#please reblog this so that other people xan see this

[mr-markovic-rabbitfranky-studio]

This massage its for all of you in channel to want it to know and please share with and post all reblog to my massacre here in my channel pin post

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And here all massage you wanted to know my spolis and all channel I'll making on.

1 #

[ I know some people I have 220 subscriber all ready last time. But, I was just show you guys about this ready inporten about new little more subscriber to get, and I need you all to share some one and subscriber to me more, so I can get a little more lile 10 more to on 230 subscriber. So i cna have more time to get and new more video to post on my channel. ]

2 #

[ I'm making a new project channel on twitter, and I'm making a new spolis to show all my work project. ]

3 #

[ I'm got new channel of deviantart I just have 3 yeah I got, I didn't make a long time, so I just have ifea to do some, and I'm about to post different art and my oc to see all my channel post in deviantart and google two. ]

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[ and I even show my tumblr channel looks I made, so you xan try see where the pin was I post, and 2 bottom I show Made my # word of Chester the Priestchep, and I'm about post at # and parody to creater post all of it and I can post some my friends artwork to, so viewers can see my Amazing oc and my friends artwork, so it will be way better now. ]

5#

[ Even I'm working on this New channel I made on tumblr again two, so I making different, so you can see 3 bottom like you can understand I was trying to say, and even I have follows of 82, so I can need little more follows to get, and I follows other's people channel two I like. ]

( And Other down bottom I can reblog post massage to make little more. )

[phoenixyfriend]

fandom OTP ask: Star Wars, please. Whichever property/era you like.

Send me a fandom and I will tell you my:

I already did prequels so let's do pre-canon Legends since that's the other part of Star Wars I'm reasonably familiar with. This does mean I am penning myself into 'cannot use anything that is primarily Sold through the movies or TCW07.'

M/F OTP: QuiTahl! They Are Tragic.

M/M OTP: This is cheating a little but the comic that really sold me on Quinlan/Obi-Wan being more than just Fandom Being Fandom is Legends, so them. (I haven't read the full issue, but the pages that were posted to tumblr were [chef's kiss].) (Also I definitely saw it prior to this reblog but this is the earliest I can locate on my own blog.)

F/F OTP: I am... drawing a blank. LMAO OOPS not enough girls in pre-canon Legends. Absolute sausagefest.

OT3: Dooku/Jocasta/Sifo-Dyas has a lot of potential in all directions. Could be tragic! Could be toxic! Could be romantic! Could be fluffy! Could be domestic! Could be a haven of so many divorce jokes about the entirety of the war.

Friendship OTP: Jaster & Duke Kryze is something I need to see more of, just in general.

Canon OTP: Uhhhh I've definitely enjoyed Obi-Wan/Siri here and there?

Crackship OTP: I do so many crackships but I'm looking at this with the 'cannot be something primarily supported by the movies or TCW08' and I am severely limited. OH XANATOS/BO-KATAN IN THE OBI-XAN AGE SWAP AU THEY'D BE TERRIBLE TOGETHER, IT'S GREAT

Anti-OTP: I just don't anti-ship much 😅 When I do it's rarely about the ship itself and more to do with the presentation or the attitude behind it. Genuinely cannot come up with anything in the moment that is popular/exists but isn't just me going "listen, I just want to avoid this specific group of people and the ship itself is largely irrelevant to that."

[mongoosejpeg]

hey

hey

hey

ali is one follower away from having 280 (?)

so

please go follow faer

please

@/barely-gettin-bi

please

[agoraphobiclapine]

⚠️THIS BLOG WILL CONTAIN WEIGHT GAIN AND FEEDISM KINK/FETISH CONTENT. IF THIS IS NOT FOR YOU. UNFOLLOW. If you see your content reblogged here and want it removed, I will remove it⚠️

Skip to the next set of ⚠️ if you are purely interested in kink stuff

Sprinkled in will also be plenty of Peaky Blinders, Watership Down, and other things that bring me immense joy.

25 || He/Him || gay || trans || ace || Taken by the very handsome and amazing piggy @girthleng

My name is Xander, you can use it, my username, or Xan to refer to me. I am autistic and have other disabilities as well that I prefer not to disclose. This as well as my transness are NOT to be sexualized or fetishized please.

FAVORITE

• Shows: Peaky Blinders, Bob's Burgers, Money Heist, Stranger Things, Queens Gambit, Vikings, Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul, Watership down.

• Movies: Watership down, anything Ghibli (fav is Nausicaa)

• Music: variety of stuff but right now IDLES, The White Stripes, Grandson, Black Pistol Fire. Big fan of Corpse Husband, Doja Cat, and Eminem. Also been listening to a lot of Billie Holiday and Peggy Lee.

• Books: Watership Down (if you have not caught on Watership Down is my biggest autistic special interest)

• Videogames: Divinity: Original Sin 2, Red Dead Redemption 2, Stardew Valley, Hollow Knight, Slime Rancher, Rusty Lake/Cube Escape Games, Final Fantasy XIII, and Animal Crossing: New Horizons.

• Food: Sushi/Sashimi, especially if it is Salmon/Ikura/hotatekai, most seafood, Udon, Miso, Brussels sprouts, and anything involving fish paste. Ice cream is great, and so are vegan mini marshmallows (im not vegan, but I am allergic to gelatin)

• Animals: Otters, Rabbits, Frogs, Capybaras, Horses, Seahorses, and Poodles.

IF YOU ARE UNDER 20 I WILL NOT SPEAK TO YOU

⚠️kink stuff⚠️

- I am currently taken and not interested in teasing/talking to people about kink anymore UNLESS it is in the form of interacting with my art/writing. I will gladly talk to you about my characters. I am still interested in friends that may want to talk about kink in general (i.e. hear me gush about how cute it is that a certain guy stuffed himself silly at the buffet but then wanted ice cream himself after when I went through McDonald's to get an ice cream for the dog as a treat) but I will not be teasing/encouraging anyone but my very VERY amazing boyfriend

- I am autistic and often abrasive because of it. I require boundaries to be placed by both parties and to be respected. Communication should be clear and intentional. If it seems like something is flying over my head, it is. Be direct, please, because I will do the same.

- Not into being a feedee/gaining/mutual gaining. This is final. No joking about it, no negotiations. I love contrast. Let's keep it that way. If you disrespect this boundary, you will be blocked.

- I have a BS in animal science and wanted to be a farmer before my physical health declined. This being said, I have two decades of farm experience and love to bring that into kink talk. Let's just say I'm great at helping you grow.

- I want to get to know the people I talk to about kink. I'm not gonna just jump right into it. That doesn't appeal to me. I'm looking for friends and that is it. It won't break my heart if that isn't for you, but don't let it break yours when I don't reciprocate.

- open to role-playing as OCs or existing characters. I will only role-play MxM as I'm strictly attracted to other men. I'm more into the sensual side of things as an asexual person, and thus, extremely explicit content isn't something I will typically engage in. Talk to me about what we both expect and we will see. No mpreg. No death feedism. No long-term immobility. Not currently open to RP

- my transness is not to be the main topic of discussion in any way shape or form. I'm a dude. Treat me as such.

[pencilwritesshiz47]

Quick Thinking

MGR Chapter 8

[Previous] [Next] [Masterpost]

TW: Fights, physical violence, death mentions, minor cursing

Goldie was a quick thinker.

She could come up with a plan in a moment, and acted on it quickly. This often got her out of tight spots, especially when she needed to evade an attack during training.

Unfortunately, her plans weren’t always great, and sometimes got her deeper into trouble, and she once had to run from a junior knight that tried to kill her during dinner. (It had been a tough day.)

So as she ran ahead to punch the man with the blue hair, she hoped that this wasn’t one of those times.

As her fist collided with his face, he stumbled back, his eyes hardening. 

“So the little girl wants a fight? Well, she’ll get one.” His voice was mocking, dripping with fake sweetness and barrels of sarcasm. 

He swung his spear at her chest, but she skidded over to the right, narrowly avoiding being stabbed in the shoulder. 

She was about to send a magic blast at him, but then remembered: the Fade.

She cursed, and hit him again, pouring all her rage into the punch.

She was vaguely aware of Eloise and Lauren, who had started to fight off the soldiers that had come running towards the rest of the group, but her focus was on the man in front of her.

“Alright, the time for games is over.” The man quickly murmured something under his breath, and water rose up from the ground. She wasn’t sure where it had come from, but he was obviously a water sprite, so she didn’t question it long. Suddenly, it lifted her up against the back wall of the alleyway. She struggled against it, but it wrapped around her wrists and ankles, somehow chaining her up to the wall.

She looked over at the rest of the fight. Lauren and Eloise were holding their own pretty well, but Aaron, Elisabeth, and Marigold? Not so much. The three of them seemed to be teamed up against four soldiers, and they were cornered, just barely holding them off.

Goldie struggled to fight against her bonds (they were just water, right?), but they kept getting tighter and tighter.

And then she noticed the sprite’s face. His eyes were closed, his brow was furrowed, and his fists were clenched— the only reason he was able to keep her chained was because he was concentrating hard. And thankfully for her, Goldie was really good at breaking people’s concentration. 

“Hey! Hey you, the one with the dumb face! Why’s your face so dumb?”

It wasn’t her best insult, of course, and she was a bit worried she went a bit soft. The man didn’t seem to react, but she saw his fists clench even tighter— it was working.

“And I mean, your hair? Dude? What’s up with that? First, it’s this crazy blue color. I mean, are you, are you like some kind of tropical fish? Fish-man? Should I call you fish-man now?? Yeah, ok, fish-man, not just that, but jeez, you need some conditioner. Take care of your hair, you damn fish-man!”

The man huffed, and looked up at her. “Shut up, little girl.” 

Goldie just laughed. 

And then his eyes became even harder and colder than they already were. Another bit of water started to rise up from the ground, and she kept on laughing. “What are you going to do, splash me?”

But as it got closer and closer to her face— closer and closer to her mouth— she realized what was happening. He was going to gag her. With water.

And that would not turn out well for her.

She tossed out an insult, but the water was inches from her face, and she started to panic, she was trapped, no, no, no—

And then, she wasn’t. The water holding her to the wall dispersed, and she dropped down onto the floor. She stared at the man, face down on the stone floor, and the young princess standing above him, with a sword raised above her head. There was a moment of silence.

“Ohmygods— did, did I just kill him? I didn’t want to kill him! I just hit him with the flat end of my sword because you were all stuck and it didn’t seem good for you to be stuck and I really, really, really don’t want to have killed someone because I’m nine, and when you’re nine, you’re not supposed to kill people, right? Right? Is that something nine-year-olds do? Is that something I  have to do? Because that’s not really something I want to every do, oh gods, oh gods, oh—”

“Your highness, I don’t think he’s dead. And I’m not actually sure if nine-year-olds are supposed to kill people. We’ll have to ask the others later. But now, we need a plan.”

She glanced over at the three in the corner. They were still there, but they weren’t dead yet, so that was something.

And then, she thought of a plan. It might be stupid, but maybe, maybe, it could buy them a bit of time.

“How fast can you run?” Goldie asked, a hint of a smile on her face.

“Ummm,” Amina started, “Kinda fast? I guess?”

“Good. Now, when I say run, run with me as fast as your little child legs carry you.”

“My what—” the princess started to say, but she had no time, as Goldie quickly picked up her former attacker’s limp body, holding it up.

“Hey! You!”

A few soldiers who weren’t really doing anything stared at her, gasping when they saw their leader unconscious. 

“Yeah. You see this guy? You want him? Because I don’t think he’ll be very happy if he realizes his little group just sat by as we kidnapped him. And do you really want to see him mad?”

There was a silence in the alleyway, as even the soldiers attacking her friends stopped what they were doing.

And then, just before the soldiers became a screaming horde, Goldie shouted. “RUN!”

She took a quick look to see what was behind her. The good news was that most of the group was behind her, with Eloise helping her brother fight off one stubborn soldier, but they’d be fine. Probably.

But she couldn’t think about that right now, she had to think about the bad news— the soldiers were just a foot behind them.

Lauren ran up to her so that they were side-by-side. “What happens now?”

“No clue. Get to the boat and try not to die? And I guess use this guy as a shield.”

Lauren nodded and they kept going on. In a few minutes, they had reached the bottom of the staircase that led them to Xan Ruz’s surface. Goldie took the moment to look behind her, and sucked in a breath— they were right on their heels.

She dashed up the steps, her breath heavy, and she tried to focus on the sound of her shoes hitting the stones to calm her down. Tap, tap, tap, they went, as she ran for her life. Tap, tap, tap, they went, as she was inches from something horrible.

And then, finally, after running through the tunnel, fresh air at last. She could see the suns rising in the northwest, and she suddenly realized that she had no idea where their boat was.

Thankfully, Lauren realized this as well, and took the lead. Still carrying the man on her back, she sprinted across the field, hoping it wasn’t far.

“It’s just down here!” Lauren shouted, and she ran down a small hill. Goldie could see the coastline next to it, and on it was a small rowboat, large enough to fit everyone. Maybe.

And then, a scream pierced the air. She turned back to face it— a soldier had caught up to Elisabeth and had grabbed hold of her. 

She quickly dropped the sprite and snapped her fingers, hoping that something would happen. Marigold had said that she had been propelling them with magic until they pulled ashore, so her powers would work, right?

And then, her bow appeared in her hands, and her quiver of arrows on her back. She smirked, and pulled one out, positioning the shot just right.

With a thwish and a woosh, her arrow sailed over to the soldier, hitting them right in the forearm. They quickly let Elisabeth go, and she ran up to the rest of the group, all of them trying to get to the boat as fast as they could. 

Goldie picked up the man (she wasn’t losing her hostage yet) and sprinted down the hill so fast it felt like gravity was reaching its hands up and pulling her to the ground, and that she had no say in any of it.

And then, they had made it. Everyone was piling into the boat, and Goldie practically tossed her hostage in, shooting the soldiers when they got too close.

“Goldie, come on!” Marigold yelled, and she hopped in the boat as Lauren started to row them away.

There was a brief silence, while everyone tried to catch their breath and process what just happened. And then, Eloise spoke the thought that everyone had probably been thinking at that point.

“What the hell do we do now?”

wooo chapter eight!!! haha yes neither goldie nor amina know if nine-year-olds are supposed to be killing people dakdlafla

Anyways, please let me know:

If you want to be added or removed from the taglist

If I’ve made any spelling mistakes

If I’ve made any grammar errors

Your general feedback

Your questions

If I should add any other trigger warnings.

also, please remember, reblogs are free, and if you don’t like it you can always delete the post later. it’d be a big help for my account, and thank you!!

Taglist:

@fire-sapphics @rat-with-coffee @dirty-racoon @jolieharkness

[ayyyymichele]

Where, besides Tumblr, can people find you doing fannish things? (Obviously only mention sites and usernames you actually want to be found at. Don’t expose your secret identities on my account.)

What other names have you gone by on these platforms, including Tumblr, if any?

When did you join the IT fandom? And what got you into fandom, to begin with?

What are your favorite ships, or characters, if any, and why? What do they mean to you?

In what ways do you participate in fandom? (ex. Posting memes, reblogging/commenting on content, writing fanfic, making fanart, creating fanmixes, etc.)

Do you have any in-fandom inspirations? Other members of the community that drive you? (And if you have the time/energy, in what ways do they inspire you?)

Name and link some of your favorite works, please!

Do you have any works of your own that you feel particularly proud of, or wish more people would’ve consumed? Please provide links if possible.

Have you ever participated in a fannish event (ie. IT Week, a fic Big Bang) or applied to be a part of a fanzine? If so, which ones, and can you please link them?

Without any form of bashing or lashing out, what is something you feel this fandom is missing?

HOO BOY. You weren’t joking about having questions! Ok. Let’s do this!

Where, besides Tumblr, can people find you doing fannish things? 

I will once and a blue moon upload pictures to my art Instagram which is @ dear_doodle and sometimes I post fanart/cosplays/meeting cast members/conventions on my personal Instagram which is @ ayyymichele.

What other names have you gone by on these platforms, including Tumblr, if any?

Uh. I have one that I won’t promote because I really need to delete it because it’s sole purpose was unhealthy for me. I have been half of @stenbroughasks and I also am the mod of @ask-eddiekasp

When did you join the IT fandom? And what got you into fandom, to begin with?

So I was never super into the mini series, but I had watched it because one of my best friends was terrified of Pennywise...so what better motivation to give it a whirl? I was super excited when Chapter 1 came out though because I loved the Pennywise design so much more. And because, once again, my friend was having a fit over it so for some reason it made me all the more excited? After I saw Chapter 1 and watched how the Losers interacted in it, I HAD to make Xan watch it aaannnnnnnd the rest is history.

What are your favorite ships, or characters, if any, and why? What do they mean to you?

Ships: Reddie, Stenbrough, Hanbrough, Benverly

Characters: I really love them all, but my favorites are Richie and Eddie.

In what ways do you participate in fandom? (ex. Posting memes, reblogging/commenting on content, writing fanfic, making fanart, creating fanmixes, etc.)

I draw, but I am afraid they aren’t super popular, but that’s ok! I share other content creators works, and I run the Ask Kasp blog. I roleplay off of Tumblr too.

Do you have any in-fandom inspirations? Other members of the community that drive you? (And if you have the time/energy, in what ways do they inspire you?)

OH SHEESH. HOW DO I EVEN LIST EVERYONE HERE?!?! The IT fandom is filled with so many talented creators and such supportive people who always have such kind feedback. Admittedly, Xan keeps most of my muse and fuel alive because we rp, talk headcanons, share drabbles, blah blah

Name and link some of your favorite works, please!

I feel like @caliceal art and mini comics, @kmcarras Reddie Storyboard and @slashpalooza Loose Ends are my favorite story-telling and art related works. Gwen is the Captain of Cuteness and kills me with adorableness, Kat is so talented with nailing characterizations and facial expressions, and Romax just absolutely crushes the anatomy and character designs.

There are so so so many great fanfictions out there, but I am an idiot who does not save anything and then can never find it again. THERE WAS ONE I WAS READING WHERE THE LOSERS WERE DEVELOPING POWERS AND I CANNOT FOR THE LIFE OF ME FIND IT AGAIN AND I DON’T REMEMBER WHO WROTE IT OR IF IT EVER UPDATED.

Do you have any works of your own that you feel particularly proud of, or wish more people would’ve consumed? Please provide links if possible.

SIIIIIIIIIIIIGH. I am Queen of Pity Parties over my uploaded art so I am always bummed over most of my art and the lack of notes. Which once again, shouldn’t matter because the people who do like, reblog, comment and all that good stuff mean so much to me anyway! I’m not even going to link anything. I don’t have a style that stands out or is really distinguishable for characters. Like, you wouldn’t see it and think “Oh Reddie!” So I think between that and the fact its more anime/chibi styled I think it gets overlooked. 

Have you ever participated in a fannish event (ie. IT Week, a fic Big Bang) or applied to be a part of a fanzine? If so, which ones, and can you please link them?

I have not. I have been asked and I have thought about applying to things, but I am not a dedicated artist who can commit to deadlines. I draw when I want and what I want so it doesn’t make for great participation skills, even if I always wanted to do them! I suck. 

Without any form of bashing or lashing out, what is something you feel this fandom is missing?

A sense of more open-mindedness and less policing people. Obviously unless there’s some seriously problematic shit going on. 

[booklovingturtle]

A Sweet Suli Spice (Kanej GVBB)

A/N: AH I can’t believe the time has finally come for me to share this with you all! I had so much fun working on this in the midst of the worst and most stressful semester of my life!

Shout out to my gang, Spice of Life, for making this so much fun bc they are all so talented and easy to work with! The Corporalki both understood my writing which made the revising/editing process really smooth. They made sure the fic you’re about to read is actually understandable. They read this more than once and in the midst of their own crazy lives which I will never not be thankfull for. The Materialki are ridiculously talented. You HAVE to click their links to check out their work. I know they all worked really hard on them and it totally paid off.

Also big thank you to @grishaversebigbang​ for hosting this and being a terrifying yet wonderful Master of Tides.

Please feel free to comment, reblog, or message me your reactions to this! It’s the first super long pic that I’ve ever written and I’m really proud of it. Okay enough rambling…ik y’all just want the fic!

Corporalki: @ninxszenik , @ethereal-magia

Materialki: @theartistwitch  @wavesofinkdrops @xan-drei

Masterlist: Don’t have an Ao3 but I do have a master list of all my fics.

Summary: Inej Ghafa hasn’t seen her family in four years. Not since she’s been taken. Now that it’s been so long since she’s seen them, Inej is scared and nervous to go back. One night, while sitting on the rooftop, Kaz asks her to teach him Suli. That inspires Inej to fight her nerves and finally find her family. She asks Kaz to go home with her and he takes this opportunity to learn more about her and her people. Once home, Inej is faced with a guilt of her past, the fear of family’s reactions, and the hope of finally being ghar (home).

The heart of Suli culture flowed with spice-flavored blood and beat to the sound of performance drums. It hummed through Inej’s body every time she whispered her native language to herself under Tante Heleen’s ring-clad fist. She stored the precious words so deep inside of her that she feared the garbled sounds of Kerch would drown out their melodious syllables.

Once she was under the employment of the Dregs, she would practice Suli as often as she could. Some nights she would stare into the mirror, barely recognizing the woman in front of her as she spoke in Suli to herself. She would even write letters to her family in the beautiful script they had taught her. Those letters were always burned before the ink could dry. The content didn’t matter to her. She didn’t write them for the sake of filling a paper with impossible hopes and dreams. She wrote them because she feared losing her mother tongue. It was an irrational fear that she had never been able to vocalize to anyone before. Well, at least before Kaz came into the picture. He had asked her one night if she could teach him Suli and noticed, as he always did, the change in her face at the mention of it.

“I understand if you don’t feel comfortable teaching me. I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable,” Kaz reached out to place his hand on her leg.

Inej watched his pale, scarred knuckles rest on her knee. They had made their way up to the roof of the Crows Club, as they usually did when Inej was home. Whatever time wasn’t spent up there was used to carefully test the idea of being together.

“It’s not that I don’t feel comfortable. It’s that…” Inej’s words wandered away from her. She watched the way his thumb moved along the inside of her knee. It was such a small touch for someone else; for a different boy and a different girl that touch was meaningless. For them, it was everything.

“It’s okay. You don’t have to explain yourself to me.”

“No. I want to. I’ve spent so many years away from Ravka and most of my people. I only ever get to speak Suli when I’m working with the Dregs or helping people escape a sinking slave ship. For years, I was afraid that one day, I would wake up and forget the language entirely.”

“Is that possible?” His deep voice sounded raspy but soothing against the black night. “Not to lose it in one day, but for you to just forget Suli that easily?”

Inej nodded slowly. “I already have.” It broke her heart to admit it. “When I first arrived to Ketterdam, everything came to me in Suli. Dreams, thoughts, speech. I had to learn to filter my words into Kerch. Now I find that more and more of my thoughts and dreams come in Kerch than they do in Suli.”

Kaz was silent for a few heartbeats. Inej felt as if she had stripped herself bare in front of the entire Barrel. It was odd to feel that way around Kaz now. He had seen and touched parts of her that no one else was ever given permission to. Kaz knew her like no other person could, yet this was a part of her she hadn’t accepted about herself, let alone explained to him. There was an intimacy that came with talking about her culture that made her feel exposed.

“The language is not the only thing that ties you to the culture, Inej. You will always be Suli as long as you carry it in your heart.”

Tears surprised Inej by burning the back of her eyelids. “Come home with me,” she spoke through the lump in her throat.

He looked taken aback. “Home? You mean Ravka?”

She nodded. Inej had felt confident the first time she asked the question, but the way Kaz was looking at her now made her doubt her request.

“Yes. To Ravka. To my family. I-I’ve been thinking about going back for a while now. I even asked Nina for her help in tracking my family down.”

“I didn’t know that,” Kaz’s eyebrows came together in a way that meant he was already calculating things. She recognized that look: scheming face.

“You may be Dirtyhands on this island, Brekker, but that doesn’t mean you’re privy to everything east of Kerch.”

Kaz grinned wickedly. “Maybe not east, but we all know that I was able to conquer the North quite easily.” This was also a new side of Kaz that she had gotten to know over the last few months: one that was playful without an edge of cruelty attached to it. The air around them changed and Inej no longer felt the sadness that usually came with thinking about home.

“We conquered the Ice Court together. With the help of some friends, which you had to beg for help from, if I remember correctly.”

Kaz looked appalled. “I never begged.”

“So you admit that you did need our help.”

“Need is a strong word, Inej. The only things I need in this world are food, air, and you.”

It was her turn to look speechless. Kaz was rarely ever so direct with her about his feelings for her. She knew, of course, that he cared for her as she did for him. It was one thing, however, for her to know it and another for him to be so forward about it.

“And because I need you, Inej, my answer is yes. I want to go to Ravka with you. I want to go everywhere and anywhere with you. We’ll conquer the world together if that’s what you want. I want to be wherever you need me to be.”

Kaz’s words echoed in her head. She would hear them every time she thought of home. Her real home. Thanks to Nina’s help, Inej was sailing to Ravka within months with Kaz by her side.

The Wraith soared through the water and, in what felt like one night’s rest, Inej’s crew was docking The Wraith in Os Kervo’s main dock. From the stern of her ship, Inej could hear the sound of her crew talking and moving. The water lapped against the underside of her ship, gently rocking her reflection back and forth.

Inej prayed in Suli as she strapped Sankt Petyr and Sankta Alina to her forearms. She tried to quell the anxious shake of her hands while Sankta Marya and Anastasia were readjusted on her thighs. Sankt Vladimir fit snugly into her boot, making Inej wonder what her mother would say at the sight of her in Fabrikator-made boots, not Suli slippers. Sankta Lizabeta with her rose-engraved handle sat at her belt, hidden under the folds of her black Suli wrap.

When not in front of a roaring crowd, the Suli were a reserved people. Despite Tante Heleen’s disgusting portrayal of her culture, Inej still loved the vibrant colors of Suli dupattas and embroidered kurtas. When she felt the jerk of the anchor settling into place, Inej realized how long it had been since she dressed in chiffon and silk. She didn’t recognize the Suli woman staring in the mirror staring back at her. For one, the sleeves were tailored to be much longer than she would have normally needed during Ravkan summers. However, she didn’t want anyone to see the network of scars that decorated her skin from years of violence. The second thing that threw off her reflection was the way she’d styled her hair. Though she performed with her hair in a braided coil, Inej knew her mother loved it best when it was wild and loose. Finally, the last time she had seen herself like this was when she was still an innocent girl who yearned to grow into a talented acrobat.

Inej was now so fundamentally different from that child. If anything, the dupatta she was wearing felt like a costume.

Knocking forced her to turn away from her damned reflection.

“Adara aaen,” Inej called out, already knowing who it would be before he stepped into the room.

“I assume that means ‘come in,’” Kaz’s slim figure filled her doorway. He was dressed in an inmanulate suit as usual, gloved hands resting on top of his crow’s head cane and a smirk on his face.

“What?” Inej hadn’t realized the words had come out in Suli instead of Kerch. It was rare for her to mix the languages up like that. The fact that it had even happened spoke of her nerves. “I’m sorry. I’ve been trying to translate everything into Suli to get some last minute practice.”

Kaz’s arrogant look slipped and he shook his head. “No need to apologize. I love hearing you speak Suli.”

Inej forced a smile to her face. “If the Saints allow it, soon that’s all you're going to hear.” She looked out the port window, watching the lazy rays of sun dance along the sky. Somehow the Ravkan sky seemed to shine brighter than the Kerch one.

“Don’t slip away from me,” Kaz prompted her gently. She realized that she had started to float off into her own thoughts, something she’d found herself doing more and more the closer they’d gotten to shore.

“Are you ready?”

“No. But I don’t think I ever will be.”

“We don’t have to do this, not if you don’t want us to. I’ll go and ask Getz to take The Wraith right back if you’ve changed your mind, or we can take a trip to Nina’s instead. Whatever you want to do, I'll be here for you.”

Inej shook her head. “I might be terrified, but I want to do this. I just feel out of place in a Suli outfit after not having worn one in so long.” Her fingers pulled at one of the tightly knitted seams.

Kaz leaned his cane against the wall, closing the door behind him. He went up to Inej and turned her to face the mirror. “I don’t think your parents will be any less happy to see you if you wore a dupatta or a kefta or a sack. They’ll be too excited to see you.” Kaz’s arms wrapped around her waist and he pulled her body into his. Inej felt his warm, solid chest against her back. She inhaled his calming smell, grateful for his presence.

“In Suli, we have a saying for people who have betrayed their kind, who have disgraced them or turned their back on them. Kadema mehim. It’s the worst sort of punishment you could receive for your actions.” She shuddered at the thought of ever hearing those words said to her. Inej herself had only ever used them once.

“I am not the same little girl who was taken from them. They might realize that and see me as forsaken. As someone who has turned away from the Saints.”

Kaz brushed her hair off to one side to rest his head on her shoulder. Kaz’s reflection towered over Inej’s own in the mirror. His sable eyes looked stubborn and unwaveringly serious. “You are many things, Inej, but a traitor is not one of them. It’s true that you are not the same girl you were when they knew you. But they will see that you grew into a brave, strong woman who will stop at nothing to do what is right for the people she loves.

“They will see that you have fought against all the odds and have become an unstoppable force that they should feel blessed to have in their lives. They will love you, Inej. It is impossible for them to not love you.”

This time she didn’t stop the tears that slid down her cheeks. She took a shuddering breath and placed a hand against his jaw. The sharp line was lined with light stubble, but that didn’t stop her from running a finger against its curve. Her fingers traced the scar beneath the right edge of jaw, thinking about the other scars that peppered his skin. Many of those scars earned alongside her.

“They will love you, too, Kaz.” Inej knew that he was almost as nervous as she was to meet her family, though he would never voice it out loud.

“I wouldn’t be so sure about that.” He kissed her cheek and pulled away. “They might think of me as the man who corrupted their daughter.”

She shook her head. “No, they will think of you as the man who has made their daughter too happy to put into words.”

Kaz stared at his gloves, refusing to make eye contact. “Will they? Have I?”

It was her turn to reach out to him. Inej wrapped her hands around his neck. “Yes and yes. You have made their daughter happier than she ever thought possible.”

Kaz’s hands tentatively grabbed her waist. His eyes were on her lips but he didn’t move. Not until she did. Inej leaned up, catching his mouth with hers. The sounds of the crew and the ocean were replaced by the sound of her heart in her chest. Kaz was always gentle with her. His kisses were soft like the petals of spring and sweet like caramel. He held her like there was nothing that could ever separate them.

Inej sighed, melting into his every touch. It was impossible to feel anxious or scared in his arms. His fingers pressed into her silk wrap and Inej released a gasp. Kaz took that opportunity to take everything she gave him. Her skin suddenly burned. The sweetness was still there, dancing with a fiery spice that surprised her. They had rarely ever held each other this long without the waters swallowing him up.

His hands buried themselves in her long hair. Inej reached into his jacket, feeling the muscles beneath his white shirt. Kaz then broke away, breathing hard and shuddering. His face was flushed and his lips looked deliciously swollen.

Inej, realizing what they had done, began to apologize for having been too forward.

“No. It wasn’t you. Believe me, it wasn’t that.” Kaz shook his head, gloved hands holding hers against his chest.

“But if it wasn’t...why did you stop?” Inej could feel a blush spreading across her cheeks.

“I really didn’t want to,” Kaz’s gaze made goosebumps dance across her skin. “But we need to leave soon if we want to make it to Ivets before dark. And to be quite honest with you, Wraith, I’m not sure how far we would have gone this time. I really didn’t want to stop.”

Inej laughed. “Neither did I. It’s okay. We’ll have time another day. We have the rest of our lives to do that and so much more.”

“Captain,” Getz called from outside her door. “The crew’s settled and waiting for your orders.”

“Duty calls, Wraith.” Kaz’s smile was as sharp as ever. He adjusted the tie she’d crinkled.

Inej pulled her shoulders back, stepped through the doorway and told her crew that they could do as they pleased for a few hours. Within the next hour, she and Kaz were on their way to Ivets, the city where Nina had informed Inej her family would be performing for the next week. Every road they passed brought her closer and closer to her family. Inej could hardly contain her excitement and nervousness. While passing a crowded marketplace, Inej almost barreled into a group of children running across the street.

“Whoa, Inej,” Kaz called as he held her back from stepping into the walkway. “Careful. I know you’re excited to see your family, but even I think it’s a little much to trample a few children along the way.”

“Could you imagine that after getting back to Ketterdam, the Wraith and Dirtyhands voyaged all the way to some unknown city in Ravka just to run over a few children?” she joked, though her voice wavered enough for Kaz to notice.

“When you put it like that...” Kaz’s eyes had the same spark in them that always appeared right before a job. “While that does sound tempting, I think my bloodthirsty reputation will survive despite having let them live.”

By sunset, Inej could hear the pounding of Suli drums. They had passed through the heart of Ivets’ main city before reaching the boundary of an open field. A golden tent heavily embroidered with thick swirls rose high over the clearing. Inej’s breath caught in her throat at the familiar sound of Suli folk music floating outside of its flowing entrance. Sweet curling smoke filled the air with the smell of fried dough, glazed fruits, and…

The smell of her family gatherings to celebrate the Saints. She envisioned her mother, kind and beautiful, carrying baskets full of fresh vegetables for dinner. Her father, strong and brave, chopping potatoes alongside his wife. Her cousins fighting over plates of food. Her aunts handing out sticky sweets. Her uncles setting up place settings.

The music reminded her of the first time she stood on a tightrope. The bottomless drop that yawned beneath her and the open sky that blanketed her. How it felt to be covered in performance glitter and to curl her hair to fall around her round cheeks. She remembered scrapping her hands on trees, trying to beat her cousins to the top. How it felt to look over the Ravkan landscape and see nothing but endless opportunities.

After years of darkness, years of bloodshed, years of the staccato sounds of Kerch, Inej Ghafa was finally home.

Home...and rooted to her spot at the edge of the circus grounds. Ravkans stood in line, waiting to be let into the performance tent; the same tent that she had spent countless days in during the early years of her life. A bronze-skinned man stepped out of the tent, dressed in loose fitted black pants and a thick, colorful coat. His voice was deep and stern as he hollered the rules of the performance out into the crowd of people.

Inej stared in wonder, unsure about who the man was. Chaacha Jilé was the one who used to tame the crowds before they entered the performance area. The man at the entrance was not her uncle.

“Hanzi,” the name came to her with a jolt.

Inej was suddenly flying. Or at least that’s what it felt like as the grass was crushed beneath her racing feet. One minute, she was standing beside Kaz and the next, she was running straight to her cousin, pushing through the crowd of guests until she stood at the very front.

“Hanzi,” she said again, this time facing the man whom she now recognized.

Her cousin’s words died on his lips and he froze, arms limp at his sides as looked at her. “Inej?”

A sob escaped her. She could hear the sound of the crowd’s confusion but she didn’t care.

“Hanzi,” was all that she could say.

His face broke into a smile. A roaring shout came from him as he yelled in Suli. “Inej! Inej is here! Masi Calla! Chaacha Baraz! Inej is home!”

Tears streamed down her face at the sound of her parents’ names: Calla and Baraz. Mama and Papa. Inej waited anxiously as the longest few seconds of her life passed. She could see from the sliver opening in the flaps a flurry of motion. She caught her name be repeated and questions thrown. Hanzi shouted again, tears in his own eyes.

Inej’s whole world froze as Mama and Papa came through the entrance. They stepped out, first looking at her cousin with an agonizing look of hope and confusion on their faces.

“Mama. Papa.”

They turned towards Inej as she called out to them. Her mother’s face was more wrinkled than it had been when she’d been taken. Her hair was still long and elegantly braided to the side. Her father’s beard was mixed with grays where it was once solid black. He was clutching his wife’s shoulder, eyes landing on his daughter for the first time in four years.

“Inej.” He didn’t say her name like Hanzi had. He said it with such certainty and conviction that it made Inej’s knees give out from under her.

Before her body could fully hit the ground, her parents’ arms were around her. She buried her face in her mother’s shoulder and wrapped an arm around her father’s waist.

“Esfir,” her mother whispered in her ear. Inej couldn’t describe the relief and joy that flooded through her at the word.

Esfir was Suli for ‘little star.’ Late at night, they used to tuck her under her covers with a kiss. Her mother used to say that Inej was her little star and her father would explain that she was their guiding light.

Inej didn’t know how long they sat in the damp grass, crying and hugging and whispering to each other.

“I’m home,” she would say.

“You’re home.” One of them would repeat.

“I prayed to all of the Saints that you would find your way home to us.” Her father said.

“They called us fools. Said that we would never see you again. They told us that you were taken too far for us to ever reach you again,” her mother cried.

“Never,” Inej promised. “I will never be too far to come back home. The heart is an arrow. It demands aim to land true. My heart is here.”

After some time, Inej realized that the rest of her family had come outside of the tent. Night had fallen and the crowd was now gone. Her older cousins looked as if Sankt Juris had come down to blow his blue flames. Disbelief filled their faces. Some of her younger cousins looked just as shocked, though less afraid of her. Inej also noticed the soft coos of the newest editions to her family. One toddler who must have born within the first year she was at the Menagerie. Two more who looked as though they came along while she was in service with the Dregs.

The Dregs. Kaz.

Inej pulled away from her parents, realizing who else she had forgotten about for the second time that night.

“Mama. Papa. I didn’t come here alone,” her words scratched against her throat. She hadn’t realized the tears had dried out her voice until that moment.

Inej turned around, knowing that Kaz would have waited as long as she needed him to. He still stood towards the edge of the trees. Inej called out to him in Kerch.

Kaz came forward, trying his best not to look like Dirtyhands under the cover of night with his crow’s head cane and thick gloves. Though he no longer needed them with her, Inej knew that he wasn’t ready to hug every member of her teary-eyed family.

Kaz stood beside her. Inej took his hand in hers and squeezed tightly.

“This is Kaz.” Inej had practiced this speech so many times in her head. She had carefully racked her brain for the proper words in Suli to say what she needed to say.

“Kaz and I...we have been through too many things together to explain in one night. Most of the last four years have been cruel and lonely. Kaz has been one of the few good things to come into my life since I was fourteen,” her words choked off. “I ask that you be kind to him and embrace him as a part of my life. He has saved it in many ways over the years. In some ways, it is thanks to him that I am here.”

Her father stood from where he was still crouched in the grass. He approached Kaz, looking more serious than Inej had ever seen him look in her life. He stood a few inches shorter than Kaz, but still managed to look down at him.

“Do you speak Suli?” Baraz asked him.

“No-” Inej was cut off by Kaz.

“Not fluently, but I am learning.” Kaz shocked her by responding in fluid Suli instead of Kerch. He gave her side-eyed look, clearly enjoying the shocked look on her face.

Her father nodded. “Then I can thank you properly. For helping my daughter return to us.”

Kaz bowed his head. “Inej is the wisest, most determined person I have ever met. She would have found her way back to you with or without me.”

Baraz laughed, “Esfir is just like her mother in that way. Nothing stands in the way of her and what she wants.”

Inej smiled in relief. “That is true. And right now, what I want is some stuffed peppers and goulash made the proper Suli way.”

Her mother laughed, standing to embrace Inej once again. “You can have whatever you would like, Inej.”

“My turn!” Hanzi called out from the cluster of cousins closest to her. Inej turned to find him now barreling towards her.

Inej froze for a second, not feeling entirely comfortable with the tight embrace. She tried her best to laugh through the rush of panic. It hadn’t even occurred to her until that moment how her homecoming would be full of physical touching that she wasn’t entirely ready for.

Her arms didn’t move from her sides, but at least she didn’t pull away until he did. Hanzi didn’t seem to register her tight shoulders.

“I can’t believe you’re really back, Inej! What took you so long? Adja has been driving me crazy. She thinks that she’s in charge now because she can do a handstand on the highwire, but now that you’re back, you can prove to her that you’re in charge. I even reminded her that you used to be able to do an entire double front routine on the high wire without a net.” While her older cousin may have gotten older, he still rambled half made up tales as though he hadn’t aged a day.

“I don’t even have the energy to explain how wrong that is,” Inej shook her head at her cousin’s infectious joy. Hanzi had always been one of her favorites because, no matter what, he could always tell some ridiculous story to make her laugh.

“First of all,” a female voice interjected, “I’ve been able to do a handstand on the high wire for years. Second, all I said was that you weren’t in charge, Hanzi.” Adja said from behind him. She was only two years younger than Inej, but she had been terrified of the high wire. While Inej had danced around it barefoot, Adja refused to step onto one.

“Come on, Nej. Remind Adja who the real master is!”

“No,” Calla stood in between her daughter and her nephew. “Inej has only been with us for a few minutes and already you are trying to get her in trouble,” her mother chided Hanzi.

Kaz chuckled from behind her. It was clear from his expression that, while he wasn’t able to understand all of their conversation, the sound of an upset mother seemed to be universally understood.

“Come, Esfir. We’re going to have a proper welcome dinner,” her mother nodded towards the rest of her family. “Disah and Remen, go to the Ivetan market…”

Inej allowed her mother to assign everyone their tasks while she looked back at Kaz. He was smiling, looking proud of her, but she couldn’t tell why.

“What?” she asked him in quiet Kerch.

“You didn’t pull away when he hugged you,” he truly looked proud of her. Inej looked towards Hanzi worriedly.

“No. I didn’t exactly hug him back.” It would have been a lie to act as though she wasn’t disappointed in her reaction to Hanzi’s embrace. It was an unexpected reality of what she had endured all those years ago. “Do you think they noticed?”

“He was too excited to have you back to notice,” Kaz shook his head. “That’s not the point. The point is that you didn’t pull away. It wasn’t easy, but you did it, Inej. You’re home and your family couldn’t be more happy to see you.”

She took a deep breath. She hadn’t even realized that her nervousness had started to creep up on her after Hanzi’s hug until now. For a while there, she had forgotten about all of her anxieties. Now that her family had split itself into their roles to prepare for her homecoming diner, she had a quiet moment to be reminded of them.

That was when Kaz, ever supportive and aware of how she was feeling, stepped in to ease her nerves. “Kaz, do you think I should tell them the truth?”

“You don’t owe anyone any explanations. You tell them as much as you want to. It’s your story to tell.”

Inej had known long before that night on the rooftop that she was in love with Kaz. She had known for quite some time. As she stared into his honest eyes, surrounded by the sounds of her family, Inej was reminded of how deep her love for Kaz Brekker went.

“What did I ever do for the Saints to bless me with you,” she wondered out loud.

It was hard to tell with the pale moonlight as her only source of light, but for a moment, Inej thought that she saw Kaz’s face blush. His gaze left her and landed on the starry Ravkan sky.

“I ask myself the same question about you every day that we are together, Inej.”

“Nej!” Adja yelled from the performance tent. “Masi Calla asked me to help you and your...friend...find new clothes.”

Inej looked down at her Suli dupatta. “What’s wrong with what we have on now?”

Adja eyed the Wraith and Dirtyhands with pursed lips. “You both look as though you’re going to a funeral. Tonight is a party, Nej. You need to be dressed in party clothes. Now let's go, Masi might cut the wire during our next performance if I don’t get you both dressed in time.”

Inej remembered how her mother used to fuss over her dirty silks when she came back inside from an afternoon spent playing outside. “You’re right. Mama would absolutely do something like that.”

“Where are we going?” Kaz asked her, keeping up with her hurried steps with his usual ease.

Inej glanced at him. “Oh, so you suddenly don’t speak Suli anymore?” They walked around the performance tent to the line of caravans far behind it.

Kaz smirked arrogantly. “I never said I did. Just that I was learning. You didn’t think that I was going to come and meet your entire family without at least attempting to familiarize myself with the language, did you? It’s not that difficult to memorize a few phrases here and there.”

She pushed him lightly with her shoulder. “How about on the boat? Were you faking then?”

Kaz shook his head. “Technically, I wasn’t faking. I know some words and phrases, but not everything. Not yet. Give me a few weeks with your family and I’ll be fluent.”

Inej rolled her eyes. “Not a chance, Brekker. My language is too poetic for a shevrati like you to con your way in that short amount of time. Memorizing a few parables is not the same thing as being able to use all the beautiful nuances we have.”

“It would be easier if I had some help from a beautiful and smart teacher.”

“You’re right. I think Hanzi would probably be willing to sign up.”

“It’s rude to speak in another language, you know,” Adja said from in front of them. The three of them finally stopped in front of Adja’s family caravan.

Kaz shot a glance at her cousin. Inej translated and he apologized in Suli.

“Not you,” Adja nodded towards Inej. “I meant Nej. She was always a quiet one, you know. At least you got her talking.”

Kaz nodded along pleasantly thought it was clear he didn’t understand. When Inej explained, his bitter coffee eyes looked amused.

“I wasn’t quiet, Adja. Hanzi was just usually screaming over me about nothing.”

Adja giggled and unlocked the door. “That is probably true. I was thinking, you should fit in my outfit from Sankta Day last year instead of just a normal dupatta. As for Ka-s,” she stumbled on his Kerch name, “He can borrow Papa’s performance kurta.”

Kaz looked somber, but didn’t argue. “Chaacha Micta used to make some interesting fashion choices,” Inej explained to him as her cousin went in search of the outfits.

“How so?”

Inej bit her lip, holding back laughter. “Let’s just say that he probably could take a few tips from Jesper.”

His eyes widened. “Inej-”

It was too late. Adja emerged from behind a curtain carrying multiple pieces of thick fabric. For Inej, she had a neatly folded Anarkali suit of rich burgundy. Sparkling gold embroidery lined the long, slightly flared skirt and traced the cuffs of the fitted sleeves. A light, white and gold wrap also came with the outfit. On top of it sat a pair of high heels that matched the wine-colored clothes. Inej took the clothes into her hands, feeling the soft yet firm fabrics that were saved for more festive clothing in her culture.

“It might be a little long for you,” Adja eyed Inej’s smaller frame. “But it will do.”

“Thank you, Adja.”

She shrugged off her cousin’s thanks. Her other hand still held Kaz’s outfit. He was standing dangerously still beside Inej. His face was blank of any reaction, but Inej could only imagine what was going through his head. While her outfit was designed with elegance and grace in mind, Kaz’s was made for a true showman. Or at least for a color blind one.

Chaacha Micta had a performance kurta that was radiant white with orange and green gems cascading down the sleeves. Sunset colored pants were folded to match the sparkling jewels. It was both bright and sparkly, two things Kaz hated in clothing.

“Dhanyavaad,” Kaz mimicked Inej’s Suli to thank Adja. Inej was reminded of how good of a liar he was because if she hadn’t known better, she would have thought Kaz looked almost excited to wear her uncle’s kurta.

Adja beamed, looking between the two. “I don’t think Chaacha Baraz or Masi Calla would be okay with me leaving you two in here alone to change but…” Her cousin broke off and shrugged. “If you brought, Ka-s all the way here, I have to assume that it is not the first time you’ve been left alone.”

Heat flooded Inej’s cheeks. She couldn’t meet Adja’s eyes when she nodded. “It’s okay. Mama and Papa won’t know if you don’t tell.”

Adja continued to look between them. It was the same look Nina had given them before Inej had actually opened up about her relationship with Kaz. A look that said that Adja could see something they couldn’t. She was used to getting that look from her friends or other Dregs, but it was a little unnerving to see that look in the eyes of someone she hadn’t seen in years.

“Just don’t take too long. Chaacha and Masi will seriously cut the rope if they find out about this,” she pointed between Kaz and Inej. She swiftly ran out of the caravan, giggling at Inej’s eye roll.

Once she was out the door, Inej’s focus was back on Kaz. His polite smile dropped with Adja out of sight.

Kaz spoke seriously, “Inej, you know that I care for you deeply. More than anything in this world, I care for you.”

Warmth filled her heart, but her eyebrows scrunched in confusion.

“Because I care for you, I want your family to like me.”

“I already told you-”

“Yes, I know. I’m wonderful. A trickster god amongst men. But that’s not what I’m worried about.”

“Then what is it?”

Kaz looked at her in disbelief. “Do you even have to ask me that question? This,” Kaz raised the clothes in his hands to meet her eye level. “I’ve never seen anything so…”

Laughter burst out from Inej. She quickly moved to cover her mouth with her hands, but there was no concealing the way her body shook from amusement.

“That is a traditional Suli kurta, Kaz. It’s an important part of my culture.”

He shook his head. “I have seen kurtas. This does not look like that. This looks like some nightmare Jesper and Nina would have designed.”

“Poor Dirtyhands is too insecure to wear something so dazzling,” Inej placed a hand on his cheek. She ran a finger down the sharp cut of his jawline. “I’m sure you’ll look great. Not as good as Chaacha would in it, but a close second.”

Kaz’s eyes held a playful fury. His ebony eyes only ever fixed on her that way. It was a look that promised both a punishment and sweet reward for her words.

“If the Dregs ever find out about this…”

A wicked smile broke onto her face. “I can’t imagine how they would. I keep all your secrets.”

“Don’t even think about telling them, Wraith.” One of Kaz’s arms found her waist.

“Jesper, on the other hand,” her fingers moved to run through his hair. “Jesper is a bit of a big mouth. If this somehow got to him, I don’t think there is any way of stopping him.”

“I can think of at least twelve different ways I could stop him with this kurta alone.” His face moved closer to hers.

Inej turned so his lips landed on her cheek. “No time for that, Brekker. We have to get dressed.”

He sighed and gave the bedazzled shirt a weary look. “If you ever doubt how I feel about you, Inej, just remember this moment.” Before she could respond, Kaz gestured towards the room Adja had gone into to find the clothes. “I’ll change in there.”

Time and time again, Kaz reminded her of why she fell for him in the first place. He had seen every part of her and touched almost all of her, yet Kaz never made assumptions about her limits. No matter how far they had or hadn’t gone, Kaz always asked for permission. On the nights when all she could do was hold his hand, he never pushed her to go further. Even now, after what had happened on the boat and having had met her family, Kaz gave Inej the privacy she needed without hesitation.

With Kaz gone from her sight, Inej was left to unstrap her daggers and quickly dressed into Adja’s Anarkali suit. After a few minutes, Inej stopped hearing Kaz’s quiet cursing.

“I’m almost ready.” She called to him through the curtain.

He shuffled around on his side of the caravan. “This looks even worse than I imagined.”

Inej ignored him, debating whether or not to strap on her beloved blades for the feast.

“Inej?”

“I’m almost ready, you can come out.”

Kaz had been right. The kurta had looked worse than she had imagined. The shirt hung at little too loose from his slight frame, but the pants were too short for his tall stature. They stopped just above his ankles, showing a peak of his white socks.

“Oh.” Inej cringed. “You were not joking.”

Kaz looked at her intently. “You look beautiful, Inej.”

Inej had yet to see herself in the mirror, but Kaz’s reaction was all she needed to confirm what she had already suspected. Adja was slim like Inej but stood a few inches over Inej . The rest of her outfit fit as it was tailored to. The top complimented her figure while the bottom flared out into an elegant skirt that pooled around Inej’s feet more than she would have normally allowed. It wasn’t perfect, but she loved it regardless.

“Traditionally, I would have special Sankta Day earrings that have some sort of token to represent a Saint.” Inej absentmindedly tugged at her ears. “Though, I haven’t worn any earrings since leaving the Menagerie.”

His look softened. Kaz forgot all about his unfortunate attire. “Would you like to? I’m sure Adja would let you borrow hers.”

“The holes have closed by now. It’s okay. I don’t need them. I have these.” She slid Sankt Petyr, the dagger he had given her so long ago, into place. She tried to ignore the fact that it took her far less time to strap all seven of her blades into place than it had to properly dress herself in the Sankta Day skirt.

“I’ll tell Adja we’re ready.”

“Wait,” Kaz’s fingers intertwined with hers. He reached into the pocket of his pants and pulled out a matingkia made of expensive gold and rich-colored stones. It was simple, as far as Suli headpieces went, with one clear diamond in the middle of a small ruby flower.

“Kaz,” Inej’s breath caught in her throat. “Where did you find this?” Her fingers curved delicately around the precious metal.

“A vendor in Ketterdam had a tent full of Suli jewelry. He has a Suli wife that makes all the items to sell.”

“Do you believe him?” It was more than possible that the vendor’s story was a ruse to get more money from gullible tourists visiting the island.

“I’ve met her.”

“You did?”

“Yes. When I asked her to make this one for you.”

The matingka felt heavier in her hand than it had moments ago. “You asked her to make this for me?” Inej tried to envision Dirtyhands entering a Kerch market to meet with an ederlly Suli woman. She thought of how long he must have spent picking the design, and then jewels to place in it.

“I don’t know what to say,” she whispered to him. “She’s clearly very talented.”

Kaz tried not to look too smug which was a change for him. “Only the best for my Wraith.”

“Sometimes we wear them for special holidays.” Inej debated whether or not to say the next part. She didn’t want to make him uncomfortable by making any assumptions. “These are traditionally given to Suli women by their father or husbands.”

She saw him nod nervously. “I know. The woman, Gintha, explained to me the tradition. She said fathers would give them to their daughters and pray that the Saints would give them wisdom as they grew into strong women.”

“Did she tell you why husbands give them to their brides?” She couldn’t deny the fear or eagerness that she felt waiting for his answer.

“To symbolize the love and respect he promises to show her every day after they are wed. The same love and respect that I have felt for you every day for too many years to count.”

Inej’s body was frozen with emotion. Love. Kaz loved her. He didn’t just love her. He respected her. Respected her boundaries and dreams and goals.

“Nej! Are you done yet?” Adja suddenly banged against the door of the caravan.

The reality of her situation flooded back to Inej. For a few moments, she had forgotten who she was. Where she was. Inej took the head piece, not bothering to hide her flustered look as she pushed Kaz back behind the curtain.

“Get out of those clothes. Hurry!” Kaz laughed and she realized how her words sounded. “No! That’s not what I meant. I mean change back into yours! My family will just have to deal with your Kerch suit during dinner.”

She rushed back to the door and let Adja in. “I’m almost ready.”

Adja looked her up and down. “It fits better than I thought. And Ka-s?”

“The clothes didn’t fit him so he’s changing back into his. Here,” she handed Adja the matingka. “Can you help me put this on?”

“Did he give this to you?” she pointed towards the curtain.

“Yes. Now help me put it on. I’ve never put one on myself. Papa only ever put it on me once.”

Adja waved her off. “It’s easy.” She spun Inej around and took a few hair pins from her own brown hair to fasten it into place. “There! Done! Just in time.”

Kaz walked into the room, looking much less miserable now that he was dressed in his own clothes.

“Tell her that her father’s wardrobe should be burned.”

“He says that he loved the kurta and is sorry that it didn’t fit,” Inej easily lied. “Also your tie is crooked again.”

He cursed under his breath and nervously put into place as her cousin spoke.

Adja beamed at her. “I don’t believe that’s true, but it doesn’t matter. Come on! Everyone is waiting for you.”

Inej’s stomach turned over nervously. She had been so overcome with emotions when she’d first greeted her family. Those emotions were starting to settle, but in their place grew the seeds of anxiety once again.

Inej and Kaz trailed behind Adja as they made their way back from the caravan section of their carnival to the performance area. Inej looked around the cool night air, keeping track of all the things that looked familiar and different at the same time.

She pointed to a smaller performance tent made of a thick white sheet. “What’s that?” she asked Adja.

“We started to tour with a second family about two years ago. Hanzi is engaged to the daughter of their paira vaala.” A breeze opened the flap of the white tent and Inej could see the bed of coals used for the paira vaala, or fire walker.

“Hanzi’s getting married?” Inej couldn’t imagine her cousin as she had last known him having a fiancé. He was always too loud and playful when around his family, but unearthly quiet around other girls their age.

“I know! We were all just as surprised as you were. Chaacha Jilē almost fainted.”

“He didn’t tell them that he was seeing her?” Inej’s surprise only grew. While she may not have gotten her parents’ permission before choosing to be with Kaz, her situation hadn’t given the option of choosing the favored Suli traditions.

“He didn’t even tell me! And I’m his favorite bhara. At least I have been since you…” Left? Were taken? Disappeared? Inej could hear the end of Adja’s sentence even if her cousin didn’t want to fill it in.

“I remember that,” Inej awkwardly filled the silence. She pointed to a section of tents reserved for carnival games. “Kila,” one of their older cousins, “once bet me thirteen kruge that I couldn’t win every game in the tent.”

“Kroog?” It wasn’t until the word left Adja’s mouth that Inej realized that she’d forgotten the Suli word for currency or money. It was such a small thing to forget, but it made her stop in her tracks.

“I-” she started to explain. “I’m sorry. I guess I just haven’t used that word in Suli in a few years. Uhm,” Inej racked her brain, digging deep into her memories to find the right word.

“What’s wrong?” Kaz, who had been silently listening to their conversation, spoke up. He couldn’t understand them, but he could see Inej’s face change. “I think I heard you say ‘kruge.’”

She shook her head, momentarily confused as Suli and Kerch collided with each other in her head. Rupe. The word finally came to her in a blunt memory. “I forgot the Suli word for money,” she said to him in Kerch and then explained it to her cousin again.

“Oh!” Adja didn’t seem fazed by her cousin’s slip up. “Kila was such a gambler. A terrible one too. Though I guess he doesn’t need to worry about that anymore. He married a wealthy Shu family. How he wiggled his way into that, I have no idea.”

Inej nodded along as Adja rambled. She was no longer listening to her cousin’s end of the conversation. Instead, she began filing through the mental dictionary in her brain. What other words had she forgotten?

Bread? Roti. Butterfly? Titali. Bowl? Katora. Horse? Ghora. Ocean? Samudara.

Random words were tossed and turned in her head. Adja continued to talk about their uncles and aunts. She went through family gossip as quickly as Nina went through maple-drizzled waffles. Inej didn’t hear any of it. All she could hear was the sound of her Suli-Kerch dictionary flipping page after page.

Torsion wrench? What was the Suli word for the little tool she had used numerous times to pick a lock? Had she ever known the word? Had she ever needed to use that word in her native language before? Would she even need to say torsion wrench during dinner tonight?

Ketterdam isn’t all that bad. At least I learned how to pick locks using a torsion wrench.

No, there was no way she could even imagine herself saying something like that to her family. Inej realized that she had let her nerves run a little too wild. Adja hadn’t even noticed when she said “kruge” instead of “rupe”. The odds of her family being upset with her for not remembering a word here and there were small.

Kaz tugged on the fabric of her skirt, drawing her attention to him once again. His dark eyes met hers, silently asking her once again if she was okay. This time she didn’t have to force a smile on her face to reassure him.

“How did Mama put together a dinner so quickly?” Inej said the moment the smell of paprika, garlic and bell peppers hit her. They had circled back around to the performance tent. Instead of it holding a crowd of entertained Ravkans, tonight, the tent would be used to spread out a Saints-worthy feast.

Adja beamed at her. “Masi Calla asked all of our masis and chaachas that were cooking dinner for after the show to add extra coals to the fires. Some of the food had to be bought from the markets so it won’t be exactly like you’re used to, but it’s all that we could get together so quickly.”

“It’s perfect. You could have fed me rocks and I would have been just as happy to be home.”

The heavy tent flaps were pulled wide open and she could see dark-haired figures moving frantically around the tent. The round seats used for audience members were stacked on top of each other. Inej remembered how long it took to carry the iron seats from the caravans to place them in their rows. She had been too small to carry them herself, so she would hold the bottom half of a stack while Hanzi carried the brunt of the weight.

The high ropes were still strung up from their looming poles. She itched to climb up and test her technique. The chaacha who had first taught her how to balance was strict about proper posture. Though she had no real use for it when sleuthing for the Dregs, she could still hear his sharp calls to straighten her spine or keep her gaze forward.

“Make room! Inej the Great has entered the tent!” Hanzi exclaimed. His voice cut through the flurry of her family’s movement. Inej realized why her uncle had stepped down to let Hanzi handle the crowds. His deep voice was effective when it came to getting a crowd’s attention.

Toffee and hazel eyes all met hers. All of her family, almost twice as many as earlier, froze where they were to stare at her and Kaz. His gloved fingers curved in hers, but no one seemed to care at that gesture as much as they cared about the dazzling headpiece sparkling in the candlelight. Her parents had tears in their eyes as if it was the first time they were seeing her again. Inej had to hold back tears of her own. She saw the circle of food splayed out around the lush carpets dragged from Saints know where to cushion the hard ground.

Sarma, stuffed peppers, bogacha, and xaimoko were still in their metallic cooking pots, steaming as if the fire had just been dosed from under them. Pirogo and xaritsa sat in porcelain crockery that Inej suspected came from the Ivetan market her cousin had mentioned. Silver kettles of chao filled the room with a lingering sweet smell. Dark cups of kafa were already served and in the hands of some to her cousins.

The meal flooded her with too many memories to catch at once. She was swimming in a stream of random memories. Her tongue burning from spicy stuffed peppers and then from chugging a fresh cup of chao in a vain attempt to ease the sting. Mama teaching her how to prepare the sarma properly. Papa stiring a pot of goulash.

“Why are you just standing there? Come! Sit!” Papa gestured to a spot right in front of Inej’s favorite platter.

She blinked back tears. No more tears. Tonight was for celebrating all that she had come back to, not for mourning the years she had lost.

“Some of it had to be bought so it won’t taste exactly like you remember but-” Her mother rushed to her side, holding her daughter’s hand and pulling her and Kaz towards her father.

“Mama, I don’t care how the food tastes. This is already so much more than I could ask for. Just being with you and Papa and everyone else is enough for me.”

Her mother’s dark brows furrowed. She took great pride in her cooking, as a Suli should. “Yes, yes, but still...If you had sent us some sort of message so we could have been prepared, the food would have all been ready. We would have canceled the show much sooner. But no, leave it to our little Esfir to show up as if the Saints had let her fall from their very sky at random.” The novelty of Inej’s arrival was definitely wearing off if her mother was already scolding her.

She laughed despite her mother’s pointed words. Inej settled in her seat comfortably. Kaz sat beside her, looking so out of place in this bright colored tent surrounded by equally colorful kurtas. She couldn’t believe the sight in front of her. Kaz Brekker being handed a steaming cup of chao in his crisp, black suit.

Her own hands were already clutching a plate overflowing with food. Her father had served her heaping spoonfuls of every dish that sat before her. He paused, looking at Kaz curiously.

“Eh...food?” Her father surprised her with the Kerch word. She hadn’t known he spoke any Kerch.

Kaz nodded, “Krpya.”

Her father looked excited by his answer. He piled almost as much food on his plate as he had on hers. Kaz was excellent at hiding his emotions, but there was no hiding the amusement in his eyes. He took the plate with open arms. Everyone, including Inej, watched as Kaz lifted a fork to take a scoop of the rice-stuffed green pepper. He didn’t even flinch at what she could assume to be the spiciest bite of food he’d ever had. He chewed slowly, ignoring the flush that creeped up his neck. Judging from the smell, her family hadn’t held back when it came to spices that night. Finally he smiled, thanking her father for the food.

That seemed to be the cue her family had been waiting for. Everyone unfroze and went for a plate.

Kaz waited until they were no longer staring at him to reach for the tea. She had to bite back a laugh as he gulped down the entire cup.

“Spicy?” She asked, already knowing the answer.

Kaz looked at her as if she had grown an extra ear. “Spicy? Inej, I thought I was going to die.”

This time she couldn’t hold back the laugh. Everything about the night filled her with so much joy and laughter that Inej had to put down her food for a second. Her stomach burned from the giggles that shook her body. Kaz was actually blushing as her cousins closests to her looked at them.

“Kaz said the food almost killed him.” She explained to them. “The Kerch prefer their food much less seasoned. Mostly a hint of salt and pepper. It’s actually very sad.”

All of them broke out into smiles.

Her mother who was still standing behind them said, “Tell Ka-s that he’ll have to get used to real food if he’s decided to stay with you.” She placed a hand on Kaz’s shoulder affectionately.

Kaz, clearly not expecting the sudden touch, went still. His body tensed beneath the touch and his jaw tightened. Her mother noticed the change in his posture and jerked her hand back. She looked at her daughter quickly, but Inej could see the hurt and confusion in her eyes even if it was just for a second.

“It’s not you, Mama.” She rushed to explain for Kaz. His eyes had dropped to the plate resting on his lap.

“I told you that our life in Ketterdam wasn’t easy.” She tried to find a way of explaining without revealing too much of Kaz’s past. “He isn’t used to people touching him unless they’re trying to hurt him. Give him time, Mama.” That part was at least true.

Her mother nodded, looking apologetic but no less confused. This time she was looking at the visible scars along Inej’s arms. Her cousin’s outfit didn’t hide them the way her earlier outfit had.

Hanzi, who was watching the whole exchange from across the tent, spoke out. “What was it like, Nej? In Ketterdam?”

His father, Chaacha Jilé, used a serving spoon to give him a hard tap on the head. “Hanzi!”

“What? We were all thinking it!”

His father shook his head. “You know better than to ask that kind of question.”

“It’s okay.” Inej cut in before her uncle could use the spoon again. “Hanzi is right. You all want to know what happened. I don’t blame you.”

“See!” Hanzi pointed a vindicated finger towards Inej.

“Hush!” His father waved the spoon in front of his son.

She bit back a smile and continued. Inej looked at Kaz. His rigid spine loosened a bit, but he still looked a bit on edge. “I’m going to tell them.”

A small smile tugged on his mouth. “You know I support whatever decision you make.”

It was all the encouragement she needed. “Mama, Papa, you may want to sit down. It’s a long story and most of it isn’t pleasant.”

Her mother worriedly sat beside her. Her father put an arm around her shoulders, physically supporting his wife in the same way Kaz had just supported her.

“I was taken by slavers. They broke in and took me just as the sun had started to rise. They brought me to Ketterdam, where I was sold to a heartless woman who made me do unspeakable things for terrible men. Kaz worked for a group of young men trying to build a new business and went to meet with the woman at the request of his boss. I realized I could escape with his help, so I offered him my skills as an acrobat. He agreed to employ me legally and without having to do any of the things that I was doing there. He taught me how to defend myself. I worked as his spy and I was good at it.

“Ketterdam… it can be an ugly place that brings the ugliness out of even the best people. I’ve done things I pray the Saints will one day forgive me for; but I’m not the same girl I was when I was taken. If I was, I don’t think I would have made it through the first night in that city. I will never be that girl again, no matter how hard I try. And I’m sorry if that’s not what you want to hear, but it’s the truth.

“I was able to eventually afford a ship and a crew to run it. Now, I'm the captain of a crew of people dedicated to keeping other people from having to go through what I went through. I hope that the work I do at sea can help weaken any shadows I have created during my years in Ketterdam.”

Inej had, of course, changed a few details in her story. There was no way she was going to tell her entire family that the “business” Kaz was running was actually a deadly street gang. She was also never going to explain to them exactly how good at her job she had gotten. They would never understand the things she had done. In fact, if they could see the crimson stains on her hands, they’d probably be so repulsed that they would kick her out on the spot.

Her mother was crying again. Her father looked heartbroken as if all of his worst fears had come true.

“Inej…” Adja spoke first. “I’m so sorry you had to go through that.”

Inej was surprised to realize that she wasn’t in tears as she feared she would have been. “It’s not your fault.” She looked at her parents, realizing that they must have carried some guilt with her disappearance just as she carried the shame of the things she had done.

“Nor is it yours. We couldn’t have known those slavers were going to break into our home. You two did everything you were supposed to. When things were at their worst, I could hear your voices teaching me how to pray to the Saints. I was able to survive so long because I always carried the hope you taught me to hold on to. The hope that I would one day return to you.”

Her father looked furiously stubborn as he said, “And you have. You are home, Inej. That’s all that matters. We don’t care what you had to do to get here. As long as you are here with us again.”

“The Saints don’t punish actions done to survive.” Her mother agreed. “You don’t need to ask them or us for forgiveness. Forgiveness is earned, Inej, and you have been through more than enough to deserve it. We know you. We know you have a good heart. We love who you are now because it brought you back to us.”

“You will always be our esfir.” Her father held his daughter's trembling hands.

Those words were like the first bite of bread after a year long fast. Inej hadn’t realized how much she needed to hear them, or how much it would mean to hear them from her parents. Her father’s touch didn’t wipe away any of the blood on her hands nor did it take away the dark memories she would always carry. But it did make her feel hopeful for the future. For so long she feared that she could never return home; she feared her family would reject the woman she was sharpened into. Her parents didn’t look like they were ready to throw her out. In fact, they looked like they were ready to hold her tighter than ever.

“Wait a second,” Hanzi once again drew all the attention in the room back to him. “You said you were a spy and now a ship captain?”

Inej wiped a stray tear from her cheek. “Yes.”

“And that Ka-s...runs a business?”

“Yes, Hanzi.”

He looked suspiciously between Kaz and Inej. Then at the leather gloves and silver crow’s head of his cane. His jaw dropped. “Inej, you’re not saying what I think you’re saying, are you?”

She bit her lip, unsure of how to answer.

“He knows, doesn’t he?” Kaz’s gravelly voice was full of pride at being recognized.

“Don’t look so smug. I don’t think he recognized you until I said that I was a ship captain.”

“INEJ!”

She turned back to Hanzi. He was almost buzzing with excitement to hear her answer. “Are you who I think you are? Is he who I think he is?”

Her mother narrowed her eyes at her nephew.“Inej is whoever she wants to be. As for Ka-s, he’s Inej’s...”

Inej looked to Kaz for the answer. They had never felt the need to use a word to explain their relationship. Everyone on their tiny stretch of an island knew better than to question Dirtyhands or the Wraith. Their friends didn’t need an explanation. What she shared with Kaz went deeper than anything she could describe.

“What?”

“They want to know what you are to me.”

“Then tell them.”

“What do you want me to tell them?”

“What do you want to tell them?”

“That you’re the person I love most in this world.”

His smile was blinding. “I’m more than okay with that answer.”

“Kaz is my heart.”

Adja cooed, clutching her heart. Her mother looked approvingly at Kaz. Her father looked relieved by the answer. Hanzi still looked unsatisfied by it.

“Why are you all just staring at us? Let’s eat!” She mimicked her father’s earlier remark. The silence was once again filled with her family’s celebratory cheers.

“Thank you for coming with me. I couldn’t have done this without you.”

Kaz looked smug. “I love you.”

Inej smiled, looking around the circle of happiness brought together by a bond that went deeper than blood. “I love you, too.”

A/N Pt 2: Hi hello! If you happened to have read this before January 2, 2020 then you might remember that there used to be a long paragraph at the end of this fic where I acknowledged all of the cultures that I read about as inspiration to flesh out the Suli culture in this fic. Welp, because Tumblr enjoys to make life difficult, it actually decided to erase the entirety of this fic, leaving only the title. Why? I have no idea!!!! But that means I had to do everything and luckily I had all of the fic saved except for this second A/N bc I added it in right before uploading. While I’m incredibly annoyed by Tumblr glitch and am not able to fully write the original acknowledgment, I still want to give add a smaller version of the previous one.

All of cultures I drew from for this fic can be found listed here. The Suli language was a modified mixture of Hindi and Punjabi. The foods are mostly Romani in origin. The names are a mixture of Turkish, Hindi, Romani, and Slavic names. The clothing have all been specifically named. The head piece Inej wore was directly inspired by a South Asian maang tikka however out of respect for this real cultural practice, I changed the name/origin for the fic. Any parables/customs/religious beliefs explained in the fic are completely fictional that were either pulled directly from the SOC series or made up for this fic. Any connection/similarities to real cultural practices are completely coincidental unless I specifically said so. I believe that was everything important that I had in the original acknowledgment. I’m so sorry if anything was left out. If you do feel that I forgot to mention anything in this rewritten version, please let me know and I’ll do my best to fix it immediately! 

[cynicallystiles]

Beach Sunrises: Bad Reputation

Author: @cynicallystiles

Warning: Cursing, drama, fluff, angst, mention of assault and nudity, and Shawn being adorable AF.

Pairing: Shawn Mendes x Reader

Summary: While on tour one day, Shawn sees a woman watching the sunrise by herself. Thinking that he’ll never see her again, he tries to forget as he goes on with the rest of his day. But, serendipity seems to have other ideas…

Notes: Yo, sorry this is late!!! I went to see Deadpool 2 instead of finishing it on time. And I kept getting distracted by Shawn on The Late Late Show with James Corden. I apologize deeply if this sucks. The later it got, the more I feel like I rambled, PLEASE REBLOG OR COMMENT if you like it! I always welcome messages and asks about my work! Enjoy!

Masterlist

Series Masterlist

Part 4 Part 6

Words: 6,068

Third P.O.V.

Shawn watches the TV screen with wide eyes until Andrew clicks it off. His eyes immediately fly to y/n. She's wearing an extremely stunned and horrified expression, and he felt a pang in his heart that her beautiful features ever had to be contorted that way. His hand grips hers suddenly, causing her to look at him.

"This isn't your fault, okay? You couldn't have known," Shawn reassured her, but she only smiles numbly at him.

Andrew speaks, interrupting anything Shawn was going to say next. "You're damn right it's not her fault. It's yours."

"Me? How was I-"

He gets cut off again as Andrew is fuming. "You know how people are, Shawn! You should've been more careful, and you shouldn't be getting into bar fights over a girl you barely know!"

Shawn regains his confidence at the way he was speaking about her. "So I was just supposed to stand by and let her get assaulted? I don't fucking think so."

He feels her hands pried away from his and he looks at her. She's shaking her head and backing toward the door. "I told you that you should've cared about being seen with me."

"Y/n, stop it," he says as his hand finds her arm to keep her from running again. Surprisingly, she lets him stop her.

Her eyes are flitting around, anywhere except at Shawn or his manager. Shawn can see the wheels turning in her head. "Did it ever say my name?" She asks suddenly making eye contact with Andrew.

"What?" He seems taken aback and irritated that she'd be bold enough to speak to him after what she's caused.

"Are you paying attention? I said did the gossip channel ever fucking say my name or mention knowing my identity?!" She raises her voice, heated at the man for blaming her.

He pauses, thinking for a moment. "Well, no-" he begins quietly.

"That's good, then," she interrupts him. Before either man can ask why she looks to Shawn and explains. "They can't tell who I am from any of the pictures or the video. So, you're gonna steer clear of me. Don't ever talk to me again, or contact me. As long as they don't know who I am, things won't get worse. Got it?"

Shawn was stunned that she just ordered him to never see her again. "No, I don't got it. Why the hell would that do anyone any good?"

"Because," she breathes out irritatedly. "They can't spin a story about me if I disappear. Kay? Don't fucking argue. I told you not to get involved with me."

At that, she shakes out of his hand and exits the room without another word. Shawn stands there, stunned and hurt that she left like that. There's something more that she's not telling him. As long as they don't know who I am, things won't get worse. It was almost as if she knew that her identity would make it worse. He wondered why.

Andrew claps his hands together, snapping him out of his thoughts. "Well, that was easier to clean up than I thought. I guess some women do have good sense, after all."

"What the fuck is that supposed to mean? I'm not gonna stop talking to her, Andrew," he declared defiantly.

Andrew crosses his arms. "The hell you are. She just said to forget about her. She gave you permission to leave it at a one-night stand," he says. But, he can see the resolve in Shawn's eyes and he knows there's something different about this girl to him.

"I wanna make a statement," he says suddenly.

Andrew's eyes widen. "That is the worse possible thing you could do at the moment."

"No. I'm going to make a statement to clear all this up. I won't tell anyone her name or anything, but I deserve the chance to explain what really happened."

He audibly sighs. "Shawn, what if they just spin your statement?"

"They won't. They can't because it'll be 100% the truth," he says surely with a confident grin.

Andrew pinches the bridge of his nose. "Fine, I'll contact one of the radio stations that want to interview you about it. You'll do it in the morning before the greet."

"No, I'm doing it tonight. If no one wants to do it tonight then I'll just live stream it," Shawn demands.

Exasperatedly, Andrew walks into another room to make calls. Shawn takes out his phone and searches for her contact. As he scrolls, he skims for the letter that begins her name and nothing comes up. That's weird. He had watched her type and save something into his phone. He went back to the top of contacts and scrolled slowly this time. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary.

That is until he came upon the E's. One name stood out. He had never seen it before nor knew how to pronounce it. He typed it into google to see what came up. Grinning to himself, he closed out of the browser. It was definitely her.

She had saved her name as Euterpe.

First P.O.V.

After leaving Shawn's room in such a hurry, I fled to my own downstairs and immediately called Xander. I told him all the events that happened thus far and kept him on speakerphone as I took off Shawn's sweater. The only thing connecting us. I threw it toward my laundry and threw on a sweatshirt of my own before curling up in my bed.

Xander listened patiently as I lamented about the events and how I could be so stupid. "Hey! You're not stupid. Don't ever fucking say that again."

"I know! But you know what I mean," I groan frustratedly. "What the fuck do I do?"

He sighs on the other end. "Hon, it sounds like you already made your choice. You have his number so you could text him if you want to take it back. Or..."

"Or?" I ask sadly.

A pause. "Or you can trust yourself and that you made the right decision for both of you. I know how hard it was to go through the first time. You don't have to risk going through it on an international scale just because he likes you."

"God, Xan. Why are you always so fucking logical??" I ask incredulously. Then, I shake my shoulders seemingly psyching myself up to accept my decision. "Yeah. Okay. Yeah, I can do this. It was a good call. I don't need any attention on that incident again and he certainly doesn't need it attached to his name."

He chuckles. "Alright, get some sleep! You have a full day of classes and work tomorrow!"

"Ugh, don't remind me! Night, Xan."

"Night, y/n. Love you," he says as he makes a smooch sound through the phone.

I return the sound and reply. "Muah! Love you too."

I lay back on my bed, relieved that I'll finally get more than 4 hours of sleep for once. I turn off the light and settle in. Just as I can feel my body drifting off to sleep, my phone chimes from the nightstand. My eyes open wearily as I roll over to grope for my phone.

Swiping it open, I see a text from a new name in my phone. The text was simple. But it was enough to let me know that it was really him.

Shawn: Euterpe, huh?

I hesitate. Answering would encourage him to keep seeing me. And it wasn't good for either of us. I decide to let it go. Setting my phone back down, I settle back in for sleep. It chimes again. Groaning, I grab it and glance at the new message.

Shawn: At first I didn't know what it meant so I looked it up. I thought you didn't want to be my muse?

I unconsciously grin at the phone, eyes squinting against the light in the dark.

Me: Well, you said you had already decided I was. I thought it was fitting.

Before I had even realized I did it, I hit send. Goddamnit, Mendes. He's gonna fuck up both of our lives so bad by being so charming.

Shawn: It is. Listen, I wanted to tell you before it went public.

Panic surges through me, but I respond calmly.

Me: Tell me what?

I swallow the anxiety in my throat as I watch the bubbles. The message surprised me. If we were face to face, I would've punched him in the arm for being so stupid.

Shawn: I'm releasing a statement tonight about the story. Live streaming it from my room actually. Don't worry, I'll leave your name out of it. But I'm not gonna sit here while they say horrible things about the two of us.

I didn't even know how to respond to that. Has he lost his fucking mind? First, I tell him to never talk to me again, and he doesn't listen. Now he's gonna make a statement. How has this boy survived without someone to tell him the bad decisions he's making?

With a huff, I throw the covers off of my body and storm out of my room. I take the elevator, not having the energy to take the stairs. Which I usually do. I reach his floor in no time and immediately slam my fist on his door repeatedly.

It flies open and the irritated man from before is on the other side. "Who the fu-" his eyes land on me and his confusion turns into a scowl. "You. What are you doing? I thought you said no contact." He crosses his arms.

I take the moment that he let go of the door to place my hand on it and shove it open. Startled, he moves out of my way as I fly into the view of Shawn.  "I did. But, this idiot can't follow instructions," I fume. "Dumbass texted me about the live stream."

"Shawn, seriously?" His manager asks exasperatedly.

All he does is shrug with a stupid grin as he takes in my pajamas and bare feet. "Is that a Hogwarts sweatshirt?" He asks, trying to hold back a giggle.

"Fuck off, Mendes," I say with a roll of my eyes. Focusing back on his manager, I begin talking about the problem at hand. "Andrew, is it?" He nods. "I thought as his manager you were supposed to stop him from doing dumb things."

He frowns at me. "I am. But ultimately, I work for him and he's an adult."

I groan and run my hand through my hair as I look at Shawn who's sitting on the bed watching me. He's wearing the same outfit, only he has a pink hoodie on now. I suck on my bottom lip as I take in the sight. Why did he have to make this so hard?

"Fine. What do you plan on saying?"

His eyes fly to mine, shocked. "You're gonna let me?"

"Let is a very strong word. More like you're gonna do what you want and we'll filter you," I say and let out a curt laugh.

His mouth immediately turns into a broad grin. "Okay. Yeah, uh...I was just gonna explain that it was self-defense and stuff."

"Alright, and?" I cross my arms as I look at him expectantly.

His lips form a small 'o' and I get this feeling like I've tasted them before. Which I guess I did, I just don't remember. I snap out of my thoughts as he answers me.

"And I'm not going to say anything that will give away who you are."

"Let's get this over with," I sigh as I sit down on the bed next to him. Our arms brush and I look into his warm eyes. A curl has fallen onto the frame of his face and I take in a deep breath. I nudge him with my shoulder and he nudges me back before getting up and settling into a chair. Andrew is busy getting the camera ready.

Shawn takes a drink of water and clears his throat. He looks unsure about this suddenly. "Are you gonna hate me if this backfires?" He asks with a slight waver in his voice.

"Of course, not," I say as I lay down on my stomach facing him and rest my chin in my hands. "Although..." his eyes that were trained on his lap suddenly look up to find mine. "Can a Hufflepuff truly hate anyone?" I break into a grin and he looks at me incredulously.

"You are not!" He chuckles.

I nod as I burst out laughing. "I am! Which is why I find it so surprising that you would go to such lengths for a member of the most unimportant house," I tease him.

"Hey! You can't hold that against me," he says through laughs as he leans forward.

I raise my eyebrows. "And why not?"

"Well, I've never really met any. If I had known you then..." he trails off as his smile becomes softer.

My heart beats slightly faster as I inhale deeply. "If you had known?" I ask.

"If I had known, I would've never said that," he says with a light chuckle.

I roll my eyes. "You shouldn't have to know me or any other Hufflepuffs to realize that kindness and loyalty are important," I try to seem like I'm teasing to cover up the blush crawling on my neck.

"Alright, you two. Knock it off. The camera's ready," Andrew interrupts us.

I scrunch my nose at Shawn. "Don't screw this up or you're gonna regret it," I play threaten.

"Oh, I'm so scared. You know you're a million times less intimidating now that I know you're a Hufflepuff, right?" He teases with a sly grin.

Sticking my tongue out, I challenge, "Bet."

He mimics being scared and we dissolve into laughter. "And we're live," Andrew says suddenly causing both of us to cease laughing. Shawn clears his throat and I cover my mouth with a hand to stay quiet. I watch his Adam's Apple bob nervously.

He looks over at me and a corner of his mouth twitches trying to stay serious. He looks back at the camera with a serious but soft expression. Damn, he's good. With a deep breath, he begins speaking.

"So, I'm gonna start out by stating the obvious: a gossip channel aired a story about me and a "rebellious" girl getting into trouble. The first thing I'd like to talk about is the mention of me being underage at a bar. The club in question was for 18 and up. Because I'm 20, I got a band that said so and I never purchased or drank alcohol at the club. Now, this girl..."

I just nod, telling him to go on.

"She's 21. So, everything she purchased was legal. No laws were broken by either of us. That being said, the photos of her being hungover aren't really scandalous. Name one person who's never been hungover. I certainly have been! In Canada...where I'm legal."

I shake my head, holding back a giggle as he continues.

"Probably the worst thing in that story was me getting into a fight. I don't condone violence, but the situation escalated very quickly. You see, the man that punched me had been harassing the woman I was with. He had approached her earlier in the night and she rejected him. He then grabbed her. She handled it maturely and went on with the rest of her night..."

He was there when it happened the first time?

"Later on, we were talking and he shoved me against a wall and attempted to assault her. I shoved him away and that's when he punched me."

I watch his features closely as he seems to get mad all over again. I smile at him and he relaxes.

"After that, he went after her and she acted in self-defense. No one can fault either of us for the actions of a drunk man that can't take no for an answer. Anyway, we left and that's the end of the story. I hope you guys understand that you should never have to resort to violence. But, don't ever stand by and watch bad things happen to good people."

We both relax as we think we're done. Andrew speaks from behind the camera. "The fans want to know if you'll answer some questions."

Shawn simply nods as Andrew picks a few to read out loud.

Third P.O.V.

"Only a few though. I have an early morning," Shawn says sweetly as he grins at the camera.

Andrew scans through the comments looking for an appropriate but interesting question. "Here's one: You didn't comment on the picture of her leaving your hotel room. Is she your new secret GF?"

"GF? Oh, that means girlfriend? No. We are not dating. She's just a new friend of mine," he answers after glaring at Andrew.

He shrugs his shoulders defensively. "Okay, um...Shawn, you say you're just friends. So, why was she in only your sweater and underwear?"

He earns another death glare from Shawn. "Look, I could not tell you why she didn't put on pants before she left as I was asleep," he begins before being hit in the face by a pillow. Giggles follow and he throws it back at her chuckling. "Okay! Nothing happened between us. Except that she got sick and needed to sleep it off."

She glares at him playfully while Andrew finds a final question. Shawn returns the glare as well. "Okay, last one. Shawn, it seems like she's there in the room with you. Can we meet her? She seems like such a badass and we would like to see the woman bold enough to walk out on you!"

Shawn raises his eyebrows at her and a grin spreads across his features. She rolls her eyes and shakes her head at him. The sight causes his mouth to go dry. How is he gonna stay just friends with her? He clears his throat and answers.

"I'm sorry, but you can't," he pushes his fingers through his curls and licks the cut on his lip. "Right now she has a lot of responsibilities and would like to keep her life as normal and uncomplicated as possible."

She frowns when she hears the tone in his voice. He sounds so disappointed. She knows he's gonna be bugged about it until he gives them something. Rolling her eyes, she waves her hand to get his attention. He looks at her confused as she mouths something. He squints, trying to make it out.

"Oh for the love of-" she whispers to herself. She sighs before speaking louder, "Muse." She raises her eyebrows, hoping he'll catch on.

He raises his in return, signaling that he got it. "Oh! Um, okay. You guys can't know her real name. But I'll tell you the nickname that I call her." He looks at her one last time for approval.  She nods. "I call her Euterpe. Alright, guys! It's time to get off of here. Thank you so much for listening and understanding about her privacy. I love you guys!"

He signs off by blowing a kiss and she smacks her forehead. "What? What did I do?"

"You pronounced it wrong. Well, I mean, you pronounced it how most people do except the Greek. Who are the ones that invented the word," she explains.

His brows furrow. "Then, how is it pronounced?"

"It's ef-tair-pee. You said you-ter-pee," she sighs, shaking her head. "It's fine. You said it phonetically." She grins at him as he repeats it the way she did, rolling his 'R' slightly.

Andrew rolls his eyes, heading to the door. "You guys are sickeningly sweet. I'm going back to my room to sleep. Stay out of trouble." With that, he disappears out the door.

"I should go too," she says getting up.

He mirrors her actions and follows her to the door. "Are you coming to the greet tomorrow? Or the concert on Saturday?"

"Are you kidding? Shawn even if I wanted to, I can't afford either," she says with a look like it's obvious.

He responds quickly, "I can get you in for free." His grin fades when she looks at him like he's crazy.

"I have school and work. And we're supposed to be hiding my identity. Getting me into places for free is gonna raise flags," she explains. "Listen, it's been nice hanging out with you for the last 24 hours, basically. But, I don't know what you expect from me."

His face immediately changes to confusion and his head shakes slightly. “Expect from you?” She nods, crossing her arms. “Y/n, I don’t expect anything. I would like to get to know you,” he says as his expression becomes slightly irritated. He crosses his arms to match her hostile stance.

“How many times do I have to tell you? NO, YOU DON’T,” she says surely.

He scoffs. “Well, that's nice. Go on, tell me how I feel after knowing me for only a day.”

“Shawn,” she says tiredly. “It’s a bad idea. If people ever found out-“

He cuts her off with a sad tone. “Don’t you think that should be my decision?”

“Not if it affects my life! There are things that have happened in my life that can’t be attached to your name. Things that I don’t want to be spread all over the world.”

His expression softens. That’s the most she’s told him about why she’s pushing him away. “What if I promise to keep you a secret? I’ll never tell anyone anything about you unless I use Euterpe. But, we can text, call, and FaceTime. I won’t ever tag you in things on Instagram. Even though I’ll want to show you everything that reminds me of you. If I visit, I’ll wear the most ridiculous disguises just so we can watch the sunrise on that beach. But...let me know you. And if things go wrong, I give you full permission to hate me.”

His eyes search hers and there’s a glint of something there. “You said it wrong again,” she grins teasingly.

“Oh, my god! Can I be your friend or not?” His voice rises as he chuckles.

She shrugs. He bites back a smile at her infuriating mannerisms. She knew deep down that it would end badly. That she’d regret it and be embarrassed all over again. But, she agreed. “Fine. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

“YES!” He breaks out into a laugh as he hugs her without warning. She yelps as he picks her up and squeezes tightly. But, she relaxes into at she hugs him back. He slowly lowers her and looks down as he towers over her.

An electric gaze passes between them before she excused herself for the night.

“Wait? Am I gonna see you before I leave town?” He asks, holding her in the room by the tips of her fingers.

Her back is against the door, one hand on the handle. “I’ll be on the beach in the morning,” she smiles. “And I’ll be here when your concert is over,” she sighs softly and he melts. “Say bye then?”

“Definitely,” he nods his head. “And I have your number so I’m definitely gonna use it,” he chuckles.

She rolls her lips together and Shawn is mesmerized by the action. She inhaled deeply as she bats her eyelashes at Shawn. Then, she turns the handle and opens the door to leave. With one last lingering look at Shawn, she goes back to her room.

Shawn closes the door and leans his back against it. He smiles to himself and heads to bed.

First P.O.V.

The next morning, I waited out on the beach. I sat with my knees to my chest, my maxi skirt pulled tautly. Even though it wasn’t cold, I wore a hoodie and kept the hood up while I wore sunglasses just in case people were watching.

It was almost time for the sun to rise and then I would have to leave. I wouldn’t see Shawn until it was time for him to leave town unless he comes today. As if on cue, someone settles into the sand beside me. I glance over at the man wearing shorts and a hoodie. He’s rocking the same look of sunglasses and the hood up.

Though I can see the curls peek out from under it. He stretches his long legs in front of us. It was strange, but neither of us said anything. We sat there and waited for the sun to come. When it finally started to show, I scooted closer to him and rested my head on his shoulder.

It was nice. Normal. I almost wished I was capable of being committed to someone. At least long-term. He so sweet. He deserves someone who can give him less stress than he already gets. But, that’s not me. He’ll see it eventually.

The sun finally fully illuminates the beach and I get up, dusting the sand off my skirt. He follows and we walk back to the hotel. Neither of us said a word the entire time we were in each other’s company. Maybe we were trying to save conversations for when he leaves and week need things to talk about on the phone.

I continue through my classes, more relaxed since my projects are finished. Now it’s just basic homework and studying for finals. I called Anna. She’s been weirdly MIA since the karaoke club incident. She sent me a text saying she’s fine, and that she’s just busy. Well, as long as she’s fine.

Work was work. I put on the stupid sexist uniform we have to wear and pull the top half of my hair into a bun while the bottom half cascades down my back. Shawn didn’t text me at all. That’s okay, he’s got a busy schedule. I decide to just text him goodnight, so he knows I’m not ignoring him.

As I lay on my phone, I look through Instagram and see all the pictures Shawn’s tagged in from the greet. There are a couple videos of the Q&A that was right after and I watch those. The questions they asked him were hilarious and very shallow. Not that I would’ve asked anything different three days ago.

I click on a video and watch as Shawn sits on a stage, looking out at a small crowd. He points to someone and licks his lips as he waits for their question. A teenage girl holds the microphone. “Why do you think Hufflepuffs are unimportant?”

He chuckles and so do I. “Well, I actually don’t think that anymore...”

“What changed your mind?”

“Euterpe is a Hufflepuff actually.” He grins, probably proud that he pronounced it right.

Murmurs swallow the session and the video cuts out. I hug my phone to my chest as I suck on my bottom lip. Before I go to bed, I decide to do something stupid. Then, I let sleep take me.

I work the first half of the next day, leaving my Saturday afternoon wide open. Deciding that I need to get some sun, I go swimming. I swim until long past the pruning stage. Later, I call Anna to ask if she wants to hang out. Again, she says she’s busy. Weird.

I watch the sunset and the night wears on. The seconds basically dragging on until I have to say goodbye to Shawn. I wonder if he’s dreading it as much as me. The concert is finally over so I head up to his room. I knock, no one answers. So, I wait.

The elevator sings and I perk up, waiting for whoever it is to exit. Thankfully, it’s Shawn. He has his eyes glued to his phone as he walks down the hallway. “Didn’t anyone ever tell you not to text and walk?”

“Huh?” He looks up before a grin takes over his expression. “Y/n, I didn’t think you’d come!”

He pulls me into a hug. “Ugh. Gross, you’re all sweaty from the concert,” I tease and scrunch my nose at him. Just for that, he squeezes me tighter and picks me up to spin me around.

“Learned your lesson?” He asks jokingly before pulling out his key card.

I shrug. “Maybe. Maybe not,” I giggle as he shakes his head and enters the room.

I sit on the bed while he gathers his things. Sadly, it doesn’t take that long and he sits next to me. “I’m gonna miss you,” he says looking down at his lap.

“Duh,” I whisper before nudging my shoulder against his. He smirks at me but puts his arm around me and pulls me into him. I take in his slightly sweaty, but still amazing scent.

“I, uh, I got you something...” I say slowly before pulling out of his arm.

He looks at me curiously. “You didn’t have to,” he says.

“I know. But, you mentioned wanting to tag me in stuff on Insta so...” I pull out my phone and go to the app. A blank profile comes up with the handle: @modern_euterpe. The picture is of a sunrise and there are no posts.

He squints at it weirdly. “What is this?”

“It’s a profile that you can tag in stuff. Or send stuff to,” I roll my eyes. “It’s private, so no one can follow me unless I let them. I’ll follow you back on it.”

His eyes flicker between the screen and me. “This is so cool, thank you.” I smile while he takes out his phone and follows. I follow him back.

“I expect to be tagged in spectacular things.”

“Nothing but the best,” he assures me.

Then, the time comes when he has to leave. He wraps his arms around me in the elevator and I do the same. We let go as it dings, and I help him take luggage to the tour bus. I’m about to go back to my room when he hugs me one more time and kisses my temple.

I should say something about not getting carried away, but I don’t. I let both of us have that moment of content before it’s ripped away by keeping to a schedule. He waves from the bus door before heading on, carrying a guitar case. I stare as the bus drives away.

The next few months fly by. I pass my finals with ease and head home for the winter break. Soon enough, it’s time to head back to school. The flight is terrible and I send sleepy selfies to Shawn. Which I know he keeps even though he swears he doesn’t. Shawn keeps up with his promise to text and everything as often as possible. Most days I wake up to tags from around the world at all hours of the night.

He sends me a lot of sleepy selfies as well and of course, I screenshot them because how can I not? He’s too adorable. We FaceTime when the time difference isn’t too horrible. I love listening to him rave about everything that he’s seeing and doing.

“God! I wish you could see it all!”

“I know, Shawn. That’s what you say in all the posts you tag Euterpe in. People are gonna think you’re dating.”

“Let them think what they want.”

“I don’t know. This could turn into Another Cinderella Story, and people are gonna start claiming to be me.”

“Well, unlike that movie, I actually know that they’re lying. No tests needed.”

“Shit, what time is it?”

“I don’t know, probably almost 2am your time?”

“I gotta go, I’ll text you.”

“Wait, why do you always get off the phone like it’s urgent. At 2am. All the time. Like even back when we first met, you had to make a call at 2am.”

“I have to call someone. Okay? Every other day at 2am. It’s 5am for them.”

“Who do you have to call?”

“I have to go, Shawn.”

I hung up before he could ask more questions.

Anna has finally stopped being weird and things are back to the way they used to be with her. I’m glad. I missed hanging out with her. Everything was going great. That is until it wasn’t.

I woke up one morning in mid-January to a whole bunch of activity on all of my pages. It was far too many to go through. My phone kept crashing and I had to turn all my notifications off. Finally, my phone rang.

“Shawn? Hey, isn’t it like 3am there?”

“Y/n, I swear I didn’t do it.” His tone is panicked and it makes my chest constrict.

“What do you mean? Didn’t do what?”

“The press found out your name. I didn’t say anything, I’ve been so careful! There’s no way they would’ve figured it out from anything I did.”

“What...the...hell...didyoujustsaytome?”

“I don’t know how it happened-“

“Shawn, I don’t care how it happened! I can’t deal with this! I have to go!”

Once again, I hung up on him. I ignore all the texts and calls as I open my laptop to look at everything that’s happened. I scroll and scroll, waiting to see the thing I’ve dreaded since the moment Shawn said he wanted to know me.

My heart sinks into my stomach as I see the images plastered on the screen. I clamp my hand over my mouth to muffle the sob that bubbles up in my throat. I grab my phone with my other shaking hand to call Xander.

Before I can, there’s a pounding on my door. “Y/n! Open up! It’s us!”

I run to the door and swing it open to reveal Anna and Xander. Their faces show sympathy as they come inside and close the door. My knees buckle and we sink to the ground as they catch me.

Third P.O.V.

She hadn’t answered any of his attempts at contact. All of her pages were gone like she had deleted them. He couldn’t imagine why having her name known would cause her to disappear. Those questions were answered when he had an interview as part of his tour.

He sat down in the chair across from the host as he usually does. But something was different. The place was buzzing with so much negative energy that it made Shawn uncomfortable. Finally, the live interview began.

The host did the usual introduction to the audience and questions about the tour before very hastily veering toward the topic of y/n. He didn’t like it. But, what could he do?

“So, the past few months you’ve been friends with this woman that you called Euterpe. Is that correct?”

“It’s Euterpe,” he corrects the pronunciation before continuing. “But, yeah,” he said warily.

“And I’m sure you’re aware by now that somehow her name has been revealed to the public?”

Shawn sighs and closes his eyes briefly. “Yeah, I’d appreciate it if people would leave her alone,” he answers, tone slightly mad.

“Shouldn’t you have thought about that before getting involved with her?”

“I’m allowed to have friends that have normal lives. My career isn’t hers,” he defends.

“What about when you said in a live-stream that fans shouldn’t let bad things happen to good people?”

“What about it?” He runs a hand through his curls.

“You were defending the bar fight that you and y/n were involved in?”

“Yes,” he says slowly.

“So, you’re saying y/n is a good person?”

He furrows his eyebrows at them incredulously. “Yes! Of course, she is.”

“There are some photos going around that seem to say otherwise.”

“What the hell does that mean?” He’s becoming increasingly frustrated.

“It seems that your good girl, y/n, had a bad reputation in high school. We have the photos here. They circulated around her junior year and have resurfaced since her name became public.”

“Honestly, what are you on about?”

Suddenly, the screen behind them lights up and images slide across the screen slowly. Shawn turns in his seat to look and his expression immediately drops. He can’t believe what he’s seeing.

Censored photos, of a naked girl.

[ladytauria]

We have Tarot, Disney songs, HP houses.... How about ATLA bending + the Hyperforce?? I feel like Chiro would be a Fire Bender specialized in lighting, but I'm not sure about the rest....

Oooh! This is an interesting one. Thanks so much for asking! 

Okay… so, here goes. As per usual, if anyone has any additions please let me know, or if you feel like maybe I got it wrong, you’re welcome to pop into my askbox or reblog with additions!! :D

Chiro: I can definitely see Chiro as a Fire Bender, but I would also like to raise you Avatar Chiro, born to the Fire Nation and specialized in lightning ;) The various monkeys would be his friends/masters. …’course that’s. You know. If we were talking about an AU ^^; 

Antauri: Water Bender. The Yin and Yang, push and pull sense of a water bender’s nature really seems to fit him, at least imo. I could also see Air Bender, tbh. Partially because of the Air Nomad aspect, but also because levitation was a thing for them.

Nova: Fire Bender. Not just because of her fire tendencies in the show, but because I honestly see her connecting not only with the nation itself, but also with the fact that fire bending comes from a very emotional place!! 

Sprx: Air Bender. Freedom and an emphasis on fun–though I can’t see him subscribing to the Air Nomad’s non-violence emphasis :P Water Bender might be fitting too?? Hm.

Gibson: Non-Bender, but who studies medicine and other scientific areas. I could also see him as a Water Bender who specialized in healing, but… tbh I more see him as a non-bender.

Otto: Earth Bender, specialized in metal-bending. 

BONUS

Mandarin: Fire Bender. Totally. But I could also see him as an Air Nomad who betrayed his people :P

Jinmay: Non-Bender, I think. But truthfully I could also see Water or Air, or maybe Earth? Tbh you could probably make a case for any element with her, or maybe I just don’t know her character that well. (Or we haven’t been given enough to work with…)

Alchemist: Water Bender specialized in “spirit bending” ala Unalaq (sp?).

Xan: Air Nomad traitor… 

[pencilwritesshiz47]

The Bunker

MGR Chapter 7

[Previous] [Next] [Masterpost]

TW: Cursing, (parent) death mention

As the group walked down the long set of stairs to the city below, Elisabeth couldn’t hear a thing. And she hated it. 

Well, maybe “hated” was the wrong word. But it made her feel uncomfortable. Of course, she knew that all of the citizens of Marcain had been evacuated after the attack, but it still felt like the calm before the storm— and who knew when the storm would strike.

Finally, they reached the bottom, and Marigold turned to face her. “Where do we go now?”

Her voice was soft and light, and the rhythm in it was like a heartbeat-- slow and steady. But now was not the time to focus on that— now was the time to find Goldie.

“I last saw her outside the palace, that at least gives us a place to start.” 

Marigold nodded. “Lead the way.”

As they walked down the streets of Marcain, Elisabeth kept looking around. Only four days ago they were bustling and busy with life, and now? They were deserted and destroyed. She sighed. Hopefully someone would fix it soon.

She thought back to the council meeting earlier that day (or was it yesterday? She couldn’t tell anymore), and how stupid everyone was being. Xan Ruz had suffered a major attack, and no communication had come out of the country since the odd message they had been given, which was quite concerning. And yet they wouldn’t even send a single person to check to make sure everyone was ok, just because of a stupid treaty from a stupid war. Sending someone wouldn’t even break it! 

But then, Elisabeth’s internal rant was put to a stop. “Look!” Princess Amina shouted. “A trapdoor!”

And so there was one. Next to where they had stopped was an alleyway, and at the back was a trapdoor with a few crates next to it.. The princess ran up to it. “I’m going to go down it. If your friend’s not there, maybe something or someone helpful will be!”

“Your highness, I really don’t think—” Marigold started, but Amina was already gone. 

Lauren stepped up to it next, and stepped onto the staircase inside

“Lauren, don’t you dare do this.” 

The knight shrugged. “Hey, someone has to protect the princess.”

Elisabeth looked at the staircase. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to go down, but everyone else seemed to be, so why not.

She looked over to the sprite. “You coming?”

“Do I have a choice?”

“Nope,” the noblewoman replied, and started to follow after the two.

Lauren had turned on her phone light, so she could at least see a little bit ahead of her, but there wasn’t much to see anyways, just old stone walls. It smelled musty, like no one had really been in here in a while, and the only sounds she could hear were the sounds of water dripping down onto the floor, and the clack of the princess’ boots. 

Finally, after a few minutes, they all stopped. In front of them was a large stone door. Amina reached out to try the handle, but she had no luck in opening it. 

“Let me try,” Lauren said, stepping up to the handle, but still, nothing happened. She knocked on the door. “Hello? Is anyone there?”

They stood in silence for a moment, wondering what in the world was about to happen next.

And then, the door creaked open.

In the doorway stood a girl. She was in her teens, with blond hair just above shoulder length and pale skin with a scar on her cheek. She was short, and was wearing a slightly ripped up T-shirt with a band logo that Elisabeth didn’t recognize, and an orange skirt with tears in a few places. 

“Hey,” Goldie said. “What’s up?”

Marigold started to walk over to her, a smile setting into her face as she did. “Not much. You?”

She bent down to kiss her, and after a few moments, they pulled back. “Holy shit, I’ve missed you.” Goldie said, smiling.

“Language!” Marigold scolded, but Elisabeth could tell she didn’t really care.

Lauren stepped up to the couple. “Hey, this is sweet and really cute, but can I talk to Goldie for a moment?”

Marigold stepped back, and Lauren looked at Goldie. “You’re a bitch. The bitchiest bitch I have ever laid eyes on, you know that, right?” 

Goldie hugged her. “I’ve missed you too.”

And then, she looked right at Elisabeth, her expression unreadable. “Hey.”

Elisabeth looked at her shoes. “I’m sorry. It’s my fault you got stuck here, I should have come back for you, I—”

She let go of Lauren, and walked over to the noblewoman. “It’s fine. I would have gotten stuck in that hole whether or not you came back for me.”

And then her gaze set on Amina, and her eyes widened. “Your Highness! What a surprise! Uh, if I may ask, what are you doing here?”

The princess sighed. “It’s a long story.”

Suddenly, there was a crashing sound from behind Goldie that sounded something like tin hitting concrete. Elisabeth flinched slightly, while Goldie spun around. “You all ok in there?”

“Yeah, it’s just that El knocked over my bean-can tower. Again.”

“I didn’t do it on purpose!”

“Mhm. Just like you didn’t do it on purpose last time, or the time before that. What a strange coincidence.”

Goldie nodded, and then turned back to face them. Marigold looked over at her lover. “Goldie, who were those people?”

“Oh! Yeah! Uh, one sec, lemme introduce you all. Come on in.”

She led the group inside, and Elisabeth looked around the small space, although there wasn’t much to see. 

“Everyone, this is Princess Eloise and Prince Aaron of Xan Ruz,” Goldie said, pointing to a girl with pink hair and a boy that looked somewhat similar to her. Eloise nodded, and Aaron gave the group a soft smile and a small wave.

“Aaron, Eloise, this is Lauren, Marigold, Lady Elisabeth of Las, and Princess Amina of Calinas.”

The rest of the group said a few assorted greetings, and then there was a moment of silence.

“How did you get down here?” Eloise asked. Elisabeth wasn’t sure what to make of her tone. It felt intimidating, yes, but there was fear in her voice. The Xan Ruzian princess was not someone who was supposed scared or shaken, but she was now. And she didn’t like it.

It was Amina who answered. “There was a trapdoor.”

“Wait, it wasn’t covered up?”

“Um, no? It was just sitting there, plain as day. Honestly, you might want to be more careful in the future.”

“I am— you know what, nevermind.”

“Yeah, nevermind is right,” Marigold chimed in. “Enough about how we got down here, tell us about how you got down here.”

“Only if you tell me your side of the story,” Goldie said.

“Alright, but you first.”

✧✧✧

Silence filled the room, broken only by the occasional sound of Lauren sipping her coffee. How the brunette had gotten a hold of said coffee, Elisabeth had no idea, but she wasn’t focusing on that. She was focusing on Goldie’s story. The kings, dead? No wonder Calinas couldn’t send any help— the only government that was confirmed to be alive was in this room, and it had no Wi-Fi. She had checked.

And the “Fade”. When Eloise had explained that, there was a panic in Marigold’s eyes. It made her want to make sure she was ok, but she knew she couldn’t do that.

“We need a plan.”

Elisabeth turned towards the voice— Lauren’s.

“Our original plan was for me, Lady Elisabeth, and Marigold to find Goldie and get back to Calinas, but with the addition of three more people, we may need to adjust. Any ideas?”

“We’re definitely taking the twins back to Calinas,” Goldie said, and everyone but the twins nodded in agreement. 

“Hey, you can’t do that! Our people need us!” the prince said.

“I know,” Elisabeth said, not even realizing the words were coming out of her mouth, “But you can help them better if you’re safe, alive, and with people who can actually help you. And you won’t get any of that by staying here.”

Neither twin said anything, but she knew that they understood her.

“Your Highness, did you need to stay here? For your mission?” Lauren asked Amina, and the girl shrugged. 

“I don’t think so. I’m honestly just going to see where this takes me, and hope that something happens.”

“Well, at least that’s some sort of plan.” Lauren said. “So, unless anyone has any objections, we’re going to just head back to Calinas with everyone?”

The group let out various noises of approval, and Elisabeth stood up. “Come on, let’s go,” she said, and everyone started to shuffle out of the bunker behind her. 

As she walked up the stairs to the trapdoor, she thought about that feeling she had earlier, like the calm before the storm.

So where was the storm?

And then, as she opened the trapdoor to the world outside, she found it. Because surrounding the door were almost twenty armed soldiers, with uniforms and crests the likes of which she had never seen. 

At the front of the party was a man that appeared to be in his late teens or early twenties. He was wearing a uniform like the rest, but with a few more accessories— he must have been the leader. He had curly blue hair, light brown skin, and brown eyes that sparkled with malice. His face was twisted into a smirk, and the second Elisabeth saw it, she knew that getting back to Calinas wouldn’t be as easy as they had planned.

i cannot believe that i posted chapter six just two days ago!! and now, here we are, with chapter seven!! aaaaa!!

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