#like he really walked past every mirror and asked who’s the fairest of them all and snapped a picture of himself

[hyunpic]

september 2024 with hyunjin

[idiotwhotalkstoomuch]

CW. LONG POST for the immortal!mc... I see lady yuu having a personality like toph from "Avatar the last Airbender". People are careful around her do to her status and doesn't know why she likes to hang around adeuce and grimm, but she likes how open they're around especially when grimm calls her "his henchmen".

Immortal!mc: *has been calling grimm for an hour* GRIMM!

Grimm: *ignores her*

Mc: *sigh* *dramatically* Oh the great and powerful grimm lord of flames

Grimm:*smugly* hmm~yes~

Sebek: *windows exp crashing noises*

Has a Harry Potter the Half Blood Prince moment in alchemy class.

Mc: *reading potion text book* *under her breath* cut up the moon bloom? You crush the moon bloom *notice a lot incorrect information in the text book* CREWEL!

Crewel: *walks over* yes mistress yuu?

Mc: You let these children brew these potions incorrectly? I hope they haven't been drinking them!

Crewel: with all due respect mistress yuu the information in the book is correct i can assu-

Mc: I know you're not telling ME of all people the steps in the potion book is correct?

Crewel: *gulps*

Mc: you crush not cut the moon blooms and you use the blue spider mushroom and not the yellow puff ball mushroom! And the final product should be yellow and not a lilac color!

I see her having a staff or something of the like and it has everyone confused because 'she doesn't have magic' yeah she doesn't have magic but she likes to uses it like a walking stick. She likes to watch the students with Ashton during P.E occasionally hit them with her staff.

Immortal!mc: *bonks student* No your form is all wrong! *shows them correct form* DO IT AGAIN!

Somedays when Trein wants to grade papers he'll have immortal!mc tell stories of her youth, she tells the a story of a flying ship with a captain with a hook for a hand, a medicine woman of a young emperor and her ditzy henchmen, a shady voodoo man she met at a tavern, and a woman just as old as her who kidnapped a princess to keep herself young.

During chapter 5 vil catches her in the mirror chamber one day and askes her about the mirror the beautiful queen.

Mc: *walks up to the mirror of darkness, touches the side resting her head on the frame of the mirror* It's been a long time my old friend

Mirror of darkness: *appears* I you my friend I you...

Everyone in the mirror chamber: 👀👀👀

Vil: *in shock and awe* ᵂʰᵃᵗ ᵗʰᵉ ᶠᵘᵘᶜᵏ..

During chapter 6 Vil comes to yuu during vdc training camp and askes her questions about her relationship with the mirror of darkness.

Vil: Miss yuu can I ask you about the mirror.. again?

Mc: *puts down her tea* oh yes! I never did answer your questions earlier

Mc: long ago I heard whipers in a village that a house deep in the forest lived a very handsome man who had magic... he had a daughter a real daddies girl.. I found her odd at first as she'd ask him everyday if she was beautiful and he'd reply 'the fairest in the land'

Rook: *knows where this is going*

Mc: but like most people around that time he became sick. One day me and the girl went around the forest collecting herbs for his medicine... when we came back he gone all that was left was a pile of his clothes and a mirror..

Kalim: *blinking back tears* then what happened 🥺

Mc: the poor thing was inconsolable.. she locked herself in her father's room and refused to comeout. Though I should have told her but I found a letter from him, detailing what he had done.

Deuce: *on the edge of his seat* them what

Mc: he used the rest of his magic to turn himself into a mirror for his daughter.. i'd seen that once before when I stayed the night at a beasts castle, but thats a story for another time.

Vil: was the girl you speak of the beautiful queen?

Mc: yes her name Grimhilde... in his letter he asked if I could look over his daughter make sure she lived a happy and long life... though I feel I failed him.

KINGDOM HEARTS HAPPENS AND YOU CANNOT WILL NOT CHANGE MY MIND!

When yuu has the prophetic dreams before overblot and she's mickey in the mirror

Mc: *notices a shadow in the mirror above the fireplace* that shape seems oddly familiar...

Mirror figure: Aha

Mc: *eyes widen* KING MICKEY

Mickey:*in shock aswell* YUU!

The first years remind her of Sora and Co. and catches herself reminiscening about them. They don't know what to do when they catch her crying.

Ace: M-Mc! Are you okay?

Sebek: WHO DARES MAKE LADY YUU CRY I'LL HAVE THEIR HEADS!

Grimm: *rubbing against yuu worried* henchmen?

Mc: No no.. I'm fine it's just you six remind me of some people I knew years ago.

During history trein asks mc about the great war and if she knew the inside scoop on why it started.

Mc: which one? there have been many

Trien: many..? I know only of one..

Mc: yes! There was the first keyblade war, the first human-fae war, Chernabog's war, the inter-species war, the second keyblade war and the second human-fea war.

Lila: *who came to drop off some papers* two human-fae wars..?

Mc: oh Lila! Yes the first one is when I crowned Maleficent as queen and the second one happend when a close friend of hers betrayed her...there was to be a third on but the human queen that started it was turned into a goat

Trein: keyblade war?

Mc: when magic was just becoming accepted..*clears her throat* it was revealed that there was a secret society of heros who wielded keyblades. It was believed there was a world where all magic come from.

Ace: are there still people who have keyblades?

Mc: no.. the hearts of people to day are to dark..

Deuce: to dark..?

Mc: back then people hearts where pure, why? The keyblade wielders protect people from the darkness. The people believed in a world where all from, only the Wilders could access the world.

Trein: *writing every thing down* what was this place called?

Mc: Kingdom Hearts... but as most stories go all of them wanted control over the world, but they needed the X-blade this caused a war of cataclysmic proportions. It pushed the world into darkness and killed many and shattered the x-blade and scattered across the world... kingdom hearts was to be forever lost.

Scarabia mob: you where alive during all that!?

Mc: no, but a close friend of mine was, but I was alive during the second

Sorry for my rambling and if i broke any of the rules during this feel free to delete of so.. but This is where I'm gonna stop as I've been typing this up for the past hour or so.. 🙇🏽‍♀️🙇🏽‍♀️

No rules have been broken (I didnt have very much anyway lol)

I really like this whole post lol though unfortunately I have not seen kingdom hearts so idk a lot of references here

Also Yuu does carry a staff in formal occasions. Lilia made joke on her saying she looked like an old woman with that but was promptly shut up when Yuu recalled a story of Lilia when he was younger

[twistedmusings]

Vil Schoenheit: After RSA’S Performance

The first time he had been left speechless was because of you.

You who always knew what to say, you who always had an answer to the problem at hand.

Where were you?

A/N: What is formatting. I don’t even know.

But listen though. When did Vil get hot? I mean he has always been hot but is it now because he is sad boy? A rude boy turned sad boy? Is that why I am attracted to him now and was compelled to write this?

I don’t know but I’m in love so I’m going to run with it.

This is how Vil would react if MC looked like they were enjoying RSA’s performance.

Part 2, here!

What Vil felt couldn’t really be put into words.

His grades would say that he was one of the highest ranking students in the Language Arts for Night Raven College. Not just in regular human speech but also in fairy-dialect, animal dialect and any sort of dialect that Professor Trein would demand. Vil also excelled in prose, poetry and abstract writing.

Being left speechless was not something that was supposed to happen, not twice in a row.

The tightening of his throat would speak otherwise, as well as the sudden feeling of vertigo.

Vil could barely hear Kalim through the jovial sound of Neige’s voice, the one thing that had kept him awake for these past few weeks--no these past few years. When was the last time that he had felt so helpless? Was it when he had first met him? Neige, with his bright smile and lovable personality that made people overlook his mistakes, his very obvious mistakes. The way he wouldn’t go when it was his cue, or how Neige would forget almost every other line only to finally have the script memorized by the time it was opening night.

A children’s song.

“What even is this song! The chorus just won’t leave my head!”

He wasn’t even ready during dress rehearsal, Neige would wait until fucking opening night.

Was it dramatic to say that the whole event had haunted him? As well as the domino effect of undeserved fame that Neige had gotten afterwards?

No, to Vil, being overshadowed by this person despite all the effort that he put into each and everyone of his performances was something akin to being shot by a gun.

Over and over and over.

He had been beaten by a children’s song.

Every single commercial, every music video, every promotion and every product placement that Neige did was like a dagger carving him up from the inside out.

So when the VDC presented itself, he jumped at the chance to not just shape himself into the perfect being to defeat Neige, but to shape others to show that not only could he surpass himself but he could help others break through their own ‘ugly’ exteriors to discover their own personal beauty. And by all means he had done it, he had taken five rough and ugly rocks and turned them into polished jewels.

Polished jewels that framed the diamond he had worked so hard to turn himself into.

His grip on the audience seat loosens when something flashes through his mind.

The practices had been rather arduous, not only having to make sure that he was flawless but trying to deal with Epel’s stupid gender based ideas, Ace and Deuce’s lack of grace and even Kalim’s really really terrible singing voice. Yet something had made it even a little bit worth it.

Someone, he needed to correct himself, someone had made it a bit worth it.

The sixth potato that he had hoped to start shaping after this whole thing was over.

What could he say about you? At first glance you were truly nothing special. An uneventful, magicless person from an equally uneventful place that hadn’t even been accepted into this school but was instead made a student because of the monster next to you. You weren’t even a student, more like a glorified problem solver for the Headmaster. Ideally, Vil should have also hated your guts since you were essentially getting the same education that he had been getting when he was a first year but without any effort but there was something different about you that he had not expected.

I think you’re probably the fairest out of everyone in the school.

A small glimmer of something beautiful.

But in the end your opinion is the one that will matter to you.

You were honest. That is something that Rook had mentioned about you once he did his recon of the new manager for the VDC team. How the Ramshackle prefect really didn’t have anything to offer but that the quality that stood out the most to the hunter was your refreshing honesty.

He had modeled for crowds of adoring fans and yet he found himself pulling out his pocket mirror and fixing non-existent imperfections before talking to you. Yet even when he tried to make himself look presentable to you, you always seemed to catch him when all of his walls were down.

“You should have seen the information that I got from Riddle, Leona, and Azul. They have really gotten a reputation behind them, the Ramshackle prefect. I wonder what will happen if we keep them close~”

Vil wouldn’t admit it to anyone but there had been a brief moment that his heart skipped a beat when the news about how the VDC team would be rooming in Ramshackle. He figured it had skipped out of beat due to the horrific news that he would have to room in a dorm that had not been used for who knows how long but when he had come inside and been greeted by your smile, it was almost surreal how he had come to terms with this feeling of nervousness.

The night before the VDC had found Vil in the Ramshackle lounge, a cup of tea in his hand as he watched a video of that day’s performance. There were still minor imperfections here and there but those would be easily covered up by his own singing and movements. Epel had also improved exponentially which highly increased the probability of a successful performance and with Jami’s hypnotizing movements and Rook’s aura there was no doubt that he had this competition under his heel.

But nerves like these didn’t leave overnight.

A creak on the stairs brought him back to the present, taking a sip of his tea as he continued to look at the video.

“If you’re here to ask me about why I am awake at this hour, Rook, I would like to remind you that you insisted we review the performance in the morning which already did nothing to calm my nerves--”

"Vil-senpai?"

His head snapped up to look at you , the light of the moon masking him in shadows while illuminating you as you made your way down the staircase. He clicked his tongue and turned off his phone.

"Was I interrupting something?"

Vil shook his head, “Last minute detail check. Everything has to be perfect by tomorrow.”

You nod and walk towards him, standing next to the couch before pointing to it. Vil looked at you before looking at the seat next to him. What were you--oh. He nodded and you sat down on the other side of the love seat, both of you farther apart that he would have liked.

“Does the manager have anything they want to say to me?”

“It just gets me thinking. You have been doing this performance perfectly in my eyes. Over and over again that it makes me wonder just what you think is lacking.”

You bring your feet up to the seat, hugging your knees together as you look down at the floor, “Maybe your definition of perfect and my definition of perfect are so different.”

The Pomefiore dorm leader rolls his eyes, “Did your Heartslabyul friends put you up to this?”

“Ace and Deuce? Great Sevens no. If they did I would have rightfully ignored them and gone to bed. I’m just your manager, I’m not here to negotiate.”

“Just a manager.” Vil frowns and looks at you, “You understand that you are currently housing the Vil Schoenheit as well as six other people who happen to be under my temporary tutelage. If you and your dorm weren’t around I would have had to keep those two Heartslabyul potatoes in the Pomefiore dorm and I don’t think I could stand letting them sleep in one of our beds. Our dorm has standards, luckily yours is the most neutral place I can stand being around those two without losing sleep.”

He blinks at the snort you let out, staring as you wave your hands and apologize while trying to prevent another one from surfacing.

“That is the only straightforward compliment my dorm has received. Neutral.” you laugh again before wiping a fake tear from your eyes, “Am I allowed to take it as a compliment?”

Vil is glad for the darkness, it hid the sudden flush in his cheeks.

“Take it as you will.”

You nod and stand up, stretching and letting out a satisfied sigh when your back made a small cracking noise that had Vil clutching at his cup. Anybody else and he would have walked out of whatever conversation he was having, so why did he find that tolerable with you?

“Then let me pay it back.” you hold out your hand and for a brief moment Vil wants to take it. Clearly that was an invitation for something and it alarmed him that he didn’t mind the mystery behind it. Yet your finger pointed at the cup, Vil looking down and seeing it was empty.

Oh.

He hands it to you, doing his best to make it so that your fingers would brush in the most accidental way possible.

“In my own opinion, as well as the opinion of others, I think you are the fairest out of everyone in the school.”

The air in Vil’s lungs gets caught in his throat.

“No joke. The way you carry yourself, the effort you put into everything you are a part of. Even the potato comments are almost...endearing? Potato plants produce rather pretty flowers, right? Maybe you are just trying to get the flowers inside of us to bloom as well?”

He is staring.

He is staring and not saying anything. You had left him without speech.

“But in the end your opinion will be the one that matters most to you. I just hope that it will always be positive.” you scratch the back of your head and yawn, “I’m going to grab a glass of water and head back to bed, I’ll see you in the morning.”

Your eyes are still meeting his as a small flush adorned your cheeks, probably embarrassed by what you had just said. Or he would like to think you would be embarrassed, if this was any regular love story he would stand up and grab your wrist and keep you from running away from him before cupping your face and leaning in--

“Good night, Vil-senpai.”

"Goodnight."

You who always knew what to say, you who always had an answer to the problem at hand.

Where were you?

His eyes start looking around for your figure, hands itching and brain running slower than it ever had before. Maybe you would make it better? No, you would make it better. You would go over to him and smile before saying that the competition hadn’t even started and just because that song seemed to be moving everyone under a stupid nostalgia spell, Vil’s hardwork would shine through. Neige hadn’t taken everything from him, not just yet.

Vil feels the weight on his shoulders lessen when he looks at you only for it to double when he sees your face.

You were smiling, humming along to the silly melody as your head bobbed up and down.

Even in practice your gaze remained fixed on them, yet with Neige you seemed to feel that infectious, annoying melody and enjoying it?

“What’s wrong? You look pale.”

Had he lost you as well?

“Vil...Vil?”

The first time he had been left speechless was because of you.

“...Nothing. Don’t worry.” he turns his back to Rook, “It’s not worth seeing their performance. I will be in the waiting room.”

Vil walks away, so many thoughts clouding his head as he replays the words you had said to him.

Who the hell cared about his opinion when yours was just as important?

[imaginejamesandsirius]

Hello, the prompt are open again, yeeeaah! First things first: thank you so much for running this blog and for all the work you invest in this, it's really appreciated! Okay, so the prompt: Snow white au? You can make any changes you like, but really Sirius just screams to be Snow White (ebony hair, pale skin etc.) Thank you!

"Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the fairest of them all?" the Queen asked. She looked forward to this every time she asked, sure in the knowledge that her enchanted mirror would show her reflection.

Only instead of answering, "You, My Queen," as it always had in the past, it said, "The prince of this kingdom, Sirius." The surface of the mirror rippled, then showed a vision of her husband's son.

Anger roiled in her like a forest fire-- sudden and all-consuming. "What?"

It shimmered away to be a reflection, but it didn't change the answer she had been given. "He is the fairest in the kingdom, as you asked."

She grit her teeth together, her reflection animalistic. "Not for long."

*

Sirius had run away from his tutor. His maid told him that it was rude, but he had run away from her plenty of times too. His father asked him not to, but his mother always smiled indulgently and said he could do whatever he desired.

It's not as though he was trying to be horrid. In fact, the idea of making any of them mad was the opposite of what he wished, but he wanted to find his own happiness. He would not find happiness-- or even contentment-- locked away in a room in the castle, practicing his letters.

Usually, he ran to the gardens. Today, he went to the forest outside the castle.

He didn't have designs to see the world, but he would quite like to see lands outside the castle walls. He'd only ever seen the forest from atop a tower, and it was certainly more fun to be down among the trees than looking at them from afar.

Sirius spent his time today chasing a rabbit. A useless endeavor, he was well aware, but it was fun to run through the forest with abandon. Unfortunately, he was chasing after it with such single-minded focus that he ran flat into another person as they rounded a tree, knocking both of them to the ground.

"Sorry," Sirius said, scrambling to his feet. He held out a hand to the other man, who took it to ease his way up. "I wasn't looking where I was going."

"I can feel that quite evidently," he said with a laugh. He smiled at Sirius, bright and open.

"Did I hurt you?"

"Not at all," he said, shaking his head. He was looking at Sirius like he couldn't even think of pulling his gaze away. After a delayed moment, he let go of Sirius's hand. "My apologies," he said. "I am Prince James of the Potter kingdom, five leagues from here."

"I'm Prince Sirius of the White Kingdom. Hopefully not a single league from here, otherwise I'm horribly lost."

"Oh, you're Prince Sirius," James said, eyes going round.

"Erm, yes. Why? Not what you expected?"

"No, you're- you're exactly as people say."

Sirius frowned. That wasn’t an answer that made much sense. "What do people say?"

"That you're the most beautiful person they've ever seen," he replied. A light blush crawled up his cheeks, but he didn't look away in embarrassment.

"I thought the only person that said that was my mother," Sirius said honestly.

"Trust me when I say she is far from the only one. Your looks border on legendary these days."

"Great," Sirius said wryly. "I'll just write songs about my beauty, shall I?"

"Of course not. Someone else has already written them."

"Please tell me you're joking."

James shook his head, still smiling at Sirius.

*

"-and then you hold it like this," James said, helping Sirius position his hands properly along the instrument. He'd brought it along with him at Sirius's insistence the last time they'd seen each other in the woods.

"How do you know all this? We're both princes, and yet you seem to know so much more than I do."

James shrugged. "I’m sure it’s isolated to hands-on activities, such as this. God knows you go through more books than I ever will."

"I read books because they never wish for me to leave the castle." He tentatively plucked at one of the strings.

*

"Here," James said, proudly presenting Sirius with a bouquet. There were plenty of flowers in the forest, but these weren't native to either of their kingdoms. Sprigs of white fluff framed large red blossoms that were more beautiful than any rose he'd seen.

Sirius felt heat rise in his face as he accepted them. He hated that his skin was so light; his blush was surely visible to James. "Thank you." He brought them up to his nose and inhaled deeply. They were sweet, and so delightful that he wanted to bury his nose in them and never come back out. "These are wonderful. I take it they're from the greenhouse you were telling me about?"

“Indeed,” James said, then he started to explain what they were called and where they were from.

Sirius listened, entranced with the cadence of his voice and the passion with which he spoke.

*

Sirius put a hand on the back of James's neck and kissed him. He was horribly nervous; he'd never kissed anyone before. But he fancied James, and they'd been meeting in the forest in secret for almost a year now.

There was a small pause as James froze in surprise, but then he tilted his head and wrapped an arm around Sirius, kissing him back.

*

"Since we're going to be married," Sirius said, "I should be able to visit you soon. Properly."

James smiled, carefully pulling a strand of Sirius's hair out from where he'd tied it back. He rolled it around his finger, gently unwound it so he didn’t tug on his scalp, then tucked it behind Sirius's ear. The long wave of it curved against the hinge of his jaw then fell further, stopping along his chest. "Tired of our forest jaunts, then?"

"Let's just say that I look forward to being in a room with you. Besides," he added a second later, "you've only ever seen me dressed down like this. I always get sweaty walking out here."

James's expression warmed. "As much as I look forward to that too, You know I don't care, right? I'm here for you, not how pretty you can look."

"It doesn't hurt, does it?" Sirius teased, leaning towards him.

"Of course not; I simply wanted to remind you that, even though you're the most beautiful person in the world, I would love you if you weren't."

"Duly noted, My Prince," Sirius said, giving him a quick kiss.

*

"I have a job for you," the Queen said, folding her hands in front of herself.

The hunter-- a generously innocuous title, considering the type of jobs he did-- ticked an eyebrow up. "Never worked for the royal family before."

"And as far as your friends are concerned, you still haven't. You are being paid for your discretion, as well as the job."

"I'm listening," he said.

"Prince Sirius will be going into the forest exactly an hour after lunch. You are to follow him, kill him, and then bring me his heart."

"Damn, you must hate your son an awful lot to not just poison him."

"That thing is not my son," she hissed. Hate burning in her eyes, she took out a fat coin pouch and heaved it onto the table. She pulled the tie off, and gold spilled across the dark wood. "Do we have a deal or not?"

Fenrir's eyes trained on the gold as soon as it became visible, and his gaze was still on it when he said, "Yes. Do I want to know what you're going to do with his heart?” Word was that the Queen was a witch, and the thought of her eating it was unappetizing, to say the least. “Wouldn't a ring or summat be plenty of identification of a job completed?"

"That's none of your concern," the Queen said imperiously. "I expect delivery tonight." Then she swept out of the room.

Fenrir rolled his eyes. Sodding royals. This is why he'd never worked for them before. But the pay was good-- more than he'd ever seen in one place-- and after tonight, he wouldn't have to see her again, and he was sure she was looking forward to that as much as he was.

The time she mentioned came around, and Fenrir was already in place. The prince walked into the forest, though he didn't look much like a prince at the moment. No jewelry adorned him, and while his clothes were made of expensive fabric, they were made for traveling through the woods, and he had a bag with him that had already seen plenty of use.

Something about this wasn't right. What reason would the Queen have for wanting to be rid of him? She'd called him a 'thing', but he didn't look monstrous to Fenrir-- and the hunter had seen monstrous. When he stepped out in front of his path, the prince startled, then smiled. "Hello there," the prince said.

Fenrir wasn't used to being greeted in a friendly manner. He didn't have the face for it. The prince didn't look at him like he was scary, though. The hunter wished he was scared. It would make this easier. "Hello," Fenrir replied automatically.

"Were you leaving or going further?" the prince asked innocently. It was absurd the way that none of the stories about the prince's beauty had been exaggerated. He was like a sculpture of ivory, expertly carved, and when he smiled, the hunter could swear that the sun shone brighter.

"Going further."

"Would you like to walk together?" he offered. "The journey gets boring on my own."

"Sure," Fenrir said, more of a grunt than a word.

All the prince did was smile again and say, "Great!" like he was truly happy for the hunter's company.

Fenrir let them get far enough into the forest that if the prince screamed or tried to run, there would be no one nearby. Then he grabbed his arm and stopped walking. "I admit, I'm here on business."

Even with the hunter holding onto him, the prince didn't look like he suspected a thing. "What kind of business? I don't think there are bears, or any of your usual fare in these woods."

"The Queen hired me. She wants you gone."

"She..." he trailed off, happy air crumpling. "Me? I'm your business today?"

The hunter nodded, jaw clenched. "You seem a decent sort," he said apologetically. "Maybe you should close your eyes, so it's easier for you."

"No, I-" he tugged ineffectually, trying to free his arm as tears filled his eyes "-I can't. James would be heart-broken. We're supposed to marry."

Fenrir had thought that news of the prince being betrothed would've reached his ears.

"Please," the prince pleaded, looking up at the hunter with large eyes. He stopped trying to free himself for the moment. "I'll leave. I won't return. You can tell my mother that you killed me as she asked, and she will never see me again."

Fenrir thought he had long since lost his sympathy. He wouldn't have made it this far with it intact.

He let his hand drop to the side, and he jerked his head towards the path they had been on. "If you return, I'll have to kill you."

"I won't," the prince said immediately. He wiped at his face. He knew that he should run until his lungs felt like they were going to burst, but with frantic hands, he reached into his bag and pulled out the knife. He'd never used it before, but James had said it wasn't safe for him to travel without it, so he'd carried it. He picked up a handful of hair and started hacking it away. He was too recognizable with his hair this long; he'd never seen someone walking the street with long hair, only nobles.

By the time he finished, there was a circle of thick, black hair around his feet, and the hunter hadn't moved-- he just stood there, watching him.

"Thank you for your kindness, sir." He left. Not running, but making a quick pace. He felt the hunter's eyes on him until he disappeared.

Fenrir didn't know what to think of him. The prince had cut off his hair-- beautiful, long locks of ebony-- as if it was nothing. No, he corrected a second later, not nothing. He'd cut it off because in the choice of life or death, he'd chosen life however he could get it. The kid had called him sir. The hunter sighed and turned to track down a deer. The hearts were similar enough that the Queen wouldn't be able to tell the difference, especially if he mussed it up a little.

*

Sirius threw himself into James's arms, crying.

James had no idea what was wrong, but he still hugged him and assured him that everything would turn out alright.

After Sirius explained, James said, "It’s alright. We'll get married so you can change your name, and you can stay with us. Your mother will never know where you are. No formal declarations were made, so no one will know."

Sirius gave a small nod. He'd wanted to move to live with James anyways, so this wasn't bad. They'd already decided to get married, so this wasn't a horrible outcome. It was a good one, in fact. It was the one he wanted. He knew that at the end of it, everything would be okay.

It was just hard to see it right now.

James brushed some of his tears away with soft fingers and pressed a kiss to his forehead. "She won't hurt you, I swear it."

"I thought she cared about me," Sirius choked out. She was the only one in the castle that had supported everything he wanted to do. Had it all been a lie? Or had she found her hatred of him recently? Perhaps it didn't matter. No matter how she felt about him or when it had started, he wouldn't see her again.

*

"Are you going to leave the castle at all while you're here?" James asked, leaning against the doorframe. "I thought you wanted to spread your wings a little."

Sirius combed his fingers through his hair self consciously. "I didn't know if it would be safe."

"I'd be happy to come with you," James offered. There was a genuine smile on his face, though Sirius had never seen him with any other kind.

"You're busy," Sirius hedged, even though he wanted to take James up on it in a flat second.

"I'm never too busy for you, my love. Come on," he said, holding out a hand. "It's a sunny day, and you will only make it brighter."

Sirius didn't hesitate to take his hand.

[fanpom-imagines]

Imagine Daenerys trying to cool the tension between her, Sansa, and the reader. (Part 2)

Masterlist [Part 1] (Part 2) [Part 3] [Part 4]

Fandom: Game of Thrones

Words: 1966

Warnings: SPOILERS FOR SEASON 8!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Gifs aren’t mine.

If you want to be tagged send me a message and I’ll add you

(Female Reader)

I walked down the hallway with Ser Robert Vadin by my side, on of my trusted knights, and came to a stop at the door that led to the library, I knocked on the door and heard a man’s voice yell, “Coming.” Right before it opened to reveal a plump man with dark hair and eyes as well as a beard covered his face, though he did not seem intimidating. He seemed more gentle of heart and not like a fighter at all.

“Oh hello, how can I help you two?” He asked curiously.

“May we come in?” I asked him giving him a gentle smile as I motioned with my head to the inside of the room.

“Oh, yes of course,” he replied opening the door wider and letting us in.

“Now what is it you have come here for?” He asked us once more.

“I was wondering if you could send a raven to my people back home,” I started off, “King Jon informed me that you were the man to ask.”

“Oh of course, Lady….” the man trailed off as he did not know my name, but I did not know his either.

“Excuse me, where are my manners. I am Queen (Y/N) Daraith of Ossēnagon, and this is one of my knights, Ser Robert Vadin,” I introduced us as Ser Robert bowed when I spoke his name.

The man’s eyes widened, “I did not mean any disrespect Your Grace I did not know.” He rushed out, but I just smiled at him fondly.

“No need for apologize. You’ve done nothing wrong,” I reassured the brunette which seemed to put his mind at ease as he let out a breath of relief.

“Thank you, Your Grace. I am Samwell Tarly.”

“It is a pleasure to meet you Samwell. Are you able to send a raven to Ossēnagon for me?” I asked him politely as I took out the rolled up letter with my houses sigil keeping it sealed.

“Yes of course,” he said taking the letter and bowing to me which I did to him in return.

“Thank you Samwell Tarly, we shall take our leave now.”

“You are welcome, Your Grace,” Samwell replied giving me a kind smile before returning to his work.

As Ser Robert and I made it down the hallway we saw the Queen heading our way with one of her knights, Ser Jorah Mormont, beside her.

Ser Robert and I bowed to her in greeting as did they, but neither one of us exchanged a word and kept our eye contact to a bare minimum before going our separate ways.

After a few hours of exploring Winterfell. Ser Vadin and I found ourselves in the courtyard of the castle. As the two of us made it out into the clearing of the courtyard I saw home much everyone seemed to put in effort. Men wore metal armor which covered them from head to toe, yet I felt pity for those who were old and seemed to care long and solemn faces that had years of history, stories and experience hidden behind them and for those who had not yet reached the age of a man and whose faces were young and fresh and had not one scar or wrinkle to show that they’ve fought or experienced the hardships or gifts of life.

“Queen (Y/N), may I have a word with you?” I heard a voice come from my right as we were making our way through the courtyard back to my chambers.

I looked over to the voice that had cut through my thoughts only to see that it was none other than Lady Sansa herself.

“Yes, of course you may, Lady Sansa.”

She lead us into a different part of the large castle that seemed to be vast and never ending with history laced between every crack on a wall. The castle seemed to have been rebuilt many times as I had noticed how some stones were more worn and seemed different from others, yet it makes sense since Winterfell has lived through many battles throughout the centuries since it was first built by Bran the Builder.

We made our way in front of two large doors. I had commanded Ser Vadin to stay by the door with one of Sansa’s men as the Lady of Winterfell and I made our way into the room.

She offered me to sit at one of the tables which I gladly accepted, and I waited for her to sit down before starting to speak.

“What is it that you need from me, Lady Sansa?” I ask her with a bit of curiosity lacing my voice.

“I just wanted to get to know you better and to speak with you in private,” she paused as she seemed to contemplate her next words. “You seem interesting to me, and just like you I have a sort of rivalry with the Queen. I was hoping to gain another friend during these dark times.”

“Seems fair enough to me,” I said not really knowing what else to add to the conversation till I remembered that there had been a meeting during the morning while I had still been cooped up in my chambers.

“What was the meeting about this morning, if I may ask that is?”

“You may ask, and to answer your question it had been about Jamie Lannister, the Kingslayer, and what we should do with him.”

“You mean the man who had killed King Aerys II?” I asked her curiously.

“Yes, that Kingslayer.” Sansa said nodding in conformation.

“I would love to meet the man who ended the Targaryen’s reign,” I huffed out a small laugh in amusement.

“You seem to harbor a lot of hatred for the Queen,” She said as she studied me as if trying to deduce the reason.

“You do to,” I told her as my mouth spread into a slight smirk which she also mirrored.

“It seems so, yet how come you do? Is it true that your people are dragon slayers?” The redhead's eyes grew in curiosity but I couldn’t blame her. I would’ve been curious about dragon slayers too if I had had one sitting right in front of me with thousands of questions storming around in my mind.

“My people were known for slaying and then taming ice dragons. Ice dragons are a close relative of the dragons that come from Old Valyria, but rather than breathing fire or having a variation of colors they breath hair that is so cold it is said it could freeze a man in half a heart beat; each and every dragon is also white scaled with blue eyes, but I have not seen any in my life time since the Targaryen’s had killed the last of them in The Dance of Dragons. Now the only things we have to remember them are songs, stories, paintings, and written documents. As a child my father would often read to me about these beautiful yet terrifying beasts and I would always day dream about riding one like my ancestors had. Though reality is often disappointing isn’t it?” I asked her with a slight sad smile.

“It sadly is, and I understand what you mean all too well, Your Grace.” She said as she laid her hand upon mine in comfort I was about to reply, but I was interrupted by the door opening with Queen Daenerys walking through.

“Hello, Lady Sansa,” She greeted Sansa then turned to me, “and hello to you too Queen (Y/N), I had not realized you were in here as well.”

“If you came here to talk with Lady Sansa I will leave if you wish,” I told her bowing to her in greeting as she did the same to me in response.

“I would be, ever so thankful,” Daenerys said thanking me though her smile was still tightly strained on her face. As if the mask of a smile started to become to hard to burden.

I bid farewell to Lady Sansa, by giving her a curt bow and walked past the Queen, but when our eyes met when I passed her they grew darker and gave off a cold gaze. I held back the urge to scoff at her and kept on walking forward without showing a sign of acknowledgment towards her presence. Before I left through the door though I heard her say: “I will be wanting to have a private discussion with you as well, Queen (Y/N).”

It wasn’t a question or a request, it was more of a warning as if I was some child that had gotten in trouble with their mother.

“Of course, Queen Daenerys,” I said not even looking back to her before walking out into the hallway and out to the courtyard with Ser Vadin alongside me. Him and I finally made it back to my chambers and I bid him farewell as he set to get ready for the battle that seemed to be coming nearer and nearer as the hours passed.

That self proclaimed “Queen”, knew exactly how to push my buttons. All my life I have been looked down upon people who thought they owned the world. Credit is never given to the ones due. Instead it is given to the richest and fairest. That is why I could not seem to like her. She thought that just by having the blood of a Targaryen that the Iron Throne was her right, yet the Targaryen’s had taken the lands she stands upon now by the First Men, who had taken it from the Children of the Forest. By Daenerys’ definition of right it should be Cersei’s. She was the King Robert Baratheon’s wife who had taken the throne from the Targaryen’s, and she was the mother of the two kings after King Robert. Yet none of these people seem to understand that the Iron Throne is just a one way ticket to death and grees. No one who has sat in that throne has died of old age. Though I respect Queen Daenerys to a fault, her greed for the Iron Throne seems to shadow over everything else.

A name or the blood that flows within our veins doesn’t make us good rulers. It is our choices and actions. If she doesn’t start to realize that she may be the end of us all.

I thought back to what Jon had said once about how it didn’t matter who holds what title when the White Walkers come it will all be for nothing, and now I understood what he had meant way more than in the moment he had spoken those words. I giggled at the memory of his dark brooding face and his low voice. I imagined myself imitating it which set me into another fit of giggles.

I thought for a moment on what I should do to pass the time as there have been no reasons to do much of anything. All I had was time, before the White Walkers came of course. I looked around the room and saw a bookshelf with seemingly interesting books. I curiously made my way to them and went through each one till I found one interesting enough to pass the time and sat down on the cushioned seat near the window in my room which sat in front of another armchair with a table off to the side of the both of them.

Within moments of sitting down and opening the book I had submerged myself within the plot line and it seemed as though the world went on without me for a time being as I just read on and on going from one page to the next.

Talglist:

@bee-wrecker @boogiebunnies @precious-bands-love @supernaturaltrashy @immortal-imagination @mikariell95 @saoirsewhittle @jinx-is-fire 

[raifuujin]

To finish out voume 1, an in depth look at Magic Kaito ch 6: The Scarlet Temptress. ( Aka. Akako’s introduction. )

Ch. 1, Ch. 2, Ch. 3,  Ch. 4 , Ch. 5

Okay, but if you were asking about fairest in personality as opposed to looks/charm...

Well, if it were about personality, that mirror wouldn’t even be able to stand. She does not like the idea of not having perfection. Including perfect hair, with her attempt to not seem like she’d thrown a tantrum being hidden by her ‘casually’ brushing it. Entirely in control of her actions, clearly.

This is here mostly to appreciate the details of this mirror frame. Though I also could point out the lines that go over a broken part of the mirror. Also do not know why she didn’t ask who Kid was while she was here. Is this the morning and she’s just getting ready for school and asking the mirror about her beauty is part of her routine. ( And this is apparently the first time it’s told her she’s not going to get every man. Maybe because she just got to this area, it could be the foretelling her getting every man she encounters here. Except one. Which to me makes more sense than ‘absolutely every man will fall for you’. Just limit it to who she’ll be around, and leave a possibility that she’s not supposed to be all powerful charming everyone everywhere. Just most people and it’s applied to all the guys prior to coming here and meeting Kaito. )

Aw, look at all of these unimportant couple things going on with the faceless background people.

...*steeples fingers* There’s a difference between making a translation so the English speaking audience knows what’s going on, and a translation that tries to ignore the culture this is coming from. Because just like in the anime, Aoko is comparing Kaito to Otafuku. A simple translators note for cultural relevance would be fine, and this is why I find it difficult to trust (usually older) translations in general. They can say things that makes sense, but we’re missing full context, and it leads to ignorance. (And it’s a toothache, not a loose tooth. Kaito is way too old to have loose teeth.)

I don’t know, Aoko, he (as a robot), did confess. To you. And he spends all his time with you, even if he’s not interested in your idea of a romantic date. Both of your denials are strong,

Keiko ships them. And Kaito stopped listening to Aoko so quickly when he learned that he could potentially get free chocolate. (Which Gosho later reused in a gag with Kazuha and Heiji.)

I’m slightly interested as to who Keiko’s chocolate was for. Someone who got taken by Akako, as she’s about to talk about it? Or was she going to give Kaito free chocolate, too?

This room should not be able to contain this many guys. Even if we ignore the desks like we hare. This would also cause a bottleneck when more than half of these need to clear out, because this classroom is not 99.9% male. And finally: Did Akako actually make the chocolate, or did she have her servant do it? Or summon them out of nowhere? Because I do not see her being the type to make a hundred chocolates to give out to her slaves, I see it being more like in Brave. Reach tongs into the cauldron and pull out a perfect candy complete with a spell.

I like that Aoko doesn’t judge people she doesn’t know, but I’m on Keiko’s side.

Look at that face. If she were some person lording over all the guys in school and making trouble for others, I’d want to slap her. ( Though that’d be if I noticed it at all, since in real life, I really don’t care for drama or if boys/girls were fawning over someone. )

Hello unimportant girls that we won’t see again. (At the very least, not important enough to name the times they appear. You could argue they appear at the ski slopes in the hot spring, but short haired girl definitely doesn’t exist anymore, and the other two you’d just be guessing.)

B-, how dare you slap that adorable face!

(And while I severely dislike her, she could be taken to know everyone’s names.)

(But yeah, worst sort of person in the world.) Also doesn’t even consider that he’d say no in the slightest, when I doubt she had to slap any of these other guys who are flocked around her. Though, maybe they didn’t have chocolate to begin with, but either way, I don’t feel like she’d have to tell them to only have hers. (And while I believe the majority wouldn’t have had any to get rid of, I’m sure some got at least one from people who were crushing on them or even girlfriends. The idea of Akako making them drop those feelings and possibly legit steal guys from people on the day that girls make their feelings known. Seriously, the most detestable person at her introduction.)

Keiko had already been ticked off earlier, she should be more offended. Or Aoko, Aoko should be defending Kaito as well, he hadn’t done anything to deserve a slap right now. I don’t care if she thinks Akako is pretty, she should be offended that her friend was just hurt by the girl.

Kaito, you should be mad, too. You are far more patient than I’d ever be at unwarranted physical assault. Especially if it made me drop a ton of stuff I was holding.

Her world is literally broken by one person being like ‘no thanks, I don’t want your chocolate’. Has she never dealt with any denial ever? Half the population is female, I’m sure there have to be other people who don’t go along with her terrible actions. (Though I can also just as easily believe she never approaches girls for anything, when she can just make guys do whatever it is she wants.)

Could she manipulate the teacher if she were to get in trouble? Also, looks like the rest of the male army disappeared, probably because now they’re like ‘oh shit, I need to get to class.’ Even the guys in this room immediately drop defending Akako in favor of going along with teacher authority. (Maybe Akako’s magic was stalled at her fragile world being shattered, so she doesn’t have them under her control nor is interested in getting the others back.)

Look at that face. She truly cannot fathom being denied. Shattered.

And because she has such a selfish worldview, and knows she’s supposed to own everyone, automatically assuming that the one person who didn’t beg for forgiveness and lick her feet is the one her magic doesn’t work on. With that kind of mentality, and the implications that she does this sort of thing all the time without repercussions, it’s no wonder she’s not allowed in the DC world. Though that doesn’t excuse nerfing her power in the MK world, Gosho.  (Really, her entire time in the classroom is just. Hate. I think the manga makes her more unlikable than the anime, because her face doesn’t quite capture all the evil going on in these faces. When the style is set in animation, it can lose some expressiveness.)

Though one point to the anime, it gave some reason for him to have lost a handkerchief that he keeps inside his jacket. There’s no explanation, not even a mention that he could have dropped it here. Losing track of something he could use in magic doesn’t feel like Kaito, and I doubt Akako could subtly take it from him.

Pft. The translation leaves a lot to be desired, but it can be entertaining sometimes. ( They were going for ‘worship’. Though, it’d have been easier to use ‘ritual’, since worship wouldn’t have made sense to use in context. )

Never denied, can abuse whoever she wants, someone like her servant only makes her personality worse because he will only ever agree and do everything she demands. I’d really like to know where her parents are and it they were ever terrible as well. Bad upbringing regardless.

Gotta love all the details Gosho used to put into his older works. Though I’d like to know just how this house is set-up, assuming this all basement.

And here we have Kaito being an idiot. Thinking that things are going too smoothly is how he got tricked twice during the heist for the crown. No one there, light shined in face. All the officers knocked out and things too easy, trap because Nakamori popped out and grabbed him. Put them together, and steal Kid’s idea of knocking people out, and we have no one around, trap set up in the case, and going to knock Kid out while hiding in the exhibits around the room.

Note: This is Kaito’s fourth heist that we know about. (First was Anne, second was first attempt at a crown, third was a second attempt at a crown.) It’s ‘KID’s’ overall eighth theft so far as the police are concerned. (Thee of Kaito’s, two for Jii, two for the robot clone.) ‘KID’ should know better, even if Kaito hasn’t actually had the experience. Even if he should have questioned the lack of cops from what he has encountered.

It was a pretty simple trap, Kaito, I can’t defend you on this. (Also, these bubbles are supposed to be swapped. Fluff bubble for the laugh, normal smooth bubble for the comment.)

1) the first spike bubble is supposed to be Kaito’s, and he’s frustrated that he fell for that.

2) I don’t know about other people, but I’m the type who would notice the guy in the white suit on the ceiling. If it’s close enough for Kaito to jump up too, then it’s not tall enough to not see the ceiling even if you’re not looking. I mean, I’m also the type to notice random bugs on the wall that no one else notices, but a full size person in a cape is not as invisible.

I don’t know why people treat the police as an afterthought, this looks pretty intimidating. Just seeing their legs as they walk over to KID knowing he can’t fight back. And all of the troubles he’s going to be facing are prior to any detectives coming to try and deal with the thieving problem.

Also, falling from the ceiling does not sound like fun. (Yet apparently isn’t painful enough to push him past the drug.)

That hood is not on when she’s getting ready to hit, and suddenly it’s shadowing her face when she brings the pain. ( Would she have felt any guilt at all if the spike had managed to break through the doll? Instead of just a sharp hit to the gut. Would she even be aware if she murdered a person via doll? )

Yeah, Nakamori, I’d be pretty confused at to why someone would suddenly be visibly in pain without anything having happened to him. (Unless maybe he things something happened when falling from the ceiling.)

This is basically the same as getting someone to cooperate with you by beating them up and saying you’ll stop if they do what you say. ‘You don’t want me to break your bones? Then give me what I want.’

Have to admit, it’s nice seeing Kaito actually hurt. It happens decently often in early chapters, but when DC hits, it becomes so tame and he’s untouchable. The only redeeming part of chapters 34-36 is that we got these sorts of images of Kaito having trouble again.

Look at all of that blood. (Which is physical evidence that you could definitely take right now. Though I understand that Kid bleeding from nothing would be unnerving.) 

Even if you appreciate the pain, you could wipe your face to that blood doesn’t drip everywhere. Unoless you were hoping someone would follow the blood trail, which I’d love to have seen tbh.

This house looks old as heck and falling apart. I don’t know if that’s what she’d want, staying out of the public eye because of being a witch, but I doubt it helps anything to be so disconnected from the world. No wonder you can only rely on magic, you're not really connected to the world and just treat people as play things. Literally, when you use voodoo dolls.

I do appreciate his gentleman act. Again, he has a lot more patience for this sort of thing than I’d have.

Much as I love this line, this isn’t what he said. What he was saying wasn’t a veiled threat, it was ‘you shouldn’t make fun of your elders/adults’. Which makes more sense if he’s denying that she’s aware of who he is and keeping with the fact KID isn’t supposed to be a teen by insinuating that he’s older and more mature than she is.

Again, an issue here. He’s trying to act more mature, so he’s not yelling at her to give him the doll. It’s more ‘now just give me the doll...’, like he’s talking to a child and trying to coax a toy out of their hand.

(All accounts of ‘black magic’ in the chapter are misleading. Akako is indeed mentioned as having red arts, and every actual time magic is mentioned is just ‘magic’. Nothing to do with the idea of ‘black magic’, because types of magic aren’t synonymous.)

And fun fact for this chapter: This circle is based on the seal of Babalon, a goddess also known as the Scarlet Woman, and women use Babalon to increase their self esteem and gain the attention of men without being under men’s rule. It also explains all the snakes you see with everything Akako is associated with in this chapter.

I’m glad someone finally said it. Though, I wouldn’t have been polite. She’s a spoiled brat, plain and simple, and old enough that her being spoiled is destructive for everyone involved with her.

He gets put through so much pain in this chapter, even if it’s mostly internal.

Ah, seemingly insignificant panel that’s actually showing what’s going to save Kaito.

Would be nice to know how far this was going to go. This heat doesn’t really exist, so I have to wonder if this was going to lead to neverending sort of pain, possible spontaneous combustion, or even if Kaito was actually going to take off his clothes. Because he’s pulling at his tie and probably wanting to more just in this panel.

I really don’t see how anyone could be satisfied winning any hearts through force, for one. (Since it’d be more than clear you had to use coercion and they never really cared and could potentially hate you before hand, and everything would feel fake.) And for two: An observation that the heart says ‘red’.

He actually seemed like he’d eat it. To bad we’ll never know what could have happened if he had. But hey, proof that he’s not the type who’d be able to take much physical torture. ( Since we don’t have more recent chapters for that sort of thing to base how he might act. Old still remains as the one example. )

It’s nice to see their stark contrast in composure. Kaito going through all kinds of things going wrong, including severe pain, and he’s still acting like he has been. But Akako is only ever composed when she has full control over other people, otherwise she’s not okay.

You break her heart Kaito. Good for you. Best you can do, when you wouldn’t ever hit her.

I don’t know how you missed the snow, with how exposed you are, Akako. There might be heat magic going on, but that’s only been shown on Kaito, some of this had to hit you. And if it’s cold enough to snow, Kaito was right, you shouldn’t be out in something that doesn’t cover you much at all.

I like Kaito agreeing with her in this instance, because as a magician, he’d know best that all magic is just deceit and trickery. But it’s not the point of magic to be real, the only point...

...Is to entertain. You’re supposed to make the audience believe magic can be real, but magicians themselves know full well it’s all fake. ( I also have to wonder if he appreciated Akako’s magic being real in this instance, because had he been on his own, his own ‘fake magic’ wouldn’t have helped him when it came to being caught by the police. Akako’s magic being real and her doing voodoo stuff to him is what saves him from falling asleep. Though, speaking of the doll, we never see it after this and there’s no indication if Akako still has it or if Kaito took it. )

The cheating line sounds wrong, since as an English speaker, he should only bring up an ‘actually, you’re cheating’ if Akako had mentioned it. But even in English, they didn’t have her say that.

Also more proof that she needed a better upbringing. She doesn’t know how to get by without using magic at all, and that’s more likely to get her killed in modern day society.

Now I’ll address Kaito. Because it’s not just patience, he sees that Akako has a problem and still wants to help her. Despite the fact that she’s essentially tortured him and tried to make him a slave. He’s constantly shown to be a good judge of character, and it applies even to Akako. It’s a stark contrast to when he does get angry at others, or gets revenge, usually when the motives aren’t just selfish, it’s usually for monetary gain. Akako’s selfishness has only shown that she has a small world view and she feels a need to have control over everything, but she’s had no real motivation shown. And Kaito never asks why she’s doing anything. He remains kind to her when she really hasn’t done anything to earn it. Because she is a spoiled brat, someone who hasn’t been raised right or been shown that what she’s doing is wrong. An ignorant and entitled sort of person, not one who’s intentionally malicious just to hurt people. ( But making people into a tragedy doesn’t mean I’ll like them. She been overall terrible, and it wouldn’t have helped anything if she’d missed what Kaito was trying to say. )

The snakes have been matching her expressions, but I’ll just pick one panel to mention it on.

(I’m not sure how the line is supposed to be taken. I was trying to check the raw, but google is basically saying ‘lose their magic’, which I’m not sure would mean all magic, like some think, or something similar to this where it’s just whatever she’s using at the time. I usually go with the former, but the later would be easier to go through with. Unless you’re emotionally and physically numb, it’s hard to go through life without crying. But who knows, maybe witches have to consciously choose to shed a tear and have control over it.)

Much as I love the anime adaptations, note that Aoko never gives Kaito chocolate. She does seem to have feelings, since it doesn’t mean anything it it’s not Valentine’s day, but wasn’t going to save it for him at any point after, either. Besides, Kaito, you should know it’s not free chocolate day anymore. Aoko only told you it was yesterday, you shouldn’t have expected any more.

I will give props to the anime for giving at least a semi-believable reason why Kaito wouldn’t know what Valentine’s day is. But I also know that that’s looking at it in modern day, and I have to wonder if some time differences are going on. Since Gosho used a lot of his own information when writing Kaito, I wonder if it was something that happened to him while growing up, if Valentine’s day wasn’t quite as major a thing as it had become.

Overall, I heavily dislike Akako in this chapter alone. She does get better, even in just the next chapter. Still manipulative, but not nearly as bad and trying to be Veruca Salt and ‘I want this and I will get it’ with people as she is in this one.

[reaperofangelsao3]

Whoops my hand slipped

I have it written here on AO3. But I will put the story here as well.

Note that this does not go very into depth with the racism element of the story because I was trying to keep it under 5k, which I just barely did (4756 words). I will eventually write out a more detailed version that will probably end up being like 20k - 40k if I’m feeling particularly ambitious. But this is the under 5k version.

The queen scowled as she watched Snow White from her balcony. Ebony skin glistened in the sun, her long white hair partially tied into a bun, barely hanging down to her waist. Scrubbing away at the stairs. They didn’t get visitors often, but the queen was happy to see them scowl at the dark-skinned girl. The mirror still called her the fairest of them all, but the girl she was fostering was growing more beautiful by the day, and that irked her like nothing else. Her features were as sharp as the queen’s; they were slightly soft in some areas, then sharper in others. High cheek bones made her pale brown eyes stand out against her skin. She was a walking wonder to some.

Snow didn’t speak to many people. She spoke perfect English, it was the only language she spoke, but the people who stopped to talk to her acted as if she didn’t know what they were saying. She had learned that it just wasn’t worth her time. Dealing with them wasn’t worth ripping her rags further, dealing with them wasn’t worth getting behind her work. Her rags were simple; two pieces, since the waist got horribly ripped and Snow decided to improvise. The top was bunched up at the bottom, almost purple in color. Hibiscus red, one of the nobles commented. The skirt was a variety of colors, circling around her knees with a few violent looking rips after that. It looked like someone had sewn large autumn leaves together and make a skirt. She had shoes, but she didn’t wear them often, since the court years was perfectly flat enough for her feet. She liked it better like that anyway. It made her feel freer.

The queen scowled once the mirror finally brought up how beautiful Snow White was becoming. The queen recognized it as well and she was mildly outraged. A dark-skinned girl. One in which she was fostering, at that. She wasn’t a slave like the ones that her neighbors harbored, but she was typically looked down upon as one. She was growing more beautiful with each passing day, and now that the mirror had brought it up, she felt a strong desire to get rid of the threat. She called for a huntsman, told him to take her to the forest to kill her, requesting that he bring back her lungs and her liver as proof of her death.

One of the guardsmen came up to her. Full suit of armor. No telling what was behind that helmet. He told her that the queen was sending for her to go pick wildflowers from the fields for the upcoming gathering. Snow White obliged, anything to get to go out to the forest, instead of staying here. She ran up to her room in the tower and pulled on a dress more suitable for going out in front of people. A white dress, the torso portion covered in lace, the shoulders being nothing but the beautiful pattern that decorated her dark skin. It flared out at the waist and stopped past her knees. A fake corset back, since she certainly didn’t have anyone to help her with a corse. She slid on a pair of white ankle boots, also decorated with lace, soft lace for shoe string and tied like a bow at the top. She grabbed her basket and hurried back down to her escort, her snowy hair flowing behind her as she practically ran for the castle gates. She couldn’t wait to get away from the castle grounds, even if it were only for a couple of hours.

The walk through town was as pleasant as one would expect in a time in which her skin was frowned down upon heavily. Heavy glances and whispered and even some glares. Her escort seemed uncomfortable. She didn’t care. She held her basket to her hip. She breathed in the earthy, savory smells from the market. It was so much more roguish than the food ever served at the castle. She loved it. She could smell steaks cooking away a top of fire and she could smell vegetable soup wafting throughout the whole market. The fish smell was heavy as they passed by the lake, but she loved it as much as the soup. It was different. It made her stomach churn with hunger. She hadn’t been allowed to eat since lunch yesterday, and everything smelt brilliant right now. But she repressed the noises her stomach wanted to make. Letting people know her thin figure was due to mistreatment was not something she wanted people to know. As far as they were concerned, she was the step daughter of the queen, not her slave. Them knowing she was basically a slave would make their look on her even harsher.

They often starved their slaves here in this area, but never their children.

The field was beautiful at this time of year. Filled with such a variety of plants it was like a rainbow dropped from the sky and just splashed itself down onto the field, watering and coloring the flowers and berry bushes. She immediately buried herself in her work of gathering flowers, picking any that she deems worthy of a gathering, which was most likely another ball. She hummed quietly as she worked, picking up a pink carnation and rubbing her fingers over the stem for a moment before noticing a shadow over her. She turned around and screamed when she saw her escort above her, holding a knife. He looked as if he really would stab into the poor girl’s heart, but his resolve shattered when Snow White began to cry. God, she was beautiful. He had never thought a girl like her would strike him as beautiful but with every tear she shed he felt a little bit more of his pride as a huntsman cracking away. Snow White practically begged him to spare her, even going as far as saying she would run into the woods and never return. He just couldn’t. He couldn’t take the life of someone so undeserving of death. He didn’t even need to think about his answer. He told her to run, run as far as she could, warned her over her stepmother’s obsession. He had to look away as she ran, leaving her basket of flowers behind in her frenzy to get away.

The huntsman felt so ashamed of himself as he began to gut a boar. He had failed, but a pig’s organs were so similar to a human’s, the queen wouldn’t notice, would she? He hoped not. She would behead him on the spot if she found out. He had to give her the lungs and liver and get out as fast as possible.

And that he did, but not before he was forced to watch the royal chefs cook the lungs and liver and serve them up and watching as the queen ate them. He swallowed as she ripped apart the lungs. Thank god those were a boar’s. He didn’t know if he would have been able to watch this, knowing they were a human’s. She had believed him about the lungs and liver, that they were Snow White’s. Which meant she thought she was eating another human’s organs. That made him feel sick.

Snow White had been so afraid, having been frozen in shock as she stared at the trees before she just ran. Animals jumped out at her but none of them ever touched or harmed her. She just ran. She ran for what felt like hours. Days. She had to have run at least 10 miles into the dense forest before she began to feel incredibly weak. She felt like everything may start crashing down on her. Then she came to a clearing. A clearing with a cottage. It was much more homely than an home she had ever seen. But it was… tiny. Not like, dollhouse tiny. Just tiny enough that she had to bend over to get into the house. Everything was small, but it was clean inside. Incredibly clean, actually. There was a table that had seven chairs, seven plates, seven forks and seven knives, and seven mugs. Beer mugs, but they were filled with wine. She felt her hunger take her over. Some bread, a couple veggies from each plate, just a little wine from the mugs. Then her exhaustion took her over.

She climbed up the stairs, glancing around at the seven beds. She slid off her shoes. She tried one after another, none of them perfect, until she arrived at the seventh. So comfortable. She felt herself melt into the bed, pulling the covers over herself, setting her shoes next to the bed. She fell asleep so quickly she couldn’t even remember closing her eyes.

The owners of the house returned later in the night, but they noticed differences before they even got inside. There were footprints in the soft grass and the animals seemed much too curious in their home. They got inside. Seven dwarves, those of which dug for ore in the mountains. They noticed differences in the table. Wine was missing. Bread, vegetables, things missing from plates, silverware and chairs moved. One had already gone upstairs and noticed a small imprint on his ridiculously soft bed that Snow White had immediately denied. They began to whisper before the seventh dwarf noticed Snow White sleeping in his bed. They had been gone long enough for Snow White’s sleeping figure had gotten comfortable, the covers thrown off and her head turned to the side. They all gathered around the bed, gasping in pure amazement.

“My god, she’s beautiful!” One of them whispered. “Good heaven, good heaven!” One of them cried out quietly.

She was too beautiful to wake. Thankfully, dwarves didn’t have much prejudice. They had skin colors of all sorts in their species, many great leaders having come from dwarves who weren’t white, so they didn’t have a problem with recognizing Snow White’s beauty. They simply couldn’t find the heart to wake her. The seventh dwarf ended up sleeping with his companions that night, an hour in each bed.

When Snow White woke up the next morning to find the dwarves gathered around her, she started and immediately began to apologize, backing up on the bed. But their gentle smiles helped her relax.

“What is your name?” One asked. Snow White supplied him with her answer easy enough. They all sighed at the sound of her beautiful voice. It sounded like a bird’s wistful song.

“How did you find our cottage?” Another asked. Snow White tensed up for a minute before sighing.

“My stepmother tried to kill me. The huntsman… the one she hired to kill me… he spared me. He let me run. I run all day and I came upon this cottage. I’m very sorry. I… I was just so tired.” She murmured, looking down ashamedly.

"If you will keep house for us,”

“And cook,”

“Make beds,”

“Wash,”

“Sew,”

“And knit,”

The first dwarf glared lightly as his companions, who all gave shameless smiles. He sighed, continuing, “and keep everything clean and orderly, then you can stay with us, and you shall have everything that you want."

Snow White perked up and began to smile, nodding eagerly. That was easy enough, she did all of that back at the castle, and these people seemed like much more pleasant company. “Yes, I will. I will put my heart into taking care of everything.” She chirped happily.

Cooking came easy to her, even in the wake of having such strange ingredients put in front of her. She was cooking up soup and pies soon enough when she figured out how to work on things. She kept her beautiful white dress on, but left her shoes upstairs, walking around inside and outside barefoot. Her feet quickly developed an easy tolerance to the hard and slightly rocky ground couples with the soft grass. As the days passed, she found herself dancing around outside with the dwarves in her bare feet, not even caring that her hands would get covered in coal dust. She soon found that she loved the smell of coal dust. It was comforting, it reminded her of the people who were so kind as to let her stay. They were the closest thing she would ever get to a family. They warned her though, warned her that the queen would learn she was there in the forest. They warned her not to let anyone into the cottage except for them.

One day, he queen, disguised as an old peddler woman came to the door, yelling. “Beautiful wares!” She cried. Snow White leaned out the window, the wonderful smell of a meat pie cooking drifting out into the field. “Hello ma’am, what is it?”

“Beautiful wares!” She called, being careful not to scowl at Snow White. Damn her beautiful dark skin and the way her white hair contrasted her skin. Snow White had on a loose blouse that the dwarves had given her as a present for her hard work. The woman smiled. “I am selling bodices.” She said, holding up a bodice made of colorful silk. Snow White saw genuinity in the woman and went to the door, unbolting it and taking the bodice, sliding it on quietly. The peddler smiled. “Oh how you look! Please, let me lace you up properly.” She said. Snow white turned and pulled her hair over her shoulder. When she wasn’t looking the queen pulled sharply, tightening it so much that Snow White couldn’t breathe. The peddler whispered something along the lines of “you used to be the fairest of them all” before rushing away.

The dwarves came home, and, to their horror, saw the beautiful ebony girl lying on the ground, unmoving, looking as dead as a fish out of water. One noticed that the bodice was tied much too tight and too his dagger from his pocket and cut the lace in half. They watched in relief as she slowly began to breathe again, seemingly coming back to life.

She had a broken rib, one of the dwarves said as he examined her. Snow White was still a little out of it, but she comprehended their presence and was talking quietly, explaining what had happened. The dwarves looked at one another.

“It was that wicked queen, I’m sure of it.” One chimed. “Please, Snow White, take care of yourself. Don’t let people in if we are not here with you.” He said gently. Snow White sighed and nodded, leaning back as the seventh dwarf began to braid her hair boredly. She took in the lovely smell of coal. The seventh dwarf had washed his hand before he touched her hair, but the rest still smelt like coal. She took in the comforting smell.

Days later, the queen was back, disguised as another woman. A poisonous comb was in her basket this time. “Good wares! Good wares for sale!” She called.

Snow White leaned out the window again. This time the smell that drifted out was the pleasant smell of a cobbler cooking. Berries, no doubt. “Please, go on your way. I am not allowed to let anyone inside.” She hummed sadly. The queen felt a little distress go through her, but she could manipulate his girl easy enough. Snow White was too eager, she knew that. “Oh, but you can surely look?” She asked, holding up the comb. Snow White was so taken with the comb. Sleek and black with designs of roses on the sides. She ran to the door and unbolted it, paying for the comb. She needed a new one anyway, she reasoned.

The woman smiled. “Wonderful. Now turn around so I may comb your hair properly.” She said. Snow White obliged. The comb barely touched her scalp before the poison kicked in and Snow White went unconscious. The wicked woman chuckled darkly before leaving again, going back to her castle, knowing surely that this time Snow White would die.

But it was nearing evening. The dwarves entered the clearing and reveled in the delicious smell coming from the cottage, until panic arose again when they saw Snow White laying on the floor, looking as dead as a swatted fly. The immediately suspected that wicked queen. They barely even removed the comb before she came too. Snow White sat up slowly, then sighed as she told them what happened. They warned her once again.

Snow White spent the rest of the night singing for the dwarves. She desperately wanted to dance just like they were, but her broken rib wouldn’t allow it. It was close to healing thanks to the dwarf healing methods that they were using, but she still needed to be careful.

Days later. She was full healed and happily dancing around the cottage as she cooked. A knock came to the door. She stuck her head out the woman. A peasant woman with a basket of apples. She sighed. “Sorry, I can not let anyone in. I am forbidden from doing so.”

The woman shrugged. “No matter. I can get rid of my apples easily.” She said and walked to the window. Snow White shook her head. “I’m not allowed to accept anything.”

The woman grinned. “Why? Are you afraid of poison?” She asked and held up her poisonous apple. It was masterfully made by the use of witchcraft. The apple was white with red cheeks, made so the white half was safe to eat and the red half was poisonous. The queen knew that anyone who looked at the beautiful apple would want it, and Snow White was no exception. “Here, I’ll cut it in half. I’ll eat the white half and you eat the red half.” She said calmly. As soon as Snow White saw the woman safely eating her half of the apple, she couldn’t resist. She took a bite. Dizziness took over her, a strange feeling pooling in her stomach before she collapsed, dead on the ground. The queen cackled. "White as snow, red as blood, black as ebony wood! This time the dwarfs cannot awaken you."

That was the only night she went home and the mirror told her she was the fairest and did not mention Snow White.

When the dwarves came home, saw Snow White dead on the ground, the immediately started looking for something poisonous. They undid her laces, nothing. Combed her hair, nothing. They bathed her in water and wine. Nothing helped. She was dead. The beautiful girl they had all grown to love was dead. They laid her upon a bier, and mourned and cried for three days. Snow White remained in her deep sleep of death, surrounded by the comforting smell of coal. They would have buried her, but they couldn’t bring themselves to do so. She still looked as fresh as a living person, still had that rosy glow to her skin.

They said they couldn’t bury her in the black earth. They had a glass coffin made for her so she could be seen from all sides, so people could see her utter beauty. They laid her inside and her name written in golden letters on the coffin, and that she was a princess. They brought with them to the mountains so one could always watch over her. Even the animals came to mourn the girl. An owl, a raven, and a dove.

No matter how long she laid in the coffin, she never decayed. She looked like she was asleep. She kept her beautiful glow.

One day a prince from a far off kingdom came to the dwarves’ cottage, some of his footmen from this kingdom. The dwarves looked at him curiously. They all looked more tired than ever. They had never been able to get over Snow White’s death, and they still cried over her some days.

“Please, I need shelter for the night before I go to visit the monarch of this kingdom. May I stay here?” he asked. The dwarves looked to one another before looking back at the prince. “Yes, you may stay, but do not expect to be fed. We do not have that much food.” One of them said. They didn’t go out for food much anymore, finding little motivation. The only reason they still worked in the mountains was because that was their source of money. As soon as the prince walked in, he saw the coffin and there laid the beautiful, undecaying body of Snow White. He fell in love instantly. He went over to the coffin and began to read. The Snow White Princess. He soon found himself begging the dwarves to take her with him.

"Let me have the coffin. I will give you anything you want for it."

But the dwarves answered, "We will not sell it for all the gold in the world."

Then he said, "Then give it to me, for I cannot live without being able to see Snow White. I will honor her and respect her as my most cherished one."

The dwarves took pity on him, he looked so desperate. They felt a different vibe come from this particular human. He had looked at Snow White and had immediately looked over her skin color and fell in love with her. They figured, maybe it was time they moved on. They gave the prince the coffin. He didn’t even bother waiting, having his men pick of the coffin, planning on going back to his kingdom with the girl.

They carried her through the forest, though the dwarves followed him to make sure he didn’t abuse her. One of the footmen tripped and the disturbance was enough to cause the apple lodged in Snow White’s throat to come out. She was waking up now and pushing the coffin lid up, sitting up.

"Good heavens, where am I?" she cried out.

The prince felt his heart melt.

“With me. I took you from the dwarves when I saw you in their home. I just couldn’t leave you. I fell in love instantly. I love you more than anything else. Please, come home with me, become my wife.”

Snow White could feel her face heating up, her ebony skin taking on a beautiful red sheen. She glanced over and spotted a dwarf. She felt her chest tighten. “Um…” She fiddled with the edge of her dress. The dwarves had put her in a blue and gold dress, the small train going near the ground as she sat atop the coffin, a pair of blue heels on her feet. She glanced down. “Please, try and court me for a bit? I need to be with my family.” She said and slid down. She would be lying if she said she wasn’t immediately taken with the prince, but she felt that marrying someone so quickly was absurd. The dwarves came out of the trees and looked happy enough to cry. She ran to them and hugged them. She breathed in the now heavenly smell of coal.

The prince had obliged and stayed to live with her and the dwarves for a few months. She had taught him how to gather herbs and berries and he had taught her to hunt, helping her get strong enough to draw back a bow and then taught her to aim and stay steady. She taught him to cook, what part of the animal you needed for what and what spices went best with different meats and how to balance flavors. She taught him to dance like a free spirit rather than a straight-backed royal. They found themselves falling for each other more every day. She soon agreed to go back to his kingdom and marry him, on the condition that the dwarves could come.

The prince’s father was certainly surprised when his son came home after months of being gone, looking so relaxed in the courtyard as he danced around with his fiancee, laughing as they traded kisses, but the display of pure love had his heart melting. This girl of ebony skin, snow white hair, and blood red lips was certainly the person that could keep his son happy for the rest of his days.

The queen heard of a wedding in a neighboring kingdom, dressing herself in her best robes. She hadn’t asked in a long while, but she walked up to the mirror and asked her usual question.

Mirror, mirror, on the wall,

Who in this land is fairest of all?

The mirror answered:

You, my queen, are fair; it is true.

But the young queen is a thousand times fairer than you.

The queen felt her envious and wicked heart flair with panic. She considered not going to the wedding. It would save her the envy and pain. But her curiosity got the best of her. She recognized Snow White immediately, despite her get-up. They had cleaned Snow White thoroughly, her skin only slightly lighter after all the dirt and coal dust was removed from her. Her hair was washed, and it was so white it was almost blinding as the sun shone down on it. It was in an updo, a large bun behind her head with elegant curls and a large, black barrette to hold it up, her veil attached to the barrette.

Her dress was a dark red, flaring out at the waist. It had a veil over the skirt that had white roses decorating the edges, and she had white gloves with soft designs of red roses around the edges, a silk ribbon wrapped around her waist and tied into a pristine bow in the back and another in front that held the veil. She wore a necklace of diamonds around her neck

She was truly beautiful. She was always beautiful. The red of her dress brought out her blood red lips. The dark color went with her skin too nicely. This was her wedding day. She would never get more beautiful than this.

The queen couldn’t move. She had killed her, Snow White had been dead for nearly a half year. This couldn’t be happening. She just kept getting back up on her feet!

Snow White stared at the queen, but the dwarves were the first to shout angry and abrasive things at the woman and accuse her of attempted murder. The prince looked down at his beloved, who only sighed, gripping his hands gently. He then looked to one of his servants and nodded his head.

The queen was brought up to the altar. She was presented with red-hot iron shoes being warmed on coals. She was then forced to step into them and dance until she dropped dead. Snow White watched her quietly, and, for some reason, didn’t feel sorry for her. The woman had tried to kill her three times, so could you blame her? When Snow White watched her droop dead, she had the comfortable feeling of knowing that the queen wouldn’t ever get back up. When the queen died, she died. Snow White walked up quietly, and knelt down just before the queen took her last breath. The queen looked up at her. Snow White glanced away, then back at her. “I am not unworthy of life simply because I am ebony. I am my own person. I have enough right to live as you do. I’m sorry I was more beautiful than you were. I had no control over that. My mother always wished for a daughter as white as snow, as red as blood, and as black as ebony wood.” She murmured, looking at her skin. It was chocolatey, going well with the dark reds and the stunning whites. She then looked back up. “But I must thank you. I wouldn’t be where I am now, with the love of my life by my side, if I hadn’t run away from the huntsman a year ago. Goodbye.” She said, and before the queen could lash out, she drew her last breath. Snow White stood up and she looked down at her stepmother sadly, but then grinned like a dope as she felt her prince’s arms wrap around her waist from behind. It was time for the reception, and their dance. The dance that would seal the deal.

And she couldn’t wait to start a new life with a new family that cared for her. Even if it took her dying three times to get there.

[lamiaward]

Swan Queen Week: parent trap

I do not own OUAT.

There were several reasons Regina did not like it that her son and sister were bonding. She could be a nice list of it actually, titled reasons why my migraines are increasing in frequency. If she had told this with her monthly appointment with Archie, he probably would have jumped at the idea as the man had an obsession with making lists.

Her list reasons why my migraines are increasing in frequency would look like this.

A.    Zelena’s influence on Henry seems greater than vice versa

A2. The pest in her house had managed to convince Henry to participate in several pranks, which were amusing when Snow was the target or Mulan, but insufferable whenever she was the target

B.     Henry thought it absolutely necessary to introduce ‘auntie Z’ to all the movies and TV series, especially the Disney ones

B2. Regina was forced to join the film nights, which meant enduring Zelena’s comments

B3. Her sister now made constant references to that infernal Disney movie about Regina herself, such as saying ‘magic mirror on the wall who is the fairest of them all’ if Regina as much as walked past a mirror

B4. Her sister hid a new Disney-related gift in her house every few days and once, Regina had even woken up in a nightshirt with the evil queen( as well as Maleficent) on it that definitely had not been what she was wearing when she went to sleep

C.      Zelena was addicted to horror movies , which she found hilarious, and now liked to imitate things from them.

C1. Regina’s TV had been blown apart when Zelena had gotten it into her head to enchant it so it seemed that the pit girl from the ring was coming from it

C2. Regina and Henry were constantly on edge, as Zelena’s horror creatures could jump out at any moment

D.     Her sister had no regards for privacy

D1. She had asked Regina several questions about Regina’s search history, which Zelena shouldn’t know about and definitely should not joke about to Henry

D2. Bath time was not the right moment for Zelena to walk in and try to rope Regina into a discussion she was having with Henry about which comics could be considered canon and which couldn’t

D3. Zelena didn’t knock when she entered Regina’s room. This could get very awkward

D4. Her sister in only a very short towel, trying to steal Regina’s favourite shampoo, should not be what Regina woke up to

Things might have been better between her and her sister , and still getting better each day, but that didn’t mean Regina accepted all those things from Zelena with a smile. Emma might find it amusing, but Regina would slip and accidentally murder her sister one of these days, and they couldn’t have that. She had gone without murdering someone for years, and she would have to start seeing Archie weekly again if she slipped.

And that was just unacceptable.

She was massaging the side of her head to lessen her headache and hopefully finally being able to focus on the request in front of her again when the door opened, and her best friend walked in. Emma didn’t have a sister wreaking havoc and being more work than a small child living in her house, but she somehow looked about as tired as Regina herself felt.

Still, she smiled when she held up the take-out bag from Granny’s. Regina gave a small smile back, and waved her hand so that Emma’s chair moved back and Emma could sit down on it. Two glasses appeared on her desk, after on it levitated to a corner of the room. Plates followed, as well as napkins.

“ How is it going?” Emma asked, vanishing the glasses with a small grin and handing Regina her root beer. Regina rolled her eyes, but decided to just accept it lest she got involved in another vanishing competition, like the last time. She wasn’t really looking forward to Emma accidentally vanishing her blouse again, and avoiding her for a week.

“ As well as can be expected” Regina groused, drinking her root beer.

Emma put her grilled cheese, and Regina’s salad on the plates.  “ Is it the paperwork, the stupid complaints or your sister?”.

“ All of them, honestly”

Emma hid a grin, rather unsuccessfully. “ You’ve got to admit though, Zelena is kind of funny”.

“ Invite her to move in with you, and see whether you still think that”.

“ She is doing better though, right?”.

“ Emma , you are supervising her … redemption with me. You already know how she is doing”.

Emma shrugged. “ Yeah, but I don’t have that much time because-  “ she cut herself off, and quickly changed the subject. They didn’t really talk about Emma’s marriage.  “So apart from the pranks and the various attempts on Hook’s life- “ .

Regina was the one to hide a grin this time. “ She did not attempt to murder him, she merely transformed him into an orangutan”.

“ And tried to sell him to a zoo”.

“ She has no form of income, as the establishments in this town do not wish to hire her”.

“ Regina”

“ Redemption never goes smoothly. If you remember, I made very grave mistakes”.

Emma’s scowl immediately disappeared, and a vaguely panicked look replaced it. “Don’t beat yourself up- we did dumb shit too”.

Regina knows Emma is probably thinking of that disaster with the dreamcatcher, or maybe just taking Henry away from Regina in general.  “ I did not make it easy to believe me, and you thought you were protecting Henry”.

“ Still. I understand it now – what losing Henry feels like, and the kid was miserable as well. He just pushed it down”

Regina’s heart starts racing, and she can’t control her expression properly. She wants to look indifferent, or at least something appropriate, something friendly but instead she just knows she has that stupid look she gets sometimes around Emma.

(But then, Emma’s eyes are so gentle and there is small, sad smile and it is almost enough to get Regina to believe she isn’t alone in this godawful pining)

Emma pushes at her grilled cheese for a moment, then quickly changes the subject. “ So uh anything else I missed, any tornado’s or time spells or whatever?”.

“ A tornado is hardly something you can miss”

Emma makes a gesture.  “ Small tornado’s “.

“ Small- That still constitutes an enormous force, capable of picking up your beloved metal coffin on wheels and finally destroying it. I doubt you would miss that”

“ I thought Robyn had displaced signs of magic”

“ Yes, but those were more small storms than tornado’s “

“ Should we do something about that? I mean, if she already can do that, it’s only going to get worse and she can’t control it”.

“ I have already protected my house”.

“ what about the town?”.

Regina sighs. “ We can enchant Robyn’s buggy, so that any magic she accidentally starts will be contained and stopped”.

“ Sounds good”

Emma happily tears into her grilled cheese, quickly swallowing and taking another bite. Regina nudges the napkins her way, earning herself an eyeroll like usually. “ So- “ Emma swallows her next bite at Regina’s arched eyebrow “ did anything else happen?”.

Regina shakes her head.  “ No, just the usual. Although – “

“ Although what?” Emma says, between sips of root beer.

“ My sister has arranged a blind date for me”.

Regina gasps and stares at Emma when she is showered with root beer as Emma does a spectacular spit take. “ What “

“Miss Swan” Regina hisses, wiping at her face. Emma’s odd expression vanishes as she realizes what she has done, and she quickly rounds the desk with her hands clutching several napkins. Before Regina can stop her, Emma is trying to wipe the droplets of root beer of Regina amidst apologies as well as snorts.

“ Why would Zelena do that- can we even trust her, what if she like arranges a date with a monkey?”

“Is the poor saviour traumatized from her relationship with another monkey? “ Regina says, showing way too much teeth as she smiles.

“ That’s not funny, Hook isn’t – totally different things, Regina”.

Regina sniffs. “ If you were to date another flying monkey, I would think it an improvement. The worst you can catch from them is flies, while your pirate – “

“ He doesn’t have any STD’s, you know I had him tested”.

“That is a – miss Swan”  Regina even forgets to make a snarky remark about Hook when Emma’s hand suddenly are no longer on her face, but on her chest. She looks down, then at Emma. She almost smirks when she sees Emma has frozen, and swallows for a moment. There is another look, one of the ones that sometimes makes Regina think she isn’t alone in her feelings-

Then Emma shrugs and says “ There was root beer there as well”.

“ How on earth did you manage that? “ Regina says, looking down at herself. Emma is actually right, as her blouse is slightly wet and she can feel little droplets glide down her neck, and into her shirt.

Emma shrugs. “ So – who is Zelena setting you up with? “

“The term blind date suggests I do not know, Emma “

“ Do you want me to find out, so I can make sure it isn’t a creep?” Emma smirks. “ Or that they are at least human”

“As long as they do not like rums, boats and have good personal hygiene, I will be fine”.

“ Am I really supposed to believe forest guy had good hygiene?”.

Regina stiffens, and glares at Emma. “ At least he brushed his teeth”.

“ A true stellar guy” Emma says drily.

“ You have no right to judge, miss Jones” they both freeze. Emma hasn’t asked why Regina still calls her Swan, and Regina hasn’t questioned why Emma looks happy with it. Now they know why, as Regina looks angrily heartbroken and Emma –

Emma just looks lost.

“ Hook changed for me, and we’re happy”

Regina could counter that, there’s so much she could say. She could remind Emma that Hook tried to kill everyone, tried to kill Henry. That he has hurt Emma so many times, that he didn’t believe her, didn’t trust her. That they lied to each other and ignored each other’s wishes. But if Hook is what Emma wants-

“ I know you love him” is all she offers.

Emma nods, and Regina knows what is going to happen. Emma is going to walk away, and go to that goddamn pirate. “ Zelena feels guilty”

“ What?”.

“ The blind date. It is Zelena’s way of apologizing about what happened with Robyn, and Hades”.

Emma snorts. “ What? My boyfriend tried to kill you and everything, but here is a blind date so you can feel better? “.

Regina sighs. “ I argued against it as well, but -  “ she looks down. “ It would be nice to have someone”.

“You have your family. You have Henry and – “ Emma shrugs, then quickly says “ Snow and David and everyone. Me “

“ I know, and I am very grateful for that but it is different” she hesitates.

“ Why? What’s it?”.

Regina wonders whether she should say anything.

“Trust me “ Emma says

Regina swallows, then takes a deep breath. “ I adopted Henry, because I needed something more in my life. And he was everything I could have hoped, and I love him. But I really- “

“ You want another child?” Emma doesn’t sound surprised, not even a little bit.

“ Yes. I am thinking of adopting another child, and I could obviously raise them on my own again but I do not necessarily want to “

Regina’s heart is racing again, but it is for an altogether different reason this time. She has been thinking off this for a while, and has even already had a long talk with Henry about it, but she had been hesitant to tell Emma.

Before she can find out whether Emma’s reaction would be everything she hoped, everything she feared, or something in the middle, the door to her office opens. Regina’s secretary gapes at them. Regina can’t blame her

Emma’s hands are still pressed to Regina’s chest, somewhere during the conversation they both started to lean in and their expressions – well. Safe to say, all parties involved are uncomfortable. Emma quickly stumbles back, tossing the napkin at Regina with a smile. Before Regina can explain anything, Emma is taking her grilled cheese with her with a promised ‘we will talk later’.

If her secretary weren’t so competent, Regina would possibly fire her.

Turn on the TV!! Watch ‘Good morning Storybrooke’.

Regina is understandably confused when she receives the text from Emma, especially since Emma knows she is probably struggling to get Henry out of bed, as Emma is rather familiar with that particular fight.

Why?

Just do it, trust me

Regina sighs, and looks down at her son. He is laying on stomach, hugging his pillow and refusing to do more than groan and grouse at her. If he would actually be able to see Regina’s expression right now, he would quickly roll out of bed and sprint downstairs.

But alas, he doesn’t see her expression turn very ‘evil queen’.

He certainly feels the cause of it though.

“ ¡Qué mierda! “ he screams, nearly falling on the ground in his haste to get away from the small rainstorm above his head. He immediately turns and faces her, an exact copy of her own glare on his face.

“ Go take a shower” she commands, walking away from the room and stopping the rainstorm with a snap of her fingers.

“ I THINK THE RAIN ALREADY TOOK CARE OF THAT “ he screams

She just chuckles, and goes downstairs to the kitchen. As soon as she enters it, she summons a small TV and turns it on with a flick of her wrist. She leans against the counter with a cup of coffee, which she immediately drops as soon as the TV is turned on.

“ Good morning Storybrooke!” her sister says cheerfully, over the sound of what suspiciously sounds like muffled words. Regina mutters a curse, and mentally adds ‘breaks into a TV studio and possibly ties the actually presentation up’ to her list.

There is another sound of muffled words, and she sees Zelena kick something (someone?) with a scowl and a hissed ‘quiet’. She quickly smiles again. “ One of your hosts wasn’t feeling well, so I got to replace him! And his less insufferable and smarter colleague is here as well , to help me. “

She smirks at Goldie locks, who looks understandably weary. In fact, she nearly falls of her chair as she trying to subtly scoot away from Zelena  “ Aren’t you?”

“ S-sure- “ she says, with a pained smile. “ You were v-very clear about that, miss wicked witch”.

Zelena smiles, and cackles. Goldie locks almost jumps of her chair( Regina has told her sister that she shouldn’t cackle but laugh, and this is exactly why)  “ Zelena is fine, sun shine”.

“ It is Goldie locks actually”

Zelena stares at her. “ Goldie – are you bloody Rapunzel?”

“ Eh, no. I am Goldie Locks, from the- “.

“ Whatever” Zelena straightens in her chair and looks into the camera.  “Today , Storybrooke, is your luck day. This morning’s program is completely dedicated to finding my dear, dear sister a date” .

Goldie locks blinks. “ Madam mayor is approving this?”.

“ Approving isn’t the right word” Zelena says.

Goldie locks looks rather pained, but still manages to keep smiling. Regina thinks that is admirable. However, it also means this has gone on long enough, and it is time to stop her sister. She waves her hand, meaning to transport to the studio-

“What” she growls as nothing happens. After ten times and ten fails, she finally gives up and stalks out of the kitchen- or at least that is her plan, except then she suddenly feels a familiar warmth and only barely manages to avoid walking into an invisible barrier.

“That’s it. I am revoking her magic rights, until the end of time” she mutters, and turns back to the TV.  Goldie Locks has apparently resigned herself to being Zelena’s partner-in-crime and seems her usual cheerful self. Regina squeezes her eyes, but she can’t be sure whether the woman’s smiles are faked.

She texts Emma while she follows the program.

You will have to solve this issue on your own. I cannot leave my house.

She nearly drops the phone and throws it at the screen when it fills with a picture of her. It was of her several months back. She is wearing a suit and tie, and the first three buttons of her shirt are open. She is grinning at something, the exact opposite of the emotion she feels right now.

That picture was taken without her consent. She is locked in. Her sister has probably kocked someone out. She is going to make her sister pay.

Another picture, of Regina in- one of her evil queen dresses. Which she definitely didn’t pose for, so how the hell did Zelena get that picture? And is she really stupid enough to think that people would possibly want to date her after a reminder of who she had been?

“ I am glad you didn’t wear that dress to Emma’s wedding” Henry comments, walking inside the kitchen.

“ What?”.

He nods at the picture. “ The dress. That’s the one you wore to grandma’s wedding, right?” he grins at her.  “It would’ve been cool if you would have interrupted the wedding the same way, but I really don’t want to see that dress”.

She tries to walk out of the kitchen, hoping that Henry’s arrival means the spell is broken. She glares as soon as she feels the barrier, and throws a fireball at it. She gives up after trying four more, and leans against the counter.

“I have done some research, and my sources say you’ve got to name good characteristics of the person you are trying to find a blind date for so I started with the obvious. As I am sure you leering hypocrites know, my sister is attractive”.

Zelena sighs theatrically.  “Sadly, my sis isn’t just looking for one-night-stands, although I know she desperately needs it, so if you just want to lay one of her, you probably don’t have much of a chance”

Regina’s foul curse makes Henry stare at her, but she doesn’t pay him attention. She is too busy staring completely horrified at the TV screen as Zelena smirks wickedly and says “ However, I did make a special account for people just wanting to taste my sister’s forbidden fruit”

“ That is not even meant to be sexual” Regina protests.

Henry snorts. “Yeah, right”.

Regina gives him a warning look. He just grins and kisses her cheek with a ‘¡Buenos días!, mom” , and helps himself to a small mountain of pancakes. He munches on them as Zelena has Goldie Locks dictate a number

“You know, I really never wanted to think of this” he says calmly

“Do not worry, mijo, I will kill my sister for talking about a private part of my life on TV” she assures him.

Henry just continues serenely eating his pancakes.  On the TV, Zelena winks. “ So dearies, I will try to change my sister’s mind but it’s probably not going to happen. So other good characteristics-  Rapunzel, do you want to do the honours?”.

“ I am not Rapunzel – “ .

“ Yeah yeah, just name some characteristics my sister has that make her good dating material”.

“Oh, I don’t actually really know madam mayor all that well- “.

Zelena sighs. “ I have to everything, don’t I? All right. She is smart, funny and makes delicious food. She seems to enjoy taking care of people, and is a gifted witch” Zelena says this all like she is pulling her own teeth out, but it is still rather sweet. Regina almost forgives her, when she says the next thing.

“ She is obsessed with Star wars, which she never admits but I have been in her closet. She is also addicted to several TV shows, and has horrible taste” Regina vows to destroy her sister’s happiness, redemption be damned.

Zelena looks at Goldie Locks.  “Are you finally make yourself useful?”.  

Goldie Locks actually dares to glare, although she quickly drops it. “ If you are interested in dating mayor Mills, you just have to call the number that will appear beneath me. You will be contacted by her sister for a blind date”.

The camera zooms in on Zelena. “ So if you’re under fifty, attractive, of reasonable intelligence and not a munchkin or royalty, please call this number. Don’t bother calling if you hate children, healthy food or fireballs”.

Regina suddenly gets an idea. She might still be unable to leave, but her phone works. She quickly punches in the number.

And that is how the entirety of Storybrooke gets treated to a fight between Regina and her sister.

Zelena’s plan still has, somehow, worked.  Regina is now the proud owner of no less than 85 ‘booty call numbers’ ( as her sister referred to them when she threw the book they were written down in at Regina’s head) , a sore voice and a new date outfit, courtesy of Zelena and Henry.

“I had to go with her, to keep it appropriate “ he says, when she asks him why he would subject himself to this

“ I do not trust Zelena, but I do trust her fashion sense” she says, as it is true that her sister usually is dressed well.

Henry gives her a look, and looks down at his phone. He doesn’t even say something, just shows the pictures to Regina.

“ Henry, why am I looking at a prostitute’s clo- why is that nurse outfit- that is not how batgirl looks”.

Zelena walks in, pouting. “ Those outfits would’ve been amazing”

“ No, they would have been ground to arrest me for impropriety” Regina protests.

“ See, horrible taste” Zelena comments

Regina looks at Henry. “ Can I even trust her to choose the right people for these blind dates”

Henry smiles at her, and kisses her cheek. “ I will be supervising”

Regina slowly exhales.  “All right”.

She never sees the twin devious look exchanged between Henry and Regina.

--

Eagle 2, what do you think?

I am at school eagle 1

Don’t be such a hero.

You haven’t send me anything. Kind of hard to have an opinion on NOTHING

Description:  dad of one, loves nature but also likes to stay indoors and watch TV. 40 years old, athletic and trying to get a masters in marine biology.

Mom doesn’t really like camping and such. And the marine biology thing might make her think of Hook. I am surprised you thought about setting her up with him

You told me to only send you the boring ones. My choice was the pretty blonde who included lap dances in her description

Gross!

I am sure your mother would enjoy that more than someone who can make her some weird fish dish

Stop talking about that, that is my MOM you are talking about

Prude. What about this one: forty-two, mother of a grumpy teenager, a horrible cook but very good at cleaning, likes to read, speaks multiple languages.

Oh my god, send a picture

Why?

I think it is the mom of one of my classmates.

Well, in that case she is a total MILF.

Not cool! And where did you even get that word? Urgh, it’s like listening to Nick

One of those brats got into trouble for calling your mom that while Emma was behind him

What? WHO?

Your mom already took care of it. I didn’t know golden girl could be so .. wicked.

It’s her.

Who?

The picture, it is the mother of one of my classmates

Do you think Grumpy McMayorpants will like her?

Your nicknames are weird. And yeah, I think so.

On the small pile of yesses she goes!

Anything else?  Grandma is looking at me disappointedly.

Can’t we let her in on the operation?

No! My moms would know in like a minute, and then operation Happy Ending will fail.

Fine. Should I sort out the rest myself?

Okay, but don’t choose anyone YOU like. My mom and you look for different things in people.

Of course, Zelena still picked someone who Henry wouldn’t have, which ended with the rather scarring moment where Henry is dropped off by Emma and they almost walk into his mom pressed against the wall, with her date pressed against her, kissing the other woman.

The only good thing is Emma’s reaction.

It is almost worth it

Twelve blind dates, three fights, a mistletoe incident and one divorce later and operation Happy Ending still hasn’t succeeded.

Emma is actually staying with them, after her rather bad divorce and the consequent realization of ‘what the fuck have I turned into’. They have family nights and outings and Regina has even started the adoption process, but they still haven’t figured it out. Emma is in therapy, again, and she still seems completely clueless that she has feelings for Henry’s other mom.

This is why Henry and Zelena meet at his castle, in the middle of the night as Zelena claims that it is the proper way to do it. Henry shivers in his wonder woman pyjama’s and glares at her

“ Couldn’t we have gone to the farm house or somewhere else it is warm?”.

“No. So what is the next stage?”.

Henry sighs. “ I don’t even know anymore. We could wait?”.

Zelena swats him. “ Don’t be stupid! “

“ I don’t want to wait until they figure it out, but nothing has worked. And they’re trying to adopt another child, together. Surely that must be enough to make them see they’re not only friends? “

Zelena and Henry share a despairing look. They both know better.

“ I can’t believe my sister is so oblivious. I can understand Emma , but Regina as well?”.

Henry shrugs. “ To be fair, I think mom knows she is in love. She might even know ma is totally in love with every part of her. I think she is just scared, because she keeps losing people “

Zelena makes a disgusted sound.  “What are we going to do about that?”

Henry throws his arms into the air , and falls down dramatically.  “I no longer have any ideas”.

He nearly falls of the castle as Zelena leans over him, startling him. He stares at the flashlight in her hand. “ Where did you get that?”.

“ I have two ideas left. But we will start with the one”.

It is a true sign of desperation that he doesn’t think about stopping her when she says , with a very wicked, and more than a little insane, grin  “ enchanted mistletoe”.

He hangs the mistletoe in his mom’s study. It ends with her kissing Maleficent, rather enthusiastically, and Henry threatening to write Zelena ‘the crappiest story ever’ if she doesn’t stop recounting it to him.  He hangs the mistletoe in the library, because he knows when his moms will be there and what book they will need. Grandpa spends a week placing mom on a new curse every day ( just minor things, like her hair changing colours or her voice becoming squeaky) and Belle can’t look at her without blushing for a week. He hangs the mistletoe in the dinner, and Regina and Jefferson spend an entire day beneath the mistletoe before he accepts Regina’s apology and gives in.

Regina locks herself at home, and refuses to go outside. This lasts several days, and Henry still has to find something to convince his mom that she can leave the house ( or that she can let him stay at home as well, instead of having to go to school) when he receives the text.

You have such a bloody brilliant aunt, little hen.

Please don’t call me that. And why?

I managed to lock love bird 1 & 2 in a closet with enchanted mistletoe.

So they can literally come out of the closet?

I knew you would get it. They seem to be enjoying themselves, so maybe we’ve finally succeeded

Never mind.

What happened ? Henry only gets to reply when class is over, as his grandma had decided to actually follow protocol and make him hand in his phone. They’re now walking to Granny’s for their Friday night family dinner, and she is softly scolding him for still being busy with his phone.

Sis’ hair was all rumpled, and our saviour had lipstick all over her face but THEY DECIDED IT WAS JUST SO THEY WOULDN’T BE TRAPPED THE IDIOCY IS STRONG IN YOUR MOMS

I am so annoyed I am referencing that stupid film

Zelena does indeed look very annoyed as Henry walks into Granny’s and sees her next to Regina, with David and Emma across from her. There is already a chair from him, and he sits down it while Snow kisses her husband and sits down next to him. Zelena keeps sulking throughout the entire evening, which is why the conversation immediately stops when she suddenly smirks.

Regina lowers her drink, and narrows her eyes. “ Zelena what is-  “ as soon as she starts coughing, Emma is by her side. Snow leans forward and David leans in as well. Regina tries to wave them off, but she is coughing too furiously.

“ What- “ it sounds really unpleasant, Henry notices “ have you done?”.

“ A potion of confession “Zelena says, smugly.

Regina’s head shoots up, her eyes widening. “ What does that do?  “ Emma asks, glaring at Zelena like she hasn’t since they were enemies.

“What the name suggests, saviour”.

Regina stands, but before she can use magic, she slams her hands on the table and curses. Snow grabs David’s arm, Charming and Emma both threaten to lock Zelena up for the night and even Henry is worried when there is blood coming from his mom’s mouth.

“ Don’t fight it sis “ Zelena voice is almost gentle.

Regina tries, because of course she would , but eventually it rushes out. “ Emma and I are sleeping with each other”.

Zelena’s almost-gentle expression vanishes. “ WHAT?” she shrieks.  “I have helped little hen parent trap you and you were already-  “.

“ I love you” Regina admits, her eyes closing. Henry is kind of pissed at Zelena, because this might be going too far. With the enchanted mistletoe, people had to at least be attracted to each other for it to work .

Regina looks at Emma. “ I do not even know when I fell in love with you. You were this intruder in my town, stealing my son’s affection and ruining everything I had sacrificed my father for. And then you saved my son and broke the curse and- you started working with me and you didn’t give up on me. And then you cursed me”

Mom’s voice actually breaks. “ I could not stop loving you, not even when you were endangering our son by running off for someone so unworthy of you- you idiot”

He thinks his ma thinks it, but grandma is the one who actually says it. “ Why didn’t you tell her? “  

“ Because I do not deserve Emma” she never looks away from Emma.  “I am the reason for all that pain you went through, and all the fighting. Without me, you would not have been an orphan or the saviour. Every single one of your friends have suffered, because of me”

Emma laughs, and slowly stands up. “ Regina, you idiot, you are my friend” she says, tears slipping even as she smiles at Regina. It’s shy and awkward and Regina looks at that smile with the usual pining expression.  “I uh am not really good with words. I didn’t really know at first, and then I thought we were just friends and I didn’t want to ruin that – but I already told you”

Regina is closing herself off, obviously thinking she is going to be rejected and Henry thinks it is heart-breaking. “ You are not making sense, miss Swan”.

Emma slowly exhales.  “I already showed you I am in love with you as well. I thought I was being pretty clear actually, but – “ she shrugs, self-deprecatingly. “ I guess I shouldn’t have been a coward, and actually said it. But after the divorce- I wasn’t really- you deserved something better than that”.  

Regina takes a step towards her. “ You are an idiot “ she says

“ I think we can safely say we’re both idiots” Emma says.

Regina slowly leans in, and kisses her. It’s short and gentle and Henry can see them smile into it. When they pull apart, Regina leans her head against Emma’s and Emma reacts by tentatively hugging her. They don’t let go after that, just hug with Emma’s face nestled in the crook of Regina’s neck.

Operation Happy Ending?

Totally a success.

[onesandzcros]

reflection.

It was the middle of freshman year, and Tara’s fingers messed with a few strands of long hair as she sat in literature class, waiting for the period to come to an end. When the bell finally rang for recess, she got up and stretched, easily picked out in a fitted t-shirt and blue jeans. It meant that when Alyson came to find her, she grinned easily. “Hey, see you made it through without falling asleep. Thought I was going to have to throw something at you.”

Alyson’s expression then was one of wounded dignity with mischief hidden behind. “It was pretty damn close. Hope that not all of high school literature classes will be like this.” That was when she made a face. “Gym class after this, ugh. Why is it mandatory and where can I hide until it goes away?”

Tara’s stomach plummeted. The school’s changing rooms were a nightmare, enough to make her anxious, palms sweating as she tried to change with her back turned away from everyone, t-shirt moved to cover her front. Rather than highlight that, though, she shrugged and walked alongside Alyson, pulling a hairband from around her wrist to tie her hair up into a messy ponytail. “Tell me about it. You won’t catch me dead in there. You should just skip with me.”

“I can’t, I’ll get caught, and you’ll get detention.”

I’d rather get detention than be in there. “Guess we’ll find out,” she replied with a smirk, only for her gaze to wander across the quad where the football players were practicing once they left the building. For February, the weather was still incredibly mild and most of the student body were taking advantage of it. Alyson caught the direction of where Tara’s attention was at and chuckled, almost immediately misinterpreted. “You know, I thought some of the others were bad when it came to checking out the football players, but that wasn’t remotely subtle. Who are you looking at?”

Caught, Tara blushed, a rare enough occurrence that it made it look like what it wasn’t: unrequited crush. “No one,” she said quickly. It wasn’t true, but she wasn’t looking over there for the reasons that Alyson probably expected either. It wasn’t about seeing a handsome boy and wanting to be kissed, though that had crossed her mind before. No, instead, it was curiosity; wondering how it felt to move the way that they did, how it would be to live in someone else’s skin just for a little while.

To not look in the mirror and feel strangely distant.

To want to look in the mirror at all.

Spring fling. Of all the stupid dances that the school could come up with, it definitely numbered among the lamer ones. Her mom had been thrilled that she was going, of course, happy to see that she was going to go out and have fun, and had taken her shopping for a dress. Tara hadn’t been able to protest, had endured at least an hour of trying dress after dress until she finally just picked one so that it’d be over. Sarah hadn’t known that it would be a problem, but had given her a measuring glance when her hands had folded over her middle in clear discomfort, hadn’t looked at herself directly in the mirror for too long. “Honey, you know you don’t have to have this one if you don’t like it, right? You look beautiful in all of them.” She hadn’t had the heart to tell her mother that there wasn’t a single dress anywhere that would make her feel okay or less confused, so she’d grinned and talked fast, over-compensated. “No, I love this one, Mom, it’s great and it’s not too expensive.” It was a dark shade of blue in a silky material, flared out at the waist, but no matter what she tried, everything was fitted on the top half, enough to make her want to cross her arms over her chest. Seemingly convinced, her mom had smiled, and Tara exhaled inwardly in relief even as her fingers still plucked uselessly at the skirt of the dress, unable to keep still.

On the day itself, nothing convinced her that she hadn’t made a terrible decision in deciding to go. Sat in a room full of her friends, who were getting dressed, trying to follow make-up tutorials off of YouTube only halfway successfully and curling their hair, Tara felt positively claustrophobic. Why did I agree to do this again? They’d all agreed to get ready together at someone’s house, but she could barely think of putting the dress in the nearby garment bag on, let alone doing her hair and make-up. Roxanne, looking effortlessly gorgeous even with her hair only half-straightened and wearing old sweatpants frowned in her direction. “Hey, did you want the curling iron? I think Jessica had it.” That was when Tara shook herself, reached down to extract her make-up bag. “I’m good, I was just wondering what to do on my eyes,” she said. She hadn’t been wondering any such thing, and it didn’t look like Roxanne believed her either. “You know, you’ve been weird for a few days. Is there something wrong?”

I hate being a girl wasn’t something Tara could say out loud, but the urge was overwhelming. I’m so confused, why am I like this? wasn’t something she could admit to either, because that would mean that she’d have to explain what she was confused about. Instead, she pressed her lips together, shook her head. “Don’t worry, I’ll get over it, probably just PMS or something.” Roxanne nodded sympathetically then, as though that solved it instantly, and then smiled at Tara. “Is there anyone you like who’ll be at the dance tonight? Maybe that’ll take your mind off whatever’s going on. Or is that the problem and you just don’t want to say?”

Please drop it. That was the only thought in Tara’s head. “Promise you won’t tell?” Roxanne leaned in eagerly then. “I like someone, but he’s out of my league. Older, has a girlfriend, the works.” No, she didn’t. She didn’t want to be someone’s girlfriend. What she felt when she looked at boys was confusing. On the one hand, there was the potential of butterflies, but there were also more conflicting signals. Wanting to ask where they got that shirt from so she could get the same. Wanting to be strong enough to throw around a football as casually as they did. Wanting to look like that, strong jaw and tall and broad shoulders. But that wasn’t normal. This, talking about boys as crushes, should be what was normal.

Roxanne had grinned. “Secret’s safe with me. Unless it’s someone from your Glee club, in which case you might want to rethink your options. It’s not, right?” It was no secret how half the school thought of the Glee club, but Tara and Alyson had joined anyway. Tara was quick to deny it anyway, shook her head. “No way,” she said with a laugh.

Was it worse that she lied, or that she didn’t know what was going on with herself well enough to even make an attempt at the truth?

What’s happening to me?

It was past midnight. The dance had been over for hours. Tara was at home, and she was exhausted from dancing, from smiling, from thinking about the boy who had asked her to dance and then for her phone number. She’d had a great time with her friends. Everything was perfect.

Except for her Google search history, stared at and restlessly scrolled through as she lay in bed with the lights out, unable to sleep.

Except for the fact that avoiding being honest with herself was starting to take its toll.

A girl who feels like a boy.

What does it mean if I feel like a boy and still like boys?

Transgender.

Gender dysphoria.

The list went on and had been steadily increasing every night for weeks, until it was the first thing that started to appear in the search history on her phone. Tara had never been able to bring herself to look at the search results for long; it was as difficult as looking in the mirror. Tonight, though, she’d managed to get up the courage to actually click on a couple of links before she froze up and backed out of it, feeling like she was going to itch out of her skin.

Nothing fit. Nothing ever fit. Not the pretty dress exactly her size that had wound up in a crumpled heap in the corner of her bedroom. Not how she felt, as though everything was a terrifying lie, especially her body and the way it said girl. Setting her phone aside on her bedside table, Tara stared up at the ceiling, wrapped arms around her stomach beneath the covers. With relentless, almost bruising fingers, she pressed out the shape of her waist, her hips, and there was no comfort to be found there, only something undeniably missing and lacking. The knowledge that she couldn’t ignore any more: the outside of her didn’t match the inside.

Mirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the fairest of them all?

He wouldn’t have asked you to dance if he’d known you’d rather be wearing a suit than a dress.

I’m so scared.

This wasn’t a fairytale. She cried herself to sleep.

The next day, she woke up far too early and took a listless glance at her phone when she saw the screen lit. A couple texts, one from the boy from last night, one from Alyson, some tags from Instagram. Tara didn’t open any of them. She just swiped away the notifications from the screen and rolled over with it in her hand, her back to her bedroom door, stared at the wall. This had been her Saturday mornings for a while now, and she didn’t really want to think about why staying in bed and not moving until almost midday was the better option than getting up and doing anything. Maintaining the outward appearance of feeling and behaving normally when nothing in her felt that way was exhausting, and occasions like dances just meant Tara had to amplify it until people were sold on the fiction that she was having a good time.

She could hear her mom in the kitchen downstairs, always an early riser, but getting up would mean having to talk about the dance and Tara just couldn’t do it.

Instead, she returned her attention to her phone, and tentatively, she began to tap a different search into it.

How can I make my chest look flat like a boy’s?

Almost immediately, there was a wealth of information suddenly available; websites that showed selections that talked about sports bandages, sports bras, binders, and nervously, she hovered again. I’m just looking. It doesn’t have to mean anything.

That didn’t explain why when Tara eventually exited the house, she got the bus and went to the nearest big department store on her own, without texting any of her friends. No one could know about this.

There hadn’t really been a plan, only a few nervous glances around as she headed for the floor which held all of the men’s clothing. If anyone asked or there were any accidental run-ins, she could just say she was looking for a birthday gift for her dad. No one would be the wiser. No one would guess it meant anything else, they had no reason to.

Strolling through the aisles, Tara’s gaze roamed over t-shirts, pairs of trousers, and it was with a sinking heart that she realised the sizing was a new obstacle to conquer. It meant that all of the t-shirts she casually picked up as though browsing were in a size small, and the pair of jeans grabbed as an afterthought were a guess at best. Thankfully there was only one attendant at the changing rooms when she made her way down to the women’s section, barely paying attention to the fact that Tara had a sports bra that clearly wouldn’t fit for its intended purpose slung over her arm with items from a completely different area.

Tara hated changing rooms, hated the full length mirrors, the unforgiving lighting and the way every flaw seemed magnified. She hadn’t enjoyed dress shopping at all, so that begged the question of why she was putting herself through this instead. Why was it any different?

Confirmed, the sports bra was too tight. But it was meant to be, flattening her chest into something barely there. She could bear the discomfort just to try this out.

The jeans by some miracle were about right, and when she pulled them on, they hung on her legs completely differently to the others that she owned. Shoving her hands in the pockets, the movement felt natural, to have enough room to do that a novelty. It felt good. After debating which t-shirt to choose, she picked up one in a shade of dark red and pulled it over her head. The last touch was to impatiently gather up her hair and shove it out of the way in a hair tie in a knot.

What are you doing?

Her eyes flashed up to the mirror, and the shock of what she saw, however fleetingly, made her suck in a breath and flinch a little.

Without the make-up she’d worn to the dance the night before, her hair looking almost short from a certain angle, chest almost completely flat and the clothes, she could have easily been taken for a boy. But that was exactly the point, wasn’t it?

I feel like me.

It was a revelation. Slowly, uncertainly, Tara smiled with no one there to see.