#namasiao

[marmolady]

Zahra and Craig now!

Confession: I struggle so hard writing these two (and Raj and Sean and Jake... all the worst), so a chapter that's just Namasiao is just.... eek.

But I love them.

Anyways, it's really nice to be writing again. It's also fun to imagine where each of the Catalysts might be at after a few months on La Huerta. Some are definitely going to be faring better than others!

[sceptilemasterr]

SHIP QUESTIONS! For Quinchelle, I would pretty please like 4-6 in pre-relationship, 1-3 in general, and 1, 7 and 9 in love. <3 Five domestic of your choice for Namasiao! Aaaand all the pre-relationship questions for Atlas/Beckett!

I'd be happy to, thanks for the request!

Quinnchelle:

4. Who felt romantic feelings first?

Quinn. At first she spent much of her time on La Huerta at first being afraid to get too close to anyone, afraid of burdening them with her terminal diagnosis. After being healed, Quinn had a lot of inner confusion as she adjusted to her new reality; through it all, Michelle was always there as a sort of emotional anchor for her. It wasn't long before Quinn realized just how much she wanted Michelle in her life; not just as a friend, but as something more.

5. Did either of them try to resist their feelings?

Quinn was very shut down to any romantic thoughts prior to her recovery, as mentioned above. After being healed, she quickly became open to the idea, though Michelle took a little longer to come around. It took Quinn flat-out asking Michelle on a date for her to acknowledge her feelings.

6. If you had told one of them that the other would be their soulmate, what would they think?

Quinn would've been sad at the idea that anyone would be "cursed" to be the soulmate of someone like her who was destined for a short life. She'd have hoped Michelle found someone who could stick around for her a bit longer, if possible. Michelle probably would've been a little skeptical of the idea of a "soulmate" at all but gradually opened up to the idea of dating Quinn.

1. Who initiated the relationship, and how did it go?

Quinn initiated; it wasn't long after she was healed that she decided to take the risk and ask Michelle out. She asked her while at the Elysian Lodge with the other Catalysts; Michelle was a little hesitant at first but finally acknowledged that she was starting to feel something for Quinn and was willing to try it out. Quinn was very relieved and somehow managed to be even cheerier than usual for the rest of the night, a feat the others acknowledged should probably have been impossible.

2. Did they have an official first date? If so, what was it like?

They had two, actually! Their first first date was at the Vaanti festival of shak'nalen, a rough equivalent to Thanksgiving. The two of them danced, enjoyed some Vaanti games, and ate plenty of food! The other Catalysts were all incredibly supportive and happy to see the two of them find each other.

Later, after returning from La Huerta, Michelle had the idea to ask Quinn out on a "second first date" now that they were back home. It was a bit silly, but it was really a way to take Quinn (and her own) mind off of everything that had happened. She took her to a fancy restaurant in downtown Northbridge, and then afterward to visit the opening of The Grand nightclub nearby. Here, they briefly ran into Sasha Stevens, who Quinn realized had a strong aura, similar to the one she'd started to notice around the Czasa twins near the end of their time on La Huerta. They quickly lost sight of her, and put the strange aura out of their minds as they enjoyed the rest of their night before returning to Michelle's dorm and spending the night together.

A few weeks later, Quinn would remember what she'd spotted that night. She immediately reaches out to Estela and Jake with what she'd found, leading them to investigate Northbridge further... but that's another story altogether!

3. What was their first kiss like?

New Year's Eve at midnight, at the tallest platform of Elyys'tel during the Catalysts' second New Year's party. They were both a little shy about it at first, but then Quinn took her attitude of "living life to the fullest" and went in for the kiss. Michelle reciprocated, to plenty of cheers and whoops from the rest of the Catalysts.

1. Who said “I love you” first?

Michelle! They were falling asleep together late at night in Elyys'tel; she didn't think Quinn could hear her at first, and was a bit surprised when she heard a mumbled "Love you too, 'Chelle."

It turned out Quinn hadn't remembered hearing that the next morning, but Michelle asking her was essentially saying it again, and Quinn reciprocated, this time while wide awake!

7. What are their favorite things to do together?

If you asked Quinn, she'd say "Anything as long as we're together." But, to be more precise, they really love having time to themselves; a night cuddled up on the couch together watching a movie is heaven for the two of them. They also enjoy baking together. Despite plenty of practice, Michelle hasn't gotten very good at it, but Quinn appreciates her effort and enthusiasm for helping out. They don't really have much fun when out in large groups; their experiences on La Huerta have set them apart from the rest of the world in a way they can't quite place, much like the other Catalysts. For that reason, they're always eager to invite some or all of the Catalysts to visit any chance they can. Furball appreciates the attention, too!

9. Who’s more protective?

Michelle tends to be the more protective of the two in most situations. She will not tolerate anyone insulting or belittling Quinn or herself and always makes her anger known very quickly. In contrast, it takes a lot to make Quinn truly furious, but when she does... the powers that awakened on La Huerta are enough to scare off most "normal" threats fairly quickly.

Namasiao:

1. If they get married, who proposes?

Zahra proposes a few years after returning from La Huerta. She dropped increasingly obvious hints to Craig, who missed each and every one of them, including straight up asking "you ever think about gettin' married?" to which he replied "well, yeah, of course we should" but didn't follow up whatsoever. She later went out and bought simple matching engagement rings, asked Craig the big question, then as soon as he said 'yes,' she put the ring on his finger telling him "You're stuck with me now!" He was, of course, plenty happy with that arrangement.

2. What’s the wedding like? Who attends?

As fitting Zahra and Craig, they had a very small wedding, held in the most isolated place they could think of: La Huerta, the Celestial ballroom. (It also helped that Aleister and Grace didn't charge them a cent for the venue.) The Catalysts and some of the Vaanti were invited, along with a few others they had met during their adventures. It was a Catalyst party like no other, and mostly an excuse for everyone to drink a lot, but they wouldn't have had it any other way.

6. Who worries the most?

Craig worries about every possibility under the sun, including those that are completely outrageous ("what if a meteor hits the bridge today and we fall in the ocean while driving and drown?") Zahra's better at keeping him down-to-earth and prefers to stay realistic. It does annoy her a bit that the definition of "realistic" keeps getting stretched with each new adventure they and the other Catalysts find themselves wrapped up in, as Craig is fond of reminding her.

7. Who kills the bugs in the house?

Zahra always insists on taking care of it herself, since whenever Craig tries to kill a bug, he usually ends up destroying everything in the room except the bug in question.

10. Who’s the better cook?

The one thing that Craig can cook is scrambled eggs, for some reason, which is still one more food dish than Zahra can cook. Their diet largely consists of take-out and frozen meals, save the rare occasions when one of the other Catalysts (typically Quinn or Raj) decides to cook for them while visiting.

Atlas/Beckett ("Batlas? "Ackett?" never mind those are both terrible)

1. How did they first meet?

Their first meeting was in Penderghast's library, though Beckett didn't realize it at the time since Atlas was in disguise as her twin sister Fiora. Atlas was looking for information on the Dread, and encountered Beckett early in the morning.

Beckett's first time meeting Atlas not disguised was during the surprise birthday party for Fiora. He was completely taken off-guard by the reveal that Fiora had a twin sister who he had been interacting with all this time, though he tried to pretend he'd known all along (no one believed him.)

2. What was their first impression of each other?

Atlas found Beckett annoying at first, especially in her efforts to not be noticed while in disguise as Fiora. Gradually, particularly once she no longer had to disguise herself any more, she started to respect Beckett for his abilities.

Beckett, for his part, didn't realize it was Atlas he was talking to, and simply thought "Fiora" was behaving strangely on the occasions he saw her in disguise. After the reveal, things made a lot more sense to him. He was reluctantly impressed by her abilities with her Water- and Energy-Attunement, and quickly started to see her in a competitive light.

3. Did any of their friends or family want them to get together?

Zeph, from the moment he discovered Atlas existed. He even physically dragged Beckett over to ask Atlas to the gala, since he was reluctant to do it himself. Fiora was also very encouraging of the two of them, but in a less overt way than Zeph.

4. Who felt romantic feelings first?

Neither one could say when exactly their mutual competitiveness and respect for one another evolved into true friendship, and from there into romance. It sort of happened over time; they don't even have an anniversary of their first date. They use Atlas and Fiora's birthday, since that was the first time they met with Atlas out of disguise. Their feelings grew naturally, and by the end of Beckett's second year at Penderghast they were official.

5. Did either of them try to resist their feelings?

Not when it comes to romantic feelings, but in terms of friendship, Atlas was very reluctant. It took some time before she was willing to let the Pend Pals--including Beckett--truly befriend her.

6. If you had told one of them that the other would be their soulmate, what would they think?

Beckett would laugh and explain fifteen different scholarly proofs as to why the idea of a "soulmate" has been thoroughly debunked by the highest Attuned scientists.

Atlas would send you flying into the nearest body of water, or create her own if there was none nearby.

7. What would their lives be like if they had never met?

Atlas would still open up to the others as friends, but she likely would have taken a long time before she found someone equally as skilled and driven as Beckett to impress her. She probably would have ended up spending a lot more time with Fiora and Shreya, simply because they're the only family she'd have.

Beckett, likewise, would not find a romantic partner for many years, if at all, simply because of his incredibly high standards. He would live most of his life alone and would not go out of his way much to seek out the others. The other Pend Pals would end up forcing him to join in on their get-togethers.

...And, of course, Beckett III, Evie, little Zeph, and Rel would never have existed. Though the house would still be standing at least, so there's that.

--------------------

Thanks again for the asks! This was fun!

[normal-thoughts-official]

namasiao AU proposition:

ID: Pamphlet glued to an outer wall, which says; "Missed connection. You were the girl sitting on this park bench, I was the guy fighting a duck for my pants and losing. If you saw me, please call me 614-344-8994 (p.s. I got them back - let's hang out!)" end ID

[itsagoodluckkiss]

Zahra: We've been together for a while now and I've been thinking that it is time to take the next step in our relationship.

Craig: What?

Zahra: *kneels down on one knee*

Zahra: *pulls out sticky note* Here. My WiFi password.

Craig: *tears up*

[kenjkats]

WHAT AN ICON

[sherereadssthemanuscript]

"I think I'm in love with you, and I don't know how to stop. I don't think I can."

- Kyan-Yu Craig Hsiao to Zahra Yasmin Namazi

[sceptilemasterr]

Love love love this! Oh how I miss ES...

Sadly I don’t have time to create something entirely new for the Anniversary this week but still

Congratulations to @playchoices for their 1 Year Anniversary! It’s been awesome to see your studio grow so much from when it started, here’s to you wonderful people and to many more years to come! 

I adore Endless Summer, I love the puzzles the mystery and all the characters. It keeps me on edge and really makes you think. Definitely my favourite book! 

[scgdoeswhat]

Zahra x Craig - The Challenge

Because I’m a dumbass, I totally misread the original prompt from @sophie-summer. 

Since this is my mistake, everyone gets a second Namasiao ficlet instead! Though to be honest, I liked the “Are you challenging me” prompt quite a bit. 

Hope you enjoy this almost crack!ficlet. It takes place after everyone gets off the island and are back at Hartfeld.

"DUDE. You know I can."

"I'm not asking if you can, I'm asking if you have the balls to do it." Sean smirked at his best friend.

Craig narrowed his eyes at Sean. "Brah, you challenging me?"

"Maybe. It's your funeral if you do."

"We'll see about that."

Craig got up from the table they were sitting at in Hartfeld's student union and marched over to where Zahra was standing. Her smile dropped as she saw her boyfriend approach with a determined look on his face.

"Hey, what's u-AH!"

Before she knew it, Craig had hoisted her above his body and proceeded to do five reps of overhead lifts. In front of everyone. Zahra was mortified AND dumbstruck.

"Craig, what in the living hell do you think you're doing?!" She whispered fiercely in his ear, as he held her bridal style. "Put me down, you big oaf!"

"Not my fault, Z. Sean challenged me." He shrugged.

They both looked over to the school's star QB, who was laughing so hard that he didn't notice his chair tilting back until it was too late.

Zahra barked out in laughter seeing Sean hit the floor while everyone snapped pictures of the projected number one draft pick sprawled out unceremoniously.

"Not even gonna lie, Craig," she said as she wiped tears from her eyes, "that was worth it."

"Chyeah, I knew you'd see it my way, Z!" He exclaimed with a big shit-eating grin on his face.

"But, if you ever do that to me in public again-”

"Then that means I'll just have to do it in private," he grinned, giving her a quick kiss on the nose before walking away, leaving his normally cool as a cucumber girlfriend with cheeks as red as a tomato.

[choicesislife-blog]

Endless Summer Fantasy AU Chapter 2

A/N: Another annoying author's note in the way! Either way...these r things you should be reminded about...

Ships present in the fanfic:

Jake x Female! MC (Taylor)

Estela x Male! MC (Travis)

Zahra x Craig (Namasiao)

Sean x Michelle (Seanelle)

Grace x Aleister (Graleister)

Varynn x Diego (Variego)

Malatesta x Yvonne (Malavonne)

If you haven't checked out Chap 1, do check it out! :D Hope you enjoy!

The night had struck the kingdom. Silence is present in the grand palace of Aethiopia...

In her bedroom, Taylor watches the clock as its hands slowly tick its way to midnight. The moment they do reach midnight, the princess grins.

"The perfect time to strike." Taylor smiles to herself.

The princess rises from her bed, and dons a black cloak before exitting her bedroom. Lucky for her, her twin brother's room was just across hers. Taylor raises her fist and gently knocks on the door.

Tapping her foot in slight impatience, the pale-skinned girl knew that she had no other choice but to wait.

Finally, the door swings open. Travis strides out of the bedroom in the same black cloak Taylor is wearing, sleepily rubbing his eyes.

"Gee, do we really have to?" Travis says.

"Come on, we don't have all day...!" Taylor says in a hushed tone.

She grabs her brother's wrist and drags him with her.

"Are you sure Aleister won't reprimand us for sneaking out of our rooms at midnight?" Travis blurts out. "He did say we have a curfew..."

"At least we have a good reason to be awake," Taylor says, irritated.

The twins continued their way down the dimly lit corridors.

"If we get caught, I'm definitely going to blame you." Travis muttered under his breath.

"Hey, you were the one who said you'd help," Taylor says.

"I didn't know we'd do it tonight," Travis whispered back. "Where the heck are we going, anyway?"

"You'll see." replied Taylor.

Taylor pauses once she's reached a pair of large, tall doors. Travis stops right behind her.

Travis's brows raise, "The library? Isn't it locked right now?"

"True," Taylor hums. "but I have a key."

"Say what?" Travis exclaims. "How?"

Taylor grins, tossing her platinum-blonde hair over her shoulder. "Perks of being a princess."

Taylor inserts the key into the keyhole, twisting it...

"Is...that the key itself or a duplicate?" Travis asks in curiosity.

"The key itself," Taylor responds. "but don't worry, we'll put this back to where it belongs."

Taylor pushes the doors open, revealing a vast library filled with numerous bookshelves.

"Come on, I'll show you my progress." said Taylor, beckoning her brother to follow her.

Travis stalks off behind her, taking a few moments to gaze at the beautifully lit library. Taylor stops in her tracks before a long, brown table. Files and books were stacked on top of it.

"That's all I've got," said Taylor, pointing at the documents and books piled up.

Travis takes a book, beginning to flip through its pages. "This reminds me of the history lessons we'd take under Aleister's tutelage, to be honest."

"Believe me, I've spent hours in this library..." Taylor sighs.

Travis sits atop the desk, while Taylor takes a seat on a nearby chair, with both of them reading.

"All I see here is the history of Aethiopia," commented Travis. "How's that supposed to help us find the killer of our parents?"

"Well, it's important to know the history of the realm." Taylor says, shutting a book she'd just finished reading closed. "That way we can find out who's against our kingdom."

"I guess you have a point," Travis nods thoughtfully.

An hour passed, and the twins had already finished reading all the documents and books Taylor had stacked up in her hours of research.

"Still nothing?" Travis asks, turning to his twin.

"No...unfortunately." Taylor bites on her lower lip.

A curtain of silence draped over them...

"Why are you so desperate to find out who...murdered our parents?" Travis says ever so suddenly. "I mean, I know I'm upset, but...--"

"I'm scared."

Taylor's words made Travis pause mid-sentence.

"...What?" Travis asks, confused.

Taylor releases a heavy sigh, "I'm scared that it might happen to you, Travis. We lost Mother and Father before, and I...I don't want to lose you like we lost them. So I thought that if we'd catch our parents' killer...no one would harm our kingdom."

Travis's eyes softened. "Hey...you won't lose me, sis."

Travis climbs off the table, taking a seat beside her and flashing his signature smile at her. "In fact, we'll make Mother and Father proud. We can start by becoming great leaders to our people."

Taylor forces a small smile. "Thanks, Travis."

"Say...wanna keep searching?" Travis asks.

"You bet." Taylor beams.

The next morning, Taylor is seen sleepily snoring on her bed. She and her brother had gone to sleep at around three in the morning, so they barely got enough sleep.

The door to her bedroom slammed open, and the Royal Advisor, Aleister angrily stormed inside.

"Princess Taylor, your sleeping habits are completely intolerable!" Aleister yells.

Taylor groans, removing her sleeping mask. "What's the big deal?"

"Don't act like a fool, Princess Taylor." Aleister glares at her. "You've overslept, yet again!"

Taylor yawns, rising up from her canopy bed. "Yeah, yeah...Sorry 'bout that."

Aleister sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose as he shakes his head. "I'm quite disappointed in you, Princess Taylor."

"Well, I'll leave you be to dress properly for breakfast." said Aleister, walking off to exit the room. "I'll be expecting you to be in the Dining Hall in the next few minutes."

Taylor sighs as her advisor leaves. A dark-skinned beauty enters the grand bedroom, wearing a pale-orange maid dress with white frills.

"Your Highness," the maid politely curtsied.

"There's no need for the formalities, Grace..." Taylor says.

"O-Oh...I see." Grace meekly responds. "Here...let me help you prepare for breakfast, Princess."

"Taylor's just fine." said the young princess.

"I understand, Pri--I mean, Taylor." Grace quickly corrects herself.

Taylor smiles and takes a seat in front of her vanity, while Grace begins to brush her pale-blonde hair.

In the Dining Hall, Travis drums his fingers on the table, glancing around the room to find something that'd entertain him. Aleister enters, looking stressed. "Aleister," said Travis, snapping his head up to look at him. "Where's Taylor?" Aleister sighed, taking a seat across him. "She is still preparing, as usual. Your sister has been late seven days straight."

"That's my sister for you," Travis sheepishly laughs.

Aleister simply blinks.

"Uh...never mind." Travis awkwardly says, scratching the back of his head.

A/N: Just note that I wanted to make this fanfic for fun! Also, I’m really sorry if there r no ship moments yet! I wanted to introduce the characters first (at least two new characters per chapter). I hope you liked, reblogged, and left a comment/note! ^_^

[marmolady]

Reunion: 2024

Main Pairings: Estela x (F)MC, Variego, Michelle x Quinn, Graleister, Namasiao

Part three of my Reunion Project! In this one we see the gang enjoying the peace and tranquillity of Neptune Cove. Lots of Sean in this one, @yukkimons!

Next up will be a trip to the distant future (about sixty years' distance!), and then it's Jake x Sean time.

Do feel free to shout out a year between 2024 and 2097 if you want me to write a specific one next. You can find the full series (in progress) here on AO3.

Word Count: 3719

Tagging: @saivilo, @edgydepressedchoicesthot, @sceptilemasterr, ​@mauvecatfic @rhemenway888

Thanks for reading! Comments and re-blogs make me EXTRA happy. Always happy to nerd out about these characters with other fans.

_____________________

Thirteen figures-- or fifteen if one included the two toddlers being carried-- trudged along a winding jungle trail, taking a well-trodden path where the foliage was not so dense that the travellers couldn’t see a way out to the coast. Varyyn led the way, having made the trek from Elyys’tel to Neptune Cove countless times prior. He had slung across his back a rolled-up tent, as did several of the friends panting along the trail behind him.

Diego looked over his shoulder to Taylor and Estela, a grin on his sweaty face. “Which one of you do think got the better deal?” he asked. Seeing the force of Liv’s attempts to wrestle herself from Taylor’s grasp, he was already convinced that Estela had done herself a favour carrying the tent and sleep mats. He loved his niece to bits… but was more than a little grateful not to be the one lugging her through the rainforest.

“I--” --puff-- “--don’t know what you’re talking about--” --puff-- puffed Taylor. “This is--” --puff-- “a walk in the park!”

“Mama Baman!” Liv cried, kicking her chubby legs.

“That’s your cue, Craig,” Estela laughed. Having the whole crew on hand for baby entertainment duty sure made their job easier.

“Hey! Not just me! We’ve all gotta do it!”

And so, they all sang “Na na, na na, na na, na na, na na, na na, na na, na na--”

“Baaaatmaan!” Liv and Reginald both shrieked, delighted.

“For heavens--” Aleister grumbled, adjusting the carrier on his back as Reginald flung himself around in excitement, “are we almost there? I am so very, very close to being ‘Batman-ed’ out.”

They trudged on, with Varyyn’s reassurance that they were indeed getting close.

“You guys should have time for a nap before heading off again to Quarr’tel,” Taylor observed. “Unless you’re still feeling energised?”

“Nope,” Zahra said, scowling, “as if anyone can be ‘energised’ in this humidity?”

“I am so sticky…,” said Craig.

“We know you’re fucking sticky!”

Aleister snapped; “There are children present!”

“And you can blame the potty mouths they pick up on Craig’s incessant need to give us updates on his perspiration every goddamn minute.”

“One thing I’ve never understood,” Sean said, seeing a good point to swerve the conversation. “How is Quarr’tel still here? Wasn’t it snapped back into existence because of the time anomalies? If the anomalies got  fixed when Vaanu left, shouldn’t the whole city be gone?”

Estela looked to her wife. “Taylor? You’re probably the closest of us to having your head round it.”

Taylor nodded. “Yeah, in theory it should be gone. But in theory, I should be gone. Time’s pretty much been healed, back to running like clockwork you could say, but when I wanted to stay, it made the fix incomplete. Vaanu left a tiny footprint behind to sustain my life, and it meant other things remained unchanged here. Basically, Quarr’tel is a scar left behind. I was scared the Vaanti would be zapped out of existence because they evolved drinking the sap from the tree, but they’re left behind as remnants too.”

Michelle frowned. “So, it’s similar to why time passed in the rest of the world even though we were sealed in our bubble. You made the fix imperfect.”

“Yeah. That’s the gist I managed to get. Unfortunately, Vaanu’s not present here in any kind of consciousness. I can’t ask what the hell happened, so piecing it together in a way that kinda makes sense is the best I can do.” Taylor readjusted Liv, who was once again wriggling. “What I do know is, Vaanu’s leaving hasn’t done much to slow the party mood out there. Seems a lot of folks like having a good revel for-- what did The Clockmaker say?-- for hedonism’s sake.”

“You know what, dudes?” Raj said. “Preach.”

____________________________

Neptune Cove, it was pretty unanimously agreed, was worth the hot and sweaty trek. The shallows were alive with colour-- there was not a place off the whole island to go snorkelling, and while those readying for a night of wild partying did some preparatory resting, the remainder of the group took to the pleasantly cool sea.

Two-year-old Reginald sloshed around in the calm shallows, one hand holding onto his mother’s, and the other flailing in excitement as colourful fish swam around his stubby legs.

“What that?” Reggie cried, splashing an arm into the water and frightening away whatever ‘that’ had been.

“Fishie, Reggie, fishie!” Grace coached.

“Fissie!” he parrotted, a grin upon his face.

“Hey!” Quinn said encouragingly, “you’ve got it! Fishie-fishie!”

To her delight, Reggie reached out for her hand, which she gently took. “You know, you have gotten so big since I saw you last.”

“Big boy!” he said proudly.

Aleister waded towards them, holding baby Liv in his arms. The toddler screeched with happiness as she saw her cousin, and poor Uncle Al winced at the noise.

“Still quite the set of lungs on her,” he muttered, and her lowered her into the water to splash around.

“Estela and Taylor gone with the others to the reef?” Grace asked.

“Yes,” said Aleister, “I didn’t fancy it myself, so thought I’d take Miss Mischief off their hands, let them have a break.”

“Baaaa,” said Liv, and she too reached for Quinn with a gaping grin.

Quinn laughed, gently splashing the gigging infant. Life had been hectic-- a flourishing cupcake business and her fledgling non-profit took up a lot of time-- and she’d watched the little ones grow up by means of regular Skype calls. That she was being greeted in person like a long-lost friend was a great relief-- these kids were family, after all, and there was no way in hell she was missing out on their lives.

“They definitely recognise me,” she commented.

“Oh, it’s clear,” Grace agreed. “Reg wasn’t shy with you and Michelle for even a moment! It’s nice to know that the weekly talks we have are helping him make a connection.”

“Certainly helps make the distance bearable. Can’t have the kiddos not knowing their Auntie Quinn and Auntie Michelle!”

Aleister looked up from his charge, confident that she had plenty of hands to hold should she need them. “Ah!” he said. “Speak of the devil….”

“Ah, there’s Auntie Michelle now! You gonna wave, Livi? Wave, wave!”

“Hi, Annie-sell!” Reggie cried.

“Did you hear that?” Quinn called out, ecstatic. ‘Auntie ‘Chelle’? They were winning at aunting.

Michelle called back, over the soft sounds of the gently rolling sea. “How could I miss it? That was clear as a bell!”

“Annie-sell, fissie!”

“You saw a fish? Wow!” It was an effort to be animated after the long trek, but Michelle managed to just about be convincing--at least to Reggie’s standards.

“Hey, babe,” Quinn smiled, “I take it you landed on opting out of a Quarr’tel rager?”

Michelle groaned as she trudged through the water. “There are less exhausting and hangover-inducing ways to unwind. Reef, sunbathing and maybe a massage.” She gave Quinn a wink. “That’s letting my hair down.”

Scooping up her little son, Grace laughed. “I’m with you on that one. It’s not every day you get a chance to be able to just totally relax-- and somewhere as beautiful as this.”

_____________________

By the time the group snorkelling at the reef returned to the shore-- in Estela’s case with the spoils of an hour’s spear-fishing in hand-- Raj, Craig, Zahra and Jake were rested and preparing for the next hike, this time on to Quarr’tel. As Jake had taken the route more than a few times prior, he was designated guide.

“Hey,” Taylor said, pulling him over with a serious expression upon her face. “You keep everyone safe, Top Gun.”

“A little credit, Princess. I do know my way around this rock by now.”

“We mean it,” Grace said teasingly, “everyone back in one piece!”

“Cross my heart. Happy?” He turned to get going with a smirk over his shoulder. “But I’d like to see you get these clowns back through the jungle of death sporting hangovers any better than whatever I pull off.”

Taylor could only sigh. Oh god. It was a damn good thing everyone would have their phones on them-- and a damn shame that the handy time and space portals stopped appearing after Vaanu left. With Liv and Reggie chorusing ‘buh-bye!’ and waving off the ‘party group’, there was little to do but breathe through her worries. Everyone was fine. She just needed to work on trusting it.

“Okay, Livi,” she sang, bouncing the little girl on her hip. “How about we rustle you up some dinner? Chef’s outta town tonight, so this could be interesting….”

Dinner was simple, but by the standards of everyone present, a success. No one caught fire, and although it was early to assume that food poisoning had been avoided, it looked like a win.

As the sun went down and everyone started yawning, Taylor found herself immensely glad that she and Estela had politely rejected offers to babysit so they could have a night off in Quarr’tel… a relaxing night on the beach was where it was at. But first, it was sleep time for Liv.

Taylor crawled into the small tent, getting booped in the face by her laughing daughter as she did so.

“Come here, you!” Estela chuckled, heaving Liv back onto her lap so that Taylor could get comfortable. “You’re going to need to contain your excitement for just a moment.”

Liv squirmed and fussed, but in no time, both moms were settled and their daughter was allowed to resume her exploration of the tent and its inhabitants.

“Ouch, that’s my nose!” Taylor exclaimed, gently redirecting pinching little fingers.

“Mama-ma,” Liv babbled happily, oblivious.

Taylor and Estela had camped with Liv before, just the once. Experience had them already expecting a fight for their little one to settle, but even if everyone had a bit less sleep than was ideal, the togetherness was nice. The hope was that it would be enough to get Liv drifting off, so they could join her to sleep a bit later.

Thankfully, the long day’s trekking and socialising had done their job of wiping Liv out, and she flopped herself down in the space between her mothers after just a few minutes. It seemed pretty goddamned lucky, to the point neither woman wanted to acknowledge that luck for fear of jinxing it.

Instead, Taylor put out an example of calm contentment for her daughter, breathing deeply and letting herself be fully present there, sharing the cozy space with the two people she loved most in the world. The tent smelled like beach, their bedding was already gritty with sand. Liv didn’t seem to notice, and Taylor watched as her little eyelids drooped, and drooped, until she drifted off to sleep. Seeing her baby girl so peaceful like that, it was one of the things she loved most about motherhood. Liv felt safe and secure, even as they took her on these adventures into an exciting world. Estela, too, was serene. Motherhood had been good for her-- Taylor had seen it with every passing month. Estela’s soft-- even goofy-- side had been allowed to blossom, growing as she became more sure of herself, as she came to trust with greater conviction that she could be that figure of warmth and tenderness.

Estela met Taylor’s eyes and gave an affectionate little smile. “She’s sound asleep,” she whispered.

“Yeah. Nice job, team.” Taylor leaned in to place a peck of a kiss upon Estela’s lips, then carefully, slowly, backed out of the tent, secure in the knowledge that her little one’s sleep would be closely monitored thanks to the combined talents and tinkering of Zahra and Iris. She and Estela could comfortably socialise nearby-- Liv would be safe and well.

Sean was soaking up the sun on the blinding white sands just a little way outside.

“She’s off to sleep already?” He commented. “You really are a pro at this.”

Taylor laughed dryly. “I give a good impression of it, don’t I? I’d say, Estela has the magic touch, and I’ve just about fumbled my way through.”

Sean gave her a reprimanding look. “Parenthood is about as big a challenge as a person can take on. You’ve more than fumbled through, Taylor. But you’re right that Estela’s a natural.”

“Thanks,” came Estela’s voice from the back of the tent, making both Taylor and Sean smile.

“So, do you think this is you done now? Kids-wise.”

Taylor glanced back towards the tent, but her smile didn’t fade. “Yeah. Yeah, this is us. Obviously, neither of us can say that we’ll never change our minds, but when Liv was born, I know I just felt like our little unit was complete. We both said we’d probably be considering a second child if we didn’t have such a close tie with Reggie, but the way things are, Liv’s got an almost full-time playmate. Reg has been absolutely gorgeous with her pretty much since she was born, and she just adores him.”

“It must be pretty idyllic,” Sean said, a little wistful, for not much was idyllic about his own life as his career headed toward its peak, “both your families-- well, you’re a whole family really-- just taking things at your own pace and letting the kids grow up surrounded by nature. Seems like you’ve really got it made here.”

Taylor stretched out on her back beside her friend, tucking an arm behind her head as she got comfortable. “Pretty much paradise,” she admitted.

“It just… never really stopped being home. We’re going to enjoy it while Livi’s still little, but if we want her to go to school, this can’t last forever. It might be back in the States-- probably near Northbridge again, but that might depend on where everyone else ends up-- or maybe things in San Trobida will be stable enough that it’s an option for us to raise her there.”

“That’s nice you’ve got your options open,” Sean said. He was quiet for a few moments, lost in thought.

“I’m sorry,” he said at last.

“What? What for?”

“It’s been a year. You’ve been out here, raising a baby, and I never once came out to give you a hand, or even just properly catch up.”

Taylor shook her head in disbelief. “Sean! When would you’ve had time to go jetting off to the Caribbean? We’re crazy lucky you’re even able to pull this trip. Neither of us would want you jeopardising your dreams for us.”

Sean pulled a face, as though swallowing past a lump in his throat. “I swore if I made it pro, I’d never let it keep me from the things that matter most. My mom, my brother, my friends-- maybe I’ve kept on top of some relationships, but I know I’ve let you down.”

The tent unzipped, and Estela emerged, expression stony. “You don’t get to decide if we’ve been let down. We haven’t, so give yourself a break.”

For a moment, Sean was reprimanded into silence, the blunt force of the words making them sink in. A small smile tugged at his lips… somehow that force really did something to take off the weight he’d insisted on putting upon his own shoulders. Good old Estela.

“I… guess I can’t argue with that.”

“No, you can’t,” Estela said gruffly. “Why the hell would we want you hurting yourself on our behalf? We could just as easily say we’ve been shit friends because we haven’t been to any of your games--”

“--but you have a baby--”

“Yes. We have our commitments, you have yours. That doesn’t mean the care isn’t being felt.”

Taylor had to hold back a loving chuckle. Estela was fierce in everything, including in how she loved… which definitely had its uses when it was necessary to push a friend into a little self-kindness.

“We’re keeping in touch,” Taylor said, “it’s sometimes a pretty big effort when everyone’s lives are so full right now. But we’re doing it, and I can’t see any of us ever letting that be lost.”

Sean looked her in the face and nodded. “I believe it too. You don’t go through as much crazy together as we did and not be stuck together for life.” He gave a small sigh. “It’s just old, emotional fears.”

Taylor laughed dryly. Boy, were those familiar. “Yeah, those are tricky things. Anyway, we’re all stuck with each-other, and we’ll just have to deal with it.”

“I wouldn’t have it any other way,” Sean said. “The time we all shared, I think it made me. I’m the man I am today because of everything that happened, and I know I’m not alone in that. Do you ever feel like everyone else is just existing in a different world to us? Or is that just me going crazy?”

“Yeah, I get that. I know back at school I could get along well with people, but it was hard to get close ‘cause there was so much of me that I couldn’t share. I don’t want La Huerta to make up my whole personality, but….”

It was Sean’s turn to laugh this time. “But it is pretty massive.” His face quickly fell. “Honestly, it makes me wonder if I ever have a chance at finding love. Even aside from all the secrets, and all the on-going trauma from what we went through, I’ve got the limelight to deal with as well… and everything that comes with that.”

Estela frowned. “A lot of two-faced people who only see you as a way of getting themselves forward?”

“Yep, that’s a problem. And I can tell you, the media pressure on my to be dating as the poster boy for bi representation in pro football isn’t helping either.”

Estela gave a snort of disgust. The media was slime, pure and simple. They’d been lucky to get away with being as private as they had been surrounding the collapse and re-branding of Catalyst International, but they’d felt quite enough media scrutiny to have a severe distaste for the whole circus. She didn’t envy Sean in his high-profile career.

“I guess it’ll be nice when you wrap up your career and you can just tell ‘em all to fuck off without so many consequences.”

“That’s the dream,” Sean agreed with a wry smile. “Anyway, with so much that needs to be kept secret, and the media practically on my tail, it feels like romance is out for the foreseeable.”

Instinctively, Taylor shuffled closer to put an arm around him. She couldn’t deny that she was incredibly lucky to have found her soulmate out of all their adventures and misadventures; in that side of her life, she really had no uncertainty to keep her awake at night. “That really sucks.”

“It does,” Sean sighed. “I’m a huge romantic at heart-- but everything with Michelle got screwed up and now… well, feels like that was my only chance blown.”

“How are you… how are you doing with that? With Michelle and Quinn?”

Sean laughed, warm and genuine, even with the sadness underlying his greater fears. “Oh, that ship has sailed. Michelle is so much happier than she ever was with me, and I’m happy for her. I love her like a sister, wouldn’t trade that for anything. I won’t let myself have regrets; she found the relationship she needed. Just hope there’s still one for me out there!”

Estela studied him with her dark, brooding eyes. “I think there will be. You’ve got a lot going for you-- a lot of the things that actually matter the most. Whoever that person is will be lucky.”

“Your life won’t always be like this,” Taylor assured. “Sometime or other, you’re gonna come up to breathe.”

“And then,” he said, “there’s the pressure of finding that someone in enough time to have the family I’ve spent my whole life dreaming of.”

“You want a big family?” Estela asked.

“That’s the dream,” he said proudly. “I always thought, ‘I want to be the best dad’. Be there for my kids emotionally, spend time with them, be a role model.” He looked out to the sea, watching the gentle swell. After a few moments of quiet, he shrugged his shoulders. “I can’t just make romantic love happen, but I will be a dad. If it’s me on my own, I know all you guys will be supporting me through it all.”

Taylor grinned. “We sure will! Do you have any idea how much Craig would adore any kid of yours?”

That made Sean laugh. “Settles it really, huh? I owe it to my brother to make an uncle out of him.”

And Taylor laughed with him. “You’d better! The image in my head is just too darn cute to not come to fruition.”

____________________

With the stars twinkling overhead, the rest of the group joined the trio, two-by-two; Michelle and Quinn, Varyyn and Diego, and finally, Aleister and Grace, who’d had a little struggle with an overtired Reggie.

“Let’s walk to Neptune Cove, they said,” Aleister huffed, and he groaned as he lowered his thin frame to the sand, “it’ll be fun, they said….”

“One of those nights?” Diego asked sympathetically. He’d babysat enough times to know what those nights were like.

“He’s down, he’s out for the count, and Mother has ‘Twinkle, Twinkle’ playing on repeat, so I think we might have cracked it.”

“He’ll sleep well,” said Grace confidently. “Dreaming of little fishies and adventures with his big family.”

Michelle stretched out, put her head back and exhaled deeply. Paradise made for the perfect break from the pressures of med school. It would be over all too quickly, but while it lasted… bliss.

Beside her, Quinn was looking up at the stars. “No matter how long it’s been,” she said quietly, “I always expect to see our stars. And then I think how enormous it is what we did together. We brought back the old night’s sky.”

Taylor gazed upwards, and wondered if Vaanu could have any inkling of what they’d left behind, that she was thriving under a pattern of stars she’d never been expected to see, and that her friends who she loved so dear were thriving with her.

“It sure is beautiful.”

[sceptilemasterr]

do some of the ship questions for zahra x craig you choose the ones you like haha

Thanks, anon! I'd be happy to! (Note: I answered a few other Namasiao questions in another ask!)

Namasiao:

1. Who initiated the relationship, and how did it go?

That was Zahra, with a little encouragement from Alyssa encouraging her to take a risk. She chased after Craig, and started to ask him if he'd maybe want to try "being close" again, but got tongue-tied and admitted she was "shit at this kinda stuff." Luckily for her, even Craig was able to figure out what she was asking, after a few wrong guesses (no, she wasn't asking to borrow a rock, and she definitely hadn't found a gaming PC somewhere in Elyys'tel, though Zahra did admit that she wished that second one was true.) They then had a moment where they bonded over both of them being afraid and awkward to say anything about how they felt; like Zahra, Craig had needed some encouragement from Ian to be willing to say anything. They had a good laugh wondering whether the twins had planned this out beforehand! (If you're wondering, no, they didn't. Pure coincidence.)

2. Did they have an official first date? If so, what was it like?

Nope. If you had to describe their "first date," it was hanging out on a platform in Elyys'tel.

Zahra: So, uh... we're dating now?

Craig: Yeah.

Zahra: Cool.

...And that was it.

3. What was their first kiss like?

On New Year's Eve, at the Elysian Lodge. The other couples were doing it, and Craig admitted he hadn't ever kissed anyone at midnight on New Year's before. Zahra pretended to not care and start walking away, only to turn around at the last minute and kiss him at midnight. He was surprised but definitely happy; Zahra couldn't get over the look on his face!

--------------------

Thanks again, anon!

[itsagoodluckkiss]

MC: Is there a word that's a mix between angry and sad?

Grace: Malcontented, disgruntled, miserable, desolated.

Craig: Smad.

Zahra: *looks into the camera like she's on The Office*

[kenjkats]

WOW I'M SO EMOTIONAL RN

[normal-thoughts-official]

ID: Craig Hsiao from Endless Summer grinning and saying, "Looking at those dirty tumblrs again? I told you, I'm cool with it..." end ID

endless summer | book 2, ch 8

[sherereadssthemanuscript]

JSJSHDJWJDJWJFJE I WAS CRYING THIS WAS SO BEAUTIFUL... I'm gonna frame this... you know what no... I'm gonna make this into a wallpaper and hang it ALL over my room, iconic, so so iconic...

[choicesislife-blog]

Endless Summer Disney AU

Hello! No one's probably gonna see this...but I just wanted to make a Disney alternate universe of ES and see how I do! Btw, these AU fanfics r made mainly bcs of...my OTPs and ships. If you don't ship that pairing, then don't read it lol.

So...let's start off with the easiest (probably) one!

Jake x Female! MC (Taylor)

Hm. This one's easy for me. I think the movie Tangled suits this couple. I THINK. Here's my explanation:

Taylor, as I'd like to call her, seems like an adventurous and outgoing girl. Much like Rapunzel, who's been locked in a tower for so long by Mother Gothel.

Rapunzel wanted to...explore the world and find out what those lanterns meant to her and stuff like that (No hate pls XD I don't rlly remember much abt the Tangled movie). So I think Taylor & Rapunzel are similar in a way.

Jake and Eugene/Flynn are similar to one another too. Both are practically running away from...idk public life I guess (Eugene/Flynn didn't want to get caught, and Jake...well, I think he's hiding from the public and what-not after the incident with Lundgren). And I guess they both have dry, sarcastic sense of humor.

Btw, just a note, Lila will be Mother Gothel. Maybe. Idk. XD

Zahra x Craig (Namasiao)

Okay. This one's tough. Ihdk what to do with them! They're one of my OTPs in ES (if not, they're my ultimate OTP)! Let me try to elaborate their character traits here...

Zahra is a computer whiz...since she's shown to have hacking skills. So let's say she's a couch potato, who's always sitting in front of her laptop/computer and drinking coffee. I'd assume she likes staying indoors, since it could be implied she's always on her computer. So...which Disney princess/female character stays indoors?

Welp...Cinderella.

I know. I suck at this. XD

Okay, I KNOW Cinderella & Zahra are NOTHING alike. But...they do share a trait of staying indoors. Cinderella stays indoors because she needs to work for her stepmother and stepsisters and what-not...Zahra, meanwhile, stays indoors for her own pleasure and comfort.

I guess Zahra & Cinderella r both dedicated to their work/hardworking...? Cinderella to her chores, and Zahra to...idk hacking?

Craig & the Prince? I don't even know anymore XD I'll try thinking this through. The stepsisters could be...erm...uhhhhh....Michelle & Estela?

Okaydon'tgetmewrongIloveMichelleandEstela

Buuuut for the sake of the story, I feel like...

ERGH! WHY DO THINGS HAVE TO BE SO HARD--

Idk. Estela & Michelle acted a bit hostile towards MC in the beginning...so why not make them the stepsisters?

And if you guessed that Lila will be Lady Tremaine? You're damn right XD

Varynn x Diego (Variego)

This one's tough too. I think...I think the film/series Aladdin is suitable for the pair. Think about it! There's no...boy x boy in Disney movies (I think. Sorry if I'm wrong).

Diego could be Aladdin? Idk. I feel like Diego is the type who wants to explore the world...kinda like Aladdin maybe.

Varynn...I feel like he also wants to explore the world (with Diego duh XD). Idk if he could be Jasmine tho. XD This might be weird...

And Diego can "show him the world" XD

Erm...anyway!

Diego could be Jasmine...since Varynn is the one who rescues Diego and stuff...similar to how Aladdin saves Jasmine buuut for the sake of me not trying so hard, I'll just...make things easier for me XD

Jafar (is that how u spell his name? XD) could be Rourke, I guess...?

Sean x Michelle (Seanelle)

Yay! One of my fave ES ships! Buuuut I had a VERY hard time choosing an appropriate Disney film for them!

I picked Sleeping Beauty to be the Disney film for the couple! Hopefully my explanation can convince you...

Okay, I don't know much about this movie...but I think Aurora & Michelle are similar in a way.

I consider Aurora to be...elegant, regal, and...idk whatever describes her. Michelle can be considered elegant and regal too, I mean c'mon!

Aurora...I guess she could be delicate? Like a rose (cuz uh...Briar Rose?)? XD I suck at this

Michelle could be considered delicate once you break through her shell...

Sean & Prince Philip (however u spell his name)...idk what their similarities are. I guess they're both heroic since they, like, save people?

I don't even know what to do anymore lmao

Grace x Aleister (Graleister)

I had a tough time picking for these two (yes, I know I've said that almost a hundred times now buuuut it's true lol).

I wanted Beauty & the Beast for them both...'cuz...

Grace & Belle r both bookworms

Aleister & the Beast were both hostile towards their love interests at first Buuuuuut...

Eh...I feel like Beauty & the Beast is suitable for another couple tbh. I'll explain that later.

I think Swan Lake/The Swan Princess (even if it isn't a Disney movie) is fitting. Grace's Hadean zodiac sign is the swan/cygnus, so...why not?

Aleister...idk.

I just feel like Swan Lake/The Swan Princess is more suitable, and not Beauty & the Beast.

I honestly wanted it to be Snow White buuut who'd be the seven dwarves? It'll be hard for me lol

Plus, who'll be Grace's father (if I'd pick Beauty & the Beast for the pairing)? XD XD

Estela x Male! MC (Travis)

This one's hard too......

Maybe Mulan could do? XD Idk.

I'm a Chinese so it's REALLY hard for me to pinpoint which Disney movie is suitable for that certain pairing.

Estela is warrior-like in a way, and she's capable of fighting and doing her own stunts. Travis, as I prefer to call him, isn't as...skilled as Estela (as what I've observed in the ES books...).

Eh, I don't really know.

Instead of having Estela as Mulan and Travis as Shang...why not swap it? XD Estela cld be Shang so she'd train Travis (who is Mulan)...and what-not.

...Moving on.

Malatesta x Yvonne (Malavonne)

This may be my favorite storyline...

I was doing a bit of research...

And I thought, "Why not Beauty and the Beast?"

Okay. Even if I decided to erase this thing from my head, I still think B&B is suitable.

Think about it, B&B (Beauty & the Beast) took place in France. In the beginning, the townspeople greet each other and/or Belle with a "Bonjour!" which is "Hello." in French.

Yvonne & Malatesta r French so...why not?

Who'll be the father tho, you may wonder...

Soooo...Belle's father is named Maurice. And we don't know Yvonne's father so...

...I kinda, sorta, maybe, changed some details.

So instead of having a father for Yvonne/Belle...I just changed it to a brother! ...Since Yvonne has a younger brother named Patrice! How convenient!

Well, Yvie & Mal clearly didn't get along much at first, but they soon opened up to one another (like before I guess?). Similarly to Belle & the Beast.

Quinn x Kele (Idk what to call this ship lol)

Not really a shipper of this, but it seems cute I guess. (No hate if u don't like this ship lol pls)

The Disney film I chose for them is...the Little Mermaid!

Cuz...umm...Quinn is a dolphin lover and dolphins r kinda similar to mermaids... Okay, idk if Kele cld be Prince Eric tho...

Maybe, maybe not.

They seem like the type of guys who venture throughout the world and stuff like that...so I could see similarities.

Quinn cld def be Ariel, since they both want to go out to the world and live the moment...

Onto the friendships!

Estela & Quinn

Okay, this isn't a ship. This is simply like a Brotp. Upon doing some research, I thought of...Frozen!

Personally, I'm not a huge fan of Frozen, but I feel like Frozen can suit their friendship.

I thought Michelle could be Elsa...but, eh...I kinda changed my mind. Estela and Elsa are similar to one another. They're quick to anger (I guess?), introverted, and they don't want their loved ones to get hurt. And plus, their names start with an 'e' and end with an 'a'...

Quinn & Anna are similar to one another. They're both outgoing, sociable, and bubbly. However, Anna gets a frozen heart bcs of her sister Elsa and it can cause her death. Quinn, meanwhile, has Rotterdam's.