful, buff and bulky, about three and a half meters tall, with jaws similar to those of a lion and half of her face covered by a helmet, obscuring her eyes, she would also have four muscular arms and four rather large thick wings. Uriel's armor would be even sturdier, her sword too and her hair would be longer and thicker, almost as a bright mane. Uriel isn't ashamed of her true celestial form, however she would suspect it could overwhelm MC and therefore she would ask MC if they're truly sure they want to come face to face with such a majestic being, there is a reason why angels say not to be afraid when they show themselves after all. After some convincing, Uriel would transform into her true celestial form and hesitantly lean towards MC, allowing herself to be examined by their hands, she would greatly appreciate their kisses and praises, basking in their affection and trying to cradle MC with caution, as if they were made of glass. Uriel needed to be careful in order to control her strength in her celestial form. The demonstration should happen, as in others' cases, in a fairly open environment, because Uriel's weight and size would risk accidentally breaking something

[darkcrowprincess]

Luke, dying: Did you love me?

Annabeth: Like a—

Percy: Yes.

*Percy and Luke look into each other’s eyes and Percy kisses him gently.*

*I'm just going to go crazy with this! And borrow some inspiration from a show my mom likes called Grey's Anatomy. Also hope you don't mind me changing canon a bit.*

Nico didn't know what happened. At a certain point the whole building shook as if a tiny earthquake was happening. Loud painful screams filled everywhere. It terrified Nico because they sounded like someone familiar to him. They sounded like Percy Jackson.

Of course, before he could investigate Nico had slipped and hit his head from falling debre. He didn't know how long he was asleep. But he felt someone trying to wake him up.

"Nico wake up! Wake up I need your help!"

Nico finally did wake up, and he woke up to the last person he wanted to ever see. Blonde curly hair and silver eyes of one Annabeth Chase angrily starring down at him.

"Get up! I need your help!", the daughter of Athena stated. Not asked, stated, as if it was an already done deal. Nico ignores her and looks around. The room leading to the gods thrones and hearth is in shambles. Pieces of ceiling everywhere. Furniture broken, glass windows shattered. A pillar broken and fallen over is blocking the door way to the throne room.

"NICO! Are you even listening to me?"

"No. Where is Percy? You and Grover were suppose to be with him. What happened?"

"That's what I've been trying to tell you! Percy kicked us both out of the room. Than he started making earthquakes happen!"

Nico's eyes widen at this, both in fear and worry.

"Grover went to get help, I've been stuck by the door trying to move debris. Percy won't listen. He's all alone in there with him."

"With who? What exactly happened?"

Annabeths eyes go sad.

~flashback~

"I'm not giving him a knife so he can kill himself Annabeth!"

"It's part of the Prophecy you have to!"

"Percy it will be alright. I'm your enemy anyway remember?"

"NO!"

When the deed was done it felt like Percy had stabbed himself too. What makes him break and shatter is that he hands the knife. It has to be him.

Percy holding Luke in his arms after stabbing himself, Annabeth kneeling next to them. Blood is staining Percy's arms. Luke's breathing is slowly down. His blue sky eyes look hazy and clouded.

Luke looks up to both of them. His voice asks desperately, "Did you love me?" A bubble of blood comes out of his mouth and stains his lips. It makes Percy start crying, desperate too for every second so Luke can stay longer.

Annabeth starts to say, "I've only seen you as a brother, but I dont-

Before she can finish the room starts shaking. Percy with a dark voice and the ocean in his eyes, "Annabeth stop it!" It scares Annabeth into dead silence.

Than Percy turns back to Luke, "She loves you ok Luke. Even Thalia and the other campers still love you ok. They were angry at what you did, but everyone still loves you. Your mom still loves you."

Luke stares at Percy, as if waiting.

"I love you too, ok Luke. So you can't die. You have so many people who still love you." Percy sobs in between words.

Luke finally smiles, and brings Percy's face close to his. " I love you Percy, I think I always have."

Luke gentle as a feather kisses a shocked Percy's lips. Blood staining his. "I'll try for reincarnation. Either way I'll see you in Elysium ok."

Percy's eyes go round with fear." No no no no, Luke you have to stay with me ok. Stay with me."

"We're soulmates Percy. We'll find each other again. I promise."

Luke's eyes flutter shut. And they don't open again. The light in Percy's eyes go with him. That's when the screaming, and the shaking of the whole building really starts.

~end flashback~

"You just left him in the room!"

"What did you expect me to do?! He almost killed us!"

Nico says nothing, just gives Annabeth a dark look. Than wordlessly grabs her arm and shadow travels into the room Percy is in. What they find is heartbreaking.

Percy leaning against one wall with a dead Luke in his arms. From how Percy has them positioned. It looks like Luke is just sleeping(if it wasn't for the blood and the paleness of death), with Percy leaning his head against Luke's neck.

Nico does not like the look in Percy's eyes. They look lifeless and numb. As if Percy is not all there.

Nico drops Annabeths arm and the both of them head towards Percy. Kneeling in front of him.

"Percy we need to go. The gods cannot find out you destroyed their throne room,"Annabeth says.

Percy doesn't answer. He just looks ahead at nothing. Holding Luke's dead body gently.

Annabeth goes to touch Percy. That's what finally gets a reaction.

"Don't. Touch. Me." Percy says this quietly, but cold. Sad. Darkness in his voice.

Nico drags Annabeth's hand away. Annabeth still doesn't take the hint. "Percy we need to move!"

"Leave me alone I want to stay with Luke."

Annabeth looks at Nico with wide troubled eyes. "Go stand over there. I'll deal with this," Nico tells Annabeth. She agrees. Which is a surprise, but Nico is grateful. Nico kneels closer to Percy but not touching him.

"Percy, I know you want to stay here with him. But you can't." Nico speaks softly and gently.

"Leave me alone." Percy voice replies dull and lifeless.

"Percy that's not Luke anymore."

Percy at that, holds Luke closer and closes his eyes tight. "Shut. Up."

"Percy the minute he died. Is when he stopped being Luke. His soul is probably in the underworld by now. I know you love him," Nico tears up at this, but pushes down his feelings and continues. He is a son of Hades.

"He probably loves you too. And someone who loves you like that would not want to see you do this to yourself. Because that's not Luke, not anymore"

At that Percy finally looks at Nico. There's a little life in his eyes. "You want to hear something crazy? I was never ment to be the hero in the prophecy. My whole job, was to hand Luke, the real hero. The knife to kill himself himself with." Percy starts laughing at this. With tears coming out of his eyes. One of his hands runs through Luke's hair. "My only job was to kill my soulmate at the right moment. Right before he died he was telling me he loved me. He loves me. And now he's dead from me helping him kill himself!" Percy starts sobbing and laughing. "Isn't that ridiculous? Isn't that the most ridiculous piece of crap you ever heard!" Percy than cries into Luke's neck. Nico starts crying too. He gently takes a hold of Percy's arm to hold him. Percy let's go of Luke(finally) and let's Nico hold him. Crying in his arms. Crying so loud it echos in the room. Nico rocks Percy in his arms saying nothing.

Luke's corpse stays leaning by the walls. Still looking like he's just sleeping.

@dark-emperor-ciska I took a lot from this scene in a show my mom loves called greys anatomy. I'm not a fan. But that scene this is based on hit me really hard. it gave me inspiration. If you want a link to said scene let me know. I hope you like this. I don't think it's any good.

[galacticgrunt155]

[a video that starts with a black screen, soft noises of murmurs and crying in the background. Shuffling, and then grass and the finger of a machoke come into view, before clumsily pointing at Rei and Toto. The lilligant is in both their arms, face buried between the two of them. André shifts behind the camera uneasily, clearly unsure if he should approach.

He takes a couple steps closer, softly rumbling in pokéspeech, "Is everyone okay?"

The lilligant startles, stiff and ready to fight, her leaves bristling, but Toto taps her shoulder.

"Lily, he's safe. He helps them."

"He reeks of the silver ones," she hisses.

"And we don't?" Toto counters.

Rei, oblivious, whispers wetly, "It's okay, you're okay, I'm here, you're here..."

Lily flattens a bit, sparing a glance at her former trainer. Her eyes and leaves crumple at their emotional state. She shakes her head, saying, "Of course you do, but. It's been so long... I..."

"... I'm sorry," André says, "Take your time. I just want to help."

"No, no, I should be sorry," Lily sighs, leaning back into Rei's arms, "You have nothing to apologize for. I shouldn't be leaping to conclusions. It's been... rough. My family-- new family. The boy is quiet and sensitive, but full of joy. Until we were attacked by the silver ones. I kept him safe, I fought them off. There was a reason they didn't keep me, when this one "let me go." But he's so... he's terrified of going outside, now. He's just a boy. That's two people the silver ones have hurt, now, two people I swore to protect."

Her airy voice hitches, unable to continue. André walks closer, kneeling down to be at eye-level with the others. Gingerly, he brings the three of them into a hug, leaving the pokegear on the ground, camera facing the moon-lit, starless sky.

"I was a fool, I'm sorry, Lily, I'm sorry, I won't leave you again..." Rei continues between chokes of tears.

"... Will you be coming with us?" Toto asks quietly.

"... I don't know."

"They looked very hard for you. It took us many days," André says.

"Yes, but it's been months. My new family, they are depending on me. They found me, when I was stolen from this one and abandoned. The house is filled with love, and kindness, and warmth. It is nice..." She hesitates. "And it's more than anything I had before. The last time I felt like this, it was so long ago. Their family, the air was electric. Like any moment, something would catch fire. The time they spent with the silver ones, it felt sweet, but in a sickly way. Like poisoned spring water."

Toto chitters softly in agreement, tone grim. "It was rough. It got worse after everyone was separated. They call them their brothers and sisters, but they are too cruel to this one to deserve that honor. They have... escaped, sort of. They still want to go back, after reuniting with the others."

All are quiet, the silence accented with Rei's murmurings.

"... I think," André starts, "You deserve happiness, too, Lily. They miss you very much. But I think they will understand."

"But how do I even tell them?" She asks, distraught. "I miss them, too - I come out here every full moon, to remember them, to wish for their safety. Now they're here, and I... I don't want to leave. Is that fair?"

"Lily," Toto says sternly, "it's not about what's fair. This is your choice. I... I'll admit, it's been very lonely, just the two of us. But we're going to find the others, and we're going to give them the same choice."

It softens as it continues, "I miss the times we had together. But you don't owe us any more years of your life than you've already gifted us. It's okay to move on. They will... It will hurt them. But their hurt is not yours to carry. Your family needs you, and they make you happy. That isn't wrong to want."

"... Very well. I suppose... I suppose I should introduce all of you. In the morning. So that they understand."

"I'll make sure they're ready," Toto says, and André huffs in support.

"Just... Just a moment longer, for now. I'll let them-- all of us, have this moment. Just a bit longer..." Lily trails off.

The video ends.]

[once-upon-a-pirate-ship]

How Restlessly the Stars Do Gleam - Chapter 10: Lost and Found

Story summary: After the Evil Queen kidnaps and curses her family and destroys her kingdom, Princess Emma is on the run. She boards a merchant vessel with her godmother Red, and they intend to travel to Arendelle to seek magical assistance. But when Emma discovers the dark truths aboard Captain Silver's ship, she must put a stop to his cruelty and rescue the Jones brothers from their enslavement. Emma has to find her own allies and face her fears in order to save her parents, her brother Leo, and her kingdom.

Read it on AO3 from the beginning here.

You can find chapter 10 below the cut or on AO3.

There was a struggle of limbs, frantic and desperate but strong as Emma was pushed away but she pushed right back, rage and pent up aggression and months of no sleep, of living on the edge of her own blade—it all vanished when her opponent cried out.

Emma hesitated, just long enough for her to be thrown back, and she landed a few feet away, leaves and twigs and rocks digging into her palms that were braced behind her, but she didn’t care about that now. 

The man—no, boy—surged forward, intending to strike at her, but she caught him easily, she’d done it a thousand times before, and her arms wrapped around him, bringing him to her chest, resting over her heart just where she’d felt him all this time.

“Leo,” she choked out, and he froze, no longer attempting to escape her embrace. 

It was dark enough that he had to squint as he pulled back just enough to look at her, but he knew. She smelled like the forest and the sea, but also like buttercups, the ones she’d had father fill their garden with because she loved them so much. Months had passed, he had changed so much—but none of that really mattered. She was still his sister. He was still her brother. 

“Emma!” he cried, his arms becoming a vice around her, and for a second, he was terrified to let go. Terrified it was all just a dream, and he would wake to his painful reality, no idea where she was. 

The brush she’d leapt over rustled, a preamble to the appearance of one very alarmed Killian Jones, his sword brandished in search of danger. “Swan!” 

Emma scrambled to her feet, bringing her brother with her. Tears crept down her cheeks, but they were so unlike the ones she’d spilled in the last months. “Put your sword down,” she practically admonished. “My brother won’t harm me,” she added, her words tripping on the laughter that fell from her lips.

“Your brother?” Killian repeated, his sword slipping. 

She turned back to Leo, her hands moving to hold his face then his shoulders as she tried to inspect him in the darkness. “You’re okay,” she breathed, “gods, I cannot believe you’re okay!”

“I could say the same to you,” he said, pulling her in for another hug. “I was so relieved you were out for your ride—what that bitch would’ve done if she’d found you…”

“She did,” Emma told him. After a moment, she shook her head. “It doesn’t matter. She didn’t curse me, not like our parents, or you—your curse?”

Leo resisted the urge to curl in on himself. He wanted to lie, save her from the gruesome truth, but he sighed. He’d never successfully lied to his sister, he was certain he wouldn’t be capable of it now. “It’s bad, but I’m managing.”

She took a step back, her hands catching his. There was so much they had to say, to catch up on. Her mind reeled, a mess of wishes and wants and fear—she was afraid to ask, afraid to find out. But some things, she had to know. Whether or not she wanted to. “Please, tell me you haven’t been alone all this time.”

A smile teased his lips. “No, I’ve found some allies. They should be along any minute…but gods, what is that fantastic smell?”

Emma laughed, reaching up to wipe the tears from her cheeks, pulling her brother’s hand along with because she couldn’t even consider letting go. “Dinner. You must be starving,” she said, worried again. She kept swinging from one end to the other—deliriously happy that he was okay, that they’d found each other, then deeply concerned for his well-being, guilty for not taking care of him all this time. It was giving her a headache. 

She glanced back to find Killian predictably standing guard, far enough to allow them some privacy, close enough to be ready at hand if danger appeared. 

“I’m surprised any of our knights escaped,” Leo said, his eyes on Killian. 

“They didn’t,” Emma replied. “He’s…a new ally. A sailor who has joined our cause.”

Leo’s eyebrows were high on his forehead when she tore her gaze from their protector. “Hm,” he sounded, and though he hadn’t technically said anything, his tone was very revealing.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Nothing at all,” Leo said, his voice a bit too high. “Not a single thing.”

“Leo,” she snapped. 

A mischievous grin broke out across his face. “Nothing. He just seems very dedicated to the cause.” 

She smacked his arm, a gesture she’d done for years, but everything about their situation swirled within her once more, and she couldn’t stop herself from hugging him again. Leo didn’t seem to mind. 

“Leo!” a voice echoed from deeper in the woods, and though Emma had tensed, Leo’s expression made her drop her stance. 

“I’m over here!” he called back.

The noise had caused Killian to remove the distance he’d kept between them, and though he did not raise his sword, his hand rested firmly at the hilt. Emma met his gaze, and they exchanged a nod.

A woman appeared first, scolding Leo for not waiting for them, but her censure lacked any real bite. She froze when she saw Emma, fear glinting in her kind eyes. “Leo?”

“It’s okay,” he assured her, “Belle, this is my sister. This is Emma.”

“You found Emma?” The question came from another boy her brother’s age as he came to stand beside Belle. 

“Well, she found me,” Leo said, nudging her with his elbow. “She’ll always find me.”

Emma resisted the urge to smack him again. “Our mother would be ashamed of you,” she teased. “Your etiquette has become positively disgraceful.”

Leo’s posture straightened, his chest puffing out. “Please accept my deepest apologies. Princess Emma, would you allow me to introduce you to Sir Roland.” This time, she did smack him. “I can never win with you,” he whined. “And besides, you have yet to introduce me to your personal knight.”

Emma flushed, stepping to the side, revealing the man in question. “Leo, this is Killian Jones.”

Killian stiffened, bowing deeply. “Your Highness.”

Leo scrunched up his nose. “Oh gods,” he grumbled, “don’t even start with the titles.” 

“Don’t be so rude,” Emma snapped.

“I’m not—how is that—” he cut himself off, shaking his head in exasperation though a genuine smile played at his lips. “Fine. Hello Killian Jones, please call me Leo.” He held out a hand. 

Killian hesitated only a moment before taking it. “Your sister has told me quite a bit about you,” he said, working hard to sound casual.

“Don’t believe a single word of it,” Leo warned. “I’ve never done anything wrong in my entire life.” 

Roland scoffed. “Yes, because that sounds believable.”

Leo ignored that, turning back to his sister. “Hey, didn’t you say something about dinner?” 

Emma laughed, nodding towards their camp. “Come on, we’ve got some catching up to do.”

“Wait,” Roland said, his eyes wide as he stared ahead. Belle caught his hand, worry written across her features. 

“What’s wrong?” Leo asked, wasting no time moving to his friend’s side, a hand on his shoulder. “Roland? What is it?”

Roland shook his head, unable to tear his gaze away. “My father…”

Emma may have been sleep deprived, emotionally and physically drained, and potentially on the brink of collapse, but her mind snapped the pieces together. “Robin,” she breathed. 

Roland took off, leaping over the stream and heading straight for their camp.

Leo made to follow, though he couldn’t seem to get himself to take more than two or three steps from his sister. He glanced back at her, seeing beyond her tear-streaked cheeks that shone in the limited light of the crescent moon. Beneath her joy lay deeply set sorrow in her pale skin; exhaustion carved shadows beneath her eyes—they were jade, like their mother’s, but he couldn’t see the color in the darkness. He wondered how long it would be before he could (if he ever could).

“Seems ours isn’t the only happy reunion tonight,” he said, smiling when she did. It made warmth spread across his chest, settling on his heart. 

“Not by a long shot,” a voice called, though this one had come from camp. Red stepped through the brush, her teeth gleaming with her wide grin, and it was only a moment before Leo was wrapped in her embrace. “We’ve missed you, kid,” she told him, not wasting the opportunity to muss his hair. 

He groaned at her, ducking out of her arms and backing away, his hands working to fix the disheveled mess. “Red,” he whined, making his sister laugh.

Emma nudged him until he turned to face her, and she took it upon herself to arrange his hair—in that moment, just for the span of a single breath, her mother was there. She lived in the way Emma held her arms, how she curved a hand along Leo’s cheek. It was Snow White’s tender smile that tugged on her lips, it was her determined tenderness that carded Emma’s fingers through his hair. 

Red saw it in her, too. Emma could see the recognition glinting in her gaze when her eyes flitted to her godmother, as she watched over them with all the warmth of a mother’s devotion

Noise erupted from camp, but it was not terror or sounds of war—it was joy, it was love, it was pure happiness. 

“Come on,” Emma said, leading her brother towards the glow of camp, where all that joy and love and happiness awaited them, where they could share in all of it. 

— —

Celebrations had lasted well into the night, unburdened laughter rising like the smoke from their fire. It gave the air something sweet, something to melt away the bitterness and dread that had for so long tainted everything Emma saw, everything she touched. 

Leo sat just a few feet away, speaking animatedly to the group gathered to listen to tales of his adventures during the last months. Roland sat beside him, adding or correcting details when Leo tried to embellish. Robin hadn’t strayed from his son’s side since they had reunited, and so he looked on with fondness and immense relief, too lost in what he felt to truly attend to the story Leo regaled.

Emma knew the feeling well. 

Her warring emotions had torn her into shreds—when she couldn’t handle one more moment of their relentless penduluming, the curtain fell away, and she was forced to stare into the truth of everything she’d been avoiding. She couldn’t hide from those thoughts anymore; her interlocked joy and despair had demolished the walls she’d built to protect her from the last thing that hadn’t hurt her yet, the last thing that truly could.

Killian shared a log with his brother across the dancing flames, avoiding her gaze as he so often did these days. 

Everything she’d acknowledged to herself was painful enough: that she couldn’t find happiness while her family and her kingdom were destroyed, that she should’ve been spending every last drop of her energy to find and save them all, and most of all, that he pulled away, that he kept pulling away. But the thing that glared back at her in the rubble of her mind was beyond all of that. 

She watched him chuckle, his face practically glowing in the firelight as he exchanged a look with his brother. 

He had happiness now. Freedom. She refused to take that away from him, refused to put a target on his back—being her ally had put him in enough danger, if the Evil Queen discovered what she felt for him, he’d be doomed to a curse and guaranteed a painful death. 

So that was it. She had to let him go. 

Emma withered, shrank, crumbled in the wake of her decision. She was as broken as her kingdom. At last, Regina had gotten her wish. 

“You look awfully grave for someone who just found her brother.”

Emma glanced up as Elsa joined her, a reassuring hand on hers. 

“Sorry, I just…”

Elsa smiled knowingly. “You’ve got a lot on your mind.”

“Too much,” she huffed. “But I should enjoy tonight, while we have it. There’s never enough time. The gods know everything else will be waiting for us come dawn,” she added. It was something her mother would have said—at least the first part, anyway. 

“You should,” Elsa agreed, her gaze drifting to where her sister sat, her head drooped on Kristoff’s shoulder. “We all should.” 

— —

The party broke up an hour or so before dawn. 

Emma followed her brother, intending to move her bedroll beside his, but instead of making camp for the night, she found him packing. He tucked some bread into his bag, weighing his waterskin to determine if he needed to take a trip to the stream. 

“What are you doing?”

Leo’s head shot up, his wide eyes flickering with fear. “Oh. Um…”

“Um?” 

He sighed, securing his bag and throwing it over his shoulder. “We haven’t had a chance to talk, and I’m sorry for that. But we don’t really have the time to have it now.”

“Leo,” she almost snapped. “Where are you going?” She couldn’t hide the panic laced in her voice. 

“I have to go, a few miles at least. But it’s just until nightfall. I’ll be back, I promise.”

“I don’t understand.”

Leo took her hand in his. “I know. I’ll explain everything when I get back, but it’s the curse. I have to keep everyone safe.”

She snatched her hand back, desperate and confused. “Safe from what? Leo, tell me what’s going on. Tell me how I can help you.”

“Emma, please. We’re running out of time.”

“Safe from what, Leo?” she demanded.

“From me.”

Emma swayed, her shock putting her off balance. “Leo,” she breathed—it was a quiet sound but not without weight, anchored by fear and heartache and hopelessness. 

He took a few more steps, his hands latching onto her arms, steadying her. “Everything’s gonna be okay, Emma. I promise. I just need you to trust me. Let me do what I have to, and tomorrow, I’ll tell you everything. Even the things I’d rather you didn’t know.”

She studied his face, seeing an intensity she’d never known him to possess. “You really have to go? Now?”

He nodded. “Yes. Will you let me?”

She deflated. “Yeah.”

He took a shaky breath, waiting only a second before pulling her against him. If they’d learned anything all those months ago, it was that you never knew when a hug would be the last. 

“Thank you, Emma. I’ll be back once the stars are in the sky again. You should get some sleep.”

She let him go, watching until he disappeared, all while the emptiness threatening to swallow her heart stole the newly returned pieces—once again, she was shattered.

“He really will be back,” a voice called.

Emma spun to find Roland, hesitance written across his face. “Why did he have to go?”

“To keep us safe,” Roland replied. “He would’ve explained earlier, I know, but I don’t think he wanted to…spoil your reunion. Or however he rationalized it.”

Emma took a deep breath, ordering her emotions to calm themselves. “You know him pretty well then, huh?”

Roland shifted, straightening his posture in a way that her mother would have been proud of. “He rescued me from the Evil Queen’s dungeons. We’ve fought together for months, survived. Done things neither of us—” he paused, shaking his head to dispel the memory. “I knew my father would welcome me back with open arms, but Leo always worried…”

“That our parents wouldn’t, after everything we’ve done.” Emma was familiar with the concept. 

“He’s been looking for you since we broke out. Kept insisting that you’d always find each other. And I’ve never seen him so happy as he was tonight. There may be things you don’t know yet about him, but at least be content in knowing that.”

Emma swallowed her fear, nodding. “Thank you.”

“Get some rest. He’ll be snippy if you’re exhausted when he gets back,” Roland said, heading back to his father. 

She knew he was right, the thought of it made her smile. But her gaze returned to the place she’d last seen her brother, and then she couldn’t get her feet to move further away from him. Emma stood there, her eyes on the trees, until the first bit of the sun peaked over the horizon. 

Red came to stand beside her, taking her hand, sharing her strength. “I could follow him, you know.”

“We can’t.”

“Then at least sleep. You can’t just stand here all day,” she said.

“I don’t want to move,” Emma replied, hating that she could see the color of the leaves now. 

“We don’t have to,” Red told her. 

Emma tore her eyes away, instead finding her bag and bedroll laid out a few feet behind where she stood. “Thank you,” she said, dropping onto the mat as the exhaustion dragged her down. 

“It’s not me you should thank.”

Emma’s lips parted to ask, but instead she glanced back towards the center of camp where Killian was arranging his own bedroll. “Of course,” she sighed.

“At some point, Emma, you’re going to have to accept it,” Red told her, sitting beside her, smoothing her cloak so she could get comfortable. 

Emma didn’t have the energy to fight her on it, not now. After a few hours of sleep, perhaps. She closed her eyes, pushing away everything else. But as she fell to sleep, a trembling cold crept over her. Even as the sun rose.

— —

Leo buckled from the pain, ice blooming where fire spread across his skin that tore into scales, but despite all of that, he smiled. His teeth turned to daggers that sliced into his lips, but he could not care. The curse would not break him. It hadn’t, even after months of trying, and now he had his sister back, and there was nothing they couldn’t do together. It was only a matter of time before they were reunited with their parents—after all, they would always find each other.

[bon-is-gone]

https://www.tumblr.com/bon-is-gone/748757237890170880/fluttershy-so-yeah-i-made-mlp-infection-au?source=share

*perks up* found this trend a while ago and I loved seeing mlp infection aus...idk why but I think mlp horrors are the best horrors! Like human horrors make me feel uncomfortable but replace the humans with colorful ponies and I wanna see it! (My random guess is, not knowing if I'm right or not, because I'm scared of it being transmitted to humans?) Anyway, now I'm curious about it!

What are the stages? How did it begin? You planning to make a bunch of art for it? Write a story via comic or written or as I've seen some do...videos? Or just draw a bunch of ponies infected? Sorry if I'm pushy or nosey...just fluttershy went from 0-100 so fast in your pics of her and looked so good...she looked so cute before infection and terrifying after! You have a great artstyle! I just had to learn if this was a one hit-thing or if it will bloom into a story or something!

AGDHAGDHSGDHAGSHGA I STILL CANT GET USED TO THE FACT THAT PEOPLE LIKE MY STUFF AND IVE BEEN HERE FOR A YEAR NOW HDGAJGXISHDJ THANKYOUTHANKYOYTAHNKYOUTHANKYOU-

Ah yes, my favorite subject

Dying ponies with rabies 😌

Imma try and answer all the questions amigo, however I'm writing this in 2 in the morning with a sh*t ton of adrenaline from the fact that you asked (I'm gonna have a heart attack oh lord) so do forgive me if I missed one-

Oh ehem-

Stages

So the sickness which I took for this au is Rabies! Which I think a lot if you might know what it is. Ofcourse, this is a more messed up type of rabbies. There's only 3 stages since the person transforms quickly(in a 1 day). 1st stage: after the pony gets bit by a subject with rabbies they start feeling weak, tired and nauseous. They also all of a sudden get scared of water 2nd stage: the ponies body starts to hurt, usually specific body parts feel the most pain (for example with fluttershy its her front hooves), which then start to get longer, stretching. 3rd stage the ponies body becomes disfigured, they become extremely aggressive and blood-thirsty, foam will start pouring out of their mouth and completely forget who they were before.

How did it begin?

Some chemist pony probably tried to find a cure for different types of sickness in the mlp world but instead made a potion for the missed up rabbies. He tested on some animals and one of them escaped. The animal got to fluttershy(because she's always with animals so she shall be the first victim) and bit her. The infection would continue on with twilight who wanted to go check up on her but instead got attacked.

You planning to make a bunch of art for it?

Oh buddy. OH BUDDY- I already nade some sketches of how twilight and Pinkie pie are before and after getting infected. I do want to draw some background ponies with those meters (you know those ones with like "hunger: 50%" or something) specifically this guy

SILVER ZOOM 😎 I found him whilst browsing the mlp wiki for background ponies and omg I LOVE HIS DESIGN AJGDHSHDHWHDHDH

Also this fella

Crystal earth gives me "I FELL INLOVE WITH AN EMO GIRL" vibes and I'm DIGGING IT

Write or make a story/comic/video? Or just draw a bunch of ponies infected?

I'm not a writer so hard pass on the story. Comic would LOVE to do that, however I'm not used to drawing ponies like, at all, So it takes me a really long time to get the look right(especially with all the different angles of the head, yikes). Now, the video? Hell f*cking yeah. I planned on making a video 100% doing it like people do on tiktok (or in my case youtube because I am not going to that wretched place, no offense to anyone who goes there) but never made it since I got sidetracked with other stuff lmao. So currently I will stick to just solely making art, but I will make a video about it no doubt. Complete story? Probably not.

Again thank you so much for asking! It makes me super happy when people ask me about my stuff or just opinions on anything. (I did not get held enough as a child God damn-) and no worries about being pushy! (You weren't honestly)

This was Bon, signing out

[servenas-inner-fangirl]

Watching Black Sails 3x7

My watching is picking up pace again, maybe because I'm procrastinating other things with it... like doing my taxes.

Oh damn, did Max know exactly where to find her?? - Pls don't fight, pls don't fight...

Oh, okay, this is a planned meet-up. Also Anne on a horse is doing things to me. She looks so cool!

"Fuck what he needs." My thoughts exactly.

Well that went well. But also I'm confused - what was the night at the cave Anne was referring to? Because the last time we've seen them together, Jack had definitely not been arrested yet.

Also Max arguing for Jack's life (and, granted, probably her own ambitions for Nassau...) is maybe a bit ironic?

"it will tear her to pieces." I just want my lesbians to be happy, is that too much to ask?? Appearantly...

"Now you come back with nothing but him -" Well, I for once am happy he did!! But the ships would've been nice as well.

Vane seems as into Flint's military speeches as the rest of us.

"I don't know yet." Not what you want to hear from your most important ally in that kind of situation! But the queen seems to know quite a bit about military strategy herself.

Man, I wish Jack were long gone by now! Alas...

Yes, pirate queen Madi soon!!

That man does not look healthy at all. A plague in Nassau is the last thing we need right now... or is it?

Yay, Jack is not being tortured!! - Wait, Rogers is married??

Nooo, don't give Jack to the Spanish!! Bad, bad governor! (And Max is genuinely upset. .__.)

Haha, I bet I know what Featherstone is thinking right now!

I don't think the Spanish need to provoke Anne at all, when they meet up with her without Jack, she will tear into them like a rabid dog.

Yes, wlw solidarity! Or something.

"I don't know what is worse, Anne dying for Jack or surviving without him." T_T

Oh, a peace offering!

Hm, maybe I don't know what Featherstone was thinking.

Vane is still really pissed about the whole thing, huh? That really got under his skin.

Oh wow, is Billy actually being helpful?? - Yes, Silver is back!!

I love every single sentence of that conversation between Max and Eleanor. God, this show does relationships between women so well even though there aren't that many.

Eleanor playing with fire, nothing new here...

Okay, maybe I feel for Rogers a bit. Who could resist a woman like her? - And it's been a while since the show has been that explicit, right? I kinda missed it. It somehow feels different than in a lot of other shows, more interesting.

Okay, that's an interesting post-sex topic. But it kind of feels like Nassau itself is fighting back against the foreign invaders.

"You're one of them." Man, you have no idea how much. Or do you?

And I don't really believe Eleanor when she says she no longer wishes to be that way. But Rogers appearantly does.

Love Vane being all sneaky. And Featherstone's "Hand over Jack or Nassau burns. This is a dilemma to us how?" is really funny.

Roger's dream of a new Nassau is already falling apart, one Featherstone at a time.

"He's fine. - He's dying." From falsehood to truth in under 5 seconds flat. But love for the slave girl from season 1 (who's appearantly named Eme, which I had forgotten) to get some plot! I always felt like she would be a bigger part of the narrative, and then she wasn't.

That's not a very full tavern for Silver's show. But it's probably safer that way.

Oof, and he's immediately back to insulting his audience. But I love that he's basically telling the ghost story Flint wrote for himself so long ago.

Oh, of course Madi knows Eleanor, they grew up together! But Madi should be careful about what she says, Eleanor did free Eme from slavery after all, there might still be some loyalty there...

Guess we're gonna find out who is already sick of civilized life and would rather go back on the account (or is simply more terrified of Flint than England).

It is such a delight to see Silver work. The man definitely has a way with words.

UGH, Dufresne. Somebody finally kill that guy.

I think he's making a mistake underestimating Silver here. A lot has happened since they last saw each other.

YES! (They're really controlling the room well with just a handful of men.)

Ewwwww. But yeah, that'll send a message. They couldn't have planned this better. (Also the Silver of S1 would have never. - Although - he did stab a man in the first episode.)

Aww, Flint checking up on Silver! - Ugh, these two are so co-dependent. No wonder everybody is insane over them.

Everybody like: Oh shit, Flint is alive! Rogers is about to find out Eleanor named the wrong pirate as the most dangerous one.

Rogers playing 5d chess in regards of how to (not) react to this newest development, and probably still coming up short in the end. There is no way Flint isn't already two steps ahead.

Idk if Max wants to help with this. Isn't this a way to get Anne (and Jack) out of harms way? She's gotta see this.

Either way, Idelle is not wholy on board, I think. But I love how much influence the whores have in this show because everybody always underestimates them.

Ugh, she is back. Is that wise? She wasn't very nice to the girls who do remember her. Why not Idelle?

But Max doesn't want some random whore, she wants Anne. ;_;

Huh, Flint is impressed. Maybe I did underestimate Rogers. Either way, this will certainly be a meeting to remember.

Oh god, Rogers immediately twists the knife that is Thomas Hamilton. Let's hope Flint won't jump over the table and try to strangle him. (And how much does Eleanor know about that whole story? Certainly not everything.)

"Nobody's being hanged." Well, except for Jack maybe?? Since you're giving him to the Spanish??

"So what is it you're fighting for that we're not already offering?" Revenge.

Also they're just gonna pardon the burning of Charlestown? Or did they blame all of that on Vane?

"I no longer seek anything from England except her departure from my island." Flint really has the best lines.

Featherstone trying to bring some brain cells to Vane's single-minded pursuit of Anne Bonny and the cache... but maybe in vain (haha).

If this gives me just one actual interaction between Charles and Anne, instead of them merely existing in the same space, I will be happy.

Those are maybe too many men to kill even for Bonny. But maybe not for the both of them?

Oh Anne! She's gonna think Max betrayed her! This is breaking my heart.

So this was the plan? Let the money get away and leave Anne ready for anything? Not a bad plan, but still.

Oh, they had already met up before! So Anne was playing a role. That explains how she gave up rather easily.

Vane has actually though this through!! Or maybe somebody else thought it through for him. And this also means that they're forcing Flint's hand, who might otherwise not be so interested in Jack's rescue.

I approve. Surely nothing will go wrong...

[virgo-mess]

Silver Thread- Chapter 9 Part 2

Here is the grand finale of Silver Thread!

Fluffy Smutty Epilogue coming soon.

Enjoy!

TW: Graphic Violence, Mentions of rape and sexual assault, hospitals, surgeries, tears, criminals, revenge, not murder but it definitely dances on the line of being interpreted as attempted murder, some parts can be interpreted as outright torture, more tender moments, trauma, love but there's also an undertone of unhealthy codependency that sets you all up for the sad prologue of Silver Bells. I know I said I wouldn't linger on their past guys, but I think it is important to get some of the heavy stuff and foreshadowing out of the way guys. I think that's all the trigger warnings I've got guys, enjoy!

Terry’s Pov

"Love should be the silver thread that runs through all you conduct"

Terry glanced down at his watch as he wandered out of the glass conference room, he cut the meeting incredibly short at just under ten minutes. He would’ve stopped it sooner than that if he could, but Marcus Hilton had to go on and on about his idea to open an office in New York for the hundredth time. Terry knew he only wanted to do it as a means to “be in charge” of something since the old man had finally seemed to accept the fact that Terry wasn’t going anywhere and time soon. Terry’s stance on Marcus’ proposal hadn’t changed in six months, he wasn’t keen on flying back and forth from New York routinely whenever Marcus inevitably fucked something up. Never mind the thought of being away from Veda that long she wouldn’t want to go to New York in the winter and that was something Terry was okay with.

Terry ignored the slight pang he felt in his chest at the fact he was still naturally considering Veda’s opinions on trivial things at a time like this because none of it would matter if he couldn’t find her. Terry rounded a corner sharply with his need to get back to Larry growing stronger with every fast-paced step he made down the empty hallway; the sooner he got out of here the sooner he could find Veda. Terry felt his heart twinge as he thought of her vulnerable brown eyes gleaming up at him from a ditch or from some grime LA alleyway. Thinking of her every second of the day was nothing new for Terry of course but it terrified him how quickly his thoughts of her were venturing into a pit filled with both mourning and hopeless longing. He had continual intrusive thoughts about what would happen if he didn’t find her and what would happen if he did. They say the first 48 hours someone is missing are the most important and Veda had been missing nearly 8 hours already. Every passing hour lessened the odds that anyone would find her alive and well, Terry already knew what he was going to do if he never found her his life was meaningless before her and it would be even more meaningless after her. Terry couldn’t fathom what there would be for him to live for if she wasn’t by his side so if she was no longer in this world to be with him, he would simply join her wherever it was she went.

Terry gasped in surprise when the café attendant he barked at early popped out from behind a door with a hard expression on her face. Terry felt a small pang of guilt bubble in him as he remembered their short interaction merely ten minutes ago which he attributed to the fact that Veda was on his mind. Veda had been bringing out Terry’s once natural affinity for compassion and remorse for the last six months sometimes Terry found himself wishing she hadn’t. That he could put aside his overarching need to always make her happy because if he had put his Twig like tendencies on the back burner last night Veda and Margaret would’ve never wandered off alone. Terry forced a smile on his face as he and the café worker locked eyes from across the hall he saw the smallest trace of fear in her eyes, and he mildly missed the days when that sort of thing would excite him.

“I’m sorry about my tone before it’s been a rough…” Terry trailed breaking eye contact for a moment to glance down at his watch having a level of vulnerability with people outside his circle still made him feel uncomfortable. The café worker nodded flashing him a slight smile with a hint of pity swirling in her eyes as she sensed his growing discomfort at the subject matter. Terry had seen that emotion swirling in nearly every board member’s eye for the past ten minutes, he was surprised Margaret had even divulged any information to them about the events that occurred last night. Though Carl Hughes did mention the events were plastered across every local news station along with Veda’s picture, Terry knew it was necessary to find her, but he wished her picture hadn’t been broadcasted to all the ogling pervs in the area. There was no shortage of Dutch Howards in the world and if Walter Getty and the world of the California elite taught him anything it was that LA was a hub for all things unsavory, predatory, and traumatizing.

“It’s alright, sir, I understand. I’ve just came out here to look for Margaret she said she’d be back to look at this window, but she never did. Do you know where I might find her?” the woman asked, Terry had to repress a sigh as he stared back at the woman and forced himself to smile at her again though he was regretting stopping for this conversation. He could spare five more minutes to look at the window for Margaret’s sake. Terry wished she had just stayed with Milos, but he knew she’d fight him on it especially because she wanted to make sure he did in fact show up for this pointless board meeting.

“I’m sure she just got caught up with something, but I can take a look at it for you” Terry said, the woman gave him a look if surprise and uncertainty. Terry ignored the café woman’s hesitation and brushed past her gently to reopen the door she had just popped out of. Terry looked around for a moment taking in Dynatox’s empty café he hadn’t really been down here since he had it put in two years ago. His father, Bill Silver had laid into him about ‘wasting’ such a large sum of money on something he deemed unnecessary it was just another way he and Terry were very different.

“It’s just over this way Mr. Silver” the woman said stepping around him she led him through the café and stopped in the hallway just between the main dining area and the kitchens. Terry peered down at all the sharp shards of glass littering the tiled café floor and the broken lower window. Terry bent down to get a closer look at the crimson red droplets that were smeared on the white tiles and the crimson stained pieces of glass with furrowed brows. This wasn’t what he was expecting when the café woman and the custodian waved him down earlier, he had just assumed some vandal shattered a window he hadn’t anticipated that they actually broke in. Granted there wasn’t much for them to take even if Terry had leased out a few of Dynatox’s floors to some financial and banking firms as well as a few starts up companies.

“So, they broke in, huh. I’d say it’s probably just some environmentalists getting rowdy. Don’t worry too much about we’ll get someone to come fix it soon” Terry said, protesters weren’t an unusual occurrence in the toxic waste industry and Dynatox was no exception. They just came with the job though they hadn’t really had a problem with any in the last few years. Terry sighed standing back up to meet the woman’s gaze with an unreadable expression on his face hoping that his nonchalant attitude would put an end to their discussion once and for all. He was sure Larry had the car running by now and he really didn’t want to waste anymore time on trivial matters.

“I might be inclined to agree with you if there wasn’t a ton of blood smeared all over the freezer in the kitchen. How many environmentalist vandals break in to stop for a late-night snack” the woman said softly, Terry furrowed his brows for a moment before wordlessly pushed open one of the stainless-steel swinging doors that led to the kitchen. The kitchen was in disarray like the intruder was looking for something specific and the freezer door and handle were in fact smeared with a thin coat of crimson liquid. Terry let out a mildly annoyed sigh as he looked at the various trays and broken plates littering the floor.

“Well, was there anything actually missing, or did they just trash the kitchen?” Terry asked letting go of the door and turning to look at the café woman once more. She looked up at him with an almost amused glint in her eyes just an obnoxious voice started hollering Terry’s name somewhere outside of the café. Terry ignored the voice and looked at the woman expectantly he was sure it was just Larry coming to look for him since he had stayed a a full five minutes longer than they had previously discussed.

“I guess our intruder prioritizes their sweet tooth over their bleeding knees all they took was a gallon of cherry chocolate chunk ice cream” she said in a half joking manner, Terry’s eyes instantly became sad at the mention of ice cream because Veda had mentioned wanting to stop for some on their drive home last night. A drive that never came because he had been too busy maintaining social appearances and threatening Walter Getty.

“Veda loves ice cream” Terry said softly, peering back down at the broken window he couldn’t help but wonder if his sweet angel had been the one to break it after all. There were too many coincidences for this to not be a probable possibility after all what intruder breaks into a billion-dollar enterprise and only takes a gallon of ice cream. What were the odds that the intruder would take exactly what Veda had been asking him for a few hours prior to her being kidnapped. Terry forced himself to consider that the window could’ve been broken prior to last night after all Dynatox had been closed since last Thursday for the holiday. He couldn’t allow himself to get his hopes up at a time like this he had wasted too much time on Veda’s ticking clock already, He had to get going and he had to get going now. Terry opened his mouth to tell the café woman not to worry about the broken window again, but he was cut off by his name being obnoxiously hollered once again. This time he could tell the offending party had entered the café; he could hear the faint squeak of their shoes sliding against the tile floor before they hollered his name one last time.

“What” Terry snapped with a little more venomous than intended to, but he really didn’t think he could handle another distraction right now Veda’s life was depending on it, depending on him and he couldn’t fail her again. Terry let out an annoyed sigh before stepping out of the hallway and taking a few steps into the main dining area of the café he came face to face with Rob. A very breathless, sweaty, disheveled looking Rob but Rob none the less; Terry’s face softened a bit and some of his brewing annoyance dwindled as he took in Rob’s sweaty blue button-down. He wondered just how long Rob had been running around the building looking for him he had read enough of Robin Maguire’s file back in February to know he was no athlete. He spent most of his time at Northwestern University studying Philosophy and taking pictures though his dad would’ve preferred he was on a field instead of behind a camera lenses.

“Rob, have you been running around all morning” Terry said watching Rob lean against one of the café tables as he tried to get some air back in his lungs. Rob shook his head taking several deep breaths as he looked up at Terry with a flushed face and frantic looking green eyes. Terry cocked his head at him feeling a bit unsure how to respond it was clear Rob had been running around looking for him for some time, if it were any other day Terry probably wouldn’t hesitate to listen to whatever it was Rob had to say. They were sort of friends after all now.

“Is it possible you could walk and talk Rob? I really have to find Veda; you can come with Larry and I if you want” Terry said not really waiting for Rob to answer before he gripped the back of his blue button down and pulled him out of the café. Rob shook his head frantically, still gasping for breath as Terry all but dragged him out into the hallway that led to the lobby.

“No, wait” Rob protested in a hoarse voice as they rounded a corner and entered the deserted lobby Terry glanced at his watch again and picked up his pace. He had wasted a full fifteen minutes now and the LA morning traffic was going to cut into even more of Veda’s precious hours if he didn’t get a move on.

“Terry, stop!” Rob said a bit louder gripping the back of Terry’s blazer to grab his attention. Terry sighed glancing back at his to see that his face was no longer flushed, and his breathing had mostly returned to normal. Terry on the other hand was growing a bit impatient as they neared the elevators, but he did his best not to snap at Rob in the middle of the lobby. They had truly come such a long way since he fired him in front of the whole office all those weeks ago.

“Yeah, I’m listening Rob just keep walking please” Terry said softy, Rob sighed placing a hand on Terry’s shoulder in the same brotherly manner Larry had in the early hours of the morning. The action was enough to make Terry stop his determined trek towards the front doors and turn to meet Rob’s calm and respectful gaze. Rob flashed him a brief reassuring smile and reached over to click the elevator button with his free hand Terry did his best not to glare at him as he stared back at him expectantly.

“Terry, you’re not going to find Veda outside because she’s upstairs in your office curled up in a ball under your desk.” Rob said seriously, Terry’s eyes widened in disbelief as the elevator doors slid open beside them with a soft ding, Terry felt himself slowly slip into a brief phase of shock. All the events leading up to this moment replayed in his mind like a movie and Terry wasn’t sure if he should feel relieved or worried.

“What” Terry said just above a whisper, Rob gave him a weary sort of look before tugging him into the elevator and hitting the button for the 15th floor. Terry felt his stomach churn uncomfortably as the realization finally dawned on him all the drops of crimson blood on the floor and smeared across the freezer door belonged to his Veda. He had wasted all this time trying to get out of the building when she was above him the entire time probably scared half to death.

“Margaret and Zoe tried to get her to come out but all she does is scream and call for you... she’s delirious and she’s hurt really bad Terry. I’m so sorry, I tried to find you sooner and Margaret called the conference room” Rob said not taking his hand off Terry’s shoulder, Terry didn’t reply because he swore, he felt his heart shatter before it sunk into his still churning stomach. Terry took a few deep breaths, mentally trying to prepare himself for what he was about to walk into as the elevator doors slid open seemingly in slow motion, but Terry couldn’t bring himself to move. Veda had been the only thing on his mind for the past 8 hours, she was the only person he wanted to see and now here she was just a couple steps away from him. Calling out for him, begging for him even and yet Terry couldn’t move, frozen in place by a level of fear that matched the one he had felt in that cage all those years ago. Terry took another shaky breath and he forced himself to take a step out of the elevator though he really didn’t feel like he was in control of his actions. It felt more like Veda was the only thing guiding him along, the same way she had guided him back to Kennedy cottage a few nights ago. She had seen him at his worst, held him, sang to him, she shepherded him through the storm and pulled him out of the trenches of the deep dark jungles of Vietnam without hesitation, without fear. Terry recalled the words she had said to him that day in his car, her birthday, the day they cried and confessed the love they had for one another. The day she said his demons and problems weren’t enough to push her away because she loved him despite all those demons, despite all those problems just like Terry loved her despite all hers.

Terry sighed feeling a heavy weight lift off his shoulders and a sudden wave of confident determination at the memory. She took care of him and now it was time for him to take care of her, he had to take away her pain, he had to take away her hurt because she was his whole world. Terry found the will to pick up his pace and hurriedly made his way through the empty office wanting nothing more than to cradle Veda in his arms again.

“It’s okay Veda, Terry is here now” Terry heard Zoe say in a soft soothing tone as he stepped through the doorway of his office. He was met with the concerned yet relieved faces of Larry, Margaret, and Milos as they all stood huddled near his desk like they were standing guard Terry flashed them all a look of gratitude as he approached his desk. Veda let out the most vulnerable whimpers Terry had ever heard as he rounded the desk to look at her for the first time in 8 hours. She was curled up with her head in her knees shaking like a leaf, Terry’s eyes immediately settled in her left arm which was about three times it usual petite size and a bright shade of red violet.

“Veda, baby you can come out now” Terry said softly as he knelt in front of her to take in all the deep purple bruises and irritated gashes on her beautiful skin and her overly swollen deeply sad eyes. Terry ran his long fingers through her messy black curls gingerly hoping to gage her attention and soothe her at the same time. Veda let out another whimper and lifted her head up from her knees to meet his gaze with bloodshot brown doe eyes that seemed to be moving rapidly of their volition. Terry took another deep breath to maintain his calm composure even though he was seething on the inside because he could recognize a drug induced high anywhere and if Dutch had gotten that far he…

Terry felt his heart sink slightly at the mere thought of Dutch successfully getting what he wanted from his sweet girl. Terry forced himself not to think about it and turned his focus back to his cowering Veda and her big terrified brown eyes that seemed to look right through him. Terry trailed his fingers to stroke one of her bruised cheeks gently while he stared deeply into her big eyes Veda stared right back at him, but she didn’t seem to see or register whom it was she was looking at. Terry inched closer to her slowly, leaning in to place a gentle kiss on her cheek but this only seemed to frighten her more because a dissatisfied sounding squeal emitted from her trembling form.

“Terry need Terry” she said just above a whisper, Terry’s eyes softened at her for a long moment before he peeled them away to look up at everyone else. Though his mind was wandering back to the evening he and Veda shared in Kennedy Cottage on the fourth of July and the way her sweet lullaby reached out to him in the darkness while her small hands raked through his hair. Terry let his eyes settle back on Veda grasping her right hand in his gently and placed a small peek over the deep gash that was currently nestled on her delicate palm. Maybe a lullaby would have the same effect on her that it did on him or at least work long enough for him to wiggle her out from under the desk without hurting her further.

“Can you guys give us a minute” Terry said glancing up at all the watching eyes of his staff and friends with sheepish looking blue eyes. He was relieved to see everyone instantly shuffle out of his office with no more than a curious glint in their eyes.

“I’m right here baby girl” Terry cooed reaching up to free his black hair from its confines with his free hand. Veda’s brown eyes peered back at him with a newfound curiosity as Terry moved as close to her as he possibly could and brought her small hand to his dark curls with a sweet smile. Her small fingers raked through his dark curls immediately seemingly acting on instinct as she gazed up at him with her big eyes. Terry placed a soft kiss on her forehead before he let the words flow from his lips in the form of a soft melody.

“You in the moonlight with your sleepy eyes

Could you ever love a man like me?

You were right when I walked into your house

I knew I’d never want to leave

Sometimes I’m a strong one, sometimes cold and scared

And sometimes I cry.

But that time I saw you; I knew with you to light my nights

Some how I would get by

Lovers forever, face to face

My city, your mountain

Stay with me, stay

I need you to love me, I need you today”

Terry finished singing a verse and the chorus of Stevie Nick’s Leather and Lace to her softly as he trailed his thumb down her bruised cheek knowing she’d recognize anything related to Fleetwood Mac in heartbeat. Terry felt his heart flutter as he watched the way her brown eyes swirled with recognition as they gazed up at him through her thick lashes.

“Come on baby girl, it’s okay” Terry cooed beckoning her towards him with tears brimming his blue eyes he waited for her to scoot towards him a bit so he could snake an arm around her back.

“Terry, my Terry” Veda slurred letting her hand fall from his curls for a moment so she could wrap her arm around his neck and use him for a bit of leverage to pull herself out of the tight space. Terry wrapped his arm around the small of her back and guided her towards him as gently as possible.

“Hurt…hurts, Terry” she whimpered, motioning to her left arm before nuzzling her slightly clammy face into the crook of his Terry rushed to soothe her as he whispered a sting of sweet nothings in her ear. Eventually she rested her cheek against his chest to gaze up at him like she always did staring up at him with big eyes Terry gave her a reassuring smile before leaning down to place another tender kiss on her forehead.

“I know it hurts baby girl; I’m going to get you all fixed up now okay.” Terry cooed as he rose to his feet as slowly as he could, so he didn’t jolt her anymore though she was still trembling uncontrollably in his arms. Veda made a small noise of acknowledgement while Terry gingerly carried her out of his office and towards the elevators.

Terry did his best to soothe Veda the entire trek down to the car, she kept mumbling mostly indistinguishable words to him. Terry could only really make out his name and the words ‘hurt’, and ‘pain’, each utterance made his heart shatter a bit more.

“I know sweetheart, we’re going to make the pain go away I promise” Terry cooed as he slid into the Rolls Royce and sat her gently on his lap in the same fashion he always did. Veda muttered something in acknowledgement and tightened the grip she had around his neck in the form of a weak half embrace. Terry sighed tightening his hold around her waist but still being cautious not to nudge her poor little left arm in any way he could tell from the slight slope of her shoulder that her arm was no longer in its proper socket. He was amazed she was even a little coherent because dislocated shoulders were among some of the most painful injuries to endure, most people he knew said the pain made it hard to even think straight. Milos and Larry flashed him weary looks from where they stood outside of the car, but Terry could see a hint of something else flourishing in each of their eyes. It was something along the lines of rage and vengeance, but Terry was too focused on getting Veda to the hospital to ask them what was wrong.

The drive to Good Samaritan Hospital was quicker than usual because Milos insisted on driving, he shoved his Porche keys into Larry’s hand and said that if he scratched it, he’d be waiting on himself from now on. Terry sighed looking up at the Good Samaritan’s daunting looking exterior Terry had grown to hate hospitals after his years in Vietnam and tried to avoid them as best as he could by hiring his own private doctors who did in home care or had their own private facilities. If Veda wasn’t in so much pain right now, he’d consider taking her to one of his doctors, but he feared her arm wouldn’t survive another drive all he could do was pray she didn’t have any irreparable nerve damage. Veda let out another soft pained whimper as Terry shifted her slightly to get her out of the car and he did his best to be gentle the entire walk up to the front entrance of the emergency room. When he stepped through the automatic doorway, he spotted Chief Ramsey and two other officers standing near the reception desk.

“There they are” Chief Ramsey said to the nurse he’d been talking to at the front desk, the nurse whipped around to look at them as Terry walked further into the packed waiting room with a still trembling Veda clinging to him.

“Hey, someone go get us a bed, now” the nurse said sharply before walking over to look Veda over, Terry tightened his hold on Veda instinctively as the nurse surveyed Veda’s battered body and mangled arm with concerned eyes. Terry trained his eyes back on Veda fully prepared to scream at the nurse if the slightest hint of discomfort spread across his beautiful girl’s bruised face. The events surrounding him seemed to fade away as they often did when Veda was in his proximity, his focus was solely on her even as the nurse gently urged him to set her frail vulnerable form on the hospital bed. Veda let out a noise of discontentment when Terry finally adhered to the nurse’s instructions, setting her frail body on the hospital bed gingerly. Veda tried to tighten the hold she had on the back of his neck as tears immediately started to flow from her brown doe eyes. Terry shushed her gently and forced himself to flash her a reassuring smile before placing another tender kiss on her forehead.

“Shhh, it’s okay baby girl, just lay down for me. I’m not going anywhere, I promise” Terry cooed, stroking one of her cheeks with a finger before gently prying her small hand off the back of his neck. Terry grasped her small hand in his, taking a long moment to pepper it with more kiss than he could count. He was pleased to see Veda relax against the mattress though her grip on his hand increased a bit as one of the nurses started rolling her bed down one of the long hallways. Terry continued whispering reassuring words to her as the nurse led them to one of the emergency rooms and hastily drew the curtain to continue with their evaluation. Terry paid no mind to what anyone was really saying as he tried to soothe every displeased noise that fell from Veda’s quivering lips.

“I think we’ll have to sedate her, sir, is that okay? It should help her with the pain” a nurse spoke softly as she looked over at Terry with a sympathetic look in her eyes. Terry merely nodded in reply, tightening his grip on Veda’s hand as the nurse prepped her to put an IV in her arm. Terry did his best to distract her while the nurse got to work so she wouldn’t feel inclined to rip it out in her current state of confusion.

“So, you ate that whole gallon of cherry chocolate chunk ice cream didn’t you, sweetheart. I’m very impressed” Terry said trying to gauge Veda’s attention, he was relieved to see a slight blush peek out under one of her bruises a bit because it meant she at least understood his bit of teasing. The nurse gave him a grateful look as Veda relaxed her arm which allowed the IV needle to slide in with ease.

“I want ice cream, Terry” Veda slurred though it was much more distinguishable than what she had been telling him in the car. Terry smiled at her genuinely, feeling his heart flutter as he brushed some more of her messy black curls out of her face.

“I’ll get you all the ice cream in the world my sweet girl” Terry said softly, Veda gave him something almost resembling a smile, but it quickly fell from her face when a nurse shifted one of her legs. Veda jolted away from the nurse with fresh tears streaming down her face once more, Terry wiped a few of them away with his thumb before finally tearing his eyes off Veda to shoot the nurse an intense glare. The nurse’s face fell as she meet his gaze with an overwhelming amount of sadness in her eyes.

“What?” Terry said glancing back at Veda for a moment so he could run his fingers through her hair to calm her down again. The nurse didn’t respond and disappeared out of the room quickly with what looked like tears in her eyes. Terry furrowed his brows and let his eyes examine the rest of Veda’s body for the first time since he’d found her under his desk. In her coiled-up form, he seemed to have missed how torn her sheer tights were but from the angle he was at he couldn’t see what could have prompted such a reaction from the nurse. Terry let his ears tune into a pair of hushed voices coming from outside the curtain.

“The chief said the patient in room 302 is a kidnapping victim…. I just did her examination and I think we’re going to have to do a rape kit on her, but I don’t think her husband will handle it well.”

Terry looked down at Veda with a deep sadness nestled in his blue eyes and felt his heart drop to the pit of his stomach as he registered what the nurse was saying. The sedative seemed to be working because Veda was no longer trembling, her eyes looked like they were about to flutter shut for a much-needed sleep when the nurse walked back into the room with Lucille LaRusso on her heels. Lucille and Terry locked eyes from across the room and shared a heartfelt look filled with warmth though Lucille’s was more a look of motherly affection even in this heavy situation they had found themselves in. Lucille made her way across the room and placed a comforting hand one Terry’s arm.

“Hey, Terry, I just had a talk with the nurse out there and she thinks there’s a possibility that Dutch, um, took advantage of the power he held in the situation last night and assaulted Veda…sexually. They want to do a rape kit after they fix up her arm and everything, but they can only do that if Veda can consent to it. Do you think she can, I’m asking because you’ve spent the most time with her this far and I trust your judgement” Lucille said softly, placing her other hand on top of Veda’s arm and drew soothing circles on her bruised skin gently. Terry let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding and felt tears prick his eyes for the fourth time in the past 8 hours. He had considered that this was a possible outcome of the events that happened last night, but he didn’t feel equipped to accept them.

“She might answer if you ask” Terry said just above a whisper as he stared down at a droopy eyed Veda who hadn’t seemed to notice that her mom had walked into the room. The sedative seemed to be helping her with her pain, but he didn’t know if he could judge whether she was in sound enough mind to answer the onset of questioning that was sure to unfold. He didn’t know if sitting through an invasive two-to-five-hour examination was something she’d be able to handle even if her arm was fixed. Terry had seen her wake up from enough of her nightmares to know the breakdowns that followed, they had only recently started getting better and now she was most likely going to go right back to that constant state of fear he had worked so hard to get her out of. Lucille nodded, rubbing the same soothing circles she was rubbing on Veda on his arm as well. Terry felt a few tears roll down his cheeks as he let go of Veda’s small hand and stepped partly so Lucille could speak to her but also partly because he wasn’t sure how or if he could comfort her in this situation. Veda let out a soft whine and reached back out for him before she met her mother’s gaze finally registering that she wasn’t just one of the nurses.

“Mamma” Veda said, it still came out a little slurred, but she looked a lot more aware. Veda flashed Lucille a half smile before reaching out for Terry again with the saddest pair of doe eyes he had ever seen. Terry did his best to flash her a reassuring smile from where he stood still feeling like he was unequipped to help his sweet girl through this. Lucille turned to look at him for a moment before moving to the other side of the hospital bed and motioned for him to take back his original spot with a reassuring smile. Terry did so, and quickly gripped Veda’s hand in his once more though it was mostly due his overwhelming need to please Veda and not because he really wanted to. Veda relaxed her head against the pillow, looking up at him with loving brown eyes that made him feel guilty for his small moment of hesitation. Lucille placed a hand on the top of Veda’s head drawing her small bit of focus towards her for a moment. Terry felt his heartrate pick up in nervous anticipation as Lucille geared up to ask his sweet girl a question that was going to break his heart.

“Veda, my Stellina, the nurse wants to know if you’d be willing to allow them to do a rape kit on you after they fix your arm. If you want to, I promise I’ll be with you through the whole process, okay. Do you understand what I’m asking you?” Lucille asked softly, Veda nodded slowly in acknowledgement.

“Yeah but, don’t have to” Veda said softly, Terry sighed softly as he looked over at the nurse and Lucille who seemed to be trying to decide if she meant that they didn’t have to do it because it was inconvenient for them or if she just didn’t want to.

“Veda, sweetheart, they have to do it if you want them to… it will help the police with their case against… Dutch” Terry said calmly though speaking the scums name left a bad taste in his mouth. Veda’s cheeks appeared to flush, and she visibly seemed to become uncomfortable under their gaze, Terry drew a few reassuring circles on the back of her hand before placing a soft kiss on it. Veda relaxed a bit and took a deep breath like she was preparing to herself to speak more than a few slurred words her grip on Terry’s hand tightened slightly as she looked around the room before training her eyes on her mother.

“He only… he only touched me, and it hurt. He tried to do more but he didn’t…finish because I fought him, I hurt him back and the cops came…” Veda said struggling to get the words out as clearly as she wanted to, but Terry understood every syllable. Terry felt like whatever was weighing him down slowly dissipate and a few more tears slip out his blue eyes only this time they were tears of both joy and pride. Her words were enough to burn through hir overwhelming despair and felt like this might actually be something he could help her through after all. Terry swooped down to place a tender kiss on Veda’s forehead and let a genuine but deeply satisfied smile spread across his face.

“That’s my girl, you’re so brave sweetheart” he crooned placing another kiss on her bruised cheek, Veda gave him a sheepish looking smile in return. Lucille let out an audible sigh of relief and gave Veda a kiss on the top of her head before flashing Terry a teary smile.

“I should’ve known my little Stellina has always been so brave, such a fighter and so are you, Terry. I don’t know how to thank you for taking such good care of her” Lucille said with the sincerest eyes Terry had ever seen, her eyes only made the pride he was feeling in his chest swell. Terry gave her a bashful looking smile and felt his cheeks flush under her gaze though he wasn’t really sure how to respond receiving any smidge of praise from anyone except Veda was still so odd for him. So, he and Lucille shared a look that was reminiscent of the ones he had shared with Tommy and Larry mere hours ago, a look filled with deep respect, understanding, and affection.

With the new sense of calm that hung in the air the nurses thought it was a good time to finally take Veda to get an x-ray of her arm having already patched and cleaned up her other injuries. Even with this newfound, joyous, information Terry was still hesitant to let Veda be carted away from him even for a mere fifteen minutes. It broke his heart watching Veda burst into tears while two nurses teamed up to get her promise ring off her poor swollen ring finger, Terry of course kept assuring her it was okay, and he’d keep it safe for her. Things only got harder when Veda kept asking the nurse why neither he nor Lucille could come with her to get her x-rays done, her free hand kept reaching out to hold his with a tear-stained face, Terry and Lucille did their best to reassure it would be quick and she’d be back with them before she knew it. Veda eventually relented and let the nurse cart her away while she was gone Lucille all but forced Terry to eat a sandwich from a vending machine, six months ago Terry probably would’ve screamed in her face and taunted her for giving him something so... beneath him. But today he took the unsavory looking sandwich from her maternal grasp and ate it with nothing more than a strangely gratified smile on his face. Without Veda in the room to occupy his mind and thoughts his brain started reeling with endless unsavory and downright diabolical plots for revenge against one, Dutch Howard. None of the ideas his mind worked up seemed to fit such an ungodly crime, Veda was a bit vague in her summary of what happened the prior night, but Terry knew her well enough to know what she meant. His heart still ached just thinking about it, the way her sweet mouth struggled to get out the words touched and hurt made his blood boil though it was momentarily soothed by the prospect that Dutch Howard wasn’t successful in his feat. The vile spawn molested, beat, drugged, and tortured his sweet girl in the back of a car and tried his very best to violate her in the most horrific ways. Dutch Howard needed to pay and pay he would as soon as Terry was sure Veda was safe and on the road to recovery.

Terry was pulled out of his angry, vengeful internal ramblings by the nurse wheeling his Veda back into the room. Terry stood up from the chair he had been sitting on and immediately went to hold Veda’s now bandaged right hand with a soft smile on his face. Veda gave him a tired looking smile in return and nuzzled her face into his hand gently he could tell she had most likely only stopped crying when the nurse was bringing her back. Terry lightly peppered her face with kisses and whispered reassuring words of encouragement to her while Lucille readjusted her pillows to make her a bit more comfortable.

“I’m hungry” Veda said meekly, laying her head back against the pillow Lucille had just fluffed for her. Terry smiled down at her, happy to see the sedative seemed to be doing its job if she could finally focus on things other than the pain in her arm. The nurse gave them all a sympathetic smile as she finished adjusting the saline bag full of miracles as far as Terry was concerned.

“I know you are dear, but you can’t have anything to eat or drink besides water for the time being. A couple doctors will be in here shortly to go over her x-rays with all of you, hang in there, guys” the nurse said in a soft caring tone before disappearing through the pale blue curtain swiftly. Terry sighed already having a general idea of what that meant for Veda, he glanced at the slight indent in her swollen left arm with sad eyes before letting them settle on Lucille who shared his look of dismay. Veda seemed to pick up on what the two of them were thinking and let out a long sigh of her own.

The doctors came in a while later to confirm all their sinking suspicions, Veda had not only dislocated her shoulder she also had closed displaced fractures in both of her forearm bones. General treatment involved surgery that involved putting the bones back in their proper placement as well as having plates and screws put in to stabilize the bones in their healing process. Which the doctors decided was imperative, due to the amount of swelling that had already occurred in her entire arm the risk of the injury cutting off blood flow to part of her arm was too great. The events there after were a bit of a blur for Terry. His growing concern and anger for the current pregnable state of Veda’s wellbeing and his thirst for vengeance and retribution at the vile fiend who caused it to be that way muddled his thoughts and emotions in a way that made it hard for Terry to focus. Though tears pricked his eyes when he stepped out of the room so Lucille and the nurse could help Veda change out of her dirty cocktail dress and tattered tights and into a hospital gown. The curtains did nothing to muffle any of the whimpers or soft cries of discomfort that left her mouth as they tried to get the dress sleeve over her injured arm. Of course, Terry rushed back in as soon as they finished, clutched Veda’s small, bandaged hand in his, mindlessly cooed her with reassuring words and placed kisses on the various wicked, deep purple bruises that bestrewed her lovely skin. Terry tried his very best to look phlegmatic while he watched the nurse switch out the saline bag full of sedative and replace it with one filled with anesthetics to put is his angel to sleep so they could scar her skin a bit more. But underneath his calm exterior, rage and vengeance were coursing through his veins, burning through his veins like fire burns through a forest in the middle of a hot dry summer. Nearly as impossible to contain as it is to predict, it’s as likely to lend a helping hand as it is to destroy everything in its wake, and it’s as capable of being a friend to man as it is to be a foe.

“I love you” Terry said just above a whisper as he trailed a finger down the length of her bruised cheek tenderly. Veda gave him a groggy yet adorable smile as her big brown eyes struggled to stay open for a moment.

“Love you too, Romeo” Veda managed to coo back at him, she looked like she wanted to say more but the anesthetic carried his girl away from him before her sweet mouth could utter another syllable.

A nurse rolled Veda out of the room shortly after she drifted off into what Terry hoped was at least a peaceful slumber for once because she had gotten so few of those in the past few weeks. Another nurse came around to escort Terry and Lucille back to the waiting room where they found Chief Ramsey, Margaret, Zoe, and Rob lounging on a section of chairs near the front desk. Each of them looked exhausted but they immediately perked up at the sight of Terry and Lucille making their way towards them.

“Someone will be back out to take you up to her room when the surgery is over usually, we wait until a patient is already comfortable in their room before we call you up. But given the circumstances we’re going to bend the rules a bit and let you get settled in her room before she’s out of the recovery room. It’ll be a private room just as you requested sir, if everything goes well, she should be discharged sometime tomorrow” the nurse said, Terry gave her a polite thank you and urge Lucille to follow him towards his makeshift family to properly introduce her.

“Terry, you didn’t have to request for a luxury private room those cost way too much” Lucille chided him softly as they made their way through the waiting room. Terry flashed her an almost amused smile because her tone and delivery was reminiscent of Veda’s playful teasing.

“Don’t be silly Lucille, nothing costs too much when it comes to Veda’s health and well-being don’t worry about the cost, I’ll take care of it.” Terry said in a firm yet reassuring tone as they approached the rest of their group, every one of them sprang to their feet and chorused an out mix of frantic questions at the same time. Terry raised his hand, and everyone stopped talking simultaneously as they stared back at him with anxious eyes.

“First off Veda’s going to be okay, she’s got a broken forearm and a dislocated shoulder but other than that and some cuts and bruises she’ll recover. She’s in surgery right now so they can put the bones back in place and stabilize so they’ll heal properly. She was almost back to her old self when they put her under. Not sure how much she remembers though Chief Ramsey, she was able to tell us somethings for sure though” Terry said hearing resounding sighs of relief in response, Chief Ramsey nodded his head looking very much relieved himself.

“That’s great, we’re not going to question her until she’s had some time to recover anyway. Why don’t you and I step outside to talk, and you can tell me what she said, I know you’re all friends and all, but she might not…” Chief Ramsey trailed looking between Margaret, Rob, and Zoe for a moment they all looked a touch offended but made no move to object before turning their attention to Lucille. Terry nodded flashing an annoyed looking Margaret a reassuring smile before walking into a warm, golden LA afternoon a big tonal shift from the cold, depressing halls of Good Samaritan Hospital. Terry let out an almost content sigh despite his current state of inner turmoil at the feel of the warm sun washing over his exposed skin, he and the Chief stood in silence for a moment. Listening to the faint sounds of disgruntled LA drivers and the birds chirping in the nearby trees.

“She said he sexually assaulted her but that he didn’t get a chance to rape her. She said he was about to but then the cops showed up and she fought back…” Terry said cutting through the silence abruptly, his words came out sharp and venomous over the dull murmurs of car tires on pavement. He could see the Chief nod his head in acknowledgement just out of the corner of his eye and let out something resembling a soft snarl.

“Vile punk, I can’t believe we had to let that trash walk…” Chief Ramsey seethed, Terry felt the fire reignite itself and resume its burning, wrathful course within his veins at the Chief’s words. His mind went back to the looks Larry and Milos gave him when he got his poor girl into the car and how he didn’t have time to ask them what was wrong.

“You did what” Terry said harshly finally letting his crazed blue eyes land on the Chief of police, the Chief sighed with a deep look of pity in his eyes as he met Terry’s scorching gaze. Terry let out a snarl of his own as his eyes bore into the chief for a long moment.

“I’m sorry, I assumed that posh sounding man with an accent told you we had nothing to hold him on. That and, the devil spawn’s affluent trash bag of a father showed up with the best defense attorney in the state he immediately accused Officer Ewing of using ‘excessive force’ when he arrested him.” The chief scoffed, taking a brief moment to collect himself. Terry clenched his fists letting his eye survey the packed parking lot, if Veda wasn’t holed up in the hospital right now, he’d hop in the Rolls Royce with Larry and hunt the vile bastard but alas his sweet girl was holed up in the hospital. Currently being put back together and it was all because of him, Dutch fucking Howard.

“Then the damn attorney pointed out a bunch of bullshit technicalities most of which I’m pretty sure he made up and made no logical sense, felt like someone was just trying to create a fictional scenario that would force us to let him go for the sake of the plot… Anyway, we held him as long as we could for you, believe me. As soon as we get a statement from Veda and a summary of all her injuries from the hospital, we can move in on him again. okay” Chief Ramsey said having finally contained some of his brewing anger. Terry wordlessly nodded before heading back into the waiting room.

The minutes seemed to drag by at an agonizingly slow pace, Terry did his best to engage in conversations with the others to busy himself though his eyes kept glancing up at the clock perched above the reception desk. With every minute that passed the vengeful fire within him only seemed to grow stronger every agonizing second, he was aways from Veda. Terry threw his head back against the chair he was sitting on and let his eyes flutter closed for the first time in over 24 hours. It felt like he had driven out of the winding driveway of the San Ysidro ranch a lifetime ago it was hard for him to believe he had been there mere hours before the gala had started. It was even harder for him to believe he insisted on going to the gala when his sweet girl made it so obvious, she didn’t want to leave the ranch in the first place. Terry could still see the lone tear trailing down her cheek as she stared longingly at the grand olive trees and sweet lavender swaying in the summer breeze. Terry tuned back into a cluster of hushed voices off to his left, he fluttered his eyes open to see a less posh looking version of Milos talking to Margaret insistently.

“No, you may not wake him up he only fell asleep thirty minutes ago Milos. He needs rest he hasn’t slept since they left the ranch yesterday morning” Margaret scolded Milos firmly, Terry glanced at the clock above the reception desk again to see he had in fact been out for a good thirty minutes. The image of Veda crying in the car when the left the ranch just now had been both a dream and a memory of the moment Terry had subconsciously thought he made the wrong decision.

“What happens when he wakes up and finds out Larry and I had Dutch Howard gagged and restrained in the back alley and didn’t tell him, huh” Milos said sharply, Terry perked up at the mention of the only other name that had been echoing in his thoughts for hours. He sat up straight in his chair and let his eyes sweep across the faces of the group of people he called friends, his future mother-in-law, and Chief Ramsey who seemed to be pretending he didn’t hear Milos just admit he and Larry had Dutch Howard bound and gagged in an alley. The chief took a long sip of his coffee and only looked up from the newspaper he’d been reading to lock eyes with Terry. Seemingly sending him a silent look of vindictive approval before returning his gaze back to his newspaper and taking another exaggerated sip of his coffee. Margaret sighed, giving Terry a disapproving look at the fact he was even considering this right now but Terry could tell it was coming more from a realm of a concerned maternal figure rather than her not wanting him to do it. Terry couldn’t bring himself to disagree with her even with the steady fire coursing within him, part of him didn’t want to leave incase the nurse came back with news about Veda or to take them up to her private room. Terry buried his face in the palms of his hands as he tried to figure out what his next move would be. Getting his revenge had been all he had wanted from the moment he stepped out of the emergency room but now that the opportunity was being presented to him on a silver platter, he didn’t think he could take it. At least not until Veda came out of surgery, he felt a strong wave of guilt overtake at the mere thought of her finding out her hadn’t been sitting in the waiting room for her every passing second. Terry sighed, feeling a gentle hand stroke his arm in a soothing motion he could tell based on touch alone that it was Lucille.

“Terry” she said softly, Terry sighed letting his hands glide down his face a bit so he could meet her maternal gaze. He was already anticipating that she’d tell him this wasn’t a good idea and that he should have Larry and Milos let Dutch walk free and leave the rest up to the LAPD. He knew that’d be the right thing to do but he couldn’t bring himself to utter the words with the rage still surging through his body, he missed the days that this wouldn’t be such a hard decision for him to make.

“Terry it’s okay to be angry and sometimes it’s okay to want revenge. There’s no way Dutch Howard is getting out of a life sentence in prison for what he did to her he’s going to have to live with that for the rest of his life but so are you two and that’s not fair. Veda probably won’t forget what he did to her but she’s also not going to forget how much you love just because you walked out of the hospital for ten minutes while she wasn’t even awake. Especially not if she knows what you walked out for…” Lucille trailed with one of Veda’s impish glints in her eyes, Terry raised his eyebrows in surprise as he searched for a tell nestled somewhere in her maternal blue eyes. He found it quite funny no one in the room looked like they had no qualms about him bring Dutch as close to death as he had brought Veda.

“Really?” Terry said letting his eyes fall back on Lucille he was fully prepared to adhere to any request the woman regardless of whether he wanted to or not. Terry couldn’t believe he had only known Lucille LaRusso for mere weeks because she already understood him in a way neither of his parents had ever been able to. Lucille nodded her head at him slowly, the smile that spread across her face was soft but there was a fire blazing in her eyes that was reminiscent of the fire blazing in him.

“Yes, now go take care of him, for the three of us.”

Terry walked back out into the warm LA summer feeling much more focused as he peered up at the golden afternoon sun hanging high in the clearest blue sky he had ever seen. The gloomy clouds that tried to smother the sun’s warmth and dampen the sky’s calm in the early hours of the morning dissipated. In love, blue symbolizes loyalty, fidelity, protection, and security, all the things he promised to give Veda for the rest of their lives. In love, gold symbolizes the hope for a prosperous life together filled with love, beauty, and happiness, all the things Terry hoped he’d have with Veda for the rest of their lives. These were also all the things Dutch Howard tried to take from him, from Lucille, from Margaret, from Larry, from Milos, from Rob and Zoe and all the other people who had ever had the pleasure of standing in the glow of Veda’s endless starlight. Now, Dutch Howard was going to learn what trying to snuff out a light like that was going to cost. Dutch Howard was going to deal with the aftermath of Terry Silver’s catharsis because he was the reason a catharsis was needed in the first place. He tortured Veda, he scared Veda, he hurt Veda, and in doing so he lit the fire coursing through Terry’s veins.

Terry’s shoes brushed softly against the pavement as he stalked down the narrow, shaded alleyway, his blue eyes were trained on the figures at the end of it. One figure was standing tall and firm like the olive trees that line the winding driveway of San Ysidro ranch. The other was kneeling on the ground slightly hunched over with their hands bound behind their back and a black sack over their head. Terry glanced at Milos, taking in his unusually rugged appearance with calm, reflective blue eyes as they walked, in step with one another. He found himself wondering how Milos and Larry had managed to work an outfit change into their busy schedule. Gone was Milos’ signature black suit, seep blue jeans, black boots, and a black T-shirt took its place sharp, fitted, and oddly intimidating even in all its simplicity. Terry turned his gaze back towards Larry and Dutch’s bound form with a slightly sadistic smirk on his face.

“Hello Larry” Terry said in a cool even tone as he halted his stalking paces a few steps in front of Dutch’s hooded form. Larry’s lips and mustache twitched up in the form of a smirk, his grey eyes were dancing with both excitement and amusement as they stared back at Terry. Terry had grown accustomed to those dancing grey eyes whenever they were teaming up to do something unsavory and barley legal.

“Hello boss, how’s the rest of the morning’ been treatin’ you?” Larry’s deep vibrato came out smooth yet serious, Terry caught the slightly anxious double meaning behind his phrasing and let his eyes soften and flashed the older man a reassuring smile.

“It’s definitely looking up, what have you got for me here, Larry?” Terry asked coolly, glancing back down at Dutch before giving Larry a reassuring wink as means to calm the man’s remaining nerves about Veda’s wellbeing. He would be avenging the state of his sweet girl’s wellbeing and honor very, very shortly. Larry’s smirk deepened as one of his large hands reached down to yank the black sack of their captive’s wicked head roughly.

“I come bearing gifts boss, this rabid animal is Dutch Howard, but you already knew that, huh” Larry chuckled darkly, Terry’s blue eyes took in Dutch’s pathetic, disheveled appearance \with a sadistic satisfaction though his demeanor stayed as calm and stoic as the soft breeze flowing through the narrow alleyway. Dutch’s black eye was courtesy of Officer Ewing but all the angry red stun gun marks, kitten like scratches and small bruises that littered his pale skin as well as the large chunk of peroxide strands missing from the right side of his head were courtesy of Veda. Terry felt his heart swell with pride glancing up to see the same emotion swirling in both Larry and Milos’ eyes as wide smirks spread across each of their faces.

“I don’t know Larry, I don’t Dutch Howard and I have ever had the pleasure of actually meeting, have we Mr. Howard?” Terry asked in a mock cheery tone, Dutch narrowed his cold brown eyes as they met Terry’s intimidating gaze for the first time. A small smirk curled on Dutch’s lips.

“We met last night, don’t you remember, you were wearing that burgundy blazer, and your hair was pulled back in that stupid ponytail I do think the loose curls flowing in the soft breeze is more fitting look for you. I must say it makes you look as soft as you really are because if I remember correctly, we met when I was in the car with your sugar baby slut. While you and Corniel Mustard over here but your thick heads together and tried yet, failed to figure out a way to stop me. I see you guys can’t accept the fact that I won, hmm” Dutch said with a wicked glint in his eyes. Terry chuckled, finding his attempt to further ruffle his feathers amusing the kid really was dumber than a box of rocks.

“You really do think you outwitted us don’t you, I bet you thought your plan was revolutionary and really a sight to behold, huh” Terry said with an amused smirk, Dutch’s smirk faltered a bit as he stared up at him from his spot on the ground.

“Couldn’t have been too bad, huh. I got what I came for didn’t I.” Dutch said sharply, Terry didn’t miss the hint of dejection swirling in his lifeless brown eyes.

“Sure, Mr. Howard, you got what you came for, but you took the cowards’ way out. You snaked your way in and snatched up my girl when my back was turned, you didn’t even have the balls to face the person you were stealing from. In the military we wouldn’t call that victory, you didn’t face the enemy, you didn’t look your opponent in the eye, you held knife to a vulnerable girl’s neck and walked out a door. Wow, so brave” Terry said coolly, Dutch scoffed letting out a humorless laugh.

“You’re ex-military, and yet you couldn’t stop a kid fresh out of high school. You sent your geriatric Texan grandpa and ‘Devil may care’ butler to come fetch me and I’m the coward? Alright Miami Vice”

Terry sighed lethargically as he shrugged off his pale tan blazer revealing his pale blue form fitting short sleeve polo before handing his blazer to a leering Milos. Terry looked down at Dutch with intense eyes, purposely flexing his biceps.

“I didn’t have them fetch you, Mr. Howard. I was busy taking care of my girl, you know the one you beat and tried to violate in the back of a car last night. Remember her, I’m betting you do by the looks of your hair and the red marks all over your body. They look a lot like stun gun marks don’t they Larry?” Terry asked mockingly, silently enjoying the look of embarrassment that flicked across Dutch’s bruised face.

“They sure do, don’t they Milos” Larry said with another dark chuckle, Milos nodded with a slight smirk on his face.

“Yes, they do, and something tells me she did that all with one arm, sir.” Milos said. Terry took Dutch’s silence as confirmation and felt his heart swell with pride once more.

“That’s my girl, that’s my Veda and I don’t take people hurting her lightly, Mr. Howard. For some reason that I can’t fathom you have been the source of her pain since the day I’ve met her. Now I’m sure you’re aware you’re getting a life sentence for what you did to her, but you see Mr. Howard, that’s not enough for me.” Terry hissed, swooping down sharp and fast until he was but an inch from Dutch Howard’s wicked face. He heard Dutch’s breath hitch in his throat for a moment as they met Terr’s menacing gaze. The fear swirling in Dutch’s brown eyes reignited the excitement Terry had thought he had lost mere hours ago. The air grew tense and heavy as Dutch tried to lean away from him, his breaths came out in ragged bursts of air as he contemplated what to do or say before his hallow eyes turned cold.

“Veda deserved everything she got, you know, I was so close to burying myself in that plump ass of hers but then that greying asshole of a cop showed up. And you know what that’s okay because I got to break that pretty-”

The harsh sound of skin on skin and the eerie crack of crushing bone ripped through the balmy summer air before Dutch Howard could finish his sentence. The blow sent Dutch flying back onto the rough pavement, he hisses, unable to clutch his nose with his hands still bound behind his back. Terry straightens himself out, his face is still calm and stoic, save for a satisfied smirk but his blue eyes are blazing with excitement as they watch the thick crimson flow from his nostrils like a waterfall.

“Larry, will you please help Mr. Howard up” Terry said, Larry nods and hoists Dutch off the ground and forcing him to his feet roughly with his grey eyes still dancing. Dutch lets out a low snarl as his hallow brown eyes meet Terry’s lively blue eyes once more, the faint sound of birds chirping fills the small silence that falls between the four men huddled together in the still alleyway. Terry’s eyes are daring Dutch to say something, to say anything and Dutch Howard for once looks utterly speechless the fear still swirling in his hallow eyes tells Terry everything he needs to know.

“What Mr. Howard, cat got your tongue or are you only capable of utilizing your flagrant vitriol and unfettered violence when your opponent is more vulnerable than you are, hmm. You violate and beat defenseless woman to make yourself feel strong, to make you feel like a real man, don’t you” Terry said tauntingly letting out a dark chuckle of his own when that trace of dejections muddles with the fear swirling in the pair of lifeless eyes before him. Dutch lets out another animalistic sounding snarl finally trying to wiggle his hands free from their justified bondage. His wild brown eyes take on the traits of a cornered animal ready to fight as they leer up at the calculated blue ones before him.

“And you think you’re a real man, untie my hands and let’s see who the real man is then, huh.” Dutch said sharply, Terry chuckled again in amusement before letting his calm stoic mask slip just a bit as he took an intimidating step forward. Dutch instinctively takes a step back prompting Larry to give him a hard shove back into his original position with a smirk on his face.

“Easy son wouldn’t want you to fall down again now would we at least not when the boss has a lesson to teach you” Larry goaded fixing the collar of the blood-stained white button-down Dutch Howard was wearing with an amused glint in his grey eyes. Dutch glared back at the older man with blood still pouring from his battered nose before turning his angry gaze back to Terry.

“A lesson huh, why don’t you get on with it so I can beat that pretty boy face of yours so bad Veda won’t even recognize you” he sneered, Terry tsked him letting a mocking smirk play across his lips as he stared down at him as he pulled his wild black curls back into their signature confine.

“Patience is a virtue Mr. Howard, you see, I can’t afford to rush this lesson because I really want it to sink in for you I want you to hurt, I want you to hurt ten times worse than you made my sweet Veda hurt, and I want you to think of this pretty boy face of mine everyday you’re sitting in your prison cell wondering where your life went wrong.” Terry said in a dark eerie tone before letting his eyes fall upon Larry and Milos who both had a trace amount of violent yearning in their eyes as they leered at Dutch Howard.

“Well, it would seem I’m not the only one who wants their face to haunt you for the rest of forever Mr. Howard. Larry, Milos would you like to take your shots before Mr. Howard’s lesson begins.”

Much to Terry’s delighted surprise, Milos’ fist is the first to whip through the balmy air with a force great enough to send Dutch Howard’s body flying back onto the pavement with a thud. Terry lets out a content sigh and throws his head back to gaze up at the clear blue sky listening to the sound of closed fists and chirping songbirds much like one listens to an orchestra play a divine symphony. The ebbs, flows, and grand crescendo slowly die down and Terry lets his eyes settle back on Dutch Howard’s bruised form with an ominous sort of cheer nestled in his blue orbs. Dutch lets out another animalistic snarl as Larry pulls him back up and onto the soles of his feet with new bruises already forming on his pale skin.

“You’re doing all this to defend some piece of Jersey trash, you take the role of the sweet, virginal maiden away from her and that’s all she is. She knows that too that’s the real reason she won’t put out” Dutch sneered, Terry chuckled under his breath it was clear Veda’s stun gun attack bruised his frail little ego and Terry couldn’t remember feeling this proud of anyone in his entire life.

“I think you and I both know who the real piece of trash is here I know it, you know it, but most importantly Veda knows it and that’s what you’re really upset about isn’t it. Veda knows you’re not worth putting out for and deep down you know that too” Terry goaded relishing in the way Dutch’s vile black orbs glazed over like he was going to cry. Terry hadn’t planned on earning the pleasure of seeing such a pathetic display so early on Veda wasn’t even out of surgery and Dutch was on the verge of blubbering like a baby.

“Oh no, you called me trash whatever will I do, is using my words against me part of the lesson soldier?” Dutch snapped blinking his eyes rapidly, seemingly trying to prevent Terry from noticing the pathetic tears that had brimmed his eyes. It would appear Dutch Howard was all talk and no bite. Terry looked down at Dutch Howard with a sinister smirk on his face and excited butterflies in his stomach, he always knew revenge was sweet but avenging his sweet girl somehow surpassed it all.

“No, your lesson is that actions have consequences, Mr. Howard, and your consequence for hurting my Vedais facing me the way you should’ve faced me last night. Larry will you kindly untie Mr. Howard’s hands.” Terry said taking a few steps away from his target so he could relish in his obvious fear just a bit longer, he watched Larry free Dutch Howard from his bondage. He felt the fire within his veins reignite itself as Dutch took a back stance, a Kokutsu dachi stance. Terry could recognize a stance like that anywhere he lived and breathed karate and hand to hand combat in the depths of the Vietnam jungle with his friend John Kreese. Coming back home a changed man with emotional baggage didn’t change the fact that karate had very much become a part of him and John alike. They made a pact some time ago that after Terry had gotten Dynatox stable he’d come join John in their feat to bring Cobra Kai karate to the Valley. Terry looked back at a brooding Dutch Howard with amusement swirling in his eyes.

“You served in ‘nam, big deal, I know they send you off with little to no training in unarmed combat and that war ended ten years ago in case you forgot. I’m assuming that was the last time you’ve been in a fight this should be easy work for me. So, let’s go soldier boy” Dutch sneered lurching forward, Terry chuckled swiftly blocking his amateur level front lunch punch.

“Ah, so you know Cobra Kai karate, now I know my buddy John Kreese had to have gotten on you about telegraphing your punches” Terry’s first rips through the air and connects violently with Dutch’s rib cage effectively knocking the wind out of his lungs. Dutch lets out a long, labored wheeze stumbling out of his stance in both surprise and pain.

“The world is full of strange coincidences Mr. Howard” Terry said, a foot connects with the back of Dutch’s leg and topples him to the ground with a thud and a pathetic sounding yelp.

“How is it that the worthless piece of trash that’s been haunting my sweet girl just happens to train at the very dojo that I cofounded and funded” the sound of skin hitting skin seems to echo with every word Terry sneers and every blow Dutch fails to block.

“How is it that you just happened to piss off the only other person in the Valley that knows Cobra Kai Karate, Mr. Howard. It would appear I’m the only one who did my research before picking a fight, hmm” Terry taunted watching Dutch fall to the ground pathetically for about the millionth time. Dutch glared up at him with menacing eyes from his spot on the ground with crimson trickling out of the side of his mouth.

“This is what you call victory, huh, stand up Mr. Howard the lessons not over yet, the real pain hasn’t even begun” Terry tsked mockingly, Dutch let out an animalistic growl lunging at Terry once more in an angry sort of song and dance of punches and blocks until Terry lands a lethal blow to Dutch’s chest. Terry watched the tears pour from his opponent’s hallow brown eyes before he doubled over on the ground, a mere taste of the quicksilver methods.

“Stop, please stop” Dutch wheezes clutching his pummeled rib cage breathlessly, Terry cackles sending a sharp stomp kick to his back before yanking him off the ground and pinning him against the outside wall of Good Samaritan Hospital.

“What’s that, you want me to stop but why Mr. Howard. Did you stop when my Veda asked you to stop touching her, huh, did you stop when she said you were hurting her?!” Terry snarled; Dutch pursed his swollen lip seemingly trying to decide if running his vile mouth again would be worth it. Terry wanted him to do it just one more time so he could justify dragging this pathetic excuse of a fight out just a little longer.

“Why would I, no mercy, remember. Did you really think I was about to show that little bitch even an ounce of it. No, in fact, I relished in those tears every time I battered that pretty little face of hers, assaulted her tight heat, and strangled that pretty little neck but I think my favorite part was pushing her down that flight of stairs”  Terry saw red and his actions there after were a bit of a blur though he remembered his fists connecting with the Good Samaritan’s concrete walls more than a few times. And the glorious sound of Dutch’s arm snapping like a tree branch as well as the onset of agonized screeches that followed though he really wished he had a flight of concrete steps to shove him down. The mere thought of his helpless Veda flying of a flight of steps and connecting with the concrete while Dutch Howard leered down at her frail form still made his blood boil. At least for now Terry could relish in the roles being reversed through part of him wished Veda could see it because maybe it would squander the onset of the screaming nightmares Terry would have to pull her out of. Though the gratifying picture before him right now would make it worth it because everything and anything that involved wrapping his arms around her was worth the world.

Terry pants softly, leering down at a whimpering Dutch trying to decide if there was anything else he could to the pig for daring to recount the details of the assault he inflicted on his sweet girl. He sees Milos take a step towards them out of the corner of his eye just as the summer sun illuminates their shadowy alleyway Milos odd demeanor is enough to pull his blue eyes off Dutch Howard for the first time in minutes. Terry peers over at Milos with a growing curiosity watching as one of his hands pulls something iridescent out of his dark blue jeans pocket with an unreadable expression on his face.

“No, Milos” Larry’s deep Texan drawl drones over the chirping songbirds and Dutch’s feeble sobs and whimpers from the cool pavement. His tone is firm, and his grey eyes are serious as his tall frame stalks towards Milos’ still form almost cautiously.

“What do you have there, Milos?” Terry asked, straightening himself out and making a few paces towards the two men to peer down at the object Milos is clutching in his hand up close. Larry places a hand on Terry’s chest stopping him in his tracks and giving him a disapproving look that had Terry quite nearly letting out a defeated sigh. He hated it when Larry looked at him like that even with his vigilante history, he still had to be the authoritative voice of reason. He had accepted the fact that Larry was a walking contradiction long ago, but he was still allowed to be annoyed by it.

“It’s the blade this animal used on Veda, sir, thought maybe you’d like to use it” Milos said nonchalantly, clicking the button on the iridescent hilt to reveal a long silver blade that made Terry’s blood boil. His blue eyes darted back to Dutch’s permanent spot on the pavement and found himself pondering the idea, what harm could a little extra torture really do and it only seemed fair considering the fact he used on Veda.

“Now you might want to rethink that boss, the chief said you could rough him up and you’ve done that, alright. The kids never the outside of a prison cell again, he’s made his bed, don’t make yours. Think about Veda” Larry said firmly, Terry sighed resisting the urge to roll his eyes he slipped the blade out of Milos’ hand and stared at it for a long moment. Seeing the trace amounts of Veda’s dried blood on the blade made his heart twinge but he ultimately closed the blade and stuffed it in his pocket.

“This is evidence Milos we have to give it to Chief Ramsey but um you can take another swing at the heap on the ground if you want. I think he’s finally stopped crying and I don’t like it” Terry said in an attempt to lighten the tension that hung in the balmy air, Milos rolled his eyes.

“You’re such a buzzkill Lawrence” Milos grumbled, practically stomping his way back to the hospital entrance like a disgruntled child with a slight pout on his face. Terry repressed a chuckle as he watched Larry roll his grey eyes though there was a hint of amusement nestled in them.

“Oh, I’m sorry speed racer the next time you want to contemplate attempted murder I promise I won’t stand in your way. How you gonna drive that little Porche in prison, huh” Larry goaded, chuckling at the two middle fingers Milos threw up in response before disappearing out of the alleyway.

“Remind me to never let him wear jeans again” Larry joked bending down to take a good look at Terry’s handy work on a still blubbering Dutch Howard. “You brought this on yourself you know son, did you at least learn something today maybe prison will be good for you. I think you need some structure in your life” Larry said prompting Dutch to let out a long groan.

Terry ignored the faint sting of his bruised knuckles and brushed back some of his black curls that had managed to free themselves from their confines during his act of romantic vengeance. He took a few paces forward to leer down at Dutch’s beaten body one last time. Terry’s catharsis had left him feeling quite serene but also yearning for his sweet Veda. She should be heading to the recovery room right about now and he had every hope of being the first face she saw when she finally opened those pretty doe eyes.

“You go on ahead and see her if you can. I’ll make sure this dirtbag finds his way to Chief Ramsey’s squad car in one piece or most of a piece anyway. Sorry, I had to be your buzzkill boss, but you can’t be with Veda if you’re behind bars” Larry said placing a brotherly hand on Terry’s shoulder reminiscent of the one he placed on his hand in the car in just this morning though it felt like a lifetime ago now.

“I know Larry you did the right thing being the voice of reason and all, I’m not upset so don’t worry about it, alright. Thank you for doing this for me, you know I think of you as more of a friend then an employee and I really appreciate you always being there for me.” Terry said honestly, Larry pulled him in for a brief hug with a warm smile on his face.

Veda’s Pov

“I know that buddy, now get on in there.”

💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚❣️❣️💚❣️💚💚

Veda woke up to the faint sound of something beeping and soft yet heavy breathing, she wonders if she had perhaps fallen asleep the couch in the living room again and that the beeping was just Milos making a pot of coffee for them. Usually when she drifted off on the couch Terry would just carry her off to bed but sometimes, he’d grab a blanket and cuddle up right beside her. Veda groaned softly not really wanting to get out of bed, but her bladder seemed to have other plans. She fluttered her eyes open expecting to see the sun streaming in through the Ennis House windows but instead her eyes adjust to see a large unfamiliar room. Veda furrowed her brows letting her eyes sweep around the hoards of flower filed vases in the slightly dim room for a long moment. The beeping sound caught her attention once more and she turned her head to the right to see a heart monitor finding that the slightly twisted wires and the blood pressure cup were secured to her right arm. It finally occurs to her that she’s in the hospital though she’s not sure how she failed to notice her whole body was sore and achy until now. Her mind wanders back to the gala and some of the events there after. Her eyes dart toward her left arm as a movie like reel dances across her mind to reveal how she had landed herself in a brace, a sling, and the hospital all together.

“Dutch” Veda grumbled under her breath. Finding it strange she can remember just about everything up until she got here, though some parts are still a little fuzzy namely how she ended up under Terry’s desk at Dynatox. Veda forced herself to sit up sharply, her eyes frantically searched for Terry in her hospital room though she immediately regretted sitting up so fast partly because it hurt and partly because she launched Terry’s head into her lap. Veda looked down to see Terry’s head now propped in an uncomfortable looking position on her thigh, silently cursing herself for not noticing he had his head perched upon her chest. He still looked quite peaceful even in his awkward position against her leg, Veda sighed nibbling on her lip as she tried to shift his head off of her lap so she could scurry away to the bathroom without having to wake him up. Though she wasn’t sure exactly how she was going to manage doing so with one arm that was functioning but also sore from her the dark events that transpired the night before.

Veda gently removed her right leg from underneath Terry’s head and gingerly placed it in a more comfortable looking position against the plush mattress before attempting to clammer out of the bed quietly. Veda inched her way to the left side of the bed finding she needed a bit more time than usual because she felt increasingly dizzy and nauseous with every move she made. Veda yelped in surprised as the monitor that clung to her right arm yanked her back sharply, before disconnecting from her pressure cup and falling on the ground behind Terry’s chair with a loud crash and sharp incessant beeping. Without the monitor anchoring her to the bed she found herself tumbling off the mattress and onto the cold, hard tile of the hospital floor with a decently painful bang and a soft cry. Veda sighed in defeat as she heard Terry begin to stir from his spot on the edge of the mattress and scramble to his feet, the exact thing she was trying to avoid. Veda could see his towering figure from her spot on the floor and immediately felt an overwhelming wave of guilt wash over her when his drowsy, concerned blue eyes settled on her. Veda let out another sigh as she watched Terry round the bed quickly, she felt incredibly annoyed with herself for not remembering she had a giant machine attached to her arm. It would seem her brain was a lot fuzzier than she initially thought.

“Oh Veda, sweetheart, are you okay” Terry asked in a frantic tone, crouching down in front of her to look her over with gentle hands. Though Veda wasn’t sure how he could even tell if she had any new wounds at all, nearly all her skin was either gashed or bruised and she could only imagine what her face looked like right now given how many times Dutch struck her.

“I’m sorry, I have to go to the bathroom, but I didn’t want to wake you…” Veda trailed peeling her eyes off of him to stare down at her battered knees because seeing him fret over her like this made her heart twinge. Terry shushed her, placing one of his long fingers under her chin, gently urging her to look at him. Veda stared up at him through her lashes sheepishly because she recognized the look in his eyes even in the dim lighting.

“Veda, baby, you don’t have to be sorry for waking me up ever, most especially not when you’re hurt in a hospital bed and need help, sweetheart” he cooed huskily, reaching up to stroke her cheek even more gently than he usually did which Veda didn’t think was possible. She felt her heart flutter with each gentle pass his thumb made over her bruised cheek as he gazed at her with loving eyes. She smiled at him softly through the dim yellow lighting, reaching over to run her fingers through his unusually messy black curls as best as she could with her hand bandaged. They stayed like that for a long moment managing to somehow have one of their silent conversations even with the monitors shrill beeps echoing through the room. Veda had been in a hospital room a total of two times in her life, once when she had appendicitis and the other when Daniel fell off his bike and broke his arm. Neither of the rooms had been quite as lavish as this one and she couldn’t bring herself to think about how big the bill for such a room was going to be like at the moment.

“I know, I think I overestimated my ability to do it by myself…” Veda said softly finally remembering some of the gaps that were missing after they left Dynatox. “I forgot I had surgery…” Veda said sheepishly with rosy cheeks, Terry chuckled and placed a quick kiss on her forehead and helped her stand making sure she was bearing most of her weight on him because her legs seemed to still be unsteady.

“That’s alright, sweetheart, being confused after a procedure is totally normal but you’ve come a long way since they first brought you in here. You really were saying the darndest things, baby girl” Terry said with a cheery smile, Veda rolled her eyes playfully as looped her right arm through Terry’s and let him guide her towards the bathroom.

“Do I even want to know what I said” Veda giggled nuzzling her face into the side of his arm as Terry pushed open the door and walked her into the spacious bathroom. Terry chuckled, leaning down to give her a sweet kiss on the top of her hair with a dreamy type of smile on his face. His blue eyes are bright, playful, and loving the way they always seemed to be when she was around.

“You were mostly emotional but in an adorable, endearing sort of way you mostly cried over silly things like the gallon of ice cream you threw up last night and the fact you couldn’t remember our wedding, that was all Zoe’s doing. She told you I was your husband while I was in the bathroom, and it sent you into the cutest little awkward frenzy. Your mom got the whole thing on video” Terry chuckled, Veda felt her cheeks tint again and giggled under her breath as she shook her head.

“Well, crying over wasting a perfectly good gallon of ice cream is valid, I’m only human after all. But our dear Zoe is defiantly getting an earful from me tomorrow” Veda said with a pout on her face. “Where is everyone anyway?” Veda said letting Terry sit her down on the toilet.

“I told everyone it was okay for them to go home and rest after you dozed off, but they should all be back in an hour or so to have dinner with us. You were also ranting about pasta for a bit there” Terry said teasingly, Veda giggled but gave Terry an awkward sort of smile as she looked up at him through her lashes. For all the times they had seen each other naked there were still some things she was much too shy to do in front of him and using the bathroom was one of them. Terry looked down at her with an amused sort of glint in his eyes and a knowing smile, but Veda could tell he was gearing up to tease her about it.

“Veda, it’s a normal bodily function you know, everyone…”

“Terry, get out pleasseeee” Veda whined, Terry chuckled under his breath and threw his hands up in mock surrender before walking out of the bathroom. Veda could still hear him laughing to himself before he popped his head back in to say something else.

“Alright, but don’t get up by yourself call me when you’re done” Terry chided in a firm, but teasing tone Veda rolled her eyes to herself motioning for him to get out again with a pout on her face. Terry chuckled again, finally closing the door to leave her to her own devices for a moment but Veda had a feeling he was still right outside and even that was making her anxious for some reason.

“Please don’t stand by the door…” Veda said timidly, as she listened to Terry move about the room, she wasn’t sure why this had to be where she was drawing an invisible boundary in their relationship. She loved and trusted Terry more than anyone else in the world, save for her mother of course, but perhaps the events of last night brought back some of her insecure tendencies and the fear that she might lose him someday.

“Baby girl, I promise I’m not by the door” Terry called back to her in a soothing, reassuring tone that had her nerves melting away almost instantly. He always seemed to be able to read her mind even when she felt like they were worlds apart and that was something Veda never wanted to change…. (I’m sooooo sorry)

“Okay, I’m ready” Veda called out after she heard Terry fix the up the mess she had made of the monitor in the room. Terry came rushing in shortly after with a reassuring smile on his face, he quickly helped her up and peppered her face with reassuring kisses and cooed affections in her ear while he helped her wash her bandaged hand as best as they could. Veda kept her head turned to the side with her eyes trained on his face wondering if there’d ever be a day where she grew tired of looking at him, listening to him, loving him. All three options seemed equally unlikely to her, impossible even. Veda smiled up at Terry with loving eyes and leaned in to place a kiss on his cheek before wrapping her right arm around the back of his neck and batting her eyelashes at him innocently. Terry chuckled with an amused glint in his sparkling eyes as he lifted her feet off the ground and carried her back into the room which was brighter than it was when she left it. The curtains were now open, and Veda took a moment to marvel at all the vases of flowers that filled the room as Terry tried set her back onto the bed gently.

“No, I want you to sit with me” Veda pouted up at him cutely, Terry smiled down at her with bright eyes for what felt like an eternity before taking a seat on the bed and helping her find a comfortable position on his lap. Veda smiled at him with a triumphant sort of glint in her eyes gripping one of his hands she raised it to her lips to place a tender kiss on it. Terry smiled down at her sweetly though his hand tensed slightly when her fingernail grazed one of his knuckles. Veda glanced at his hand taking in the cuts and bruises on his knuckles with a soft gasp of concern.

“You’re hurt what happened my love, are you okay?” Veda asked, finding that his other hand was in the same battered condition. Terry flashed her a reassuring smile as he let one of his hands play with the ends of her still messy hair.

“I said I’d take care of anyone who ever laid a hand on you, baby girl and I meant it. No ones ever going to hurt you like this again, I promise” Terry said in a soft serious tone, Veda nodded in acknowledgement though she already had no doubts he meant those words he said to her nineteenth birthday. She felt the sincerity of his words every time he looked at her, every time he held her, and every time he kissed her.

“I know you meant that, my love. Thank you” Veda said, leaning in to capture him in a passionate kiss that made her heart practically sing and tears of joy escape the corners of her eyes. Terry kissed her back with such a heartfelt adoration and devotion Veda felt like she might burst and that feeling never wavered. Not even when they pulled apart for air and rested their foreheads together as they gazed deeply into each other’s eyes. It surrounded them, it coursed through their veins, and it connected them regardless of time or circumstance. It tied their hearts together with a single thread of silver.

“…But are you okay…”

“I am, now that I’ve got you, my sweet girl.”

“…. Are you?”

“I am, now that I have you, my love.”

[waltwhitmansbeard]

my fair lady: chapter ten

there are nine more of these, read them here! really hoping @romeoandjulietyouwish hasn't gotten tired of me tagging her yet :D

It seems a statistical impossibility, the number of assailants who continue to pour in through the now-shattered windows of the Emerald Citadel. The air tastes of copper and steel, and Vax nearly slips every few feet on the pools of blood peppering the stone floors. His search for Keyleth is continually interrupted by clashes with new combatants, each more ferocious and terrifying than the last, and though he is determined to find her alive, he notices his eyes spending more time looking at the faces of those on the ground than the partygoers still standing.

He's managed to make it close to the large doors of the ballroom's entrance, but still he has not found her. He's driven back by a scythe-wielding goliath, narrowly avoiding having his scalp removed before ducking down and slicing their femoral artery. As the body drops beside him with a howl of pain, he straightens, gripping his daggers so tightly it's a wonder they don't draw blood. The panic is edging in fast now. If he has not found her in this chaos by this point, she is either gone or has been trampled beneath the feet of those fighting or fleeing. Was it just today that he held her while she wept in her guest chambers, neither of them able to imagine any fate worse for her than an arranged marriage with a man she did not know? He thinks of their conversation in the forest, after she had used her mysterious magic to heal what should have been the wound that ended him, and wishes to the gods that he had told her that he was ready to risk everything for her, to give up the life he had built with his sister in Zephrah to spend every day that he has left by her side, consequences be damned. Was her last impression of him one of a man of cowardice, of a man who loved her and let her go?

He is ripped from his miserable wonderings by a sound unlike any he has ever heard. The closest analogue he can think of is a mortally wounded animal, one that, when struck by his sister's arrow during a hunt, did not die cleanly and quickly. It is a high, piercing sound, one that ripples through his skin and sets his fine hairs on edge. It echoes between the marbled walls and quiets the din of slaughter around him. His head swivels automatically to the thrown-open doors to the ballroom, where there he sees, standing tall with her arms outstretched toward the madness, Keyleth, mercifully, miraculously alive. Her eyes shine a luminous silver and her hands, to his horror, are aflame, the fingers curled into claws. As she lets out a second baleful, anguished shriek, the hands clench shut. Small sparks prickle up her arms, heralding the thunderous boom that dwarfs that of Lord Percival's pistol. From seemingly nowhere, more than half a dozen bolts of lightning crackle down from above, as if the heavens themselves had coalesced in the vaulted ceilings of this ballroom. Their brilliant light casts malevolent shadows upon the walls, and when Vax has blinked the radiance from his vision, he sees that each of the bolts has struck a different black-clad attacker, each of whom stands for a brief moment, their clothes and skin crackling and sizzling with a nauseating stench, before they crumple where they stand.

Vax's eyes find Keyleth once again, who heaves one heavy breath, two, three, before her eyes slide closed and she, too, collapses. "KEYLETH!" Vax bellows, darting to her side as the stunned silence of the ballroom erupts once more into the cacophony of fighting. His hands go first to her face, which is clammy and cold, and then to her wrist, which is somehow no longer on fire. There is a pulse, faint as it is, and the wave of relief that inundates him nearly knocks the breath from his lungs. He gingerly slides his arms beneath her unmoving body, and the one beneath her legs knocks into something. He rolls her to find a dagger sticking out of the skirts of her dress, and his stomach roils. Knowing better than to remove it, lest she bleed out in his arms, he scoops her up and staggers to his feet. He begins to run as fast and as far as he can, the sounds of bloodshed dwindling behind him as he aims for anywhere that isn't here.

He meets little resistance, as at this point most of the Emerald Citadel's guards have joined the fray in the ballroom, and stumbles out some side entrance into the palace's gardens. There are tall hedge walls here, which Vax uses to put even more cover between Keyleth and the castle, and after twisting and turning through the same flora through which he'd followed Prince Tiberius that very afternoon, he stumbles upon a row of greenhouses. He kicks the door to one in and ducks inside, finding a pile of burlap sacks of soil that he uses to prop up Keyleth's unconscious form.

"Come on, Kiki," he breathes, brushing the hair from her wan face. "Wake up for me." His hands find the hilt of the blade still lodged in her leg. He removes his belt, letting his spare daggers clatter to the wooden floor of the greenhouse. He grips the hilt and yanks it out quickly and cleanly, then immediately lifts her skirts to affix the belt just above the wound, forming a tourniquet to slow the bleeding. Vax fixes her dress as best he can before laying his hands on her face once more. "Please, please wake up."

The fact that the removal of the blade didn't wake her concerns him. He grabs the dagger from where he'd tossed it aside and sniffs the blade. His stomach sinks. Poison. He'd know this scent anywhere, has used varieties of this toxin in his own line of work over the years. He curses his skills as killer rather than healer; if their positions were reversed, he knows Keyleth would be able to remedy him.

Inspiration strikes him. Of course. He leans down to press a kiss to her forehead, murmuring, "Hang on for me, sweetheart," before clambering to his feet. He starts to look around the greenhouse, scanning each of the plants in their carefully managed pots. As he turns toward the kicked-in door, however, he freezes, now face-to-face with a hulking figure dressed all in black, whose beady yellow eyes flit between him and Keyleth on the ground. Vax's hands instinctively fly to his belt, but he swears under his breath as he remembers leaving his weapons on the floor beside the princess.

Noticing Vax's hesitation, the figure bolts forward, a shortsword in their hands. Vax tumbles out of the way as the blade crashes down on the gardening table just beside him. He grabs a heavy ceramic pot and tosses it up. The figure swiftly dodges, and the pot shatters harmless against a metal support beam. Seizing the opportunity of having Vax prone and unarmed, the figure raises the shortsword again. Vax watches the point dangle above him for half a second before a familiar boom echoes through the greenhouse. The yellow eyes go wide for half a second before the figure starts to topple forward, the shortsword still extended. Vax manages to twist out of the way just before the sword lodges into the wood right where his collarbone had just been. Vax stands, panting, to see Lord Percival standing in the doorway, his weapon still smoking.

"That's two," Percival says dryly. His eyes find Keyleth on the opposite end of the greenhouse. "Sweet Pelor." He stows his pistol and rushes to her side. "What happened?"

"Stay with her!" Vax orders, fully ignoring the question. He begins to search the greenhouse again, reading each of the meticulously notated labels on the plants. Everything is in Elvish, of course, which Vax hasn't spoken or read since he left Syngorn with his sister, so he has to double-check every label to ensure he's gathering the correct herbs and flowers. During the war, Keyleth spent weeks at several convalescence camps, helping the healers care for the Ashari soldiers who were injured in battle. There was a contingent of the Draconian army that favored poison weapons, and Keyleth worked tirelessly to assemble antidotes for the toxins that threatened the Ashari soldiers' lives. Vax's duty, as always, was to stick by Keyleth in case of danger, but because she is the sun and he a helpless planet, orbiting her light with as little effort or thought as breathing, he absorbed much of her knowledge at that camp, including the recipes for a handful of antitoxins. He believes he's assembled one now—at least, he hopes so as he crashes to his knees beside her once more, Percival now on her other side trying to shake her awake.

"What happened?" Percival demands again, even paler than usual. He watches Vax crush and mix his gathered ingredients in an unused clay pot. "What are you doing?"

"She's been poisoned," Vax grits out, using the hilt of one of his daggers to crush some senega root into a fine powder. There's a watering can nearby that he picks up to add moisture into his concoction. Once he's ground everything into a paste, he scoops some onto his fingers and reaches up under her gown. Percival sputters at the impropriety, but Vax ignores him, smearing the antidote onto the wound. He coats it as best he can before pulling back to watch her face. His heart thrums anxiously in his chest, and he is hardly able to breath with the dread clawing up his spine. He should have taken her elsewhere, should have sent Percival for a healer, should have never let her get more than a few feet away from him, should have—

Keyleth takes in a shuddering breath, nearly jolting Vax out of his skin. Her eyes flicker open and search uncertainly for something before landing on Vax's face. "Vax?" Her voice is barely a whisper.

He grips her hand and brings it up to his lips, noticing for the first time the tears streaming down his face. He feels faint with relief. "You scared the hell out of me."

"Sorry." She turns her head to look at her Percival on her other side. "Hey, Percy."

Percival lets out an uncharacteristic sniffle. "Hey yourself. So...how long have you been making lightning?"

Keyleth shrugs and then immediately winces. Vax runs a hand through her hair to hold the back of her head. "Don't move. You've had quite a last hour."

She sighs a laugh, but then panic crosses her face. "Um." She stares at Vax's hand still holding hers, and then her eyes dart to Percival's face.

Percival, to his credit, rolls his eyes. "Good gods, Keyleth. I know."

"What?" She looks between them both incredulously. "I mean...what?"

"Well it's not exactly like either of you is subtle." He shrinks in on himself a bit. "I suppose I should confess to being the one who encouraged him to...separate himself from you."

Her jaw drops, betrayal and hurt all over her face, but before she can say anything, Vax squeezes her hand. "Let's not have this out now, yeah? We need to get you somewhere safe." He nods to Percival, and together the two of them help the princess to her feet. She is shaky on her legs, but with one arm around each of their necks, she's able to keep upright. The trio inches out of the greenhouse and through the garden, where after a minute they hear the sound of footsteps approaching. Vax brandishes the one dagger that he snagged from the ground at the same time as Percy yanks his weapon from its holster.

A familiar face appears: Jarett, one of the sovereign's personal guards. Percival lowers his gun slightly as Jarett says, "Thank the gods I've found you. The sovereign sent me to retrieve the princess."

Keyleth sighs in relief. "My father is okay?"

"Unharmed, Your Highness. He was removed from the room quickly. He is currently in a secure wing of the citadel. The intruders have all been killed or run off, and the fighting has stopped. It is safe to return."

"Lead the way, Jarett," Percival orders. He has yet to put his weapon away, and Vax understands the impulse; after such a sudden and brutal attack on an evening dedicated to peace, he is loath to trust anyone right now. Still, he has no better ideas of what to do or where to go at the moment, so with Lord Percival he carefully helps Keyleth after Jarett, who guides the party back toward the scene of the slaughter.

[silver-heller]

Speaking of ships...

I am curious how you view the situation with Serafine and Mordecai, since your Mordecai has different experiences and therefore perspectives. So, I'd be interested in how he'd view that situation (being a fan myself and finding it of interest).

@mrslitmus

I think the huge difference can be summed up with; Silver's fake death changes a lot.

In the original comic, Mordecai was fired up by Atlas' death, and I personally headcanon Mordecai is at the Marigold to try and figure out what happened to Atlas. Atlas was so important to him and ultimately haunted his life both when he was living and in his death (I have rambled about their relationship in other places, so, I'll leave it at that. The added complexities in his relationship with Atlas is definitely a factor as well though). Meaning not only was Mordecai mourning, but he was pissed off and wanted revenge, something Serafine ultimately mocks and seems to lead to him hating her.

But, placing Silver's death before that, while it doesn't change the fact Mordecai still wants those things, makes Mordecai a lot more lost. That relationship meant so much to him, to the point he found himself seeking more independence from Atlas, an act he was originally hesitant over. Without Silver, that's suddenly drawn into question. He does what he thinks he should, but he's not fired up, his heart is not in it, he doesn't even know if it's the right thing to do.

He suddenly has independence, yet he is using it to continue to be right under Atlas' paw and, deep down, I don't think that entirely sits right with him. Especially when it goes directly against Silver's wishes, who was always terrified Mordecai would just become a clone of Atlas and, in a way, Mordecai is extremely conflicted, because respecting the memory of these two people in his life contradict one another. In this sense, Silver is very symbolic of change, of Mordecai opening up and finally going in his own direction (something Serafine builds off of), while Atlas is very symbolic of keeping the status quo, if not amplifying it, with Mordecai becoming the detached, cold businessman Atlas was due to all his grief.

Then, with Serafine and Nico seeing the weakest part of him while he's in this limbo (discovering the wedding wing he planned to give to Silver), Mordecai reveals, and repeats several times how he really feels, which is, "it doesn't matter". In this timeline, the worst thing has already happened to Mordecai. He lost both the loves of his life in different ways, along with his mentor, a rather polarizing figure but one he still did love (platonically) in the end, and believes it's all his fault. Nothing Serafine can do truly be hurtful at this point, no pain will compare to all the loss he has experienced at this point.

So yes, at first he's definitely pissed but, after that fades, he's practically begging to have someone unravel the secrets he's kept inside all these years and understand him. This is a task Serafine is happy to do, what she did proving to Mordecai she can take it, and she sees his sentimentality as more of a positive now that it is no longer a threat to her.

Plus, probably best to keep in mind Serafine and Silver are pretty similar in a lot of ways. Considering Silver almost, accidentally clawed Mordecai's face once in a panic, and Mordecai has seen Silver do far worse to their victims, what Serafine did or does is pretty mild in comparison. Serafine is overall a bit more "sane" and "down to Earth" than Silver is, which ultimately makes Mordecai less fussed about what happened. He views it as a failed strategic move on Serafine's part and nothing more.

Thanks for asking, this was fun to talk about and helped me put things into perspective!