#jack x Anna

[theeamazingl]

okay okay last jackanna post until i find more ideas lol

[keisha-knell]

My fav wrestling couples/ people dating wrestlers 🥹🥹🥹🥹🖤🖤🖤

[mikyapixie]

24 years ago today X-Men: Evolution premiered on Kids WB!!!

[lucydarkrain]

The Big Four - Rubinrot AU

Background

Twelve gemstones represent twelve time travelers, each from a different era and a historically significant family in London. The births of these individuals were prophesied long ago, marked by unique astronomical constellations that signified their destinies as gene carriers. These individuals possess a rare genetic defect that grants them the ability to travel through time, making them carriers of the time-jumping gene.

Time Jumping Ability

These gene carriers can leap back in time, but the ability is not fully under their control and poses significant danger. Their first “dizziness” signals the activation of this power. To stabilize it and prevent erratic jumps into unknown eras, they must inject their blood into a time machine, called the “timer,” which is controlled by the church. Once stabilized, they can precisely jump to specific time points and remain there for a fixed duration. Without this process, they risk being pulled into random historical periods for unpredictable lengths of time.

The Time Machine and the Blood Ring:

The Time Machine functions by drawing blood from the carrier’s fingertip, linking the blood to one of the gemstones to facilitate precise time jumps. After completing this process, the gene carriers officially join the “Blood Ring,” a group of twelve individuals connected through this unique ability.

The Church of Saint Germain Earl’s Society

Located in the heart of London, the Saint Germain Earl’s Society is a church that safeguards the secret of time travel. Its judges, called Fathers, are the only ones privy to details about the “genetic defect” and “astronomical constellations.” They prepare the gene carriers for their roles through rigorous training, including etiquette, horseback riding, and historical studies, to maintain the order of the timeline. Their philosophy is: “Some things are meant to change, while the rest are destiny arranged by the divine.” The Fathers oversee the two timers, coordinate clothing appropriate for different eras, and manage journals that record historical events. They are also the only ones who can predict the births of gene carriers.

The Blood Ring - 12 Gene Carriers

Jack Overland Frost

The Frost family is one of the most renowned families in England, with its members widely recognized for their high profile in the business world.

Jack was born in the 21st century, in 2047, making him two years older than Merida. His time-jumping partner is Rapunzel. The two of them were very close even though he did not like her at the very beginning due to her family name. He didn’t realize his true feelings towards Rapunzel until the 18th-century Guy Fawkes Night. After Jack’s father left the family, he severed ties with the Frost family, unaware that Jack would become the first genetic carrier in the history of the Frost lineage.

After his parents’ untimely death, Jack was adopted by North, a close friend of his parents. During his teenage years, the church informed him that he was a genetic carrier. Initially, he was reluctant to join the Blood Ring, but with North’s persuasion, he eventually agreed and began participating in the church’s training sessions alongside Rapunzel.

Jack is skilled in hand-to-hand combat and swordsmanship. He attended Winchester College (a boys’ school) at the same time as Hiccup, though they did not know each other. After forming a team with the other three, he and Hiccup became close friends. Jack met Merida during the church’s riding and combat courses, where he enjoyed teasing her as she was new to the church.

Jack was particularly popular among the girls at Rapunzel’s school. He refused to acknowledge his connection to the Frost family, believing they had cast his father out. However, he later discovered that his father had chosen to leave the family to live independently. After Jack’s parents passed away, the Frost family had been searching for him all along.

Jack experienced his first dizziness at the age of 15, traveling back to the early 20th century for nearly an hour. At 16, he officially became a member of the Blood Ring as the genetic carrier of Moonstone.

Rapunzel Peregrin Moore Corona

The Duke of Corona is a distant relative of the Queen and closely related to the Arendelle family. The Corona family has natural connections with the nobility and upper class.

Rapunzel was born in the 21st century, in 2048, making her one year younger than Jack and his partner. She is skilled in dance and etiquette and was told from a young age that she is the genetic carrier in her family. Unlike most genetic carriers, she possesses the unique ability to see spirits, and in school, she befriended a deceased spirit named Emily.

Rapunzel had heard of the historically significant DunBroch family and one day realized, while speaking with Emily at school, that Merida could also see Emily. Upon learning that Merida was also a genetic carrier, the two became close friends.

At a family gathering, Rapunzel secretly found Elsa’s journal, where she read that she would die at the age of 20. Later, she and Jack traveled back to the 16th century to try to persuade Elsa to return home. However, during the crowded event, she got separated from Jack and encountered Pitch, who took her blood.

At the age of 20, just before a time jump, Rapunzel died during the 18th-century Guy Fawkes Night, shielding Jack from a musket bullet. Her first dizziness occurred at age 15, when she briefly spent two minutes in the late 18th century. At 16, she officially became a member of the Blood Ring as the genetic carrier of Citrine.

Merida McDonald DunBroch

The DunBroch family is one of the most historically significant families in England, with a lineage that extends from the 16th century to the 21st century.

Merida was born in the 21st century, in 2049. At the age of 14, she experienced her first dizziness and traveled back to 19th-century England for three minutes. Until that moment, she had no idea that her family was among those with the “genetic defect.” Afterward, in addition to attending school as usual, she began training with her partner at the church. She is the youngest of the Four Guardians.

Merida and Rapunzel are alumni of Westminster School (a girls’ school) and are among the rare few who can see the spirits of the deceased. At the age of 16, she officially became a member of the Blood Ring as the genetic carrier of Ruby.

The year after officially becoming Ruby, the church assigned her to form a team with Rapunzel, Hiccup, and Jack to locate Pitch and retrieve the timer he had stolen. However, due to Pitch’s interference in history, the DunBroch family was destroyed in the 17th century, erasing the events that led to Merida’s birth in the 21st century.

Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III

The Haddock family is one of the most discreet among the upper class. Its ancestors were often high-ranking military officers and generals, and the family’s reputation continues to be widely recognized to this day.

Hiccup was born in the 21st century, in 2047, and is the same age as Jack. He is Merida’s partner. Before his family revealed the truth about the genetic defect, Hiccup had already deduced that he was a genetic carrier by studying various materials at home. Following this realization, he joined the church’s training programs, though due to differing schedules, he remained unaware that Jack and Rapunzel were also genetic carriers. Ever since he joined the church, he’s been waiting on his partner, “ruby” to show up.

After Merida’s first dizziness, Hiccup found her unconscious on the roadside and brought her to the church, marking the beginning of their acquaintance. After the DunBroch family was erased from existence, Hiccup was the only one who still remembered Merida. Through extensive research, he convinced Jack and Rapunzel that she had indeed existed and ultimately helped save the DunBroch family from destruction.

He met Rapunzel in the library and, after her tragic death on Guy Fawkes Night, received a letter from her written in the past. Following the letter’s instructions, he contacted Hiro, a genetic carrier he had never met, and learned there was a way to change history and prevent Rapunzel’s death.

At the age of 13, Hiccup experienced his first dizziness, traveling back to 18th-century England and calmly staying there for ten minutes. At 16, he officially became a member of the Blood Ring as the genetic carrier of Smoky Quartz.

Kozmotis Pitchiner Black

Count Kozmotis Pitchiner is the earliest ancestor of the Black family. His reputation and noble gentlemanly demeanor have been passed down through the centuries since the 17th century. Though the Black family is not large in number, it is one of the prominent families with both historical significance and royal lineage. Kozmotis is a descendant of the earliest gene carriers, making him born with a powerful time-jumping gene that other families do not possess. The strength of this gene not only allows him immunity to disease but also the ability to indefinitely extend his life. As a result, Kozmotis, by constantly altering his attire, manners, and name, has lived for hundreds of years since his birth in the 17th century. Even the Church has been deceived, unaware that “Pitch Black” is none other than Kozmotis Pitchiner himself.

It is said that the blood of twelve time travelers is required to unlock the closed loop of the “Timer,” which then releases energy capable of granting eternal life. While everyone believes Pitch stole the Timer to use this energy to destroy the Church and other families, in truth, he intends to return to the 17th century to save his daughter, who died of hemorrhagic fever. This secret is known only to Elsa. Since his coming of age in the 17th century, he has been a carrier of the Obsidian gene and officially became a member of the Blood Ring.

Elsa Menzel Arendelle

The Arendelle family is a distant relative of the Corona family. Although the family has no noble titles or connections, it is one of the wealthiest families in high society. Elsa was born in the 21st century in 2046, two years older than Rapunzel and Anna. She is Anna’s elder sister and Rapunzel’s cousin. Her original partner was Tadashi Hamada of the Hamada family. Elsa and Tadashi were pursuing Pitch back to 1666 when Tadashi perished in the Great Fire of London, which raged for four days and nights. His death was a severe blow to Elsa, leading her to shut herself off for a long time. Later, she secretly used the Timer to search for Pitch, intending to complete the mission Tadashi couldn’t. However, she was persuaded by Pitch and chose to follow him, assisting him in collecting the blood of twelve gene carriers.

At the age of 14, she experienced her first “dizziness” and traveled back to the 18th century, where she stayed for nearly two hours. At 16, she officially became a member of the Blood Ring as the Aquamarine gene carrier. At 19, after following Pitch, she was labeled a traitor by the Church. She attempted to return to the time before Tadashi’s death but discovered his fate was irreversible. Tadashi, accepting his fate, hoped Elsa would stop blaming herself. Later, Elsa was forgiven by Hiro and returned to the 18th century, where she lived out the final years of Hans’ life with him.

Anna Kristen Arendelle

Anna was born in the 21st century in 2048. She is Elsa’s younger sister and Rapunzel’s cousin of the same age. The Arendelle family is one of the rare families to have two gene carriers in the same generation. To protect Elsa and Anna, the family rarely allowed them to attend social gatherings with other families.

When Elsa experienced her first dizziness, Anna mistakenly believed the genetic defect was a disease. Later, when Elsa officially became the Aquamarine gene carrier, the family revealed that Anna was also a carrier. However, fearing the dangers of time travel, the family forbade Anna from participating in the Church’s training sessions. After Elsa defected to follow Pitch into the past, Anna demanded to join the training, vowing to personally bring Elsa back. At 17, Anna experienced her first dizziness and encountered Elsa and Pitch in the 19th century. At 18, she officially became a member of the Blood Ring as the Emerald gene carrier.

Hans Westergaard

The Westergaard family is a renowned lineage of winemakers, specializing in crafting fine wines for royalty since the 17th century.

Hans was born in the 18th century in 1744. He was the thirteenth and youngest son of the Westergaard family and the only gene carrier in his lineage. Despite being born into the family’s grand estate and his unique status, Hans was never valued by his parents or siblings, except for a close relationship with his closest-aged brother.

When Elsa first experienced dizziness and time-jumped to the Westergaard estate, Hans was 16 years old. He immediately recognized Elsa as a gene carrier. They shared many common topics, and Hans experienced true friendship for the first time during the two hours she stayed. At 17, Hans had his first dizziness and, at 18, became a Blood Ring member as the Diamond gene carrier.

Later, Hans attempted to use Elsa’s trust to seize the blood she collected for Pitch, driven by a deal proposed by Gothel. However, realizing Elsa was also deceiving him, he chose to stop working for Gothel and willingly gave Elsa his blood. Hans died during the Battle of Bunker Hill in middle age but left behind his treasured wine cellar as a gift for Elsa in the 21st century.

Violet Vowell Parr

Violet was born in the early 18th century, in 1703, as the eldest daughter of the third-generation Baron of the Parr family and the first gene carrier in the family. She is the partner and lover of Wilbur. From a young age, Violet knew she was a gene carrier, but she disliked this genetic defect, feeling it made her out of place in the normal world. After spending time with Wilbur, her perspective on herself and the world changed, and she became more confident, ultimately becoming his lover.

After Wilbur stole the Timer, Violet persuaded him to return it to the Church. Unaware that Elsa was also a gene carrier, Violet was tricked into giving her blood. Violet strictly distinguishes between the past, present, and future, believing the future is predetermined and accepting that one day she and Wilbur’s lives will end, albeit on different timelines. She was the first to discover Madam Gothel’s ambitions and wrote to the Church to warn them. At the age of 17, Violet officially became a member of the Blood Ring as the Amethyst gene carrier.

Penny Forrester

The Forrester family’s earliest ancestors date back to the 18th century.

Penny was born in the early 20th century, in 1908. In her youth, she immigrated with her parents to the United States during its Golden Age, where she gained minor fame in Hollywood. Penny was the second gene carrier born into the Forrester family since the 18th century. She learned she was a gene carrier during her teenage years and officially became a member of the Blood Ring at the age of 14 as the Morganite gene carrier.

At 14, during her first dizziness episode, she nearly died in the American Civil War before returning to London. With the Church’s help, she stabilized her time-jumping ability and returned to the United States. Her partner was Hiro, and despite the Church’s disapproval, she enjoyed asking him questions about the future. At 18, Penny was recalled to London and tasked with bringing Hiro back to the Church after he illegally used the Timer. However, she fell into Pitch’s trap and was imprisoned by him. After Madam Gothel’s secret was revealed, Penny joined forces with Hiro, Violet, and Wilbur to stop her plans.

Wilbur Robinson

Wilbur was born in the late 23rd century, in 2295, as one of the heirs to the Robinson family, a technological dynasty that developed from the 21st century to the 24th century. Wilbur was the first gene carrier in the Robinson family and Violet’s partner.

Wilbur knew from a young age that he was a gene carrier, but unlike his father, he lacked an aptitude for invention. After officially becoming a member of the Blood Ring, he believed time-jumping was the only thing he was good at. At 16, during his first dizziness episode, Wilbur jumped back to the 21st century, where he encountered a painting called “Violet,” which he found strange. At 17, he officially became a member of the Blood Ring as the Sapphire gene carrier.

At 18, Wilbur and Violet became lovers. Unable to accept that they lived in different centuries, he attempted to steal the Time Machine, mimicking Pitch. As punishment, the Church banned him from time-jumping or accessing the Time Machine. At 19, Wilbur saw the painting of Violet again in his own time and realized the person depicted was Violet. This realization triggered an unconscious time-jump back to her timeline. Hiro later discovered that Wilbur was the only gene carrier capable of precision time-jumping without a Time Machine. After training, Wilbur mastered this ability, which became the key to saving all Blood Ring members.

Hiro Hamada

Hiro was born in the late 23rd century, in 2296, as the younger brother of Tadashi Hamada, who was four years his senior. After Tadashi’s death, Hiro became the sole heir of the Hamada family.

Before Tadashi’s death, Hiro was unaware that he was a gene carrier. However, their birth dates (excluding the year) were identical, making Hiro one of the 12 gene carriers, and the inheritor of Tadashi’s gem. Hiro’s high intelligence allowed him to master all knowledge about gene carriers within a year. At 14, he officially became a member of the Blood Ring as the Tanzanite gene carrier.

Hiro illegally used the Time Machine to investigate Tadashi’s death and discovered it was no coincidence or accident. After discussing his findings with Violet and Wilbur, Hiro realized all events pointed to Pitch. While helping Wilbur train his unique abilities, Hiro saved Penny from Pitch’s trap. After reading a letter from Violet, the group discovered that Tadashi’s death and the conspiracy against gene carriers were orchestrated not by Pitch but by Madam Gothel.

Other Characters

Madam Gothel

Born in the 18th century, Madam Gothel was responsible for providing attire and tools for gene carriers within the Church. She coveted the Timer Machine’s power, which could grant eternal youth, and learned all its secrets. Knowing Pitch’s background, she planned to let him gather the blood of gene carriers, only to eventually take the immortality elixir from him.

To release the Time Machine’s power, the blood of 12 gene carriers was needed, along with the death of the final carrier. Mistakenly believing Tadashi to be the final carrier, Gothel orchestrated his death in a fire. However, the final carrier was actually Hiro, who shared Tadashi’s birthdate. Gothel lured future-born gene carriers to the 18th century on Guy Fawkes Night, aimed to kill Jack Frost but Rapunzel catches the bullet for him. She intend to eliminate all 12 carriers and their families to elevate her own.

Emily Jane

Emily Jane is a ghost who haunts Westminster School for Girls. Rapunzel, who can see Emily, befriends her. Emily has long black hair like Rapunzel but has forgotten much of her past after centuries of death. While investigating Pitch, Rapunzel hears the name “Kozmotis Pitchiner,” and Emily recalls that her surname is Pitchiner, realizing she is Kozmotis Pitchiner’s daughter.

Through Rapunzel, Emily conveys to Pitch that she has come to terms with her fate and urges him to do the same. Eventually, Pitch accepts his daughter’s wishes, drinks the immortality elixir to neutralize its effects, and becomes mortal. He and Elsa return to the 16th century, living out their days in London. Emily’s wish fulfilled, she no longer lingers in the mortal world.

[auras-moonstone]

could you write something about jack and shy!reader where they’re working on a romcom together and she’s very closed off with him bc she likes him and he’s always going to her trailer to hang out despite her being very quiet

okay so i may have reached a new level of cheesiness with this one shot but i kinda love it??? hope you do too🫶🏻💓

the tower at midnight — jack champion

word count: 2,394

pairing: jack champion x shy!fem!reader

summary: jack and y/n are working on a rom-com together. because of her shyness and crush on him, y/n is really closed off and jack is determined to change that.

WHEN Y/N AUDITIONED FOR THE ROLE OF ANNA IN THE NETFLIX ADAPTATION OF ANNA AND THE FRENCH KISS, she would’ve never ever—not even in her wildest dreams—imagined that the boy who played Étienne St. Clair (the love interest) would be Jack Champion, her celebrity crush.

Jack knew he had soft spot for her from the moment they met, at the cast presentation/meeting. Y/N had been standing awkwardly by the door because, just like him, she had arrived earlier than the rest.

“Hi, you must be Y/N” he gave her a wide smile, showing his perfect teeth and cute dimples. Y/N couldn’t believe he was even more perfect in person.

“Hi… yes” she shifted awkwardly. Her nostrils caught the scent of his strong and sweet cologne, and she instantly became addicted.

“I’m Jack! Nice to meet you! I’m really excited to be working with you” Jack’s voice was the complete opposite of hers—loud, excited, confident, steady.

“Thanks, me too” she sent him a soft smile, which was enough to send Jack’s heart beats on a marathon.

“It’s your first acting role, right?” he asked, interested in knowing more about the girl. Y/N nodded shyly. “Don’t worry. I’m sure you’ll do amazing! I know it can seem very intimidating, but you’ll be okay”.

“Thank you” Y/N smiled gratefully. She was completely entranced by him, by his kindness and by his warmth.

“What are you listening to?” he asked, eyeing the earphone that hung from my neck.

“Um, the Mamma Mia soundtrack” she replied, cheeks red as she offered him one of the earphones. He beamed at her, and accepted it. They both sat together in comfortable silence, humming to the ABBA songs as they waited for the rest of the cast.

JACK THOUGHT THAT BY THE PASSING DAYS, Y/N WOULD WARM UP TO HIM AT LEAST A LITTLE. But he had been totally wrong, she even became more reserved than the day they met.

He only heard her voice when they were doing a scene, and it was weird to see the contrast between them when they were playing Anna and Étienne—two friends who were clearly into each other—and the real Y/N and Jack—two people who didn’t interact at all behind cameras. It was like living two lives, and Jack liked what he felt with Y/N when they were doing a scene together. Her eyes held a certain spark when she looked at him, and she blushed so prettily and her soft voice was just so enthralling… she was a great actress and Jack was beginning to think he was really not acting the attraction towards her at all.

Little did he know, Y/N wasn’t acting either. She liked him, a lot, and wished she wasn’t so shy because she really wanted to spend more time with Jack when the cameras weren’t near them. But Y/N knew she would make a fool of herself, and would be extremely obvious about her feelings, and weirding Jack out by her little crush was the last thing Y/N wanted. So, she stayed in her own little bubble while she enjoyed his company during the interactions between Anna and Étienne.

But Jack was not going to let it stay like that. And, one day, after they finished a scene, he followed Y/N to her trailer.

“Hey, do you mind if I stay with you?” Jack asked as she opened the door.

Y/N looked surprised “No… it’s okay” she said in a low tone. Jack smiled and held the door open for her. “Thanks” she muttered, her stomach squirming. He really was perfect.

There wasn’t a conversation at all. And one might think that would’ve been awkward as hell, but it wasn’t. Y/N felt comfortable, and Jack enjoyed her company even when they didn’t talk at all. So they did the same the next day, and the following one, and soon it became their little religion.

Y/N wondered why he kept going—not that she minded, of course. But he could spend his free time with other cast members who actually talked to him, and instead Jack sat in complete silence with her for minutes, not even attempting to make a conversation. She couldn’t help but ask.

“Why do you do this?” her question surprised him, and he paused the game he was playing on his phone.

“What?” Jack asked confused.

“You know, sit with me everyday, when I’m the most boring person to hang out” her voice was little.

Because I like you, he was tempted to say. But he didn’t want her to run away “You’re not boring. Sometimes conversations are overrated, you know? And it feels nice to hang out with you, you make me feel at peace”.

Y/N blushed. No one had ever said that to her ‘make me feel at peace’. Most people left her alone when they got the memo that she didn’t want to talk. Jack didn’t. “I… feel the same about you. I’m comfortable with you, and it’s… funny to watch you furrow your eyes when you are struggling at your game” she admitted, letting out a small laugh.

Jack’s smile appeared almost as a reflect. She had no idea how much he liked her “And I think it’s funny how you squirm whenever a kissing scene comes up in your book”.

Y/N’s body grew hot. “I just like when the characters finally kiss. I get invested a lot”

“Have you read Anna and the french kiss before the adaptation was announced?” Jack asked.

The girl smiled, she loved talking about rom-coms. “Of course. It’s one of my favorite romances. In fact, it enters my top five”.

“Oh, let’s see. Tell me your top” he asked, moving to sit next to her.

“At number five, Kisses and croissants—which like Anna, is set on Paris—, then The Happy Place—it’s really heart wrenching but it’s so good—, The do-over—I love it, it’s very original—, Anna and the french kiss—I absolutely love the whole Paris exploration and the romance and friendship between Anna and St. Clair is impeccable… and then, my absolute favorite is-“

“Wait! Drumrolls” he interrupted her, before making the sound.

Y/N laughed “Better than the movies, of course. Best romance I’ve ever read”.

“Oh, I know that one! I’ve been fan casted as the main character” Jack said.

As if I didn’t know, she said internally. He was the perfect Wes Bennet, and now that she actually knew him, she couldn’t deny it. “I know” she confessed.

“Really? What do you think?”

“The fans clearly make a good point” she said. How was he getting her to talk so much? She never felt like that towards someone. When she was around Jack, she wanted to make conversation.

Jack saw how passionate Y/N was about books, so he hold onto that topic. He loved hearing her voice, and her enthusiasm. “Tell me about this character. I’ve never read the book”.

And so Y/N talked about Wes, about how similar he was to Jack. And said boy was on cloud nine, not only was Y/N talking to him, but he was complimenting him. Well, she complimented Wes, but she mentioned lots of times how he and Jack were literally the same person—so the compliments were towards him too, right? And he loved it.

THEIR DYNAMIC COMPLETELY CHANGED EVER SINCE THAT DAY ON THE TRAILER. Jack noticed Y/N had grown more comfortable and confident around him, though she did have moments of shyness—especially when he threw praises at her. That’s another thing that changed: Jack wouldn’t pass the opportunity to shower her with compliments. The first one had slipped out of his mouth, she just looked so gorgeous on that skirt and top, that he couldn’t shut up. At first, he cursed at himself thinking it was going to make her uncomfortable, but then she blushed and gave him a little smile and Jack knew he had to tell her at least one nice thing every day. He realized that flattering her was his favorite activity, and he was very addicted to her reactions.

Maybe it was all in his imagination, but he had the feeling that Y/N liked him back. The blushing, the glances, her little stiffness whenever he got too close—it could be just her shyness, he knew it, but the hopeful part of him told him it was more than that.

“Y/N/N?” he interrupted her reading. That was a new activity they had—Jack asked Y/N if she could read him ‘Better than the movies’, and she couldn’t say no when he pouted. So she read to him during their breaks at the trailer.

“Yes?” she looked down at her lap, where Jack’s head was resting.

“Are you doing something tonight?” he asked.

Y/N frowned “No, why?”

“I just realize, we are in Paris and we didn’t get to explore much. Just the places we have filmed at, and it sucks because it is such a beautiful city”

“So…?”

“Right. Well, I was wondering if you wanted to explore with me tonight. We leave the set earlier today, so it’s a great opportunity. We can have dinner, and then visit some touristic places” he tried to speak confidently, but he was practically screaming on the inside.

“Yes, that sounds really nice, actually” she nodded, not thinking much of it. Jack cursed at her calmness, guess she didn’t understand he was actually asking her on a date.

“Great. It’s a date” Jack said, paying attention to her reaction. Her jaw fell open, and the grip on the book loosened letting it fall to her lap—or Jack’s face to be exact. “Ouch!”.

“Shit. Shit. I’m so sorry, Jack” Y/N apologised, body turning warm with embarrassment.

“You could’ve just said no, you know? Didn’t have to hit me with your book” he joked.

“No, no. I want to… I want it to be a date” she said softly. “Did I hurt you?” she touched his nose carefully.

“Not anymore. The pain is now long forgotten” Jack said looking her in the eyes. She turned her head away, they were too close and he was making her extremely nervous “I love it when you blush, did you know that? I… I like you”

“I got the hint ever since you randomly started to tell me compliments every day” she confessed.

“So you knew that I liked you?” Jack asked surprised. She nodded shyly “Why didn’t you say anything?”

Y/N shrugged “I’m not good at making the first move”

“Well, I am” he smiled smugly, leaning closer to her. He was going to kiss her. She had even closed her eyes, waiting for the feeling of his lips. “No”

Y/N opened her eyes in confusion “What?”

“You like romance, don’t you?” Jack asked, she affirmed with her head “We are in one of the most romantic cities in the world and you’re a fan of romantic comedies. Wouldn’t it be a shame if we have our first kiss in a trailer when there are so many beautiful places where we could have it?” he left Y/N completely speechless. “I’ll pick you up at 8, gorgeous”.

Y/N swooned. This guy was taken out of a romantic novel, there’s no other explanation.

WALKING AROUND THE CITY OF PARIS WITH JACK FELT LIKE A FAIRYTALE. They bought a disposable camera and took pictures of everything—when they went to The Louvre, to Le arc de Triomphe, the Luxembourg Gardens. And now, they were at their final stop before heading back to the hotel. Of course, they had to end their little exploration with Paris’ most iconic monument—the Eiffel Tower.

“Holy shit” Y/N said in complete awe. It was completely dark—as it was midnight already—so the tower shone brightly. The warm flashing lights of the monument reflected on Y/N’s starry eyes and Jack was completely taken by the view—her, of course. “This is completely mesmerising, Jack”.

“I know” eyes never leaving her eyes.

“Excuse moi” the voice of an old woman interrupted them. Y/N turned around and smiled warmly at her. She asked something in french that Jack couldn’t understand, but Y/N nodded and took the phone the woman held in her hands.

Y/N took a picture of the lady in front of the tower, and smiled at her as she handed the phone back. The unknown female looked at Jack, who was watching them with a grin, and said something to Y/N that made her blush and laugh.

“What did she say?” Jack asked curiously when Y/N came back to his side.

“She said that you were very handsome and that we make a great couple” Y/N admitted, smiling lightly but not quite looking at him from embarrassment.

“That was a wise woman, then” Jack smirked. “I didn’t know you spoke french”

“I studied it at school, so I can speak it quite well” she told him.

“Can you say something to me in french?” he was dying to hear her voice in that accent.

Y/N turned around to face him and, with an air of confidence, she said “Tu es le plus beau garçon que J'ai jamais vu. Je t'aime beaucoup et je suis amoureuse de ton sourire et de tes beaux yeux”.

With his jaw almost reaching the floor, his eyes roamed from her eyes down to her mouth, completely bewitched by the sound of her voice and the movement of her lips. He didn’t recognise one word that she had said, yet his heart felt like jumping out of his chest.

“Wha-what does that mean?” he whispered breathlessly.

“I said… You’re the most beautiful boy I’ve ever seen. I like you very much and I’m in love with your smile and your beautiful eyes”

“And-and how do you say ‘Can I kiss you?’ in french?” he asked, fingertips caressing her full lips.

“Je peux t'embrasser?” she answered.

Jack smiled “Yes, of course you can”

Y/N laughed “Dork” she whispered before pressing her lips against his.

Y/N didn’t quite know how Jack manages to make her feel absolutely fearless. But she was in love with the feeling, she was so in love with him that she might stop breathing. She was in love with his cheeky smile, his sweet disposition, his understanding self, his silly jokes, his touch and his loving gaze, and now, one hundred percent, with his kisses.

“I’m in love with you too” Jack said against her lips.

[theeamazingl]

tryna write a historical fiction au w/ jack x anna fic but there's not much info of norwegian culture in 1840 😭

[equallyshaw]

back to you | quinn hughes

✿ word count: 4.3k ✿ warnings: mention of slight body shaming and emotional/mental abuse. ✿ the early timeline is a bit sketch, ignore it pls lol ✿ french is italsized. ✿ masterlist.

cecille miller and quinn hughes met years ago at a toronto prep school for athletes, both bonding over having two other siblings and all three of them being involved in the same sport. cecille had been competing for the last 5 years in figure skating all across the world, in singles by the time they had met. while quinn was on his way two years later for team usa, back home in the states. by the time quinn had left, she was on the verge of cementing a spot on team canada for the 2018 Olympics just a few short years later. the last time they saw one another, cecille had been preparing for worlds in 2016. the olympics was the last time he had seen her - not to mention everybody.

after a coach who had abused her mentally and emotionally for years, over her physical appearance and how she was 'too' soft; she was ready to untie her skates and place them on a desolate shelf in the garage, which was a step up from the garbage can. her gold medal followed suit. after the olympics she enrolled in trinity college in toronto, which is by far the smallest college in the city with a focus on psychology with a minor in writing. hoping to one day bring an emphasis to sports psychology in the world of skating, albeit it in hockey or figure skating, and bring more awareness to how mentally exhausting it can be. and the physical aspect it has on the body. now two years out from graduation, she was on her way to new york to begin a position with the new york knicks. after completing a sports psychology internship with massachuest general hospital; which is considered one of the top hospitals in the country, all the while co-publishing a study on the stress of an athlete. she had reached the ceiling of figure skating, shattered it- and hoped to do the same in her field.

it was another hot and humid evening in the city, this early october. the season had just begun for the nba and cecille had loved and thoroughly enjoyed getting to see it up close and personal. she saw the game in a different light now, and adored seeing it through the eyes of the athletes. even through the ugly and not-so-pretty moments. as the team's junior sports psychologist, she found herself being a shoulder to lean on and vent to more than anything. she found herself becoming a confidant for the rookies and younger ones, as she could relate to the world around them in more ways than one.

as she stood off the back behind the player's bench, she saw one of those said rookies sitting down frustrated and defeatedly. the head and senior teams psychologist look towards her, and gave her a nod. as if to say, 'this is it kid.' she nodded towards the middle-aged man, before walking towards the end of the bench as the time out proceeded. she kneeled in front of him as the players head hung low with a towel on it. he had made a huge error just minutes prior and was benched because of it. although she didn't agree with the coach just pulling him out, she could understand why. her and player spoke in hushed voices for about 45 seconds before the player took off the towel and gave her a small smile. she gave him a small wink before standing up and giving a quick fist bump to another player who then bent over to talk to the younger player. cecille quickly walked back towards the players entrance to the lockerroom and stood across from her boss. he gave her a big smile before looking back at the game.

unbeknownst to her, jack was at the game with a few teammates and had seen the whole thing, along with quinn who was home in vancouver. the eldest watching as the camera panned over to her and the rookie, with the commentators speaking about how the 'golden girl' from toronto canada had come to work with them after 5 years of study. jack caught the tail end of the conversation between the two and couldn't believe she'd shown up in their lives at the oddest moment. cecille + basketball? who'd a thought! jack promised quinn that if given the opportunity, he'd find a way to see her. after all, he wanted to find out all he could on the girl, who his older brother had never stopped thinking of.

✿

jack never ended up getting the opportunity to see the now soft redhead. cecille headed back up to vancouver for a bachelorette party for a childhood friend, who too had moved to the states like cecille. she had just entered the luxury hotel - farmont pacific rim - where the party would be staying at. instead of going to her room right away, she opted for a coffee at the coffee bar and a chocolate muffin. she had had a red eye from dallas, and had gotten into vancouver around 6:47 am. quickly typing away on her phone, responding to an email about a private meeting for a player on the team - she had not realized who had walked up next to her at the bar. she pressed send, before placing her phone down and bringing her iced americano up to her pale lips. god, she was exhausted. her schedule allowed little time for rest and knew this weekend would end up biting her in the ass- but she couldn't pass up a childhood friend's weekend, that girl had been there for so much at this point. through cecilles early career, her peak, retirement, and now post-grad.

cecille sipped some more of her iced drink, before setting it back down. the young man spoke to the barista about what they wanted.

cecille's phone dinged a few times with texts and an email alert, she sighed turning off the ringer. as she did so, she took a not so subtle glance to her right, taking a peek at the man beside her. who now, sat down two seats from her. black hair - newly damp - curled right above their eyebrows, a soft spec now formed on the chin and a freshly stitched finger pushed away the hair. that only a hockey player could have, i might add.

curiosity got the best of her, and she peeked a little longer before a set of hazel eyes looked up at her.

she instantly choked on her own spit, and looked away quickly. that couldn't be who she thought it was right? she sipped some of her drink before covering her eyes with her hands, already knowing it was who it was. "you okay?" he questioned, not realizing it was her. yet. "just peachy." she hummed, feeling her cheeks turn molten, her heartbeat begin to pound and her hands becoming warm. "just fantastic." she mumbled before her phone began to ring from the other side of the coast. her mother.

"hi mum, whats up?" she questioned in a quebec accent, that she picked up years ago from when she'd visited her mom's family there. her mum wanted to check in and see how she was doing, and if she'd gotten to the hotel alright. she confirmed and then turn towards quinn who took the hot coffee from the barista, "and you wouldn't believe who sits next me." she teased in english, as quinn looked towards her. his eyes widened in confirmation, her shade of icy blue eyes and freckle right above her right eyebrow confirmed it. her mother questioned who it was, and she responded with, "remember drama quinn?" (pronounced queen) and her mum laughed. a term laced with adoration and childlike humor, a nickname jack had coined years ago back in the suburbs of toronto. cecille promised to call her when she got back to manhattan, before the two ended the call.

"cecille florence.." he murmured under his breath and she nodded with a small smile, "wha- why are you here? what have you been up to?" he questioned in disbelief sitting down in the high-top chair next to hers. her pale by-nature cheeks turned light blush as she smiled. "im here for a bachelorette party. member livie?" she questioned and he nodded in confirmation, "well she's getting married next summer and she had time off to travel here and i just so happened found time as well." cecille explained with a slight shrug. he nodded, trying to form a question while she sipped her coffee. "oh! i saw you work for the knicks, right? how'd you end up there?" he questioned in genuine curiosity. she nodded, "after spending two years at Massachusetts general - top hospital in the country, i got the opportunity to become a junior sports psychologist for them after they read the study i co oversaw and wrote a journal on. after a brief interview, they offered it to me." she said with a glint in her eye. a familiar one to quinn, and one he saw regularly when she spoke about skating.

"how long did you know you wanted to work in sports psychology?" he questioned with a hint of softness, not knowing why she retired. she shifted in her seat a bit, "it wasn't until after the olympics, and when i came home. i knew i wanted to go to college just wasn't sure in what. took a bit before the winter deadline and everything that i had gone through up to that point, and decided on psychology. in hopes that i help somebody like the little girl in me needed, if that makes sense?" she explained with a slight giggle and to which, quinn nodded. "ofcourse ofcourse..but uh, what exactly was that? if you don't mind me asking." he said trying to gauge her reaction. "i never verbalized it until i retired, but my coach was extremely toxic. him and his assistant, always made sure i felt less than, that i always had an extra pound to lose or that i was too soft for the competition world. and once i won gold, i knew i was done. everything i had worked for paid off, but was it worth all the pain? that's something ill forever think about, but i wanted to pursue a study that would give me the ability to be a positive voice in a sport. at the end of the day." she finished and quinn sat back in marvel and in thought.

"for starters..im sorry you went through that. that should have never happened, and im sorry for never recgonizing it." he began, "but im glad that skaters up and coming could possibly learn from you and lean on you as a possible support system." he said with a small smile and she mirrored it. "thankyou q, what about you? what have you been up to? im sorry, i lost track after olympics. kinda dropped off that face of the earth." she mused with a slight blush. he waved her off, "no you are fine! well after being in michigan for two years, my family all moved over and then i got drafted to the NHL before playing for michigan for two seasons. and then headed off to vancouver. and now which, im the captain of." he said with the same slow - humble tone he'd always had. so unlike his brother, jack.

"thats so exciting q!! im so happy for you, you deserve it all. but yeah, i remember my mom saying something about you guys moving back to the states, a year before the olympics. how did you all adjust?" she inquired before sipping her drink. quinn chuckled, "jack thrived. absolutely thrived, loved it. luke, had a little bit of a harder time before adjusting well, and then me? well, i missed you guys a lot. i missed school, club, and the neighborhood friends i had. but after a while, hockey took all my time." he said shrugging, and that made her smile sadly. "im sorry q. i promise we missed you too." she said placing her left hand on his right, which was resting on the counter. the two of them looked down at it before she pulled it back.

as soon as quinn was about to speak, her phone began to ring. her eyes broke away from his to see livie's name pop up. she quickly accepted and brought her phone to her ear, "ill be there shortly!" she said before hanging up. she locked her phone, took one last sip of the iced drink and then looked over at quinn, who seemed to be hanging on the edge of his seat to speak. "well, it was great seeing you quinn but i must get upstairs to see liv." she said wrapping up her chocolate muffin. quinn nodded apprehensively as she stood up, a solemn look laced his features. "wh-can i see you again?" he questioned, standing up as she was turning towards the elevators. she stopped in her spot, before looking back at him. "id really like that, q." she hummed before smiling widely. "number the same?" he questioned and she nodded, "see you soon." he said with a slight nod and smile.

as she walked out of the elevator, she was met with livie standing in front of her. "oh hi." cecille said throwing her arms around her best friend. "eeee hi!" livie returned the favor, before pulling back. "wait! was that quinn who i saw at the bar with you?" she quickly questioned and cecille nodded, giving livie a opprurtunity to laugh wickedly.

✿

december rolled around when vancouver finally visited new jersey to square off against the hughes duo. and when the infamous ellen hughes found out about quinn seeing cecille in person, she made jack foot the bill as the host to get her ticket so she could sit with the family. so now cecille found herself walking into the arena with a vancouver shirt she found off of etsy, dark washed blue jeans, white sneakers, and a winter jacket on. ellen was waiting outside of the family box the boys had gotten, and as soon as she saw cecille step out of the elevator, she quickly made her way over to the girl.

"mrs hughes!" cecille said in surprise as ellen wrapped her arms around the smaller girl, before letting out some giggles. "its so good to see you my sweet girl! how are mum and dad?" ellen spoke warmly pulling away an arms length. "they're good! they actuallymoving to quebec after new years." she responded with a small smile, "how have you been? mr hughes?" she questioned. "call us ellen and jim sweetie, but we've been good! come on, lets get to our seats and we'll catch up." ellen smiled wrapping an arm around the girl's shoulder and walked them to the box.

the two were in a deep conversation when the boys came out for the anthem and puck drop. "y'know he hasn't stopped talking about you since you guys reconnected." ellen said looking over at the girl, as cecille eyes went back and fourth trying to find quinn. "really?" cecille said turning to meet her eye, and she knew ellen was telling the truth.

"it's great you guys have been catching up, it was rather hard for q to leave toronto. let alone leave us. he really struggled in the beginning, leaving all of you guys and school behind." she began to explain as cecille looked back out to instantly find him, "he loved being there, as did we. but you were the first friend he made out there and leaving you, was the hardest thing he had to do." ellen finished, without saying the words; but they were soulmates. either platonically or not. regardless, it was the type of friendship that leaves an imprint on you and a lasting impression. "and then you disappearing was devastating for him, hun." she added and cecille could feel the tear forming in her eyes.

leave it to ellen for always telling the truth, and being 100% honest. she had always loved that about her, but this? god, she could just about die at this moment.

"oh, wow." cecille said breathlessly, still in shock.

"you didn't know?" ellen questioned softly, and cecille shook her head no.

that's why he was so gungho on taking her out to dinner after the game, ellen thought.

"well im sure he'll tell you at some point." ellen said trying to diffuse the situation a bit as she gave cecille a small shoulder squeeze, before turning towards the ice.

cecille felt hands at her shoulders, and turned to look up to see jimmy. jimmy sat down, and the two now caught up with each other.

✿

after the canucks came out on top, cecille found herself sitting off to the side of the family box; deep in her thoughts. her foot shook as she crossed her leg over the other, looking out onto the now deserted ice. truth be told, her thoughts had been eating away at her for the entirety of the game. she felt hands for the second tonight on her shoulders, jerking her out of her thoughts. cecille jumped in her seat, before turning around to jack who had the wickedest grin on his face. "jesus fuck, jack." she said bringing a hand to her chest before smiling. jack opened his arms wide for the smaller girl and as soon as they hugged he spun her around. "goldie! how have you been?" he asked setting her down, and she softly smiled. "I've been pretty good!" she said modestly, and jack shook his head. "you work for the fucking knicks, that's fucking awesome!" he said not sparing niceties, to which she only laughed. "alright jacky, let me hug her." luke said walking over and cecilles eyes widened at how tall he was. he bent over and gave her a tight hug, before pulling away.

"who allowed you to get so tall?!" she said laughing with jack, "oh believe me, im pissed!" jack said pushing luke's shoulder. luke could only laugh, before turning around at hearing quinn's name.

"sorry about the game guys, you guys played wonderful." she said as they looked towards her, but they waved her off. "we all know why he was on his a - game tonight, don't we moose?" jack spoke turning towards luke, who took a second to register his comments but then profusely nodded. quinn quickly scanned the room of friends and family for the golden girl, and as soon as his eyes landed on her short self - a smile appeared on his face.

he made his way over and stopped in between his brothers, who were conversing with her. "q!" cecille said with a wide smile, "congrats on the win." but quinn couldn't hear her over the fact that she was wearing a vancouver canuck shirt. "quinnie." jack said under his breathe, alerting the eldest one. "oh yeah, thanks!" quinn said a bit flustered before looking up at cecille. "ofcourse! i was uh just telling the boys that i was actually on my way out for the evening. i have to be at the practice gym early tomorrow." she said a bit sad. quinn nodded not registering her words fully, "you sure you don't want to come to dinner with us?" luke asked and she gave him a small frown. "i wish i could, but i cannot. besides, i gotta get back to feed my cat her meds." she said with a slight shrug, "what if you and i go grab something quick?" quinn suggested quickly, and cecille knew she could not pass this up. "something quick, alright?" she confirmed and quinn nodded.

✿

the night ended rather too quickly for quinn, and without explaining his full feelings for the girl. leaving her rather confused and ponderd on where they stood. as the seasons winded down for the both of them, cecille got a text from jack asking if she wanted to visit the lake house for memorial day weekend. cecille accepted the invitation and was now just getting out of the uber.

"cecille!" she heard ellen's unmistakable voice from the front door, as she thanked the driver for the ride. "so good to have you with us!" ellen said jogging down the driveway to give her a hug. "who all is here?" cecille asked, as the two turned to walk up. "a lot of the boys friends from the program, college and their teams. you remember the tckachuk boys?" ellen questioned and cecille laughed whole heartedly, "how could i forget them? they're very hard to forget." she mused as jimmy opened the front door. "hi!" cecille beamed, giving jimmy a quick hug before he took her suitcase and carry on bag.

"i think the boys are all outside on the deck coo-" ellen was cut off by who walked in through the back door, and cecille turned to see who walked in. "cecille?" quinn asked as his eyebrows furrowed in confusion before he looked back at jack who was in the middle of telling a very animated story. "let me guess." quinn stated causing cecille to laugh, as she realized what jack had done. he invited her without quinn knowing, as a surprise.

"when is he not up to something?" she teased as he set down his drink before pulling her in for a hug.

they pulled apart, and turned away from one another as ellen walked up. "dad and i are gonna run to the store to grab some things, ok? please text us if you want anything, cecille!" ellen said walking past them with her purse. cecille nodded giving them both a small wave, before turning back towards quinn.

"you two get out here!" jack yelled, as she popped his head through the sliding door. quinn rolled his eyes, before jack shut the door.

quinn sighed turning back towards cecille with a smile, "would you wanna i don't know, hang out later? just the two of us?" he asked a bit nervously, and cecille nodded. "i could take you out on the boat?" he clarified and she smiled, "that'd be really nice q."

✿

later on in the evening nearing 11 o'clock, after hours of stolen glances and private smiles, the two found themselves out on the boat. cecille stood up at the front of the boat, as quinn watched on from the drivers seat. the night sky clear of fog and any clouds, allowed for the stars to be out in full force tonight. cecille turned a bit back towards quinn and smiled, in which he mirrored.

"watcha thinking about?" he questioned as she walked back towards him and sat down on the couch across from the drivers seat. truth be told, ellen's words from 5 months ago had been circulating all night. and now, they were even worse. she shook her head, bringing her knee to rest her chin on. quinn watched her body begin to tense, something he'd always been able to do back in their early teen years. "you can tell me anything, cille." he offered softly and she nodded in acknowledgment. as she toyed with how she wanted to approach the subject, she sighed.

"when i came to the game, your mom was very honest and open about you and your...feelings." she paused turning her lips inward as she bit the inside of her cheeks. "how..honest?" he asked full of anxiety before she could finish. cecille looked up and met his gaze, "forget i said anything." she said standing up and walking to the back end of the boat, with her arms crossed. "no, don't do that cecille. just tell me, please." he pleaded following her. she shook her head, as he turned her around to face him. "cille, what did my mom say?" he asked placing hands on both sides of her face and making her look up at him. "she spoke of how-how difficult it was for you to leave, and that it was even harder watching me disappear from the world. trust me! i didn't want to disappear but i had to, i wanted to close that chapter of pain and trauma and in turn, i shut you and everybody else completely." she began as tears began to form in her eyes. quinn shook his head as he wiped his thumb softly against her cheek, as he sniffled. she shook her head, "it was hard for me as well, watching you leave and then life got in the way. but i had planned and hoped to reconnect after the olympics but things just didn't work out as i had planned. i didn't feel like myself and didn't want to put myself through any unnecessary pain." she explained, before sniffling.

he shook his head, "i would have never said or done anything to make you feel any less than cille - i promise....but my mom is such a blabber mouth my god." he said pausing to chuckle, and in turn made her giggle.

on the verge of tears, he spoke, "my god, it was so hard to leave you. you were right behind my family, i almost didn't go because i didn't want to leave them. but i knew i was supposed to leave, and through it all- through everything I've always kept the belief that we'd meet again, somewhere in life we'd come together again. i always knew i'd come back to you, cille." he said through tears of his own now.

cecille felt herself on the verge of tears as she pulled him in for a kiss, one they'd thought about for years at that point, and how it would feel.

it felt even sweeter than originally anticipated.

quinn lifted her up and twirled her around, before breaking the kiss. the two looked at one another before quinn broke out into laughter, and it was contagious.

"i just know jacks about to have a field day." he said and that made cecille laugh loudly as well.

she knew it to be true.

im sorry it was so long lol

but i hope you enjoyed!!!

please like and reblog if you liked (:

[sirlancenotalot]

[venusssus]

We fucked up as a society and I’m very tired of 2023 and not being able to ship my favourite ships anymore, like a character not eveyone loves, having my own opinion.

When I say I ship Helsa people go INSANE. Not only they tell me I’m weird and crazy but sometimes also give me death threats. Once I left a comment on tiktok saying : „I dont ship elsamaren but I love your edits!” And then this girl checked my account and saw Hans/Helsa tiktoks and texted me : „Kill yourself honestly, you homophobic idiot”.My question is WHY? Why am I being called a homophobe when I’m not? And Why Can’t I ship Helsa? Is it killing people?Am I hurting innocent kids because of it? Setting World on fire? AM I FORCING YOU TO LIKE THIS SHIP? ABSOLUTELY FUCKING NOT.

I don’t ship Elsamaren and Jelsa, I don’t think they have chemistry at all. I love Hans with Elsa and in my eyes they have the greatest tension and chemistry. But — Let me surprise you now…This is my own preferance! My point of view! My opinion! MINE.

[annaelizabethhenry1]

Echoes from the Past - Chapter 3

Apologies for the long delay in posting this chapter, but the holidays and end of year work stuff was such a huge time drain. Hope the wait was worth it! If you've missed the earlier chapters you can find chapter one here

Chapter Three

All hushed and still within the house Without – all wind and driving rain But something whispers to my mind Through rain and through wailing wind                                             Never again Never again? Why not again? Memory has power as real as thine                                                  - Emily Brontë

David Cartwright woke early, blinking and attempting to bring the dim room into focus. He reached over to his left to grab his glasses off the nightstand. Finally, after putting them on things came into view. His heart sank. This wasn’t home. Yes, there was a wardrobe of his things and his favourite slippers were on the floor next to this bed, but this was an institution. A place to tuck away a problem you didn’t want to deal with anymore. Sighing, he reached for the picture frame on the night table. It was of him and River taken a few years ago almost around the time he began his training for MI-5. Rose would’ve been proud, but concerned. She always chided David for training River since he was a boy, but he couldn’t help it. They boy was sharp and was good at being stealthy, all qualities he’d need to be successful.

Smiling, David thought back to around the time River’s tenth birthday. While he couldn’t remember a damn thing from yesterday, he still remembered things like this so vividly. How the day was unseasonably warm for late April and how bright the sun shone on their walk to the village to pick up some things for Rose and the cake she was baking especially for River’s birthday in a couple of days.

“So young man, you’re going to hit double digits soon. Excited?”

River nodded and smiled. “Yeah, it’s so cool. Next thing you know I’ll be old enough to drive!”

“Ha! That’s not for a while, my boy. Though if you get a good grade on that maths test this week maybe I’ll let you sit in the driver’s seat to see how it feels and I can explain all the levers and knobs.”

“Really?” River asked excited at the prospect of feeling more grown-up.

“Yes, really.”

Once at the market, David nudged River, “What did I teach you?”

“Take the whole space in. Notice everything, don’t have tunnel vision,” River answered.

“Excellent. What have you noticed so far?”

“There’s a man over there stealing grapes by eating them to the left. Ms. Hamilton is busy gossiping at the register to our neighbour Mrs. Farley and it looks like the rolls in the bin are leftovers from yesterday since there are hardly any left.”

“Very good.  Anything else?”

“The butcher is chatting up that young woman with the little girl in the trolley.”

“Perfect!” David said smiling brightly. 

They picked up the groceries from the shop and came in through the side door nearest the stairs and heard Rose talking to someone.

“Rose? We’re back.”

“Oh, excellent, David. There’s a special guest in the kitchen for River.”

River looked at his grandfather, David shrugged.

They entered the kitchen together to find Isobel sitting at the table which caused his heart to sink. He hoped she wasn’t here to take River away. He had promised Rose he’d never allow it, but then he wasn’t yet attached to the boy. David loved River with every fibre of his being. River was his whole world along with Rose.

“River! You’re so tall!” Isobel said smiling and looking up at him from her chair.

River just stood there with a confused look on his face.

Isobel got up and went over to him to give him a hug which he didn’t fully return. David could tell River was wary, as well he should be under the circumstances. She might be his daughter, but he was disappointed with her as a mother. It took full year for them to bring River around, make him feel comfortable and safe and loved. Now she decided to show up unannounced and make a muck of things. 

David looked to Rose who shot him a worried look.

“Yes, well boys do shoot up when they’re growing, Isobel. It’s been three years,” David said.

“I know. How’s my chap?”

“Fine.” River said shyly avoiding his mother’s eyes.

“Well that’s not the welcome I expected.”

David and Rose looked at each other again knowingly.

“Sorry, mum. I…wasn’t expecting you.”

“I thought I’d surprise you for your birthday!”

River looked less than pleased. David knew that because he could see the look in his eyes change from happy content boy to the scared and cautious one that arrived on his doorstep three years ago.

“Isobel has just returned from Malta. She’s thinking of coming back to England, David,” Rose said.

“Oh, really. Well I’m surprised you would want to given you enjoy living aboard so much in the warmer climes,” David said glaring at Isobel.

“Yes, well I’m not certain yet on what I want to do next, but I thought it would be nice to see River,” Isobel said stroking River’s arm affectionately.

River shrunk back from her touch. David could tell River wanted to retreat to his grandmother’s side for protection as he eyed her, but all Rose could do was smile back at River.

“Why don’t you take your mum to see your room, River. I’m sure she’d like to see it,” David suggested.

River of course obliged and took his mother upstairs.

“What the devil is she doing here, Rose?”

“I don’t know. She showed up in a taxi with some luggage. I was stunned,” Rose said getting up from the kitchen table.

“You had no idea?”

“No, she only sends River postcards and letters. I had no clue. Maybe she’s run out of money”

“Well if she has, I’ll gladly give her some to get her out of here. Did you see how unsettled River looked?”

“Yes.”

“Like you said Rose, he’s ours now. She’s no good for him. “

Rose nodded.

Later that evening after a very strained dinner, David took Isobel to the side while Rose did the washing up and River went upstairs to get ready for bed.

“Isobel you can’t have River back.”

“What? He’s my son.”

“You left him here with hardly anything one afternoon to run off to Spain with a man who is now long forgotten. I promised your mother, he stays here.”

“No. I want another chance.”

“Isobel you had your chance. He’s our boy now. You forfeited your rights that day.”

“Mum would never agree,” Isobel said.

“Yes, I would,” Rose said re-entering the room, drying her hands on a tea towel. “You abandoned him on our doorstep and haven’t seen him in three years. You don’t get to pick him up like a toy you suddenly want to play with again. He’s a sweet and loving boy who deserves more than your half-hearted interest. He doesn’t need you to discard him again when you get bored of him. He deserves more.”

“Rose is right Isobel. By all means spend time with him here, but I will not allow you take him,” David said.

While River was quite good at remaining unseen his grandfather spied him peering from around the corner towards the end of the conversation and River darted off when he had been ‘made’.

Late that night after everyone was in bed, River went downstairs as the fire in the study still blazed and his grandfather sat in the near dark room, clutching a crystal tumbler.

In a small voice River said, “Grandad?”

David turned to see River clad in his cosy flannel pyjamas with no slippers – better for creeping about soundlessly which River had achieved. “Yes, my boy.”

“I want to stay here with you and Nan.”

“Of course, you do and you will. I’m sorry you overhead that business earlier. I saw you lurking.”

“I should’ve hidden better.”

“You were upset and not thinking. But do remember there may be a time when you’re emotional and have to keep your head,” David said.

“Yes, I know. When it’s important I won’t let you down, Grandad.”

David smiled. “I know you won’t, River.”

And when it did matter River didn’t let David down.

“He came for me that night…he made it better...” David mumbled as the past merged with the recent present.

David’s heart swelled. He did train River well and he did make him proud no matter what the Park thought of his grandson. He was too good even for them.

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

River woke slowly Saturday morning, blinking as the room came into focus, a sliver of light peeped through the curtains in the middle. He moved to get up but his head throbbed. “Ugh,” he said plopping his head back down on the feather pillow. He glanced over at the night table with the empty whisky bottle and glass, the evidence of his solo drinking stint and his pounding head. River rubbed his eyes and yawned. He had to pull himself together. He was in dire need of aspirin and coffee.

Still in his clothes from yesterday, he hoisted himself from his grandparents’ bed. The contents of the box strewn about him. He staggered to the loo and was about to go in when knocking on the door left him groaning. Who would be here so early? The knocking continued. “Coming!” River shouted.

Bounding down the stairs as quick as his aching head would allow, he ripped open the door to find a surprised looking Catherine Standish holding a box of pastries. “Catherine?” River asked.

“River did you just wake up?”

“Yeah.”

“It’s after eleven in the morning.”

“Shit – is it? I was up late and fell asleep going through some stuff.”

“It smells more like you were going through a bottle.”

“Yes, I had a little something to drink.”

She cocked her head, staring up at him with her laser vision eyes, assessing him. “Judging by the state of you, I’d say it’s not a little. Let me make you some coffee.”

River extended his arm welcoming her into the house. As she’d been here before she knew where the kitchen was located and went straight to work. He wondered what Nan would have made of Catherine. She’d like that she was tidy and considerate and well organized if nothing else.

“Why don’t you get freshened up while I make you breakfast. It’ll help.”

River nodded, went upstairs to shower and change and popped some pain tablets. True to her word when he returned to the kitchen Catherine was sliding scrambled eggs onto a plate and he could smell coffee brewing. “Everything smells great. Thank you, Catherine,” he said shyly not making eye contact with her.

Catherine smiled. “Of course. This is such a hard time for you River. I want to help. Eat up before it gets cold,” She urged. “I’ll tidy upstairs.”

Shit, he hadn’t tried to hide the whisky bottle as he didn’t think she’d go upstairs. “Catherine you don’t have to!” he shouted as she went up the steps.

“No, it’s fine I don’t mind!” she shouted back.

River felt uncomfortable. He didn’t want to let yet another person down, especially after she pulled him to the side a few weeks ago realizing he had been coming to work hungover a little too often. Catherine warned him this is how drinking problems started. He sighed and dug into his eggs and once done poured himself coffee and one for her as well.

“River really?” Catherine held up the empty whisky bottle in one hand.

“I know. I don’t know how it happened. I was looking through all those things in the box and time got away from me and I fell asleep.”

“More like passed out. Do you want to be like Lamb? That’s where I see this heading, River!” Catherine chucked the whisky bottle in the recycle bin and it made an angry sound as it hit bottom. She huffed over to clean the crystal glass he had used last night at the sink.

“I made you some coffee,” River offered as he brought both his empty plate and a steaming mug to her.

“Thank you,” she grabbed the plate and fork and cleaned them vigorously.

“I am sorry. I had no intention of drinking that much last night. I found that box and it upset me and just brought so much back…” River said making eye contact this time.

Catherine put the plate and fork in the drainer on the sink. “I saw the things strewn across the bed. Did you make those for your grandparents?”

“Yes. I was surprised they saved all of it. Grandad never seemed sentimental.”

“Sometimes we can know people our whole life and never really know who they are because they don’t want to show us their true selves because they are afraid it will make them look weak.”

River broke in that moment. He’d never heard anything truer spoken about his grandfather. Months of dealing with his grandad and the fallout with his father and his mother’s lack of responsiveness about everything came washing over him in that bright, sunny kitchen at that very moment. He began to sob uncontrollably.

“Oh, River,” Catherine said putting the mug down she had only just accepted a moment before. She didn’t know what else to do but to embrace him. “Come here,” she put her arms around him and let him have a good cry. He had no one else and she was glad to be useful and supportive. She needed to save him from the demons that were creeping into his life where he thought drinking was the only answer.

After a couple of minutes, River broke away, “God, I’m so sorry, Catherine.” River wiped his face with the back of his hand. His blue eyes as sad as ever and so very bloodshot.

“No, don’t be sorry. We’re friends and friends support each other. Now, why don’t you freshen up and I’ll have my coffee and maybe we can go visit your grandfather?”

“Yeah, that would be great,” River turned to leave the kitchen, but turned back around. “Thank you for coming Catherine – you’re a real-life saver.”

Catherine smiled all the way to her eyes, she succeeded and made a difference and hopefully saved River. “Glad I could be here for you, River.”

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

River pulled up to the care home. Catherine got out of River’s car and grabbed her pastries from the backseat. They walked up the path and into the care home together and River lead her through to where the day room was but he didn’t see his grandfather. He spotted Orla helping a resident with her needlepoint.

“Orla, sorry but where’s my grandad?” he asked.

“Oh, River, hi…is this your…” Orla began as she looked over at Catherine.

“This my friend, Catherine. She knows my grandad. She looked after him recently,” River replied, cutting Orla off from assuming who Catherine was to him.

“Oh. He’s in his room. I think the stimulation in the common rooms are too much for him. Sylvie said he seemed better this morning and even asked for you,” Orla replied with a warm smile.

“Would you like a pastry?” Catherine offered.

“No, I’m good. I do appreciate it, though. I have some homemade shortbread waiting for me during my tea break.”

River smiled and motioned for Catherine to follow him.

“She’s a lovely young woman,” Catherine said as River guided her down the hallway towards David’s room.

“Yeah, she’s nice and seems to care a lot for the residents from what I can tell so far. Let’s hope he still wants to see me as things weren’t great yesterday when I left.”

“Sadly, that’s normal for someone with his condition. I hope I don’t upset him. I am worried about that as I’m not tied to the best memories he’s had,” Catherine said furrowing her brow and looking up at River.

“Nah, last time he saw you he seemed fine,” River said as he paused and peeped into his grandad’s room to find him in the chair by the window, practically where he left him yesterday but at least this time he had a book.

River knocked on the doorframe. “Grandad?” River said expectantly.

“Oh, River, my boy! That woman said you’d come and you did!” David smiled brightly at River who returned the gesture.

River crouched down to give his grandad a hug. He looked into his eyes when he pulled away and saw that old, familiar glimmer. He was cognizant for the time being which lifted River’s heart. He hoped it would last the whole visit. “Grandad, I brought Catherine. You remember her from when she looked after you.”

“Hi David, you stayed at my flat.”

“Oh, yes. You were with Lamb and Big Sam. How is Sam? I could always depend on him”

“Umm, David…” Catherine began.

“He used his flight fund to get away. Lamb got a postcard from him recently,” River lied. He wanted to spare his grandfather being the cause of Sam’s death. Plus, no need to change the tone of the visit unnecessarily.

“Hope it’s somewhere warm and tropical for his sake,” David said with a smile.

River wondered if there was a hell and if so, if people like Sam ended up there. He forced that thought from his mind given all the things he managed to get himself into since Slough House. “I’d tell you but I’d have to kill you!”

David chuckled at the old line he would tell River when he was too young to hear some of the more alarming spy stories David and the others at MI5 got up to back in the day.

A couple hours passed, including David having lunch and the pair even playing chess. David conceded that River could learn a lot from Catherine’s skills at the chessboard as she was a superior player. As the visit began to wind down River worried his grandfather would get upset when he left, as he always did as he wanted to go home with him.

“Knock, knock,” Orla said popping into the room, smiling.

“Oh, hey,” River said.

“She’s also better than you at chess.”

“Oh?” River asked confused.

“We played last night. You must be terrible if I’m better than you,” Orla said with cheeky grin.

River felt his cheeks warm. “Apparently I need to brush up on my chess skills from the sound of things.”

Catherine went to get her coat which alerted David to everyone’s imminent departure. “You’re not leaving me here still, River? Surely I’ve been here too long already.”

‘Grandad we’ve been over this before, it’s not safe at home.”

“River is right,” Orla added, “You see this place is really a sort of safe house for very special people and it’s still not safe for you to leave. I know it’s hard to be away from the place you love. I’m far from home, too.”

David narrowed his eyes, looking between the three people standing around him. He did remember that awful business with the man who wanted him dead. “Is the lunatic still out there then?”

“Yes, grandad, he is. The Park is working very hard to find him.”

There was no point telling his grandfather anything else if it placated him. At least he still understood certain concepts like a safe house for now.

“And your father is still out there then, too?”

“Yes, he is.”

“You need to be vigilant then, my boy. He’s very dangerous!” David said clearly becoming agitated.

Orla came closer, smiling and said, “Your grandson is very capable and he’ll be fine, won’t you?” she asked looking over to River.

River gave her a small nod, “Yes, absolutely. Don’t worry, I’ve got this, grandad.”

River did wonder if he truly had everything under control where Frank was concerned. The man was a highly skilled maniac and could come back to do God knows what to him or his grandad.

While Catherine said her goodbyes to David, River followed Orla out into the hallway to have a chat.

“Thanks so much for spending so much time with him and trying to keep him calm. I do really appreciate it,” River said with a smile.

“Oh, I owe you,” Orla said with a sly wink.

“What?”

“It was ages ago when we were kids, but I used to stay with my grandparents some summers when I was like ten or twelve. They lived a few houses away from your grandparents house. The Murrays?” Orla could see a light bulb go off in River’s expression. “You saved me and my kitten when I stupidly went up the tree to grab her.”

“You had very long hair then. God, I didn’t recognize you! I feel so stupid.”

“No, it’s fine! I didn’t realize you were the same River as I didn’t remember what your surname was since so much time had passed since the last time I saw you. Though I did think it unlikely I’d run into someone else in Kent named River.”

River chuckled. “Yeah, not one of the top ten baby names in the UK to be sure.”

“It’s a lovely name,” she said.

“My grandmother invited you to dinner a few times too now that I remember.”

“Yes, when your grandfather mentioned his wife Rose, it dawned on me. I rang my grandmother, she lives with her sister in Cornwall since my grandfather passed years ago now. I asked her and she confirmed it was the right family. It was such an odd coincidence, no?”

“Very odd, but definitely a happy coincidence,” River said with a broad smile.

“Indeed,” Orla said feeling colour rise in her cheeks. She was grateful when Catherine joined them in the hallway.

“I’ll see you tomorrow, Orla!” River said as they were leaving and even gave a small wave accompanied by a smile.

“Absolutely.”

“I feel like I missed something,” Catherine said as they got outside into the cold air.

“Apparently Orla and I didn’t realize we knew each other as kids when she visited her grandparents in the summer.”

“Oh, that’s nice. I like her, River. She really cares about the residents.”

“She does,” River said.

Catherine smiled noticing the far away look River had on his face. She hoped Orla might prove to be a positive distraction for him.

[equallyshaw]

rose's relationship with her brothers + reactions to her coming out! | rutger x rose hughes au! ⚘ thoughts! ⚘ au masterlist.

rose + quinn: - that's his rosie posey - originated the nickname, posey after their parents called her rosie the first time - incredibly close as they both lived in BC for 4 years - growing up, he'd always make sure she played with them and always made sure the two others gave her time to learn the game - rose was his shadow growing up - always told her that she didn't need to play jack's position - a center - to make the positions even, like luke and quinn - also, he always said that if she gave up hockey nobody would be disappointed because there was a time she wanted to quit to be 'normal' at school - flied rose out during his time in vancouver that overlapped with hers, whenever she was able to come out. he also flew out to visit her and see her games at BC + her jr hockey club - she sends him all her poems, before she posts them to her poetry/spam account - always says if hockey doesn't work out, she should publish her works. - quinn is her passenger princess when they are together - always there to be a source for advice, and somebody for her to lean on - will belt out olivia rodrigo, any day of the week - since the moment she was born, he made jack promise they'd always be there for her and protect her. the two take their unspoken role very seriously

rose + jack: - tolerate eachother at best - just kidding but they do butt heads a lot because he doesn't always pick up on her sarcasm and thinks she is serious 100% which...it is typically 75% - nickname for rose is flower - jack is always done for spur of the moment ice cream trips and both have an adoration for brunch dates - when she told him that she was thinking of trying to go for the CHL because they had reached out and asked her and her team about joining the men's league, he was incredibly happy and excited for her. not to mention flattered she wanted his opinion, but ultimately she skipped the chl and headed for college- a year early - he is the easiest to make a meme out of, and will regularly post to her spam account (he can literally breathe, and one appears) - during summer camps growing up, rose would be his winger/forward. the two loved playing together and it meant both her brothers could be on the same line

rose + luke: - nickname for rose is lovie - after quinn, her and luke are closest because of their ages - their favorite season is summer because they all get to be together, and especially for these two, the two have always held a bond that nobody can touch - as a kid she used to play defence because she wanted to be like luke, and then realized she wasn't going to grow much more and shifted to winger/forward - coffee partners for life - at the lakehouse you'll probably find these two together. she'll be reading or writing, and he'll be napping either at her feet or right behind her. or nearby. - definitely a sunshine/black cat sibling duo - interchanging - both love drive around with country music blasting - because she hates golf, the brothers take her to mini golf during the summer which leads to a very heated game between the two young ones

their reactions to coming out as bisexual:

quinn: - incredibly grateful she came out to him first after asking for a plane ride to see him - gave her the absolute biggest hug and shed some tears now knowing how long she'd been holding it in and how much turmoil she went through - told her how proud he was of her and that he was proud to be her sister (cue the waterworks again!) - when she started going out with her ex girlfriend - publicly, he was so happy for her and was one of their biggest supporters in private and on social media

jack: - was incredibly proud of her for coming out to them - was happy that she could publicly be with her girlfriend at the time - gave her the biggest bear hug and said if anybody says something or treats you differently- they'd have to answer to him (all three) - because he is always down for a good time, he told her that if she wants to go to a pride parade - he wants to join her

luke: - was a tad bit hurt that she hadn't said anything to him earlier but got over it real quickly after realizing that it was her own journey and the decision to tell him whenever - the two had a long hug and then long talk about when she knew, how things came about with her ex and then like jack, had said he'll always be there to protect her if she needed him to - she told him that it was the hardest thing to keep from not only the whole family, but him because of the bond that they share (lots of tears were shed during their heart to heart)

ellen + jim: - more than accepting, welcoming and supportive - just like all their children, they want rosie to be happy - ellen could tell there was something on her daughters mind for sometime now, and is relieved to hear what it is - as soon as the words were shared, a minute passes before ellen is pulling her baby girl in her arms. - lots of tears were shed - jim was very quiet but nevertheless supportive and welcoming - he was overwhelmed but not in a bad way - gave her the biggest bear hug and forehead kiss - the next morning, rosie awoke to a small bouquet of hydrangeas, coffee + sandwich, and a card from jim - the card said everything he hadn't been able to share the night before, without crying. tells her how proud he is and that he is proud to have her as his daughter, and that he's always been proud of her. - when she tells the family that she has a girlfriend the same week, a beat doesn't pass before them wanting her to come visit them at the lake house and asking every question under the sun about them

[activefancaster757]

𝙍𝙐𝙀 𝙎𝙄𝙀𝘽𝙀𝙍𝙏: 𝘚𝘈𝘙𝘈𝘏 𝘗𝘐𝘋𝘎𝘌𝘖𝘕

𝙀𝙇𝙄 𝙆𝙄𝙇𝙇𝙂𝙊𝙍𝙀: 𝘑𝘈𝘊𝘒 𝘖'𝘊𝘖𝘕𝘕𝘌𝘓𝘓

𝙁𝙇𝙊𝙍𝙀𝙉𝘾𝙀 𝙆𝙇𝙄𝙉𝙀: 𝘙𝘈𝘊𝘏𝘈𝘌𝘓𝘓𝘌 𝘓𝘌𝘍𝘌𝘝𝘙𝘌

𝘾𝙊𝙉𝙊𝙍 𝙃𝘼𝙍𝙆𝙉𝙀𝙎𝙎 (𝙃𝘼𝙍𝙆): 𝘑𝘖𝘌 𝘈𝘓𝘞𝘠𝘕

𝙏𝙄𝙎𝙃𝘼 𝙁𝙐𝙇𝙄: 𝘗𝘙𝘌𝘊𝘐𝘖𝘜𝘚 𝘔𝘜𝘚𝘛𝘈𝘗𝘏𝘈

𝙉𝙔𝙊𝙏𝘼 𝙁𝙐𝙇𝙄: 𝘋𝘐𝘈𝘔𝘖𝘕𝘋 𝘞𝘏𝘐𝘛𝘌

𝙈𝘼𝙔𝘼 𝙆𝙄𝙇𝙇𝙂𝙊𝙍𝙀: 𝘚𝘖𝘗𝘏𝘐𝘈 𝘓𝘐𝘓𝘓𝘐𝘚

𝙑𝙄𝙉𝘾𝙀𝙉𝙏 𝙎𝙄𝙀𝘽𝙀𝙍𝙏: 𝘍𝘙𝘈𝘕Ç𝘖𝘐𝘚 𝘈𝘙𝘕𝘈𝘜𝘋

𝙎𝙐𝙇𝙇𝙄𝙑𝘼𝙉 𝙅𝙀𝙉𝙎𝙀𝙉: 𝘍𝘈𝘉𝘐𝘌𝘕 𝘍𝘙𝘈𝘕𝘒𝘌𝘓

𝙈𝙄𝙉𝘼𝙈𝙄 𝙊𝙆𝘼: 𝘈𝘕𝘕𝘈 𝘚𝘈𝘞𝘈𝘐

[06strawberrylemonade28]

yall this is a long shot but does any one know of a rotbtfd / jelsa fic where jack has a minor in music and i think he's a major in psych? i think its a college! au ... and there's like. a fire in it and there's angst (this is so vague and such a long shot but if anyone knows what im talking abt plz help a girl out tysm much love <3 )

[s0uth3park]

I’ve just woken up from a dream where (BASEketball-esque) Matt Stone was wearing tight fabric pants (if it’s relevant at all they were flared, thin, and kinda dark purple and he was wearing a tight navy t-shirt) and turned around all extra caked up but – no – that wasn’t the point of the dream.

The point of the dream was that Trey was trying to sell Creek themed Christmas socks for October all the way through to at least February, and when me (or whatever I was presenting as, I just know it was first perspective) and Matt protested saying that he can’t do that, he said it’s because (and I’m really struggling to remember the wording here but it was basically) “before Christmas they get to look forward to the Creekmas (Creek Christmas) socks and after they get to look back on having the Creekmas socks”. He says it pretty affirmatively too. Almost proudly.

Then after Matt (and I think I as well) protests again, I walk away up to my grandma’s patio door, and Matt follows me like “I can’t believe he thought that was convincing” or “can you believe that prick” or something. And as he walks away (that’s when I notice the pants and ass), and I call him back like, “Hey I’m so convinced by it I changed my Tumblr url”, and I show him, but I’d changed it to something like “govmsocks” or something (no idea what it was meant to be originally), and Matt Stone looks at me weird enough to prompt me to say, “Yeah, it convinced me so hard I fucked it up.”

Then Matt Stone laughs a little and walks away. I’m (after waking up) left wondering wtf this is meant to mean.

[starlightmeadowbloomthesecond]

Make a wish on the shooting star

By amir_overland_frost

[vampyrekorkie]

Remember Remember the 5th of November, and have a Happy (late) Halloween from Rogue and Rain!