#hello it is me the sand trap guy you know you want to slide into the pit

[rhinocio]

dégénération

[moldisgoodforyou]

nice (iii)

warnings: mentions of sexual content, cursing, hella flirting, these two cannot get enough of each other

wordcount: 7.2k

_______

The rest of the drive was easy - Sophie fell asleep three times, Rafe flicked her to wake her up and entertain him twice, and they stopped to take pictures along the coast when they got lunch in Montpellier, fumbling their way through “bonjour” and “merci” and pointing at the sandwiches in the display case that they wanted. When they finally made it to Nice, Rafe was ready to stretch and take a nap while Sophie was ready to jump into the ocean. So they compromised and went to the beach after dragging their suitcases to their hotel room, towels in hand.

Sophie let him nap for a solid fifteen minutes before she got bored and came out of the water, trying to convince him to come swim. Her method of choice consisted of sprawling on top of him with her hair and swimsuit still soaking wet, effectively jerking him out of his sleep - he just groaned and wrapped his arms around her to bring her tighter. “No.”

“Yes. Come play.” She nuzzled her head into his neck, then nipped at his skin.

“No, Soph, sleepin’.” He protested, a little grumpy, and kept his eyes shut.

“No you’re not, you’re awake now.” She grinned. “Come on, we can go to bed early tonight. You can’t still be jetlagged, that’s impossible.”

“I’m tired, I had to drive the whole way.”

“I would have driven.” She protested, scratching her nails lightly down his chest.

“Yeah, driven us off a cliff. Five more minutes.” He hummed, still not opening his eyes.

“No. Come swim now.” She urged, nudging her head a little higher so her wet hair dragged over his face. He startled, then lifted his head, scowling. “You’re being a brat.”

Sophie only smirked in response. “I can be worse. Come onnnnn, sleep later.”

He sat up a little, sighing. “You promise to actually let me sleep tonight?”

“I swear on my life. I’ll stick to my side of the bed and everything.” She nodded solemnly, rolling off him so he could stand.

“Alright.” He nodded, knowing she wouldn’t keep her promise, and hauled himself up, then offered his hand to drag her up too. She jumped up with an eager grin and he rolled his eyes. “You’re cute.”

“I know. Race you!” She started sprinting toward the water - he strolled leisurely behind her, taking his time to stride in once she jumped off the dock. He swam up underwater and grabbed her around the waist, making her squeal and shove at him. He was laughing as he bobbed up and started swimming, going with her out past the crest of the waves.

After a while of swimming and Sophie trying to float on her back without Rafe snatching her down from under the water, she reached out for him. “I’m tired. Carry me.”

“Wonder why, it’s not like you slept on the entire drive here.” He stretched out his hands toward her to pull her in.

“Did you ever think we’d be here?” She asked him, swimming closer. He raised his eyebrows. “In France? Dunno, I always figured I’d visit Paris one day.”

“No, no.” She swam close enough to bump into him and grinned when he reached down and pulled her legs around his waist, so he was treading for both of them. “Hi.”

“Hello.” He smiled and bumped his nose against hers, beaming. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, like...us.”

“Gonna have to elaborate more for me, Soph.”

She rested her arms around his neck and brought one hand up to play with the ends of his hair, getting longer by the day. “If you’d told me in high school, or even the start of junior year, that we’d be in love and on vacation together in France, just us - I’d say you were insane.”

“Hm.” He nodded, thoughtful. “I don’t know. It might have seemed a little out there, but.”

“But?” She prompted, leaning forward and pressing a kiss to the top of his nose.

Rafe wrinkled his nose in response with a smile, then leaned forward and did the same to her. “I don’t know. I always kind of figured we might end up dating, at some point. Or at least we’d try something between us for a little bit. Didn’t you?”

She tugged on his hair, grinning. “Rafe Cameron, you presumptuous bastard.”

“Answer the question.”

Sophie shook her head. “Honestly, no. I thought you were just flirting with me to be mean, a lot of the time.”

He laughed, shrugging. “What can I say. We’re like magnets, Soph, it’s undeniable.”

“Oh my god.” She rolled her eyes and let go of him, pushing off to swim back to shore.

“What! It’s romantic!” He protested, swimming after her and grabbing her ankle to tug her back. She yelped, kicking in his grip until he let go. “You’re embarrassing!”

“You love me!” He was faster and able to keep up by her side as she swam back leisurely. She giggled, surfacing for air after a long stroke underwater. “I never said I didn’t.”

The two made it back to shore quickly and he wrapped his arm around her, keeping her close as they walked back to their towels. They hadn’t let go of each other since they’d reunited - she held his hand, or he had his arm wrapped around her shoulders, or she’d teasingly hook her ankle around his under the dinner table, sliding it up his calf until he shot her a warning glare. He reluctantly let go just to lay out the towels with a flourish, smoothing hers out for her. “Madame.”

“Monsieur.” She replied, grinning. He flopped down next to her and pulled his sunglasses on to nap again in the sun, while she pulled out a book and started reading. When he began to stir after a half hour of sleep, she glanced over at him. “Rafe?”

“Mm?”

“Have you ever had sex on a beach?”

He was suddenly wide awake, whipping his head over to look at her. “Have I ever had what?” He repeated, sure he was going a little delusional. “What on earth are you reading?”

Suddenly she remembered the story that Brooklyn had told her when they first met, about the Bahamas, and shook her head. “No, actually, never mind.”

“No, no, wait, was that a suggestion or a question?” He prompted.

She shrugged, noncommittal, but she felt a familiar unease settle in her stomach. “Don’t really think I want to get arrested in France.”

He reached over and curled his hand around her ankle, tugging a little with a grin. “Who says we’ll get caught? It’s Nice, baby, half the people here are already topless. And you’re not, I should add, which is basically a crime of its own.”

She scowled, swatting at his hand when he teasingly pulled at the bikini string tied at her hip. “No, Rafe, it’s a bad idea. I shouldn’t have asked.” She couldn’t stop thinking of Brooklyn’s smug smile when Sophie had nearly choked on her wine after she called it “making love.” It irritated her to no end knowing that for nearly every first she’d have with Rafe, he had already had it with someone else.

“Hey.” He frowned, sensing her discomfort. “What’s wrong?”

She huffed a little, keeping her eyes trained on her book. “You did it with her. Right?”

“Her?”

Sophie wrinkled her nose. “Your ex.”

“Oh. That’s why you’re upset?” He slid her hand up her leg, trying to be reassuring. “We didn’t.”

“You didn’t?”

“Have sex.” He paused, wincing as he corrected himself. “On the beach, I mean.”

“Oh.” She sat back a little. “Have you ever? On the beach?”

“Not on the beach.” He gave her a sly grin. “Not sure if I’d want sand in certain places, but I’m open to trying anything once.”

She set her book aside, rolling over on the towel to look him in the eye. “Was she your first?”

“Um. No.”

“Well?” She prompted.

He rubbed the back of his neck, taking a second to answer. “You remember Alexandra Harper?”

Sophie gasped, completely caught off guard. Of course she remembered Alexandra Harper - she’d gotten in a fight with her at school, in the locker rooms, when she was talking about how easy Rafe would be to hook up. “Her? Seriously?”

He shrugged, growing a little embarrassed. “Yeah. Senior year, some party at Top’s house.”

“Gross.” She shuddered, absorbing the information for a moment. “Okay, so how many?”

“How many...?” He repeated, unsure if he even wanted to venture into that territory.

“Yes. How many girls have you slept with? Or hooked up with?”

He paused, feeling like he was being set up for a trap. “What do you consider hooking up?”

Her nose wrinkled and she crossed her arms. “If she had your dick in her mouth. Or vice versa.” She paused, thinking. She wasn’t quite sure why she was pushing for this information, honestly, maybe it was just another test of trust - though that certainly wasn’t something she needed to test with Rafe, of all people. “I suppose fingers count too.”

“Do you really need to know?” He hedged, reaching for her hand to try and relax her a little, but she only budged away stubbornly. “Like, does it really matter if at the end of the day, I’m dating you?”

“Well, I suppose not, but. I’d like to know. Mine’s five.”

“Five!” He balked, not expecting as high a number. “I thought you said you’d only hooked up with one guy before me!”

“All the way, just two. Five if we’re going by my definition. Obviously you’re included in both.” She clarified primly, looking down her nose at him. “Go ahead. Your turn.”

“Fine, mine’s four. How many dicks have you sucked?” He frowned, growing more jealous by the second.

She blushed at his vulgarity and didn’t answer, just pushed her sunglasses back up the bridge of her nose and picked up her book to read again.

He abandoned his towel and crawled on top of her, ignoring her noise of protest as he plucked the book out of her hands and set it aside. “Tell me.”

“No.”

“Tell me.” He repeated, grazing his fingers up her side. She giggled, squirming under him. “Rafe, no!”

He grinned, repeating the action, and nipped at her collarbone, only regretting it a little as he tasted sunscreen. She tried shoving his head away, laughing as she hissed, “Quit, we’re in public!”

“Just tell me!”

“No! You’ll get a big head.” She argued, knowing she’d given herself away.

He paused, grinning. “It’s just me?”

She just shrugged and nudged at his shoulder, trying to get him off.

“Sophie.”

“Yes, it’s just you, happy?” She rolled her eyes as he puffed up a little in pride. “Why wouldn’t you just tell me?”

“Because.” She blushed again, grabbing the book to cover her face. “I didn’t want you to think, like, oh, that makes sense.”

He laughed, reaching out and pushing her book down so he could see her. “You’re not serious?”

“I am! It’s a real concern, it’s like, scary when you’re face to face with one for the first time.” She insisted, laughing. “Especially yours, it’s bigger than I’ve seen -”

“You mean it?” He practically glowed, a little too proud of himself, and she kicked at his leg, rolling her eyes.

“Shut it. I just didn’t want to seem like I didn’t know what I was doing!”

“No, please, go on about how big my dick is.” He smirked and she rolled her eyes, swatting him with the book again. “You’re supposed to say you couldn’t tell that I was clueless.”

“Trust me, baby. There was absolutely no issue there.” He grinned, leaning back onto his own towel with his hands tucked behind his head.

She hummed, satisfied. “You said yours is four?”

He made a noncommittal grunt, pulling his sunglasses back on.

“Do I know them all?”

“You’ve met Alexandra, and Brooklyn, and this smoking hot girl from back home...” He started, trying to hide the grin threatening to tug at his lips.

She frowned, setting her book down again - at this rate, she’d read five pages. “Who? Did she go to my school?”

“She did.” He confirmed with a nod, still not looking at her. “Super cute. Can’t believe you don’t remember.”

“Do you have another descriptor besides just smoking hot? Where’d she go to college?” She scowled, wracking her brain to think of who else had dated him in high school - and why the hell was he describing anyone but her as smoking hot, after all these years -

“Ohio State.”

“Rafe Cameron!” She smacked him with the book, making him yelp. “Jesus, woman, watch it, I’ll bruise!”

“You asshole.” She accused, not meaning it in the slightest. “I hate you.”

“You don’t.” He grinned, grabbing her hand to press a kiss to the back of it. “The fourth was a touron, summer after freshman year of college. That’s all.”

“Oh, I hooked up with a touron once -” She started, and he held his hand out, shaking his head. “Nope. Don’t need to know.”

“But you just told me.”

“Because you wanted to know. The last thing I want to hear about is you with other guys.” He insisted, stealing her book away and tucking it back into her tote bag. In all honesty, he was kind of dying to know, but more so he could find all the boys and have a pointed conversation with them and figure out why the hell Sophie was so hesitant to commit to anything, ever, and what they’d done, but that was a topic for another day. “C’mon, let’s swim again. You’re looking red.”

“I should put sunscreen on again, probably.” She reached for her bag and he shook his head, standing and offering his hand. “Come swim. You’ll be fine.”

“Says you, looking like a tan Hercules out here, some fucking Greek god.” She scowled, accepting his hand and letting him drag her up. “It’s seriously unfair that you look like this.”

He grinned, chest puffed up proudly. “Go on.”

“C’mere,” she murmured, reaching up on her toes to kiss him. He kissed back for merely a second before lifting her up abruptly and hauling her over his shoulder, starting to run toward the ocean. She squealed, pounding on his back. “Rafe Cameron, if you don’t -”

The rest of her protests were abruptly cut off as he tossed her off the dock into the water, following with a graceful dive. He surfaced next to her, laughing as she came up sputtering. “Couldn’t resist.”

“Fucker.” She scowled, pushing her hair back into place.

He grinned and smacked a kiss to her cheek. “I have one question. Just one.”

“I feel like I’m not gonna like this.” She reached out and combed her fingers through his hair, trying to arrange it how she wanted.

“I’m the best, out of all five. Right?”

“The best boyfriend? Yeah, no doubt. I only dated two others of the five anyways.”

“No, not that.” He wrinkled his nose, feeling the little green monster of jealousy rise up again. “Like...sexually.”

“Oh.” She pretended to think for a long pause, longer than he expected, and he frowned. “Sophie.”

“Hold on, still deciding.”

“Sophieeee.” He whined, reaching out and circling his arms around her waist. “Tell me.”

“Well, there’s lots of factors, you see -” He finally caught the hint of a smirk on her lips and groaned, snapping her bikini string. “Stop, just say it.”

She leaned closer and brushed her lips against his ear as she spoke. “It’s you, dummy. It’s always going to be you.”

“Even if you sleep with Liam Hemsworth?” He grumbled. She made him watch the Hunger Games series once and he refused to watch it again, not wanting to hear her commentary again on how hot he was.

She giggled, pressing a quick kiss to his jaw, loving how he automatically tipped his head back for more. “I don’t think that’ll be happening, baby.”

“Better not be.” He squeezed her butt under the water and made a small hum of appreciation when she pressed another quick kiss to the column of his throat.

“Someone’s desperate.” She teased and pushed away from him a little, making sure the water was deep enough to tread.

He raised his eyebrows. “You were asking how thin the hotel walls were earlier. I don’t think you have any room to talk.”

Sophie gave him a mischievous grin and glanced around the water, noting it was pretty sparse of a crowd. “Do you have pockets in your swim trunks?” She swam out a little further away and pulled slowly at the string tied loosely around her neck, holding up her top.

“Yeah, why -” His eyes nearly bugged out of his head as she let the bikini fall from her neck and untied the string on the back too, then swam close and handed it to him. “Here. I don’t want to lose it.”

“Sophie.” He uttered, a little strangled.

“Is there a problem?”

“Not at all.” He mumbled, not taking her eyes off her for a second. “Who are you?”

She frowned, swimming back toward him and crossed her arms over her chest, losing her faith in her bold idea by the second. “What do you mean?”

“I mean this, the leather jacket, speaking a new language...” He struggled to explain it, thinking. “It’s like I’ve never seen you so confident before.”

“Oh.” She brightened, giving him a small, shy smile and a shrug. “It’s okay?”

“I love it.” He declared, giving her a grin in return. “I love seeing you like this, so sure of yourself.”

She wasn’t, not nearly at all, but his perception of her made her beam. “I’m trying.”

“You’re killing it. I’m proud of you.” Rafe held up the bikini top with a grin. “What happens if I lose this?”

Sophie fixed him with a glare. “If you lose it, I’m making you take off your shorts in solidarity. You’ll get a sunburn on your dick.”

He laughed loud, shoving her top in his pocket. “A sunburn on my dick, really? I think it’d be tan. Really complete the look.”

“No. I don’t want anyone else getting to see it.” She argued, swimming close enough to shove his shoulder lightly.

“Okay, so should you put your bikini back on?” He countered, trying his best to keep his eyes trained on hers and not anything lower.

“You just said you liked it -”

“I like your confidence, not necessarily other guys looking at you -”

“Well it’s not your boobs to decide about -”

“Alright, well it’s not your dick -” Rafe started and she raised her eyebrows, reaching down and palming him under the water. “We sure about that?”

He nearly groaned at the contact, pulling his hips back. “You cannot do that to me when you’re topless and we’re surrounded by people. You really can’t.”

“I’ll put the bikini back on before I get out of the water.” She offered, smirking at how easy he was to turn on.

“Deal. That thing you said earlier, about sex on the beach?”

“Yeah?” She cocked her head in question.

“I bet we could find a private spot…” He grinned as she rolled her eyes, almost immediately. “Oh my god, Rafe, I was just asking. If you’re that desperate I’ll fuck you before dinner -”

“Jesus Christ, Sophie, you can’t just say things like that.” He pressed his fingers to his temples and glanced up at the sky as if he was searching for an ounce of strength.

“Why not? I will. We can try the shower, it looked big enough for both of us. The bed was comfy too, though I don’t think I could get the automated curtains to close in front of the window - but hey, if you’re into that -”

“Fucking tease.” He bit out. “You’re being mean.”

“No, baby, being mean would be touching you and then not letting you finish.” She countered, trying her best to hold back a grin. “I’m never mean.”

“You are. You’re a brat sometimes.” He caught her around the waist and pulled her in, kissing her forehead. “But I love it.”

“Careful what you say, you’ll only encourage me.” She grinned and tipped her head up, catching his lips in a kiss.

______

As much as Sophie insisted they had to make the most of every minute of their vacation, she couldn’t deny that his argument of “I promise I’ll bring you back here” was compelling.

After a long afternoon out at the beach, they returned to their hotel to take a nap and get ready for dinner. His eyes widened when she stepped into the hotel lobby, finally out of the sun. “Um, Soph?”

“Yeah?” She felt a little queasy, and unreasonably hot still for being in the air conditioning.

He gently pressed his hand to her shoulder, surprised when she didn’t flinch away. “Does that hurt at all?”

“Not really. Why -” She cut herself off as she extended her arm, realizing it was on its way to turning red. “Oh my god.”

“It’s okay, it’s okay!” Rafe reassured her quickly, but looked a little worried. “We’ll go run you a cold shower - well, maybe a bath - and you’ll be fine.”

“I can’t believe I forgot to reapply sunscreen - didn’t I tell you to remind me?” She lamented, sighing. He shook his head and gave her a small smile of regret. “No, but we know now. We’re doing your architecture tour tomorrow anyways, you’ll have just enough time to recover for our next beach day. Promise.”

He was full of promises, she’d learned, and he always kept them. Every single time. Sophie wondered sometimes if it was his way of compensating for failed relationships, like how his dad had always promised he’d be at his next basketball game, or he’d take him out on the golf course or come up for the next parent’s weekend. She leaned against him in the elevator, realizing she felt a little faint.

“Don’t fall asleep on me, baby.” He murmured, setting his arm around her shoulders and squeezing a little too hard, and she winced. “Ow, Rafe.”

“Sorry, sorry!” He carefully removed his arm and took the bag from her shoulder, deciding not to comment on the angry mark it left behind from burnt skin. He was glad he’d switched them from the hostel - as much as she had wanted to fight the idea, he was right that the luxury of their own shower and bathroom was worth it.

When they got into their hotel room, he instructed her to lie down, pop some ibuprofen, and then ran her a cold bath. Her eyes widened as she saw the marks left behind as she untied her bathing suit. “Oh, fuck.”

“It’s okay! It’ll be fine. You stay here, and I’ll be back in - oh, twenty minutes. That’s all.” He nodded and kissed her forehead, letting her slip into the bath alone. He grabbed his wallet and phone before heading back downstairs, and he practically begged the front desk to buy a bottle of aloe lotion after-hours and the whole box of their complimentary black tea, then paid the janitor to give him a roll of paper towels. He made it back to the room in fifteen, knocking twice before letting himself into the room.

“Rafe?” Sophie called out, tentatively.

“Just me!” He called back, busying himself with heating up water to make the tea.

“I feel really shaky.” She confessed and he frowned, rushing into the bathroom. He placed his hand to the back of her forehead then dipped his finger in the water, nearly ice-cold as she’d turned up the temperature. “You might have sun poisoning.”

“You’re not serious?” She frowned, but grabbed onto his arm like it was difficult to sit up.

“Do you feel like you might throw up?”

“...No.” The hesitation in front of her answer was enough to tell him otherwise.

“Okay. Let’s dry you off and then we’ll see how you feel.” He held out the towel and helped her out, carefully wrapping it around her as she shivered. “S’okay, I got you. Sarah had this once, but I have a trick and you’ll be better tomorrow.”

“It’s unfair that you’re fine.” She grumbled, reaching up and pressing a finger into his muscled chest. He was a little pink, but that was all.

“I think I’ve been burnt enough that I’m used to it.” He reasoned, guiding her back into the room and had her sit down on the end of the bed while the tea was steeping in the fridge. “Can you pull on your underwear so you’re a little more comfortable?”

“Seeing me naked doesn’t do it for you anymore?” She quipped.

He rolled his eyes - if she paid more attention, she could see him half-hard in his loose shorts. “Not when you’re about to be sick.”

“Not gonna be sick.” She muttered stubbornly as she carefully pulled on a pair of underwear from her suitcase, then lied down on her stomach on the bed.

“Hope not.” Once the tea was strong enough, he pulled a decorative bowl from their nightstand table and dumped out the fake seashells, rinsed it, then poured in the tea. He started soaking paper towels in it then carefully wrung them out and laid them across her back, so they covered every inch of burnt skin.

“Where’d you learn that?” She asked, resting her head on her arms.

“My mom used to do it if we got burnt when we were little. It helps a lot.” He replied, pressing a kiss to her shoulder when he finished and laid next to her so she didn’t have to crane her neck up to see him. “I’ll change them when they dry.”

“You haven’t told me much about your mom.” She told him hesitantly after a moment of silence.

He shrugged. “Not much to say. What’s your mom think of all this?”

She was a little disappointed he didn’t open up more, but got the hint - and she felt like she might throw up at any second, so maybe it wasn’t the time for a serious conversation. “All this?”

“Of our trip.”

“Ah. I think she’s jealous.” She grinned teasingly at him. “Always tells me how you’re the ideal match, whatever that’s supposed to mean.” Her grin faded a little. “I’m sure your dad thinks the opposite.”

“I don’t care what my dad thinks.” He told her, firmly, but all she could hear was the fact that he didn’t deny it. She nodded once. “Yeah. Okay.”

“You know, I think your dad and I really got along. When I was home, at least.” He told her a little shyly, a hint of doubt creeping into his voice.

She nodded, smiling. “He likes you. Thinks you’re cool.”

Her dad had said much more than that - he’d told Sophie that Rafe was a good kid, really respectful, a hard worker and he deserved this internship. He’d also asked, with a little too much eagerness to his voice, if Rafe would like to come home with her for Labor Day weekend, when they had their first little break in school, and would he like to come golf with him and Sophie? Also, if he and her mom came up for a football game, would Rafe like to hang out with them again?

She wasn’t quite sure if Rafe was ready for the “my dad wants to be your best friend” talk so she left it at “he thinks you’re cool.”

Rafe nodded with an eager grin. “That’s cool. He’s cool too, I mean. I like hanging out with him.”

“I’m glad.” She reached out her hand for him, locking her fingers with his. “I love you.”

“I know, angel. I love you too.” He beamed, the way he always did when she told him those three simple words.

“I’m happy my family likes you.” She told him, rubbing her thumb back and forth over the back of his hand. “Good for our future...our future us.”

He held back a smile but gave her an amused glance. “Our future us?”

“You know what I mean.” She scowled at him and he reached out and smoothed his thumb over the bridge of her nose, making her relax. “I don’t. Will you tell me?”

“I just mean, like, in the future. After college, what we’ll look like, you know? I’m just glad my family likes having you around.” She struggled to form a complete sentence, not sure how much she wanted to tell him - that she’d thought about being married to him and living with him, and just the little domestic things of sharing the day together.

He beamed, stroking his thumb over her cheek. “Future us…you mean getting married?”

She shrugged, trying to seem cool about it. “Yeah. I can see it.”

“I can see it too.” He grinned, wide. “Sophie Cameron.”

She blushed, biting her lip. “Okay, okay, don’t get ahead of yourself.”

He laughed, unable to shake the bright smile on his face. “Are you feeling any better? You need water.”

“A little, yeah, I think the bath helped.”

Rafe got up and refilled her water bottle, handing it to her so she could take a few sips. “I got aloe from downstairs too, so I can help you put that on once the towels dry. I promise, your burn should basically be gone by tomorrow.”

“You’re too good to me.” She murmured, glancing up at him.

“Nah, you deserve it.” He grinned and pushed the water bottle at her again. “Do you need me to go find takeout somewhere? I don’t know if that’s a thing, but I can probably convince someone. If you’re not feeling up to going to get dinner.”

“No, no, I’ll be fine -” She pushed herself to sit up and suddenly squeezed her eyes shut as she felt a wave of nausea pass, curling into herself. He frowned and gently pressed her back down to the bed, then pulled the top layer of sheets over her where the paper towels weren’t. “I’ll go find something. Will you be okay here or do you think you might be sick? I can figure out delivery - well, maybe, I don’t speak any French -”

“Rafe. I’ll be okay, I can go.”

“No you can’t. Stay here, I’ll have my phone, call me if you feel like you might throw up and I’ll be back before you can blink.”

She rolled her eyes. “You’re being dramatic.”

“No. You need to take care of yourself.” He set the water bottle by her side and pressed a kiss to her temple. “I want that empty when I’m back.”

“Okay, Mom.” She grumbled, but made no protest. Rafe nodded and left, not without another backwards glance to make sure she’d be okay.

He returned thirty minutes later with a pizza box in hand and a bottle of rosé tucked under his arm. “Success!”

“Impressive.” Sophie was upright now, wearing a pair of his boxers and one of his shirts that she’d stolen at the beginning of the summer. The color had returned to her face - the only part she’d remembered to reapply sunscreen on - and she’d chugged a bottle and a half of her water.

“You look like you’re feeling better. Doing okay?” He set the pizza box on the bed, despite her protest, and greeted her with a gentle kiss.

“Yeah, much better. I’ll need you to put aloe on me before bed though.”

“That can be arranged.” Rafe grinned and presented her with the wine. “Look. Only the finest for m’lady.”

She rolled her eyes and shoved at him with a grin. “Europe is making you a sap.”

“Nah, I just missed out on you this summer, so I gotta lay it on thick.” He uncorked the bottle and took a swig, then passed it to her. “Drink up. Not too much though, you’re still dehydrated.”

“How much was it?” She took a careful sip, then nodded, impressed.

“Only about fifteen euros.”

Sophie flicked open the pizza box and inhaled, grinning. “Excellent choice.” After a couple seconds on her phone, Rafe got a notification on his from Venmo. She’d sent him half for their dinner, like they’d talked about long before he was even in Europe.

“Soph.” He frowned. “What the fuck is this.”

She picked up a slice and raised her eyebrows, speaking around a mouthful of food. “Huh?”

“Trying to pay me for half?”

She swallowed and shrugged. “Yes, that’s what we agreed on, months ago.” (They hadn’t agreed, not in the slightest. She’d insisted she was paying for her own everything, he’d immediately said no, and the debate lasted about five minutes before she was taking her top off to end the conversation. She’d called him with other ideas in mind, anyways.)

“We didn’t agree, we left the argument unfinished because you were trying to distract me by getting naked on FaceTime.”

She smirked. “Yeah, and it worked, didn’t it?”

It took her a moment to realize he wasn’t kidding, that he was actually a little upset. “Sophie. I’m serious. I said I wanted to cover meals on this trip.”

She bristled, setting her pizza down. “And I said I wanted to split it. I’ve saved up for this, Rafe, let it go.”

“I don’t understand why it’s such a big deal for you.” Despite his annoyance, he took a seat next to her on the bed and pressed his thigh to hers, always needing to be close.

“Of course you wouldn’t understand.” She muttered, not making eye contact.

“So explain it to me.”

She took a deep breath, knowing they were venturing into dangerous territory. “I don’t want to fight.”

“We’re not fighting. Just having a conversation.” He retorted back, with a little too much of an edge to it.

She hummed in affirmation, though she looked skeptical. “I’ve worked my ass off for this entire summer since I was eighteen. My freshman year, one time, I was about to break my budget just by buying a pack of Oreos at the store. So the fact that I’m even able to pay for this extra trip after my study abroad scholarship means a lot to me.”

“I know you work hard, I’m not discrediting that at all. I just -“ He let out a frustrated huff. “I don’t know why you won’t let me take care of you.”

“First off, I can take care of myself -”

“I know that, but I can still help you -”

She sent him a pointed look and he took a breath, letting her talk. “You just took care of me, with my sunburn and getting me dinner. That’s more than enough. I don’t need - or want - financial help.”

He mulled it over for a second, frowning. “But I have the money, Sophie, just let me help so you don’t have to stress.”

“I don’t want your dad’s money!”

A short silence hung in the air between them as they stared at each other, both a little in shock at her outburst. She blushed a little, embarrassed. “Rafe, I…”

“It’s a trust from both my parents that I just got when I turned 21. Does that make a difference?” He asked evenly, trying to keep calm.

“Not really.” She murmured, biting her lip. “I didn’t mean to yell. I’m sorry.”

“So the problem is my dad.”

Sophie grabbed the bottle of wine and took a sip, then handed it to him. “Is that really a surprise to you?”

He took a considerably large swig, then passed it back. “No. I’ve tried, you know that?”

She went to re-cork the bottle and he stopped her, taking the bottle back but handed over her water bottle. She gave him a grateful smile and took a few drinks, then nodded. “Yeah. I know you’ve tried, I saw how you tried at your Christmas party.”

“It’s just.” He leaned into her side, frowning. “He’s insistent that this is a fling, he forgets your name on purpose, he keeps talking about when I’m with someone more suitable and when I’m taking over the family business -" Rafe felt his throat getting tight and his voice growing shaky as he got more and more frustrated. “All I want is you. He doesn’t care that you make me happy.”

As much as she didn’t want to hear all of that, she knew it all already. “Hey, shh, it’s okay,” she soothed, combing her fingers through her hair. “I know you’re trying your best with him. He’s just not willing to listen.”

“I’m not going to let you go just so I can make him satisfied.” He was fully cuddled into her now, his hand wrapped protectively around her thigh and his head on her hip. “I’m not trying to pay for things to show off, you know -“

“I know, I know.” She affirmed, stroking her hand down his back. “I never thought that.”

He hummed, closing his eyes for a moment in bliss as she rubbed his back, then flipped onto his back to look up at her. “I’m just thinking, when we live together -“

She nearly choked on her water bottle and set it down, raising her eyebrows. “When?”

“I mean… yeah. I have that job offer with my internship for after graduation and you’re staying in Columbus for grad school, I kind of just assumed…” He trailed off, offering her a cheeky grin.

Sophie paused, considering. “I haven’t thought that far ahead.”

“Oh. You haven’t?”

“No, I, um.” She took a moment to collect her thoughts. “I kinda thought you were going to work for your dad and we’d have to do long distance again. I mean, you’d just always said that was the plan…”

“Right, that was the plan, but then you told me to try for the internship and I really liked it. Apart from, well, y’know.” He smiled up at her. “I actually think I could do more.”

She smiled back, proud. “Of course you can. I’m glad you’ve changed your mind. You want to live together?”

“Course I do. Don’t you?” He heard her stomach rumble and grinned. “Sorry to interrupt dinner. Hungry?”

“S’okay. I’m kind of starving, though, can we eat and talk?”

He nodded, sitting up and took a slice from the box. “You didn’t answer my question.”

She took her own half-eaten slice, taking a bite before responding. “I think I’d like to live together, yeah. It makes sense.” She paused, scowling. “My mom might kill me, but I bet my dad could convince her.”

“Your mom doesn’t like me?”

“No! No, not that.” Sophie excused quickly. “She likes you, a lot, but she grew up with super strict parents and I think she thinks we’re in separate beds this whole trip.” She smirked, nudging her knee against his. “It’s scandalous.”

“Oh, right.” He nodded, already going for another piece of pizza. “So...would we need to stick to your budget or mine?”

“We can split rent, something reasonable. When I get my real job, I’ll have a decent amount of money, just. Being a TA doesn’t pay too much. My parents help me a little with rent at school.” She considered. “If we need a little more for a better place, I can pick up another job or something.”

Rafe frowned, elbowing her. “I’m not going to make you work overtime when I can help us out.”

“We’ll come to that when we need to start looking for places in spring.” She dismissed and he grinned, glad she was fully on board. “Sounds good to me.”

“Baby?”

He beamed, loving the pet name. “Yeah, angel?”

“I don’t know if I want to know this, but. Do you know, roughly, how much you have in the trust?” She bit the inside of her cheek, hesitant.

He paused, mulling over his answer before responding. “Um, let’s put it this way. I could get away with not having a job.”

“Like...for a few years?”

“Um. No.”

“Oh.” She mumbled. “So you could get away with not having a job...ever.”

He nodded, offering her the wine bottle. “Yeah. But that’s why I’d like to spend a little bit more on you sometimes, because I will have a job. Obviously some of it is invested, and I’ll set aside a college fund for my kids eventually, but. I like treating you to things.”

She took a long swig from the bottle, grimacing after. “I know you do - fuck, that’s getting to me.”

Rafe laughed, taking it back. “I can tell, your face is getting a little red.”

“Shut up, is not.”

“Is too. C’mon, eat one more slice at least and then I’ll put the aloe on you, crispy.”

She stuck her tongue out at him, taking her third slice of pizza. “You gonna give me a massage?”

“Depends, do I get one too?”

“Only if yours is good enough.” She teased, kicking at him.

“Does mine come with a happy ending?” He grinned, laughing when she flipped him off. “I think if you touched my shoulders they might peel off completely.”

“Your mouth would be sufficient,” he quipped under his breath and she rolled her eyes, tossing her crust in the box and tossed the empty box toward the trash can on the floor. “You’re annoying.”

“You’re more.”

“Jerkface.”

He grinned. “Hot stuff.”

“Slam piece.”

“Smokeshow.”

“Sugar tits.” She giggled when his jaw dropped in protest. “I don’t even have -”

“Yes you do! You have a great rack. It’s hot, don’t worry.” She assured him, poking at his chest.

“Take off your shirt.” He reached over, tugging at the hem of it.

She rolled her eyes. “Rafe, I am not comparing the size of our -”

“No, dummy, I have to put on the aloe.” He rolled his eyes and held up the bottle. “Calling me a slam piece, honestly. You’re a brat.”

Sophie grinned and pulled off her shirt, trying to go slowly and be seductive but winced when it hurt to raise her arms. “Ow! Fuck, help.”

“Yeah, that’s what you get.” He teased, but smacked a kiss to her forehead anyways before helping her wrestle off her shirt. “You don’t feel sick, right?” He pressed the back of his hand to her forehead, then got behind her to smooth the cool lotion over her shoulders.

“No, I feel way better.”

“Good.” He grinned, nudging his nose against her cheek. “Hey. Guess what.”

“Mm.” She tilted her head back, trying to catch his lips.

“You’re my favorite.” He slid his hands down her arms, then tapped his finger against her ring. “Don’t forget it.”

taglist: @whoeveniskendall @kkmaybank @karsinner @outerbanksbro @outerbankspreferences @randomficsandshit @jailcalledlife @tovvaa @moniamaybank @illbesafeforyou @dontjinx-it @freddymaybank @jjmaybankzz @g4bster @oopsiedoopsie23 @babygal-babygal @thecuthoney @babeyglo

[kookie-doughs]

Y/N L/N AND THE HALFBLOODS

Percy Jackson X Reader

-Y/N L/N met Percy Jackson and everything was now ruined.

CHAPTER 17: I Swim For The First Time...?

It was Annabeth's idea. She loaded us into the back of a Vegas taxi as if we actually had money, and told the driver, "Los Angeles, please."

The cabbie chewed his cigar and sized us up. "That's three hundred miles. For that, you gotta pay up front." "You accept casino debit cards?" Annabeth asked. He shrugged. "Some of 'em. Same as credit cards. I gotta swipe 'em through first." Annabeth handed him her green Lotus Cash card. He looked at it skeptically. "Swipe it," Annabeth invited. He did.

His meter machine started rattling. The lights flashed. Finally an infinity symbol came up next to the dollar sign. The cigar fell out of the driver's mouth. He looked back at us, his eyes wide. "Where to in Los Angeles... uh, Your Highness?" "The Santa Monica Pier." Annabeth sat up a little straighter. I could tell she liked the "Your Highness" thing. "Get us there fast, and you can keep the change." Maybe she shouldn't have told him that. The cab's speedometer never dipped below ninety-five the whole way through the Mojave Desert. On the road, we had plenty of time to talk. Percy told us about his latest dream. The Lotus Casino seemed to have short-circuited my memory. I couldn't recall what the invisible servant's voice had sounded like, though I was sure it was somebody I knew. The servant had called the monster in the pit something other than "my lord" ... some special name or title.... "The Silent One?" Annabeth suggested. "The Rich One? Both of those are nicknames for Hades." "Maybe..." he said.

"That throne room sounds like Hades's," Grover said. "That's the way it's usually described." He shook my head. "Something's wrong. The throne room wasn't the main part of the dream. And that voice from the pit... I don't know. It just didn't feel like a god's voice."

The crooked one... Annabeth's eyes widened. And looked at Percy. Who had a look of realization. "What?" I asked. "Oh... nothing. I was just—No, it has to be Hades. Maybe he sent this thief, this invisible person, to get the master bolt, and something went wrong—" "Like what?" "I—I don't know," she said. "But if he stole Zeus's symbol of power from Olympus, and the gods were hunting him, I mean, a lot of things could go wrong. So this thief had to hide the bolt, or he lost it somehow. Anyway, he failed to bring it to Hades. That's what the voice said in your dream, right? The guy failed. That would explain what the Furies were searching for when they came after us on the bus. Maybe they thought we had retrieved the bolt." I wasn't sure what was wrong with her. She looked pale. "But if Percy already retrieved the bolt," I said, "why would we be traveling to the Underworld?" "To threaten Hades," Grover suggested. "To bribe or blackmail him into getting your parents back." I whistled. "You have evil thoughts for a goat." "Why, thank you."

"Only mine is there. I'd rather get Y/N's than mine." Percy said gripping my hand.

"Huh?"

"You lost them thanks to me." He smiled weakly. "A-Anyways, the thing in the pit said it was waiting for two items," I reminded. "If the master bolt is one, what's the other?" Grover shook his head, clearly mystified. Annabeth was looking at me as if she knew my next question, and was silently willing me not to ask it.

I have every answers. I could tell you. What do you wish to know? We are to help one another after all...

Could you tell me how I could save my parents?

Save them?  As I told you only we could save them. Being there, you'd know your only option. Only you could do it. Do you wish to know more?

What's this quest?

A trap. Next one?

Who is my parent?

Hahaha, that is a question I shan't answer. Just believe in all gods. Befriend them and you'll know. You could trust them all.

Even Zeus, Hades and Poseidon? They kinda suck...

Unless you're positive they aren't your parent, you don’t have to.

Yeah, can I have like... I don't know... I kinda want Hephaestus. He seems coolest. I an NOT blessed in like singing and all that so I can’t be Apollo's.

I've already given you a parent. My apologies. The one I chose would be... quite a friend. Would you want to know more?

Well not re---

"Y/NN!! Ask more about the quest and Percy's dream!!!" I hear Annabeth scream at my ear.

"Oh my gods! Don't scream at my ear!" I yelled pushing her away. "What do you mean ask about Percy's dream? Who will I ask? The driver?"

"You----"

"She can't remember whenever that happens." Percy explained. "They already told us."

"What are you guys talking about??"

"Nothing. We were thinking about the pit..." Annabeth sighed.

"You have an idea what might be in that pit, don't you?" I asked her. "I mean, if it isn't Hades?" "Y/N... let's not talk about it. Because if it isn't Hades... No. It has to be Hades." Wasteland rolled by. We passed a sign that said CALIFORNIA STATE LINE, 12 MILES. The problem was: we were hurtling toward the Underworld at ninety-five miles an hour, betting that Hades had the master bolt. If we got there and found out we were wrong, we wouldn't have time to correct ourselves. The solstice deadline would pass and war would begin. "The answer is in the Underworld," Annabeth assured us. "You saw spirits of the dead, Percy. There's only one place that could be. We're doing the right thing." She tried to boost our morale by suggesting clever strategies for getting into the Land of the Dead, but my heart wasn't in it. There were just too many unknown factors. It was like cramming for a test without knowing the subject. And believe me, I'd done that enough times. The cab sped west. Every gust of wind through Death Valley sounded like a spirit of the dead. Every time the brakes hissed on an eighteen-wheeler, it reminded me of Echidna's reptilian voice. At sunset, the taxi dropped us at the beach in Santa Monica. It looked exactly the way L.A. beaches do in the movies, only it smelled worse. There were carnival rides lining the Pier, palm trees lining the sidewalks, homeless guys sleeping in the sand dunes, and surfer dudes waiting for the perfect wave. Grover, Annabeth, Percy, and I walked down to the edge of the surf. "What now?" Annabeth asked. The Pacific was turning gold in the setting sun. I thought about how long it had been since I'd stood on the beach at Montauk, on the opposite side of the country, looking out at a different sea. I felt anxious being near the water. Percy took my hand.

"What?" I said slowly pulling away from him.

"Trust me and come with me." He said looking at me in the eye. "Percy," Annabeth said. "That's stupid! She can barely stay alive up here!"

"If the water pulls her could you save her?" He glared at the two. "As long as she holds me she'll be safe." He gripped my hand.

"I-I'll trust you... But I have to make sure you won't let me drown... I-I need---" Annabeth then sighed and walked over to us taking our wrist.

"If she drowns I am totally not siding on you during the war." She hissed at Percy while tying Aphrodite's scarf on our wrist.

"how do you have that?" Percy asked.

"I forgot I gave it to her." With our wrist attached by a cloth, he held my hand tight then we kept walking, up to my waist, then my chest.

"I'm scared..." I gulped. Percy pulled me closer. That's when my head went under. I held my breath at first. It's difficult to intentionally inhale water. Finally I couldn't stand it anymore. I gasped. Sure enough, I could breathe normally. Percy was smiling at me, with his arms still around me. We walked down into the shoals. I shouldn't have been able to see through the murk, but somehow I could tell where everything was. I could sense the rolling texture of the bottom. I could make out sand-dollar colonies dotting the sandbars. I could even see the currents, warm and cold streams swirling together. I felt something rub against my leg. I looked down and almost shot out of the water like a ballistic missile. Sliding along beside me was a five-foot-long mako shark. I almost screamed until I saw how cute it was. The thing wasn't attacking. It was nuzzling me. Heeling like a dog. Tentatively, I touched its dorsal fin. It bucked a little, as if inviting me to hold tighter. Percy took my hand and wrapped it on the fin, he grabbed the fin with both hands, so I followed his actions. It took off, pulling us along. The shark carried us down into the darkness. It deposited us at the edge of the ocean proper, where the sand bank dropped off into a huge chasm. It was like standing on the rim of the Grand Canyon at midnight, not being able to see much, but knowing the void was right there. The surface shimmered maybe a hundred and fifty feet above. I knew I should've been crushed by the pressure. Then again, I shouldn't have been able to breathe. I wondered if there was a limit to how deep I could go, if I could sink straight to the bottom of the Pacific. Then I saw something glimmering in the darkness below, growing bigger and brighter as it rose toward me. A woman's voice, "Percy Jackson." As she got closer, her shape became clearer. She had flowing black hair, a dress made of green silk. Light flickered around her, and her eyes were so distractingly beautiful I hardly noticed the stallion-sized sea horse she was riding. She dismounted. The sea horse and the mako shark whisked off and started playing something that looked like tag. The underwater lady smiled at me. "You've come far, Percy Jackson. Well done. And you brought... a friend." I wasn't quite sure what to do, so I bowed. "H-Hello..."

"You're the woman who spoke to me in the Mississippi River." Percy said. "Yes, child. I am a Nereid, a spirit of the sea. It was not easy to appear so far upriver, but the naiads, my freshwater cousins, helped sustain my life force. They honor Lord Poseidon, though they do not serve in his court." "An... you serve in Poseidon's court?" She nodded. "It has been many years since a child of the Sea God has been born. We have watched you with great interest." I felt so out of placed being here so I wrapped my arms around Percy tighter. "If my father is so interested in me," Percy said, "why isn't he here? Why doesn't he speak to me?" A cold current rose out of the depths. "Do not judge the Lord of the Sea too harshly," the Nereid told him. "He stands at the brink of an unwanted war. He has much to occupy his time. Besides, he is forbidden to help you directly. The gods may not show such favoritism." "Even to their own children?" "Especially to them. The gods can work by indirect influence only. Why do you think they're trying to find who Y/N's parent is? They helped raising her, that's why her scent is gone."

"M-My Olympian parent raised me? I don't remember anyone... I'm pretty sure neither my mom or dad are Olympians... or Greek."

"Well that is what they're trying to figure out."

"Well, what's my father doing then?"

"That is why I give you a warning, and a gift."

She held out her hand. Three white pearls flashed in her palm. "I know you journey to Hades's realm," she said. "Few mortals have ever done this and survived: Orpheus, who had great music skill; Hercules, who had great strength; Houdini, who could escape even the depths of Tartarus. Do you have these talents?" "Urn... no, ma'am." "Ah, but you have something else, Percy. You have gifts you have only begun to know. The oracles have foretold a great and terrible future for you, should you survive to manhood. Poseidon would not have you die before your time. Therefore take these, and when you are in need, smash a pearl at your feet." "What will happen?" "That," she said, "depends on the need. But remember: what belongs to the sea will always return to the sea."

Percy took the three pearls and pocketed it. "Oh... but there are four of us. We'll need one more."

She looked at me and Percy. Then looked at her empty palm. "Your father..."

"I'm not leaving any of them if I need to use this." Percy said firmly.

She sighed and out came another pearl. Instead of handing it to Percy she handed it to me. "The lord does not like you. He's been firm and obvious of that fact. But... as his son refuse to leave you..."

I took the pearl reluctantly and thanked her. "What about the warning?" Her eyes flickered with green light. "Go with what your heart tells you, or you will lose all. Hades feeds on doubt and hopelessness. He will trick you if he can, make you mistrust your own judgment. Once you are in his realm, he will never willingly let you leave. Keep faith. Good luck, Percy Jackson." She summoned her sea horse and rode toward the void. "Wait!" Percy called. "At the river, you said not to trust the gifts. What gifts?" "Good-bye, young hero," she called back, her voice fading into the depths. "You must listen to your heart." She became a speck of glowing green, and then she was gone. "Your dad... must really hate me to leave me in Underworld when worse comes to worse..." I muttered burying my face on his neck.

"Don't worry... I won't let him hurt you, just because whoever your parent is raised you." He kicked upward toward the shore. When we reached the beach, our clothes dried instantly. Percy told Grover and Annabeth what had happened, and showed them the pearls. Annabeth grimaced. "No gift comes without a price. Not to mention Y/N is hated." "They were free." "No." She shook her head. "'There is no such thing as a free lunch.' That's an ancient Greek saying that translated pretty well into American. There will be a price. You wait." On that happy thought, we turned our backs on the sea. With some spare change from Ares's backpack, we took the bus into West Hollywood. We showed the driver the Underworld address slip we'd taken from Aunty Em's Garden Gnome Emporium, but he'd never heard of DOA Recording Studios.

"You remind me of somebody I saw on TV," he told Percy. "You a child actor or something?" "Uh ... I'm a stunt double ... for a lot of child actors." "Oh! That explains it." We thanked him and got off quickly at the next stop. We wandered for miles on foot, looking for DOA. Nobody seemed to know where it was. It didn't appear in the phone book. Twice, we ducked into alleys to avoid cop cars. Percy froze in front of an appliance-store window because a television was playing an interview with somebody

"—my stepdad, Smelly Gabe." He explained.

He was talking to Barbara Walters—I mean, as if he were some kind of huge celebrity. She was interviewing him in our apartment, in the middle of a poker game, and there was a young blond lady sitting next to him, patting his hand. A fake tear glistened on his cheek. He was saying, "Honest, Ms. Walters, if it wasn't for Sugar here, my grief counselor, I'd be a wreck. My stepson took everything I cared about. My wife... my Camaro... I—I'm sorry. I have trouble talking about it." "There you have it, America." Barbara Walters turned to the camera. "A man torn apart. An adolescent boy with serious issues. Let me show you, again, the last known photo of this troubled young fugitive, taken a week ago in Denver. He has taken a young girl that goes by Y/N L/N with her." The screen cut to a grainy shot of me, Percy, Annabeth, and Grover standing outside the Colorado diner, talking to Ares. "Who are the two other children in this photo?" Barbara Walters asked dramatically. "Who is the man with them? Is Percy Jackson a delinquent, a terrorist, or perhaps the brainwashed victim of a frightening new cult? When we come back, we chat with a leading child psychologist. Stay tuned, America." "C'mon," Grover told me. He hauled us away.

It got dark, and hungry-looking characters started coming out on the streets to play. Now, don't get me wrong. I'm a New Yorker. I don't scare easy. But L.A. had a totally different feel from New York. Back home, everything seemed close. It didn't matter how big the city was, you could get anywhere without getting lost. The street pattern and the subway made sense. There was a system to how things worked. A kid could be safe as long as he wasn't stupid. L.A. wasn't like that. It was spread out, chaotic, hard to move around. It reminded me of Ares. It wasn't enough for L.A. to be big; it had to prove it was big by being loud and strange and difficult to navigate, too. I didn't know how we were ever going to find the entrance to the Underworld by tomorrow, the summer solstice. We walked past gangbangers, bums, and street hawkers, who looked at us like they were trying to figure if we were worth the trouble of mugging. As we hurried passed the entrance of an alley, a voice from the darkness said, "Hey, you." Like an idiot, I stopped. Before I knew it, we were surrounded. A gang of kids had circled us. Six of them in all—white kids with expensive clothes and mean faces. Like the kids at Yancy Academy: rich brats playing at being bad boys. Instinctively, I drew my knife. When the knife appeared out of nowhere, the kids backed off, but their leader was either really stupid or really brave, because he kept coming at me with a switchblade.

Percy then pulled me behind him and swung Riptide. The kid yelped. But he must've been one hundred percent mortal, because the blade passed harmlessly right through his chest. He looked down. "What the..." I figured I had about three seconds before his shock turned to anger. "Run!" I screamed taking Percy's hand. We pushed two kids out of the way and raced down the street, not knowing where we were going. We turned a sharp corner. "There!" Annabeth shouted. Only one store on the block looked open, its windows glaring with neon. The sign above the door said something like CRSTUY'S WATRE BDE ALPACE. "Crusty's Water Bed Palace?" Grover translated. It didn't sound like a place I'd ever go except in an emergency, but this definitely qualified. We burst through the doors, ran behind a water bed, and ducked. A split second later, the gang kids ran past outside. "I think we lost them," Grover panted. A voice behind us boomed, "Lost who?" We all jumped. Standing behind us was a guy who looked like a raptor in a leisure suit. He was at least seven feet tall, with absolutely no hair. He had gray, leathery skin, thick-lidded eyes, and a cold, reptilian smile. He moved toward us slowly, but I got the feeling he could move fast if he needed to. His suit might've come from the Lotus Casino. It belonged back in the seventies, big-time. The shirt was silk paisley, unbuttoned halfway down his hairless chest. The lapels on his velvet jacket were as wide as landing strips. The silver chains around his neck—I couldn't even count them. "I'm Crusty," he said, with a tartar-yellow smile. I resisted the urge to say, Yes, you are. "Sorry to barge in," Percy told him. "We were just, um, browsing." "You mean hiding from those no-good kids," he grumbled. "They hang around every night. I get a lot of people in here, thanks to them. Say, you want to look at a water bed?" I was about to say No, thanks, when he put a huge paw on my shoulder and steered me deeper into the showroom. There was every kind of water bed you could imagine: different kinds of wood, different patterns of sheets; queen-size, king-size, emperor-of-the-universe-size. "This is my most popular model." Crusty spread his hands proudly over a bed covered with black satin sheets, with built-in Lava Lamps on the headboard. The mattress vibrated, so it looked like oil-flavored Jell-O. "Million-hand massage," Crusty told us. "Go on, try it out. Shoot, take a nap. I don't care. No business today, any-way. "Um," Percy said, "I don't think..." "Million-hand massage!" Grover cried, and dove in. "Oh, you guys! This is cool." "Hmm," Crusty said, stroking his leathery chin. "Almost, almost." "Almost what?" I asked. He looked at Annabeth. "Do me a favor and try this one over here, honey. Might fit." Annabeth said, "But what—" He patted her reassuringly on the shoulder and led her over to the Safari Deluxe model with teakwood lions carved into the frame and a leopard-patterned comforter. When Annabeth didn't want to lie down, Crusty pushed her. "Hey!" she protested. Crusty snapped his fingers. "Ergo!" Ropes sprang from the sides of the bed, lashing around Annabeth, holding her to the mattress. Grover tried to get up, but ropes sprang from his black-satin bed, too, and lashed him down. "N-not c-c-cool!" he yelled, his voice vibrating from the million-hand massage. "N-not c-cool a-at all!" The giant looked at Annabeth, then turned toward me and Percy to grin. "Almost, darn it." I tried to step away, but his hand shot out and clamped around the back of my neck. "Whoa, kid. Don't worry. We'll find you one in a sec." "Let my friends go." "Oh, sure I will. But I got to make them fit, first." "What do you mean?" "All the beds are exactly six feet, see? Your friends are too short. Got to make them fit." Annabeth and Grover kept struggling. "Can't stand imperfect measurements," Crusty muttered. "Ergo!" A new set of ropes leaped out from the top and bottom of the beds, wrapping around Grover and Annabeth's ankles, then around their armpits. The ropes started tightening, pulling my friends from both ends. "Don't worry," Crusty told us, "These are stretching jobs. Maybe three extra inches on their spines. They might even live. Now why don't we find a bed you like, huh?" "Percy! Y/N!" Grover yelled. My mind was racing. I knew I couldn't take on this giant water-bed salesman alone. He would snap my neck before I ever got my sword out. "Your real name's not Crusty, is it?" Percy asked. "Legally, it's Procrustes," he admitted. "The Stretcher," I said. I remembered the story: the giant who'd tried to kill Theseus with excess hospitality on his way to Athens. "Yeah," the salesman said. "But who can pronounce Procrustes? Bad for business. Now 'Crusty,' anybody can say that." "You're right. It's got a good ring to it." His eyes lit up. "You think so?" "Oh, absolutely," I said. "And the workmanship on these beds? Fabulous!"

Percy looked at me weirdly. When I gave him a nod he must've understood. He got closer to hold my arm. Crusty grinned hugely, his fingers still didn't loosen on my neck. "I tell my customers that. Every time. Nobody bothers to look at the workmanship. How many built-in Lava Lamp headboards have you seen?" "Not too many." "That's right!" "Y/N!" Annabeth yelled. "What are you doing?" "Don't mind her," Percy told Procrustes. "She's impossible." The giant laughed. "All my customers are. Never six feet exactly. So inconsiderate. And then they complain about the fitting." "What do you do if they're longer than six feet?" "Oh, that happens all the time. It's a simple fix." He let go of my neck, but before I could react, he reached behind a nearby sales desk and brought out a huge double-bladed brass axe. He said, "I just center the subject as best I can and lop off whatever hangs over on either end." "Ah," Percy said, swallowing hard. "Sensible." "I'm so glad to come across an intelligent customer!" The ropes were really stretching my friends now. Annabeth was turning pale. Grover made gurgling sounds, like a strangled goose. "So, Crusty..." I said, trying to keep my voice light. I glanced at the sales tag on the valentine-shaped Honeymoon Special. "Does this one really have dynamic stabilizers to stop wave motion?" "Absolutely. Try it out." "Yeah, maybe I will. But would it work even for a big guy like you? No waves at all?" "Guaranteed." "No way." "Way." "Show me." He sat down eagerly on the bed, patted the mattress. "No waves. See?" I snapped my fingers. "Ergo." Ropes lashed around Crusty and flattened him against the mattress. "Hey!" he yelled. "Center him just right," I said. The ropes readjusted themselves at my command. Crusty's whole head stuck out the top. His feet stuck out the bottom. "No!" he said. "Wait! This is just a demo." Percy uncapped Riptide. "A few simple adjustments ..." "You drive a hard bargain," he told us. "I'll give you thirty percent off on selected floor models.'" "I think I'll start with the top." Percy raised my sword. "No money down! No interest for six months!" He swung the sword. Crusty stopped making offers. I cut the ropes on the other beds. Annabeth and Grover got to their feet, groaning and wincing and cursing me a lot. "You look taller," I said. "Very funny," Annabeth said. "Be faster next time."

Percy looked at the bulletin board behind Crusty's sales desk. There was an advertisement for Hermes Delivery Service, and another for the All-New Compendium of L.A. Area Monsters—"The only Monstrous Yellow Pages you'll ever need!" Under that, a bright orange flier for DOA Recording Studios, offering commissions for heroes' souls. "We are always looking for new talent!" DOA's address was right underneath with a map. "Come on," Percy said. "Give us a minute," Grover complained. "We were almost stretched to death.'" "Then you're ready for the Underworld," I said. "It's only a block from here."

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Waterfall Memories by GleefullyCaptainSwan Chapter 1/9

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Chapters titles are based on the lyrics from “Stubborn Love” by The Lumineers

Chapter 1: It’s Better to Feel Pain

Emma Nolan stared at herself in the mirror, the white gown hugging the curves of her hips as the material jutted out behind her, flowing into a long swirl of creamy white silk behind her. It was the wedding dress of her dreams. Growing up she never imagined she would get the chance to wear it, much less afford it. Lately everyone kept telling her what a fairytale her life had become and how lucky she was to be marrying Walsh Oz, billionaire extraordinaire, New York’s most eligible bachelor.

Lucky was one way to put it, but lately, Emma just felt trapped.

She knew she was being irrational and completely selfish. Women had been lining the block simply to get a hello from Walsh, and all she did was walk into one of his hotels and he was captivated by her. At first it was a dream come true. Walsh took her to all the best restaurants, the most lavish parties, even flying her to London on his own private jet to celebrate their one-year anniversary.

Her parents were enamored with her fiancé, she didn’t fault them for it. Her parents always wanted the best for their daughter. Walsh could provide her things they could never afford or even imagine owning themselves.

“Oh my God, Emma, sweetie, you look beautiful.” Emma looked in the mirror to see her mother’s reflection, her cheeks beaming red, her eyes full of pride. She managed a smile and flattened the material around her hips.

“What is it? Is it the dress?” Her mother’s expression turned anxious, and Emma bit her lip.

“No, it’s fine. The dress is perfect.”

“Then what’s wrong?”

“Nothing’s wrong. I’m getting everything I ever dreamed of.” She sighed. “Just…” Her mom stepped up on the platform next to her. “How did you know dad was the one?”

“Well…I don’t think it was one thing. When I met your father, I was young and stubborn. It wasn’t exactly love at first sight. In fact, the first time I met him, I thought he was so cocky that I threw my drink in his face.”

Emma laughed. “You did not.”

“I did, he walked up to me, and introduced himself with the stupidest pick-up line.”

“No! Dad was one of those guys?”

“I believe he told me that I could stop looking because I had just met the man of my life.”

Emma groaned, hardly believing that her dad had tried that on her mom. She had heard stories of her mom, strong willed, stubborn, and determined that she didn’t need a man in her life.

“And yet you still married him.”

“Let’s just say he grew on me.”

“Dad isn’t one to give up.”

“No, he definitely isn’t. I think that’s where you get it from.” Emma frowned. “Emma what is it?”

“I don’t know, I just…” She paused, unsure how to say what was bothering her. “Do you think I’m giving up. Getting married to Walsh?”

“Giving up? What do you mean? You love Walsh. Don’t you?”

“Of course, I do. I mean…I’d be crazy not to.”

“Emma…” Her mother started to fuss with the train on her dress.

“Mom, it’s fine, honestly, I’m just nervous.” Emma deflected, adjusting the veil on her head. She was getting married in a week. She was just getting cold feet, that was all. Of course, she loved Walsh. She’d be an idiot not to. She exhaled and stared at her reflection.

“You really are a beautiful bride.”

“Thanks, mom.”

“It’s ok to be nervous. Every bride is nervous before their wedding.” Her mom squeezed her hand. “When do you and the girls leave?”

Emma checked her phone. “Crap, Ruby is stopping by in three hours. I need to get home and pack.”

“Well, I think we’re all done here. You guys are going to be careful right? Don’t drink too much and get plenty of sleep.”

“Mom, it’s a bachelorette weekend, not a church revival.” Emma rolled her eyes.

“I know but it’s so close to the wedding.”

“Don’t worry, Ruby has everything planned out.”

“Yes, that’s what worries me.” She laughed.

“Belle helped her plan the trip, and you know that Belle would never do half the stuff Ruby does, so I think everything will be fine.”

Her phone began ringing on the chair next to the dressing room door. Emma stepped off the ramp and saw Ruby’s face pop up on the screen. She slid across the screen to accept the call.

“Girl, are you ready for some debauchery and drunken parties!” Emma closed her eyes and turned toward her mom.

“She’s joking.” She faced the phone. “Seriously Ruby, don’t freak my mom out.”

“Sorry, Mrs. Nolan, I’m just kidding, we are going to be doing a lot of volunteer work at a local church in…”

“Nice try Ruby.” Her mother said with a roll of her eyes. “Just make sure she comes back safely and in one piece.”

“You’ve got it, mom.” Ruby nodded. “You can trust me.”

“I trust Belle. I only partially trust you.”

“Ouch.”

“I still remember senior year.” Her mother continued and Ruby groaned.

“You make one mistake, and no one ever forgets it.”

“I hardly believe that 2 days in county lock up counts as a mistake.” Her mother pulled the veil from Emma’s hair and sat it on the chair. “Just bring her home in one piece, Ruby.”

“Yes, mom. I promise.”

“I’m headed home now to pack.”

“You haven’t packed yet? You are always the last to do anything. Belle’s been packed for 3 weeks.”

“Yes that’s because Belle is a control freak and has no life.”

“Just be ready by the time we get there.”

“I can’t do that until you hang up.”

“Goodbye, bitch.” Ruby’s face disappeared from the screen and Emma felt her mother’s hands on her back, unlacing the straps on the dress.

“Please be safe this weekend.” Her mother said softly.

“I will mom, it’s just a short road trip to Maine.”

“You know I worry when you go to the store.”

Emma laughed. “I’ll message you along the way. Will that make you feel any better?”

“I love you.” Her mom said seriously. Emma stared at her mom, a smile spreading on her face.

“I love you too, Momma.”

Emma finished getting dressed back into her clothes and left her mother at the front of the store. She drove back to her apartment, trying to remember everything that she needed to pack when she got back home.

Her phone rang again, and she clicked the button on her steering wheel to accept the call from Walsh.

“Hey babe.” She announced as the call connected.

“Emma, darling, have you left yet?”

“Nope, just headed home from my last dress fitting.”

“Do you really need to go today?”

“You know the answer to that.”

“I don’t see the point to this trip.”

“I just want to spend time with my best friends before we leave for Italy.”

“I don’t like it. Three women traveling across country alone isn’t safe.”

“We’ll be fine.”

“Why can’t you fly? I can have my pilot fly you there.”

“Because we want to do a road trip. Like we did our senior year.”

“But you have a jet, Emma. Driving is so…beneath you now.”

“We talked about this; I want to do this.” Emma sighed. She was tired of having this argument with him. Back in their senior year, Ruby, Emma, and Belle had taken an epic road trip on senior skip day. They just wanted to relive these moments before things changed. Walsh would never understand, he hadn’t been a normal teenager. He had been raised with wealth since he was born. He didn’t enjoy the mundane things like driving his own car or taking a trip without a personal chef.

“Just promise me you’ll be careful.” He paused before continuing. “Are you sure you don’t want to stay at my hotel up there? The penthouse would be much better than whatever room Ruby could have booked.”

“Would you stop that, Ruby saved for two months to afford to take me on this trip.”

“And I told you she didn’t have to do that.”

“That’s not the point, she wanted to do this for me.”

He groaned, “Fine, just call me when you get there.”

“Of course, I will.”

“I love you darling.”

“Yeah you too.” She said quickly, hanging up the phone and pulling into the parking garage. She lived alone in an apartment near the water. Walsh hated that she wanted to live there until after the wedding. He hated the fact that she lived in this area of town, but she didn’t see anything wrong with it.

Sure, there was a homeless guy who lived in the alley, but Emma thought Leroy was just a grumpy old man who was down on his luck. Sometimes she would make herself an extra sandwich for lunch and drop it off to him on her way to work. He would grumble and moan about not needing a handout, but he always thanked her when she returned home from work.

Her favorite part of the apartment was the balcony. She had the best view of the harbor that no amount of money could pay for. She spent her evenings sitting at the tiny table, drinking her cocoa, and watching the boats sail in for the evening. It was her tiny piece of heaven. And the one thing she was going to miss most about moving to Walsh’s city penthouse. She looked over at the easel propped against the wall, her latest painting still sitting unfished on the wooden stand. She ran her fingers over the majestic swan lightly etched in the center of the pond waiting for a coat of paint to give it justice. She would finish it once she returned home from her trip.

She took one last look at the docks in front of her and hurried back into her apartment to pack her bags before Ruby would arrive. Emma met Ruby Lucas on the playground in 1st grade. Emma was hiding under the slide, away from the teasing taunts of her male classmates when Ruby walked over to the biggest of all the boys, knocked him backwards into the sand and growled at him. They had been best of friends ever since. When Belle French moved to their school in 4th grade, her nose stuck in a book, a shy smile creeping on her face when anyone approached her, Ruby and Emma made it their mission to draw her out of her quiet existence.

The three had become inseparable once they reached junior high school. They had a pact that they would always be there for each other, no one would ever mess with any of them. And no male would ever come between them.

They had been tested throughout the years. Their pact threatened to dissolve when Belle and Ruby found out they were both sleeping with the same man. Graham Humbert never knew what hit him when instead of turning on each other, they confronted him and both women left him alone that evening.

When Emma was first approached by Walsh, she wanted to turn and run away from all the attention he suddenly thrust upon her. She didn’t feel worthy of all the extravagant gifts and flowers, but Ruby and Belle convinced her that she deserved to be treated like the princess she always dreamed of being. Eventually she got used to the way that Walsh showed his affection through a new diamond bracelet or an overnight trip to the Eiffel Tower. Even if sometimes she felt like he only did it for the cameras or to earn a positive write up in the paper whenever a negative news story was threatening to brew about one of his corporations.

Emma pushed the negative thoughts from her brain. Walsh loved her. He asked her to marry him. Emma Nolan was about to be Mrs. Emma Oz.

She scrunched her nose and groaned. It was such a stupid name. Oz. When she first heard about Walsh, she thought the last name was a joke, there was no way his last name was out of a storybook with a tornado and munchkins. When she finally met him and he told her the story of how he legally changed his family name of Oswald to Oz so that his business empire would be named the Land of Oz and he would be its ruler, she almost choked on her tea and walked out of the restaurant.

Emma Oz. Utterly Ridiculous.

Her front door swung open, and Emma heard Ruby and Belle’s voices through the hall. “I’m back here.” She yelled.

“Tell me you aren’t still packing!” Ruby exclaimed as she entered the bedroom.

“Of course, I’m not. I’m just…” She bit her lip. “Checking to make sure I didn’t forget anything.” She lifted the few items she had in the bag.

“Looks like you forgot almost all of it, Emma.” Belle teased.

“You have been procrastinating for weeks on this trip. Are you sure you want to go?” Ruby whined.

“Of course, I want to go, I would go anywhere with you two losers.”

“Aww, we love you too.” Ruby cooed, wrapping her arms around her waist and tugging Belle into their mashed-up bodies.

“Ok this is getting us nowhere. Let me finish up, I promise it’s only going to take me five minutes.”

The girls retreated to the kitchen while Emma finished shoving items into her bag. It wasn’t that she hadn’t been looking forward to this trip. She really did want to spend time with Ruby and Belle. But after this weekend, the only thing left was the wedding and maybe deep down she wasn’t really ready for that to happen.

She took one last look around her room to ensure she hadn’t forgotten anything and tossed the bag over her shoulder.

“It’s about time.”

“Hey now, I’m the bride, shouldn’t I get more time than the rest of you?”

“You’re the one marrying a billionaire bachelor, if anyone needs more time to get ready for this trip it should be us. We haven’t found our sugar daddy yet.” Ruby shrugged.

“Walsh is not my sugar daddy.” Emma scolded in reply. “So, are we going to waste more time, or can we get going now?”

“Are you ready to enjoy your final week of freedom?” Belle teased.

“One last week to get down and dirty.” Ruby replied as she bumped her hip against hers.

“Are either of you going to tell me what you have planned?”

“Nope.” Ruby said simply, grabbing her bag from her hand and walking out the door.

“I call shotgun.” She yelled, chasing after her friends.

Sitting in the car, singing at the top of her lungs, was everything she could have ever asked for to distract her from her apparent case of cold feet.

If you wanna be my lover You gotta get with my friends Make it last forever Friendship never ends

Belle and Emma continued singing loudly as Ruby pulled off the road suddenly.

“Please tell me this is not where we are staying?” Emma looked around at the forest surrounding each side of the small road they were traveling on. Ruby insisted they take an off-road route on their way to Maine. She called it Emma’s Exploration Highway.

“Of course, we aren’t staying here, this is just one of the stops on the Emma Exploration Highway Express.”

Emma groaned. “Stop calling it that.”

“Come on, what happened to that crazy girl we grew up with? Just because you are about to be hitched doesn’t mean you can’t have a little fun.”

“Hey, I’m still that same girl.” She complained.

Ruby held up a bag in her hands and smirked. “Well then, let’s get adventurous.”

Belle hopped out of the car, popping the trunk, and pulling out a cooler and a blanket. Emma looked around anxiously at the lush forest surrounding them. She had no idea what her friends had planned but whatever it was, she knew she would never forget this week with them. She was lucky to have friends that cared so deeply for her. People she had known almost her entire life that still knew her as Emma Nolan. Maybe if she still had them, she wouldn’t lose her identity when she became Mrs. Oz.

“So, what exactly are we doing?”

“Follow me.” Ruby winked mysteriously and she followed her down a dirt trail to the edge of a mountain. She could hear water rushing loudly over the side of the cliff. Leaning forward to peek over the edge she saw a waterfall cascading toward the ground far below her. The water sped off down a quick moving river and through the dense forest below them. She could see where it split off down two paths into a larger river, with a fast-moving current tossing water against the rocks. Beyond that it was a mystery, the lush forest cradled together to hide the beauty it kept beneath it. The view was breathtaking.

“Ok future Mrs. Oz, it’s time to give your man a reason to miss you.”

Emma looked down at the items being dumped out onto the blanket and blushed. “No way. I’m not putting any of that on.”

“Oh, come on, live a little, I bet that man will jizz in his three-piece suit when he sees pictures of you wearing this.”

“Ruby, it’s supposed to be sensual, not dirty.” Belle corrected her friend.

“Oh my God, stop. I don’t want you to ever think about my future husband like that.” Emma pinched the bridge of her nose. She held up on of the lacey items in front of her face. Emma never really wore lingerie. It made her feel exposed, and Emma didn’t like to feel like she was not in control.

Emma was always in control of herself around Walsh. She wasn’t a virgin, but sex with Walsh was almost clinical. They had a way they did things, and they didn’t deviate from them. They always had sex in bed, removing the comforter before their clothes came off. Walsh would kiss her, touch her breasts, and then complete the act on top of her. Afterwards, he would insist they both shower so as not to dirty the sheets. He preferred things to be clean and tidy at all times.

At first Emma found him to be odd, almost robotic, but after a while she became acclimated to the process. At times enjoying the fact that she didn’t have to go out of her comfort zone to please him. He never seemed to want more from her, and she didn’t offer.

But she always wondered if after they were married that maybe he might be interested in more. One time during their initial dating period, she tried to coax him into having a quickie in a janitor’s closet at one of his hotels. At first he seemed intrigued, almost turned on, until she kicked over a mop bucket, spilling the dirty water all over the floor and causing Walsh to immediately retreat from the room in disgust.

She was sure that getting photos of her in sexy lingerie out in the middle of nowhere might shock him. Maybe it would be good to show a different side to him, give him a taste of the woman he was marrying. Maybe he would take her the moment she returned home. The thrill of a man tearing her clothes from her body because he desired her so greatly made her body shiver. She bit her lip, reaching for one of the long, black see-through nighties and slipping her fingers against the fabric.

Live a little, Emma.

“Oh, that one is perfect for your light skin. Hell, I’d do you in that. Remember 9th grade?” Her eyebrow rose and Emma blushed.

She slapped Ruby on the shoulder. “Hey, we said we’d never talk about that again.”

“Try it on.” Belle giggled, taking a swig of one of the beers from the cooler.

Emma peeled off her shirt, unclasping her bra and tossing them to the side of the blanket, she dragged the black lace over her head and slipped her arms through the hole. Standing up she slid her yoga pants down her legs and spun around. “Well?”

“You can’t wear those ridiculous boy shorts under it. You have to take them off, Em.”

Emma groaned. “Fine. But take these pictures quickly. I don’t want anyone else to see me.” She tucked her thumbs into her underwear and quickly dragged them down her legs, tossing them with the rest of her clothes and walking toward the top of the waterfall.

“Now what?” She turned back to her friends who were following her with Belle’s Nikon camera.

“Sit on that rock.” Ruby pointed toward the water.

“That’s in the middle of the creek bed. I don’t want to get wet.”

“But it has the best view. The water isn’t even that deep.” Ruby kicked off her sandal and stood in the shallow water. “Besides, the pictures will look so amazing with the backdrop.” Emma looked at where the waterfall slid over the side of the mountain. The view was almost ethereal. Even if Walsh didn’t like the pictures, Emma had never felt more beautiful standing in the cool water, the black silk material swirling around her in the stream.

She tiptoed out into the center of the creek bed, sitting down onto the large rock in the center and pulling the wet material up over her legs. The rock was slippery and cold against her flesh. She couldn’t believe she was actually doing this.

“Ok now you have to pose.” Belle laughed, trying not to fall in the water as Ruby crept closer to her with the camera pointed toward her.

“I don’t have the first idea how to do this.” She groaned.

“Just act natural.” Ruby began snapping pictures, moving around the angles carefully as Emma tried to casually move around the rock. She had no idea how to be sexy.

“I said natural, you’re trying too hard.”

“Ugh, Rubes, maybe this is a bad idea, sexy just isn’t in my nature.”

“Are you kidding, look at you, naked, sitting on a rock in the middle of nowhere. You are sexy.” She continued to click the button, even as she spoke, and Emma finally sighed.

“Ok, be sexy.” She whispered to herself, leaning backwards on the rock to push her lips into a pout for the camera.

“There you go, make him want it.” Ruby cheered.

Emma lifted her arms over her head, looking backwards at the sun above her. Suddenly the rock beneath her shifted, rolling backwards as Emma slid toward the water. She grasped for the rock, or anything to stop her forward momentum as she raced toward the end of the cliff. She looked back toward her friends as she went under a swell of water at the apex of the cliff, gulping as she swallowed and choked. Her nails scratched the nearby rocks, trying to get a grip on the rough surface.

The water seemed to get deeper and faster, and she was getting turned around, her eyes sought the sky, then she was under water, gulping, screaming, watching as the edge of the cliff came closer and closer, until she hit something hard, and everything went black.

[singledarkshade]

Lingering Effects

Summary: Despite the fact Cayodan has been exorcised, Rory is having trouble dealing what happened. When an old friend calls the Doctor for help, Rory's recovery is put in jeopardy. Sequel to The Doctor And The Nurse, A Fishy Tail, Getting To Know You, Kernel Of Stubborness, Home Sweet Home, Party Time, Sewers, Bookshops And Slime. Making Old Friends, And Donna Makes…,  One Unanswerable Question and The Last Warrior.

 The beach was mostly deserted.

Rory could see a few people wandering about in the distance, but it was still quite early, so he didn’t expect the place to be busy. The Doctor was by the TARDIS fiddling with one of the devices he’d made, while Donna had found an open café so had wandered over to it to see what they sold.

He still felt…

Off was the only word he had to describe it because there were no words to adequately say how disconnected his body sometimes felt from him. It was now three weeks since his possession, since the mind of the warrior had taken over his body, and Rory wanted to be fine again.

He told everyone that he was, but he still felt wrong.

The Doctor had brought them to this planet to find some specific fruit he was having a craving for, apparently they made the best smoothies, plus there was a meteor shower tonight they should see. Rory knew that the reason they’d landed early was to give them a day of peace after the past few weeks running around.

Donna had loudly demanded it while Rory was in the room, but he knew it was an act as he’d overheard them worrying about him.

Part of him was pleased that they both cared so much, it was nice but the other part of him hated being treated with kid gloves because he didn’t want to be seen as fragile.

But the peace of the planet they were on was welcome.

A few feet from the TARDIS, Rory found a large flat rock and sat on it pulling his knees to his chest trying to remember how to feel normal. In all honesty nothing in his life had been normal since that day in the park so many months ago when the Doctor had stolen his bag and Rory had chased after it.

He was glad he’d taken the offer to join the Doctor on a trip, his life would have been boring without it, but he sometimes missed the naivety that he had.

The ocean stretched out before him, a strange orange that the Doctor had advised was due to the algae that lived within it, apparently the sunset was spectacular, and Rory thought of Amy.

He wanted to tell her everything that had happened to him, wanted her to tell him that he was still her Rory and hadn’t changed but that would mean telling her the truth about the Doctor and Rory didn’t want to.

At least not yet.

“Okay,” Donna appeared at his side, “I had to try these. They seem to be like sausages. So, I got you one too.”

“Thanks,” he replied softly taking the small package she handed him.

Donna slid onto the rock, “Do you want to talk about it?”

“I’m fine.”

“No, you’re not,” Donna replied, concern in her voice, “You keep trying to pretend you are but then you stare into the distance and disappear into yourself.”

Rory looked at her confessing, “I want to be fine.”

Donna took his hand in hers, “You will be but right now, it’s not that long since that thing invaded you. You’re allowed to be angry about it, to feel annoyed and you’re allowed to be that with us.”

“The Doctor…”

“The Doctor,” Donna cut him off, “Is worried about you. He has been watching you like a hawk since you woke up after it all. He’s been trying to make you feel yourself by taking us places where we can get in trouble and it’s also why we’re here today.”

Rory sighed, “What do I do?”

Donna shrugged, “You just go at your own pace.”

Staring at the way she was holding his hand, Rory looked up into her eyes and confessed, “I can’t sleep.”

He expected her to say something, but Donna was quiet as she simply held his hand and let him continue.

“Every time I close my eyes,” he continued after a moment, “I think he’s going to take over my body again. That I’ll be trapped like that and I…”

Donna wrapped him in a hug when he trailed off, Rory rested his head against her shoulder realising for the first time that he’d avoided any real physical contact for the past few weeks. He had come to love Donna as the big sister he’d never had and never really wanted. She was brash and didn’t back down from an argument, but she also had a huge heart.

When she let him go, Rory whispered, “Thank you.”

“Eat your lunch,” Donna said, nudging him with her shoulder.

With a tiny smile, Rory opened the local equivalent of a roll and sausage, taking a bite he grinned, “That is amazing.”

Donna laughed round the mouthful of food, “Told you.”

 From his spot sitting in front of the TARDIS the Doctor watched his two companions, relieved to see Donna had broken through Rory’s carefully constructed walls. Rory was trying to pretend he was fine after Cayodan’s invasion, but the Doctor knew he wasn’t.

He knew Rory wasn’t sleeping, the Doctor had found him many times over the past few weeks in the library curled up in a chair with a book open in his lap. Sometimes awake and reading, claiming to have woken early. Other times he was asleep having finally succumbed to exhaustion. The TARDIS was watching over Rory, there was always a blanket across him when he fell asleep or sitting close by when he managed to remain awake.

The Doctor understood Rory’s feelings, Cayodan had taken away Rory’s control of his own body trapping him in a limbo that forced Rory to see his actions. Thankfully, they’d released Rory before Cayodan managed to reach those deemed to be his enemies because the Doctor knew that Rory would never be able to come to terms with his body being used to kill.

They were lucky that Rory had such a deep connection with his childhood best friend, that Amy’s voice alone had been enough to give him the strength to fight Cayodan and the Doctor had thought suggesting they visit the vivacious red head but explaining their presence, wherever Amy was, wouldn’t be easy and Rory didn’t want her to know what he was doing.

The Doctor was pulled away from his contemplation as a phone began to ring inside the TARDIS. Bouncing up and sliding inside he was expecting it to be one of his companions’ mobiles, surprised to realise which phone was ringing.

“Hello?”

“Doctor,” the voice of Martha Jones came, “I need your help.”

A smile touched his lips, “Of course. We’ll be there soon.”

“I’m looking forward to seeing you,” Martha told him before hanging up.

Returning the mobile to its small cubbyhole the Doctor headed back outside to where Rory and Donna were still sitting talking.

He walked over to them and smiled as they turned to him, “A friend has asked for some help, let’s go. We can come back for the sunset and meteor shower after.”

Donna and Rory slid off the rock, brushed the sand and dirt off their clothes and they all walked back to the TARDIS.

“Where are we going?” Donna asked.

 The TARDIS materialised on Earth and the Doctor instantly headed out, smiling to see Martha standing waiting for him.

“Martha Jones,” he said with a smile before closing the gap between them and hugging her tightly.

“Doctor,” she murmured as she hugged him back before he rested her back down, “You’re looking well.”

The Doctor shrugged, “You know me.”

“I do actually,” she laughed, whatever she was going to say next was cut off as the two people appeared behind the Doctor.

“Oh,” the Doctor said, realising he was being followed, “This is Donna and Rory, guys this is…”

“Dr Jones?” Rory spoke up making the Doctor stare at him stunned.

“Nurse Williams,” Martha smiled, “I never would have guessed you would end up travelling with the Doctor.”

Rory shrugged, “Me neither, although you travelling with him makes sense.”

Donna coughed and Rory turned, “This is Donna.”

“So, you two know one another?” Donna asked giving Martha a nod hello.

“We worked together,” Rory replied.

Martha laughed, “Well I was a medical student while he made sure my mistakes weren’t so bad.”

Donna chuckled, “Well that doesn’t surprise me.”

The Doctor coughed making them all turn to where he stood, “You said you needed our help?”

Martha chuckled, “Of course. Follow me,” she started them out of the alley where the TARDIS was sitting, “I was contacted by UNIT not long after I stopped travelling with the Doctor and offered a job. We’re at a construction site for a new school which found something odd beneath the building.”

“Odd sounds ominous,” Donna murmured.

Rory nodded.

“What is being described as odd?” the Doctor asked, ignoring his current companions.

Martha pulled her phone out and opened the gallery to show him several pictures that had been taken of the item. The Doctor frowned as he tried to make out anything specific.

“There is some writing on the sides of the object, but it only appears to be part of whatever that is,” the Doctor mused, he turned to Martha, “Who’s in charge of the UNIT team?”

“Colonel Terri Sheridan,” Martha replied, “She’s good.”

The Doctor sniffed, “We’ll see about that.”

 The construction site had been cordoned off and a UNIT mobile lab sat in the middle of the street which was blocked off by several trucks while soldiers ran around training as others stood guard.

“Dr Jones for Colonel Sheridan,” Martha said to the guard at the entrance they arrived at, “Tell her the Doctor is with me.”

The guard’s eyes widened just ever so slightly at that before he turned and called over his radio. Turning back a moment later he nodded.

“Dr Jones, you and your guests are expected in the mobile lab,” he said, stepping back to allow them through.

Donna’s head swung from side to side taking everything in, while Rory kept his eyes straight ahead falling into an almost military march. The Doctor glanced at him for a moment with a frown before turning back to Martha just as they reached the lab.

“Dr Jones,” the woman who appeared at the door smiled, “And this must be the Doctor.”

“Colonel Sheridan by any chance?” the Doctor asked.

She nodded, “I believe you knew my uncle.”

“And your uncle is?” the Doctor was intrigued.

“Mike Yates,” Sheridan smiled.

The Doctor stared at her dumbfounded, “No!!!! Mike Yates. How is he?”

“Currently driving my aunt crazy,” Sheridan laughed, “He broke his leg a few weeks ago climbing Ben Nevis with the group of kids he’s been working with.”

The Doctor chuckled, “Well that’s typical. Now, what do you have for me Colonel?”

“Follow me,” she started out of the lab and motioned him towards the site, “And please just call me Terri.”

The Doctor nodded, “This is Donna and Rory.”

“Ah, Mr Williams,” Terri grinned as she turned to him, “I heard about your adventure in the sewers.”

Rory shuddered slightly in the memory, automatically rubbing his arm in case the eggs had begun to grow.

“Alright,” the Doctor said, “Let’s see thi…” he trailed off as they reached the half-buried object, “Well, that is interesting.”

 Rory found a spot to sit as he watched the Doctor study what he could see of the object, while Martha and Donna got to know one another. There was something about it that felt familiar to him, but Rory had no idea why.

His phone buzzed and Rory smiled to see Amy had sent him a picture. Opening it he chuckled softly to see her and Julia standing in front of what the sign at the side proclaimed to be the world’s largest ball of twine. It was great to see her even in picture form and Rory wished he could spend some time with her.

He quickly typed back, ‘I’d hate to see the cat that plays with that’ before sending it. Amy’s reply back was a few laughing emojis and Rory thought about calling her but before he could the Doctor let out a cry.

“What?” they all asked.

“I need to see more of the object,” the Doctor told them, “But excavating it will not be easy. UNIT are trying to get scans of it, but we could be here for a few days.”

Donna shrugged, “I should check in with my family.”

Rory gave her a quick smile but remained silent he had no one to call. Besides he was interested in seeing what had been discovered.

“Rory,” the Doctor’s voice made him jump, surprised to find his friend standing there, “Are you with me?”

Looking up at him, Rory nodded.

The Doctor grinned, clapping Rory on the shoulder, “Come on, I want to see what you think.”

“Me?”

“You’ve read several books on things like this,” the Doctor reminded him, “And I know how well you retain information so let’s put that to some good use.”

 Night fell on the construction site and the UNIT excavation team left with the night shift guards taking over. Martha and Terri arranged for dinner at the restaurant close to the site. Rory sat and listened to the chatter around the table. Terri was telling stories her uncle had told her about working with the Doctor, who was simply smiling amused and refusing to admit if they were true or false.

After dinner the Doctor decided to head back to the lab to go over some of the pictures that had been taken off the additional layers revealed.

“You know what, I am not sitting around staring at the walls,” Donna said, “Who wants a drink?”

“That sounds great,” Martha grinned.

Terri sighed, “Unfortunately I have to be in charge but another time.”

“Rory?” Donna asked.

He hesitated before shrugging, “Actually I’m tired so I’m going to head back to the TARDIS and get some sleep.”

Donna caught his hand, “Are you sure?”

“It’s been a long day,” Rory told her, “And I’ve not slept much in the last few weeks, so I think it’s a good idea to sleep when I need to.”

Donna nodded, she gave him a quick hug, “If you can’t sleep, call me and we’ll tell you were we are so you can join us.”

Rory gave her a smile before he left them to enjoy their night. Reaching the TARDIS Rory smiled feeling the comforting hum as he walked into the console room. Heading along to his bedroom, Rory stepped inside it for the first time in a few weeks. Changing into his pyjamas, Rory slid under the covers and closed his eyes falling asleep almost instantly.

 Fast asleep Rory’s mind floated through the world outside the TARDIS, he could see the object but as he stood at the side the final layers of dirt disappeared and revealed the large octahedron sitting on its tip. Each side was covered in writing he recognised but couldn’t remember how he knew it.

Reaching out Rory touched different symbols on the side, watching the object begin to glow and pulsate before it suddenly exploded in a mix of fire and molten metal.

Gasping awake Rory looked around finding himself somewhere other than the TARDIS. It was a cavern, with solid looking walls made of some kind of black crystal. Slowly getting to his feet Rory discovered he was dressed and had somehow also put his shoes on. Fear gripped him as he looked around trying to work out where he was and if there was a way out of here signalled somewhere. Checking his pockets, he was disappointed to find his phone wasn’t there.

“That would have been helpful,” Rory sighed to the emptiness surrounding him.

He knew he couldn’t just stay here, as much as he kind of wanted to because there was no way anyone would find him. Taking a slow deep breath to stop himself from panicking, Rory turned and checked the two ways before deciding which way to head.

 “Doctor!!!”

Donna’s startled voice made the Doctor look up from the screen he was staring at to find his friend running in, panic in her eyes,

“What’s wrong?”

Donna stopped and told him, “Rory is missing.”

The Doctor frowned, “Missing? Are you sure? He went to bed, but you know he hasn’t been sleeping. He’s probably in the library.”

“I checked,” Donna told him, “I wanted to make sure he was actually sleeping. His bed has been slept in, but it looks as though he’s got up and dressed. I checked the library, the observation deck and everywhere he goes to hide. He’s not in the TARDIS.”

“Have you called him?”

Donna pulled out Rory’s phone, “He left it.”

The Doctor stood taking the phone from her hand, “He never goes anywhere without this in case Amy calls.”

“I know,” she grimaced, “We have to find him.”

The Doctor nodded, “We do this methodically. We’re basically in a UNIT base so almost every square inch will be covered in cameras. Colonel,” he called making Terri turn to him, “I need access to every camera and security feed you have.”

“Something wrong, Doctor?” Terri asked.

“Rory may have walked somewhere he shouldn’t,” the Doctor said, “He’s missing, and I want to see if we can find him here.”

“Well,” she motioned them over to the security control section, “Rory was given full access to the site as one of your people. So, the guards would allow him in wherever he went. Lieutenant Grant will assist you with whatever you need.”

 Donna wanted to scream in frustration as she sat scanning footage of the base over the three hours since she’d last seen Rory. They had him heading to the TARDIS but since the alleyway they left it in wasn’t part of the base couldn’t tell if he entered it. With the multiple cameras everywhere, they were trying to catch where, if he had, re-entered the base.

“Doctor,” Grant spoke up, “I think I may have something. It’s not much but from the clothes it’s not a member of the UNIT team.”

They gathered around the screen and Grant showed them the footage of an arm going past the cameras.

“Well, the checked shirt screams Rory,” the Doctor mused, “But he’s avoiding the cameras.”

“Why would he?” Donna asked, she noted, “It’s almost like he’s…”

She trailed off and turned to the Doctor who was staring her with a similar horror covering his face.

“Grant,” the Doctor said, “From where that camera is, can you bring up a schematic of where he might be going?”

Grant frowned in thought for a moment, “I can try. The way he’s moving suggests a specific pathway. That means there are limited possibilities for his destination.”

“We work through them methodically,” the Doctor told him, “But when you find Rory, be careful.”

Grant looked confused, “Why?”

“Just be careful.”

                                 *********************************************

 As Rory walked he could feel something tickle against his mind, like a whisper he could hear on the edge of his consciousness. Each step he took made it slightly louder and although Rory knew he shouldn’t move towards the creepy whispering, his legs wouldn’t stop.

The smooth black crystal structure was becoming darker and more sinister with each step. Every moment he moved forward Rory knew that this was wrong, but he couldn’t stop. The whispers became louder and more threatening.

He wanted to run, he wanted to get back to the TARDIS but he was being pulled closer to whatever was there.

Rory felt sick deep in the pit of his stomach as the memories he held of the man who had taken control of him were bubbling to the surface. He didn’t want to see them, didn’t want to remember any of the horrors the warrior had inflicted on others, and they were getting stronger with each step he took but it was impossible to stop.

 “Doctor,” Terri called before he ran out the door, “You need to look at this.”

Annoyed he spun back to the screen she was standing at, “What?”

“We managed to get a different type of scanner to check the artefact,” she explained, “It’s given some more details on the writing. I’m hoping this will help you.”

The Doctor scanned the writing, fear filling him as he began to realise what the thing was and if it was then he also knew why Rory was missing.

“Donna,” he yelled as he ran out, she jumped but followed him as he began to run towards the opening of the underground site.

“What the bloody hell?” Donna demanded as the walls around them became a black crystal, “Doctor?”

Shaking his head, the Doctor began to run faster, “The device is from a civilisation which decided they had the right to judge the universe. It hones in on guilt that the people it judges feel and considering everything that has recently happened to Rory, then the guilt he feels is enormous.”

Fear covered Donna’s face, “Oh no. He is barely holding on at the moment as it is.”

They continued through the tunnel and suddenly heard a cry of anguish. Glancing at one another, they began to run. Donna winced as they ran into a cave made of black crystal finding Rory on the ground tears rolling down his cheeks as a man she didn’t recognise sat on a throne.

“Do you speak for the accused,” the man intoned.

The Doctor pulled out the sonic screwdriver and scanned him as Donna dropped down to Rory’s side. She could see the agony in his eyes and wanted to take away all the pain he was feeling right now.

“Who accuses him?” the Doctor demanded.

“I am Halig of the Theiums,” the man replied, “We judge those who are not worthy.”

Anger filled Donna, “He hasn’t done anything.”

Halig let out a laugh, “His memories say different.”

“They’re not his,” Donna snapped.

“It won’t work,” the Doctor told her, “Halig isn’t real, he’s a program set up to judge people who feel guilty. We must have activated it when we got here. Otherwise, there would have been a queue.”

Halig stood and intoned, “Present your arguments.”

“No,” the Doctor replied, “I don’t recognise your authority.”

The man tilted his head before he seemed to flicker and repeated, “Present your arguments.”

Rory cried out, gripping his head.

“Stop,” the Doctor snapped, “You have no authority here. If you don’t stop, I will destroy you.”

Again, the man tilted his head before he flickered and repeated, “Present your arguments.”

“Doctor,” Donna yelled, “You have to stop it,”

Annoyed the Doctor scanned what could be seen of the artefact and frowned, “Give me your phone.”

Donna instantly obeyed before she turned back to Rory, managing to pull him into her arms and hugging him close. The Doctor could hear her whispering comfort to the younger man before he quickly called Martha.

“I need some explosives,” he told her, “I’ve set the sonic to direct you to where we are, but you need to hurry.”

 Donna looked up at the Doctor when he crouched down beside them, they were now completely ignoring Halig who seemed to be stuck in a loop, confused by the Doctor refusal to accept it’s authority.

“Why do we need the explosives?” Donna asked.

The Doctor frowned, “I can’t access the system. It’s dead-lock sealed which means the sonic can’t open it.”

“Will it hurt Rory?” Donna stroked his hair as Rory curled into her lost in the memories he was being forced to relive.

Grimacing the Doctor shook his head, “I don’t know but if I leave it then that thing will continue to torture him.”

Only a few moments later Martha, Terri and several guards arrived carrying the explosives the Doctor had asked for.

“Donna, Martha,” he ordered as he took the explosives, “Get Rory out of here. Best to get him into the TARDIS.”

Martha nodded and ordered two of the guards to help them carry Rory out of the cave. Assured his friend was being moved to safety, the Doctor turned back to the artefact and began to place the explosives at strategic places.

“Is this a good idea?” Terri asked.

The Doctor nodded, “If I’m right, which I usually am, this will implode after the initial explosion, and you won’t need to excavate the site.”

Terri sighed, “Well, my report will basically blame you for this. So, whenever you’re ready.”

The Doctor set the timer and they started to run. Reaching the edge of the safe zone just as the timer hit zero and the ground shook at the explosion. Watching the large object suddenly crumple in on itself, the Doctor nodded in satisfaction before he ducked into the TARDIS.

 Donna hugged Rory tightly as they sat on the floor of the TARDIS as they waited for the Doctor to destroy the thing that was hurting him. Martha was standing worriedly but it was clear she felt uncomfortable.

Suddenly the room shook and Rory gasped.

“Hey,” Donna whispered, “Rory, talk to me.”

Her friend’s green eyes focussed on her, “It’s stopped,” he whispered.

The door opened and the Doctor walked in, instantly moving to Rory’s side and dropping down beside him.

“Doctor,” Rory breathed, “Why won’t he leave me alone?”

Tears filled Donna’s eyes at Rory’s question, as the Doctor grimaced.

“I’m sorry, Rory,” the Doctor told him, “I should have recognised the artefact faster and never should have let you near it.”

“You need to sleep,” Donna spoke up.

Rory shook his head, “I can’t.”

“Do you trust me?” the Doctor asked softly.

Donna squeezed Rory’s hand as he nodded.

Placing his fingers on Rory’s temples, the Doctor breathed, “Then trust me now and I’ll help you rest.”

Rory leaned into the Doctor and Donna sighed in relief that the younger man did trust the Time Lord as the Doctor gently helped Rory into unconsciousness.

 The Doctor took Terri’s offered hand.

“It was a pleasure to finally meet you, Doctor,” Terri said, “Uncle Mike will be annoyed he didn’t get a chance to see you, but I know you have to leave.”

He nodded, “Give Mike my best.”

“How is Rory?” she asked quietly.

“Recovering,” was all the Doctor said, “Look after yourself, Colonel. You’ve given me hope for the future of UNIT.”

She chuckled as he gave her another quick smile before he headed into the TARDIS. Donna and Martha were standing talking waiting for him.

“Thanks for coming,” Martha hugged him.

The Doctor smiled as he hugged her back, “You’re welcome. I’m glad you and your family are doing well.”

Martha let him go before asking, “Will Rory be okay?”

The Doctor nodded, “He will. He is tougher than people think.”

“I remember,” Martha smiled, she turned to Donna and hugged her quickly, “Look after them.”

Donna nodded, “Someone has to.”

As Martha left the Doctor threw his coat over the railing and moved to the console.

“Where are we going?” Donna asked.

“Rory needs someone to help him through this,” the Doctor told her, “And there is only one person I know who will do that.”

Donna frowned confused for a moment before realisation hit her, “Amy.”

“Amy,” the Doctor nodded, “He needs her in person this time and I don’t care if he doesn’t want her to know he’s travelling with us. She’s who he needs right now.”

“Then let’s go get her,” Donna stated, gripping the console as the Doctor hit the lever.

[writing-the-end]

WS Chapter 57- The Calm Before

Previous Chapter

Masterpost

Time for war! Or at least, first some good old reflection, tying up loose ends, and preparing for battle! Y’all ready, the end is coming near, I can’t believe we’re only three more chapters away from the end!

Ecto belongs to @cooler-cactus-block

Red belongs to @theguardiansofredland​

Selene belongs to @to-dem-stars​

Mentioned: Star belongs to @thatonewannabedragon​ , Perri belongs to @hyperfixatingparrot​ , Pierre belongs to @cabbagesenpai​ , Kai belongs to @the-cheshirefox​ , Storm belongs to @stormjay0​ , Abyss belongs to @abyssvoidsstuffs​ , Bre belongs to @mintyhotchocolate​ (if there are any I missed lmk)

The first nether portal appeared just before the sky began to grey with the morning sun. Star was on guard at the time, and they quickly alerted the entire camp of the impending attack. The grounds scrambled to life, grabbing blades and falling into battle stations. 

At the top of the rise, above the campground, the wanderers sit together. Watching the sun rise and a few more nether portals appear. Nothing has come through them yet, leaving a sense of nervous waiting across the overworld. The entire land holding it’s breath, waiting for the first move. 

A brush of wind flutters behind the wanderers. Brushing through Avon’s wings, playing with Red’s hair, and tugging on Ecto’s scarves. Jessie hops across the three heads, settling into Ecto’s hood. She looks over her shoulder, before resting her hand on the hilt of her sword. “We’ve come a long way, haven’t we?” 

“It feels like just yesterday we first met one another.” Red whispers, looking up at the other wanderers. He giggles. “I’m pretty sure Avon’s way to say hello is by pointing her trident at your face.” 

“Ecto was the one that immediately started fighting me!” Avon reaches over and bumps Ecto in the shoulder. Jessie chirps, disturbed from her nap in Ecto’s hood. “You nearly jumped to your death.” 

“I would’ve survived. It takes more than that to get rid of me.” Ecto laughs. She goes quiet a second, a weak and warm smile easing onto her face. “Thanks for coming back for me, both in Area 77 as well as the nether.” 

“Of course we weren’t leaving you behind, you’re our friend! We stick together.” Red’s voice is laced with disbelief. It was never a thought to leave Ecto behind. She’s the most clever, the funniest. She’s a part of the team. “And look at what going through that portal has given us! So many friends, from a completely different world!” 

The three look out, seeing Scar and Doc trading items. Potatoes for potions. Grian, Iskall, and Mumbo hunker low, Iskall and Mumbo with their hands on levers and Grian with his elytra ready to fly. Xisuma and Ren stand near the rear, arrows nocked and ready to fire. 

“We’ve seen a lot as well.” Avon whispers. “Not all of it good.” 

All three grimace, thinking of their homes. The empty skies of the End, the frozen wastes of the desert, the ghostly coral of the sea. But Ecto isn’t going to let them linger on the bad, not when so much good has happened as well. “I got to see the ocean, see a mesa.” 

“The Nether, a woodland mansion. Two different worlds full of incredible builds. We saw so much.” Red adds. 

“And we did it together. We fought a bit-” Ecto and Avon look to each other, and laugh, “A lot, maybe. But I wouldn’t have wanted to go through this with anyone else. Or even alone.” Avon sighs. She learned a lot. And...the struggles are worth it, to find good friends. People like Red, and Ecto. 

They turn back, noticing the purple rifts shifting and changing. Blue wings open wide before them, and Perri lands on the hill. “They’re here. There’s people… they look like you guys. And I swear… I feel like I saw someone that looked like me. They’re waiting for more to come through. Maybe they’re waiting for you guys?” 

The time has come. Everything they’ve done, everything since that first scent of brimstone on the sand of Red’s ocean, has led to this. Avon takes off, Jessie following after her. Ecto slides down the hill, pulling out her sword. Red sprints after the taller two, catching up by jumping into the moat and swimming down the canals. 

The three pop back together, surrounded by hermits and other members of their world. Red squeezes between Tango and Impulse, noticing the vial of redstone at the flame haired hermit’s hip, the comparators in the hands of Impulse. He can still see the golden scars from falling into the rosepit. Where the totem healed over his wounds, slowly fading away.

 Avon flourishes her trident, looking over her shoulder. Over the huddle they’ve got. “The nether has arrived, and as you can see… they’ve got a lot of weapons. I don’t think they’ll hold back. To the hermits- don’t forget that death is permanent in our world. If you start to get overwhelmed, fall back immediately.” Avon notices Red’s eyes, and offers an easy smile and a nod. “And try to be as nonlethal as possible. We’ve got some pretty persuasive people here. Show them that creation is a lot more fun than destruction.”

“Now that, us hermits can get on board with.” Scar laughs, Perri and Abyss nodding in agreement. 

What Avon doesn’t notice as she directs the overlanders to their battle stations is that Red swiped one of Tango’s vials of redstone. He watches the dusted ore glimmer and glitter in the glass vial, and pops it open. A few hermits as well as Pierre notices Red’s tongue stick out as he pours some of the redstone out. A coy grin is shared across all three. 

Ecto also notices, but makes a point to keep Avon busy. She wants to see this as much as anyone, and she knows Avon will take it away from Red if she sees. Avon turns to appoint Tango and Impulse to their pitfall trap, but Ecto grabs her and points out where Kai was struggling up a tree. 

So when Avon notices the flecks of red in the kipling’s hand, pinching the redstone onto his tongue, it’s already too late. She leaps across the huddle to snatch the vial, but she’s half a step too slow. 

A zinging sensation strikes across Red’s body, zapping from her tongue, all the way down her tongue and across her limbs. Toes and fingers curl and Red swears he can feel electricity course through every muscle and vein within him. Red’s black and orange locks stand out and his eyes widen. He jolts upright, causing an uproar from those watching as his tongue sticks out. Ecto laughs the loudest, with Avon groaning on the ground as they both see the redstone circuits completing themselves in his mouth. After a minute of electricity coursing through his body, numbing his tongue, Red manages to talk. He sets the vial down, patting it back in Tango’s pocket. “Tastes spicy...but also vaguely sweet?” 

The laughter howls across the battlefield, even Red and Avon eventually joining in. Red has been attempting to taste redstone for almost as long as the wanderers have been together. Of course on today, of all days, he finally gets his wish. 

The army sobers up, remembering the battlefield they stand on. Seeing hermits huddled together, fingers antsy on triggers and hips laden with totems of undying. Red pats his own pocket, feeling Fred nestled close to his heart. The other overlanders from their world are scattered about. Fighters like Kai and Storm at the forefront, Star in the center with their fists of hardened bedrock and Pierre’s fire charged redstone. At the back, Abyss pours some of Bre’s potion over her arrows. Beyond the moat, Perri waits beside Selene with her menagerie of health potions. And a crossbow- just in case the worst happens

“Who do you think is going to be the first-” Ecto’s question is answered before she even gets to finish her sentence. A flaming arrow careens from the center of the nether army, followed by a roar from Blu’s voice. Red blocks the projectile with a wall of water, steam rising from the extinguished arrow. Avon rolls away, commanding to return fire on the incoming army while Ecto dives into Red’s water. Swimming higher, to the crest of the wall. From there, she begins to pelt the invading force with cactus. 

Two armies clash. The ragtag team of builders, wanderers, and everyone between against an army honed for death. For destruction. They’re outnumbered three to one, but they have an advantage- clever minds. 

From the air, winged and elytra adorned warriors let loose arrows to disperse the army. Trying to be as least lethal as possible. Storm and Grian peel away, avoiding a fire charge shot at them. Singed elytra wings smoke, but Grian doesn’t hesitate to dive bomb the army. He tips his bucket, water pouring out over the crow. 

And from there, Red slides in. Armored hellspawns flee from her, her whips of water and splashes of waves. The water singes their heated skin, incapacitating them. Red is measured with every strike. Just enough to hurt, but almost never enough to kill. She squeaks when a hulking hellspawn braves the water, potion effects swirling around his massive form. Water resistance potion, a hellspawn design like their flaming weapons. Red scrabbles back, but the rushing water continues to push her forward. 

“No you don’t!” Etho shouts, before the sound of a cannon fires. A fire charge careens over the water, so close to Red that his cheeks turn rosy from the heat. It knocks the hellspawn off his feet, allowing Red passage further into the throngs of soldiers. Towards his inverse. He turns, seeing Etho and Pierre high five. Red gives a thumbs up, and chases down a squadron that attempts to flank from the side. 

But the squadron has stepped into the desert. Into Ecto’s domain. She whistles to gain the group of flaming forms’s attention. They stop charging, staring at Ecto as she moseys around the sand. Digging her feet through the grains, kicking up the sand. She gives a sideways glance as they charge her. A slick smile crosses Ecto’s face, and she digs her feet into the sand at her side. 

The sand collapses, the hellspawns with it. Trapping them deep in the pits, arrows flying out haphazardly. One arrow is snatched, Selene appearing in a flash above the pit of angry soldiers. As quickly as she appears, she disappears, handing the arrow off to Avon as she swoops low. Selene overs a smug smile, one hand still behind her back. With a snap of her fingers, she disappears back into battle.  The tip is still flaming as Avon tips to her back and shows the flame to Jessie. The little dragon’s purple eyes glow, watching the flame. “Time for you to learn to breathe fire, little one.” 

Avon tosses the arrow to the side, the blaze cascading down into the clash of swords and blast of traps below. Jessie and Avon land atop a large portal, the baby dragon mimicking Avon’s open wings. But when Avon launches her trident, it’s not the only projectile coming from the dragons. 

A purple flame spits free, crashing into the hellspawns from behind. Knocking them off their feet, purple acid flames stinging at the army’s toes. And while the hellspawns are hopping free from the acid, Star reels back her fists and punches them. Sending the flaming foes head over heels into the grass. She turns to Avon, sticking out her tongue and giving a thumbs up. Avon only smiles, and imitates the gesture. 

A crack is heard over the battlefield, yellow and green sparks wisping into the sky. Everyone turns, looking to see who caused a totem to break. Perri runs from the safety of the camp, aiding Kai as she helps a limping Scar from battle. She pushes her own totem of undying into his hands, laying him out and letting Perri heal his wounds. 

The overworld was winning. Keyword ‘was’. The distraction, the sudden reminder that they are battling for their lives, it was all the nether army needed to gain an upper hand. Ecto scrambles up to Avon and Jessie, sweat beading across her forehead. “I...I think they figured out we aren’t shooting to kill.” 

Red rises up, aided by a wave of water. “They’re using it against us. We can’t let our friends die.” 

“We need to deal a blow to the hellspawns. Hit them somewhere it’ll hurt.” Avon whispers, holding Jessie and watching as the front line collapses. Lava is poured over water, turning the canals into bridges for the nether. Etho and Doc are arguing over a redstone contraption, each flick of the lever leading to no reaction by the machine. Perri holds onto a wounded hermit, one hand wrapping wounds while the other shoots her crossbow. Life and death, good and bad. Dark and light.

Inverses. Ecto snaps her fingers. “Where are we?” 

“We? We’re in a plains biome.” Avon pitches her trident, trying to aid their friends. 

“No, not ‘we’,” Ecto motions at the three standing atop the portal. “The other ones, the other we! They’re the idiots running this whole thing, if we go after them, we can collapse this whole operation. It’s the easiest, most direct way than just throwing bodies into some battle.” 

“I haven’t seen Blu since the first arrow shot.” Red states. “But they have to be here. We just have to find them.” 

“Then we find them.” Avon states. “And one way or another, they will be stopped. Let’s go, wanderers. One last time on the run.”

[remywrites5]

THANK YOU FOR INDUCTION ME INTO JEGULILY!!!!! I LOVE YOUR SNIPPETS! AND I LOVE THE THREE OF THEM TOGETHER!!! AND THEY HAD KIDS?! I CAN'T EVEN!!! I'M GOnna go weep with joy now bie bie I love you 🌷💛

Hi! You’re very welcome! This isn’t really a prompt but I don’t have many in the way of Jegulily so I’m going to treat it like one. Thank you so much for your kind words and I hope you like this as well! 

***

           Regulus had needed to get away after his mother died. He’d never exactly been close with his brother considering their apposing views on their parents, so after his mum died Reg had no one. He’d always been horrible at dating, too severe and not romantic enough. And his friends were the kind of people you realized you didn’t want to be associated once you were out of the bubble of school. He truly had no one.

           He had thought getting away would be good for him. As the sole inheritor of his parent’s estate, since Sirius had been written out of the will, he had enough money to go anywhere or do anything he wanted. So he’d bought a house by the seaside, always having been a little obsessed with water. He kept his family home in London but he’d thought the country air would do him good.

           It had been a horrible idea. He’d never felt so alone and isolated in his life. The people were friendly compared to the people in London and he’d never had so many people say hello to him every morning. But with that came the feeling of being an outsider, reminded on a daily basis of just how different things were here.

           Fueling his melancholy, Reg walked down to the beach and sat down in the sand, looking out at the water. There was a family a little ways down the beach and Regulus couldn’t stop staring at them. The woman had red hair that whipped around her face in the breeze, a large straw hat on her head threatening to blow away. She laughed at her own misfortune, holding onto the top of it determinedly. Her husband laughed along with her, leaning in and kissing her sweetly, his own unkempt mop of hair blowing wildly in the breeze. When the hat finally escaped, the man went chasing after it.

           Their son, who looked to be about three, ran after his father with his arms outstretched. The husband leaped and managed to trap the hat underneath him. The son gigged and leapt onto his father. The husband soon brought the son and the hat back to his wife, the top of the hat having been squished under his body. The wife merely laughed and pushed it back out from the inside before depositing it on her head and beaming up at her husband.

           Regulus realized he’d been staring for quite some time and quickly looked away. He felt something ache inside him and he had no idea what. Perhaps it was just loneliness. Before he could think better of it, Regulus pulled out his phone and called his brother.

           “Reg?” Sirius said as he picked up. “You never call me! What’s up?”

           “Hi,” Regulus said, covering his face with his free hand as if ashamed. “I thought maybe you could come visit me.”

           There was silence on the line and Regulus was about to take back his stupid request when Sirius finally spoke up. “I’d love to! Text me the address and I’ll be there by this evening.”

           “You don’t have to come that soon,” Regulus told him quickly, not wanting to be an inconvenience. Christ, he still felt like a child sometimes, needing his brother to come and rescue him. “This weekend will be fine.”

           Sirius sighed heavily into the phone. “Reg, you’re calling me of your own volition. I’m coming up tonight.”

           Sirius rang off before Reg could argue with him about it. He texted Sirius his address before he forgot, even though he wasn’t sure he even wanted his brother to come. Groaning to himself, Reg tugged his fingers through his hair and buried his face away against his knees, pulled up towards his chest. He was going to be twenty-five soon. That was a quarter of a century and what did he have to show for his life?

           “Hey mate, you okay?”

           Regulus lifted his head up and the husband he had been watching earlier was standing in front of him with an easy smile on his face. Regulus blinked a few times and tried to remember how human speech worked. “Not really, but I’ll be fine.”

           The husband laughed and held out his hand. “I’m James Potter.”

           Regulus shook his hand quickly. The guy – James – was really intimidatingly good looking. His glasses framed his handsome face perfectly, his just slightly lopsided smile was hopelessly endearing, his body fit and toned underneath his t-shirt. The wind was whipping just right to pull the t-shirt across his chest and stomach and Reg was fairly certain he could make out abs. Regulus stopped himself before he went overboard with ogling this stranger. “Regulus Black.”

            “Well, Regulus Black, you’re coming over for lunch,” James said as if it were a done deal, brokering no argument, tugging Regulus to his feet. “You new to this area?”

           “Just moved in a week ago,” Regulus answered, walking side by side with James back to where his family was. His wife was packing up their stuff while their son kept grabbing a new toy to play with immediately after she’d put it away.

           “Well welcome!” James said, clapping Reg on the back. “Lily, my love, this is Regulus. I’ve invited him over for lunch.”

           Lily glanced up at her husband, her eyes searing with murderous intent. “James Potter, if you don’t help me pack all this shite up I swear to God –“

           James snickered and went over, giving his wife a quick peck on the lips and then helping pack up their stuff. “Can I help?” Regulus offered, feeling a bit awkward just standing there.

           “Oh yes!” Lily said, picking her son and depositing him in Reg’s arms. “You can hold Harry. He’s a troublemaker just like his father, I’m afraid.”

           Regulus blinked in surprise and shifted them around until the three-year-old was sitting comfortably against his hips. Harry had a little sand shovel that he was flying through the air and making plane noises for. He then flew it into Reg’s chest and made an explosion noise.

           Regulus had no idea what to do so he let Harry continuously crash a tiny plastic shovel into his chest. Lily and James finished packing up their things and smiled at Reg triumphantly. “Thanks so much for your help,” Lily said, slightly out of breath.

           “We just live a block away if you don’t mind walking,” James said, nudging Reg lightly with his elbow.

           “No, I don’t mind.”

                                                           ***

           By the time Reg got home that evening he was so utterly confused. The Potters had been wonderful, kind and inviting, and James’ cooking had been to die for. They’d laughed easily and made jokes at the others’ expense and they hadn’t even minded if Reg didn’t always laugh along with them.  But what had really thrown Reg off was the amount of touching.

           It was all perfectly innocent, a hand on his elbow here, a guiding hand on the small of his back there, but Regulus had noticed and savored every press of warm skin against his own. He couldn’t recall the last time someone had touched him. Had it been when he’d held his mother’s hand in the hospital? Was that really the last time someone had touched him?

           He’d gotten so distracted by the Potters and his whirlwind of an afternoon that he forgot about having called Sirius to come up for a visit. It was only when he heard knocking on his front door that he remembered his earlier phone call. For a brief moment he had hoped it might be the Potters but that was stupid. They had their own lives.

           “Little brother!” Sirius said once Regulus opened the door. Sirius threw his arms up and pulled Reg into a hug. “How are you?”

           “Better than I was when I called you,” Reg said honestly. “I think I made some friends.”

           “That’s great!” Sirius said, dropping his motorcycle helmet down on one of the kitchen tables. “I think I made a friend as well.”

           Regulus’ mouth dropped open in shock. “But you’ve only just got here!” he said, unable to keep the tinge of envy out of his voice.

           Sirius laughed. “I got lost on the ring road,” he explained, sliding his gloves off. “Nice stranger named Remus was kind enough to help me. Fuck, he was so cute I nearly proposed to him right then and there.”

           Regulus rolled his eyes. He’d always been a little jealous of Sirius – cool and confident – self-assured in a way Reg never could be. Despite all that he was glad his brother was there with him. “How long are you staying?”

           Sirius shrugged. “Took some time off work. Told them I had a family emergency. So I can give you two weeks at least.”

           Regulus shook his head. “You can’t do that!” He could not believe his brother’s recklessness sometimes. “Sirius – “

           Sirius turned towards Reg and crossed his arms over his chest. “I hate that job anyway. It’s boring and tedious and I don’t even like working in a call center! If they fire me then who cares? I’m only twenty-six –“

           “Nearly twenty-seven – “ Reg interjected.

           “And I’m not dead yet! They’ll be other jobs,” Sirius finished with a self-satisfied grin. “Besides, maybe I’ll be a worthless layabout and come live with you and mooch. I think I’d be a great moocher.”

           Regulus sighed, already exhausted from being around his brother, and went into the kitchen. He pulled out two beers and slid one to Sirius, who had followed him. Regulus grabbed the bottle opener from the drawer and opened his before sliding it to Sirius as well.

           “Cheers,” Sirius said, popping open his beer and taking a long pull from it. “So have they got a pizza joint we can order from in this town or what?”

           Regulus shrugged. “I have no idea.” He pulled out his phone and texted James, figuring he might know the best place.

           James answered right away, which was surprising, and gave the name of the best pizza place in town but also an offer to come over for dinner instead. Regulus explained the situation of having his brother with him. He was shocked again when James said to bring him along.

                                                           ***

           “Ten quid says he fucks it,” James said, taking a bite out of his ice cream cone and munching it loudly.

           “No way,” Lily said, shaking her head. “Even if he fumbles it he’ll get the date.”

           Regulus eyed her warily. “I sense some insider knowledge,” he said, raising a skeptical eyebrow at Lily.

           Lily grinned. “I happen to know of a certain librarian who is smitten with a certain motorbike driving weirdo.”

           “Cheater!” James said, pointing at his wife accusingly. Regulus couldn’t help laughing at their antics. They were sitting together at the ice cream parlor across the street from the library where Remus worked. It had been two weeks and Sirius had been coming to the library pretty regularly to try and chat up Remus. So far it hadn’t resulted in a date.

Now watching Sirius’ bumbling attempts had become almost a spectator sport for them. Regulus was going to have to switch to frozen yogurt if this kept up much longer. He’d been consuming an alarming amount of ice cream as of late. That or he’d have to finally go on that jog James was always suggesting.

           Two weeks and Regulus felt like he truly belonged somewhere, all thanks to the Potters. They’d accepted Regulus and Sirius completely even from that first dinner they’d all had together. Maybe they’d been able to sense just how much the Blacks needed a family or perhaps they were just wonderful people. Regulus had a feeling it was a bit of both.

           Sirius stuck his upper half out of the main door of the library and gave them a thumbs up, grinning like an idiot. The three of them broke out into cheers and applause with little Harry joining in even though he had no idea what was going on.

           “Hey Reg,” James said, nudging him slightly, not wanting to knock his ice cream cone out of his hand. “Lily and I had something important we wanted to talk to you about.”

           Regulus sat up a little straighter, his stomach churning with anxiety. “Okay,” he said softly, chewing his bottom lip.

           “See Lily and I were kind of hoping we might get a date of our own,” he said, glancing over at Lily and then back at Reg.

           “Oh,” Regulus responded, his brow furrowing in confusion. “Did you want me to babysit Harry? I’m sure it can’t be easy to find time – “

           “No!” James said quickly, interrupting Reg before he could get his sentence out. “No Reg, you don’t understand! That would completely defeat the purpose – “

           “Oh my god, James, let me handle this,” Lily said, putting a hand on James’ arm to stop him babbling. James’ mouth clicked shut and he physically deflated. Regulus looked to Lily to explain because he was completely confused. “We don’t want a date with each other, we want a date with you. All three of us.”

           Regulus looked between the two of them, scratching his head. “I’m sorry, what?”

           “It’s okay if you don’t want to!” James spoke up again, dropping the remnants of his ice cream cone in favor of taking Reg’s free hand. “We’ll still love you no matter what and you’re always welcome at our house even if you don’t want to date us. But we’d like to love you a little more completely, if that’s something you’d be interested in.”

           Regulus blinked a few times, dropping his ice cream on the ground in complete bafflement. “I don’t understand.”

           Lily chuckled and got to her feet, standing in front of Regulus and cupping his face in her hands. “James and I have had a nice long talk about this,” she explained, pressing a soft kiss to the tip of Reg’s nose. “And we’ve both quite fallen for you, Mr. Black. If you think you could find a way to love us in return we would both like that very much.”

           Regulus felt his breath catch in his throat. “I already do,” he whispered, staring up at Lily a little helplessly. He was so in love with them, afraid to even think it for fear that it might rip him apart from the inside. He’d thought it was the dumbest thing he’d ever done, falling in love with a married couple. He’d convinced himself it was just his loneliness and his desperation to have someone. He’d clung to the Potters in his time of need and told himself what he was feeling was just affection for friends – some of the first true ones he’d ever had in his life.

           He’d told himself all that to protect himself from the fact that he couldn’t have them. But as Lily held his face and James held his hand, it felt like the invisible wall he’d been carrying around him was simply floating away, stone by stone, being lifted off him.

Little Harry came and crawled into Reg’s lap, wanting to be included. He was a sticky mess of Strawberry ice cream but Reg couldn’t even care. It felt right, being surrounded by the Potters. Reg brought his free hand up and held Harry around the middle so he didn’t fall.

           “So,” James said, giving Reg’s hand a squeeze. “About that date?”

           Regulus laughed. He thought he might have laughed more in two weeks with the Potters than he had in his entire life up to that point. “You two pick the day and place. I’ll be there.“

[mirkwoodshewolf]

Aladdin Queen fic John Deacon x reader chap. 5; Friend like me

*Author’s note*

Now here comes the moment I’m sure all of you have been waiting for, the appearance of the man, the legend, the God himself, FREDDIE MERCURY AS THE GENIE!!!! Okay so work with me here folks, I don’t care which version of the song you guys listen to, cause I did take one verse from the Robin Williams OG version and place it into here even though I mostly used the Will Smith version of the song for the fic so I leave that up to you all (also you can listen to the song just to help set the mood). 

Taglist:

@psychosupernatural​

@plethora-of-things​

@waddles03​

@ixchel-9275​

@georgesgentlyweepingguitar​

@queendeakyy​

@geek-and-proud​

@kairosfreddie​

@simonedk​

__________________________________________________________

I felt something grip the shoulder of my shirt as well as a small hand touching my face.  I groaned and opened my eyes to see Abu standing over me. He chattered and hugged me and I was lifted back up to reveal Carpet.  Soon it all came back to me, the cave exploding, the old man taking the lamp, nearly killing me and me falling back down here into the cave of Wonders.

“Thanks carpet.” He waved his tassel around as he bowed in welcome.  I looked up to see the entire cave was blocked off with sand and rock.  “We’re trapped. And whoever that old guy was, he’s long gone with that lamp.”

It was then Abu stepped over behind a rock and low and behold he took out the lamp.  I gaped at him and choked out Abu.

“Abu….why you hairy little thief!” I grabbed the lamp with my left hand and scratched Abu’s chin with the other.  He leaned into my finger and I stood up and looked at it. “I mean, why go to all this trouble for a simple oil lamp? And more importantly how’s it going to get us out of here?”

Carpet then began to point at the lamp, and I emphasis on pointing, it was like he was urging me to rub it.

“Rub the lamp?” he nodded.  I looked down at the lamp and that’s when I began noticing something strange about this lamp.  It was glowing some sort of blue color. “What the….” I blew the dust away from it and rubbed it.

Suddenly the lamp began to jostle in my hands and glow before it shot out a puff of smoke like a cannon, next thing I knew fireworks began exploding out of the lamp and I know I may sound crazy, but I swear I heard laughter as well.  Finally blue smoke just engulfed around the entire cave and I heard a cry echoing through the cave.

Then as quick as it came, the smoke cleared and there stood just a few feet away from me, a blue man with black hair down to his shoulders.

“Oi, 10,000 years will give you such a crick in the neck! But man does it feel good to finally be out of—” when he turned to face me, he groaned and said. “Ohh great we gotta do this shit again? Okay might as well get it over with.” Suddenly he grew giant size as he floated over me and in a booming, thunderous voice, he spoke as his arms crossed over his chest; “Oh great one that summoned me. Terrible one that commands me. I stand by my oath, loyalty to wishes three!”

I was just in shock as a whimper softly came out of me as my jaw was probably down to the ground at this rate.  He adjusted himself and continued, “I said…..’Oh great’….” He leaned down towards me and using that normal voice he used earlier he asked me, “Darling help me out here where’s your boss? I mean if I wanted to fucking talk to myself I could’ve stayed in the lamp.”

“Uh—uhh…..”

“Hello~ Anybody in there?” he waved his hand in front of me.

“I—” I squeaked out.

“Ahh use your big girl voice.” He playfully scowled me.

“I’m…..talking. To a smoking blue—giant?”

“Whoa, whoa okay first of all back that tractor up. I am no giant, okay I find that incredible racist. I am a djinn. Or in English terms genie but let’s face it djinn sounds more fabulous. Like gin and juice, and I can’t think of anything more fabulous than me!” He went from giant size began to the height he was before but remained floating in front of me. “But back to the subject, the main difference between djinns and giants, is unlike giants, I’m real. So c’mon where’s big boss man?”

“Big boss man?”

“Look dear I’ve been doing this a long time and you know how there’s always a guy. You know he’s cheated somebody, buried somebody. You get my picture right? Where’s that guy?”

“Yeah I know that guy. He’s outside.”

“So it’s just…..” he pulled out a telescope and extended far and wide through the cave before closing it up and making it vanish. “You and me down here?” He then noticed Abu who was hiding behind me leg. “And a monkey. I mean I myself prefer cats as pets but to each his or her own. So you rubbed the lamp?” I nodded. “Oh, okay then. Hey you don’t mind if I stretch it out over here do you dear? Thank you.” He floated just a couple feet away from me and began to stretch himself out.

“Wait did you just ask me if you could stretch?”

“You’re my master.”

“I’m your master?”

“Downward dog!”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, wait hang on. No offense but if anything and I can’t believe I’m saying this but it looks like you would be my master.”

“Well not exactly how this whole genie game works. Whosoever rubs the lamp of the jinn, is bound to by thy jinn’s master till the wish fulfillment is complete.” He said as he now stood on one hand and stretched his other arm towards his back.

“Must’ve hit my head harder than I thought.” I said as I rubbed the back of my head.

“So wait you really have no idea how this works?” He came up to me as he continued, “Genie? Wishes? Lamp? None of that?” I shook my head no. “Oh wow okay that-that-that’s a first for me.” The genie then poofed into smoke before levitating just to the corner of my eye before pointing to Abu proclaiming, “Monkey!”

It was then Abu had a mini-drum set on his back, cymbals in his hand and a kazoo in his mouth.  He then proceeded to clap to a beat, like one of those wind up monkey dolls.  I pointed to him before looking up at the genie but he assured me.

“Oh don’t worry about him, dear, he’s fine.” Abu then began walking which made the drum beat in a single rhythm and the genie proceeded to snap his fingers to the beat while moving his shoulders, while trying to hold back his overbite smile to the beat before singing.

Well, Ali Baba, he had them forty thieves Scheherazade had a thousand tales But, master, you're in luck because up your sleeves You got a genie never fails!

Abu stopped with the kazoo note before the genie proclaimed a whoop cheer.  Carpet stood up clapping with his front tassels as the genie bragged.

“Yep. I’m the best, and outrageous. Cause there’s no one more outrageous than me.” But to be honest to me I still wasn’t fully processing this, so I just awkwardly agreed. “Not enough huh? No worries besides that’s not the real me.”

He pointed to Abu again who shot up along with a puff of smoke up towards a higher rock ledge with a real drum set and he began playing a more upbeat tune.  Carpet playing the maracas as the genie floated around strutting and snapping his head to the rhythm of the tune.  

He grew back to his giant sized self before coming back down on the rocks leaning with his arms crossed over one another.

*Genie*

Here I go Uh, ooh, woo! Back up! Uh-oh! Watch out! Uh You done wound me up! 'Bout to show you what I'm workin' with, uh

He held his hands together before opening them up and I saw a swarm of bandits coming towards me.  I raced down the rocks but I was soon surrounded with swords all pointed at me.  Suddenly I don’t know how but my sleeves began glowing as gauntlets appeared on my arms and I proceeded to beat and knock out every single thief that came my way.

Then as I flipped over the last thief I felt the magic in my sleeves gone but the genie stood beside me and handed me the lamp and did the rubbing motion that I had to do on the lamp so I did and that’s when blue smoke came out and there stood the genie once more.

*Genie*

Well, Ali Baba, he had them forty thieves Scheherazade had a thousand tales But, master, you're in luck because up your sleeves You got a brand of magic never fails You got some power in your corner now Heavy ammunition in your camp You got some punch (pizazz, yahoo) and how? All you gotta do is rub that lamp And then I'll say

He then held a giant serving dish before revealing it to be a giant tent of sorts and I was now in a restaurant like setting. Dozens of workers surrounded me prepping everything up like I had seen in the palace, the genie came up wearing a waiter’s garb and he handed me a menu.

Allah I never knew being this pampered would feel this good.  I then saw a tiny version of genie come up to me ear and I leaned in so that I could hear him before I heard and saw the workers, who were just genie in various clothes of servants and servers all pointing out and proclaiming at me.

*Genie*

Darling, wait, what's your name? Whatever, what will your pleasure be? Let me take your order, I'll jot it down You ain't never had a friend like me

Life is your restaurant And I'm your maître D Come, whisper to me whatever it is you want You ain't never had a friend like me

I managed to slide down out of the restaurant scenery but I was soon surrounded by multiple genies who all had a dish full of sweets and treats all surrounding me.  I was so overwhelmed that I ducked down and tried to escape that chaos.

*Genie*

We pride ourselves on service You the boss, the queen, the shah! Say what you wish, it's yours! True dish How about a little more baklava?

To my left the genie made a long row of beautiful gowns, dresses and hijabs appear.  So I grabbed a beautiful emerald green sari and put it on, while on the other side a long row of jewels appeared.  Necklaces, bracelets, rings, anklets, earrings you name it.  

So I grabbed a matching emerald and silver necklace and placed it around my neck.

It was then I felt my arms raise up and I saw myself being connected to blue magic puppet strings.  I was spun around before I was on a stage of some sorts with dozens of genie backup dancers but I was center stage.  I then felt myself being pranced around on stage, doing outrageous gestures and hand motions while holding a cane and I was banging it against my body in rhythm as I pranced across the stage.  

*Genie*

Have some of column A Try all of column B I'm in the mood to help you, dear You ain't never had a friend like me

Oh! Uh! This the big part, watch out! This the big part, oh!

After that the stage disappeared and the genie appeared behind me and as we pointed to the left I saw another copy of him standing on top of his head but his lower body was spinning around with lights coming out of the pants.  When we pointed in the other direction we saw another genie doing a lasso move with his smoky tail, jumping in and out of the hoop.

Before finally the real genie behind me made a crown that resembled the English king crown appear on top of my head before tipping it off of my head.  He took the hat and pulled a rabbit out of it but with the snap of a finger, the rabbit became a phoenix and flew across the floor in flames.

*Genie*

Can your friends do this? Can your friends do that? Can your friends pull this Out they little hat? Can your friends go-WHOOOOO!!!

From the flames appeared three handsome men. The genie pushed me towards them and I proceeded to dance with each one of them.  Each of them either spun me around or dipped me downwards before they poofed away and I landed on a couch with my head resting on the genie’s lap now.

*Genie*

Well, lookie here Can your friends go, Abracadabra, let 'er rip And then make the sucker disappear?

        He helped me sit up right.  And the two of us sat there casually while a choir of genies appeared behind us. Carpet then handed him a certificate of sorts before the genie then handed me the certificate and I felt us zooming almost at lightspeed forward before we stopped and stood up.

        When we stopped I felt myself fly forward but just before I could fall over to the ground, the genie caught me and spun me around towards his chest.  He then made a long scroll come out of my ear that appeared to be three miles long before he whipped it across the cave and wrapped it around him.

        Finally I got around to telling him my name and I couldn’t help but finally get into this song now.  The two of us then began strutting around and moving around each other before we would jump one by one down the ledge, striking a fabulous pose before finally rocking and strutting our stuff.  

All the while fireworks, lights, dancers, and animals surrounded the entire cave, getting into the act like it was all a marvelous show.

*Genie*

Don't sit there buggy-eyed I'm here to answer all your midday prayers You got me bona fide, certified You got a genie for your charge d'affaires I got a powerful urge to help you out So what's your wish? I really wanna know You got a list that's three miles long, no doubt All you gotta do is rub like so

Darling,

*Me*

(Y/n)

*Genie*

Yes! One wish or two or three Well, I'm on the job, you big nabob You ain't never had a friend,

Never had a friend,

You ain't never had a friend,

Never had a friend You ain't never (never!) Had a (had a) Friend (friend) Like (like) Me! You ain't never had a friend like me!

By the end of it all, everything the genie had made appear vanished except a sign that said applause.  I could hear Carpet applauding and when genie snapped his fingers the sign disappeared as he said.

“So what will it be master? Or in this case mistress?”

“You’re—gonna grant me any three wishes I want right?”

“Well almost, there are a few rules a genie can’t do.”

“Like?” He shrunk down to normal height and said as he sat down beside me.

“Well rule #1; You can’t wish for more wishes, three is all you get. Rule #2; I can’t make anybody fall in love with anybody else. Rule #3; I can’t bring anybody back from the dead. Trust me dear, you don’t want that it’s not a pretty picture.” He shuddered before continuing, “Rule #4; I can’t kill anyone. But other than that…..I can do it all. So c’mon wish us out of here so that I can get in the sun.”

I stood up and went into deep thought about this as Abu came up onto my shoulders.

“Well I’d have to think about it. I mean—there are only three after all. Why are there only three?” I asked as I turned towards him.

“I don’t know, who cares?” He spoke in a high pitched, impatient tone.

“You don’t know? I thought you were all knowing?”

“See that’s where you’re wrong. I never said I was all knowing. I said I was all powerful. The most powerful being in the universe. Whatever I don’t know, I can learn. Why are you playing hard to wish?”

“Limitations? On wishes, huh some ‘all powerful genie’ “I can’t bring anybody back from the dead”. So if you can’t do that, then how can you help me get out of this cave?” I mocked.

Abu chattered in a laughing manner and I said to him.

“Now, now Abu it’s not his fault he can’t do it. Looks like we’re gonna have to find our own way out of here.” As I turned around the genie suddenly appeared before me.

“Excuse me?” He scoffed. “Are you looking at me? Did you rub my lap? Did you wake me up? Did you bring me here? And all of a sudden you’re walking out on me!? Oh I don’t think so, not right now! So you better rub that fucking lamp AND WISH!!” he spoke as he walked right up at me, getting up in my face.  His voice gradually got louder before he ended it on a thunderous note.

I suddenly fell backwards and held my hands up in surrender.  Wow he was pretty scary when he needed to be.

“Okay, okay genie! I wish for you to get us out of this cave.” Then like a flick of a candle, he went from extremely pissed off, to pure joy as he spun around and proclaimed.

“Whoo! She has made her first wish!” He then appeared as some sort of escort as he held out a map and spoke like he was talking through a megaphone or something but it was more muffled and softer. “Thank you for choosing carpets, camels and caravans. Don’t forget to tip your genie on the way out.” He placed the lamp in my hands and he said, “Hang on darling!” he spun around me evoking me in blue smoke.

Next thing I saw was intense light from the sun. We were finally back outside.

“Whoa.”

“Ohh look at this view it’s so—big. I mean cause everything in the lamp is all Brass. Brass, brass, brass. Ohh is that a bit of copper or gold? Nope, brass.”

“So wait, is this magic? Or are you magic?” I asked him.  He shrugged and said.

“We’re kinda a packaged deal. But now it’s time to get down to business.” He placed his hands on my shoulders and next thing I knew, we were flung back and now resting on some chairs underneath the shade.

“Can you warn me before you do that?”

“Ahh don’t worry dear you’ll get used to it.” He shrugged off my answer like it was nothing.

“Okay so do I have to make all my wishes here? Because I mean if I take you back to Agrabah won’t people….”

“Oh no, no, no darling I can totally fit in watch me.” He stood up from his chair and snapped his finger and appeared in human clothing, a long beard that went down to his stomach.

“Right, totally normal.” I said sarcastically. He then changed poses with his left arm in the air and appeared in less baggy clothes, but he still had his blue skin. “Still blue.” He snapped and his skin turned from blue to sun-kissed tan.  He smiled widely and looked down at me.

“Better?”

“Yeah but….not to be rude but must you have the—” I gestured to his teeth and he hmphed and fell back into his chair.

“I’m gonna pretend you didn’t ask about that. I change these teeth and there goes my four range vocals. I mean how do you think I managed that operatic section of the song? My voice is something that not even my magic can replicate. More space in my mouth means more range.”

He then made some grapes appear above him and he took a couple off the vines and he asked me.

“So, whatcha wanna wish for?”

“Well I’d have to think on that.” He hummed.

“You are really not that person, are you?”

“Alright Mr. Smart guy, what would you wish for? And more importantly what’s your name?” as he had taken a bite of an apple he paused to look at me.  He let the apple go and it disappeared and he said sincerely.

“Wow…..no one’s ever asked me those two questions before. Well….I do have a name but I’ve hated it for millennia’s.”

“What is it?”

“Farrokh. But I’ve always wanted to change it to something that felt more—me. A name that won’t define me as being what I appear.” I thought about it and I said.

“Well why not play around the name? I mean you’re definitely not a Stephen or even Sami. How about—Freddie?” He pondered and he said.

“Freddie? Yeah, I think it sounds nice. Love it!” he raised his hands and clapped them together.  “Thank you (y/n) dear.”

“No problem, now what about your wish?”

“Ohh now that’s an easy one. To be free.” He banged on his gauntlets.  I looked at him confused.

“You’re a prisoner?”

“Unfortunately it’s all a part of the whole genie getup. Phenomenal cosmic power! But itty bitty living space.”

“Wow, I never thought djinns lived that way.”

“Yeah. And I don’t mean just going,” he suddenly poofed wearing a butlers outfit and said. “How can I help you?” he poofed away again and appeared tiny and he said as he stood on my shoulder, “Yes my darling what is it?” he then appeared on the table and said, “Welcome to Casa de Freddie how may I serve you?” he then appeared back on the chair back in his disguised form. “Absolute freedom. I wish to be—human.”

“Well why don’t you just wish yourself free?” At that point Freddie began to laugh.

“Carpet!” he called out to carpet.  He turned to look at Freddie stopping in the middle of building some sort of castle in the sand. “Did you hear what she just said? ‘why don’t I just wish myself free?’ Hahaha!” Carpet then began to laugh and that’s when Freddie said to me. “The only way a djinn can be free of his prison, is if his master wishes them out. And the last time that happened was next to uhh—never.”

I stood up from my chair and looked outward until I finally decided.

“I’ll do it. I’ve got three right?”

“Uhh correction you’re down by one. Remember you used your last wish to get us out of the cave.”

“Did I? Or did your temper get us out of there?” I asked skeptically.  He chuckled and scoffed exasperatedly but I raised my brow at him. “Also I thought you said that I had to be rubbing the lamp as I made my wish and last I checked I didn’t.”

“Wow, okay I’m keeping my eye on you clever girl.”

“At least now I can use my third wish to set you free.”

“Here’s the thing about wishes darling,” he sat up on his chair and looked at me. “The more you have, the more you want.”

“That’s not me.” I answered straight away.  He nodded but muttered.

“We’ll see about that.”

“But—there…..” I began to stroke the ends of my hair and twirl it around my finger as I continued, “There is something.”

“Uh-oh. I know that little move anywhere.” He teased. Suddenly Freddie appeared in front of me on his stomach, his chin resting between his palms kicking his feet around playfully as he said, “Who is he? Who’s the boy?” I blushed as I shyly smiled.

“He’s a prince.”

“Aww aren’t they all just Prince Charmings? But they better treat us like Queens, that’s what I always say.”

“No Freddie. I mean he’s actually a prince.”

“Well hold it right there. Remember rule #2; I can’t make anybody fall in love.”

“No, no we already had a connection.” I told him.

“Did they?” Freddie said as he turned to Abu who was scolding like a protective older brother.  Freddie hummed and then turned back to me as I began describing John.

“He’s smart, kind, and—so handsome. His hair is like a rich chocolate, his smile is like a thousand suns and his eyes…..” Freddie breathed out in ecstasy as he said.

“Ohh darling you’re killing me here! You’ve clearly got it bad.”

“Yeah. But he has to marry a…..” suddenly an idea came into my mind. “Freddie can you make me a princess?” At that point, he made a strange face.

He poofed back into his chair and he said to me.

“There’s a lot of gray area in ‘make me a princess’. I could just,” he snapped his finger and suddenly appearing on a rock formation a few feet away was a princess. “Make you a princess?”

“Oh no, no.”

“Yeah then you’d be cuddling with her for the rest of your life. Be specific with your words dear. The deal is in the detail.”

“How did I out here? I wanna go home!” I could hear her whine from afar.  I nodded.

“Got it.”

“But (y/n) what I don’t understand is this; if he already likes you, why change?”

“I already told you, he has to marry a princess.” He nodded and muttered as he stood up.

“Okay, I can do that.” He turned and faced me and continued, “An official wish this time, for those of us that our counting, which now I am.”

“Right, Freddie I wish….” He cleared his throat and pointed to the lamp and mouthed out lamp to me. “Right, sorry.” I grabbed the lamp and began rubbing it. “Alright, Freddie…..”

“Don’t hurt her Freddie!” he exclaimed.

“I wish…..to become—a princess.”

“Back up for me darling I need some room to work. I’m about to fabulize you.” I closed my eyes tightly and I felt him grab a hold of me and the next thing I knew, we were being flung across the sky.

Before finally landing in the middle of the desert just a few miles far enough for us to see the entrance to Agrabah.  

“Little head spinny on re-entry but you good now right?”

“I—think I’m getting used to it.” I said breathlessly. Freddie then went away for a bit by himself as he pondered on my first wish.

“First of all this fez and garb is much too third century. These baggy pants what are we trying to say here, beggar? No, no absolutely fucking not darling. Okay I’m thinking more of a—periwinkle.”

“What’s periwinkle?”

“No, chartreuse.” Freddie claimed as he suddenly made some scissors and a tape measure appear, as well as a pair of glasses and a pencil behind his ear.  He then began doing some work on my and I ended up in a pure black dress that was almost completely embedded with diamonds and sparkles. “Eww no! No! No the form’s all off, the black makes you look depressed. It clashes with your skin tone.”

“This is getting really hot.”

“Yeah black and heat do not mix. No worries darling, I got a plan B. C’mon Freddie work with her here!” He then pulled out some gold fabric as he muttered, “Go gold or go home!”  he worked around me again and this time I was in heavier golden dress and he groaned. “Fuck Freddie you’re slipping. It clashes with the sand. It’s gotta be neutral. C’mon think Freddie, think, think, think you dirty rotter!”

“You sure you got this Freddie?” He then let out a long gasp and he looked like he was about to have some sort of seizure.

“I’ve got it! I just know it!” He then worked on me one last time and soon I had my dress.

It was mostly a pink dress with golden embedding and circular pattern, there was also a mix of bluish-green, it also had a long train in the back.  I also wore a golden strand necklace with five main jewels hanging down around my collar bone in the same color as the patter hidden within my dress with a matching set of earrings, a golden tiara was placed on top of my head with the jewels embedded along it.  Golden heels, and pants underneath the dress.

“Oh! I have done it! And the crowd goes wild! Freddie! Freddie! Freddie is back!” He began to hoot and holler as he zoomed off across the desert, leaving a trail of fire in his wake. “Ohh don’t scald her! Somebody put me out! Someone cool me down! I’m burning up! Woo! I’m back bitches!”

Suddenly a mirror appeared in front of me and I could hardly recognize myself.

“Well, what do you think?”

“It’s—it’s beautiful.”

“Of course it’s beautiful I made it.”

“I—I just can’t believe that this is me.”

“Well, mostly me. I mean I did all the hard work, you just stood there and looked pretty.” Freddie said as he came up to me.

“Wait, won’t people recognize me?”

“Oh don’t be ridiculous darling, that’s the beauty of genie magic. People are seen what they are told to see. You’re perfectly fine.”

“Right. Who am I?” I questioned nervously. Freddie scoffed.

“You’re…..Princess….Ali.” I waited for him to say where I was from but I didn’t get a response from him.

“From?”

“Duh. Ababwa.” He muttered quietly.

“Ah-bub-wha?” He shook his head.

“No, no watch my lips, Ababwa.” He enunciated the place.

“Is that even a real place?”

“What a stupid question, of course it is. All the hottest people go there. Little hot in the summers, mild in the fall, gorgeous view, it’s all in the brochure. I’ll let you read it en route.”

“Right. So how are we gonna get to the city?” Freddie hummed.

“Well can’t ride a monkey.” Abu now knowing he was gonna be next in Freddie’s magic, tried to hide behind Carpet.  “Ah-ah-ah no Abu dear, come back here!” he levitated Abu back in front of us and first made him into a donkey. “Oh no, much to small.”

Abu then slowly phased from a donkey to a camel.

“Ohh good god no. Camels and Princesses do not mix. We need something robust!” He then shifted into a white stallion. “No too cliché, come on bigger!” Suddenly a trunk speared from Abu’s horse face and he then morphed into a giant elephant. “Ha! Now that’s what I’m talking about. And don’t worry Abu, your transformation will only last 24 hours and you’ll be back to your normal self.”

“Abu, you look great.” I said as I walked up to him and he held out his trunk to me.

“She’s got the outfit, she’s got the elephant. But that’s just the beginning my darling. Now, for your entourage.” Suddenly a sandstorm began to surround us and I said.

“Whoa wait, what’s going on? Freddie!”

[inkytealeaf]

Reunion part 1

It was time the siblings meet again, so here. Have this

~~~~~~

Amaya couldn’t sleep.

Soon, she would be back home. Only a few hours were between her family and herself. A few long and painful hours. They would first enter the port in Vesuvia, a city she had missed with her whole being and where she had made so many memories, then she would have to ride for another hour to reach her hometown. She could already see their happiness on their faces when they would find her on the doorstep, bags on her shoulders and tears at the corner of her beautiful eyes – one blue, the other green. They would talk, asking here where she had been, asking her why she had never sent them letters, and after the tears and laughter, her baby brother would come in the tiny kitchen, eyes still full of sleep.

How old was he today, eighteen? Twenty? No. It has been fifteen years since the last time she’d seen him. Long was gone the little boy who would sneak into her room and sleep with her even though he was too old to still need someone to sleep peacefully. Long was gone the little boy who would ask her to make stars fall, the blanket hiding them being their sky. What did he look like now? Was his hair still full of knots? Was he still chasing birds and lizards behind their house? Were his eyes still shining with wonder?

A single tear ran on her cheek, guilt choking her. She should have never left Nevaeh without an explanation, with only that piece of paper, a ‘see you soon’ written on it. She should have never left her baby brother alone, alone in the dark. Did he cry when she didn’t come back home that day? Of course he did. Amaya was the only person in their hometown he was so close to. Not even his friends knew what was scaring him in the middle of the night, none of them knew the secrets he shared with her. Where Amaya was, Nevaeh was too. It had always been like that, since the first day their parents introduced them to each other, right after they took him out of that orphanage.

Elbows on the wood and eyes fixed on the horizon, Amaya let the wind caress her sun-kissed skin and the few strands of smokey purple hair she hadn’t tied in the bun resting at the base of her neck. And as dawn broke colouring the sky in beautiful colours of orange, pink and purple, she saw the cliffs far on the horizon.

A sailor screamed in the crow’s nest, but she already was running back to her cabin, back to a warm bed. She bit her lips at the sight of the naked body laying on her bed as she silently closed the door behind her and walked slowly to the sleeping beauty. Her fingertips traced her calf, then moved higher on her bum, squeezing as she put dozens of kisses from the end of her spine to her shoulders. She gently bit an earlobe when she felt her move in her sleep, slowly waking up, and slide her hand higher on her body, fingers tracing her ribs.

“Rise and shine, beautiful,” She said against her ear, her hands wandering more on her body, caressing warm amber skin. Amaya smirked when she reached a hand behind her and grabbed her hair.

“Keep touching me like that and I’ll tie you again, Quartermaster.” She said with a sleepy but stern voice.

Amaya laughed and put a loud kiss on her cheek. She fell beside her and wrapped her arms around her, lips kissing the scar across her nose. “I wouldn’t mind, my dear Elidi, but keep that idea for another time.”

Elidi was the Master at Arms on the ship, taking orders from and reported to the Quartermaster. Tall with thick and long golden hair and a fresh sidecut, Elidi was a stern and demanding woman regarding the training of the crew, but behind closed doors, Elidi would change into a whole different woman.

“Why did you wake me up? Something happened?”

“Land is in sight, my love.” She said brushing a thumb under her emerald eye before kissing her lips.

 Amaya took a deep breath as soon as she set foot on land, arms wide open, back straight. She stayed like that for a moment, enjoying the feeling of the sand under her feet, the sound of the market place nearby, until she felt an arm around her waist.

“Mind to show me around?”

“I thought you wanted to stay on the ship?”

“Well, something made me change my mind,” Elidi curled her lips, looking away. When Amaya raised an eyebrow, she added, “The whole crew decided to have some fun in town, even the captain. Except Gabriel.”

“Oh.” Gabriel was a young sailor who had joined their crew only a month ago and loved to play the troublemaker each time he could see Elidi on the deck. Smiling, she kissed her temple before taking her hand in hers. “You’re better with me. Now let’s go!”

Amaya knew the city like the back of her hand for having lived here a few weeks before joining her first crew. Of course, Vesuvia had changed since her last visit, but her favourite spots hadn’t changed place.

She took her to the market first, crowded as in her memories. At a stand, she took advantages of the seller being too occupied with the many people buying their fruits to steal an apple. She bit into the fruit ignoring Elidi’s fake shocked expression before giving her the rest of the apple, reassuring her that no one saw her. As they walked through the stands, she told her about a few events that happened when she was living here like that time she almost got into a fight with a fortune teller for telling crap to a young couple, or that time she got chased by the guards throughout the city because she had stepped in the palace gardens, uninvited, and had managed to lost them in the market place. How did she go in the gardens? No one knew.

They reached the temple district where they lit two sticks of incense, then made a prayer asking their deity to keep them safe during their next journey. After a few other streets full of people, Amaya let out a loud ‘Ah ha!’ and pointed to a structure with coloured windows.

Elidi took a closer look to it, and above the wooden door she could read the name of the tavern written in red letters. Rowdy Raven.

“It’s too early to stop at a tavern, love.” Elidi told her as Amaya had her hands and face pressed against the glass to see if they could sneak inside and say hello to the barkeeper.

Amaya pouted. “You’re right. Anyway, no one’s in there. Did I tell you I’ve spent most of the nights here before joining the crew?”

“Never,” She lied, and noticed the smirk on her full lips. Elidi simply loved listening to her stories, no matter how many times she had told them.

“Well, I have a lot of happy memories from that place. Memories of broken noses and wrists too.” She traced a heart on the green coloured part of the window before taking a few steps backwards, eyes fixed on the wooden raven. “I got into a fight once, or rather more than once, but this time the guy managed to punch me in the jaw. Hard,” She said as they started walking again, hand in hand. “Auntie was so mad when I came back home that night with a huge bruise on my jaw and cheek. You should have seen her face.”

“And the guy?”

“What? Are you underestimating me, dear?” She bumped her hip against Elidi’s. “Hm, a black eye and his manhood strained. ‘Don’t use your magic during a fight, Amaya. Aim for the crotch!’, auntie was always telling me that.”

“Does she still live here?”

“I hope so, I wanted to stop by her shop to say hello before we’d left the city. Don’t worry, she’ll love you. Mom and dad too, and Nevaeh.”

“Oh I’m not worried!”

They turned right at the corner of a street. Her aunt’s shop was there, as she remembered it. A grey stones wall and wooden pillars, a large curtained window, the symbol of a snake embracing a mortar and pestle hanging near the front door, and, to Amaya’s greatest happiness, the lit lantern indicating the shop was open.

As soon as she opened the door, a wave of memories hit her. There she was, standing behind the counter looking at the vials and other precious object trapped in the glass. She would wait for a customer to push that door and be surprised by the many scents of the candles and incense sticks burning at every corners of the shop. Amaya would take care of them, her aunt only stepping in when she didn’t know the answer to one of their questions.

Her eyes fell on deep purple drapes embroidered with stars, closed on the shape of two people she couldn’t hear. She wanted to push those drapes and hug her aunt, see the surprise on her wrinkled face, but she couldn’t do that now. Not in the middle of a reading.

They both waited in front of the shelves where her aunt had her books, and Amaya told her more stories about the shop.

After a few more minutes, the two people left the backroom, but Amaya didn’t move. She wanted to have a look behind her, just a sneak peek of her aunt, but Elidi squeezed her arm and she focused again on the book they were reading.

“Listen to your intuition,” A voice behind them said. “You’ll make the right choice.”

Amaya almost dropped the book, that wasn’t her aunt’s voice.

“Oh, good morning,” he greeted them, coming closer. “How can I help you?”

Amaya wanted to laugh. She had wanted to see her brother again so much and now that she could, she didn’t dare to turn around and face him. She wasn’t ready.

“Is everything alright?”

She felt Elidi move beside her, ready to get them out of that uncomfortable situation, but she stopped her, clasped her hand and turned around.

“Hello, Neva.”

The sound of a cup breaking echoed throughout the shop.

[player-0ne]

Mario For a Day - Chapter Six

Chapter Title: The First Rescue

Chapter Rating: T for Teen

Story Rating: E for Explicit

A03

Pauline awoke to sunlight streaming through the light-pink canopy of the extremely comfortable bed, feeling someone pressed up close against her chest, breathing evenly. Right, she and Peach had spent the night together again. The princess was curled up, arms wrapped loosely around Pauline, and she seemed to be smiling in her sleep. Pauline wanted so badly to stay, but she could only imagine what would happen if Toad were to come in for his daily duties and find them there.

He was in charge of waking Peach and dressing her. While the princess and the mayor both found that tradition to be extremely silly, it was also necessary for a woman of her status to meet a very specific dress code, and Toad was always there to make sure that she did.

That was why Pauline had to leave. Lying together with nothing to conceal them besides the bedsheets was hardly an appropriate way for Toad to find them, and he usually came in an hour after sunrise. Pauline took Peach’s hands into her own, gently extracting herself from the woman’s embrace. A little sadly, she left a kiss on the woman’s forehead, tucking her in and going to put her clothes on in order to go out into the world.

Just as she finished buttoning her blazer -fortunately, she kept many clean changes of clothes in Peach’s wardrobe now, hidden at the back- she heard the woman in the bed begin to shift. Turning just in time, Pauline saw Peach sit up and stretch, the sheets sliding down and off of her body.

She looked like a goddess in the sunlight, and Pauline couldn’t help but go over to greet her.

“Good morning, princess,” she murmured, sitting next to her on the bed, “up a little early this morning, are we?” Peach mumbled something incoherent, wrapping her arms around Pauline from behind and pulling her into a hug. Pauline chuckled.

“What was that?” she asked.

“Stay with me,” murmured Peach, “just a little longer.”

“Toad comes in an hour,” Pauline gently reminded her.

“I don’t care.” Peach pouted stubbornly, resting her head on Pauline’s shoulder “I want you with me. I’m a grown woman, I should be allowed to sleep with whomever I want.”

“But you’re a monarch,” sighed Pauline.

“Yeah…” mumbled Peach, closing her eyes, “but you’re so warm. Everything else is always so cold.”

“Such is life, princess,” said Pauline, “but I’ll be back for you, probably in a day’s time.”

Peach, in a manner very unbecoming of a princess, flopped backwards onto the bed, bringing Pauline with her. The other woman chuckled, kicking off her high heels and turning around to face her.

“Hey!” she said playfully, “you know I can’t stay. The toads get up soon, I need to leave now or they’ll see me leaving the castle and know that I stayed the night.” Peach didn’t seem to be listening.

“You put your clothes on…” she said, sounding a little disappointed, “I like it when I can hold you without this stuff in-between us.” Pauline smiled.

“Come on, Peach. I have to go,” she said, trying very weakly to stand up. Peach kept her down, and she definitely didn’t protest.

“Take me with you…” murmured Peach.

“Would you really like that?” asked Pauline.

“Huh?” asked Peach, seeming more awake.

“I told you that I’d take you to my city when you want to take a day, just for the two of us. Would you like to go now?” asked Pauline. Peach looked at her, seeming a little forlorn and rejected.

“Yes, I really, really want to,” she said, “but…”

“The kingdom,” Pauline finished for her.

“Yes, the kingdom…” muttered Peach. She sighed, eventually forcing herself to let go of Pauline and immediately feeling the emptiness in her arms once the woman stood, putting her heels back on.

“Hey, I love you,” said Pauline. Peach huffed, pretending to be grouchy with her for leaving. Pauline smiled, tousled the princess’s hair, and left.

Peach would regret her lack of response for the rest of her life. She would regret not going with her, and would regret not asking her to stay with such conviction that she just couldn’t say no. Pauline would only come back once before it happened, but Peach didn’t know that yet.

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

The loud, blaring whistle of a train woke Pauline from her slumber. She felt a lot better than she had in Bowser’s castle, and she was ready to face the world again. Goombrielle was sitting next to her, looking at the map and occasionally glancing out of the train windows at the tall sand dunes. The train slowly chugged to a stop, and Pauline could see the steel support beams of a train station whizz past the train until it pulled to a complete stop.

“Attention all passengers: This is the end of the line, Dry, Dry, Desert. Please disembark the train at this time, and mind the gap.” The announcement boomed over the intercom, and Pauline stood up with Goombrielle in tow, leading her off of the train and into the blisteringly hot air of the desert.

“Woo! Yeah, that’s a desert alright!” Goombrielle explained, holding the map up for Pauline to see, “now we’ve gotta go north for a really long time, so make sure you’ve got water and nutrients. You wouldn’t wanna pass out out there, I’d try to drag you back, but you’re four times my size.”

“Thanks, Goombrielle,” said Pauline, “where exactly is our destination?”

“Oh stars it’s way out there in the middle-a nowhere,” responded Goombrielle, leading the way out into the desert, “I mean at least that Toad guy helped me find it, or else we’d just be wandering for a long time until we somehow stumbled across it. It’s a pretty obscure ruin.”

“Hold up,” said Pauline, “is that a sentient, seven-foot-tall cactus?” There was something very tall and very spiky moving towards them at a relatively frightening speed.

“So it is,” said Goombrielle, “that’s a Pokey. Run.” She led the way and they both sprinted away from the sentient cactus. Once they were sure that they’d lost it, Goombrielle slowed back down to a walk.

“Woah! I’m outta breath,” she said, “can we just.. Sit down for a minute? Have some water?” Pauline nodded, pulling a bottle of water out of her purse and handing it to Goombrielle. They took turns drinking from it, and it was quickly emptied. As they sat there, regaining a little bit of their strength, they heard something.

“Hello?” It was a dry, cracking voice from just beyond the sand dune in front of them. Goombrielle and Pauline looked at one another.

“Anyone? Please?” it rasped. Pauline put the empty water bottle into her purse, closing it and approaching the sand dune. She reached the top, appeared shocked, and sprinted down to the other side, Goombrielle in tow. At the base of the dune was a winged koopa with a battered mail bag.

“Water… please…” rasped the koopa. Without hesitation, Pauline gave him the second bottle of water that she had stashed in her purse. The koopa began drinking it very slowly and carefully, and Pauline realized what happened. He was very dehydrated, and if he drank the water too quickly, his body wouldn’t be able to handle it. He would definitely need some electrolytes, and so she also fished around for her tonic, giving it to him as well. He smiled, thanking her in his raspy voice and downing the small tonic.

“That’s better…” his voice was still rough, but he no longer sounded like he was on the verge of death, “thank you. I thought I was going to die out here. Could you… if you wouldn’t mind, ya know….” He gestured to his right wing, which was under a large rock. Pauline and Goombrielle lifted the heavy rock, tossing it aside a short distance, and the koopa recoiled his wing, hissing a little in pain.

“Ah, yep. That’s gonna sting alright,” he said, “but it’s better than being stuck here…”

“What happened to you?” asked Goombrielle.

“I was delivering mail and then, out of nowhere, someone started launching rocks at me. I dodged a lot of them, but the last one hit me, and I got trapped out here. I tried to yell, but I guess I’m too far away from civilization for anyone to hear me,” the koopa explained.

“That’s terrible, why would they do that to you?” asked Pauline.

“For fun, I guess…” muttered the koopa, before he collected himself, “a-anyway, my name is Koops, at your service.”

“Oh no,” said Pauline.

“Alright!” exclaimed Goombrielle, “another one on the Bowser train!”

“B-Bowser?!” squeaked Koops.

“Yeah, he took Princess Peach. Pauline here is trying to get her back,” explained Goombrielle, “We actually just came from his castle. Man, he’s one messed-up dude.”

“Do- do I have to fight him?!” asked Koops.

“No, no you don’t,” said Pauline, “Goombrielle and I are just fine, you aren’t obligated to help us, don’t worry.”

“A-alright, thanks!” exclaimed Koops, “I mean… man, that’s one big koopa! Still, I owe you one, both of you. If I can help you guys, just contact me. I’m the only mailman, so I shouldn’t be hard to find.”

“Alright, nice to meet you, Koops!” exclaimed Goombrielle. Pauline waved, and they were off. In about two hours, they finally arrived at the ruins, which seemingly came out of nowhere. They started jutting out of the ground in odd places, and there was only one, tiny, goomba-sized entrance that Pauline could barely fit through. Just as she reached out, ready to help Goombrielle into the ruins, she spotted something on the horizon, moving fast. It was Koops.

“Wait!” he exclaimed, “I don’t know how to get back to civilization!” Oh. Right. Pauline supposed that they were stuck with him. She helped Goombrielle through, and then they both lowered a shivering Koops through the entrance. He kept his injured wing folded to his side, and had long since resorted to walking. The ruins were disturbingly quiet. Not quiet as in ‘finally inside after a loud and windy day in the desert’ quiet, but quiet as in ‘you could hear a pin drop a mile away’ quiet.

“Jeepers…” muttered Koops.

“Really?” responded Goombrielle, “‘jeepers?’” Pauline ignored the two of them as best she could, focusing on finding a path through the odd ruins. There was once again not a single enemy in sight. On multiple occasions, Goombrielle just barely stopped Pauline from tumbling into a pit or floor-trap, but aside from that, there was no danger. That was, until they came to the central chamber of the ruins.

This room was dimly illuminated by torches that were stuck to the walls of the triangular prism. With a steel collar around her neck, chained to the wall on the opposite side of the room, was Peach. She was fast asleep, but Pauline almost cried out because she noticed how much worse she looked than before. She looked like she hadn’t eaten in days, and clearly Bowser had gotten physical with her many times after they had left his castle. Pauline held back a sob, running to her and dipping down in front of her to gently unfasten the chain around her neck. Koops ran up behind her, Goombrielle in tow, and tapped her on the back, reaching into his mailbag with his spare hand.

“I’ve actually got some tools here…” he whispered, pulling out quite a few screwdrivers, a wrench, and some bolt cutters. Pauline decided not to ask, and she just thanked him, taking the objects and carefully getting to work. First, she unchained Peach from the wall, catching her body as it slumped forward and setting her gently down so that she could get the collar off of her. Fortunately, it opened and closed in a fashion similar to those of handcuffs, and because of the large size of the screws, it was easy for Pauline to open it and release Peach. She sobbed. The poor woman’s neck was red, and there were cuts from struggling against the bonds.

“Peach…” she whispered, “Peach, wake up. We need to get you out of here.”

“No…” murmured Peach, still half-asleep. It was then that Pauline remembered Toad’s words. He had explicitly said not to wake her up.

“Crap- guys,” Pauline whispered, “Peach has to stay asleep, we need to make sure that she doesn’t wake up in the desert.” Like a literal angel from heaven, Koops reached into his bag once more, procuring a few store-brand earplugs that were still in their container.

“I can never sleep if it’s even a little loud, so I have some super-strength earplugs. Do you think she could use these?” he asked, handing her a pair after opening the package. Pauline nodded, thanking him as quietly as possible. She didn’t really like putting them in Peach’s ears, but it was necessary. After that, she very, very delicately picked up the sleeping woman, carrying her bridal-style out of the ruins.

She took her time, carefully avoiding the traps and pits while not waking Peach. Once they were outside again, the trio began to make their way towards the train station.

“I can’t believe we just walked out with her!” whispered Goombrielle. All three of them felt like they would still get caught if they spoke too loudly.

“Toad was right, I think… we just need to make sure that Peach doesn’t wake up until we clear the whole desert,” responded Pauline, also whispering, “I don’t know why, but he was right.”

Koops was mostly quiet, taking in the sparse scenery as it went by. When they finally arrived back at the train station, Koops was ecstatic, but Goombrielle reminded him to keep it down. As they boarded the train, Goombrielle politely took Koops to a separate car from that of Peach and Pauline so that they were alone together.

[beepbeeprobotlovesong]

Hearts of Flame, Words of Ice

@ushee02 THIS ONE’S FOR YOU BABE

A Greek soothsayer, a Roman hero. Reyna has always felt like she carried the world on her shoulders, but Rachel might be the one person who has a higher claim on the responsibility title - after all, certain watery demigods can go off and run monsters, but all the mortal redhead can do is see the worst that can happen, and feel trapped. But they’ve both lived with their burden for several years, and against all odds, have both made it into being reasonably healthy twenty-something adults, finishing out their classes and realizing that they actually haven’t spent much time together, despite mutual acquaintances...and the two of them realize how much they really might have in common. Part 1/??? as many parts as Kelso makes me write?

Athena help me, I haven’t written fanfic in years. 

When Reyna felt someone grab her elbow, her first instinct was, of course, to slam it back, followed up quickly with some sort of well aimed kick, and maybe even lingering a moment for a satisfying right hook. But she had about two bottles of microbrew slowing her murder reflexes, and just enough forethought to realize that alt-rock-indie-punk-experimental jazz night at the tiny bookshop - slash - bar was not the sort of place where someone just automatically went on a violent attack.

The mortal world was so weird.

So instead, she tensed and pulled back, ready for the offensive but holding off on the immediate slug-fest. And found herself arm-in-arm with a familiar mop of vibrant red hair, attached to a face lightly freckled and dusted with blue glitter.

“It’s been sooo long!” Rachel said in a syrupy, gooey voice - which immediately made Reyna pause and re-calibrate...again. Rachel wasn’t a syrupy, gooey voice type. At least, not with Reyna. And Reyna would remember something so fantastically awkward and embarrassing. She was good at that.

“Should I be calling you a cab right now? I’m thinking you need a cold shower and some aspirin in the morning,” Reyna said with a frown. Rachel didn’t seem like the type to get drunk on alt-rock-indie-punk-experimental jazz night - actually, Reyna could imagine Rachel with a brightly colored fizzy drink with a tiny umbrella and at least six kind of liquors, but they didn’t serve that kind of thing much at Boozey Pages. It was one of the things that Reyna liked about the bookstore. No-nonsense alcohol, and a student discount.

Far from looking offended, Rachel just threw back her head and laughed - a very fake sounding laugh, Reyna realized. She blinked, and refocused on Rachel. The redhead was acting drunk, but her eyes were darting around the small gathering, a slight hardness around the edges of her mouth. Reyna’s defense went on high alert.

“You were always sooo funny,” Rachel said, her arm in Reyna’s tightening just the slightest bit. Reyna gave the tiniest of nods - a single motion to show she understood - and began to scan the small room. The band on the tiny fifteen-foot stage, Lost Soles and Found Laces, was just wrapping up, and the assembled twenty or thirty college-age folks gathered to listen were all jamming to the final chords of ‘Something That I Can’t Keep in my Pockets (Because You Filled Them With Your Heart)’ (a song that Reyna had, unfortunately, heard enough times to memorize). That is, except for very out of place old woman on the edge of the crowd, her eyes focused intently on the redhead now hanging off of Reyna’s arm. 

“Someone meeting you here?” Reyna asked, keeping her voice low. Rachel’s beaming smile was still smacked onto her face, but she squeezed Reyna’s arm again. 

“Got stood up by the stupid jerk,” She chirped. Reyna twisted her mouth slightly. Jackson probably had a good, life-saving-hero’s-duty reason for being a no-show, but Annabeth at least was usually good about doing the responsible thing and finding a way to call ahead. Especially now that she’d developed the monster-safe cell phone. And now there was this old woman hanging out at an alcohol-serving bookstore, who was beginning to look distinctly more and more...well, to put it lightly, the glowing red eyes were not exactly putting Reyna’s fears at ease.

“Didn’t think you could take on the biddy by yourself?” Reyna asked, lightly teasing. The look in Rachel’s eyes told Reyna that the redhead was just as surprised at the almost flirtatious tone. 

“I like to think I’m a little bit less impetuous than you brawns over brain types,” Rachel replied, a hint of a real, warm smile on her lips to ease the barb. 

“You had better not be lumping me in with that particular group,” Reyna said, without any real venom. She turned to walk toward the exit, keeping Rachel’s arm firmly tucked in her own. Rachel matched her, stride for stride - impressive despite their height difference. A glance at the window’s reflection told Reyna that the old woman was following, seeming to grow...what was that, wings? What, was she one of those bird-women from the Greek underworld...a harpy? 

“I forgot my celestial bronze bazooka at home, cut me a break,” Rachel said, pressing up slightly against Reyna’s side. Reyna’s heart had started to race - in anticipating of the coming fight, she was sure.

“Rachel Elizabeth Dare!” the harpy screeched, barely waiting until the two of them had cleared the door. She burst out of the plate glass window, causing several mortals inside to yell excitedly, like it was all part of the show.

Rachel cringed, and pulled away from Reyna. Reyna was about to protest - how could she protect Rachel, if the girl was going to run away now? - but she realized that the oracle was just trying to give Reyna space to fight properly.

All she had was her ‘on the town’ weaponry, but her dagger alone was plenty for this ridiculous bird-woman. 

“I’ll give you one chance,” Reyna said in a low, threatening voice. The harpy turned to sneer at the Praetor.

Reyna flicked the dagger in her hand, and hurled it at the harpy’s heart with effortless grace. Taken by surprise at the sudden attack - and, Reyna knew, without the usual pre-attack banter - the harpy screeched once before dissolving into golden sand. 

“That wasn’t much of a chance. Kinda rude to just kill her like that,” Rachel said, Reyna just shrugged, strolling over to pick up her dagger from the pile of sand that was already dissolving. The owner of Boozey Pages was standing in the broken window, gawping at them. Great. Reyna really didn’t want to have to find a new place to de-stress between classes.

“She was rude first,” Reyna said. “She didn’t even say hello to me.”

Rachel raised an eyebrow at her. “Was that...a joke?”

“Why does everyone always ask me that?” Reyna grumbled, but she was already looking Rachel over. Aside from her normal mass of curly red hair, barely contained by a single hairtie, Rachel was wearing a tight short-sleeved shirt, bright blue and with several green splotches that Rachel wasn’t sure if they were deliberate or just leftover from Rachel’s art class. She was wearing a knee-length skirt, white with bright red polka dots, A casual but extremely cute look. Rachel looked unharmed, but Reyna could tell from glancing (not staring! Not. Staring.) at her chest that she was out of breath - fear? 

“You’ve been tailed for a while,” Reyna said, frowning slightly. “Harpies are chasing you?”

“Everything’s chasing someone,” Rachel said distantly, her eyes sliding away from Reyna’s. “I was just lucky enough to have a big, tough Praetor to save me.”

“Lucky is right,” Reyna said, one eyebrow raising slightly. Back inside the bookstore, the next band had taken the stage. It sounded like another regular group - Horizontal Stripes and Vertical Challenges. The lead singer was barely five feet tall. The mortals didn’t seem particularly concerned about the window breaking, and based on the lack of an angry bookstore owner yelling at her, she didn’t think she was going to get stuck with the blame. “Why don’t we go back inside, maybe? These guys put on a pretty decent show, and I could always stick close to you. You know. In case of more...chasers.” She felt her heart begin to race again. Rachel was looking up at her - by the Gods, how could blue glitter on her cheeks suit her so well? They really brought out how tight her shirt was - and Reyna’s arm was still tingling ever so slightly where Rachel had been holding on to her - 

“Seems a shame to miss the whole show,” Rachel said, a slow smile - a real smile - spreading, her eyes lighting up. Reyna began to smile in kind -

but Rachel’s eyes had suddenly jumped, and were focused on a point behind Reyna.

Reyna’s heart lurched - another attack? She spun around, coming face to face with an unfamiliar boy, with a mess of sloppy brownish hair and an apologetic smile.

“I’m so sorry,” he said, moving past Reyna to pull Rachel into a hug. “My car broke down, and it took me forever to get an Uber. Why didn’t you pick up when I called?”

Oh.

“Reyna, sorry,” Rachel said, disentangling herself from the hug to glance up at the Praetor. “This is Kyle, he-”

“Oh, no,” Reyna said, taking an uneven step back. Stupid. So stupid. Every time - every time, her heart would begin to quicken, a warmth would begin to spread in her chest at the sight of someone’s smile - and every time, there would already be someone else. “Sorry, just realized - there’s a - I have to go.”

She had turned and was already walking - definitely not running, no - Rachel called her name once, but Reyna didn’t even look once. That was the secret. Don’t look back. Not ever.

[wordsonpagespress]

Winnie, by Jack Hostrawser

fiction by Jack Hostrawser | second place fiction winner of the 2017 Blodwyn Memorial Prize, sponsored by Book*Hug

“‘Winnie’ is an exemplary story in all aspects: from characters to pacing to the prose itself—so clear and crisp it is almost transparent. The story drew us in immediately and never let us go. The moment you finish, you want to jump right back up to the start and begin again, and it never fails to hold up under more and more readings.”

It’ll go like this all night, when the snow’s fine like this. I’ve turned the light off in the guest room and slid a chair up to the window to sit and watch until my mom’s ready. Some high-backed thing that’s not very comfortable unless you fold yourself up in it. Everything in Yusuf’s house is like that. People from the forties have weird tastes.

I’ve got a long view from here down to the fields he rents out and all the dry corn still in them, whispering in the snow. If I had the time, maybe I’d go out later all bundled up and go walking in the storm and try to appreciate it. There’s never going to be any snow at Dad’s place.

Mom knocks once then enters, smelling like the fireplace downstairs. “You don’t want the lights on?” she asks, flicking them on. I pick up my backpack of things and she steps out of the way. Yusuf and her are taking his kids on a whirlwind tour of Egypt for three weeks over Christmas break. They’ll spend what some people earn in a year. Mom really wants me to come.

Instead, she says “Your father will really appreciate the company company this time of year.”

The drive in from the hills to the city is slow and warm inside my mother’s new car. The car is noiseless, and when the traffic parts it plummets downhill like a boulder breaking loose. Cities look really nice in snowstorms, before the ploughs clear the roads. I watch the surface streets passing below us like Christmas village scenes of cars stuck on hills and people strolling with their tongues out. As we pull up to the terminal men in suits waiting on the sidewalk look up at this bright red machine crunching through the white streetlight. Mom pays my fare for the shuttle, both ways.

When I was born my parents picked Winnie, after my grandfather (Dad’s side). I never got a good answer as to why they chose that name for their daughter. Winston Liam was a forest-firefighter in Washington and B.C. He worked in the oil sands when the mountains weren’t burning. This was back in the twenties. I was able to find out a lot about him because he posted so much online. The pictures he took on his sorties were actually really good—lots of haze between the trees and predatory, scurrying flames. Family stuff too, but in those he always seemed uncertain. His picture face was to furrow his brow and push up his frown and wait. My dad doesn’t talk about him much.

This is what I figure happened: I think he got blindsided bad a few times, coming home from a season out there in the bush and finding the world changed. He stumbled out of the backcountry smoking or covered in oil and people were asking his opinion about neural interfaces or the businessmen on Mars. And all the while the rains kept failing and his wives kept leaving. I won’t throw stones.

I spot Dad as I squeeze out of the elevator. The terminal always smells like sweat and cleaning solvents. He stands up from the bench and smiles awkwardly at me like we’re sharing a joke. I reach out to hug him with the in-flight magazine still in my hand and I feel his bony ribs under the thin sweater.

“Hello, daughter. How’s the weather?”

“Snowing, father. Don’t you ever look down?”

“Making small talk, Win.”

“Sorry.” I smile for him. “How was your big job on the outside?”

“Long.”

“Yeah but… holy shit. EVA.”

He shrugs, pulls a little box from his pocket. “It’s a little early but… I got you something.”

The wrapping paper is an old invoice. Inside is an acrylic cube the size of a golf ball with a rust-coloured pebble set in the centre.

“Cala at work said some really nice things about, uh, what it means—the significance of the rock, that is.” He takes a deep breath and fake-laughs. “I forgot every goddamned word.”

I twist the glass to pick out the details. It looks like a kidney and is definitely igneous, dull in colour and rough. “Holy shit, Dad. Is this real?”

He’s already walking. “Yep,” he says, “There’s a certificate in the box.” I follow with my eyes on the rock, trying not to trip. Fucking Mars.

“How’s your mother?”

“I dunno. Same. She got her new car.”

He nods and starts leading the way to his apartment. The strip near any of the spokes is all hotels and restaurants. We walk through a movie-set version of the Mediterranean with faux cobblestones and hidden fans pumping in cooking smells. A table of people in nice clothes laughs loudly about something as we pass by the patio, and I catch eye contact with a silver-haired woman in jewelry. Her eyes smile at me, while she finishes telling her story to the table. Through the skylights, the moon spins gently out of view. Once, while my parents were fighting, my mother brought me up here, to the Italian place by B-Spoke, pretending to have money in a terrifying, quiet fever.

At the door to his apartment he lifts his card toward the sensor but stops. “I’m having the, uh…” He stares at his room number where it’s glued to the door, picking at the edge of the card. “I updated the will. But it’s going to take a while, so there’s a document I’ve had them make up. It sort of supersedes what’s—”

“You expecting to die?”

“No. I mean, I don’t think I’m going to die.” He always shrugs when talking about complicated life things. Right now he shrugs and says “You never know.” After a few seconds he smiles a little and says the next thing almost under his breath. “Now, if something happens to me, it won’t all go to your mother.”

I’ve spent evenings with him, watching shitty action movies and trying to keep him occupied enough. Spite’s a new emotion from him. He taps the card and the door unlocks. He puts his jacket on the counter and orders a pizza.

This latest place is about nine hundred square feet, white paint on drywall with recessed lights. Probably not renovated since they built the station. It was a two-bedroom, but one turned into his office. I fold out the couch when I visit, which is fine by me—I slept on a coffee table once at a party, and Dad’s saving money. He really loves making the joke about not quite being able to afford the balcony option yet, and after the first visit I started having this recurring dream of there being a balcony, and a sliding glass door instead of tall windows. I would lean on the railing and watch the sun set over and over behind the curve of the planet. The vacuum smelled like a winter night. In reality, it stinks like ozone. When the cargo ships come in, the docks reek of it.

The dishwasher, I notice, is in pieces on the kitchen floor, parts labeled and a how-to guide printed out. He steps through it and goes into his office to finish work. I open the shutters on the windows and find myself staring down onto wrinkled white tundra, falling slowly away under scattered cirrus clouds. I stare at the floor until the vertigo fades. (The little wooden tiles are the exact shape of Jenga blocks.)

When Dad’s finished I reheat up some slices for him and we watch a movie in the dark, about a man stuck on a hijacked shuttle. The bad guy is trying to distract the authorities while he steals a secret briefcase of money in the cargo hold. People squint and grimace before shooting each other and Dad falls asleep halfway. As the credits roll he inhales and lifts himself out of the armchair, slow as a scuba diver, and walks in stiff steps across the room to the short hallway. The bathroom fan squeaks as it spins up. I’m too jet-lagged to sleep, so I lie awake and browse through articles, looking up to watch the sunset. I fall asleep somewhere in the middle of a feature about famous nuclear weapons accidents.

The first time I went into the hills to eat dinner with my mother at Yusuf’s house she told me the story of her new life: the car, the landscaping, the painting classes at the adult education centre. She served dinner to his daughters and me, and then to Yusuf, telling me there was going to be an allowance.

“You understand, I just never want you to ever feel trapped anywhere. You’re such an amazing young woman and I want you to be free to do the things that matter to you.”

“I guess. I could get a new place of my own.”

“Yes, exactly. Even more than that, though. I want you to think big. It’s so important to travel when you’re young and see the world and not get stuck thinking you have to be one thing or that you have to do a job you hate.”

Yusuf picked up the gravy and poured it onto his duck, looking at me. “Do you have anyplace you’d like to see?”

“I don’t know.”

The three daughters laughed incredulously. “Anywhere in the world?” one asked.

I sipped my wine. “Maybe the Rockies?”

“Oh my God,” my mother said, “yes, you have to see the Rockies. I’m saying you can do that now. Or, when the papers are all signed, but you know what I mean. I want you to really live, Winnie.”

I must have said something nice. I know I picked up a forkful of meat and chewed it, thinking about my own kind of greed. This time last year my mother was drunk in front of the TV while Dad worked in lieu of coming home. But I said nothing and took the money she gave me at the spaceport afterward. The first transfer arrived a week later.

When my dad’s biological mom died last summer he had me sit the house until it sold, and while there I went through her computer. The videos went way back. My favourite is from some camping trip Winston took with three friends after high school, with no idea what they were doing and blackflies in their hair. They’re in canoes, drinking hard and fishing illegally. It looks like they probably don’t expect to hook the huge pike that they do. Winston’s holding the rod and he panics, making his friend panic and that plus the fish’s thrashing almost tips the boat. The guy filming can barely hold up his phone, he’s laughing so hard. The two fishermen somehow get the fish out of the water and then Winston starts beating it with his paddle as hard as he can to make it stop thundering around in the boat. Finally it dies, or passes out, and the two guys just stare at each other for a moment, panting, then they both begin howling with laughter until they can’t breathe. I watched that one over and over. I can’t… I don’t know why.

Dad’s already gone when I wake up on the couch, but he’s left a note saying we’re going out for dinner tonight. I step over all the pieces of dishwasher and make an omelette, which I eat while I try to see how the pieces fit together. He has the parts all labeled in his squared-off handwriting and the littlest bits are taped up in plastic baggies. The trick to repairing stuff is just to fiddle with the pieces until you start finding connections. Yusuf said that. He keeps a yacht in Alexandria, and the first time he took Mom and me down to see it we set out for Cyprus, then broke down. So instead we hung out in the middle of the Mediterranean and stargazed while he crawled below deck, basically learning how to do marine diesel engine repair on the spot. He’s clever like that. At some point in the night he woke me with a bribe of tea to come help him dismantle a water pump so he could fish the broken impeller blades from it. When we had the thing disassembled on the floor he got up and stretched and raised his eyebrows mid-yawn when he noticed the time.

“I started out as a mechanic. Did I tell you that?”

“Mom mentioned it.”

“If you wanted to eat where I grew up you figured something out, and you charged for it.”

“Wow.”

“Can’t be afraid to break things. You just,” he made a chopping motion at the engine with his hand, “try things. Nothing ever fixes itself.” He thought about that for a moment. “Entropy.”

When the pump had a new impeller and the engine was running again, my mother woke up and dragged him off to bed. I climbed up onto the foredeck and stared up at the sky, watching for satellites.

[seven--eyes]

((You guys liked that One Writing Thing, so I’m gonna write another one. : ) 

Consciousness was so close, yet so far. Cezar’s senses faded out then rushed back in. The sudden jolt to and from sleep drove his mind to great, painful migraines. He coughed and wheezed big breaths of sand, dirt, and grime. The deep sting of bruises settled in his bones and skin. His body only mustering the slight bit of strength and focus to merely sit up straight, albeit his eyes wandering and passing back in forth in a dizzy haze. The prince steadied his breathing. He looked up, to the only source of light in this place. A dim, lone beam of light from the setting sun shone down from the hole in the ceiling. The ceiling, some... 50 feet into the air. 

“Uh oh.”

The human suddenly became painfully aware of his surroundings, and finally consciousness found him completely. He sat uncomfortably. In the tiny circle of light. He became aware of the sheer bleak, haunting darkness before him. The tunnels echoing silence. The howl of the wind above. A vague smell of fire and dust. Some movement deep down in the tunnels. The tiny crack of pebbles falling from the rock above. He groaned as he moved, trying to pat his pockets and bags for a torch. 

He yanked an old torch and tinderbox from his pack, lighting it as efficiently as aching hands can. Cezar found his feet, slowly rising to them. He waved the torch about. Looking to the hole in the ceiling, he called, “Hello? Guys?” He stood alone, to no response. “Kerigo? Eriquus, Eiuus... Odin, anybody?” 

Waiting patiently to no avail, the wind continued to tear through the sand, drowning out any noise he made. He lowered his torch, anxiously glancing around. “Please? I’ll even take a Paypur I suppose,” he mumbled to himself. 

So Prince Cezar went over his options. Being no rogue, the hope of a climb up dusty, ancient, rotting stone back from where he fell faded quickly. Being no spellcaster, communication was out of the question. Hardly mustering up the strength of a human half his size, the idea of potentially fighting a way out left him feeling cold, and helplessly alone. He scratched at the dry blood at the side of his head.

“When one door closes, another...” he whispered. He limped as he turned, facing the light and his body towards the labyrinth of caverns before him. Boots shuffled underneath him. Cezar slowly made his steps down the tunnel.

.

Cezar tread carefully. In one hand, he held the already half-burned torch in front of him. The other hand was planted firmly on the hilt of his greatsword. He clutched it for comfort every time he could’ve sworn he heard something. Like, a second pair of footsteps. Or dozens of very tiny, echoing footsteps. For what felt like hours, he continued through twists and turns of tunnels. He stepped over rubble and debris; areas these tunnels had begun to break down. Sandstone and rock piled up so heavy in some places his route had been blocked off. Perhaps, for the better. Some rooms had ancient engravings on them. Graceful butterflies, celestial symbols, and the unsettling shape of Bahumut’s Throne and Bahamut. The throne standing tall, with a sad, lonely, weary dragon curling around the base of the mountain, half dead. Sent a chill down him. Some stone statues of tiefling, {redac,} and [redac] spotted the area. Unfamiliar faces, lost races, and even nine foot high sculptures of Enzio draped in elegant robes.

His muscles started to wear down. His joints stiffened up and fatigue weighed down like a terrible burden on every inch of him. Occasionally, he switched the hand that held to torch, as that arm got tired. Sheer will only took him so far. He let his body go limp against the gritty sandstone wall, sliding his back down into a sit. Just a short rest turned into a battle with the world of being awake. The half-burned wood fire began to fade in intensity. 

“God damn it,” he cursed. He leaned his head against the back wall, sighing. He blinked a few times. Let his eyes rest for a fleeting moment. Then without warning, he jolted awake. Not aware of what caused him to, but his body forced adrenaline through him. “Hello?! Hello-.. H..” 

Cezar froze. He looked to the sand and bits of pebble at his feet. They’d been moved. Shuffled about. Small footsteps dotted the sand. A number of indents like he’d never seen, like an army had been through. How did he not hear?

He moved his weak hand to his greatsword, leaving the torch on the ground, nearly burnt out. “I know you’re there. Someone.”

No voice replied, but enough focus caught the gentle tip tap of footsteps. Definitely not human, nor humanoid. 

“I said I know you’re there. Don’t even think about coming near. I’ll... I’ll drive my sword through you or die trying.” 

A disappointed sigh whispered through the dark. No voice, once more. Only the vague, primal feeling of another being in the area. Cezar watched the space immediately around him, without another hint as to what stalked him. The tiny click of digits on the ground, or crunch beneath sand, continued without a care. 

Cezar pulled his feet underneath him. His legs couldn’t find the energy to stand. His body firmly held itself against the wall, trapped like prey. But a prince would be damned if he found himself begging for his life. Even in a desolate place like this. “Are you waiting for me to fall asleep? Let my guard down, huh?” 

He heard a little content hum buzz through the air. Finally, a voice spoke out. It was soft like a human’s, but rumbled and hissed like that of a dragon or of an abyssal accent. “Umm... I don’t quite like being stabbed, small thing.”

The hair on the back of Cezar’s neck stood straight up like a new recruit kingsguard. “S-small thing?” 

“Um, yes, you’re small. But awfully threatening.” It spoke slowly and carefully, each word and tone felt measured. “It’s as though, um... It’s as though I feel like I’m hunted. Kinda like the other one. So defensive.” 

“...The other one?” 

“Yes, another other small thing. One that fell.”

Cezar perked, suddenly. His intrigue peaked but his attention and wariness never faded for a moment. “Tell me more.” 

It hesitated. Cezar continued to track the gentle steps in his mind, ensuring that enough distance was kept. This creature seemed as though it was pacing, moving around back and forth, never keeping completely still. Sound alone didn’t help him in identifying exactly where it stood, however. It’s steps were spaced out in an odd way. They stepped in a rhythm like a four, six or eight legged beast in a slow, calculated way. The presence felt evil, unknown and powerful, yet the voice so easygoing and trustworthy. It spoke like a friendly neighbor or far off family. 

It cleared it’s throat. “Um, there were a few others. Others that fell down here as well. One shot at me, and one took the fall much heavier, oh he did... Cut up by the stone, all purple from the fall, hell even dehydrated and hopelessly hot. I, um. I think it was an ice dragonborn. I’m not sure.”

“Ice dragonborn?” Cezar thought for a moment. He considered the party, trying not to appear in deep thought. “What do you want? What did you do with the dragonborn? What did they look like?” 

The creature chuckled. “Oh Enzio, settle down, small one. Now I’ve got your attention. Now, will you relax for a moment? Promise not to stab me?” 

“Absolutely not.” 

“Oh... okay.” It replied, sadly. “The ice dragonborn was um... pretty big. Thin, like you,” 

Cezar cocked his head curiously. Trying not to take offense, he listened on. 

“And, and.... It had, um... A pretty severe crack in his horn. Daggers all over him. Some other fancy armors and things on him, a sense of magic like I’d never experienced before! Very fascinating. I hope he wakes up, I’d love to speak to him. Hopefully he won’t shoot at me at first sight,” the creature chuckled. Albeit a twinge of pain was laced between laughs.