#it legitimately took me me four attempts to finish awakening

[voxmilia]

The Seven is currently winning my "what should I watch next" poll so I might as well rewatch the first five episodes for the third time

[princessplantasaurus]

A Part 2

Part two of this

Quentin Beck x Female OC Sometime after Iron Man 2 but before Age of Ultron (but we’re getting closer to Ultron now) OBVIOUSLY spoilers for Spider-Man: Far From Home

Content warning: alcohol, strong language, LOTS of sexuality including vaginal fingering, hair pulling, blowjobs, voyeurism, insertional intercourse  Previously:  So more often than not, she did her best to pretend it never happened. Pretend her only contact with him was that day in the break room. Which would’ve been made much easier, if he wasn’t suddenly taking all his breaks at the same time she was, eyes always on her, as if studying her every move. In a way, it was degrading, and yet...it was almost exhilarating. Like a game of cat and mouse. And god, did she ever want him to pounce on her already. But Beck was still waiting, still calculating. He was going to pounce, but the moment, of course, had to catch her off guard.

This didn’t make the weeks leading up to the company Christmas party any less stressful for Veronica. Of course, the holidays were a stressful enough time on their own, without the constant thoughts of Beck in the back of her mind. So when the night of the party did roll around, Veronica’s only plan for the evening was drinking just enough that things got blurry and then finally letting go, relaxing, having a good time.

This plan got spoiled before she even had a chance to finish her first flute of champagne. Swaggering up with a flute of champagne in each of his hands, Quentin raised an eyebrow at her glass, taunting “Looks like I arrived just in time.”

Eyebrows knitting in confusion, she questioned “What are you-”

She was cut off by the gesture of him outstretching an arm, wiggling the champagne flute enough to get her attention, but not enough so that any of the drink spilled. “Here. It’s for you. I got it for you.”

Veronica glanced carefully between her drink and the one in his hand, up to him, and then back to her own drink. Acting on impulse and deciding it best to trust him, she quickly downed what was left of her initial drink, before coyly questioning “Are you trying to get me drunk?” while taking the second drink out of his hand.

“Maybe.” he smirked, but in such a way that only one side of his mouth twitched upwards. Bringing his eyes away from her for the first time since he made his way over, he took a sip of his own, carefully glancing back out into the sea of partying Stark employees, before he questioned “You still sleeping with Stark?”

With a huff, she snapped her head towards him, stating clearly and aggressively “I never was. And I’m still not.”

The sideways glance he gave her was cautious, calculated, and reeked of curiosity “Potts? Didn’t tag you as playing for that team.”

“I’m not sleeping with anyone.” she corrected, with a roll of her eyes, but it was jovial. Unlike the last time they’d spoken, this didn’t seem serious, not a legitimate accusation of her character. Two coworkers joking around, shooting the breeze.

“No one at all, huh?” he questioned, before giving her the classic once over, biting down on his lip before pretending he hadn’t just made such an obvious move, shrugging as he looked back out to the party, mumbling “What a shame.” as his champagne got closer to his lips.

Cheeks flushing intensely, Veronica managed to stutter out “Excuse me?!?”

“I’m just saying” Quentin shrugged casually. “I’m sure a lot of people at this company would gladly trade promotional favors for sexual ones if you were the one offering.”

“Why do I have to be sleeping with someone to get ahead in the company in this scenario?” she questioned “Can’t I just be sleeping with someone cause I’m attracted to them? No strings attached?”

In retrospect, Quentin sitting his drink down and actively walking away from it should’ve been her first clue to where the rest of the night was headed. With a shake of his head a low chuckle, he countered “Oh no, sweetie, that opens up your sexual availability to the likes of me, and you don’t want that.”

“What makes you think you know what I want?” she teased, batting her eyelashes, still assuming this was all a game “Maybe I want that. Maybe I want you.”

With a breathy exhale of “You shouldn’t have said that”, suddenly Veronica’s senses were flooded with nothing but Quentin. Quentin’s hands on her face, his cologne in her nostrils, his beard just lightly scratching the area around her mouth, how surprisingly soft and wet and warm his lips were, the moan he let escape as she dropped her drink, letting her hands rake through his hair, kissing him back just as passionately and urgently as he kissed her.

And then...then they were in a cab. She couldn’t remember when they left, where they were going or how they got there. She remembered still being at the party when his tongue slipped inside her mouth the first time, and then...a lustful haze...and then Quentin’s predatory growls of pleasure as he bit at her neck, hand up her skirt and clawing at her thigh, brushing the silk of her panties just often enough to elicit a sharp gasp.

All it took was his other hand, the one that had been cradling her neck, to slip farther down as he attempted to fondle her breast as best as possible given that her dress was still covering her up, for her to finally break. “MMMM! Fuck!” she cried, causing him to cease the trail of hickeys he was leaving on her neck, lifting his head up to look at her as she whimpered “I need...please…”

Lifting both hands, and practically glowing in the shock that caused her, he touched her again, but only with one finger, to tilt her head to look him in the eye “What do you need, Veronica?”

“I need you…”

“Need me to what?” he continued to play dumb, but in such an obvious way that it was impossible for her to misunderstand why. He was loving every second of this.

“T-touch…”

“I’m already touching you, Veronica. Did you want me to touch you somewhere else?”

“You know…” she whined.

“But I don’t.” he shrugged. “You’ll have to tell me.”

She really didn’t want to say it. The cab driver could hear her. Having gone as far as they had with someone else present was already voyeuristic enough. But he was locking those beautifully blue eyes with hers, wide and full of feigned naivety, nodding at her to go on. “My pussy.” she mumbled, embarrassed.

“Do what with your pussy?” he questioned. “Use your words, Veronica. Full sentence. Come on.”

“I want you to finger my pussy, Quentin,” she hissed “fuck.”

“Is that all?” he smirked, lifting her skirt back up and sneaking his hand up and under the silk undergarment, rubbing it gently, at first, as Veronica threw her head back in pleasure. “That wasn’t so hard, was it? Just gotta ask for what you want, honey. I’ll give it to you.”

And with that, he did give it to her. One finger, at first, just to gauge her reaction, but then pulled out and reentered with two. “I didn’t take you for such a whore, Veronica. Good girls don’t like getting fingered in the back of a dirty cab. But you’re not a good girl, are you?” he paused, as if to see if she was going to argue, but the only noises she made were her laboured breathing and a lot of short cries of pleasure as fingers continued to thrust inside of her. “No, you’re my little whore. Say it. Say you’re mine, whore.”

“Quentin…” she moaned, as she felt it was all she could do.

“Come on,” he urged. “Full sentences, remember?”

“I’m your little whore” she whimpered, almost crying from just how close she was to release, and just how good he was at edging her there.

And then she felt it. His other hand rubbing against her clit. God, she was close. She could literally feel it coming. Any second now. 

“Mmmm, good job.” he smirked.

And Veronica hated to admit that his praise is what did her in, but it did.

And thank goodness, because as she began to come down from her climax, the cab slowed to a stop. As she sat back up and yanked her skirt back down, she saw Quentin pay the driver, and assumed that this was, in fact, their stop. She opened the door to find that they were in Battery Park City, in front of one of the neighbourhood’s more modest looking apartment complexes.

As the taxi drove away, Quentin pulled keys out of his pocket, and then wrapped his arm around her waist with his free hand. “You’ve got to have your fun. Now it’s my turn.”

She giggled with excitement as he lead into the building, climbing the stairs to the second floor. The top of the stairwell, he decided was as good of place as any to kiss the hell out of her again, and Veronica wasn’t exactly resisting. Letting his lips travel south to her jaw, and then her neck, he mumbled “I don’t know if I can make it to my apartment.”

And as much as there was a very active part of Veronica’s brain that wanted to agree and let him take her right then and there in the stairwell, she had also already been fingered to climax in the back of a cab, and she didn’t want to make a habit of the whole public thing, god forbid she might discover that it had awakened something. “How far is your place?” she asked, the fingers previously combing through his hair giving a slight tug.

“Four doors down.” he admitted.

“That’s not far,” she reasoned. “And then you can do whatever you want to me.”

He chuckled, almost darkly, as he countered “I was planning on that anyway, sweets.”

And with a sudden yank of her hand, they were in the hallway, in front of his door, his hand only leaving hers to fumble with his keys, but as soon as the door was open, his hands were on her waist, the door was slammed behind them, and he’d somehow managed to sandwich her against it. Lips and tongues mixing in hot, desperate movements, as Quentin did his best to try and get her dress off of her. Problem being that the zipper to that garment was on her back that he’d slammed against his front door.

Pulling away from their sloppy wet kisses, he muttered “Jesus Christ, am I going to have to rip this thing off with my teeth?”

“Don’t threaten me with a good time,” she teased, breathlessly, before sliding out from under him and unzipping the back. “This was expensive though.”

With a smirk accompanied by a borderline predatory gaze, he conceded “I can work with that.”

And suddenly, she hit his mattress with a soft thud, Quentin hovering over her, yanking the dress off of her body, his own shirt gone and his pants unzipped. “Fuck,” he muttered, seeming almost genuinely upset “You really weren’t wearing a bra this whole time?”

“It’s a strapless dress.” she stated, as though it was an obvious forgone conclusion.

“You really are a whore.”

She didn’t have a chance to respond, as he was back to kissing her, now happily letting his hands knead her breasts, chuckling deliciously in the delight he took in hearing the high and sharp “mmm!” she made when his thumbs ran over her nipples, languidly flicking them back and forth. 

“You like that?” he smirked, pulling away. 

Veronica nodded, almost helplessly, and squirmed in pleasure as he lightly booped her nose, assuring her “We’re gonna have a lot fun tonight, honey.”

Before she had time to think about what was happening, she was flipped onto her stomach, Quentin having discarded his pants, working now on removing the panties he’d been so happily playing under not so long ago. “You were so wet when I was fingering you in that cab, Veronica.” he practically purred, lifting her legs around his torso like a wheelborrow. “Slippery job, getting you off. Can you do that again for me? Can you drip all over cock?”

“Wait,” she muttered, turning her head around best she could, her voice clearer and more assured as she asked “Are you hard already?”

She got her answer in the form of Quentin shoving his entire dick inside of her. “Fuck,” he gasped “you’re so tight. You’re such a small thing, Hansen.” 

She wasn’t sure which shocked her more, the sudden slap to her ass as he continued to thrust into her, or the sudden realization that it was the first time she’d heard Beck voice her last name. 

Doing her best to meet his thrusts and match his rhythm (being taken from behind was throwing her off her game), she caught even herself off guard as her back completely arched when, after curling her hair around his fist, Quentin gave the copper tresses a pull. Voice slightly ragged from the physical exertion of pounding into her pussy, his lips were suddenly at her ear, muttering “I think about pulling your hair every single time you pull it into a ponytail in the break room. Taunting me. And now every time you do it, you’re going to think about me, aren’t you? You’re going to think about how good that felt.”

And for a moment, she was back in the break room, tying her hair up, with Quentin watching her. Always watching her so intently. But now she imagined a devious gleam in his eye, a knowing smile. With another yank of her hair she was brought back to the bedroom, back to reality, back to his lips still at her ear, his breath hot, his breathing getting more and more irregular as his thrusts became more and more sporadic. “Fuck,” he muttered, surprisingly gently, before suddenly lifting himself farther from her, pulling his dick out.

Veronica watched in confusion as he climbed off the bed, before he pointed to the carpet, stating “on your knees.”

Apparently, her slow blink in horny confusion wasn’t a fast enough response for him, because suddenly he was pulling her hair again, but in a much less sexy way, as he barked “I said ON YOUR KNEES, Veronica! What part of that are you having trouble with?!?”

She obliged this time, moving as quickly as possible. Of course, she knew what he wanted. She took just the tip in her mouth at first, glancing up as she bobbed back and forth, slowly pushing a little more into her mouth each time. She glanced up, cautiously, but as his eyes rolled back in his head it seemed like whatever caused that outburst had dissipated. He was enjoying it, bucking his hips towards her, needily. There was a shuddered gasp of her name, and then pulling out, quickly, to try and aim to cum on her tits. “That’s my Veronica,” he praised “That’s my good girl.”

She wasn’t about to admit it, but there was something inherently arousing about being covered in his jizz. As he flopped himself back onto the bed, sitting this time, she remained on the floor, slowly but surely massaging the cum by fondling her own breasts. Each of her tits in one of her hands, she moved them up and down, gently rubbing against each other, quickening in pace. She was almost ready to start grinding her clit against the carpet of his bedroom, but as she let out a small moan of pleasure, Quentin’s eyes flickered back to her, and his sudden moan was a lot louder than hers.

“You really are just a sick little slut, aren’t you?” he questioned, moving, not to touch her, but to start stroking his own dick, watching her. With an almost lazy smirk, he added “Perfect for a sick little guy like me.”

She would’ve blushed if her cheeks weren’t already flushed from her own arousal, as she nodded, looking up to him, making eye contact as she let one of her hands drop to her clit.

Immediately, Quentin’s hand was on her arm. “No no no, don’t do that.” his voice was hushed. “Both hands on your tits. Please.”

“But-”

“You need to get off.” he finished automatically, before tapping his thigh, inviting her up. “Come on. Get up here.”

“You sure?” she questioned, standing back up.

He nodded, letting go of his erection, using both hands to grab her by the waist and pull her onto him. “You’re my little whore, remember? I gotta take care of you. And you,” he paused, taking her hand in his, leading it to his cock, making her stroke it “Got to take care of this. This is your fault. You made it show up. Now take care of it,” his eyes widened, in a way she wasn’t sure was playful or not, as he lustfully whispered “whore.”

For a moment, she was content to tease him, continuing to rub his dick, brushing her thumb over the tip now and again to hear him groan. But while he’d gotten off to her mouth just a few minutes ago, she hadn’t gotten off since the taxi over. She didn’t make him wait too long before climbing onto his dick, riding it quickly, deeply, mewling and moaning in how good it felt all the while. 

Beck was quick to buck against her, quickly capturing her lips in his again, now that they were facing each other. Bringing his lips down to leave a slobbery trail across her jaw, his beard scratching at her neck, the sensation only heightening every thrust, every other touch. 

Veronica’s head fell against his, foreheads touching, with a soft whimper of “Quentin…”

“Tell me you’re mine,” he whispered breathlessly. “Tell me I’m the only one who makes you feel like this.”

“Quentin, I’m-mmmm!” 

He didn’t get to hear what he wanted, but he did get the next best thing, as the warm wet walls of her vagina clenched and tightened around his cock, Veronica riding out her climax while still on top of him. Her fingernails digging into shoulders, he felt his own push, doubling up in speed for the next few seconds before he completely poured out inside of her.

“Did you…?”

“I’ll pay for the Plan B, don’t worry.” he assured her, before throwing himself back onto his bed, finally lying down. Waiting for her head to hit the mattress next to him, he turned to her as she did, smirking “So good, right?”

Nodding, eyelids falling from exhaustion and exertion, she echoed. “Good. Really good.”

He nodded back, licking his lips slowly, before finally questioning “Better than Stark?”

“I’m still not sleeping with him.” she droned monotonously.  A small, genuine smile crept up on his lips, as he found himself murmuring “Good.”

[jarienn972]

Only a Little Superstitious - Chapter 14

As real life has been a bit hectic lately, I haven’t had a lot of time to spend in my fictional worlds to get some writing done.  Finally found some time to get this chapter finished up and while it’s a bit shorter than prior chapters, it has some important interactions for Emma: one with Grandmother Bending Willow and one with Killian. She knows that some big decisions will need to be made soon so this chapter gives a peek into her state of mind.  Just a little dash of fluff and a little dash of angst here...

AO3  FF.net  

From the beginning on Tumblr: 1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  10  11  12  13

After a lengthy but ultimately successful argument with Regina, Emma had the Queen's promise that the dagger would soon be on its to Arizona. Emma's explanation as to why she needed it hadn't been particularly easy; their theory was certainly far-fetched at best but it was the most plausible reasoning they had and thankfully, Regina was persuaded to humor Emma's crazy idea. Now, half an hour after the conversation with Regina ended, Emma and Grandmother Bending Willow sat in Killian's sharing their own quiet repartee until the vibration from Emma's cell phone interrupted them. Glancing at the screen, Emma could see that it was a lengthy text from Regina informing her that the courier had just departed Storybrooke and was now heading to Portland to put the package on a plane bound for their distribution center in Philadelphia. From there, the package would be transferred onto another aircraft to Phoenix and was expected to arrive there approximately 6:30pm Mountain Time.

Still wishing there had been a magical (and faster) way to get this incredibly important package here, Emma typed out a brief response, knowing in her own mind that these next few hours would be an anxiety-ridden waiting game. She could only imagine what story Regina had given the courier upon handing over a package containing not only the potion which was cleverly concealed inside tiny plastic prescription bottles Dr. Whale had provided but a very old and very sharp ornate ceremonial dagger. Hopefully, Mayor Mills had stressed the importance of the contents enough to impart a little fear into the courier – enough to ensure a safe, timely arrival. Regina had advised earlier that she had prepared enough potion for two doses and each was disguised as cough medicine should there be any scrutiny. The dagger had been identified as a historical object being sent for authentication through the National Parks Service representative who had located it through the assistance of the Storybrooke Historical Society. The latter organization didn't actually exist, but it provided a legitimate cover story to convince the courier to accept the weapon.

So now it was all about waiting. Emma was no stranger to waiting around, having spent many a sleepless night staking out a skip, but this experience was testing her patience. Killian's life was being threatened, both by the very real physical wounds as well as magically through the effects of the dagger's dark magic and there was no easy way to help him. Even with Grandmother's offer to stay and keep her company, Emma was anxious and this was going to be an aggravatingly long day, especially if Killian didn't wake soon. The longer he remained unconscious, the more Emma worried he might not wake at all. She'd honestly been surprised that he was already back in the room when they returned from the garage – even more so to discover that the doctors hadn't put the breathing tube back down his throat. Not being intubated made it slightly less of a battle to get the potion into him but he still had to actually be conscious to drink it.

Grandmother had done her best to help quell the evil spirits she sensed surrounding Killian. She'd added an additional turquoise stone and a few additional items to the medicine pouch including a tiny bundle of dried leaves bound with a thin piece of straw and another carved amulet, although Emma didn't get a close enough look at the stone to see what it resembled. The old woman drew the leather cord tightly closed again and repositioned atop Killian's chest.

"He is weak right now, but he still has much fight in him," Grandmother insisted as she hovered above his slumbering form. "These spirits have not been kind, but their time will soon pass. Time is short however as the Blood Moon will soon rise."

"It's tonight, isn't it?" Emma asked aloud, even though she already knew the answer.

"Yes, only a few hours from now," the elder woman replied.

"So, if we calculate that it's been three days since Yzma started all of this, then we've got three days left in our window of opportunity to re-open the portal," Emma thought out loud. "Assuming we can locate the right spot out in the vast expanse of desert and mountains where the magic might be strong enough…" Her sleep-deprived brain was running on overload as she contemplated all of the possibilities and probabilities that needed to align just perfectly to activate the portal. Not exactly as simple as tossing a damned bean. "And this is assuming that I can somehow summon the magic out of the mountains too and magically repair that broken dagger… Who am I kidding? I could rent a car and we'll be home in three or four days… but…"

Grandmother had a faint smile stretching across her lips as she placed a reassuring hand atop Emma's shoulder. She sensed the younger woman's apprehension and didn't envy any of the decisions Emma would need to make, but she knew her place was to guide Emma toward the right choices. "You've not made that decision because you fear he wouldn't survive the journey." She wanted Emma to know that she understood her hesitation to use such non-traditional methods – such untested methods. "I do see how these decisions are vexing you. No journey will be without risk, but I have felt a strength in you that is unlike any other being I've encountered. Listen to your heart. Listen to Killian's heart. There, you will find the answers you seek and you will be able to chose the correct path."

Emma tipped her head upward so that her gaze met the Navajo woman's warm and understanding brown eyes. Almost at once, Emma no longer felt the same insecurity and sadness. Something about those wise, knowing eyes filled her aching soul with a few moments of peace.

"Thank you," Emma said as she wiped at her tear-stained cheeks with the back of her hand. "I honestly can't thank you and Carlos enough for all you've done for us. You opened your home to a couple of strangers and believed my crazy stories about who we are and how we got here. I feel like we've known both of you forever and somehow, you seem to know me so well."

"I have always believed that people are brought into our lives for a specific reason. It may not always be clear what that reason may be at first, but there may always be some greater purpose." Grandmother's words certainly spoke to the wisdom of her years, yet while she couldn't quite figure out why, Emma's head told her there might be some other unknown connection. No matter what they might share though, nothing could disguise Emma's obvious fatigue and Grandmother's maternal instinct took over. "Now, I know you must be exhausted, child. It may be a while before your husband wakes and you should use that time to rest. You sleep for a while and I will wake you when he does."

"Okay," Emma replied with a weak nod of her bedraggled blonde head. "I'm not even going to argue." She sank back into the chocolate colored vinyl armchair trying to find a comfortable position. "I don't know if I'll actually sleep, but I'll still try." Grandmother grinned at the younger woman as located the spare blanket in the cabinet and handed it to Emma. There was no fooling this old woman. She knew Emma would be sound asleep in a matter of minutes – and she wasn't wrong.

The gentle nudge barely registered to Emma. The sensation of a hand upon her shoulder dissolved into her dreamscape until the sound of her name being called at last roused her from her deep sleep.

"I'm awake…" Emma stammered. "I'm awake…" She repeated the mantra as she stretched her cramped legs and twisted her torso as she attempted to work out the uncomfortable kink in her spine that came from sleeping in a chair with her knees nearly drawn up to her chest. She tried to remember if Storybrooke had a chiropractor because she was definitely going to need one once they returned home.

"Good afternoon," Grandmother's soft, calming voice replied. "I hope you had a good rest, but I knew you would like to know that your husband has awakened as well."

"Killian's awake?" Emma bolted upright, aches, pains and lingering drowsiness forgotten as her eyes darted immediately to the bed to her left.

"He is indeed, but he is still very weak," Grandmother warned. "He's been drifting in and out of consciousness for about an hour, but he seems to be coherent now. His mind is much sharper than you described earlier and he even remembered my name, although perhaps the spirits reminded him of that. We will not worry about those spirits right now though and I will give the two of you some privacy. Would you like me to bring something back for you later? You must be starving, child…"

"Coffee would be wonderful," Emma responded with a gracious smile. "Not sure about anything else… I haven't really thought about food, although I'd never turn down a good grilled cheese sandwich."

The old woman grinned, happy to see Emma's spirits lightening somewhat now that Killian had awakened. His battle was still far from over and Grandmother had made a vow that she would remain here to aid this couple until the evil was dispatched.

Killian had only heard portions of their conversation, his eyes still closed as he forced himself to remember where he was and what he'd been through. He was struggling with the tempting pull of the darkness and its pain-free bliss, but he knew he needed to be awake. Needed to let his wife know that there was still plenty of fight in him. "Swan?" His voice may have been raspy and barely audible, but it was a sound that didn't cease to make Emma smile.

"I'm right here," she replied, grasping his trembling outstretched hand. His skin was still far too warm and as he turned his head toward her and allowed his eyelids to open slowly against the assault of the bright overhead lights, Emma was heartbroken to discover that his eyes didn't seem as blue anymore. They were dull and greyish, lacking his usual spark. She squeezed his fingers tightly as she hopped out of the vinyl chair and moved to join him on the narrow bed. "Are you still hurting as much as earlier?" Oh, what a dumb question to ask, she chastised herself as the words rolled off her tongue.

"No, Love…" he assured her with a feeble attempt at a classic Killian Jones smirk. He didn't want her constantly worrying about him, but she wouldn't be easily convinced. "Still a few aches and pains, but it's not so bad…"

"You're a lousy liar, Killian Jones," was her response to his statement. "You're still way too warm and you're recovering from a very real stab wound while simultaneously having to fight the supernatural effects that the damned broken dagger left behind, so please, will you just be honest with me?"

"Not sure what you want me to say…" he said, not really knowing where to even begin. His skin may feel warm to her, but he in fact felt chilled clear to the bone. Half of the tremors in his limbs were caused by shivering, but the pain was still a very real factor as well. Whatever drugs were coursing through his veins merely dulled the constant discomfort. His entire torso ached with indescribable variations of agony – part searing, part throbbing and part crushing. How did he dare attempt to put this into words without horrifying the love of his life? "Yes, I'm in pain, Love, but it's no worse than anything I've experienced before and I've no intent to give in to it."

"Regina's potion will be here in just a few more hours," she reminded him. "If we can get the dark magic blocked, it should help you regain some of your strength and hopefully, get rid of the damned fever. Have you remained any movement in your legs yet?" She'd been assured by the doctors that he'd suffered no permanent damage from the broken dagger tip and that as the swelling decreased, he should recover normal movement but as she watched him squeeze his eyelids closed to concentrate, all she saw was complete and utter frustration etched into his features.

"It would appear not," he replied in a dejected voice and she immediately lowered her body against his, hugging him as tightly as she could without injuring him further.

"It will be alright," she assured him, resting her head on his shoulder even as she raised up a bit, feeling the pressure of the bag of rocks squished between their bodies. She intentionally turned her face away from his, not wanting to upset him with her now steadily flowing tears.

"I know, Swan," was all he said. She may have been shielding him from seeing her tears, but it didn't mean he couldn't feel the dampness soaking through the thin fabric of this awful dressing gown the hospital had put on him. "You're so tense, Love… Have you slept any?"

Seriously? Emma thought to herself as she tried to stop the waterworks, a tiny smile stretching across her dampened face. He was the one lying here feverish and in pain, and yet he was worried about her? "I got to sleep a little," she insisted. "It wasn't easy, but Grandmother can be very persuasive…"

"Good. 'Knew I liked that old woman…"

"Okay," she grinned, lifting her head so she could once again meet him eye to eye. "Don't you worry about me, Pirate. You just concentrate on getting yourself better…"

"That sounded like an order…" he teased.

"Did it need to be?" she laughed, thankful that he was in good enough spirits to taunt her with a joke. "Look, you just worry about getting some rest because I want to see you back on your feet and out of that bed…"

"Too tempting to not take advantage of me?" Killian asked with a devilish smirk, nearly convincing her that he was back to his normal, saucy swagger but it was too blatantly obvious that the amorous grin was merely a façade.

"Hardly," she chided with a small, unamused shake of her head. "Although you do cut quite the figure in that blue and white hospital gown… What exactly is that print? Paisley? No – are those little crescent moons?"

"Can't say I've been bothered to notice," was his reply, not even caring what design the ugly garment possessed. "What is the purpose of this bloody garment anyway? Scarcely covers anything and it's godawful scratchy…"

"I'm not even going to attempt to give a response to that because honestly, I don't really know. I'd say modesty, but since they tend to leave your backside hanging out, who the hell knows? I'm just glad to see your sense of humor returning. Makes me feel a little better…"

"Nothing to fear… I may be temporarily incapacitated, but that does not mean I've lost any of my charm or wit…"

"You're incorrigible," Emma chuckled. "That's what you are." He could joke all he wanted, but it was becoming evident that he was extremely tired. "Anyway, I know you're exhausted. I'm going to go find Grandmother. You just sleep…"

"So, was that an order?" he asked, eyelids already drooping.

"Yes, that was an order, Deputy. Love you." She wasn't certain he even heard her reply as his body had already gone slack with sleep. "Love you," she repeated, pressing a kiss into the back of his hand before replacing it at his side while she stood, eyes drawn to the clock on the wall next to the sink. It was now nearly 3pm. Just a few more hours to go and things should get better.

[princesswinnifred]

2017 YEAR IN REVIEW!!!!! my fifth iteration of this on this tumblr!!!!

JANUARY - i spent the beginning of the year in NYC, nadia and i saw in transit (bad) and hung out - mostly was just bored until i was able to go back to school - dyed my hair red, it lasted like four seconds - MARCHED ON WASHINGTON! with women! it was truly incredible - went to a few parties (like a drag party and a taylor swift themed party) - had some difficulties but whatevs!

FEBRUARY - did Chai Throwback Cabaret!!! - i believe this was the birth/death of Edgy Sarah. i bought dark lipstick and told anyone who would listen that i was edgy. - several nightmare party situations because i Did Myself Dirty my first few months on medication - talked to tarell alvin mcraney (the man who wrote the story Moonlight is based on)!!! he was brilliant and i was so starstruck - went to galentine’s day brunch!! - WROTE MY FIRST PLAY!!! it is called Grand Theft Tea Leaves - went to see some friends in a Local Community Theatre production of 9 to 5 - a cappella assassins which as always was a stress - SAW NEWSIES IN THE MOVIE THEATER which was Embarrassing - wrote a widely reknowned facebook posts wherein i ranked the presidents of the US by hotness - SLUG PARTY

MARCH - SPRING BREAK - went to see nadia in new york and we got COOKIE DOUGH - cut all of my hair off two days before my Hair callback  - auditioned for and got SDP!!!! - sang outside a frozen yogurt shop for chais and it was hilarious jfdksfjdskf - had a nice wine night with some chai women - went home to see my babies in their last high school show Legally Blonde - song swap!!

APRIL - A CAPPELLA FEST, a disastrous night, but met a bunch of fun new friends - went to rocky horror which was actually a lot of fun - my friend from high school visited my school and we had lunch!! - went to visit my brother’s Future College with him - my friend died and i went home for her funeral - decorated my boss’s office for his birthday which was SO MUCH FUN - WENT TO RUTGERS WITH CHAIS AND HAD THE ALL TIME STRANGEST WEEKEND - my play Grand Theft Tea Leaves was produced during my school’s new play reading series!! - went to a SWEAT PANTS PARTY which as always is GREAT - CHAI FINAL CONCERT!!! it was our bar mitzvah

MAY - I DID MY KISSING PERFORMANCE ART - MTA formal where i actually had FUN - SAW ANGELS IN AMERICA LIVE AND IN PERSON FOR THE FIRST TIME - Recorded an Album with the Chais!! Now That’s what Chai Call Music! - finished an exhausting semester and an exhausting sophomore year - went on a date! it wasn’t great but it was something - went to a wedding!!! - everyone i love graduated - made macarons and wrote limericks

JUNE - went to israel on birthright!!!! felt jewish!!!! - went to see Hair at school and picked up the chai albums from the lady - went to my friend laura’s grad party and hung w/ rachel in new jersey - that’s... really it israel was the Bulk of it

JULY - got a car!!!! it’s a piece of shit but it’s MY piece of shit - went to faustina’s grad party - went to new york with rachel josh and anna!!! ate a waffle - dealt with a whole lot of Car Bullshit let me tell you - MY PLAY (GRAND THEFT TEA LEAVES) WAS PRODUCED IN A SMALL FESTIVAL IN NYC right next door to playwright horizons!!! we took a limo and most of my friends were there and it was amazing - the literal NEXT DAY i moved back into school for the Sedehi Diversity Project which was a life-altering experience - began to work on SDP obviously - EILEEN CAME TO VISIT and we went to the allentown farmer’s market which  was W I L D

AUGUST - CONTINUED to WORK on the LOVELY SDP.  - had countless movie nights and long walks and crazy hummus eating events with my new good pals. i love them - i was literally working on SDP the whole month - BK and Faustina came to visit which was so nice!!! - we went to a protest a few days after charlottesville happened - and had an incredible night swimming and eating at our faculty advisor’s house - i met Peppermint at Allentown Pride!!!! - DID SDP!!! legitimately one of the most incredible weekends of my life it was a WHIRLWIND  - moved back home for the next three weeks

SEPTEMBER - on the CUSP of these two months i mattress surfed around New York for a few nights!!! - saw Great Comet which Fucked Me Up - hung w. jane and jenna and max and nadia, which, naturally, was the best - drove to montclair NJ to see my friend laura in Spring Awakening the Play - went To Muhlenberg to attend chai callbacks!!!! - then it was my BIRTHDAY!! i am TWENTY somehow - went out for tea with my female family members for my birthday/to see me off - bc then yeah i FLEW TO ENGLAND - moved in. explored. fell in love.  - went to the british museum and buckingham palace and hyde park and saw my first west end show which was DREAMGIRLS - went to the Tate Modern which is legit my favorite place in the world - i’m not gonna describe everything i did abroad bc that will be TOOOOO LONG so just highlights from now on - we went to a farm it was wild - and a cruise on the thames that was disguised as a welcome event but was a booze cruise

OCTOBER - camden market!!! loved it!!! - ABBEY ROAD CROSSING!!! - king’s cross!!!! the british library!!! it was such a special day!! - went to kensington palace where Victoria and Diana lived - went to brighton!!! it was terrible - SAW MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING AT THE GLOBE WHICH CHANGED MY DAMN LIFE - went to dublin, ireland!!! had so many fun times - went to LIVERPOOL!!! saw everything beatles!!!!! - saw steven page in concert!!!!! - went to the tower of london!!!! - halloween!!! i dressed as Sexy Ronald Reagan ironically and we went to a club called Tiger Tiger it was an experience

NOVEMBER  - DID A JACK THE RIPPER TOUR it was spooky - also my coworkers from america facetimed me it was so sweet - NADIA CAME TO VISIT ME AND WE HAD SUCH INCREDIBLE TIMES we saw HAIR and we went on the LONDON EYE and we saw Venus in Fur UGH what a good few days - AND THEN SHE LEFT AND I WENT TO PARIS?????? CAN YOU BELIEVE - i cannot explain paris to you but it was a dream come true - i climbed the eiffel tower completely wasted - i WENT TO VERSAILLES, WHERE I HAVE ALWAYS WANTED TO GO - and then i got a migraine and went home to england instead of to germany like i had planned - went back to the tate modern bc i love that bitch - went to hyde park winter wonderland!!! - WENT TO THE HARRY POTTER STUDIO TOUR AND WEPT - legit i did so many things i never thought i’d get to do!!! - a professor from our school visited us and we got fancy lunch - THEN FLEW TO ROME? ITALY? IT WAS UNBELIEVABLE - we went to the vatican and colosseum and the forum and the trevi fountain and the great synagogue of rome and ahhh!!!! - and then we got stuck outside an airport for five hours but we’re not gonna discuss that - TOOK A TWELVE HOUR BUS RIDE TO EDINBURGH

DECEMBER - fell MADLY in love with scotland/edinburgh/glasgow - climbed/fell down a MOUNTAIN - did a day by myself in glasgow and, again, LOVED it - went to harrods back in london!!! - SAW STAR WARS A DAY EARLY bc i was in LONDON  - on my last day in london i had to get my phone fixed which was a. nightmare. i attempted to go to the Victoria and Albert museum but that was cut short by my phone being impossible :)  - and just like that i flew home!!! - we had family hanukkah festivities on both sides - we went to christmas at our family friend’s house - i spent the past few days with my grandparents down the shore!!!

AND THAT IS IT!!! GOOD RIDDANCE TO THIS MONSTER YEAR

[petalouda85]

Koi No Yokan, Chapter 2

After writer's block, a bunch of homework assignments, and finals, I'm back with an update. Sorry, it took so long.

So, here is where the story will take a drastic different path compared to the Disney version. This twist is also what I liked the most about the source material. I hope you guys like it

You can also read this on AO3

When he was born, he was cursed. Doomed to die at 18 unless he joined the Dark Side. Snoke is confident but there remains one threat, it coming in the form of a prediction made by one of the Jedi Masters: Ben would meet his true love on his tenth birthday and this elusive individual would be the only one that could awaken Ben from his eternal sleep.

The news of the threat against the prince spread quickly on the planet, some believing it to be a legitimate threat while others thought it was merely a bluff. Regardless of what one believed, no one doubted that the Queen and her family believed it as there were intense searches on the planet for Snoke, the search soon extending to the system and then the galaxy. But, despite their efforts, nothing was found and the talk of the threat began to fade.

Even the ones that had believed it to be legitimate joined the mindset that the threat was just a threat and nothing to be concerned with. With each passing year, the threat was forgotten a little bit more to the point that they didn’t speak of it.

For those that had been present, the curse was not spoken of but it certainly was not forgotten. In an attempt to protect her son, Leia had asked Obi-Wan, Luke and Yoda to begin teaching her son the Jedi way as soon as he had turned five. The four adults hoped that, with the right guidance, the struggle that Snoke had spoken of would be kept to a minimum and controllable level. So far, it was working.

For only a boy of ten, he showed skill of a Padawan who had studied from years. He had great skill with a practice saber, he showed great control of his emotions and he could empty himself and meditate with ease. It made his parents and his uncle proud and put their worries at ease.

Ben spent a lot of time with his Uncle and fellow Padawans at the new Jedi temple practicing his skills but he frequently visited his parents. Another such visit was on the day of his tenth birthday, which he knew would be more exciting than most.

He knew that today would be the day that he would meet the person that he would love.

When his parents had first told him about the predictions of Master Yoda, he had been worried. After all according to the Jedi Code, he was not allowed to have attachments like that. However, the New Jedi Code had had a few changes. Certain attachments were allowed now, the new ruling changing the boy’s fear into happiness. In fact, as his tenth birthday came closer, he became excited and began to imagine who his love would be. He created so many different scenarios that it was impossible for him to pick a single one.

When the day of his tenth birthday finally came, he traveled with his uncle back to New Alderaan. He wanted to ask his uncle so many questions and once they arrived and were heading into the palace, they finally spilled.

"Who will be my loved one, Uncle Luke?" The ten year old asked with enthusiasm, eyes on the ground as he began jumping from tile to tile. Luke smiled softly.

“The Force will reveal them to you in time.”

“Hmm…” The boy pouted, aiming to jump to a tile a bit further away. He missed by a hair. “How will I know who my love is? Will I just fall in love or something?”

“Feel love right away you may not, but feel knowledge of future love, you will.”

“Master Yoda.”

“Master Luke, Benjamin.” The old master greeted. “Going well, your training is, hmm?” As the boy nodded enthusiastically, his uncle placed a hand on his shoulder.

“Ben is a good Padawan and he is already showing great control with the Force.”

“Hm… Good. Come, Benjamin.” Yoda said, beckoning the boy to follow him. “Anxious to see you, your parents are.” The excited child followed the old Master towards the grand door in front of them. Once opened, the child dashed into the room, heading for his parents.

“Mom! Mom!” He called, running into his mother’s open arms.  

“I missed you so much.” Leia said, pressing a kiss on her son’s cheek while embracing him tightly.

“I missed you too.” The boy responded, burying his face in the crook of her neck.

“Is everything alright? Do you still like it at the Temple?” She asked as she pulled away on order to look at her boy.

With a smile, he nodded.

“Uncle Luke says I’m doing all the exercises and training very good and Obi-Wan and Yoda said I have good control of the Force.”

“I’m happy to hear it.” The boy smiled at his mother. He wanted to say more to her but the appearance of his father distracted him.

“Just turned ten and you’re already sounding like you Uncle.” Hans chuckled after he and Ben had had the same conversation he just had with his mother.

“That’s not a bad thing.” Ben said. “Then I’m strong with the Force and wise and a Jedi.”

“Now you’re describing every current Jedi Master.” Hans jokingly pointed out. At the mention of the Jedi Masters, Ben asked a pressing question.

“Is Obi-Wan here? He said he’d be here.” Obi-Wan had left the Jedi Temple a week earlier for Mandalore. He hadn’t said why but Ben decided that it was family matters; it was always family matters. As soon as he had asked the question, he spotted the older man heading towards him. The child repeated his conversation for the third time before he finally got a chance to ask why Obi-Wan had gone to Mandalore.

“Do you remember when I said that I would introduce you to my family someday?” Obi-Wan asked the child, to which he responded with a nod. The old man smiled, “I managed to bring my granddaughter today. Would you like to meet her?”

“Sure.” Ben replied, the thought of the predictions briefly flashing in his mind. Hand in hand, Obi-Wan walked through the crowd towards a small group of Mandalorians, where Ben was able to spot the silhouette of a child. Obi-Wan entered the crowd and took the child by her hand.

“Ben, this is my granddaughter: Rey.”

She certainly wasn’t what he had anticipated. She was obviously the daughter of the Grand Duke of Mandalore but she certainly didn’t look like one. He had anticipated her to be wearing something along the lines of a dress made from expensive fabrics, expensive jewels and her hair done up without a single strand out of place. Rey was the opposite. Not a single jewel in sight, her hair done up messily in three buns and, oddly, wearing the robes of a Padawan.

“Hi!” Rey piped, waving a little at Ben, her bold told surprising the boy yet again while making her grandfather chuckle.

“Rey will be joining the Jedi order soon.” Obi-Wan said, “She’ll be training alongside you.”

“Is that allowed? To be accepted this late?” Ben asked; he was familiar with how the old order was with elder children joining but not with the policies of the new order. The elder man chuckled again, looking down at Rey.

“It was more a hassle with your father than it was Yoda.” The girl giggled and nodded.

“Papa wanted to send guards with me.”

“Really?”

“Yep.” She pipped once more, her attention now on Ben. “But I told him that I’d become a Jedi and become strong enough to protect myself. But he also told me to stay with my grandpa.”

“Will you?” Ben asked, it save to do so as the adults had moved away from the two children. Rey leaned in closer.

“No.” The two giggled mischievously. “What’s the Temple like?” She asked once their laughter had subsided.

“It’s big…” Ben answered, sitting down in a window sill away from the crowd. Rey joined him, her expression telling him that she wasn’t impressed.

“There’s a lot of big buildings everywhere.” She argued.

“I guess you’ll have to wait and see then; I don’t really know how to describe it. According to my uncle, it looks a lot like the old Temple on Coruscant. The inside anyway.”

“Are there a lot of Padawans there?”

“A few. My uncle is hoping for more but there’s only so many Padawans three masters can train at the same time.”

“And training… who do you train with?”

“My uncle mostly but I have trained with Obi-Wan and Yoda too.”

“Hm… I’m hoping I get to train with my grandpa but Yoda would be nice too.”

“Yoda is a wise master, as is Obi-Wan. After all, your grandfather trained mine and he was said to be a very powerful Jedi.”

“Anakin Skywalker, right?”

“Yes.”

“Do you want to be as powerful as he was?”

“Well…” Ben hesitated for a moment, “I do want to be powerful like him but as I get older, it’s possible I’ll change my mind. And other career paths will open too. I mean, my mom is a queen and general and my grandmother was a queen and a senator; I think some people would rather have me as a King or Senator than a Jedi.”

“Is there any you want to be right now?”

“I don’t know; I can’t be all three.”

“Maybe you could be.” She sat up straight and cleared her throat and said as if she were an announcer, “Introducing Prince Ben Organa-Solo, Senator of New Alderaan and Master Jedi. It’s quite a catchy title, actually.” She finished in her normal voice.

He was about to respond to her statement when he heard the tiny clink of jewelry hitting the floor. He quickly spotted the item as it was rolling towards him and Rey. It was a gold bracelet, the extravagant design being unlike anything he had seen.

He didn’t need to guess where the owner was as a girl, around his age, came running up, her gaze on the floor in search. However, when she noted that the bracelet was near Ben and Rey, she stopped in her path; she seemed a bit nervous.

Ben jumped off of the window sill, grabbed the bracelet and held it out to the girl. She stared at him, seemingly hesitant to take it but, after a few moments, she did, placing the jewelry back on her wrist. As she did, Ben noted her foreign outfit.

She wore a dress of some kind, which reached to her knees; underneath were bagged pants. The fabric was a soft white silk and a heavily embroidered gold trim added color to the outfit. Her scalp was hidden by a cap made of the same white but the veil clipped on top was see-through and revealed a long black braid. Adding to the ensemble was her jewelry. The bracelet that had fallen was one just one of the countless many, the fallen one being the most extravagant of them all. In addition, she wore a tiara of some sort; it decked her forehead in gold and had two long earring like decorations dangling from it. The last decoration he spotted were the insides of her hands, which were painted. In the center of her palm was a black circle and her fingers were covered in the same black, from the tip of the finger until the first point where the finger bends.

“Are you Genian?” Ben asked; unable to pinpoint the style to any of the planets he was familiar with, Ge was a reasonable guess. The girl didn’t respond. “What’s your name?”

“Main…” She said softly but it didn’t sound like a name to the other two children. “Speak not…” The girl continued, her voice heavily accented.

“She doesn’t know Basic.” Rey quickly concluded.

“Wait here!” Ben said and he dashed away, leaving the two girls together in silence. Neither moved until Rey motioned to the girl to take the vacant spot in the sill.

“Rey.” She said, pointing to herself when the Genian child had sat down.

“Paro.” The girl responded, pointing to herself as well.

There wasn’t much else they could talk about with each other at this point so Rey resorted to talking slowly about whatever topic popped into her mind. But that soon diverged into her pointing at things within sight and saying the word out loud, which Paro would repeat. They managed to get through parts of the body, counting to ten and parts of the room when Ben came bouncing back, C3PO on his heels.

“I’m not quite as fast as you are, Master Benjamin.” The droid complained as her reached the children, Rey and Ben giggling at him while Paro looked on confused. “How can I be of service?”

“She doesn’t speak Basic.” Ben explained while pointing at Paro.

“And which language do you require; I am fluent in over 6 million forms of communication.”

“What they speak on Ge?” Ben posited; he had no idea what language was spoken on the planet.

“Ge has several hundred language and the entire Genian system is home to several thousand; you will have to be more specific.” Rey was about to make a suggestion when Paro spoke quietly in her native tongue. C3PO immediately responded in the same language and, after Paro spoke a little more, the droid said.

“The Princess says she speaks the primary language on Ge.” He paused again as Paro spoke again, “And she wants the two of you to teach her to speak Basic. Master Benjamin, if you say yes, it would be advisable to move to the library; it’s much better suited for linguistic development.”

After this was all repeated to Paro, the three children and the droid left the room and headed for the quiet library. Rey and Paro began entertaining themselves by chasing each other around the droid, who told the two to move slower lest they injury themselves; they ignored him and only stopped when they reached their destination. From there, they grabbed many easy-to-read books and proceeded to teach the Genian girl Basic to the best of their abilities. Granted, she wasn’t learning much in regards to how sentences were formed and what was and wasn’t grammatical but she learned many words and managed to understand the phonetics of the new language; faster than anticipated, they were on the fifth book.

"Ben." The young child gasped at the sound of the soft menacing voice. He looked around, trying to find a source but all he saw was the rows of book and the bots flying around organizing the room.

"Is something wrong?" Rey asked.

"I... I just thought I heard something." He muttered. He gave an assuring nod to his other friend and they continued with the reading for a few more minutes.

"Ben." It was the same voice, but this time it was accompanied by an uneasy tug in his gut. He didn't know what it was and he decided to ignore it. "Ben!"

"Did you hear that?" Ben asked, once more examining the room for anything that could've procured that voice.

"Hear what?" Rey asked while Paro muttered something to C3PO

"The Princess is inquiring if you're alright, sir." The droid said.

"I'm fine. I thought... I thought I heard someone call my name."

"No one called, Ben." Rey assured though the expression on her face suggested something other than assurance. While she returned to the book, Ben scoured the room once more, unwilling to admit that it was just his imagination. It couldn't have been his imagination. Eventually, he spotted something he hadn't before.

They were standing by the door, which he was certain he had closed on the way in. They were dressed in complete black, their skin had an unhealthy pale tone and their face was deformed. The stranger was staring intensely at him, making the child feel anxious. H glanced back at his new friends, who had stopped reading and were looking around them as if sensing something.

"Do you-" He began, but upon looking back at the door, the figure disappeared, walking down the hallway. Due to some pull he couldn't explain, Ben got up and ran after the stranger, ignoring the calls from Rey and Paro.

"Follow me, Ben." It was the voice again but it didn't startle the boy, for now he could sense that the voice belonged to the stranger in black. He continued to run, always reaching a hallway in time for the stranger to disappear into the next one.

"Wait!" The child cried as the figure headed outside into the garden and promptly hid behind a hedge.

"Come with me, Benjamin." It was leading him into the maze. "I can show you the ways of the Force. They only tell you of the Light. But the Dark... it can make you so much stronger. Much stronger than the Light ever could."

Ben listened to the voice intently, barely paying attention to which direction he was heading in. Then, in the middle of the maze, he found the stranger. They were staring at him, almost smiling. Slowly, they reached out a pale, bony hand, beckoning him to take it.

Urged by the same pull as before, Ben reached for the hand. He wanted to take it. He didn't know why. The pull... It felt like a connection of some kind; he couldn't explain it. And yet, before the hands made contact, Ben stopped. Another force within him told him to not touch the stranger, this force creating images of hatred, anger, loneliness and fear. He stepped away, the smile on the stranger turning to a scowl.

"We will meet again." They said and, with a blast chillier than the frigid air of Hoth, they were gone, leaving the area eerily quiet. The first sound he heard caused him to scream and he half anticipated the stranger to be back. However, upon turning, he found himself looking at a small tabby kitten, it meowing at him.

"You scared me, little guy." Ben muttered, kneeling down and lightly petting the small creature's head.

"Little lady, actually." A voice next to him said.

"I'm sorry?" Ben inquired to the boy standing next to him.

"She's a female." He explained as he joined Ben and knelt down, the kitten leaving Ben's hand to crawl onto the lap of the boy. "She's cute, isn't she?"

"Very." The Prince responded, smiling as the cat nudged her head against the boy's chest. "Does she have a name?"

"Well, her full name is Millicent but me and my youngest brother call her Millie." As the boy continued to play with the animal, Ben took a few seconds to look the boy over. He worked in the castle, a fact observed by the royal crest the boy wore on his sleeve; he was probably a kitchen boy, judging by the dirty scuffs on his face and his red hair being tied back with the piece of string. Still, dirty as he was, Ben was not disgusted, as one might expect from a royal.

"What's your name?"

"Armitage. It's a stupid name, I know."

"It's not the worst I've heard." Ben said with a light chuckle. "I'm-"

"I already know who you are. You're the Prince." When Ben confirmed this, the boy said, "Then I need to go." And he got up.

"Why?" Ben asked, upset that Armitage wanted to go so quickly; they had only just met and he had enjoyed their conversation so far.

"Because... I'm not allowed to talk to higher-ups." He explained slowly, keeping his sight away from Ben by paying attention to his kitten.

"Why?"

"It's... complicated." And before Ben could say another word, the boy was gone. For some reason, Ben stared at the spot where he had last seen the boy. He wasn’t sure how long he had been staring but his trance was broken when he heard Rey and Paro calling for him. It took some time, but he found his way out of the maze and stumbled upon them.

“What happened?” Rey asked.

“Nothing.” Ben responded hastily, his sight falling on Paro. She did not seem to believe what he was saying. Regardless of whether or not that was the true, she said nothing and pointed to the castle. The three plus the droid immediately headed back, having small conversations and playing around with each other, Ben’s mind eventually drifted back to the boy. He was curious about him and he had wanted to know more about him. Like many times today, he couldn’t explain why he wanted this. Perhaps, he would find an answer. For now, play with his newest friends, he would.

----

“Chancellor?”

“What is it?” The female answered, her tone oozing disinterest

“I just returned from New Alderaan. If you recall, it was the tenth birthday of the Prince today.”

“Why should that interest me?”

“Well, if you recall, when the boy was born, Master Yoda made a prediction that the Prince would meet the person he would marry today. Whom he met would be of interest to you.” The Chancellor turned her chair to face him.

“Who?”

“The daughter of the Grand Duke of Mandalore and the heir apparent of Ge.” Hearing the names, the Chancellor smirked.

“Perfect.”