#looked ummmm bad and it was like a hundred pages of the same thing so i just threw it out...

[evandore]

oh whatever i told her to buy me stickers from amazon instead lol worst comes to worst i can probably color or paint over whatever she gets to make my own

[dreamersscape]

The Raven Cycle: A Liveblog (Part 4)

(Let’s just pretend the gap since my last installment was a much shorter and more reasonable period of time than it has actually been, shall we? I tried to make up for it with the length of this edition. Suuuuuper long post under the cut.)

Me, reading TDT’s opening quotations: Okay, yes, good. Taking things out of your dreams into the waking world. Got it.

Me, reading the last quote: ‘I loathe people who keep dogs. They are cowards who haven’t got the guts to bite people themselves.’?

YOU UNDERSTAND NOTHING OF MY PEOPLE, AUSTIN STRINDBERG. GET THEE HENCE.

‘He always returned with gifts, treasure, and unimaginable amounts of money, but to Ronan, the most wondrous thing was Niall himself. Every parting felt like it would be the last, and so every return was like a miracle.’ RONANNNNNNN. (Is it weird that it feels like Ronan is supposed to be my favorite bc he seems closest to my type and goodness knows I can relate to the grieving-a-father feels, but that’s not really the case so far? I love him dearly, but it feels like I should love him more. Weird? Not weird? I dunno.)

*carefully takes notes about the alleged details of Ronan’s birth because I know now every minor detail is actually Very Important*

‘Theoretically, Blue Sargent was probably going to kill one of these boys.’ Oh, good, it’s only a theoretical death. Glad we got that sorted out. Guess I can stop worrying about it now, right? :P

'Adam’s hand glided over her bare elbow. The touch was a whisper in a language she didn’t speak very well.’ I really like this line! Also, somewhat sadly, relateable.

'It had five tiny white buttons: four arranged in a cross shape, and one off by itself. To Blue, that fifth button was like Adam. Still working toward the same purpose as the other four. But no longer quite as close as the others.’ Oh, so we’re going to make my heart hurt over Adam Parrish in the first ten pages of the book. Fine.

'In that moment, Blue was a little in love with all of them. Their magic. Their quest. Their awfulness and strangeness. Her raven boys.’ Aw, those lines sound familiar. ;) And we’re all right there with ya, Blue.

'The dorms were emptier than they would’ve been during school term, but they were not empty.’ Whoops unrelated-to-TRC-but-nevertheless-on-brand feels ahoy.

So it’s been long enough since I read TRB that I can’t recall if I had any particular feelings about Declan then, but definitely feeling pretty sympathetic towards him now, what with his father’s seeming dismissive attitude toward him and the assault from this Gray Man. Also, have I read the word Greywaren before? Not sure.

Oh. So Ronan is the Greywaren, then. Guess that answers that.

’Mom is nothing without him’? Woooow, Declan. Wow. A bit less sympathy, now. (Maybe there’s something about their mother I don’t know yet, but still…)

’Creature was a good word for him, Ronan thought.’ Oof. He’s gonna make me eat my words, isn’t he? I already said I love you dearly, Ronan!

And now he’s gonna divert himself from his unpleasant thoughts with an external distraction. Oh good. That doesn’t mirror any of my other favorite characters at all.

'Back then, it had surprised Ronan; he hadn’t realized yet that Gansey could persuade even the sun to pause and give him the time.’ [drags a hand slowly down my face] Don’t do this to me, Maggie. Haven’t you already put me through enough with Adam and Gansey?

'His thoughtless expression was one of wonder or of pain; with Gansey they were so often the same thing.’ Well that–that’s a sentence.

’“Ronan, there’s no reason for that,” Gansey said sternly, as if Ronan had hurled a toy on the floor.’ Gonna start listing all the mom-friend!Gansey moments, 'cause I gotta.

'He laughed enough that Chainsaw abandoned her paper shredding to verify he wasn’t dying.’ This is cute, other than the implication that Ronan genuinely laughing is a all-too-rare occurrence.

’“So what you’re saying is you can’t explain it.��� “I did explain it.” “No, you used nouns and verbs together in a pleasing but illogical format.”’ Hee!

I half expect tired-of-potential-and-only-being-useful-needing-something-more!Blue to break out singing ’I want much more than this provincial life/I want adventure in the great wide somewhere/I want it more than I can tell’ and I don’t say that at all in a disparaging way, that’s just what it made me think of. It’s a very understandable desire on Blue’s part.

’“Jane!” Gansey said joyfully.’ I will never tire of this. :)

'When she returned, she leaned on the table beside Adam, who touched her wrist. She didn’t know what to do in response. Touch it back? The moment had passed. She resented her body for not giving her the correct answer.’ So! Freaking! Relateable!

'Kavinsky headed directly to the large table in the back, and the postures of the other boys all changed drastically….Gansey stood, leaning against the table, and there was something threatening rather than respectful about it.’ I live a protective!Gansey appreciation life.

The Gray Man is quite a character.

Ummmm so chapter eight just hurt my soul a whole lot? Here’s a list of the culprits:

'He’d spent just two hours at the easiest of the jobs — Boyd’s Body & Paint, LLC, replacing brake pads and changing oil and finding what was making that squeaking noise there, no, there — and now, even though he was off, he was ruined for anything else. Sticky and sore and, above all else, tired, always tired.’

'The only rub was, Blue was another troubling thing. She was like Gansey in that she wanted him to explain himself. What do you want, Adam? What do you need, Adam? Want and need were words that got eaten smaller and smaller: freedom, autonomy, a perennial bank balance, a stainless-steel condo in a dustless city, a silky black car, to make out with Blue, eight hours of sleep, a cell phone, a bed, to kiss Blue just once, a blister-less heel, bacon for breakfast, to hold Blue’s hand, one hour of sleep, toilet paper, deodorant, a soda, a minute to close his eyes. What do you want, Adam? To feel awake when my eyes are open.’ (This hurt less than the 'to go home, to go home, to go home’ passage, but ONLY JUST.)

'He’d already seen the ignored, unopened envelope emblazoned with Aglionby Academy’s raven crest. For two days he’d been stepping over it, as if it might disappear if he failed to acknowledge it.’ (Ah, hello avoidant coping skills, my old friend.)

’[Adam] ached inside.’/'He still ached.’/'his spine aching, shoulders aching, soul aching’

'They stared at each other, both hurt.’/'He tried not to let it sound like he was still hurt, but he was, and it did.’/'She tried not to let it sound like she was hurt, but she was, and it did.’

’What do you want, Adam? He didn’t even know.’ (T.T)

'His wide eyes and gaunt face peered back at him, troubled but not unusual.’

I’m so done, he thought. No more. Please, I can’t take any more.’ (SAME.)

'The difference in tuition between this year’s and next was twenty-four hundred dollars. That number again. It couldn’t be a coincidence.’ (SERIOUSLY THOUGH, I CAN’T TAKE ANYMORE GANSEY/ADAM TENSION/CONFLICT/FIGHTING. WHEN DO WE GET TO THE GETTING BETTER PART?)

'They couldn’t hurt Gansey. Nothing could hurt him; people who said money couldn’t buy everything hadn’t seen anyone as rich as the Aglionby boys. They were untouchable, immune to life’s troubles. Only death couldn’t be swiped away by a credit card.’ (Oh Adam honey, you don’t even knooooow. :()

Adam! Some people show and feel love through acts of service! It’s not an inherently bad thing! Concern and the desire to help are not the same thing as pity!

Also, Blue’s “Then don’t be pitiful!” response was kinda strange, even for an impulsively perturbed remark? Just felt weird.

'She was looking at the box that served as his nightstand. Somehow it had moved several feet away from the bed. The side was badly dented, its former contents scattered violently across the floor. Only now did he remember the act of kicking the box, but not the decision to kick it.’ (Crap.)

'He calmed enough to remember that if he waited long enough, carefully analyzing how it felt, the emotion would lose its inertia. It was the same as physical pain. The more he tried to mentally decide what made pain hurt, the less his brain seemed able to remember the pain at all.’

'He’d never escape, not really. Too much monster blood in him. He’d left the den, but his breeding betrayed him. And he knew why he was pitiful. It wasn’t because he had to pay for his school or because he had to work for a living. It was because he was trying to be something he could never be. The sham was pitiful.’

'Some nights he lured himself to sleep by imagining how he would word the favor for Glendower. He needed to get the words exactly right. Now he rolled phrases around his mouth, desperately reaching for one that would comfort him. Ordinarily, words would tumble and lull through his mind, but this time, all he could think was Fix me.’ (On a related note, I’m dead.)

'He had a strange, disconcerting feeling that he couldn’t trust his senses. Like he was tasting an image or smelling a feeling or touching a sound. It was the same as just a few minutes before, the idea that he’d glimpsed a slightly wrong reflection of himself. Adam’s previous worries vanished, replaced with a more immediate concern for this ragged body he was carting around in. He’d been hit so many times. He’d already lost his hearing in his left ear. Maybe something else had been destroyed on one of those tense, wretched nights.’ (*Spontaneously revives to continue worrying myself to death over Adam Parrish* WHY CAN’T I TAKE CARE OF HIM?)

'Ronan, Noah, and Gansey were at the Dollar City in Henrietta, loitering. Theoretically, they were there for batteries. Practically, they were there because both Blue and Adam had work, Ronan’s shapeless anger always got worse at night, and Dollar City was one of the few stores in Henrietta that allowed pets.’ These stupid codependent teens.

“Hello? Oh, hey,” Gansey said to the phone, touching a notebook with a handgun printed on the cover. The oh, hey was accompanied by a definite change in the timbre of his voice. That meant it was Adam’ [tries to feel the joy I deserve at this past my intense anxiety about the probable clashing over the tuition thing]

'Ronan rested his forehead on the topmost shelf. The metal edge snarled against his skull, but he didn’t move. At night, the longing for home was ceaseless and omniscient, an airborne contaminant. He saw it in Dollar City’s cheap oven mitts — that was his mother at dinnertime. He heard it in the slam of the cash register drawer — that was his father coming home at midnight. He smelled it in the sudden whiff of air freshener — that was the family trips to New York. Home was so close at night. He could be there in twenty minutes. He wanted to smash everything off these shelves.’ He and Adam both want to go hoooome and I wish I could provide that for them and turns out I am actually Gansey.

'“Glitter,” whispered Noah reverentially, giving it a shake.’ Truly Noah is their light in the darkness. I LOVE HIM SO MUCHHHH.

'Farther down the aisle, Gansey suggested to the phone, “You could come stay at Monmouth. For the night.”’ Like I said. Also, I really, really wish I could hear both sides of this phone conversation.

'Sometimes Ronan thought Adam was so used to the right way being painful that he doubted any path that didn’t come with agony.’ I mean, fair. And heartbreaking.

'Gansey’s back was turned to them. “Look, I don’t know what you’re talking about. Ramirez? I didn’t talk to anyone at the church. Yes, twenty-four hundred dollars. I know that part. I —”’ Oh no. It’s happening.

'But one of the marvelous things about being Ronan Lynch was that no one ever expected him to do anything nice for anyone.’ I would hug you Ronan, except there is now more Adam 'n’ Gansey friction and I’m really bad at handling it!

'Abruptly, Ronan’s entire body went cold. Not a little chilly, but utterly cold. The sort of cold that dries the mouth and slows the blood. His toes went numb, and then his fingers….Then Noah reappeared in a violent sputter, like the power crackling back on. His fingers clutched Ronan’s arm. Cold seeped from the point of contact as Noah dragged heat to become visible.’ Oh, so Noah can do that with Ronan too? Because of his greywaren-ness?

'“I lost …” Noah struggled for words. “There wasn’t air. It went away. The — the line!” “The ley line?” Gansey asked. Noah nodded once, a sloppy thing that was sort of a shrug at the same time. “There was nothing … left for me.”’ Not allowed. Just saying.

'He didn’t say, Or maybe something terrible happened to Adam that day he sacrificed himself in Cabeswater. Maybe he’s messed up all of Henrietta by waking up the ley line. Because they couldn’t talk about that. Just like they couldn’t talk about Adam stealing the Camaro that night. Or about him basically doing everything Gansey had asked him not to. If Adam was stupid about his pride, Gansey was stupid about Adam.’ Yes, we know. :)

'From Ronan’s room, he heard Noah’s laugh. He and Ronan were throwing various objects from the second-story window to the parking lot below. There was a terrific crash.’ Having witnessed my younger brother doing basically the same thing once, I can vouch for the authenticity of this teenage-boy activity.

'Once, he had dreamt that he found Glendower. It wasn’t the actual finding, but the day after. He wouldn’t forget the sensation of the dream. It hadn’t been joy, but instead, the absence of pain. He couldn’t forget that lightness. The freedom.’ Yeah, don’t we all dream about the absence of pain. *buries face in hands* OH GANSEY BOY.

’“Do you want me to talk to her?” This was something he definitely, 100 percent felt certain in his guts that he had no interest in doing. “I’m really bad at talking, Gansey,” Adam said earnestly. “And you’re really good at it. Maybe — maybe if it just comes up natural?” Gansey’s shoulders collapsed; his breath fogged the glass and vanished. “Of course.” “Thanks.” Adam paused. “I just want something to be simple.” So do I, Adam. So do I.’ This right here? This A Whoooole Lot. Is there anything you wouldn’t do for Adam if he asked, Gansey?

'Noah slouched in. In a wounded tone, he said, “He threw me out the window!” Ronan’s voice sang out from behind his closed door: “You’re already dead!”’ OH. MY. GOODNESS.

’"You should come over.” “Not tonight,” replied Adam. I’m losing him, Gansey thought. I’m losing him to Cabeswater. He had thought that by staying away from the forest, he’d keep the old Adam — put off the consequences of whatever had happened that night when everything started to go awry. But maybe it just didn’t matter. Cabeswater would take him regardless.’ I dream of the absence of pain!!!

'His skin shivered and crawled, and he realized it was crawling with hornets, the ones that had killed Gansey all those years ago. There weren’t many this time, only a few hundred. Sometimes he dreamt cars full of them, houses full of them, worlds full of them. Sometimes these hornets killed Ronan, too, in his dreams.’ Oh, Ronan.

’Arbores loqui latine. The trees speak Latin. “You’ve done this before,” she said. Time was a circle, a rut, a worn tape Ronan never tired of playing.’ Huh. Has Ronan been dreaming of Cabeswater for years and years?

'Curled on the mattress, [Adam] covered his face with his summer-hot arm. Sometimes, if he blocked his mouth and nose, just this side of suffocation, sleep would overthrow him.’ THAT DOESN’T SOUND HEALTHY, MY BOY. :(

'He was awake enough to think of the invitation from Gansey. There might be an internship in there. Adam knew it was a favor. Did that make it wrong? He’d said no for so long that he didn’t know when to say yes….He hated the careful way Gansey had asked him about it. Tiptoeing, just like Adam had learned to tiptoe around his father. He needed a reset button. Just push the reset button on Adam Parrish and start him again.’ I am sad. (But maaaaybe he’s starting to reconsider the idea that he can never accept hep of any kind?)

'After he had exhausted this line of thought, Ronan gave in to the brief privilege of hating himself, as he always did in church. There was something satisfying about acknowledging this hatred, something relieving about this little present he allowed himself each Sunday.’ Oh, Ronan.

'“Hey, pal,” Matthew whispered. He was the only person who could get away with calling Ronan pal.’ Awww. :)

'Matthew Lynch was a bear of a boy, square and solid and earnest. His head was covered with soft, golden curls completely unlike any of his other family members. And in his case, the perfect Lynch teeth were framed by an easy, dimpled smile. He had two brands of smile: the one that was preceded by a shy dip of his chin, a dimple, and then BAM, smile. And the one that teased for a moment before BAM, an infectious laugh. Females of all ages called him adorable. Males of all ages called him buddy. Matthew failed at many more things than either of his older brothers, but unlike Declan or Ronan, he always tried his hardest.’ Whoops, I’m attached.

'Ronan had dreamt one thousand nightmares about something happening to him.’ *rubs heart*

'A lady reached over the top of Noah to pat Matthew’s head fondly before continuing down the aisle. She didn’t seem to care that he was fifteen, which was all right, because he didn’t, either. Both Ronan and Declan observed this interaction with the pleased expressions of parents watching their prodigy at work.’ Once again: Awww. :)

'Blue very much liked having the boys over to her house. Their presence at the house was agreeable for several different reasons….And the third reason was that it suggested permanence. Blue had acquaintances at school, people she liked. But they weren’t forever. While she was friendly with a lot of them, there was no one that she wanted to commit to for a lifetime. And she knew this was her fault. She’d never been any good at having casual friends. For Blue, there was family — which had never been about blood relation at 300 Fox Way — and then there was everyone else. When the boys came to her house, they stopped being everyone else.’ THEY’RE FAMILY NOW. <3

'Crossly, Blue realized that Gansey had now called her Jane so often that it felt strange to hear him say her real name.’ Embrace it, Blue. Embraaace it. :D

'He hid the insatiable wanting well, but now that she’d seen it once, she couldn’t stop seeing it. But he wouldn’t be able to explain it to Maura. And he would never really have to explain it to Blue. It was his something more.’ Awww. :)

(Sorry this liveblog is devolving mostly into either EVERYTHING IS TERRIBLE or But this is cute! and if that is starting to become boring…)

’"What did they die of?” “Mom always said ‘meddling.’ Gansey completely forgot they were being secretive and let out a tremendous laugh. It was a powerful thing, that laugh. He only did it once, but his eyes remained shaped like it. Something inside her did a complicated tug. Oh no! she thought. But then she calmed herself. Richard C. Gansey III has a nice mouth. Now I know he has nice eyes when he laughs, too. This still isn’t love. She also thought: Adam. Remember Adam.’ 1.) I hope this line of rationalization works out for you, Blue. ;) 2.) I am still feeling torn, though. Blue and Adam are cute together. 3.) I’d be okay with a Blue-Gansey-Adam OT3 though.

'Maura frowned. In a low voice, she said, “I think I need to have a conversation with that boy.” “Someone does,” Calla replied, heading up the stairs. Each stair groaned a protest for which she punished the next with a stomp. “Not me. I’ve outgrown train wrecks.” Blue, alarmed, said, “Is he a train wreck?”| Her mother clucked her tongue. “Calla likes drama. Train wreck! When a train takes a long time to go off the tracks, I don’t like to call it a wreck. I like to call it a derailment.”  From upstairs, Blue heard Calla’s delighted cackle. “I hate both of you,” Blue said as her mother laughed and galloped up the stairs to join Calla. “You’re supposed to use your powers for good, you know!” After a moment, Adam said to her, without lifting his eyes, “I could hear y’all, you know.” Blue hoped fervently that he was only talking about Maura and Calla and not about her kitchen conversation with Gansey. “Do you think you’re a train wreck?” “That would mean I was on the tracks to start with,” he replied.’ I would just like to say that I am miffed by this passage on Adam’s behalf. Thank you.

The chapter where Mr. Gray comes to 300 Fox Way was… interesting.

'Gansey, a furious sun, glowed from the other side of the universe, his gravitational pull too distant to affect Adam.’ WHY WOULD YOU DO THIS TO ME MAGGIE I CAN NEVER RECOVER.

So yeah, I just read the part where Adam is thinking back to how he and Gansey became friends and I think my heart just burst from emotional overload.

'Sometimes Adam wondered what would’ve happened if he hadn’t stopped that day. What would be happening to him right now?’ Sometimes, Allan wondered what would’ve happened if Robin hadn’t stepped out of the trees that day. What would be happening to him right now? SORRY, I HAVE A PROBLEM.

Also, it only just occurred to me that Allan and Adam are A-names and Robin and Richard (even if that’s not what Gansey goes by) are R-names. This makes me so unreasonably happy!

'Gansey was giddy now that they’d decided to go back to Cabeswater. He hated nothing more than standing still. He ordered Ronan to put on some terrible music — Ronan was always too happy to oblige in this department — and then he abused the Camaro at every stoplight on the way out of town. “Put your back into it!” Gansey shouted breathlessly. He was talking to himself, of course, or to the gearbox. “Don’t let it smell fear on you!” Blue wailed each time the engine revved up, but not unhappily. Noah played the drums on the back of Ronan’s headrest. Adam, for his part, was not wild, but he did his best not to appear unwild, so as not to ruin it for the others.’ REEELATABLLLLE!!!

'Adam felt like he was watching it all from outside. He felt like he was about to catch another image, like a flick of the tarot cards he’d looked at earlier. Was that someone standing by the side of the road? I can’t trust my eyes.’ Leave him aloooone. :(

'Gansey leaned back, head thrown to the side, drunken and silly with happiness. “I love this car,” he said, loud to be heard over the engine. “I should buy four more of them. I’ll just open the door of one to fall into the other. One can be a living room, one can be my kitchen, I’ll sleep in one …” “And the fourth? Butler’s pantry?” Blue shouted. “Don’t be so selfish. Guest room.”’ He’s adorable.

Huh. Cabeswater’s gone!

'Adam felt that the Pig’s status perfectly encapsulated how he felt. It was not really dead, just broken. He was held inside the question of what it meant for him if Cabeswater was gone. Why can’t things just be simple?’  While this is a legitimate concern, Adam, to be fair, just a few moments ago you were worrying about was going to happen when you returned to Cabeswater for the first time after your sacrifice. Poor guy’s anxious over everything. :/

'Ronan leapt out of the car and slammed the door. The thing about Ronan Lynch, Adam had discovered, was that he wouldn’t — or couldn’t — express himself with words. So every emotion had to be spelled out in some other way. A fist, a fire, a bottle. Now Cabeswater was missing and the Pig was hobbled, and he needed to go have a silent shouting fit with his body. In the back window, Adam saw Ronan pick up a rock from the side of the road and hurl it into the creeper.  “Well, that’s helpful,” Blue said tersely.’ 1.) [Fond but exasperated] Oh Ronan. 2.) I appreciate your reaction, Blue. You’re not wrong.

'“I’m calling Declan,” Gansey said. “And telling him to bring a battery.” Ronan told Gansey what he thought of this plan, very precisely, with a lot of compound words that even Adam hadn’t heard before. Gansey nodded, but he also dialed Declan’s number. Afterward, he turned to Ronan, who leaned his cheek hard enough against the top of the window to make a dent in his skin.’ Please stop dealing with difficult emotions/situations by causing yourself pain, Ronan, honey.

'Gansey rounded on Adam, clutching his own headrest and looking behind him. “Why is it gone?”’ Why is my mental picture of this so endearing?

'Declan’s Volvo glided up, as quiet as the Pig was loud. Ronan said, “Move up, move up” to Blue until she scooted the passenger seat far enough for him to clamber behind it into the backseat. He hurriedly sprawled back in the seat, throwing one jean-covered leg over the top of Adam’s and laying his head in a posture of thoughtless abandon. By the time Declan arrived at the driver’s side window, Ronan looked as if he had been asleep for days.’ Oh, Ronan. What am I going to do with you?

'And as he sat there, observing the set of Declan’s shoulders and the way his eyes looked, he realized something startling. Declan was afraid. Probably it wasn’t apparent to Gansey, who was fairly oblivious, nor to Blue, who didn’t know what Declan looked like ordinarily. And Ronan’s feelings about his older brother were like blood in the water; he wouldn’t be able to see through the bilious clouds. But to Adam, who’d spent a fair amount of his life afraid — not only afraid, but trying to hide it — it was obvious.’ [Gansey voice] I am right to have Allan feels here and I will not be made to feel bad about it! (Also, in blast-from-the-past news, I’m really close to finally done with putting my anxiety-and-Allan thoughts into words and I’m excited for that.)

I love when Noah senses one of the other boys is in distress and goes to them and does his ghostly best to comfort or assist them. <3

'He thought about the day he’d been stung to death by hornets and lived anyway. Gansey ran over the memory until he no longer felt the thrill of hearing Glendower’s name whispered in his ear, and then instead gave himself over to feeling sorry for himself, that he should have so many friends and yet feel so very alone. He felt it fell to him to comfort them, but never the other way around. As it should be, he thought, abruptly angry with himself. You’ve had it the easiest. What good is all your privilege, you soft, spoiled thing, if you can’t stand on your own legs? ’ OH HONEY :( (But Noah does try!)

'“It’s not just the blood,” Ronan said. His chest moved up and down with his breath. “Something else got out, too.”’ Uh-oh.

Phew. They dispatched the nightmare creature while remaining mostly unscathed. Although they needn’t go around asking each other, "Are you murdered?” with the reply, “I think so.” anymore, please.

'“There was another one,” he said. “It got away.”’ Well, that’s not good!

'“It’s for the distasteful thing,” Gansey said. He plucked at the T-shirt with deprecating fingers. “I’m rather slovenly at the moment, I know.”’ [Fond, amused sputtering]

Oh, they’re going to the Barns!

'Gansey, a bit of the gallows in his voice, advised, “Poke its eye.”’ [Confused, taken-aback sputtering]

'“It feels the same as when you guys lived here,” Gansey said finally. “It seems like it should be different.” “Did you come here a lot?” Blue asked.  He exchanged a glance with Ronan. “Often enough.” He didn’t say what Ronan was thinking, which was that Gansey was far more of a brother to Ronan than Declan had ever been.’ Brothers <3<3<3

'Ronan loved it so much. He nearly couldn’t bear it. He wanted to destroy something.’ That’s…one reaction to profound love. (Yes, I know. Profound love for something that’s been stripped away from you.)

'“Ronan Lynch,” he said. It was the voice Ronan couldn’t not listen to. It was sure in every way that Ronan was not. “Stop this right now. Go see your mother. And then we’re leaving.”’ More Mom-Friend!Gansey.

'Ronan walked directly up to her, close enough to see that she had not changed a bit since the last time he had seen her, months and months ago. Though his breath moved the fine hairs around her temples, she didn’t react to her son’s presence. Her chest rose and fell. Her eyes stayed closed. Non mortem, somni fratrem. Not death, but his brother, sleep. Blue whispered, “Just like the other animals.”  The truth — he’d known it all along, really, if he thought about it — burrowed into him. Blue was right. His home was populated by things and creatures from Niall Lynch’s dreams, and his mother was just another one of them.’ Huh.

'My soul’s in enough peril as it is.” At this, Gansey’s face turned to a genuine frown and he looked as if he was about to say something. Then he just shook his head a little….“She didn’t try to see the future. It’s not something she became; it’s something she is. I could just as easily say that you’re evil because you can take things from your dreams!” Ronan said, “Yeah, you could.” Gansey’s frown deepened. Again he opened his mouth and closed it.’ Same, Gansey. Same.

'Ronan looked at him. That look, Blue thought. Ronan Lynch would do anything for Gansey. I probably would, too, she thought.’ If only he knew it. *rubs heart*

'Blue and Gansey exchanged a look. Blue’s look said, I’m so, so sorry. Gansey’s said, Am I the pretty one?’ Bless his cotton socks.

'Ronan thought of what Declan had said all those months before: Mom is nothing without Dad. He’d been right.’ Okay, but does Declan know about this stuff and how it works?

'Ronan interrupted the silence. “Cabeswater. Cabeswater is a dream.” Calla stopped rotating. “You don’t have to tell me I’m right,” Ronan said. He thought of all the times he had dreamt of Cabeswater’s old trees; how familiar it had felt to walk there; how the trees had known his name. He was tangled in their roots, somehow, and they, in his veins. “If Mom is in Cabeswater, she’ll wake up.” Calla stared at him. Silence was never a wrong answer.’ Okay then.

'But those words of Declan’s needled Ronan: She’s nothing without Dad. It was like he knew. Ronan wanted badly to know how much Declan knew, but it wasn’t like he could ask him.’ No, that would be too easy.

'“Says you and Dad were both dreamers,” Matthew said, “and you’re going to make us lose everything.” Ronan sat very still. He was so still so quickly that Chainsaw froze as well, her head tilted toward the youngest Lynch brother, purloined tuna sandwich forgotten. Declan knew about their father. Declan knew about their mother. Declan knew about him.’ Curious. Very curious.

The Gray Man is going to Monmouth Manufacturing!

'He had spent forty-eight hours more or less awake and restless and then, on the third day, he had bought a side-scan sonar device, two window airconditioners, a leather sofa, and a pool table. “Now do you feel better?” Adam had asked drily. Gansey had replied, “I have no idea what you’re talking about.” “Hey, man,” Ronan said, “I like the pool table.” The entire situation made Blue apoplectic.’ Tag yourself; I’m Adam with a dash of Ronan. Pool tables are cool.

’"You are still wearing those incredibly stupid boat shoes, and of all the things that you have bought, you still haven’t replaced them!” Gansey, bewildered, observed his feet. The movement of his toes was barely visible through the tops of his Top-Siders. Really, in light of recent events, these shoes were the only things that were right in the world. “I like these shoes.”’ Update: he’s still adorable.

’[Gansey] exchanged a glance with Adam, because it had to be done’ 1) What does this mean? 2) I love them SO MUCH!

'In some parallel universe, there was a Gansey who could tell Blue that he found the ten inches of her bare calves far more tantalizing than the thirteen cubic feet of bare skin Orla sported. But in this universe, that was Adam’s job. } He was in a terrible mood.’ Oooooh. 👀

'So these were the people Greenmantle had warned him about. Fellow seekers of the Greywaren, whatever it might be.’ Curious and curiouser.

'Blue cheerfully spit a mouthful of brown water on his boat shoes. It pooled in the canvas over his toes. “Good God,” he said. “Now they’re really boat shoes,” she replied.’ Blue’s crusade continues.

'He knew what it was. He just didn’t know why it was. He said, “Well, that’s a wheel off the Camaro.” And it was. It looked identical to the wheels currently residing on the Pig — except this wheel was clearly several hundred years old. The discolored surface was pocked and lumpy. With all of the deterioration, the elegantly symmetrical wheel didn’t appear that out of place beside the shield boss. If you overlooked the tattered Chevrolet logo in the middle. “Do you remember losing one a little while ago?” Ronan asked. “Like, five hundred years or so?”’ Aggressively the Most Curious.

'Blue held his gaze, unflinching. Crisp, she replied, “None at all.” And it was a lie. It should not have been, but it was, and Gansey, who prized honesty above nearly every other thing, knew it when he heard it. Blue Sargent cared whether or not he was interested in Orla. She cared a lot. As she whirled toward the truck with a dismissive shake of her head, he felt a dirty sort of thrill.’ Oh, you kids.

'“Hey, Noah.” He was too busy being ghostly to attend to her, however. Currently, he was engaged in one of his creepiest activities: reenacting his own death. He glanced around the tiny yard as if appraising the forest glen containing only himself and his friend Barrington Whelk. Then he let out a terrible, mangled cry as he was struck from behind by an invisible skateboard. He made no sound when he was hit again, but his body jerked convincingly. Blue tried not to look as he bucked a few more times before falling to the ground. His head jerked; his legs bicycled. Blue took a deep, uneven breath. Though she had seen him do it four or five times now, it was always unsettling. Eleven minutes. That was how long the entire homicidal portrait lasted: one boy’s life destroyed in less time than it took to cook a hamburger. The last six minutes, the ones that took place after Noah had first fallen but before he actually died, were excruciating. Blue considered herself a fairly steadfast, sensible girl, but no matter how many times she heard his torn-up breath seizing in his throat, she felt a little teary. Between the twisted roots of the front yard, Noah’s body jerked and stilled, finally dead. Again.’ I feel w o u n d e d.

'They wandered to the door like that, a pretzel of dead boy and not-psychic girl.’ Don’t even look at me!

'Gleefully, Noah said, “There’s a pool table now! I’m the worst at pool ever! It’s wonderful.”’ THIS SWEET CHILD IS GIVING ME EMOTIONAL WHIPLASH.

'Gansey, pacing next to his ruined miniature Henrietta, set his eyes on Ronan. There was something intense and heedless in them. There were many versions of Gansey, but this one had been rare since the introduction of Adam’s taming presence. It was also Ronan’s favorite. It was the opposite of Gansey’s most public face, which was pure control enclosed in a paper-thin wrapper of academia. But this version of Gansey was Gansey the boy. This was the Gansey who bought the Camaro, the Gansey who asked Ronan to teach him to fight, the Gansey who contained every wild spark so that it wouldn’t show up in other versions. Was it the shield beneath the lake that had unleashed it? Orla’s orange bikini? The bashed-up remains of his rebuilt Henrietta and the fake IDs they’d returned to? Ronan didn’t really care. All that mattered was that something had struck the match, and Gansey was burning.’ #JusticeforMiniatureHenrietta

'“Don’t say anything stupid to him,” he told Gansey.’ Did I read that right? Did Ronan really just advise Gansey to be careful?

'The Gray Man recalled the buzz of his phone and patted his pockets. His phone was missing, however. Maura Sargent had stolen it while they were making out. In its place was the ten of swords: the Gray Man slain on the ground and Maura the sword driven through his heart.’ Interesting. Sorry that always seems to be my reaction to the Gray Man, but there it is.

[avengersohyeah]

Trace

Part 5

Masterlist

Trace Masterlist

A/N : Part 5 yayyyy!! I used the gif because they’re cute when they exited. Ummmm just a little to long, maybe. A flash back before the part where Dean confessed his feelings. No funny surprise like the previous part though, maybe... just maybe... something interesting in the next part ^.^

Normal POV

 Two months earlier

 “You’ve got to be kidding me..” (Y/N) exclaimed, both brothers rushed to his sides and peers at his laptop.

“What did you find ?” Sam asked

“Chronos…”

“Uh huh... what’s with him ?.” Dean countered

“It is said here that Chronos once expelled from the fourth dimension where he and his sister lived. He’s expelled because he lost ‘Rating Game’ a game between him and his sister to decide which one of them can rule time and space.” (Y/N) paused

“What happen next ?” Sam asked

“He got back to fourth dimension to challenge his sister back. He recruited humans, demons, angels, any creatures that strong enough to be his pieces. Rook, Bishop, Knight, and Pawns, while he himself is the King.”

“So.. Rating Game is a chess match between Chronos and his sister to decide who’s stronger ?” Dean interject.

“Yeah with half pieces, see there’s sixteen pieces in total. But since there are two rulers, those pieces devided into Chronos’s pieces and his sister’s.”

“Okay, and what’s next ?” Sam’s getting confused by what they just found.

“When he’s expelled from the fourth dimension, a woman  found him in the woods bruised and wounded. She took him in, and for over two years they grew closer and closer. They got married on the third year and a  year latter, they had a baby. But even after he married to the women, he never stoped to find a way to get back to the fourth dimension. He searched for demons, angels, anything that he could use to fight his sister. After three years of search, his pieces were finaly completed. He challenged his sister on another Rating Game. Not to decide who’s stronger, but for a truce. But to do that, it means that he has to leave his wife and his child on earth. And he did what he supposed to do…” after finishing his explaination (Y/N)’s expresion showed none other than confusion and realization

“(Y/N)… are you okay ?” Dean put his hand on (Y/N)’s shoulder

“No.. I’m not okay….. that child he left was me Dean, how am I supposed to take these thing ?” He gestured to the book on the table. (Y/N) stand firm but with tears rollling down his cheeks. Dean wraped his hand around (Y/N), he tried to give a little comfort to the boy.

 They spend their afternoon translating and reading to the book (Y/N) brought that turned out to be the diary of the time himself. More and more informations they found but none of it seemed to ease the frown on (Y/N)’s face. Each and every information they found revealed who (Y/N) really are, or what  he could be. How his power is just a little part of a big power decended to him, how his power can affect the fourth dimension because of his human blood, so many informations that they found about who (Y/N) supposed to be. But all of it just adding the pain he now show in his eyes.

 The next day were spent by doing another research to find a way to reach the fourth dimension. The brothers also prayed to Cas, but the angel hadn’t answered their prayer for a few months now. Without the help they wished from the angel, they could only count on their luck to find a clue. As the days gone by (Y/N) seemed to ease a little by little. He’s back with his random and smartass comments, he laugh at the jokes the brothers made, he shared more  memories of his family. A week passed, and the brothers already loved (Y/N) like they knew each other their whole life. Well.. not in the same way after all, Sam loved (Y/N) as a brother like he love Dean, while the older hunter lo..liked the boy in so many way a lover would. The progress of their research doesn’t seem to appear in near time, so (Y/N) suggested to take it as a side research while they working on another case.

 Just a day after they agreed of (Y/N)’s suggestion, like a stupid coincidence in a movie, a case appeared in front of them. People have been missing, only to be found a few days after, without any sign of physical attack. But they died the same way (Y/N)’s family did, bloods coming out of their eyes, ears, and other places. From the moment they heard this case, they knew something is fishy. But if taking this case might help to find any clue about (Y/N)’s family, they’ll go for it. They drove for almost six hours to the town where the last body was found, it’s aparently a big city, town with few hundreds thousand civilians. The last victim was found yesterday in his house, and those made the house crime scene where police still looking for a clue. Two hunters and newly aware son of the time is in a car, parked few feet acroos the house. Two hunters that now dressed in a suit were ready to get out and do ‘FBI things’ by now, but a pair hands stopped them.

“Wait where are you going?” (Y/N) asked

“Umm..looking for information of course..” Sam replied

“Ahh… FBI things? You do remember that I can just use my power right ? to find their trace ?”

Both brothers looked at each other and mouthing ‘shit’ together. They then got out of the car to the back of the house so (Y/N) can use his power. The police officers were gathering in the front porch, giving (Y/N) a chance to touch the back door and see to the past of the house. He closed his eyes, and concentrating to see he house two days before. He then opened his eyes, like what the brothers saw when his power works, his eyes turned bright purple. The brothers just watching him in aw as he use his power. They’ve seen demons, angel, and other things that has power before, but seeing (Y/N) somehow feels different. As they watched for the police officer in front, (Y/N)’s hands beginning to shake, a blood prickling out from his nose, and a moment latter his body was jerked untill he fell backwards. He soon got up and took off running back to Baby, he opened the door, and climbed in, panting hard from his sudden exercise. Not long after, the brothers climbed in and ask him what happened.

“Hey ..(Y/N) what happened ? why did you ran like that ?” Sam asked concerned about the boy

“He was there,…”

“Who was there ?” Dean asked

“One of them, he was there, he killed my family, he was there….” (Y/N)’s body shaking, with fist balled till it’s white. Dean grabbed a tissue and dabbed (Y/N)’s blood.

 They got back to the motel to hear what (Y/N) saw from the house. They changed to their usual clothes while (Y/N) just stood there in front of the window, and staring ahead with his purple eyes.

“He was there, one of my family’s killer. He killed the girl...” (Y/N) turned his back and looked to Sam and Dean “I heard one of them, sacrifice of sixteen troops, the girl is one of it…”

“Sacrifice of sixteen troops ? I think I know something..” Sam then rushed to his laptop.

“What is it Sammy ?” Dean asked.

“Here I found a page, half of it was ripped, it is said that to recruit someone to be a part of the Rating Game, they need to be chosen by either Chronos or Cosmos..and they need a  ‘sacrifice of sixteen troups’…”

“What does that mean ?”

“It means that whoever behind this murders, is starting a recruitment for a Rating Game..”

“Chronos ?..”

“I don’t know, could be…” Then both brothers turned their head to (Y/N), only to be welcomed of the sight of him with purple eyes and another stream of blood from his nose.

“(Y/N) !” Dean rushed to him

“I found them, vampires in a warehouse, 65 Crookwood street a mile from here……” (Y/N) panting hard and swayed, before he fell Dean was already secured his arm aroud the boy’s hip.

(Y/N) passed out, Dean lifted him and put him on his side of the bed. He looked at Sam and nodded in agreement, they’re going to catch them without (Y/N).

 Dean’s POV

 We arrived just in time to see one of them entered the warehouse. We got out of the car and rounded the warehouse, we found a small window and peered inside. Nothing… we decided to just enter the building with our guns held tight. Before we could venture further into the warehouse, two bodies lunging at us out of nowhere. They caught us by surprise, we shoot, but missed. We ran further into the building, in hope to find a moment to attack. But ofcourse, me and my bad luck have a tea party today. Four other vampires jumped at us, knocking us to the ground. We pumeled, triying as hard as we can not to get bitten. At the corner of my eyes, I see the other vampires ran to the back door where we came in. Then I heard it, gunshot, once, two, three, four, and final shot. But I couldn’t careless, I still have vampire on top of me triying to turn rip my throat. Not long, we heard him.

“Hey son of a bitch !” the vampire on top of me turned his head and bang! Bullet right beetween his eyes. “Get out of my friend…”

Before we could register what happened, the vampire that once holding Sam to the ground lunced himselh to someone that just shoot his friend. It only took four seconds and he’s already pinned to the ground. “Stay down bitch ! or I’ll rip your arm and fed it to the stray dogs on the street!” And I’m sure I’m hard by just hearing (Y/N) talk like that, it’s so hot how his voice commanding the vam… wait (Y/N) ?.....

“You boys just couldn’t wait for me to start the party could you ?” (Y/N) looked up and smirked at us wickedly.

“(Y/N).. what are you doing here ?” Sam asked with ragged breath.

“the obvious…saving your pretty little asses boys… if you’re done staring could you help me tie this one up Dean ?” There’s the teasing tone in his voice.

 A chair, rope, knots, and slaps from (Y/N) later, the last vampire in the building is tied. It was after that, I realised that there’s another five bodies on the floor, (Y/N) killed them all, those gunshots earlier, and then I turned to him to see if he’s hurt. But nothing, his skin just as smooth as it been, glistening from sweats, and a little panting from tying the last bastard up. If we’re not in the middle of interogating, I would admire this view of him panting, and sweating. I’m a little bit lost in my thoughts before Sam brought me back to my senses by nudging me on the sides.

“Dude you’re staring!” he stating amused

“What ?! no…” I looked at him and he gave me ‘oh yeah?’ look “just zip it Sam”

“Oay.. I’ll ask you again, where is your bos ?” (Y/N) asked to the vampire

“You think you could make me talk ?” The vampire countered, me and Sam just watch on the side, ready to take over if (Y/N)’s having a dead end, but he doesn’t seem do..

“Yeah ? well you’re talking now dumb ass !!” At (Y/N)’ response we sniggered, he never lose his sass.

“Well, you can’t get any information from me whatever you do!”

“Ooohh… prety much words coming from mr.you can’t make me talk…. You know what ? we’re gonna play a little game.” (Y/N) pulled the gun from its strap on his right thigh, opened it’s lock, and getting the bullets out. “You see, six slots of bullets, I’ll just put one..” Then he rolled the bullet shots in front of the vampire. “You’re gonna answer me, and if I don’t like what came out of your mouth, I’ll pull the trigger..” He then aimed the gun to vampire’s crotch. “where is your boss?”

“Go to hell!” (Y/N) pulled the trigger once, the vampire seemed shocked and panickly scream “You really want to shot me on my dick?! Are you crazy ?”

“That’s not wat I’m asking dumb ass!” He pulled the trigger once again. “Talk ! where is your boss ?”

“He’s..he’s one of the troops, for Rating Game” the vampire shakes

“What piece is he in the game ?” The vampire keeps silent and (Y/N) pulled the trigger

“No don’t shoot again, there’s two more..” The vampire turned to me and screamed “Help me…” I just shruged, amused that (Y/N) could act this crazy. Now that I think about it, maybe he could rival Ailester in interogating people.

“Answer and I won’t shoot… What piece is he ?”

“He..he’s not even a piece in the game, he’s an omega.. his alpha is the piece, the pawn…” the vampire trembling

“Vampire alpha is a pawn… you’re not happened to know which side is he are you ?”

“No.. we don’t know they just comand us to kill sixteen people to give their rooks power.”

“I see… so the sacrifice of sixteen troops was meant to strengthen the main pieces, is it ?” (Y/N) raised his eyebrows

“For…for what I know it is…”

“You said that the alpha vampire is a pawn, of who ?”

“I …I don’t know I swear, it’s not in my paygrade…”

“You know that I could just shoot twice and blow your dick off right ?”

“I swear.. I swear, please don’t shoot my dick…my ..my boss must be knew about that things..”

“Okay… how do I find him ?”

“You can’t.. he won’t be on earth anymore…”

“What do you mean ?”

“The preparations, sacrifices, they are  finished. It’s only a matter of time untill the Rating Game begins..” (Y/N) silent for a moment and pulled the trigger. “Don’t shoot again ! that’s the last shoot… don’t shoot again please..” By this point the vampire is criying like a baby. Me and Sam trying our hardest to stifle our giggles

“So.. I won’t shoot again.. but this time tell me everything you know..”

“I…I..okay…I heard my boss said that they only need to wait until Chronos recruit his son to complete his pieces, so they could start the game. And he killed sixteen people that lived with Chronos’s son six mounths ago… I don’t know where, or who he is.. but it’s just a matter of time untill they recruit him and the game begins.”

(Y/N) strightened his back, aimed his gun at the vampire’s head, but then lock it on savety and put it on it’s straps again. “Thanks for the information….good luck in trying to get out of that chair” (Y/N) turned his back and started walking to the door. “Ohh by the way, I set up a few bombs in this building…” And he took of running. I looked to Sam and we folowed suit.

 Normal POV

 At first (Y/N) was worried about putting the brothers in danger, but after they confinced him, he decided to stay. After the vampire warehouse thing, the brothers seemed to (Y/N) more and more. They grew closer, Sam got a company to do the research, while Dean got someone he liked near him. To say that the information about (Y/N) and his time controling dad who will play a universe afecting game with his aunt is frightening is understatement. But the brothers couldn’t care less, they stoped apocalypse, archangels, god and any other creatures that tried to destroy the world before. This will just be another case to save the world right ?......

Taggs :  @thegreatficmaster @supernaturalimagine @supernaturaldaily @waywardwinterfics @buckyywiththegoodhair @angryschnauzer @mrgrant9559-blog @kaylzjordan @rawritsmeh @supernaturalfanfiction-com @after-avenging-hours @winchesterenthusiast​ @themerlintrashcan​ @themorningtrashcan @izzywinchester

[piefanart]

The Tales of a Teenage Time Traveler: Chapter Ten

im trying to keep the chapters at a 1000 word minimum, so if this one seems wordy thats why. i tried writing out a few different scenarios before deciding that the way the story originally went was the best way to go, but in a modifyed version. comments and constructive crisicm are very helpful to me!!

and if you havent read the young jedi knight series, i suggest you go read it. or, at least read this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Young_Jedi_Knights

honestly those books alone are a million times better then disneys new movies. and they’re just the surface of the extended universe; theres at least a hundred other books written by dozens of authors from 1995-2007 that, get this,

all fit into the same universe.

yeah, you read that right. dozens of authors operating seperately and borrowing characters from each other managed to write a better plotline then a movie produced by one of the biggest companies on earth. not only do the books fit together nearly perfectly, but they also have way better villains.

also, just want to point out here, that in episode 7 the main purpose of disneys superweapon was that it used the power of the nearby sun, then shot that power out at the planets, right? well, taking any mass from the sun, even a small amount, would drastically change the effects of gravity in the solar system, throwing the planets completely out of course. the inhabitants would die as their ecosystems were destroyed and their planets crashed into each other. on top of that, the people on the planets are able to see the laser travelling towards them, even though light travels at, you guessed it, the speed of light! they wouldnt be able to see it until it hit them. and then, to top it all off, rey and finn are able to see the laser bolts from another system over! again, light travels at the speed of light, meaning that nobody on that planet would be able to witness the destruction for many years!!!

ok, im done ranting about how bad the new movies are. go ahead and read the next chapter! :)

Chapter ten

“Next stop, Yavin Four!” Hannah announced suddenly, pulling hard on a lever. The ship began shaking, then evened out. I stumbled, grabbing onto a nearby pole.

“What do you mean? Why are we going to Yavin Four?? There's nothing there!” I protested. I looked down at my hands; they were now coated in a sticky brown grease. I wrinkled my nose and wiped them on my skirt.

“Nothing there? On the contrary, there's a ton of stuff there! Piranha-beetles, deadly Massassei traps left over from a long gone civilization, deadly mucous salamanders, but that's not why we are going there.” Hannah began pressing various brightly-colored buttons.

“Then why are we going there?” I asked. Hannah picked up a book and threw it at me, landing it square in my face. I picked it up off the floor where it dropped, rubbing my nose. “Ow. Hannah, this is a book.” Hannah sighed. I took a closer look at the cover. “This is my book, I would appreciate it if you didn't throw them, thanks. Anyways what does this have to do with-oh.”

I turned the book over, my eyes drifting over the embossed title.

Young Jedi Knights: Heir to the Force, by Kevin J. Anderson and Rebecca Moesta, it read.

“The books are real too?” I asked, opening the book and flipping through its pages. They were worn around the edges from how often I had read it. The characters were some of my closest friends beside Hannah and my cat. Hannah nodded. “Yup!”

I set the book down on the table. “But we can't go there, right? It would make one of those paradox things,” I said.

“No, it wouldn't. Only if they saw the book, or if you brought one of them back to Earth and someone who had read the book saw them,” Hannah explained.

“But I've read the book, doesn't that mean me too?” Hannah put a hand on my shoulder. “You're a time traveler now, the rules of time don't all apply to you anymore.”

I furrowed my brow. “Oh.”

I glanced over at my ruined shoes. “We wear the same shoe size, right? Do you have a spare pair of shoes I can borrow? Or maybe some boots, those would work better,” I asked. Hannah raised an eyebrow.

“All that stuff you packed and you didn't bring a spare pair of shoes?” She asked, her tone a bit incredulous. I felt my cheeks go red.

“I don't really own another pair of shoes, remember?” I said, biting my lip.

“Oh yeah, I forgot about that, sorry. Ummmm, I think I have a pair in my room, one second,” She said, walking up to a wall on the far side of the room. She pushed a small red button and the wall opened to reveal a doorway to a long hall. I felt my eyes go wide.

Hannah stepped through the doorway.

“Hey, wait for me!” I yelled, jumping up and running after her. As soon as I went through the doorway it shut again, the door coming down from the ceiling. “There's more to this ship?!” I asked, my jaw hanging slack.

“Hmm? Oh, yeah, there is. Let's see,” Hannah said absentmindedly, “This door is the closet, that's the bathrooms, over on the left is the kitchen, and this one is my room,” She said, gesturing wildly around. In the direction of each of the named rooms I noticed the same small red button.

“Do I have a room?” I asked,, struggling to keep up with Hannah's pace. She was a good six inches taller then me, with a much higher center of balance and longer legs.

“Do you want one?” She asked. I nodded. “K, I'll get you one later. Stay out here.” Hannah pushed the red button to open her bedroom door.

“Why?” I asked. Hannah turned and glared.

“Only I get to go into my room,” she declared evenly. The door opened behind her and she stepped backwards, the door then shutting in front of her face.

A few minutes later the door opened again and Hannah came out of her room in a reverse of how she went in. She was holding an old, dusty pair of black knee-high tactical boots. She shoved them into my hands. “Here.”

“T-thanks!” I said, awkwardly pulling my feet into them. They were a little bit big, I would guess an American women's nine or ten, but I liked my shoes a little bit anyways. And it would give me room to grow into them.

“Don't mention it.” Hannah was nearly at the other end of the hallway and I had to sprint to catch up. She stepped through the doorway into the main room and I followed.

“You ready?” She asked, waiting by the door. I took a deep breath and nodded enthusiastically. She smiled that half-grin of hers, and opened the door. I ran out of the ship, turning in circles as I took in my surroundings. We were in the middle of a thick, old forest. Birds and amphibians that I couldn't remember the names of flitted to and fro through the branches, calling out to each other in a harmony of alien voices. Water dripped from the limbs of a younger tree, falling into a brown puddle. A few fallen leaves floated in it, twirling around as the drops upset the water tension. The air was moist and humid, but not overbearing like on Tatooine. I liked this planet a lot better, I decided.

“I'll, uh, stay here,” Hannah said nervously, her hand wrapped around the blaster slung around her waist. The same one the man dropped at the fight earlier, I noticed. Her fingers were turning white, then purple with her grip.

“Trouble?” I asked. Hannah laughed nervously.

“For me, not for you. Here,” she pulled a cloth napkin out of her pocket, “This is so you can recognize the ship.” She tied the stained off-white napkin around a low-hanging “branch” of the ship, which had taken the form of an old tree. I nodded.

“Okay.” I began to walk off.

“Hey wait! You still got that comlink I gave you, right?” Hannah yelled after me. A bird, frightened by the sudden noise, took off from its perch, squawking furiously as it flew away. Hannah yanked her head to the side, her eyes anxiously watching the bird as it left.

“Yeah, I have it!” I said, putting my hand on top of the metal cylinder secured to my waist.

“Good, good,” Hannah muttered, before turning and disappearing back into her ship. She shut the door behind herself, and if it wasn't for the napkin I wouldn't have been able to tell which tree it was.