#presented in honor of the fact that these two came up on my dash one after another

[absolutebl]

China *bats eyes innocently* we have a new.... not BL

meanwhile Thailand be like

[drmedicsgamesurgery]

Danganronpa Kirigiri Volume 2 Full Translation Part 1

Thanks to DJ Shocker, Shenmen, Chilly, LiarieCC, and Blackflirtlarping. This is a fully fixed up and complete translation with no missing bits.

Danganronpa Kirigiri Volume 2: The Norman Hotel Detective Auction

Chapter 1: Daily Life

Couples dressed to the nines for Christmas Eve wined and dined in window booths, but due to the height of the building, no matter how much I craned my neck I couldn’t see them satisfactorily.

I must have gotten a little carried away, bouncing around the hall to eagerly check out the outside scenery from the windows of this high-rise building, as I felt someone tug on the sleeve of my coat; Kyoko Kirigiri. She gazed up at me, wordlessly, with cool eyes. I felt almost as if I was being scolded.

“Thank you for waiting! Please come this way.” Both Kirigiri and I followed a waiter into the interior of the hall. Suddenly, an enormous Christmas Tree came into view. A fir tree that must have been imported from abroad, decked out in dazzling star ornaments that were determined not to lose to the lights of the city in terms of brightness.

We found ourselves being led to a wide individual room.

An antique candle holder stood in the center of a table draped in a white cloth, the candles fully aglow.

Napkins and cutlery for three people were already laid out on the table. And the furthest wall was transparent, giving us a scenic view of the city nightscape.

“Woww! This is amazing!” I dashed over to the glass wall without thinking, and gazed out at the city lights twinkling under the night sky.

“Kirigiri, come here!” I called out to Kirigiri, who stood behind me. She seemed to be hesitating. She looked at me with a slightly concerned expression on her face, then approached the giant window. She looked over the city nightscape with pink tinged cheeks, seemingly unable to tear her eyes away from the lights of the city.

“Isn’t it pretty?”

Kirigiri nodded.

“Won’t you tell me how you really feel, out loud?”

“…It’s pretty.”

At this point, Suisei Nanamura entered our private room.

“Sorry to keep you waiting, ladies. I see you’re enjoying my Christmas present to you.”

By ‘present’ did he mean this view?

I suddenly felt a little embarrassed at taking the bait so quickly and backed away from the glass wall, flustered.

Suisei pulled out a chair with a gesture that made it seem like this was something he was well accustomed to. I lowered my head to him in a quick bow and took a seat. I really wasn’t used to how to act in a place as fancy as this.

On the other hand, Kirigiri seemed used to it. She lowered herself onto the chair, almost princess-like, and gave Suisei a casual nod as her thanks.

Kirigiri continued to surprise me, but I think she was essentially a refined and well-mannered kid. When it came to being a detective and solving cases she became cool-headed and almost difficult to approach, but I wondered if that had something to do with being raised in a family of detectives.

Suisei placed the Santa hat he’d been wearing on Kirigiri’s head and sat down opposite her. He didn’t offer any explanation as to why he’d given her the Santa hat, and Kirigiri herself didn’t react.

Well, she looked cute like that so I had no complaints…

“Well, I am a happy man! Having the honor of spending Christmas Eve with such beautiful young ladies…”

After sitting down, Suisei propped both elbows onto the table and rested his chin on top of his hands, suddenly observing us intensely.

I was bewildered by the suggestive look in his eyes.

“W-what ?”

I suddenly found myself feeling very shy.

Suisei had a face as handsome as an actor - he was an attractive man. I had absolutely no objections to joining him for Christmas dinner-

‘“2,000, 9,800, 23,000.” Suisei suddenly rattled off a series of mysterious digits.

“Huh?”

“The price of your glasses, the price of your coat, and the price of your boots.”

“W-what…? How did you…?”

He knew?

The numbers were more or less correct.

“There are many ways to observe other people, and one of the most effective ways is to judge them by the value of what they’re wearing. Through knowing the value of their material possessions - in other words, their quality - is not a method to be overlooked.”

“I - I see."

“Yui Samidare-kun - for example, in your case you’re confident about your legs, so your most valuable possession is your boots. However, from the way your boots are worn down, they don’t seem to be specifically designed for sports. And you’ve chosen to walk down the path of becoming a detective. Aiming to become a detective at such a young age is probably due to something that happened in your past-”

“O-okay, I got it.”

I put both hands up in front of me, as if to evade Suisei’s words. I don’t think I wanted to hear anything else he had to say.

Suisei’s lips curled into a grin and he spread out his arms while gesturing at the clear glass wall.

“7,445,000 yen. The price of everything you can see from here. Along with the price of electricity for every building. The true essence of everything is so beautiful.”

Suisei gave me a smug wink.

Detectives were really hard to understand.

Suisei Nanamura was a Double Zero Class detective. According to the DSC (Detective Shelf Collection) at the Detective Library, his number was 900. The number nine indicated that he dealt primarily with murder investigations, and his double zero was proof of his skills.

In the past there was a detective who, due to the successful handling of his cases, moved up as far as rank three, but that took over 20 years of his career. For Nanamura to hold a double zero at the young age of 37 was, quite simply, incredible. It was not an honor you earned with half-hearted skills.

“Well then, let’s continue talking about the job over dinner.”

Suisei snapped his fingers, and from behind him a waiter appeared to fill his glass with red wine. Two more waiters also appeared by his side as if they were servants attending to a prince.

Since Kirigiri and I were still underage, we were passed a soft drink menu. I chose orange juice, and Kirigiri ordered a coffee.

“Let’s toast to our first meeting - is what I’d like to say, but allow me to refrain. After all, in our world a toast doesn’t signify the start of something, but the end.”

Suisei took a sip of his red wine.

The waiters began to lay out plates in front of Suisei. Usually when it came to French cuisine, every dish was served one by one, but for some reason they continued to pile dish after dish in front of him.

“10 hours, 28 minutes and 49 seconds.” Suisei suddenly rattled off another series of digits.

“That is the time that’s passed since I opened the letter challenging me to this Duel Noir. The time limit from when you open such a letter to who is victorious being decided is 168 hours. For my own sake, I opened the letter at exactly 10 am today.”

Suisei said with a serious expression on his face. However, he hadn’t stopped eating. It occurred to me that most of the food had already disappeared from his plate.

When did he…?

One plate each was placed in front of Kirigiri and me. If we tried to match Suisei’s pace, the food would be devoured before we could even enjoy it.

“Mr Nanamura, how many Duel Noir challenges have you participated in up until now?”

“This would be the fifth time.”

“The f-fifth time?”

“I can only call it bad luck. Out of all the detectives I know, there’s some who’ve never even heard of Duel Noirs. In fact, it’s more likely a detective will hear of Duel Noirs.”

Naturally, Kirigiri and I knew what a Duel Noir was.

Just a little earlier, Kirigiri and I had been wrapped up in one. A Duel Noir was a game organized by an organization called The Victims Catharsis Committee. Both a detective and a criminal engage in a deadly duel. After receiving a letter of challenge from a criminal, the detective will attempt to solve a case in real time.

Unlike what their name suggested, The Victims Catharsis Committee wasn’t a charitable organization at all. Under the name of providing catharsis for victims of crime, the committee lured participants into their game. It seemed that when it came to recruiting ‘challengers’, they particularly aimed for those who were driven by a need for revenge. In other words, by using those who were willing to go as far as murder, the game unfolded.

The detectives, on the other hand, were chosen out of the names registered on the Detective Index at the Detective Library.

There were approximately 65,500 detectives registered on the list, and their names were public information. It was assumed that The Victims Catharsis Committee summoned detectives from this list according to the difficulty of each case. For this, a detective’s DSC number was used as reference.

“The further you move up in rank, the amount of detectives decreases. Statistically it becomes more likely for one to be challenged to a Duel Noir.” Nanamura placed his fork on top of his plate, wiped his mouth with a napkin, then suddenly threw them all behind his back. One of the waiters caught the plate while barely moving an inch. With the space he cleared from throwing away his plate, Nanamura placed his two fingers together on top of the table.

Suisei began to stare at Kirigiri and me as if he was observing us.

“I read your file about the case you solved, you two. It was a great case for your induction.”

The Sirius Observatory was our induction case? And yet even now every time I remembered that day I felt a dreadful despair.

“However, the next one doesn’t seem to be so. Looking at the letter of challenge, the culprit seems to not only understand the aim of Duel Noirs far too well, but they also plan to win. That’s a troublesome attitude. Seems almost as if they’re enjoying the game. It’s probably a treat for the spectators as well.”

“Spectators?”

“Oh? You didn’t know? Duel Noirs are broadcast in real time. The spectators watch over them during what’s called a Closed Circuit, whilst eating and drinking together. You could call it a live-viewing.”

Speaking of which, didn’t the mastermind between the previous case say something along those lines?

The Victims Catharsis Committee didn’t just want to play a game - they wanted to offer a show.

“This is all pretty hard to believe. Who on earth would watch a Duel Noir?”

"I can’t tell you exactly who watches them, however there’s no doubt they move in high-class circles. In order to participate in a Closed Circuit, it’s said that the price is equivalent to that of the school fees from a third world country.”

What an incomprehensible and compassionless comparison. We can compare this to the duel in the arenas of Rome. People paid a lot of money to see blood and people killing each other. They want drama. Of course, I don't think I'd like to see that myself, people being killed so brutally. 

“By the way, why are you after the Victims Catharsis Committee?" asked Suisei.

"We can't leave such an organization in the wild! " I said with a cry from the heart.

"A great sense of justice, huh?" smiled Suisei. He then turned to Kirigiri. "What about you?"

Kirigiri hesitated for a moment, "There is no reason. Honestly, I haven’t received another invite to do so. "

“Um, a-ah, w-wait we should really be united on this!” I turned to retort at Kyoko. “Wait, are you telling me you aren’t willing to fight the Victim’s Catharsis Committee!?”

“No, I’m just interested in having my detective skills recognized.”

“...Seriously, you’re only interested in moving up the ranks? Are you really satisfied with that? After being manipulated, aren’t you the least bit offended?”

“...I do.” Now that actually surprised me. Still, she was answering me in that usual expression of hers. She wasn’t quite good at showing off her feelings, or rather she has an incredible poker face.

"It's not right to hide your emotions behind a stone face, you know? So just try to deal with this organization with me! Isn't this a detective's job? That we aren’t just limited to dealing with immediate threats!?" I questioned.

"If Yui-oneesama wants me to help her, then I will."

"You're so childish!"

I chewed my lower lip to control my frustration.

"Don't you have your own opinion? Are you just a doll that we can control as we please?"

Kirigiri simply looked at me with cold eyes. Was she actually angry?

"A detective operating without a client is just fulfilling mere self-satisfaction." Kirigiri said before looking away.

"Maybe, but at least I’m making an effort to find out the truth." I suddenly got up. Weirdly, it reminded me of my childhood, and especially of my sister. 

“Find the truth? What a childish response.”

“Says the actual child!”

After my sudden outburst, a sound echoed in the room. I looked at the source of the sound; Suisei was holding a mini trumpet. My ears began to ring. 

“Alright, no fighting. Honestly, you’re like children. No wait, not even that, but rookies” Even so, from my point of view, he was much worse. He then threw the trumpet with a bitter laugh and a waiter caught it without problem.

"A detective is nothing without an ideology, especially not trustworthy. They’re also nothing if they’re too self-serving. I guess you two have at least one half of what it means to be a proper detective." said Suisei before shrugging.

Kirigiri and I looked at each other for a moment.

"Sorry I got carried away." I said as I sat back down, my face flushed from embarrassment. Kirigiri remained silent with her face being stoic.

"Well, let's go back to our history lesson," Suisei said, “Since my investigation into the Victims Catharsis Committee began, the amount of missing detectives had reached the double digits.”

“D-double digits?”

“Get what I’m saying? It means that the situation is getting increasingly difficult to back out from.”

“Is that what you got from this investigation into such a dangerous organization? If so, then that just means we need to hurry up and eliminate them!”

“Really brave of you, Yui Samidare. The detectives that disappeared would have said the same thing. These detectives were Double Zeroes, yet even they couldn’t shake this organization. It’s proof that this situation can’t be solved so easily. Say, did you know the Victims Catharsis Committee is registered as a non-profit organization? Complete with an office building, people can freely enter and exit.”

“Really? But then… what’s the matter?”

“The matter is that the only information that can be gathered is what they have open to the public. They spread detectives thin with so much useless information, while the real information is carefully concealed. If you want to hide leaves, put them in the forest. That good example is written in ‘Father Brown’. It’s a famous detective novel by G.K. Chesterton.”

“Then...what purpose does this group have? Is it to really treat the vengeance of others as some sort of program to watch?”

"From what I know, those who traced this organization before they disappeared seem to know there was a real purpose to that.”

“There’s a purpose?"

"The detective who told me about it is still missing, so maybe he knew the real purpose of the Victims Catharsis Committee, or..."

"Well, it definitely wasn’t for ‘Catharsis’."

"What is it from you, Yui? You refer to the Victims Catharsis Committee as evil."

"Isn't that natural? They kill innocent people."

"But both parties are often criminals, aren't they? You should know that if you've ever participated in a Duel Noir." Suisei challenged me. "They're trying to get revenge on someone who's made them suffer in the past, often from a crime."

In the past Duel Noir, the culprit of it, was trying to get revenge for his family that was murdered. He wanted to avenge them.

"Life has also taken away the criminal’s common sense." Kirigiri challenged as well. "They have decided to take revenge on the people who stole from them."

"In this world, there are people who live their normal lives without being judged for the mistakes they have made, while others live a miserable life in the depths of society. Life is simply unfair. Don't you think their behavior is normal?" asked Suisei.

"I can understand that feeling... but it's still unacceptable to turn to violence." I spoke back in retort.

“In the end, what you’re saying is only the opinion of one detective. There is only a thin line that separates justice from evil. For many people, the Duel Noir is a relief or a holy war. Some people think that challengers are rewarded only because of a necessary evil that can change the world.."

The Victims Catharsis Committee was a necessary evil?

Is that really the case?

"Even if there was another reason... when you're determined to kill people, and you 

choose this path, I think you should be punished, no matter what the context is."

"You really are someone with a strong sense of justice." Suisei laughed softly. "But if the iron is twisted, it's very difficult to go back once it's done. A child like you can turn out to be the biggest threat."

"A threat..." Didn’t expect him to call me that.

“Don’t get too personally involved if you ever want to be married to an adult.” he said

"Don't let your feelings get in the way of your judgment, Yui-oneesama." warned Kirigiri. Well, I couldn't think of anything else to answer.

For a professional detective or for Kirigiri, hiding their emotions and not bringing their personal ideas into the business is very easy. I also think it is necessary. However, there's no reason to leave the Victims Catharsis Committee alone like that.

"Whatever the circumstances, I don't think it's time to change my mind about an 

organization like this," I stretched my neck slightly, "No matter the context or despair, a normal human being has to control themselves."

“So what they said about youth being both a wound and a sharp knife was correct!” 

“Mr. Nanamura! Do you really think the culprits of these Duel Noirs are innocent victims?” 

"Yep, but in the grand scheme of things, it doesn’t really matter to me." laughed Suisei as he answered without hesitation. "Innocent or not, as a detective, my true opponent is mystery. My existence is there to solve those that are right in front of me. Say, don’t you think it's more fun solving a mystery solo?"

“And so it turned into this…”

This was expected from a Double Zero. He really trusted his experience. "Do you really think I can forgive criminals? I'm not that naive," he said.

"I'm sorry I doubted you…”

“That’s quite alright!”

“Is there anything else we should know about the Victims Catharsis Committee?"

"I don't know anything else, but I heard another story from a single detective who had been the victim of a Duel Noir."

"Just one?"

"We call him the President, a man... I mean, they could be a woman, who is the brains of it all. Their identity is surrounded by a veil of mystery. One day they founded the Victims Catharsis Committee, a little less than 10 years ago."

"So they are the boss of the organization?"

If we could reveal the identity of the president, we would be able to charge the Victims Catharsis Committee as a criminal organization. The shadow that organization had casted was beginning to mold itself into a human figure.  

"Who could be the president? Could he have been an ex-detective?" Kirigiri said abruptly.

Suisei raised an eyebrow, placing his elbow on the table to support his chin. "Why do you think that?"

"Duel Noir targets must organize an unsolvable crime and become guilty of a false incident. In fact, it means that the organization is able to cover up the real culprit in a case and keep it for a future game. Only a top-notch detective could do that." I spoke, and was rather surprised from what came out of my mouth. Wow, guess I was getting up there in being high level as well... 

"That's right, you're absolutely correct." Kyoko nodded.

"However, if it is a high class detective who could find the real criminal very easily, he can survive their little adventure. As long as the rank is high enough, for example..." said Kirigiri, "The triple zero rank of the detective library counted four people in the past, but one of them disappeared from the records, perhaps they are the President we are after."

"This may be a consideration to be taken into account in order to identify the president of the organization." Applauded Suisei. "I'll skip the explanations, because to us, time is money. Kyoko Kirigiri, you seem to be able to follow me easily. "

"So, which detective was struck off the books?" Kirigiri asked.

"Unfortunately, I don't know." Replied Suisei, extending his arms. "When I registered in the detective library, there was nothing that could designate his identity, like most triple zeroes. All we know is that he's human. He was probably one of the first detectives in the library. If anyone knows anything, it must be a detective who handles gender cases. As far as I know, one of the founders was in this field."

Speaking of the founders, I heard that Kirigiri's grandfather is one of them. It doesn't look like he's registered, but... anyways, I might be thinking too much.

I was watching Kirigiri's reactions from the corner of my eye, but she didn't seem disturbed.

"If you're able to speculate that far, why can't anyone find him?"

Suisei took a knife & fork and raised his arms up. "It's because everything is speculation. If one of the old triple zeros turned out to be the president, it would be a shock."

"Why?" I asked 

"There is a difference between time, money or talent. That's the difference between us and the Triple Zeros. If they turn out to be criminals, it will have a big impact on the rest of us and our reputations. It's not a joke- it's a fact - and it's not an easily by-passable problem. It's an undeniable defeat." Suisei said.

For me to be a Double Zero was already above the clouds, so if someone with a lot of pride like Suisei said that... then maybe I should at least admit that I wanted to fight much harder than I already was.

"There's only one way to get closer to the Victims Catharsis Committee," said Suisei. "It's to capture the challenger, the murderer. They are in direct contact and receive private information. But then again you'll need to know the identity of the murderer. However, if we can do it, it would be a big step. Do you understand?"

"Of course!" I exclaimed. "I wouldn't let a criminal win."

"That's a powerful mantra." Suisei got up from his chair and looked at his watch.                       

"What? Are you planning to leave?"

"We are eating, but time is running out, and time is money." Said Suisei, waving to the waiter. "Even if there wasn't a confirmation, it's still a Duel Noir. Are you sure you want to come?"

"Yes." I said without hesitation. Kyoko saw my face and also nodded.

“Then let’s discuss this Duel Noir, shall we?”

The culprit of the Duel Noir can get funds from the organization in order to purchase Techniques. These Techniques range from tactics to weapons and once their ‘deck’ is assembled what they chose will be on display in the letter to the detective.

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

A Message for the Detective

Heed the Cry of the Noir

Location — Norman Hotel — 80,000,000 yen                         

Weapon — Knife — 5,000,000 yen                        

Weapon — Revolver — 15,000,000 yen 

Weapon — Hammer — 3,000,000 yen

Weapon — Rope — 3,000,000 yen

Weapon — Automobile — 10,000,000 yen                  

Trick — Locked Room — 100,000,000 yen                       

Trick — Disappearing Act — 100,000,000 yen

Other — Cash — 1,000,000,000 yen

Total cost — 1,316,000,000 yen                         

According to the above cost, the following detective is summoned  — Suisei Nanamura.

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

It seems he's the detective to ask.

I felt a little overwhelmed when my eyes met Kirigiri's. This time, the person had accumulated several weapons and tricks. He could buy this from the organization, the price being marked on the letter.

The higher the price and difficulty, the higher the rank of the detective. "I'll tell you the most important things first," said Suisei, taking the bag a waiter had handed to him. He put the letter back inside and closed it.

"In a Duel Noir, there is a rule that says the criminal cannot kill the detective in charge of investigating. It's because there's no game when the detective's not there. The detective is always asked for through a letter. If you're not the detective, you're just a secondary companion. So it could be that the culprit is one of the victims, even if they're dead. You could die." His voice suddenly resounded. "Me and the others, if you think about it, are jumping into the criminal’s trap. It may indeed be that if we apply ourselves to all this, you won't get out of it unscathed and wind up a victim."

“A...victim?” Those unexpected words made my voice change. 

We would need to think about this carefully….

If we get in the way of the culprit, we could die.

“Are you scared?” said Suisei

"I... think I'll be fine." I lied to myself.

In contrast, Kyoko looked quite calm and gave a nod of her head.

"For the criminal to win, they must kill their enemy to get revenge on them, and last 168 hours without being discovered by the detective. If you win the "Duel Noir." You win the amount of money spent on the game. For a criminal wanting to start a new life, that's a good motivation." He said. 

“That...sounds like such a desperate situation to wind up in.”

"Exactly. They can put everything aside, including their past, and have a normal life if they wish. On the other hand, if the detective manages to find out who the culprit is, they will have to refund the money they spent on the game. If they cannot pay with money, they will have to pay with their life. In tune, I will do the same and fight with my life.” 

In short, it is a game of life and death for our enemy. To stay alive, they're going to do everything they can to not get caught. But I'm not going to be beaten. I became a detective to answer the call for help. If you want to bring justice as a detective, you have to put your life aside. That's the purpose of a detective. As such, I have no qualms about risking it all and even giving up my own life for it all. In contrast, Kyoko was a detective by nature with no sense of purpose outside of the profession. She was involved in this career since she was so young, and is now about to become a detective machine, utterly incapable of feeling death.

But, no matter how much detective work was installed in her, she was still a junior high school girl still starting out. 

"The Duel Noir does not always take place in closed areas. However, as this limits the movement of detectives and drives the police back, these locations are often chosen. The Norman Hotel, which was chosen for this game, is an old abandoned hotel in the mountains. It will be very far from the city. We cannot afford to neglect the preparations. We’ll probably be there for at least 100 hours."

Suisei looked at his watch once again, and raised his hand to say goodbye.

"I have to go." Suisei began to leave, when he suddenly turned around, remembering something. "Oh, and let's confirm the schedules before that. I'll leave for the Norman Hotel the day after tomorrow, because there's something I absolutely have to do tomorrow. I will leave around 7am, and with the transport, I'll probably arrive around 10am. Is that okay for you? It's only one day, but..."

"Isn't there a time limit?"

"With my speed, we shouldn't be late. There's no problem."

“Oh...okay?”

"Let's pray for our victory!"

Suisei then headed for the exit of the private room, before diverting to the windows. He opened one of them. A strong wind rushed into the room. Suisei moved his legs to the other side of the window. "Good luck!" He gave us a thumbs up and jumped out of the window.

"Mr. Nanamura!" I quickly got up from my chair and rushed to the window that was still open. I then saw him slowly descend towards the illuminated city, a parachute deployed. The big sky-blue parachute added something to the beauty of the city. Were the high-ranking detectives all like this? I froze for a moment, watching the man slowly descend. The sound of cutlery made me return to my senses. A waiter came to close the window, blocking the wind.

"Well, let's continue this meal, even if we’re worried. D-day is only the day after tomorrow.”

"Yui-oneesama." said Kirigiri. "This could be our last Christmas."

"Don't say such a thing! Of course we won't be killed so easily! We'll have more Christmases after this!"

And I'll protect you. I couldn't get those words out of my throat. I could only superimpose 

Kirigiri's possible death based on my little sister's... Because of that, I didn't even want to think about it. I didn't really trust Suisei. Moreover, if I let myself be trapped in my little sister's illusion, it could be annoying for the investigation. I forced myself to drop a "I'll do my best for the Duel Noir."

"I guess I don't have a choice if I want to improve my rank."

It's still my little sister's voice....

"Hey, Yui-oneesama." Kirigiri was young, but her voice sounded very adult. "We must survive the Duel Noir, no matter what happens there."

A waiter approached me, and gave me something that looked like a fine notebook. When I opened it, I discovered the dinner bill. 62248 yen. 

“So Mr. Suisei Nanamura didn't pay?” 

The waiter tilted his head and smiled to remind me of his presence. I checked my wallet but I only have two 2,000 yen bills on me. 

“What’ll we do?” I whispered to Kirigiri: “That damn detective! His spectacular exits and entries show he has money, but likes to keep it!"

"Keep calm, Yui-oneesama." Kirigiri replied gently. She then took a card out of her wallet. "Can I pay at once?"

"Certainly." After settling everything, the waiter bowed and then left us alone.

"Kirigiri... you’re so cool..."

Once dinner was over, we left the building. Even if we moved as far away as possible, it was impossible not to see it. Lights that were almost blinding our eyes were emanating powerfully from across the city. I felt like I was in a paradise under the ocean, walking with Kirigiri. The Christmas lights were comforting, and a row of Christmas trees illuminated the faces of passers-by.

"Well, now that we're here... I can walk you home..." I said. Kirigiri remained silent for a moment, listening to the sounds of the night. She then turned around and started to walk away on her own.

"No need, it's too late anyways. I'll send you a message."

"But, alone at this hour..."

Kirigiri leaned her head and said to me over her shoulder: "Maybe if it was a foreign country, but there is nothing threatening on the roads of this country."

"But, if a man is attracted to young girls like you... he could do... that!"

I tried to attack her from behind, to grab her neck, but the next thing I knew, she was 

gone. She then appeared behind me and put my arms behind my back.

“Ow, this hurts…”

"See? I can defend myself." She released my arm. “You need to be careful, Yui-oneesama. If you tried you could probably beat an older man with a high kick from those legs of yours. 

"Be careful though, because if a man really wanted to attack you, you probably won't be up to it."

"Of course I will."

"Did you take a self-defense course?...And if possible can you teach me that trick too?"

"I'm going now." Kirigiri said as she looked at the street clock.

"Let's just go back together anyways, I want to talk a little more with you. It's quite boring, being alone."

Kirigiri frowned, creating a wrinkle on her forehead. She kept walking without looking at me. I ran up to her.

"We can keep talking about..."

"What, teaching you self-defense?"

"No, about the president of the Victims Catharsis Committee..."

"What's the matter?"

"He's a former detective, and one of the founders of the Detective Library... couldn't it be your grandfather?"

"It's very dramatic, but no, it's not him."

"How can you know that?" I asked.

"My grandfather was never registered in the library. He told me that before. He never became a triple zero, and it's not registered, so it couldn't be deleted."

But did her grandfather tell the truth?

"Are you sure he's not lying to you? A grandfather would never tell his granddaughter that he is the president of such an organization..."

"My grandfather is very proud to be a Kirigiri, more than anyone else in my family... He would never settle for being put in boxes like the library ranks. He was against the whole DSC classification system in the first place."

"Just pride?" I opposed. I've never heard of this family. She came from a detective 

family, there was no doubt about it. She has these abilities at only 13 years old. Maybe she really comes from a big detective family and that blood flows through her veins, but I haven't seen any other detective react to the name 'Kirigiri'. Even Suisei, who was a double zero.

"I know what you're thinking. The Kirigiri family are good detectives, but we don't want to 

be known. We live in the shadows. So the ordinary detectives don't know us. That's why my grandfather didn't register in the library, to protect the Kirigiri pride. We almost never talk about ourselves."

"It's an incredible story... but why did Kyoko-chan register in the library? Isn't that 

against your family's principles? At least, according to your grandfather.”

"First, my grandfather technically lives abroad. So he doesn't fight crime from here. It is 

impossible for him to be the president of a small organization located only in Japan."

"It's true that he's on another level... Sorry for doubting your grandfather, Kirigiri. Even 

adults fight crimes like this anonymously, ignoring the opinion of the public and the government, but maybe he knows the president of the Victims Catharsis Committee? I mean, he was the 'president' of the library."

"I wonder about that, but there's nothing I can do about it."

"Maybe if you say your name, an official will recognize him. It's probably easier to sneak in discreetly."

"It doesn't matter. It'll always be the same thing; what do I do after that? How can I sue the president of such a non-profit organization?" Kirigiri looked troubled, and she moved her fingers closer to her face, as if to warm them with her breath.

"Whatever! Everything ends up being discovered! Like how Al Capone ended up being nabbed for tax fraud. There’s probably something that can be put on him. As long as we can stop the Duel Noir"

“Such an extreme line of justice, that’s no different than succumbing to evil.”

“Erk…” 

"Yes, but being around all the time thinking about conspiracy theories will do worse than 

better. For now, we should put the president's case aside. Let's try to clean up what's in front of us." I was really getting told by a girl who was younger than me.

That's right. We have already made good progress. Suisei Nanamura's Duel Noir had already started for 12 hours. We must remain calm. We'll think about how everything will go after we arrest the Duel Noir criminal... If we manage to get out of the hotel alive.

We continued to walk, our minds clouded with questions. Kirigiri suddenly stopped.

"What? What's the matter?"

"We have arrived." I looked up to see a huge traditional house, with a huge door. I had 

trouble closing my mouth. The streetlights continued along the hill, and the white barriers extended far and wide

“Were there any houses like that left?” In this case, it was the largest traditional house I had ever seen. I watched Kirigiri, my eyes full of jealousy. Yes, she was definitely a lady.

"My curfew has already passed." Kirigiri said. "Fortunately you're not a man, because even for a detective, he would have been angry." Kirigiri seemed a little uncomfortable.

"If you had a curfew, you should have told me. We would have left sooner." I said.

"It's because I was talking to you that I'm late," Kirigiri replied, with cold eyes.

"Yes, it's because I've talked too much. I'm sorry, but I had to be absolutely sure what we discussed."

"If you say so."

“I’ll explain the situation, if that works?”

“That would help me quite a deal.” she said with a slightly softer tone than before. I felt rather pleased from it all.

Kirigiri walked to the large gate before stopping. The gate was made of wood, and I could only imagine the splinters that would be caught by touching it. It was still quite warm, but there were no signs, just an intercom.

"Aren't you coming home?”

“Only outsiders go through the front door. Family access is through the back.” She said as she walked along the wall.

“How… formal.”               

The massive trees planted on the other side did not allow me to see behind the gate. It was difficult to see the majestic residence, but it was impossible to see a human presence. For someone who didn't know the place, the residence was a total mystery.

"Do you live with your grandfather or alone?

"It depends, but there are three maids. One person is always there."

“Servants, are you serious?”

Since the school we went to was full of young girls, it was not difficult to hear that some families hired maid servants so that they would not leave their daughter alone. One of these families was Kyoko's. She had neither her father nor her mother. I didn't have the details, so I didn't understand the situation well, but I easily understood that I shouldn't ask more questions.

"By the way, didn't you live abroad for a while?"

"Yes, with my grandfather. I stayed there for 5 years. Then I had to come back to this school, as I was already enrolled here," Kirigiri said. "It had to happen at some point. There's a small portal that allows easy access."

"My life is very different from yours."

"Really?" Kirigiri stoically replied.

We walked along the fence for a while, until Kirigiri pointed to a specific place. There was a small gate to make it easier to get in. She took the key out of her pocket, inserted it and turned the key. The gate opened easily.

“Eh? You had the key for this place on-hand?”

“The problem isn’t about me having the key. The problem is what to do afterwards.”

“Is sneaking to your room not on the table?”

“He’ll definitely catch me.”

"So what should I do?" I asked.

"Wait here, I'll call Grandpa."

"Okay, I'll wait."

"I'll be back soon."

"Oh, wait a minute!"

"What?"

"Wouldn't it be better if you took that hat off your head," I replied, pointing at the Santa's hat that was on her head. She pushed it slightly. I watched it fall at my feet. Kyoko looked rather surprised. 

"What is it?"

"Didn't you notice?!" I picked up the hat and encouraged Kirigiri. "Hey, you better go."

"Oh, yeah." Kirigiri walked towards the door of the house. Once Kirigiri was out of sight, I put my hands in my pockets and leaned against the fence. It's unusual for Kirigiri to panic. Maybe her grandfather was that strict? Or maybe she really loves her grandfather. That must have been it. For her, who didn't have parents, it must have been difficult. I looked up to the sky, looking at the streetlights. 

Suddenly, little white glitter began to fall from the sky. A white Christmas? On Christmas Eve I am often alone, wondering what I will do next year, and my anxiety overwhelms me. This year, I met a girl named Kirigiri Kyoko, whose presence really helped me. I no longer have this feeling of loneliness and emptiness. We're both detectives too. Will she be here again next year? I was imagining our future: two detectives always together. I didn't want a dark future, but wasn't that the fate of a detective?

"Yui-oneesama." I heard a voice. I saw that the large gate was open. I turned around to see Kirigiri, looking at me with concern.

"Where's your grandfather?" I walked away from the white barriers by redoing the button on my coat. I approached Kirigiri looking behind her, but there was no one there.

"You're the man who wants to seduce my Kyoko!”

The voice came from above my head. An old man wearing a kimono was on the wall. I only noticed it now? I stepped back before being pulled forward again, put on the ground. A short time before, I was quietly contemplating the sky. It was disturbing to see an old man jump off a wall that high. The old man's cane kept me on the ground. Was he really that strong?! He lifted it up to try and hit my head.

"Wait, it's not her! She's a woman!"

"What?" He pulled his cane away, lifted me up, and grabbed my chest. "What are you doing!" I shouted, clearing the man's hand. I jumped away.

"It's Yui-oneesama, the detective who goes to the same school as me."

"Oh, is that true?" he said, scratching his white hair. "Sorry, I heard Kyoko was going to eat with a boy, excuse me for the misunderstanding!"

Despite his white hair, he looked pretty young. His hair was shiny, his wrinkles discreet, he stood up straight and his eyes were shiny with life. He had a cane in his right hand, but his legs didn't seem weak. Maybe it was some kind of weapon for him.

"I'm glad to know that Kyoko has made a friend. Was it you who called?" he said with a smile. He looked like another person with that soft smile on his face. “You’re taking care of my granddaughter. I’m so embarrassed. She was always alone, and didn’t seem to be used to life here. I was getting worried. If she has a good partner like you, then I can relax. Right, Kyoko?” “Yes.” 

"I'm sorry for delaying Kyoko and making her miss her curfew. She didn't seem familiar with life here, and I wanted to make sure she didn't get hurt."

Kirigiri was half hidden behind her grandfather's back. She seemed more comfortable than usual.  

"We both talked about the incident, and it took a long time... I didn't know there was a curfew. Please, don’t punish her!"

“Heh, I always wondered who Kyoko would bring back to me. Anyways, don’t worry, there’s an exception to every rule. If it involves a detective case, I'm willing to forgive her. For the Kirigiri family, detective business is very important and comes first. Even death does not deviate from its purpose."

“O-oh, so…”

“If it was detective related, then that curfew crap can wait!” he said with a merry laugh.

Was that what Kirigiri's grandfather taught? It sure explained a lot...still, glad he wasn’t unreasonable. Honestly, when he knocked me down and groped my chest, I was expecting the worst. Still, from what I’m seeing, he’s a pretty agreeable guy. Though, perhaps, that could be just his love for Kyoko, spoiling her?

“Heh, thought I was a grouchy old man? It’s all over your face!”

“Erm, s-so sorry!”

“Like I said, when it comes to being a Kirigiri, being a detective goes past one’s family, even death itself. Isn’t that right?”

“Yes, Grandpa.”

"That’s my girl! If it is for a case and to see Kyoko become a first rate detective, than I suppose it's worth keeping the gate unlocked at night,” 

"Really?" Kyoko asked in wonder. 

"Of course, as long as you’re focused on your duty!”

"I'll do my best to be a good detective," Kirigiri replied, her eyes shining.

"Good girl." said the grandfather as he stroked Kirigiri's head. She and her grandfather seemed quite happy.

I felt a little uncomfortable in front of the stage, but I couldn't help but think it was cute.

"Uh, tomorrow we'll have to solve a Duel Noir case, so Kyoko will be spending the night somewhere else. O-Of course, I’ll also be there with her! Is that alright?” 

"Of course!"

Well, it was easy... but sending his little girl without hesitation into such a case... He 

didn't seem to be afraid of the death of his loved ones. Did he know a lot about the Duel Noirs? He must have heard about the Victims Catharsis Committee, thanks to Kyoko. He at least knows a little. Maybe he even knew more than we did. Such a great detective, who is also the founder of the Detective Library, necessarily knows more. I hesitated for a long time, not knowing if I should ask him or not. The man spoke again.

"Well, it's about time we head inside. You should go home too, Yui. It's cold tonight and you need to prepare to investigate. Shall I call a cab for you?" 

“Oh, no, I’m fine.”

"It was a pleasure to meet you. Kyoko, you can see her off."

I slowly lowered my head, always thinking.

"May I ask you for another cho-..."

There was no old man left in front of me. I was looking around, but nothing... nowhere. He had disappeared. Completely missing.

"Yui-oneesama, maybe you should go home..." said Kirigiri, near the gate.

I hadn't noticed it, but I was tired. The tension and my heavy breath disappeared, and I could feel the fatigue falling on my shoulders.

"I'm sorry to have bothered you, Yui-oneesama."

"It's okay, I'd let an old man touch my chest if it's for you." I said, removing the dust from my coat. "But I didn't know your grandfather was so... focused on your education. Still, it's great he’s not so uptight. "

"Hey, Yui-oneesama?"

"Yes?"

“It’s weird to choose detective work over family, yes?”

“W-w-well, I w-wouldn’t call it strange, just… well, it does seem to involve a lack of caring about people’s feelings in the matter.“ I said after a good degree of thought.

“People’s feelings?”

“Are you asking because you have doubts over your detective work?”

"No, that’s not it. Anyway, what Grandpa said earlier, that detective work was more important than the death of a family member… don't you think it's strict?"

"Well, I find it stranger than strict, but I guess that's your family's opinion of detectives..."

"No, it's different. For my family, work is really more important than the death of a family member. It's not a suggestion, it's an obligation. A dogma."

"Okay... I think it might be beautiful? It means you're very proud to be a detective, right?"

"Don't you think it's abnormal?" Kirigiri continued.

She had so much pride in her work as a detective that I could hardly see her doubting that. She was raised into it during her childhood, which made the thought of her doubts even harder to fathom. Still....

"What do you think?" I asked her.

"I don't think it's abnormal. I think… I think it's a good mentality," said Kirigiri. I thought for a moment to say that she didn't have to continue, but she opened her mouth before me. "But I feel like I force myself to think like that. Like, I live like a real detective, because I don't want to feel empty."

For her, her life was all about detective work, but even still...

"As long as I'm here, you won't be alone or empty." I hugged her.

"I want it to stay that way," Kirigiri said, looking at me.

"Of course! You're the coolest, most pure detective I know! Let's do our best together! Tomorrow and for as long as possible."

"Ah? ...Well, goodbye." Separating myself from Kirigiri, who walked back with a shyish look on her face, I laid my hand on the gate. I gave her one last look before running to the dormitories, the snow accompanying me. My curfew passed a long time ago! The dormitories were guarded, so I discreetly passed through a window.

Heh, violating the rules on Christmas night.

It felt quite nice!~

Chapter 1: End

https://drmedicsgamesurgery.tumblr.com/GameSurgeryDRTranslations for more!

[cozy-the-overlord]

Funny Little Ups and Downs

Summary: Loki is having a bad day. The love of his life is being sent away to marry some ridiculous Vanir prince, and there’s nothing he can do about it. Then her little sister shows up to give him a pep talk.

Word Count: 3,824

Pairing: Loki x Sigyn

A/N: Sound the alarms! Alert the media! Cozy wrote something happy! I actually wrote the majority of this over three months ago, then got stuck on the ending and forgot all about it until a few days ago. It’s inspired by “I Love Melvin,” a silly little musical from 1953 starring Debbie Reynolds and Donald O’Connor that employs my favorite trope of all time: the main character’s little sibling bonding with the romantic interest. It’s fun, it’s cute, and I just had to write it. Consider it an apology for all the angst I’ve been throwing your way XD

Warnings: None

Tags: @lucywrites02 @gaitwae @whatafuckingdumbass @the-emo-asgardian @imnotrevealingmyname

If you want to be tagged, feel free to send an ask/message :)

Read it on Ao3!

Spring in Asgard was truly something to behold. The last dredges of winter melted into memory, leaving behind a crispness in the air and a radiance in the land as vibrant life bloomed across the planet. It was a kind of brilliance that one could hardly resist, and so it was no surprise that the palace gardens were alive with activity— novice warriors sparring in the field, strolling couples engaged in lively conversation, giggling children chasing each other through the labyrinth of brick and shrubbery.

It seemed the very universe was mocking him.

Loki held his head in his hands, huddled in a despondent heap at the edge of the garden bench. It was truly amazing how quickly the sweet spring air turned foul. The day had started with such promise, and now …

“Hi your Highness!” Loki jumped when the little girl plopped down next to him without a warning, crumbs spilling into her braids as she munched on a cookie.

He sighed. “Oh, hello Milla.” He couldn’t say he particularly cared for company at the moment, but he couldn’t find the energy to shoo her off.

Milla studied him, chewing intently. “Are you crying?” she asked.

“Of course not!” Loki bristled. Was he now so pathetic that he was garnering the pity of a child? He huffed in indignation.

She patted his arm as if in consolation. “It’s okay to cry, Prince Loki. I cry all the time.”

Norns.

He swallowed the temptation to shove her away and abandon the bench, electing instead to change the subject. “Did Sigyn send you?”

It wouldn’t have been the first time she delegated her little sister to the position of messenger. Perhaps Milla was here with some kind of news, that the whole thing was a misunderstanding and Sigyn wasn’t getting married after all. But deep down, Loki knew that was nothing but wishful thinking. If that were the case, Sigyn would have come herself.

“No,” Milla said, dashing what little hope he had against the brick walkway. “I saw you leaving from my window. You looked sad.” She paused, cocking her head to the side. “Was Sigyn mean to you?”

It was such a childish question that Loki laughed, although there was no humor in the sound. Sigyn didn’t have a mean bone in her body. It was something of which he was in perpetual awe. It didn’t matter how badly her day had gone, how grievously she had been wronged—she always had a kind word or a sweet gesture and an eagerness to help. There was a grace about her, a grace that Loki had never seen from anyone else in court.

The way she had broke the news to him, pushing him into the hallway outside her apartment before he even had the chance to knock … it was cruel, but it wasn’t a cruelty she had chosen. He understood that at least.

Loki heaved another sigh. “It wasn’t her fault.”

For a moment, Milla was quiet. He turned away from her. It seemed he really was that pathetic.

“Sigyn got all upset after you left,” she finally said. “She went running upstairs and hid in her room. Now Daddy’s mad because Prince Sverrir is coming over and she’s not ready.” Sverrir. Loki dug his fingernails into his palms. Milla didn’t seem to notice his tension.

“Do you know Prince Sverrir?” she asked.

Loki grit his teeth. “I’ve met him.” It was astonishing how his opinion of the Vanir Crown Prince had changed from aloof indifference to outright hatred within a matter of words. Loki had known Sverrir since they were both children, when Vanaheim’s royal family had come to Asgard for a few weeks to celebrate the millennial anniversary of the end of the Aesir-Vanir War. He had found him to be tiresome as a boy, a trait that did not improve upon adulthood. Loki had avoided him when he could.

Sverrir had only become relevant to him within the last few years, when after one royal visit he began to express an interest in Sigyn Yngvarrdóttir. At this point, Sigyn and Loki had been seeing each other in secret for quite some time, and while a public courtship was still out of the question, Loki had no intention of allowing the foreign prince to pursue what he already called his own.

The court was appalled when it discovered that Sverrir had been hiring harlots and bringing them into his chambers—his guest chambers, the very rooms in which the Asgardian royal family had so kindly allowed him to stay! His insistence that he had never even interacted with the ladies of the night, let alone allowed one on to palace grounds, fell upon deaf ears and Sverrir was forced to return home to avoid further scandal. Loki remembered watching him cross the Bifrost, with his unnatural posture and his idiotic attempt at regality, certain that they’d seen the last of him.

But now here he was again, back with a few years distance and an ailing father, and suddenly every woman in Asgard was ready to fall at his feet. Which would’ve been fine, except for the fact that he decided upon the only woman who didn’t want him in return.

Loki groaned, rubbing his temples. Besides him, Milla prattled on.

“He’s very dull, isn’t he?” she was saying, brushing the cookie crumbs off the front of her dress. “The last time he came over he just sat in the parlor and talked about how much Sigyn would like Vanaheim. I don’t think she was all that interested. And he kept calling me Mina!” She scowled at the ground, as if Sverrir was there, sitting at her feet, before turning back to Loki. “I like you better. You’re nice to me.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Am I?”

“Yeah!” she grinned, tapping his shoulder enthusiastically. “You know my name, at least. And you gave me my good-luck charm!”

She pulled the charm out from under her top, fastened to her neck by thin strip of leather. It was nothing special, just a simple wooden carving of a cat’s head that he had whittled himself during his time serving as diplomat in Alfheim. He didn’t have near the talent for woodworking of the Elven carvers, but he was patient in his practice. By the end of the trip, he had spent hours upon hours working on the carving of a wolf’s head, Sigyn’s favorite animal, to give to her upon his return. Milla’s cat had been something of an afterthought. Still, he hadn’t been able to hide his smile at the way she squealed in delight when he presented it to her, and Sigyn had seemed more touched by the fact that he thought of her sister than at her own gift.

“Has it worked for you?” he asked.

“I think so,” Milla said, running her finger across the cat’s ear. “Good things happen when I wear it.”

Loki laughed bitterly. He could use a bit of that now. “Have good things happened today?”

She didn’t look up. “I’m still waiting to find out.”

A silence fell over the two of them, heavy and stiff. He wondered what Sigyn was doing, if she was still hiding in her room as her sister claimed. She had been waiting for him that morning, ready to push him out into the hall with shaking hands the moment he arrived at her doorstep. He knew immediately that she had been crying—if her swollen eyes weren’t enough of a giveaway, then the little hiccupping gasps that peppered her words certainly were.

“You can’t be here right now,” she had hissed. “If Father sees you, he’ll lose his mind!”

“What happened?”

“Sverrir made an offer for my hand. My father—Loki, he accepted.”

It had taken a moment for those words to sink in. When they had, he had demanded to speak with her father.

“Loki—”

“He can’t do this! He can’t sell you off like cattle—”

Only he could, and they both knew it.

“Prince Loki?” He turned away from his thoughts and back to Milla. She was looking up at him with wide eyes, her voice suddenly very small. “Is Sigyn going to marry Sverrir?”

Loki found he couldn’t answer. There was a threatening lump in the back of his throat, making him unwilling to trust his voice. Sigyn … she was always supposed to marry him. He had been sure of it from the moment he met her, back when they were taking their lessons together. He had pretended to trip when walking by her desk and spilled his potion all over the floor just to have an excuse to talk to her. Thor had rolled his eyes when he heard of it (“could you not just speak to her like a normal person?”), but Sigyn had laughed and offered to help him clean it up, just like the angel she was. And when class ended, he offered to walk her back to her apartment.

Sigyn had smiled, that shy little smile she seemed to reserve for only him. “I’d be honored, my prince.”

Loki was smitten.

And now he was heartbroken.

“You know she doesn’t want to marry him, right?” Milla asked, tugging at his sleeve. “She doesn’t even like him.”

Loki inhaled. “Marriage isn’t just about who you like.” Sigyn had explained this to him just now in the hallway. Her family may have been prestigious in her great-grandfather’s heyday, but a series of poor investments and bad choices had set them on a steady decline. Her marriage to Sverrir would secure their position permanently. Her father would condemn her to a life of loneliness to maintain their status. And Sigyn would accept it, because she was far too good a person to refuse. “You have to think about your future, and your family, and Sverrir is a prince—”

“But you’re a prince too!”

“I don’t have a throne.” Loki sighed. He had never been jealous of Thor’s position as Crown Prince, not really—kingship came with hundreds of little hinderances and headaches that Loki was perfectly content to live without. But if he could stand before Sigyn’s father, not as Odin’s forgotten son but as Asgard’s future ruler … well, he wouldn’t be having to stomach discussion about some Vanir prince, that was for sure.

Milla yanked on his sleeve even harder. “But Sigyn loves you.”                        

Loki’s eyes widened. “She told you that?”

“No.” She said. “But I know she does. She reads your poems every night before she goes to bed.”

He flushed crimson. “Does she?” Oh, those poems. He had never considered himself to be much of a poet, but there was a soft sense of familiarity in words that he had never found anywhere else. And Sigyn … how could one not write about Sigyn?

He never had the courage to read them to her in person, silly, romantic things that they were. Instead he kept to leaving them hidden in spots where only she would find them—wrapped up in her napkin at dinner, buried in her bag at the healing ward, slipped into her dress pocket as they danced. She never said anything about them to him, but he lived for the way she’d squeeze his hand after he passed one to her.

Milla nodded, grinning. “She has them all in a little book, and she keeps it under her pillow.” Loki smiled too at the image, just for a moment, but then reality came crashing back down. She could hold on to as many poems as he could write—it still wouldn’t change anything. He buried his face in his hands once more.

He felt another tug at his sleeve, and he turned to find himself face-to-face with a creased brow. “You love her too, don’t you?” Milla asked. “That’s why you’re so upset.”

Loki huffed. “What I want doesn’t matter.”

“Yes, it does! It has too!” she insisted, shaking his arm. “You can make it matter.”

“Make it matter?” Suddenly, looking at her there, with her braids and her “good luck” charms and her childish hope was too much to bear. “What would you have me do?” he snapped. “Kidnap your sister?”

Milla flinched. “No … But—”

“There isn’t any ‘but.’ Your father will never allow her to settle for me when there’s a superior option. My father will never care enough to intervene on my behalf.” Norns knew he had tried. But Odin had nothing to gain from a marriage between Loki and Sigyn, and if Odin had nothing to gain, he saw no reason to act. “It’s useless to pretend otherwise. Now are you just going to sit here and bother me all day or do you have somewhere else to be?”

She gulped, abandoning her place besides him on the bench. “I’m sorry, your Highness. I’ll go.” Loki watched her slink off back towards the palace, head down like a whipped pup. Somehow, he felt even worse.

…

Dinner was miserable.

Loki picked at his food out of a sense of courtesy, with no real appetite to be found. How could he eat, when four seats to his right Sverrir was regaling his audience with descriptions of his perfect bride-to-be? The prince hadn’t yet mentioned Sigyn by name, but he didn’t have to. Loki could see the way his gaze lingered on her table as he described her “perfect form.”

It made him sick.

He had still barely touched his meal by the time many of the merrymakers had moved to the dance floor. Sverrir had gone, too—Loki watched him practically slither across the room to Sigyn’s side to ask her for a dance, watched Sigyn’s nearly imperceptible nod in assent. Now, they commanded the whole of the floor, gliding through the steps as flawlessly as a couple could, Sverrir grinning ear to ear and Sigyn the epitome of quiet repose.

Loki wished he could return to his rooms. He didn’t want to sit there, watching his heart spin and twirl in the hands of another man. But he couldn’t seem to rip his gaze away from her. Her sea-blue skirt matched Sverrir’s cape as it twisted about her, giving her the appearance of some sort of oceanic goddess. He wanted to hate the color, but of course it was beautiful on her. Everything was beautiful on her.

“Prince Loki!”

He was startled out of his despondent silence by the child shrieking his name. Loki barely had the chance to turn around before Milla was upon him, grabbing at his arm and trying to pull him to his feet.

He frowned. “What are you doing up here?”

“Come on!” She yanked at his cape. “You have to dance with Sigyn.”

Wary of making a scene, and too flustered to push her away, Loki stood. “Milla, I—”

“You have to,” she insisted, giving him a push towards the dance floor. “Go! Dance with her!”

He stumbled forward, but the little girl kept corralling him down the podium stairs, towards Sigyn and her aggravating prince.

“Milla!” he hissed. “Can’t you see she’s already dancing with someone?”

“Who cares?” she hissed back, shoving him again. “Dance with her!”

And so Loki made his way down to the dance floor, cheeks burning, holding himself with as much dignity as one could after a literal child herded them like a sheep away from their meal. Luckily, few in the the ballroom seemed to be paying him any mind.

One of the positives of being the forgotten son, he supposed.

Sverrir and Sigyn were in the middle of the floor, still wrapped up in the music. At least, Sverrir was. Sigyn was holding herself as if someone had strapped a wooden board down her back. He couldn’t remember a time where he had seen her so tense. The sight made Loki stiffen.

With a sudden burst of confidence, he tapped on the Vanir prince’s shoulder. “Excuse me,” he said, not bothering to hide the tightness in his voice. “Would you mind if I cut in?”

Sverrir started. “Oh. Uh—” he glanced back at Sigyn. “Do you mind, darling?”

She shook her head, features still perfectly neutral. Only then did Loki notice that, while she was wearing blue, the ribbons weaved through her braids were emerald green.

“Oh!” Sverrir seemed surprised, but quickly shook it off. “Well, then, of course not!” He stepped aside, making a grand gesture towards Sigyn as Loki took his place in her arms with a rigid nod.

For a moment, they only stared at each other, slowly swaying to the notes of the waltz in silence. Sigyn looked away first, turning to watch her feet on floor as if she were a girl in pigtails still learning to dance.

Loki swallowed the desert on his tongue. “How are you feeling?” he asked.

“Well enough, I suppose,” she murmured. When she looked up again, her eyes were glossy, her features twisted in an attempt to hold back the tears. “Loki—I’m sorry.”

There was a lump in the back of his throat. He wished he could hold her to his chest, cup her cheek and promise her that everything was fine. Instead, he only shook his head. “You don’t have to apologize.”

“I just …” She inhaled. “I wish things were different.”

Don’t we both?

“Is he kind to you at least?” he asked. He would at least be able to rest easier knowing that Sigyn was well cared for, and as irritating as Sverrir was, Loki had never seen anything to suggest that he was cruel. Although … he almost wished Sverrir was a beast of a man—horrible, vicious, barbarous— just so he could have another reason to despise him.

Sigyn shrugged. “He talks a lot.”

“Oh? About what?”

“Absolutely nothing!” she cried. “I’ve never heard of a man who could go on so long without a single thing to say. It makes my head ache.” Sigyn sighed. “But Father finds him interesting.”

Loki scoffed. “Your father would be fascinated by grass growing.”

She laughed. “Probably.”

They danced in silence for a while longer. He liked the silence—the soft, soothing movement was almost enough to make him forget why this night was different from every other he had spent dancing with her. But soon enough, the song came to an end, and he made ready to bid her farewell.

A familiar voice cleared his throat, rasping across the hall. The hum of conversation stopped as everyone turned to face the royal podium, where Prince Sverrir stood, smiling over the masses.

“Ladies and gentleman, if I may have your attention!” he called. “I would like to make an announcement.”

“Here we go,” whispered Sigyn. She reached out to grasp Loki’s hand.

When the crowd thronged around the podium had appeared to reach a size to his liking, Sverrir continued.

“As many of you know,” he said. “My father’s health has been failing for the past several months, and he has voiced that it is his greatest wish to see me married before he passes. Therefore, I am overjoyed to announce my engagement to one of your very own Asgardian ladies—” He stretched his hand out towards Sigyn, grinning widely as the rest of the nobles whipped around to follow his gaze. “The lovely Lady Sigyn Yngvarrdóttir!”

The ballroom erupted into applause. Sigyn sighed, but quickly masked it with a gracious smile, letting go of Loki’s hand in order to make her way to the podium.

To her fiancé.

Loki didn’t even think. When he grabbed her wrist and pulled her back to his side, he was acting off pure instinct.

“That’s impossible!” he cried to the crowd, to Sverrir. “Completely impossible, your Highness. She can’t marry you.”

The applause fizzled out as quickly as it begun. Confused whispers began skating through the onlookers.

“Loki!” Sigyn hissed. “What are you doing?”

Above them all, Sverrir frowned. “I’m afraid I don’t understand, Prince Loki,” he said. “Lord Yngvarr had given me his permission, and Lady Sigyn has accepted. Why can I not marry her?”

Loki didn’t blink. “Because she’s already married to me.”

The crowd exploded into outraged gasps.

Besides him, a wicked grin was blooming across Sigyn’s face.

Sverrir seemed to have been rendered incapable of response. He stood stuttering on the podium, any words he did manage drowned out by the commotion of the entire court processing what was turning out to be even more of a scandal than the last time the Vanir prince came to visit.

Until finally one voice cut through the chaos.

“Liar!” yelled Yngvarr, pushing his way through the crowd. “My daughter would not betray her family in such a manner.” He turned back to Sverrir, fuming. “Your Highness, I’m afraid Prince Loki seems to be playing a prank, and a decidedly unfunny one at that, at the expense of my daughter’s reputation.”

Loki opened his mouth to protest his offense, but before he could find the words, yet another voice joined the foray of madness.

“It’s not a prank, Daddy!” Milla grinned, materializing seemingly out of thin air to pull at her father’s sleeve. “It’s real! I heard them talking about it a week ago.”

Yngvarr whipped around so quickly that one of his whiskers caught on his shoulder plate. “What?”

“Uh huh,” she nodded. “Prince Loki came through the window! They were talking about how they were going to get married as soon as possible, because they love each other so much and they’re soulmates and … and …” she trailed off, seeming to only just be realizing that every pair of eyes in the ballroom was on her.

“And what?” snapped Yngvarr.

Sigyn stepped forward. “And I’m pregnant!”

The roar was deafening.

She turned back towards Loki with a smirk. He could only gape at her.

“What?” she asked. “Did you think I was going to let you have all the fun?”

Loki didn’t bother trying to find words. He just planted his lips on to hers. “I love you,” he whispered when he pulled away. He had never meant anything more in his life.

She laughed. “What now?”

“Well,” he said, grinning as he offered her his arm. “It seems we have to get married. After that—” he stopped abruptly. There was something in his pocket, something that he knew hadn’t been there before, bulky and solid. Frowning, he pulled it out to find the rough carving of a cat’s head tied to a loop of worn leather.

He looked up again in confusion. His eyes landed on Milla, beaming at him from across the room. She winked.

Good things happen when I wear it.

Loki smiled, slipping the charm back into his pocket. Next to him, Sigyn tugged at his arm.

“After that?” she repeated.

“After that?” he shrugged, smirking. “We improvise.”

[priscilla9993]

Endless Longing

Inspired and based off of @fairytalepsuedonym's fic "Mirror" on AO3. I'm going to add on to Old Wish Hook's POV.

His mind was hazy, pounding as the liquor wore off its ephemeral bliss, but it didn't take away his sorrow. "Alice," he murmured as he watched through tears clouding his view as a daughter and her father stood in front of him, glancing at a shop's wares, laughing over a joke. He pounded his fist on the ground, wishing he could trade places with them, pretend that all he did leading up to his sorry state was a dream. Alice should have been able to walk around, explore the shops, and he'd buy her anything she'd want within reason. But the young girl with blonde tresses was not her. Even though the sight of her made him see Alice for a moment, it was just a pale mirage. Hook knew he wasn't young anymore, his body tired and slumped over from the day's travails of drinking. Ahab was right. He had become a pathetic shell of a formidable captain that once traveled the seas. He fought for his honor then and look where that got him. He sighed, erasing the dull thought. All he wanted was to get back to his little girl. 

But he didn't. He couldn't even if he got sober. Hook had no clue what to do next, what mattered next if he couldn't free her. “How old would she be now?” he wondered. He hated the fact that he had even questioned it when he used to know in the blink of an eye. However, after the first years of being away from her looking for a cure for his poisoned heart, each time her birthday came felt like a stab to him. He used to buy small presents he planned to give her if he ever could, until he gave up, realizing that he didn’t know her as he used to. He was ashamed he didn’t know her favorite color or interests. One year turned into two, then three, and so on. However, he never forgot his promise to free her, to come back for her; his regrets tying him down as his efforts had been futile and he knew he was selfish for stopping when he could have gone on. He did the mental math anyways, scared for himself to know how long, but realizing he deserved the blow for not being the man he needed to be when she needed him most. He hoped and wished to the gods that Gothel didn’t harm her while they were cursed to stay apart. He could handle anything that came his way, but Alice... she deserved the world. 

At least before, he could give her hope of getting free, but instead he had condemned her to an immovable prison. A broken smile broke on his face and a bitter taste stained his mouth from biting his lips. “Seven years. She’d be seventeen this year,” he said, a wry laugh escaping in his frustration. 

It'd been too many years. “Maybe I am like my father, maybe worse,” he said softly aloud. Sure, he hadn’t purposefully abandoned Alice and didn’t want to, but he had done so all the same in technicality. The voice in the back of his head whispered that there’d be no way she would forgive him, and even if she did like the angel he remembered her as, he wouldn’t be able to accept it. Hook couldn't remember her face, her laugh a distant blur and her voice no more than a gentle hum, as he envied the father and daughter pair. Ironically, her screams still plagued his nightmares, always while he was trying to soothe her dream self, her face masked in despair as he had broken his promise and blaming him for defending his pride when he should have been with her. His flask was empty, the last bits of the bitter nectar shimmering in the light of the sunset as they and their shadows walked by. 

His guilt was immeasurable, but he found himself yielding to his need to relieve the pain. He didn’t want to be in this realm of reality, sitting at that exact place anymore for the day. “Maybe there’s another bottle of rum back at the cave,” he assured himself. He kept one for emergencies there if he ever got injured or needed a pain reliever, but it could be empty from his last craving. If so, Hook knew he could beg, steal, or cough up enough money from his stash to buy another bottle as he pulled himself off the ground, anything to dash his thoughts away until the next hangover. Drinking had become a routine, the days fading into the next. He listed from his head like clockwork, saying with a falsified childlike glee, “One for the memory, two for the pain.” He didn’t love the bottle with a deeper distain. With a grave seriousness, he whispered, “I know I’m not the man I wanted to be, but wait for me, Alice. Please be safe,” as if his words could reach her, his hand firmly clutching on the black rook on the inside of his coat pocket. He looked around, trying to compose himself as he started stumbling and darting in the crowd, heading back to his cave to let himself sleep until the next bottle called to him.

[tchallasbabymama]

Slow Down

Happy Valentine’s Day, lovelies! Here’s Chapter 10 of Playlist, I hope y’all enjoy it. It’s a long one.

Let me know if you want to be tagged in any of my stories, and take a look at my masterlist HERE to check out the rest of my work.

Word count: ~12,800

CW: smut

T’Challa snuck away from the palace and made his way through the city completely unnoticed under the cover of darkness. He turned his hoverbike off the busy street and made his way to the end of the cul de sac before hopping off and knocking on the door. Chidi answered and let the king in, looking behind him to make sure nobody noticed him.

“T’Challa, what is this about?” Bisa came around the corner as her husband smiled back at her.

“He has something important to ask us, dear.” he winked and she perked up, immediately catching his drift.

“Come, sit down. Would you like some tea? I’ll make tea,” she said as she scrambled off to the kitchen.

T’Challa sat and fiddled with his fingers until Bisa came back with the red tea and sat down. Chidi was tickled by the king’s anxiety since he already knew what was coming.

The king cleared his throat, “Chidi, Bisa...As you know, I love Ashanti very much-”

Bisa unsuccessfully tried to hold in a squeal, and T’Challa couldn’t help but crack a smile. He knew they knew what he had to say, but it still had to be said.

“-and it would be my honor if you would give me your blessing to marry-”

“Yes!” Bisa jumped up and hugged him.

“He wasn’t finished, Bisa,” Chidi chuckled at his wife.

“Oh he got the main point out,” she waved him off and pulled T’Challa in for another hug. 

“Well, my wife speaks for both of us, son,” he pulled him in for a hug as well.

The three of them sat down for tea and T’Challa answered all of their questions about royal weddings.

“We’ll have a private ceremony first, just between us and Bast and the Ancestors. The second day will be the public wedding, and the third will be her coronation.”

“And what part do we play in all this?”

“You two have an integral role in each day. You two will lead the pre-wedding rituals the day of the private ceremony, and during the public ceremony our parents must bless the union by giving us away. N’Jadaka will be standing in for my father that day, but as an elder you have to be the one to bless me during the ritual, Chidi. Finally, during Ashanti’s coronation you two will be the ones to crown her.”

“Wow...I-I don’t know if I can be in front of all those people,” Chidi wondered aloud.

“I promise, it's not as scary as you think it is, and if it is a serious problem, Shuri can always give you some Vibax to calm you down.”

“Anything for my baby girl,” Chidi let out a huff as Bisa grabbed his hand.

“So how will you ask her?”

A huge smile appeared on T’Challa’s face.

“Well, as the king, it is customary for me to present my intended with a crown of my own design, and I figured that since she loves American movies so much I should also get her a ring.”

“Why a ring?”

“It is an American thing, the women are presented with a diamond ring for their marriage proposals.”

“Ah. I think she would like that”

“Have you started designing her crown yet?”

He beamed from ear to ear and pulled the projection up on his beads. Their jaws dropped as tears came to Bisa’s eyes.

“My baby...a queen.”

--------

A week later, Ashanti was at Taj’s feeling overwhelmed with all her work. She had been having trouble focusing all week and got next to nothing accomplished so she decided to take a nap and hope the inspiration could come to her. She packed up her things and headed out to the front of the store. It was moderately busy, but she knew her two employees could handle just about anything. In fact, she was thinking about letting them run the store completely so she could focus full-time on her jewelry. She would discuss it with them another time.

“Hey Z, I’m heading out.”

“You ok? You look tired.”

“I just need a nap. If you two need anything-”

“You’re just a call away, we know. Go on and get some rest,” Jafari called to her from where he was fixing the paint brush display. 

She decided to stop by Zana Cafe before she went home since she knew she wouldn’t feel like cooking later. As soon as she plopped down in the booth her dad descended.

“What’s up nugget?”

“Just tired and bloated and bleh.”

“That time, huh?”

“Yeah I guess so, I’m a little early though.”

“Better than late!” Chidi joked and they laughed until Ashanti got a whiff of something from the kitchen and gagged before running off to the bathroom. Bisa saw her daughter dash by as she came out of the kitchen.

“Is she ok?” she asked, concern written all over her face.

“Maybe she’s sick…”

Bisa went in to check on her babygirl and she was there on the floor, heaving up everything she had eaten that day. She put the back of her hand to her clammy forehead to feel for a fever, but felt nothing. 

“I think my period is coming early,” Ashanti was able to get out despite the soreness of her throat.

“I thought the birth control took care of your nausea, though,” Bisa mused while tying her daughter’s hair back.

Ashanti’s eyes flew open.

“Fuck! No, no, no, no-” she jumped up, still lightheaded, and paced around the bathroom.

“What’s wrong?” Bisa slowly made her way up from the floor, concerned even more. Chidi knocked on the door after hearing the commotion and came in to check on his baby girl.

“Is everything ok in here?”

“N-no, I...I...I was so swamped with work I got my shot a week late.”

“Your shot? What sh-...Oh my Bast.” the realization dawned on Chidi right as the door chimed to signal a new customer. “I’ll be back,” he pointed to Ashanti then turned around to greet the customer and take their order.

When he left Ashanti broke down crying in her mother’s arms.

“What’s wrong sithandwa?”

“Mama, what if I’m pregnant?”

“Then you’re pregnant.” Bisa shrugged.

“But I-I’m not ready, T’Challa and I-” she gasped, a realization dawning on her, “T’Challa can’t have a child out of wedlock, he’s already pushing it too far by being with me in the first place. This, this could-” 

Bisa shushed her and held her close, wishing she could ease her daughter’s mind with the secret she had to hold onto. 

“It’ll be ok baby, I promise. Besides, you don’t know for sure yet.”

Bisa knew for sure, her daughter was pregnant.

“I’ll go to the doctor tomorrow, I think I need to lay down for now.”

Ashanti leaned into her mom and took a deep breath.

“Come on, I’ll drive you home.” Bisa ushered her daughter out of the restaurant and into her car. She got them back to Ashanti’s house in no time flat and when Ashanti turned to look at her mother before getting out there were tears in her eyes.

“Sithandwa, it will be ok, I promise.” She kissed her forehead and Ashanti slid out of the car. She turned to wave her mother off after she opened her door. When she turned and entered she could have thrown up again from the smell.

“What is that?!” she wretched as she walked towards the kitchen.

“What do you mean? The food? It’s your favorite!” Binta looked up from stirring her oxtails. 

“It smells like bloody dirty socks.”

“Ew, what the fuck?”

“I just-” she gagged again and ran out of the room. She was fine once she got upstairs away from the smell, but she lit a scented candle Kwame had given her, just to be sure. She stripped down to her underwear and laid across her bed, arms resting on her lower abdomen. Tears started running down to her ears as she let the emotions wash over her. 

She didn’t need a test, she knew. Ashanti’s anxieties took over as she worried over the council’s reaction but most importantly she worried about his reaction. They had wanted more time to themselves and didn’t plan on having kids for a couple more years at least, yet here she was, growing his seed. 

His seed. T’Challa’s baby. Ashanti giggled through her tears and rubbed her belly, thinking about how good of a baba he’d be. She had always hoped for a girl, but she’d love a little mini T running around just as much. Just as she started to daydream about him talking to her belly, her beads started trilling with her love’s special tone. She sat up and answered the call, allowing the communication bead to slide down her hand.

When he appeared in front of her his face instantly cheered her up.

“Hey baby.”

“What’s wrong?”

She was taken aback by how easily he sensed something was off. It would be harder than she thought to keep this  to herself until she knew for sure. She would definitely have to talk to Binta after this.

“I’ll tell you later. Tomorrow hopefully.”

His brows furrowed in confusion, but he let it go knowing she’d tell him when she was ready.

“I haven’t seen you in a few days, I miss you.”

He sighed, “I miss you too. I have been busy and just so exhausted... I think I’m coming down with something-”

She shot up from her position on the bed.

“What are your symptoms?” she asked cautiously.

He was confused by her sudden intensity, but continued nevertheless, “I’ve just been so tired all day, and that hardly ever happens. I’ve been sleeping just fine, so I don’t know what the issue is. And I got nauseous earlier, which makes so sense. I must be sick, but I feel fine otherwise.”

She went quiet.

“Are you ok, love?”

“Y-yeah, I just...I need to tell you something.” tears welled up in her eyes. “Can you come over?”

T’Challa’s eyebrows furrowed in concern, but of course he agreed and was there in 10 minutes.

Binta let him in and his stomach turned at the smell of the oxtails still cooking on the stove before taking the stairs two at a time and knocking on Ashanti’s door. He twisted the doorknob and grew uneasy when he saw her pacing back and forth around her room.

“Kitten, talk to me,” he went over and wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her into him before kissing her temple. She turned around and he saw the tears in her eyes threatening to fall.

“I haven’t confirmed it yet, but I,” she grabbed his hand and placed it over her womb. “I’m pregnant, T’Challa.”

His head tilted to the side as he felt the slight firmness of her lower abdomen.

“I don’t understand-...how?”

“One: you’ve never pulled out of anything a day in your life, and two: I was a week late getting my shot. I didn’t think it would be an issue since you had yours, but-” she started crying again and he wiped her tears away.

“Don’t cry, kitten. Look at me,” he held her face in his hands and smiled down at her. “You’re really pregnant?”

“Ye- T’Challa!”

He picked her up and swung her around.

“Bast! You- you’re so beautiful,” he gazed at her slightly rounder face. He had noticed she put on a couple pounds, but he assumed it was “happy weight”. He could kick himself for not seeing it sooner. 

“I’m going to be a baba?” he asked while peppering her face with kisses.

She couldn’t help but smile at his joy and his tickling kisses, “Yes, Challa.”

“Thank you,” he looked at her with tears in his eyes and pulled her in for a deep kiss. They pulled back and just stared at each other as he rubbed her belly. 

“The council-”

“Fuck the council, you’re having my baby!”

“She what?!” they heard from outside the door.

Binta had been walking by on the way to her room and since the door hadn’t closed all the way she overheard his exclamation.

“Binta, I-”

“That explains the oxtail. Girl I thought you had gone crazy, but oh my Bast! You're pregnant?”

“I’m like 99% sure-”

“Oh she’s definitely pregnant,” T’Challa said with a smug smile on his face and Ashanti hit his chest.

“Have you taken a test? How far along do you think you are?”

Ashanti went and grabbed her friend’s hand in hers.

“Don’t be Binta the doula right now, just be Binta my best friend for a moment.”

The two squealed and Binta hugged her friend tight.

“You’re going to be such a good mama,” she said with tears threatening to fall as she turned to hug the king, “and you’re going to be such a good baba.”

“Thanks girl.”

“Thank you, Binta.”

“So, despite what I said a minute ago, I was wondering...would you be my doula?”

“T-they don’t have special royal doulas?”

Ashanti turned and looked at T’Challa questioningly.

“You are the special royal doula. I’m the king, my word is law,” he shrugged as Ashanti’s arms made their way around his neck and she pulled him in for a hug.

“Thank you Challa!”

“Anything for you, kitten.” 

“Wow,” Binta looked on, trying to blink the tears away. “Well, I’ll give mama and baba some privacy, just let me know if you need anything.”

“Of course.”

Binta squeezed her hand one last time before leaving and closing the door behind her.

“I have a surprise for you.”

“Challaaa-” she complained.

“I know, I know, but I promise it’s a good one,” he kissed her forehead then her nose then her lips. “Let’s go back to the palace.”

She threw on her clothes and the two of them walked hand-in-hand out to his hoverbike.

“Is this thing safe for, you know-”

“It’s safe, I made it myself.”

That immediately quelled her fears so she hopped on behind him and they took off. They made it to the palace in no time flat and he escorted her up to his quarters.

“Stay here, I’ll be back.” he left back down the elevators and Ashanti made herself comfortable on the bed. She ended up falling asleep and was awakened by his kiss about an hour later. Her eyes blinked open and she was met with the sight of candles everywhere with soft music playing in the background.

[Skip Marley]

Slow down

Let me love you

Darling, I care

I care for you

More than my own self

Darling, I'll share

I'll share with you

All goodness and wealth

“Challa, what is this?” she asked through a yawn.

“Just the beginning, my love.” he kissed her cheek and went to his closet and came back out with her favorite dress. “Put this on and meet me downstairs.”

[Skip Marley]

Seh, we can have just one night

Or we can one whole life

If we play it cool, yeah

We can have that one thing

Or we can have everything

If our hearts are true

Girl, slow down

Let me love you

Darling, slow down

Let me get to know you

“Where downstairs?”

“You’ll know!” he said as he jogged out of the room, quickly closing the door behind him.

Ashanti shook her head and stared at her flowy red dress with double leg slits, “What is he up to now?”

She stepped into her dress and zipped up the side, checking herself out in his mirrors and grabbing the gold sandals she usually paired with it. She added a little jewelry and checked her hair before heading towards the door. When she opened it she was caught by surprise by a trail of violet petals leading an open elevator door. She got in and the doors closed before taking her down to the main floor, playing the same song that she heard in his room.

When she got out she could hear the music playing throughout the palace, and she continued to follow the violet petals when she came upon Ramonda and Shuri with huge smiles on their faces.

“You look gorgeous, dear.”

“Thank you,” she blushed. “Do you have any idea what T’Challa is up to?”

“Of course we do, but we're not telling you,” Shuri teased, falling into step behind the other two women and pulling up her beads to secretly record. 

They walked through the palace in comfortable silence when Ashanti saw her parents near the door to the gardens.

“What are you two doing here?” she ran and hugged them.

Chidi shrugged and held out the crook of his arm for his daughter to take, and she looped her arm through his. The five of them walked through the gardens, following the purple petal road through the hedge maze. Ashanti’s heart beat faster with every step she took and she nearly burst into tears when she saw Kwame and Binta. 

“Didn’t I just see you like five minutes ago?,” Ashanti joked, greeting Binta for the second time that night. Kwame pulled her in for a tight hug and she nuzzled into his chest. She knew why her friends and family were here and she couldn’t be more thankful for being surrounded by all their love.

Ramonda and Bisa grabbed her hands and walked her into the center of the maze.

[H.E.R.]

Seh, uh

Baby, I've been fantasizing

Just looking in your eyes

You know I'm looking for more

And you're what I've been praying for

This kind of love don't come around like this

I'm not one to play around like this, it's so real

And I love how it feels

I love it when we slowly sway

I love it when we think the same thing

I love the way we move

The way we move

T’Challa stood there looking crisp as ever in his Bast-tailored black suit with his panther necklace out over his red shirt instead of a tie or scarf. Tears came to her eyes at seeing him wear her tribe’s colors as she took in the scene around them. 

The violet petals stopped in front of a pedestal with an intricate wooden box sitting atop it. He walked over to her and grabbed her hand, leading her over to the pedestal.

We can have every night, yeah

We can have every day

Ooh, I want you too

I need you

“Ashanti...kitten,” everyone in attendance aww’d with the exception of Shuri of course, whose face twisted up in disgust at the nickname. “You mean the world to me, and you have ever since I walked into your store that day. I know you already know what I’m going to say-”

She nodded, “Mhm, but go on anyway.”

[Skip Marley & H.E.R.]

Darling, slow down

Slow down, slow down

Let me love you

Let me love you

Slow down

Slow down, slow down

Let me get to know you, yeah

Baby, slow down

Everyone laughed, but there wasn’t a single dry eye in that maze.

“Ashanti Iman Mostafa-”

“Yes?” She asked through tears. Everything was happening so fast, first a baby, now this, but she knew in her heart what she wanted.

“Will you do me the honor of being my queen?” He opened the box for her and she audibly gasped.

“T’Challa! I- Oh my Bast, it’s beautiful,” tears streamed down her face as she looked at what was to be her crown. “Yes, yes of course baby.”

“You’ll marry me?”

“Yes!”

[Skip Marley & H.E.R.]

I wanna see you tomorrow

Not just the thrill of today

Don't let our love just be borrowed, no

This is the choice that we take

Girl, slow down

Let me love you

(I need you, you, you)

Darling, slow down

Let me get to know you

Let me get to know you now darling

Hey, we can have just one night

Or we can one whole life

If we play it cool, yeah

Cool (So cool, oh)

We can have that one thing

(We can have that one thing)

Or we can have everything

(We can have everything)

If our hearts are true

Yeah, girl, slow down

Their families cheered and Ramonda held up her hand so they could see N’Jadaka’s and Nakia’s holograms broadcasting from the Outreach Center. 

All the noise was lost on Ashanti and T’Challa who might as well have been alone in their own little world.

“I have one more thing for you.”

“More?”

He laughed, “Yes, more. I’ll give it to you once we get back to our room.”

“Our room,” she kissed him, “I like the sound of that.”

“Try it on!” Shuri shouted over the commotion, prompting everyone to echo her sentiment.

T’Challa lifted the crown from its silk bedding and placed it on her head, making sure it was secure.

“My baby,” Bisa cried and ran to hug her daughter. “You look beautiful.”

“Thank you mama.”

Chidi joined them, and it was obvious he was trying to hold it together.

“Congratulations, nugget-” his voice hitched and Ashanti wrapped her arms around his waist just as Bisa went to hug her new son-in-law. 

She winked and whispered to him, “I told you she’d love it.”

Congratulations were thrown around and eventually their audience dissipated, leaving the two of them alone.

“So do you really like it?’ T’Challa asked nervously.

Ashanti put her arms around his neck and pulled him down to her level for a kiss.

“More than anything in this world,” she kissed him again. “I can’t wait to be your queen.”

“You’ve always been my queen.”

--------

“So when are you moving in?” Bisa asked as she and Ashanti waited for the pregnancy test results. T’Challa had gotten called on a last-minute mission with the Avengers, and he almost cancelled until Ashanti urged him to go. They had been up all night, laying in bed and just staring into each other’s eyes while talking about their future. One big thing that came up was his travel for work.

“What about when you’re gone for work?”

“Well if it’s not for something dangerous, I don’t see why you two couldn’t come with me.”

“Who would be in charge then?”

“Shuri, N’Jadaka, mama, whoever. We would work it out.”

Ashanti nodded before another question dawned on her and she propped her head up on her elbow.

“What are my responsibilities as queen?”

“Mama will walk you through everything, but pretty much the same as mine, minus the Black Panther part of course. You’ll preside over council meetings and do all the boring paperwork you always see me pouring over. The good part is, you’ll only have to do half. The rest is up to you, really. Mama started a gardening initiative in the city-”

“I remember that! I didn’t realize that was her.”

“Yes, she doesn’t like to have her name attached to her projects.”

“So I take it that’s where you got your little ‘anonymous buyer’ idea from, huh?” she nudged him.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” he grinned. 

“Mhm, I bet.”

He smiled as his hand found its way to her stomach again.

“What do you want, boy or girl?” he asked her.

“Well the selfish part of me wants a mini-me, but the other part of me wants to see a mini-you. I don’t really care either way.”

“Mm. I wouldn’t either, but I’ve always wanted a baby girl.”

“Oh my Bast, you would spoil her rotten.”

“Like you won’t?”

“Hush,” she playfully hit his chest and looked down at the ring glistening on her finger. Every time she looked at the big, beautiful ruby resting in a nest of diamonds her heart skipped a beat. “ Ok, I have one more question…”

“I’ve got all night.”

“How soon can I move in?”

“Half of your stuff is already here, I’d say you moved in months ago. Why not go ahead and bring everything? I want my girls close by.”

Ashanti’s leg couldn’t stop bouncing, she was so anxious despite being mostly sure she already knew the answer. Still, something about waiting for test results always triggered her nerves.

“We, uh, talked about it last night actually. I didn’t really know how to bring it up to you, but I’m, uh, moving out this weekend.”

“I’m surprised you’re waiting that long,” Binta joked right as the doctor re-entered the room.

“Congratulations, Ms. Mostafa, you are definitely pregnant.”

A wave of relief washed over Ashanti at finally knowing for sure.

Pregnant.

She was going to be someone’s mother.

The thought had crossed her mind over the last day, but it didn’t really sink in until now.

Her hips would spread and her feet would swell. She’d soon outgrow her clothes and her breasts would fill with milk. She’d have cravings and kick T’Challa out of bed in the middle of the night to satisfy them. Her bladder would be crushed and her back would hurt, all for that little bundle of joy that she hoped would look like both of their parents. She felt an odd combination of calmness and anxiety at her body no longer being hers, but theirs. 

Binta shook her out of her stupor, “You ok?”

Ashanti smiled at her friend, tears welling in her eyes.

“I’m having a baby,” she hugged Binta close.

“And I get to help bring them into the world!”

The two laughed and then settled in for the rest of the appointment. The doctor had plenty of questions and lots of advice, but there wasn’t much Ashanti could say seeing as how she couldn’t tell this random doctor who the father was. Then it dawned on her, would this even be a normal pregnancy? The child was half Black Panther afterall...

“Thank you Dr. Obi, you’ve been a great help,” she said as she grabbed her bag to leave.

“You are welcome, do you need me to set you up with a midwife, or do you already have one in mind?”

Ashanti’s thoughts travelled back to her conversation with T’Challa the night before.

“So is there, like, a royal midwife or something?”

“Of course. Ramla delivered me and Shuri, and I would like for her to deliver our baby as well if that is ok with you.”

She kissed him.

“That’s perfect.”

“We already have one. Thank you!” The two ladies left the office arm-in-arm and walked through the city on their way to Zana Cafe. 

“So when are you telling everybody?”

“Mama and baba already know. I got sick in the restaurant yesterday- they’ve just been waiting on me to tell them if it’s for real or not.”

“Do you want to tell them now?”

That was the one question she forgot to ask T’Challa. Did he want to wait to tell the family? Did he want to do it together?

“Not yet, I’ll wait and see what Challa wants to do.”

“You mean your fiancé? Your betrothed? Your intended-”

“Ok, ok, we get it,” Ashanti laughed at her friend as they entered her parent’s restaurant and sat in a booth towards the back. Thankfully, whatever they were cooking smelled like heaven and when Bisa brought them bowls of the fragrant lentil stew, Ashanti dug in like she hadn’t eaten in months.

“This was my mama’s recipe, you know. When I was pregnant with you, I ate it almost every day.” 

Binta laughed into her bowl at Bisa’s sly attempt.

“Really? How interesting, mama. It is delicious as always.”

“Mmhm.” Bisa turned and left the girls to their food.

“You know she knows.”

“Oh I know. You heard her, ‘when I was pregnant with you I ate it almost every day’” she mocked her mother lovingly.

Their giggling was interrupted by a text from her fiancé. 

T: How are you feeling today?

She smiled and responded.

A: Still pretty tired. Guess what...

T: What?

A: Binta and I went to the doctor. It’s official, you’re a baba!

T: Yes! I knew it. How far along are you?

A: About 9 weeks

T: That sounds about right 

A: I have a question, though…

T: The answer is probably yes…

A: It’s not a yes or no question lol. When did you want to tell people? Mama and baba kind of already know, Binta knows, why not tell everybody?

T: I am sure mama knows as well. I’ll be back tomorrow, how about we do it then?

A: Deal. 

T: I have to go now, but I’ll call you tonight, love.

 A: Be safe 

T: Always.

“Ok, he comes back tomorrow so we can do it then.”

“Ugh I have to hold this in for another day? You know how hard it is to keep something from Kwame? Damn near impossible, that’s how.”

“Well you were the one eavesdropping-”

“Ma’am I’m surprised the neighbors didn’t hear him yelling. Your man was excited.”

The two of them laughed and Ashanti’s mind drifted to how bright his face would be when they told his family. N’Jadaka and Nakia were flying in from Oakland and M’Baku was going to come down from Jabari Land to celebrate their impending union over a big celebratory dinner. Steve might even come back to Wakanda with T’Challa to join the festivities.

“So about this dinner tomorrow...who all is going to be there?”

“N’Jadaka, Nakia, M’Baku and Shani, probably Steve and Bucky, you and Kwame, mama and baba, Shuri and Queen Mother, and Okoye if she’s off.”

“Are any of them single?”

“I think N’Jadaka is. Bucky is either single or with Steve, they’re very close so it is hard to tell. I think Okoye might have someone...Why, what happened with Kiki?”

“She’s a great person, but we sort of grew apart. It was a mutual decision, we’ll still hang out from time to time,” she shrugged.

“Well that’s good, but I’m sorry about the breakup.”

“No big deal...about these single people, though.”

“I’m pretty sure N’Jadaka will fuck anything that breathes and walks on two legs.”

“As long as he has his shots, I couldn’t care less. And the White Wolf? I never thought I’d say this about a colonizer, but that man can get it. I wonder how dextrous those metal fingers are...”

Ashanti popped off her pinky, “Pretty dextrous.”

“I always forget you have that thing!”

The two of them broke out into a fit of laughter and Ashanti grabbed more bread for her stew.

--------

“Are you sure you’re ready, kitten? We can wait if you’d prefer,” T’Challa asked of his bride-to-be.

“I'm ready,” she said with a smile before grabbing his hand and signalling for the guards to open the door to the formal dining room that was much bigger than the small family dining room upstairs. All the seats were taken with the exception of the head of the table and the seat on its right hand side. They all looked up at the couple as they entered and stood to cheer for their impending union, causing Ashanti to blush.

The two took their seats and the dinner commenced. Everyone seemed to be getting along fine, including Binta and Bucky, and before the dessert course could make its way to the table T’Challa stood. He held out his hand to help Ashanti up and cleared his throat, never letting her hand go.

“We want to thank you all for coming tonight to celebrate me becoming the luckiest man in the world.”

There were chuckles around the table as Binta and Ashanti’s parents looked on expectantly. 

“But there is one last thing you all need to kn-”

“We’re having a baby!” T’Challa just couldn’t help himself, it slipped out. 

“T’Challa!”

Everyone spoke over each other and crowded around the couple, showing them love.

“I knew it!”

“Wow, congratulations!”

“My baby’s having a baby.”

“Alright! Congrats, man!”

“My little girl...making me an umakhulu.”

“Congratulations, brother.”

“I’m going to be an auntie!”

“My son…”

“My nigga…” 

Eventually the commotion died down and everyone took their seats again as the mango pudding was brought out.

“So how far along are you?” Shani asked.

“Just about nine weeks. We want to wait until I’m out of the first trimester before we tell the council, maybe even longer before we go public.”

“That’s smart. When I was pregnant with M’Bari our council practically lived in my uterus with him. Avoid that as long as you can,” she cautioned.

Ramonda looked up from her pudding to agree.

“When I was pregnant with Shuri the council found out before we could announce it to them...total disaster.”

“We trust that you all will keep this between us until we go public.” T’Challa added.

“Of course, we will,” Nakia smiled at the couple fondly.

“How have you been feeling, dear? Carrying the child of the Black Panther takes a lot out of you.”

“It does? What’s different about it?” T’Challa asked his mother.

“We’ll discuss all that later, but Ashanti are you sleeping well?”

“All I want to do is sleep.”

Binta and the mothers at the table laughed knowingly.

“That’s just how the first trimester goes, intyatyambo. You’ll have more energy in the second trimester.”

“Well I know one thing, she hates the smell of oxtails now,” Binta added.

“So do I.”

“You’re already experiencing her symptoms?”

“Woah that can happen?!” N’Jadaka asked, horrified. 

“Especially if you have the heart shaped herb in your system,” Ramonda added.

“I’m just gonna go ahead and get snipped then.”

“Good luck with that,” she laughed into her pudding. 

“So I know it’s too early to tell, but what do you think you’re having?” Nakia asked.

“I don’t know, I’m fine with whatever as long as my baby is healthy.”

“As am I,” T’Challa kissed her hand then stage whispered to the rest of the table, “Baby girl.”

A chorus of chuckles and “awww” rang out around the table once more as the king and queen-to-be smiled at each other.

“Well that was easy,” she leaned in and whispered to him while the mothers continued their back and forth over pregnancy symptoms, shocking the men without children into silence over the way they casually spoke of such horrors. 

“Now for the council.”

“You know, we could always just tell them about the wedding, have it pretty soon, then drop the baby news on them after,” she offered.

“You just can’t wait to be married to me, huh?”

“Well, that’s part of it too...I don’t want to look pregnant in our wedding pictures, so we either do it now or wait until after this baby is out.”

“Now it is, then.”

--------

“That went smoother than I thought it would…” Ashanti mused as she kicked her feet up and placed them in T’Challa’s lap when they got back to their chambers after the council meeting.

“Eh, they saw it coming. I have already referred to you as my queen multiple times.”

“You have?” her eyes lit up.

 “Yes, they needed to learn to respect you.”

She looked at him with stars in her eyes. This man, her man, was so sure in his love for her, and it made her feel safe and warm.

As usual these days, the two fell asleep just like that on the couch, but were awakened by both their beads trilling. They untangled their bodies and answered the call, seeing both of their mothers side by side.

“Where are you two? You were supposed to be here 20 minutes ago for the fittings.”

“Shit, we fell asleep. Coming, mama!” Ashanti bolted up and the king followed as they both ran out the door, down to the tailors.

“Sorry we’re late,” Ashanti said through a yawn as they finally made it to their fitting.

“Sleep again, huh?” 

“That’s all I can do these days, sleep and eat. I’m a cat,” she said, exasperated, before falling back into a soft, cushiony chair.

“No dear, you’re just carrying a panther,” Ramonda chuckled at the frustrated look on Ashanti’s face. She certainly did not miss the feeling. “So, now that you two are here we have to get you fitted for your traditional attire, your robes, and your outfits for the feast in your honor.” 

“Mama, the tailors already have my measurements, why-”

“Hush, boy. You need to be here just as much as she does.”

Ashanti chuckled at how quickly he shut up before Bisa shot her a look and she stopped, too.

“Now, T’Challa you come with me. Ashanti, you and Bisa will be meeting with Deka, one of the royal tailors. She designed my and Queen N’Yami’s wedding robes-”

“May she rest in peace,” Bisa said as Ashanti squeezed T’Challa’s hand. His biological mother wasn’t often brought up in conversations, but when she was he always grew tense. She died during childbirth and T’Challa barely made it out alive himself. Thankfully, with the help of therapy, he was able to let go of the survivor's guilt he held onto all his life.

Ramonda nodded in deference to her predecessor and introduced Deka to Ashanti and her mother. They hit it off right away, and the fitting went off without a hitch. Meanwhile, down the hall, T’Challa wasn’t having much luck with Dakarai, his usual tailor.

“Nothing looks right,” he said as he fiddled with his collar.

“That’s because your mind is elsewhere. Tell me, what is bothering you?” Ramonda asked her son as he smoothed out his sleeves. “Dakarai, could you give us the room please?”

“Absolutely, your highness. I will be in my office.”

“Thank you.” She waited for the doors to close and turned back to T’Challa. “So?”

He let out a deep sigh “I think it just hit me that I’m becoming a husband and a father at the same time.”

“It’s a lot to take in.”

“It is...I’m excited, though. I want this more than anything, but why do I feel so…”

“Stressed, nervous, immobilized by fear?”

“All of the above.” he huffed and sat down in an open chair, careful to avoid the pins in his clothing.

“Unyana,” she sat down next to him and pulled his hand into hers, “There is nothing scarier in this world than becoming a parent, but I can only speak from a mother’s perspective. Maybe you should talk with Chidi and M’Baku, hm? They have both been where you are, well not the rushed wedding, but you know what I am saying.”

“Yes, mama,” he chuckled. “That’s a good idea.”

“I have them from time to time,” she stood up and kissed the crown of his head. “I’ll go get Dakarai.”

T’Challa went to his beads the moment she turned to leave, texting both Chidi and M’Baku to see when they had time to talk. Surprisingly, M’Baku texted back almost immediately.

“M’Bari must be close by,” he thought to himself before chuckling fondly at his friend. M’Baku hated their modern technology, but entertained the kimoyo beads simply for communication purposes. He had mastered the holograms, but was still a little shaky when it came to texting. The king was used to his responses taking a while, so this was a pleasant surprise. 

His fingers were already flying across the keyboard when Chidi texted back. He was busy running the restaurant while Bisa helped with wedding plans, but offered up Zana Cafe as a meeting spot so he could still be present. T’Challa had just finished confirming plans when Ramonda and Dakarai re-entered.

“Guess what I just saw,” Ramonda sang excitedly

“What?”

“Ashanti’s dress for the feast!”

His eyes lit up at the thought and it took all his strength to keep himself from running down the hall and seeing for himself.

“Your wife-to-be looks lovely, your majesty.”

It was as if all his nerves dissipated on the spot just thinking of her, and the rest of the fitting was smooth sailing.

With only a week until the wedding, Ashanti was just as nervous as her fiancé, though her fears were a little more on the irrational side.

“But mama, what if ten years down the line he wakes up and realizes he made a huge mistake, and he’s stuck with me, but-”

“Now, sithandwa, you know that man loves you to pieces. Don’t let that baby work you up over this.”

Ashanti laughed at her foolishness, realizing her mother was right. She had been getting emotional over the littlest things for the past few days, and she knew it would just be getting worse from there.

“Do a little spin for me.”

Ashanti carefully twirled around while her mother’s proud eyes took in every inch of the gown as she turned.

“You look absolutely gorgeous, intyatyambo,” she said through the tears that quickly formed in her eyes.

Ashanti couldn’t help but cry when she saw Bisa crying, and pretty soon they were both a mess.

“My baby is getting married...starting a family of her own,” she fussed with Ashanti’s hair as she spoke. “I know you’re grown and have been for a while, but...Bast, you were just a child not that long ago! It feels like you just took your first steps, and now here you are. My baby isn't my baby anymore...my baby is having a baby.” she whispered the last past since Deka was in earshot. They laughed through their tears and embraced each other carefully to avoid causing any harm to the dress.

--------

“Thank you for coming early, M’Baku.”

“No problem, brother. Now, what is this about?” he leaned in just as Chidi came over.

“I’ll tell you what it’s about, he’s freaking out.”

“Is that true?”

“Unfortunately, yes,” T’Challa rested his head in his hand.

Both of the married men chuckled as Chidi set out food for the table. 

  “Wedding or baby?”

“Both, but mostly baby.”

“Hm. You know, the day before Bisa and I got married I had a panic attack because I didn’t think I’d make a good enough husband for her.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, I almost called the whole thing off. Then she called me right in the middle of it, like she could sense something was wrong. She didn’t want anything, she just missed my voice, so we ended up talking all night. Later I found out she was just as scared as I was and called to calm herself down...The point is, don’t get too into your head about it. You two love each other and that’s what matters.”

M’Baku nodded along as T’Challa ruminated on Chidi’s words.

“And as for the baby, well that is terrifying no matter how you look at it.”

“What do you mean?”

“M’Baku, don’t scare the poor man.”

“I am just being honest. Nothing can prepare you for the feeling of being a parent. You think you have an idea, but trust me, you don’t. It is the scariest, most fulfilling, draining job you will ever have. And yes, I am including running a whole country. Being a husband is not all that hard. You love and support your wife in whatever way she needs, you two work as a unit, and if problems arise there’s always couples therapy. A child, however...it’s like inviting a stranger into your home that you have to keep alive and every day they do something either extremely frustrating or terrifying or adorable.”

“Like the first time they smile at you,” Chidi added.

“Or when they call you baba for the first time. I cried like a baby.”

“And those first steps. We recorded Ashanti’s, I’ll show you later.”

“Watching their personality develop-”

“Their little shoes-”

“Hanuman, I want another...I will bring it up to Shani tonight.”

T’Challa shook his head, surprised his friend didn’t already have his own little tribe of children by now. He knew that had to be Shani’s doing.

“I’m happy we had just the one, but Ashanti always wanted to be a big sister. Thankfully her umakhulu helped us keep her from being a lonely child.”

T’Challa nodded in understanding. He knew Ashanti wanted two for that exact reason, and the thought of having another child with the love of his life warmed his heart. 

“I will use that excuse with Shani. Let’s see if it works.”

The king’s trepidations slipped away as his friend and father-in-law answered his questions on fatherhood, marriage, and surviving their wives pregnancies.

Just as M’Baku had begun describing Shani’s third trimester the rest of their party arrived.

“Let’s get this party started!” Prince N’Jadaka loudly burst through the doors flanked by his two favorite colonizers. He looked around and deflated, “You got less strippers here than I expected.”

“On that note, I’m going to take my leave. You all have fun,” he turned to T’Challa, “but not too much fun. I’m not above regicide.”

The group snickered at T’Challa and Chidi left them to their shenanigans.

“So what’s the plan?”

“Strippers, obviously. Just not in his father-in-law’s restaurant,” Bucky added with a roll of his eyes. He and the prince generally got along fine, but continuously worked each other's nerves.

“Strippers, obviously,” N’Jadaka mocked. “I know that, I mean when we going?”

“Right about now,” T’Challa said with a smile.

“To the- wait what’s this place called again?” Steve asked.

“Jungle Cat Lounge,” T’Challa snickered.

“To the Jungle Cat Lounge!”

“You ever been to a strip club before, blue eyes?” N’Jadaka antagonized Steve.

“Well, no, but uh-”

The prince clapped him on the back and smiled devilishly, “You’re in for a good time, man.”

The lounge had been shut down for the private party of five, with all the best dancers performing for their king and his guests. T’Challa and M’Baku mostly just threw money around and appreciated the womens’ athleticism on the pole, meanwhile the other three had the time of their lives. N’Jadaka was right at home as he got lap dance after lap dance and eventually disappeared with one of the girls for a private dance. Bucky and Steve’s eyes were bugged out of their head most of the time and T’Challa laughed at the dumbstruck looks on their faces. Despite the fact that he doesn’t drink and could care less about the dancers in his face, he was having a good time out with his friends until the thought of Ashanti crossed his mind and he had the strongest urge to be with her. He decided to text her to check in.

T: How are my girls?

He figured she was probably busy with her friends at her own party, but her text came back with a quickness.

A: What a coincidence, I was just about to text you. And we don’t know for sure about the baby yet, Challa!

T: Is everything ok?

A: Yes, you just crossed my mind.

M’Baku looked over and noticed the king smiling at his beads.

“How is she?”

“Hm?” T’Challa saw the smirk on his friend’s face and knew he’d been caught. “Oh, uh, she’s good. Just missed me, that’s all.”

“She missed you or you missed her?”

“Yes,” the king chuckled into his glass of club soda. 

“I was the same way. My brothers took me out the night before my wedding, too...all I wanted was to be with my Shani.”

T’Challa nodded, “These women are beautiful, of course, but I’m enjoying their reactions more than anything.” He pointed over to his American friends who were both surrounded by women, mouths hanging open in disbelief at all the ass gyrating in their faces.

“They are quite entertaining,” M’Baku laughed at the two of them before taking a sip of his rum. “I used to enjoy places like this, but it’s not the same anymore.”

T’Challa nodded in agreement and went back to his beads.

T: It must be because I miss you. 

A: Strippers not doing it for you?

T: Not this time, I’d rather be with you.

A: Well after tomorrow you’re stuck with me forever…

T: Sounds like a good way to spend eternity

A:  You flatter me, kumkani

T: That’s not all I want to do to you.

A: You just can’t behave, can you?

T: Nope. 

A: You’ll survive a little longer.

T: Will I?

A: This whole “no sex until the wedding” thing was your idea. You’re such a drama queen.

T: I’m your drama queen 

A: And don’t you forget it. Well, the girls just left and I can barely keep my eyes open. I’ll probably be knocked out when you get back, so good night kumkani.

T: Sweet dreams, kitten.

--------

The next morning the couple was awakened by heavy knocking.

“Get up, busy day ahead!” Ramonda called through the door. T’Challa grunted and rolled over to look at the time, sprouting up when he saw it was half past 9 already. He tried to wake Ashanti but lately she had been sleeping like the dead.

“My love, it’s time to wake up,” he sang as he kissed all over her face. “I get to marry you today, so get up. We’re already late for our rituals.”

She groaned and her eyes fluttered open.

“That’s it. Come on, we’re late. It’s already 9:30,” he said hopping out of bed. “I’ll start the shower.”

Ashanti dragged herself to the bathroom and they quickly showered together and were ready in time for N’Jadaka to bang on the door.

“Yo, Auntie said if y’all don’t come on I can break down the door-”

Ashanti yanked the door open and glared at her cousin to be, “Don’t even try it.”

“Someone’s in a mood on this joyous day.”

“Don’t antagonize pregnant women, umzala,” T’Challa sauntered over and clapped his younger cousin on the shoulder before the three of them headed down to the dining room where everyone was finishing up their meal.

“Well mholo to you both,” Nakia said as she looked up from her conversation with M’Baku. She had been the first to notice the couple enter and soon after a chorus of good mornings filled the air.

After breakfast Kwame and the women went one direction as the rest of the men escorted T’Challa back to his chambers to get him ready for the day. Ashanti and her group travelled to her parents’ home where they had laid out all the necessary items for their ritual.

First, Shani drew her a warm bath filled with coconut milk, special herbs, and flowers, then they all prayed over her as her mother washed her from head to toe. Next, they cleansed the air with incense smoke as Ashanti meditated and allowed her body to air dry from her spiritually cleansing bath. Ramonda wrapped her in a silk robe as Nakia dried her hair and styled it in bantu knots that she would take down the next day to have beautiful fluffy curls. Shuri painted her toes while Kwame painted her fingers and Binta painted ancient symbols onto the rest of her body in white clay.

Bisa and Ramonda recorded the beautiful moment on their beads, and when they were done and Ashanti was all made up Bisa tried her best not to cry, but failed. There wasn’t a dry eye in the room as the mother and daughter embraced each other once more, careful to avoid smudging any of her body paint. Bisa held her daughter’s head in her hands and wiped her tears away.

“My baby girl.”

Meanwhile, at the palace, Steve and Bucky were very uncomfortable at seeing more of T’Challa’s body than they had ever hoped. Especially Steve, since he hadn't realized just how...free the Wakandans were. N’Jadaka ran the bath before Chidi washed T’Challa just like Bisa did with their daughter. The men prayed their blessings over him and when he was done, M’Baku lined the king up. After he got dressed in his traditional shorts, N’Jadaka placed the original Black Panther necklace on him as Chidi dipped his brush into the white clay to start painting T’Challa’s face and body.

After the two were made up and covered in the blessings of their loved ones, each group travelled to the City of the Dead to begin the ceremony. 

T’Challa arrived first, taking his position at the temple doors and waiting for his betrothed. She arrived shortly after, and when their eyes met and they took in each other's forms they both started to cry. Here they were, in their wedding paint, about to face Bast’s judgement together.  T’Challa’s hand found its way to the fertility symbol Binta had painted over her womb and he planted a light kiss on her lips.

“You ready?”

“Let’s do this.”

He kissed her again and grabbed her hand before signalling the priestesses to open the doors. The two of them stepped into the temple, leaving their loved ones behind at the door, and followed the high priestess Hasina deep into the catacombs. They arrived at the garden of the heart-shaped herb and Ashanti was in awe at the sight before her, never having seen one in real life before.

“So this is where the magic happens?” Ashanti asked, trying to keep it light to calm her nerves.

“Quite literally, sister Ashanti,” Hasina winked at her. “You will see.”

Hasina instructed them to lay next to each other and hold hands while they were both given a concoction that would take them to the ancestral plane. The last thing Ashanti saw before she shut her eyes was the warm red sand covering her body.

She felt a squeeze in her right hand and sat up from the dirt, taking in her surroundings. She had been here before of course, but the circumstances were very different and she wasn't able to really appreciate it for all its beauty. Her mouth hung open as she marveled at the purple skies and the acacia tree in the distance filled with panthers lazing on the limbs. Three panthers jumped down and made their way over to the couple, making Ashanti move in closer to T’Challa for protection.

“It's ok, look,” he pointed as the panther closest to Ashanti stood up and transformed into Taj.

“Umakhulu!” Ashanti almost tackled him with a hug. She turned back around to bring T’Challa forward and panicked upon seeing tears stream down his face. “Baby, what-”

She stopped herself when she noticed the two people standing in front of him and the dam behind her eyes broke, too. There she was, Queen N’Yami in all her regal glory, meeting her son for the first time. 

T’Challa was frozen on the spot. He felt a light touch on his arm and looked down to see Ashanti smiling back up at him. He took a deep breath and looked towards his parents as T’Chaka spoke up,“T’Challa, there is someone you should meet. This is your-”

“Mama...I know…”

N’Yami stepped forward, placing her hands lightly around her son’s face.

“Everything I went through and he has the nerve to look just like you, T’Chaka.”

The former king laughed and shook his head.

“Now N’Yami, you cannot possibly think those eyes are mine.”

“I suppose,” she continued to examine him with a smile on her face. A single tear rolled down her cheek as her voice cracked. “I missed so much...I am sorry, unyana, but it was my time.”

“I know, mama,” the king croaked out. “I just- I needed you.” He broke down in his mother’s arms as Taj held Ashanti close, wiping her tears away. T’Challa and N’Yami’s sobs filled the ancestral plane and the more they cried the more relief washed over both of them. When their tears subsided, T’Challa looked towards his love and her grandfather, both of whom had tears in their eyes as well. He smiled and reached his hand out for her to take, and when she did he pulled her close and wrapped his arms around her waist.

“Mama, baba...this is-”

“We know exactly who this is. Ashanti, my dear, it is a pleasure to finally meet you.”

“We’ve heard so much about you.” N’Yami sent a wink Taj’s way. 

Ashanti greeted them both with the Wakandan salute and stepped forward. They pulled her into a hug just as Taj did the same for T’Challa.

“My boy, it is good to see you.”

“You as well, sir. And thank you.”

“For what?”

“For making her come back home when she wanted to stay here.”

“I just knew she had a lot more living to do.”

The five of them continued to get acquainted with each other when T’Chaka noticed the colors of the sky changing.

“She will be here soon.”

“Who?”

“The goddess.”

Ashanti’s throat closed up and T’Challa grabbed her hand in his before bringing it to his lips for a kiss.

“It’ll be fine, kitten.”

She nodded and took a deep breath, pushing her nerves away when all of a sudden a huge panther could be seen on the horizon. The five of them waited hand-in-hand as she approached and when she got close enough for them to reach out and touch her, she stood up and transformed into a statuesque woman with the head of a jaguar. Her gold bangles stood out against her dark skin and her naked body seemed to glow. 

She said no words as she examined the couple, staring into their innermost selves. A smile appeared on her face as she nodded to Ashanti and backed up, turning back into her jaguar form and walking back the way she came.

“T-that was it?” Ashanti asked, unsure of what just happened.

“That was it, nugget. She would have ripped your head off if she didn’t like you.”

Ashanti’s eyes grew wide and she turned to T’Challa who was shaking his head with a smirk on his face.

“Not literally, but I knew she’d like you.” he said nonchalantly.

“Especially with my umzukulwana in there,” N’Yami pointed to Ashanti’s belly. “May I?”

“Of course, I’m still in my first trimester so there’s not much to-”

Ashanti felt a tingling in her stomach when N’Yami touched her.

“Would you like to know what you are having?”

“You can tell already?” T’Challa chimed in.

“Of course I can,” she winked, “Now, would you like to know or not?”

The couple looked at each other and nodded in agreement.

When they burst through the sands back in Wakanda they were greeted by cheering from the priestess and temple aides. T’Challa helped her up and they dusted themselves off before going to rejoin their family members that were waiting anxiously outside. Upon leaving the temple they were immediately bombarded with hugs and congratulations from their loved ones, but they were both still in a daze.

A baby girl.

They both always wanted a baby girl and now here she was, slowly making her way into the world through them. Neither could contain their excitement, so when N’Jadaka asked who they saw, they almost didn’t hear him. Ashanti was the first to come out of their daze and answer.

“We saw my umakhulu...and T’Challa’s mama and baba. They all said hello.”

There was a moment of silence while everybody registered what she had said. The king had finally met his birth mother, and the thought made most of their eyes get mistier than they already were.

“That’s wonderful,” Ramonda smiled at her son and he smiled back. He had always wished that Ramonda had been his birth mother, but now he knew he was blessed to have two mothers. One in the ancestral plane watching over him, and the other right in front of him supporting everything he does. 

Ashanti’s eyes finally travelled from her loved ones to the darkening sky, “How long were we in there?”

“About 4 hours, time moves differently in the ancestral plane. Come, it’s almost dinner time.” Ramonda answered, gesturing for them to get moving back towards their transportation. 

“What were you all doing all that time?”

“Oh we had our own little party out here while we waited,” Chidi chimed in.

The entire wedding party made its way back to the palace for a celebratory meal and Ashanti felt her nerves slowly creep back up on her thinking about the next couple days.

Only one down, two more to go.

--------

The public ceremony went by in a blur. Ashanti just remembered them being paraded around the city on palanquins before being brought back to the palace steps to be given away. Chidi and Bisa gave Ashanti away while Ramonda and a surprisingly emotional N’Jadaka gave away the king, but the rest of it sort of flew by. As far as she was concerned, the real wedding was yesterday and this was just for show.

The coronation was another story. When the boats arrived at the drained waterfall and hovered down to drop the tribes off in their respective areas, Ashanti felt the knot in her stomach get even more twisted. She looked over at T’Challa who seemed cool as a cucumber, and she realized it wasn’t morning sickness. Just nerves. Becoming T’Challa’s wife hadn’t shaken her in such a way, but becoming his queen and ruling beside him was definitely causing some anxiety to surface.

“I can hear you thinking too much,” T’Challa said, kissing her hand as they disembarked and walked to the center of the falls.

“I’m trying not to, this is just a lot.”

“I know, kitten,” he kissed her forehead. “Just think about all the fun we can have after.” he winked and she chuckled. Just how he could think about sex at a time like this, she would never understand. 

He stepped forward to address the crowd and Ashanti zoned out, catching every other word until it was her time to act. She stepped forward and Hasina brought out the wooden box that held her crown and passed it to Chidi. He opened it and Bisa carefully secured the crown on her daughter’s head, making sure the panther teeth were standing tall in their gilded foundation. Ashanti turned to bow to Queen Mother, whose snow white locs were flowing down her back, no longer hidden under her crown of choice.  

“You will make an excellent queen, my dear.”

“Thank you, Ramonda.”

Then she turned to her husband, her king, and he pulled her in for a deep kiss, making the crowd go wild.

“I told you you’ve always been my queen.” he pecked her lips before letting her go. They turned back to the crowd and nodded to each other before crossing their hands over their chests.

“Wakanda forever!” they shouted as Wakandans everywhere, whether watching from the falls, from home, and even the war dogs overseas, saluted them back enthusiastically. Mostly. There were a couple who were less than excited about the goings on, but they kept their contempt to themselves.

Finally, there was the feast. Ashanti looked regal in her panther tooth crown and hand-beaded and embroidered royal purple gown, and T’Challa looked every bit a king in his matching suit and panther claw necklace.

After days of ripping and running all over Wakanda for this wedding, Ashanti wanted nothing more than to sleep for the next week and stuff her face full of food. She was thankful her baby girl had been on her best behavior and didn’t make her sick at all during the proceedings of the last few days. She hoped her luck would continue into the feast, though they made absolute sure no beef was on the menu. 

The king and queen danced and filled their bellies all night before saying good night to their loved ones and sneaking upstairs around midnight. On any normal night they’d be tearing at each other's clothes in the elevator, but this time they were so tired that had they not been in uncomfortable formal clothes they would’ve just fallen flat on the bed.

T’Challa helped her out of her dress and heels and she undid the buttons on his tunic. They crawled into bed naked and laid in their usual position before drifting off to sleep.

The next day, the King and Queen of Wakanda lazed about in their bed, so drained by the last few days that the two introverts just laid there in silence exchanging light kisses and even lighter touches. They had their breakfast brought to them in bed before they showered and got ready together, still in comfortable silence. Nobody spoke until both of their beads rang as they were leaving their room. He cleared his throat as they activated their communication beads.

“Good morning lovebirds, the Talon is ready for you whenever you wish to depart.”

“Thank you, general. We will be down shortly,” T’Challa spoke to Okoye’s hologram before her image disappeared. They were going away for two weeks, to a private island off the coast of Greece, and T’Challa was more than happy to travel for pleasure instead of work like he normally does. He couldn’t wait to see her laid out on the white sand beach, her beautiful dark skin contrasting with the bright blue and white background.

Ashanti paused on the way to the door, “Do we have everything?” 

“We have everything we need, love,” he said as he kissed her forehead and reached for the door to hold it open for her. His arms found their way around her waist in the elevator and he rested his head on top of hers while rubbing her slightly bloated-looking belly with his large hands.

“You just can’t help yourself, can you?”

“Hm?”

“Touching my belly, your hand almost always goes straight to her.”

“I didn’t even realize I was doing it this time,” he chuckled in disbelief.

“I don't mind, it’s good for her to get to know you. You should try talking to her.”

“She doesn’t have ears yet-”

“Neither do plants, but they still respond to sound.”

He nodded, taking in her words and letting her go, turning her around and lowering to his knee.

“Hello babygirl, it’s your baba,” he kissed Ashanti’s belly and her hand cupped the back of his head as he spoke. “I can’t wait to meet you.”

He stood and kissed his queen before pulling back just as the elevator stopped on the ground floor, “Thank you, again.”

“You’re welcome,” she giggled out and he smiled at the cute little crinkle above her nose when she laughed. He hoped his babygirl took after her mother.

The two aforementioned lovebirds strode through their palace hand in hand with huge smiles on their faces. They made their way to the Talon and were seen off by all their loved ones before heading to their Grecian honeymoon. As soon as they arrived on the island Ashanti was mesmerized by the beauty of it all, eyes wide like a child taking in everything around her. When they got to the villa she could have cried, and almost did. The blue and white building was situated at the top of a hill overlooking the most beautiful beach Ashanti had ever seen.

“I’ve never been to a beach before...this is…” she couldn’t find the words, so she hugged him tight instead. “Thank you Challa!”

“Anything for you, my love.”

She kissed him, and the kiss turned hot and passionate. She could tell he was getting worked up, so she pulled her lips from his.

“Give me the tour?”

“I have a better idea.”

“What’s that?”

“I want to fuck you in every room in this villa,” he whispered into her ear as she giggled at the feel of his breath on her. He backed her up to a wall and leaned into it, trapping her with his body. 

“Let’s start in the bedroom and go from there,” she whispered back and he quickly grabbed her thighs and wrapped her legs around his waist before taking off down the hall.

T’Challa dropped her on the bed and when she tried to sit up, he lightly pushed her back down so that she sat up on her elbows. He leaned over and slipped her his tongue while running his hand up and down her thighs. 

He pulled back and kissed along her collarbone as he spoke, “Will you let me worship your body? Show you how much I love you?”

She nodded, biting her lip, “Yes kumkani.”

He pressed a kimoyo bead and “Slow Down” started to play through the villa. She smiled wide at their song as he kissed down her clothed body, all the way down to her ankles before unbuckling her sandals and sliding them off slowly. He kissed and massaged her feet for a few minutes and Ashanti moaned from the feeling of his strong hands kneading her flesh. He moved his lips up to her calves and his gifted hands followed before moving up to her thighs. Her moans grew louder as his lips peppered her inner thighs with kisses, moving up towards her naked pussy, but skipping it and kissing her stomach. He kissed his way to her breasts as he removed her skirt and she couldn’t take it anymore.

“Challa, please,” she begged as he pulled her top off and took her nipple into his mouth, twirling his tongue around her pebbled bud while his fingers tweaked her other one.

“Uh-uh, you said I could worship your body. That’s what I’m doing,” he said as he worked his way up to her collarbone, kissing her from shoulders to her fingertips. He picked her up and flipped her over before kissing down her back to her luscious ass, biting each cheek for good measure.

“Ass up, kitten,” he said, getting her into position. “Spread your legs...that’s it.” T’Challa instantly buried his face in her pussy from behind, causing her to cry out to Bast at the way his thick tongue worked her center. He moaned as he ate, the vibration stimulating her clit even more, and as his tongue slowly made its way inside her she let out a deep moan from the depths of her soul at the way it flickered across her g-spot.

“If this is how you fuck your wife I should've married you years ago,” she joked through her moans. He chuckled, but didn’t break his concentration on the job at hand. His fingers slid up and down the top of her erect clit, coming down to pull back the hood and suck on it like he was starving for what she had to give. 

“Mmmm, kumkani, you’re gonna make me-” she cut herself off with a high pitched scream as an ocean poured out of her. Her body contracted and convulsed as she covered him in her wetness. When she looked back she could see the liquid dripping down his face and onto his bare chest. She had no idea when he got naked, but as usual she was thankful for the sight of her husband’s naked body. She attempted to turn over, but he stopped her.

“Stay just like that,” his voice was a low grumble at this point. His hands found their home at the dip of her hips and he teased her entrance with the head of his meaty dick.

“Babyyyy,” she complained as her hips wound back into him. 

“Patience, kitten. I want to take my time with you.”

He straddled her as he slowly slid into her warmth and they both let out a moan of relief at the feeling of him being sheathed inside her once more. His hips rocked slowly into hers, stirring her insides and making her whimper under him. He leaned down and nibbled on her earlobe as he whispered to her.

“I love you so much.”

“You take me so well.”

“Mmm, Ashanti you feel so good around me.”

“You like it deep like this?”

She tried to answer him, but couldn't.

“That’s ok, kitten, kumkani understands,” he chuckled, his hips rolling impossibly deeper into her.

“I-I-”

“What is it? Hm?” he picked up the pace a little and her eyes rolled to the back of her head as he thrusted into her. 

“S-stay right t-there.”

“You like this spot right here?” 

“Yes!”

“Anything for you, kitten.”

T’Challa’s precision was out of this world, hips reaching that exact spot over and over making her toes curl as he pounded her harder with each thrust. His hand wrapped around the front of her throat and pulled her head up to meet his. His tongue left his mouth and met hers for a sloppy kiss, and as they explored each other’s mouths she took his bottom lip between her teeth and bit down. He growled at the pain and thrust faster. She was right on the edge and he knew that what he was going to say next would take her over the edge.

“Will you let me fill this pussy up?”

She cried out, orgasm approaching.

“I want you overflowing with my cum. I want you sloppy, I want it dripping down your legs-”

“Yes.”

“You want me to cum in your pussy?”

“Please, kumkani,” she gritted out, hands holding onto the sheets for dear life as his hips slowed back down, bringing her to a long and drawn out orgasm as he spilled his seed deep inside of her. He pulled out and flipped her over, hooking his hands under her knees. Her hands went around his neck as he picked her up and placed her down on his dick. He controlled the maddeningly slow pace and she stared into his almost black eyes in disbelief. No matter how many times they fucked, he always managed to make her body feel like it was the first time. 

“You feel so good,” she huffed out as he repeatedly brought her down onto his thick, pulsating dick. He turned his back towards the bed and sat down, leaning back and allowing Ashanti to have the floor. 

Her hips cycloned round and round like a corkscrew, pushing him deep and using his dick to reach all her favorite spots. 

T’Challa couldn’t help but to take in her beauty as she rode him. He wondered how her body would feel as it changed and grew, and he couldn’t wait to find out. Her pudgy stomach would grow rounder, as would her already heavy breasts. She would look even more like a goddess than she already does, and he wanted to worship at her feet.

His hands gripped her hips as she bounced up and down on him, tightening her kegel muscles as she rose and relaxing them as she met him pelvis to pelvis.

His hand found its way to her throat and he lightly pulled her down for a kiss. He wrapped his arms around her and spread his legs, giving himself the leverage he needed to really give it to her how he wanted. Their kiss intensified as his hips moved inside her and she moaned into his mouth. His thrusts went deeper and her eyes began to fill with tears that eventually streamed down her face. T’Challa was used to this by now and kissed away his wife’s tears as he fucked her deeper and deeper.

He could feel Ashanti clenching around him and sped his hips up, causing her to scream out.

“T’Challa!”

He chuckled. He loved when she forgot herself and called him the wrong name, and normally he would punish her for it, but he let it slide this time.

Her body spasmed again and a high-pitched moan escaped her lips as he pushed her over the edge. He wasn’t too far behind, releasing inside her with a growl.

The king and queen stayed wrapped in each other’s arms, still connected, until they drifted off to sleep. A couple hours later, Ashanti was awakened by the feel of his dick moving inside her.

“Mmm, kumkaniiii,” she whined as his hips rolled into hers.

“Wake up, love. We should eat something,” he said, looking at the time.

“Ok, but since you started it-” Ashanti rolled her hips and pulled a moan out of him. The two of them went a couple more rounds before finally separating and making their way into the kitchen for some food. The entire honeymoon went like that: they’d lay naked on the beach in the mornings, and fuck most of the day away between meals. When it was time to leave Ashanti almost couldn’t let go of the time they spent there together.

“We can always come back, love,” he said as he kissed her temple and grabbed her hand, walking her back to the Talon and to their new lives as King and Queen of Wakanda.

Next Chapter

Taglist:

 @maddeningmayhem, @theblulife, @ljstraightnochaser, @determinednot2fall

[wallgirl]

The Little Nereid Part 3

3600 words, part three of a six seven part fanfiction

Poseidon x OC

Dynamene, youngest of the 50 Nereids, has lived most of her adolescence as a servant alongside her sisters at Poseidon’s palace. But with her coming-of-age birthday and other developments, what she initially thought was just admiration of her master blossoms into something stronger and more passionate… and painful.

Categories: Romance, angst, unrequited love, coming-of-age, earn-your-happy-ending; no NSFW content

---

              The next morning, Dynamene rose reluctantly with a sigh. She was dreading the day, although she knew that Hera’s visit would be largely uneventful, at least as far as the Nereids were concerned. The weight in her chest that had dissolved along with her corporeal form in the ocean the night before had seemingly returned whilst she slept. She rubbed below her collarbone, trying to massage the feeling away. Actaea was right; there was nothing to worry about. The visit would go the same as the several dozen that had preceded it. Hera would arrive, trade smarting words with Poseidon, then leave a few hours later in a huff. No skin off their backs.

               She finished fastening her peplos with the pins gifted to her by Actaea before heading to the door. As she grasped the doorknob, she became aware of a strangely light feeling on her wrist. Looking down, Dynamene realized that she’d forgotten to put on the bracelet Poseidon had given her. She hesitantly looked back at her jewelry stand where the bracelet sat on top in a place of honor. Should she wear it? Maybe it wasn’t appropriate to wear such an exquisite accessory every day.

               But Dynamene was unable to resist the bracelet’s gleam, and she hurried back to slip it on with careful fingers before dashing back out the door.

               Most of her sisters were already present at the dining hall, yawning and chattering over their breakfast of fruit and cakes. “Dynamene!” Eione called, waving a bunch of grapes. “We were wondering where you were! Ianeira was just about to have me fetch you. Come sit, I saved you some grapes!”

               Dynamene flitted over and drew up a chair, allowing her sister to pile her plate for her. “And this,” Eione finished, plopping a pomegranate on top. “Last one. There you are; eat up.”

               Dynamene poked at the pomegranate with a sigh. Of course, it would be a pomegranate, one of Lady Hera’s symbols. She had just begun to pull it apart when Ianeira stood up at the head of the table.

               “Hera is due to arrive in an hour. We will greet her per usual at the deck and escort her to Lord Poseidon’s quarters. After that, they are to have complete privacy. Poseidon will send for us when Lady Hera is ready to be escorted back to her chariot.”

               “We never end up escorting her, anyhow,” Eione commented after a hearty gulp of wine. “She just storms out without warning.”

               “Ideally, we will escort her,” Ianeira amended plainly. “Until then, as we completed the cleaning last night, we have some time to ourselves. We will meet on the deck to await Hera’s arrival in forty-five minutes.”

               The rest of the sisters murmured in acknowledgment before turning back to their plates. Dynamene was eyeing the pomegranate’s innards with distaste when a familiar touch fell upon her shoulder. “Are you eating that with your mouth or your eyes, Dyna?” Actaea teased her.

               “Good morning, Actaea. It’s just that I could’ve done without another reminder of Hera,” Dynamene murmured.

               Eione’s sharp ears caught it anyways. “Sorry, Dynamene,” she cuffed her good-naturedly on the arm. “I didn’t know you were dreading her visit.”

               “That’s what I came to ask you about, actually, Dynamene,” Actaea ventured. “Are you feeling better this morning? I know you were… worried about today last night.”

               “I am,” Dynamene forced an optimistic smile. “I guess I’ve just been too tense recently. I know Hera’s visit will go over just fine.”

               “I’m glad to hear it,” Actaea said, hugging her. “Alright, I’ll see you later.”

               “Yes,” Dynamene nodded. Actaea took her leave, and she allowed her shoulders to fall once more.

               “Dynamene, can I talk to you for a moment?” Ianeira called from further down the table.

               “Of course,” Dynamene rose, glad to leave the pomegranate where it lay on her plate. “What is it?”

               “Now that you’re of age, you’ll be expected to be in the rest of the group when we escort Lady Hera,” Ianeira explained. “It’s nothing difficult, as you’ll recall. We just line up, greet her, and walk her to Poseidon’s sitting room. As the eldest sister, I’ll be doing the talking.”

               Dynamene stared in shock. She had forgotten that she’d gotten out of seeing Hera, at least close-up, in the past due to her young age. But Ianeira was right. Now that she was an adult in society’s eyes, she would be expected to join her older sisters in greeting Hera as a proper lady. “I see,” she said, unable to contain her reluctance.

               “It’ll be just fine,” Ianeira soothed her. “We’ll all be right there with you. It’ll only take a few minutes, and chances are Lady Hera won’t speak to anyone besides me. You’ll be alright.”

               Dynamene took a deep breath and squared her shoulders. That was right; she would be there among the rest of her sisters. Hera wouldn’t even interact with her. Surely she could handle something this simple.

               And yet, far too soon, she found herself back on the deck, just as spotless and luminescent as they’d left it the night before, along with her sisters. She had resumed twisting her peplos with nervous hands. They had formed two lines on either side of the luxurious red carpet that had been rolled out to the grand doors, with Ianeira at their head, as the eldest, to greet Hera.

               There was the faint sound of rushing wind in the distance, and all fifty sisters immediately positioned themselves, hands clasped and heads facing forward. A speck appeared in the distance, rapidly growing larger as it approached the palace at break-neck speed. It was quickly revealed to be a large golden chariot with intricate scenes of forests and flora carved into it. Pulling the chariot with all their might was four peacocks, each many times bigger than the peacocks typically found in the mortal world. They gave a loud cry to signal the arrival of their mistress, leading the chariot to a smooth and graceful descent towards the deck.

               Hera herself stood holding the reins firmly in one hand, lifting her free arm to signal the peacocks to further slowdown. Her long chestnut hair streamed loosely from a braided updo on her head, and her peplos decorated with gold and lavender embroidery billowed in the wind. The sisters immediately dropped into deep curtsies as the chariot slid to rapid halt before them.

               “Hail, Nereids,” Hera addressed them. She tied the reins to the chariot before dismounting with a graceful jump. Dynamene always forgot just how tall and strong Hera was between visits. The goddess stood at a rather imposing six feet, and her arms were well-toned. The features of her face were proud with full lips and defined cheekbones, every inch the image of a strong Greek matriarch.

               “Greetings, Lady Hera,” Ianeira spoke, head bowed. “We are glad to receive you on this beautiful day.”

               “Yes, it was fine weather for flying,” Hera replied, taking in the impressive sight of all fifty Nereid sisters lined up perfectly. “Zeus has been in a fine mood lately. We shouldn’t see a storm for quite a while, I say.”

               “Lord Poseidon awaits in his quarters, my lady. Shall we?”

               “Yes. My brother is not known for his patience, is he? Let us go.” Hera followed Ianeira down the carpet that led the way into the palace, and the rest of the Nereids proceeded after in their two lines.

               “Hm. Not much has changed since my last visit, I see,” Hera commented, taking in the palace’s interior. “Same marble, same furniture.”

               “I daresay Lord Poseidon’s tastes are very stalwart. We do admire his practical taste,” Ianeira replied dutifully.

               “There comes a point, in matters such as these, when practicality becomes monotony,” Hera scoffed. “Perhaps I could convince him to add a dash of color. Surely he wouldn’t find cerulean an offensive hue.”

               They had almost completed their ascent to the highest tower, where Poseidon’s quarters were located, when Hera came to a halt. “One moment,” she interjected, turning around to face the Nereids.

               “Yes, my lady?” Ianeira asked.

               “Hm,” Hera took them in with her sharp eyes. “The lines are uneven this time. I nearly missed it. You, and then forty-nine in the two lines… Who is the new maiden that makes the numbers uneven?”

               Dynamene’s heart froze, as she immediately knew Hera was talking about her. Oh, why did Hera have to take notice of her today?

               “Our youngest sister, Dynamene, has joined our ranks at last. She had her coming-of-age birthday just yesterday, in fact.”

               “Dynamene?” Hera replied, as if trying to remember the name.

               Dynamene knew she was expected to come forward so Hera could pick her out of the rest of the Nereids, and she did so with a reluctant step. “I am here, my lady.”

               “Dynamene.” Hera scrutinized her briefly. “Well, then…” Hera rose one mighty arm into the air, and there was a powerful clap reminiscent of thunder. When she lowered her hand again, she held something in it. “Step forward, maiden Dynamene,” she commanded, holding the object out towards her.

               Dynamene stepped quickly to her, eyes filled with curiosity. Hera handed her the object she had summoned.

               It was a gilded pomegranate, wrapped with a golden ribbon.

               “In celebration of your coming-of-age,” Hera declared, looking down at Dynamene. “Consider this my blessing; that whatever union you should desire, and whatever union you should find yourself in, will be one of immense joy. Embrace your femininity, little Nereid; be true and loyal, and your union will be fruitful.”

               Dynamene blushed, holding the pomegranate tight. “I… I will, Lady Hera. I have only my deepest thanks to offer. I will treasure your blessing always.” She bowed deeply.

               “Be humble always, young Dynamene,” Hera finished, dismissing her with a nod. “Now, let us continue. I’m sure my brother grows more impatient by the minute.”

               Ianeira continued to lead them on, and it was just a few more hallways until they had reached the bottom of the stairs leading to those majestic mahogany doors.

               “You may leave me here, Nereids,” Hera said. “I will take myself the rest of the way.”

               “We wish you a happy visit, Lady Hera,” Ianeira bid her. Hera strode up the stairs and pushed through the doors. How Dynamene longed to see what was past them. Surely Lord Poseidon was waiting at the table in the sitting room, head resting against one hand as always, cool eyes gazing into space.

               “Dynamene,” a sharp whisper brought her back to her senses. Her sisters were all gazing at her in awe; more precisely, at the pomegranate she held in her hands.

               “A blessing from Hera? What luck,” Callianassa sighed. “She may have quite the temper, but I suppose even she has her moments of generosity.”

               “How unfair,” Thoe pouted. “Some of us came-of-age before we even came to serve at this palace. Where’s our blessings?”

               Dynamene frowned. She did appreciate Hera’s words, but the idea of any union for her seemed unconceivably far away. She rose the pomegranate up to better appreciate its sleek golden surface, so smooth and glossy that she could make out her own reflection. “If only it did me any good,” she whispered back to herself.

               A few hours later, Dynamene was weaving on the balcony, doing her best to calm herself with the focus of her work and the warmth of the sunshine. The sound of a rather harsh melody coming from behind made her stop and turn around.

               “Sorry if I’m distracting you, Dyna,” Eione sighed, lowering a reed pipe from her mouth. “Callianassa’s been teaching me to play, but I guess I’m not quite there yet.”

               “No, it’s alright. I wouldn’t mind some company, actually,” Dynamene grinned as she turned back to her loom.

               Eione hopped atop the balcony’s edge, settling in for a good view of the ocean and the rocky mountains that made up the other side of the landscape. “Hera’s been in there talking to Poseidon for a while now, hasn’t she? Their visits almost never reach the three-hour mark.”

               “Has it been that long already?” Dynamene asked. Perhaps her anxiety had made the time go by faster rather than slower.

               “I suppose they’re actually having a good visit for once,” Eione quipped, cracking a mischievous grin.

               As if to contradict her, the distant sound of stone cracking somewhere above rang. The sisters tensed, waiting to see if another part of the palace would collapse this time. After several seconds, Eione sighed and leaned back against the wall again. “Ah, I had to say something,” she sighed, rising her pipe back to her mouth.

               But Dynamene’s eyes were still searching the palace above, her expression wrought with concern. “You don’t think they’re going to actually fight, do you?”

               “Them, fight? No,” Eione shook her frizzy locks. “Hera’d sooner lay a golden egg in front of all of Olympus than go toe-to-toe with Poseidon. The ocean is right there, after all.” She paused for a moment, seemingly considering the pipe in her hands. “And Poseidon would sooner do the same then come to blows with Hera. It’d require too much effort.” With that, she continued to practice the melody she’d been playing earlier.

               “Mm,” Dynamene responded. She still couldn’t bring herself to look away from the highest tower. A sudden, crazy idea sprang to her mind, one that she knew she should barely entertain. But she was anxious once again, and curious on top of it. She looked down at the loom, tentatively weighing her possible choices. She abruptly stood. “You know, I don’t think being at the palace is going to soothe my nerves any until Lady Hera leaves. I’m going to go for a walk along the shoreline.”

               “Aye,” Eione nodded assent. “Best thing for calming the nerves. Be safe!”

               “Don’t worry about me!” Dynamene called back as she left the balcony. “I’m never one for risky decisions!”

               Never, except for, perhaps, what she was going to do next.

               Some time later, Dynamene knelt before one of the vents that allowed the seawater they cleaned the floors with to exit the palace. The vents led to a system of large pipes that, although they were meant to only lead water down and away, connected every area of the palace. One of those pipes connected to a vent in Lord Poseidon’s quarters; more specifically, his sitting room. Dynamene removed the grate from the vent and peered cautiously inside. The pipes were still thoroughly wet from the cleaning that had been done the day before. Leaning in, she could hear the sound of water dripping from somewhere below.

               She drew in a shaky breath. Was she really about to do this? She couldn’t even imagine the consequences of getting caught. She shuddered at what punishment might await her if she was found out.

               But, far more than being scared, she desperately wanted to know what Lord Poseidon and Lady Hera were talking about. Their conversation must be getting heated if something had been broken, as the noise from earlier seemed to indicate.

               Knowing was the only thing that stood a chance of easing the anxiety in her head and the weight in her heart.

               Making sure that no one was nearby, she quickly stripped and stowed her clothes in a nearby table drawer. This time, she reluctantly left her bracelet too; it would do no good to lose it or get it caught somewhere now.

               She stood before the vent and closed her eyes in concentration. Her body began to drip into water, starting with her fingers and toes and slowly moving up her limbs and the trunk of her body. Having completely changed into liquid form, she entered the pipe and scaled the water inside the pipes up towards Poseidon’s rooms. It was pitch dark, and she could only guess at which way to go, flowing from one dead-end to the next. After a few claustrophobic minutes, she reached the last junction and rose upwards towards a block of light. This was surely the right vent; she could hear the familiar powerful cadences of Hera’s voice.

               Her sea spirit self was not accustomed to fighting gravity for so long, and she knew it wouldn’t be long until she had exhausted all of her energy. With no other option, she reverted back to her human form, curled up just out of sight from the opening of the vent. She took a moment to catch her breath, cold water dripping down her bare skin, before stilling herself as much as possible and listening in.

               “…thousand years and you have selected no one, not even a lover.” Hera’s shadow paced back and forth across the light of the vent. “I have introduced you to countless maidens. Goddesses and princesses alike have shown interest in becoming the lady of your house. And you say nothing.”

               As expected, Poseidon was silent. Dynamene crept forward just close enough to see into the room, and brushed her wet bangs away from her eyes. Poseidon remained seated at the table, still as always, while Hera paced and gestured before him. Her chair lay in pieces next to the far wall; its destruction was no doubt the source of the crash heard earlier.

               “You live here, with fifty eligible maidens! Sisters from a respected bloodline, and sea nymphs on top! But you choose none of them either. None of them! You live with fifty unmarried young women, and not one has tempted you, Poseidon? Have you wronged Aphrodite, that the concept completely escapes you?!”

               “The concept of marriage is well-known to me, by the example set by you and your husband, among others,” Poseidon replied lowly.

               Hera either hadn’t noticed the sly insult or chose to ignore it, because she continued on as if he’d never spoken. “Here I was, thinking that perhaps you were waiting for one of the Nereids to come-of-age! But the last of the fifty Nereids has finally become a woman, and you won’t have her either!”

               Dynamene stifled a gasp, biting her knuckle. The conversation had turned to include her.

               “The Nereids serve me, and in return, I shelter them. It is a transaction, not a relationship.” Poseidon’s cold words slapped Dynamene, and she swallowed back a growing lump in her throat. Dynamene knew Poseidon was close to no one and had nobody that he considered dear to him. But the fact that after a thousand years together he considered his relationship with the Nereids one of pure business stung.

               “Don’t act so sly,” Hera shouted back. “It was I who put it in old Proteus’s head that he ought to send his daughters to serve you. Did you think the fact that fifty eligible women came to serve you was a coincidence?”

               Dynamene’s eyes darted rapidly back and forth between the two angry gods. Proteus, Old Man of the Sea, was the father of the Nereids, kind and wise. Surely he must have seen through Hera’s suggestion to her ulterior motives.

               “My arrangement with Proteus regarding the servitude of his daughters is none of your concern,” Poseidon said with finality. Dynamene couldn’t see his face from where she hid beyond the grate, but she knew him well enough to know what expression he must be wearing. She shuddered, picturing his icy glare.

               “Mark my words, brother, this won’t be the last you hear from me on this,” Hera spat, pointing at Poseidon with an accusatory finger. “The other gods will look down on our family, whispering nonsense about the strange, solitary Olympian who won’t spare a single glance at a woman. I won’t stand for it. In one month’s time, the council of the Greek pantheon will be held once again. I will arrange for you to meet with a suitable goddess then. Woe betide you if you fail to show or embarrass me once more.” With that, Hera stormed towards the doors, throwing them open hard enough that they crashed against the walls behind them, and swept out.

               There was a heavy silence in the room. Poseidon didn’t move, not one inch, from where he sat in his chair. After several seconds, he rose and approached the destroyed chair. With a sweep of his arm, the chair was fixed and upright. He remained looking down at it for a moment before taking his trident from the rack on the wall and stepping out onto his balcony. A wave of water seemingly appeared from nowhere, enveloping his form. When it had dissolved, he was gone.

               Dynamene finally let out a ragged exhale. This one was not of relief, however, but of searing pain. A sharp, warm tingle came to her eyes, and despite all of her best efforts, she began to cry. Her lower lip trembling silently, she withdrew from the grate and melted back into the water, flowing back to the room she had come from.

               Why? Why do his words hurt me so much? None of this is unexpected. Of course he would say that. It is Lord Poseidon, after all. So close, and yet so distant. He was always this way. I know this. I’ve known this for a thousand years.

               But it hurts. It hurts so much.

               Her tears intermingled with the seawater until it was impossible to tell them apart.

---

Author’s notes: Oh, Dynamene, what are you feeling? What are you thinking? And why Poseidon, of all people? Well, it’ll make a lot more sense in the next part as our leads have their first meaningful next interaction. Also teenagers am I right

I love writing Hera, she’s just such a forceful personality. She’s not a bad person, but she does have her own priorities, just like the other Olympians.

Also, the vents in the palace weren’t originally made for draining cleaning water. They were installed to prevent flooding in the palace in case of a storm coming in from the ocean. The Nereids have utilized them in their daily work rather creatively.

[damedamedame]

aoinene week ; day 4 & 6 prompt - pride + future

- “don’t you ever forget my worthless pride.”

warnings : like one mention of fire but not an actual fire

notes : oh god yeah im super late but here’s pining lesbian aoi as compensation. the title’s a birthday present for oikawa tooru since it’s his bday <3 

(and and the setting is like a college au wherein aoi and nene haven’t met yet so um ehe)

Being anxious wasn't out of character for Aoi. However, despite being the perfect and pretty woman she was, it was crystal clear how awkward she looks right now. Although it wasn't her original idea to spend her Saturday on a Pride Event, she still thought going here was a horrible decision.

"Maybe I shouldn't have come..." She mutters under her breath, unease settling in her stomach at the judging glares she knows she's getting. Or, maybe everyone's attention wasn't on her this time, though it definitely felt like it. "Hey, Akane, can we go ho- Akane?" 

The brown-haired man seemingly disappeared from her side out of nowhere. And, coming from him of all people, was as rare as a blue moon.

'Wait. Does that mean I was talking to myself this entire time?' Grumbling, she tugs at her hair in absolute frustration, cursing at how she even bothered to come. 'Stupid. Stupid Akane.' 

The only reason she even came was because of him. Akane once fell completely and overly in love with her charms but acknowledged how uncomfortable she got when he tried his advances on her and backed off. She truly admired how he stopped flirting with her any chance he got. But, she did not appreciate how perspective he was. Especially at how he examined her blushing reaction when a girl told her she was stunning. Then proceeding to figure out she might be a little more into girls than she had intended. Which, by the way, he realized before she even informed him. 

She recalls the feeling of utter astonishment at how he had mentioned it when they were walking back to their homes. After that, she quickly speed-walked forward out of embarrassment with her face in her hands. 'That was the most iconic moment of my life.' He told her the next day, smirking smugly at himself. She resists the urge to pinch his ear until it turned red.

Aoi crosses her arms, looking around to check if Akane was anywhere nearby. Alas, the coffee-colored man's hair (who was, coincidentally, obsessed with coffee) wasn't near her at all. 'Great. Now he's probably wandering around shouting my name and disturbing everyone.'

All of a sudden, her laments seemed to cease at once. It's as if her logical reasoning instantaneously shut down at the sight of her. The silver-haired woman who walked right past her with bright amber eyes and a golden grin on her lips. 'She... resembles a daikon...' She blushes, gazing at her intently. The daikon, who paused beside the telephone, turned to look at her with curious eyes. Her cheeks echoed of ones engulfed in flames. Her breath hitches the moment they lock eyes.

As nervous as she was, she wasn't one to lose face over a pretty girl. In spite of her soul about to leave her body, she stumbles her way over to her with a sheepish smile. 

"Y-You look hot," Aoi hears her stammer out, her remaining bit of sanity disappearing into the wind. "T-That is, That is because you're wearing that coat, yeah! Uh, um, my name is Nene, Nene Yashiro." The girl flushes at the realization of her words, bowing with her fists clenched.

"Aoi Akane." Nene stops bowing when she responds and starts fiddling with the strap of her shoulder bag. "It might've been better if you didn't correct yourself, you know." Aoi winks innocently, acting as if her whole face wasn't pink. 

"Would you believe me if I said I had to make up that excuse on the spot?" Nene laughs skittishly, gripping the strap tightly. 

"Only if you treat me to cake some time?" Aoi snorts, twirling her hair like she hadn't a care in the world. The exact opposite of what she felt inside. In fact, if you listened closely, you could hear a loud scream coming from all of her veins. Nene nods eagerly, finding her phone from inside her bag.

"Yashiro!"

"Yashiro-san!"

The eager nod swiftly turns into her dropping her phone on the ground with a fumble of her hands as they hear two distinct voices shouting her name. 

"I am so sorry!" Nene scrambles to pick up her phone as the two boys stride up to both of them. Aoi observes them in silence. One of the boys wasn't very tall, roughly at height with herself, and had choppy, black hair. The other boy was scrawny with spiky blonde hair that bothered her every single time she even took a glance at it. "Akane-san, these two guys are my friends, ahaha."

"Boyfriends...?" Aoi bites the inside of her cheek, tension overshadowed in her eyes. 

"What!? No, no, not at all!" Nene waves her hands profusely. Blondie looks at her in concern, attempting to soothe by saying 'C-Calm down, Yashiro-san..!' while not looking very tranquil himself. The brunette's eyebrow raised at the adamant refusal, saying how he's 'as handsome as that donut in that shop from before.'

"This is Kou," She points to the blondie with the shy smile on his face, "He's totally in love with this one guy from the photography class." That comment only made him burst into flames, making the rest of them snicker at his expense.

"And this guy is Amane," She then points to the brunette with a smug grin, who then pulls Aoi closer to him to whisper something in her ear. Nene groans and pushes the stunned girl away from him. "He pushes people's boundaries, as most people do."

The next few minutes strayed with lighthearted nonsense chatter. Aoi takes a look and melts at Nene's laughter now and again. Once the sun starts to glow quite glaringly, and the heat becomes much more unbearable, they start hearing a sound. Particularly a chant of 'Ao-chan! Ao-chan! Ao-chan!' The mentioned girl feels her stomach drop with dread.

"I have to go before he starts plowing through the crowd." She jeers sadly, the trio not knowing whether what she just said was a joke or not. "... Not a joke, unfortunately."

Before Aoi leaves to calm a wrathful childhood friend of hers, Nene grabs ahold of her wrist hurriedly. Looking back at her pleading face, she swore she could explode into fireworks then and there. 

The moment Akane had found her through the countless amount of people in the crowd, he had dash and catch her from tripping over the concrete over how doozy she was. How her rationality ceased to wash over her? He didn't know. But, he had a feeling it was something about the array of numbers written on her arm.

notes : theyre girlfriends, your honor

[lov3nerdstuff]

Voluptas Noctis Aeternae {Part 7.3}

*Severus Snape x OC*

Summary: It is the year 1983 when the ordinary life of Robin Mitchell takes a drastic turn: she is accepted into Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Despite the struggles of being a muggle-born in Slytherin, she soon discovers her passion for Potions, and even manages the impossible: gaining the favor of Severus Snape. Throughout the years, Robin finds that the not quite so ordinary Potions Professor goes from being a brooding stranger to being more than she had ever deemed possible. An ally, a mentor, a friend... and eventually, the person she loves the most. Through adventure, prophecies and the little struggles of daily life in a castle full of mysteries, Robin chooses a path for herself, an unlikely friendship blossoms into something more, and two people abandoned by the world can finally find a home.

General warnings: professor x student, blood, violence, trauma, neglectful families, bullying, cursing

Words: 5k

Read Part 1.1 here! All Parts can be found on the Masterlist!

______________________________

Lunch break came and went, and so did the second half of the conference. Robin and Snape continued doing what they had been doing for the most part of the day, quietly criticising the many misconceptions, mistakes and missing pieces of the other people's lectures, but they wouldn't be as tactless as to publicly bring it up in the discussions. All corrections and truths, as well as all snarky comments and crude jokes were kept exclusively between the two of them. The handbook, or rather the immense knowledge that was compiled in it by now, wasn't supposed to become known, especially not around here in these circles, and thus Robin had to refrain from correcting mistakes for the most part anyway. Only when she was asked for her opinion specifically – which actually had become an almost usual occurrence at this point – did she speak up at all. But of course the conference wouldn't have been the same without Kenneth Crowe, nor without his not so subtle attempts to mess with Robin once again.

"May I remark, Miss Mitchell, you haven't commented on my presentation yet, and given your inclination to comment on absolutely everything, that does surprise me now. So please enlighten us, what brilliant conclusion did you come to this time?" He asked her during the discussion to his lecture, his tone so pointedly hostile and sarcastic that a few people frowned at him in confusion. They must've been living under a rock for the last two years if they had missed this growing one-sided rivalry.

"Never give a green cat a flamethrower." Robin replied in perfect neutrality an instant later, looking him dead in the eye from all the way across the room. Admittedly, she had come prepared for such a situation this time around, and that left her feeling a lot more in control of the situation than she had in the previous years. Next to her, Snape raised an eyebrow and tried very hard not to look too amused by what he certainly guessed was coming.

Crowe however openly scoffed at Robin, rolling his eyes in a condescending manner, before crossing his arms over his chest. "Matters certainly get more ridiculous every single year; I won't even honor that statement by questioning it."

"That would be the point." Robin gave him a polite little smile, and multiple people in the room quietly snorted against better judgement. "I'm glad you agree with me on the issue. Some matters simply aren't worth to be commented on."

A few jaws dropped, Crowe's being one of them, but he stayed pointedly quiet in return and instead seemed to ignore Robin entirely from there on. Just what she had wanted. That settled the issue, and the afternoon continued on quietly until the last lecture was over, upon which the crowd assembled in the front for the usual picture to be taken. Unlike last year, Robin didn't have to convince Snape to partake, and they found their place easily just like everyone else did. After that however, Robin was asked to stand for a second photograph all by herself, which obviously was a usual procedure for the people who gave the lectures. She wasn't particularly fond of the idea, but it would've taken more time to argue herself out of it than to get it over with, and thus she simply shook her hair out of the bun it had been in and stood still.

"Smile for me, would you?" The photographer asked, and Robin tried to somewhat smile without looking stupid. But obviously he wouldn't have her not-smile. "No no no, smile with your entire face, like you actually mean it!"

"The others didn't have to smile either." She scoffed, thinking of how all the men before her had been done with the picture within seconds, and without a comment. "So why do I have to? Just because I'm female doesn't make me a dress up doll."

"I'm sure your smile is lovely, sweetheart." He reasoned and gave her a look that annoyed Robin within a second. "They say a woman's smile is the most enchanting thing about her, you know…"

"That is the best you can do? Not very creative, is it?" Snape remarked from just a little off to the side, raising an eyebrow at the photographer, absolutely unimpressed. "I would rather say it's the mind that enchants, but what would you know about that, right?"

Robin couldn't help laughing at the comment, at the sheer sass in it, and even just at the expression on Snape's face. Before she knew, her photo was taken and the grumbling photographer packed up without another word to either of them. Well, at least she was smiling like he'd wanted her to, even if she had looked behind the camera rather than into it.

What followed was the usual: endless smalltalk and conversations, being handed over from one person to the next, and having to tell people as politely as possible that her life wasn't a topic she would give them information on. But unlike last year, Snape stayed by Robin's side the entire time and thereby made the whole procedure a lot more bearable. He obviously didn't have the same reputation here as he did back at Hogwarts, but even without knowing exactly who he was, his height, scowls and generally dark appearance sufficed to keep people at a distance from both of them. For the most part at least.

"So you are the famous Miss Mitchell…" A man perhaps a little older than Snape approached them in a slow saunter in the very moment Robin's previous conversation came to an end. She had noticed how he'd kept throwing glances at her throughout the evening, but only now he actually approached her, in obvious disdain that Snape still refused to leave her side. Perhaps that's why his eyes and focus stayed exclusively on Robin. "A true honour to meet you at last."

"I'm Robin Mitchell, yes." She replied, after not finding a name tag on him anywhere. "But I'm afraid I didn't catch your name."

"Jacob Crowe." He smiled way too brightly, bowing in an exaggerated manner. "You already know my brother Kenneth, unfortunately. But let me assure you that not everyone in our family is quite as ignorant as him."

"Nice to meet you, then." Robin made herself return a polite smile even though his forcefully charming demeanor made her rather want to scowl. At least Snape's hand was still securely resting on her back, had been from the start of these torturous conversations, and she found herself leaning into him the slightest bit more on instinct now. He surely wouldn't mind… just for the duration of this uncomfortable situation.

"I must say, your presentation was quite enchanting." Crowe gave her another look that was probably supposed to be dashing, but only did the very opposite. "A fascinating story of research and intellect, told by the most fascinating woman I have ever seen. Logically, I was clinging onto your every word."

"Yes, that much was obvious." Snape taunted with the inevitable scowl, glowering at Crowe before Robin had to come up with a reply on her own. It was the first and only time he had gotten himself involved in any of Robin's conversations this evening, and good gods he couldn't have picked a better time.

Crowe glared right back at him, making a face that was in no way inferior in its hostility to that of his brother. "And you are…?"

"Tired of hearing you speak when you clearly have nothing to say." Snape replied in a cutting voice that was filled with boredom and disdain alike, and yet he tugged Robin even closer to his side ever so gently. Always the contradiction.

Crowe glared at him for another moment, then turned back to Robin with a still somewhat irritated expression that he however tried to cover up with another smile. "You are a remarkable woman, Robin… It would be a true joy to get to know you, to hear more about your research and life. But then again, you seem to be spoken for already."

"As a matter of fact, I generally only speak for myself." Robin replied calmly, but yet in a tone that made abundantly clear what she thought of his advances. "And I am here to speak about research, not about my personal life."

"There's no harm in combining work and pleasure, my dear." He gave her another almost suggestive grin, obviously misunderstanding her previous statement. "I know for a fact that you are quite exceptional in one, and I would love to find out about the other."

"Good evening, Mister Crowe." She got out more or less politely, then turned on her heels and pulled Snape towards the doors with her. He seemed no less eager to finally leave this place, which made it more of a common hasting than either leading the other really. However before they could get far, another group of three men stepped into their way. They at least acknowledged Snape with a nod before focusing entirely on Robin.

"Miss Mitchell, I was wondering if you could tell us a bit more about the Siazella you found on accident. I have never heard of it before, which should be surprising enough at my age! How on earth did you know what you were dealing with?" The oldest in the group got right to the point, smiling in a curious and friendly manner at least, and Robin still had to suppress a sigh. She just wanted to leave… but that would have to wait. If Dumbledore had already set her up for the lecture, he surely would expect her to answer the professional questions as well. At least these men actually seemed sincerely interested in her research.

For another twenty minutes Robin elaborated on the Siazella and her knowledge of it, careful to leave out her handbook nonetheless, and once she also had answered any follow-up questions, the three men finally wished them a good night and let them be at last. Two heartbeats passed, and then Snape and Robin practically ran out the doors to avoid getting held up another time. Only once they had rushed all the way through the hallways and down the first flight of stairs, they finally slowed down a little, which left Robin both breathless and amused. Somehow, fleeing from the crime scene together had a charme in itself.

"I'm glad it's finally over…" She sighed as they walked down the elaborate staircase that –as everything in the wizarding world, it seemed– was merely lit by an astonishing number of candles. "The day was more annoying than I remembered it to be, and a whole lot more exhausting. I'm glad it's just you and me now."

"I wonder why I ever attended this pathetic event in the first place." Snape grumbled to himself in return, his scowl coloured by the barest hint of a pout. "A room full of idiots who speak nonsense and pride themselves in entirely irrelevant matters. I could have the very same in the Slytherin common room."

Robin let out a snort, which however was followed by an almost affectionate smile. "You attended because of me, I would say."

"So did everyone else, obviously." He drawled, rolling his eyes in complete disdain once more, much like the expression he had given the younger Crowe.

"Are you jealous?" She couldn't help asking in a teasing tone, quirking an eyebrow at him in amusement. Yeah, maybe teasing him when he was annoyed wasn't the best idea.

"Whyever would I be?" He scoffed immediately, a little too immediately, and definitely much too defensively.

"Because unlike back at Hogwarts, I am the one with a reputation here." She grinned in return, choosing to let go of what she had originally been insinuating in favour of a more universal interpretation, then couldn't help laughing at her own thought. "Usually you're Batman and I'm Robin. But here I'm Batman and you're Robin… which you're probably not used to being. But I can assure you that I definitely couldn't have done any of this without you, so perhaps it's not the best analogy."

He rolled his eyes again, but couldn't help the small smirk tugging on his lips. "Poor analogy indeed, especially for you. As far as I remember, you are the heroic type who saved a girl from almost certain death, twice in a row."

"And you are far braver than you give yourself credit for! I mean, you're spending a great deal of time with me, that's gotta take some bravery to go through with willingly." Robin smirked up at him, raising her eyebrows in humour as they made their way through the almost empty entrance hall in complete ignorance of everyone who was still present.

"If I was any kind of brave, I would have cursed all those men up there the second they dared to gawk at you in such a lewdly manner." He said once they were finally out in the dark street again, and his words sent an immediate shiver through Robin. But she also reminded herself that he probably, no, definitely didn't mean it in the way her mind so desperately wanted to believe.

"That wouldn't have been brave but just rash." She replied with a small smile, calm and reassuring, even though her heart was racing. "Take Crowe, for example. He was only sweet-talking me to get information on my personal life. And as much as I wanted to hex him myself, it just would've looked like I have something to hide."

"How can you be so rational about people mistreating you like that?"

"Practice." Robin shrugged with an actually humoured smile. "And I had you with me the entire time; what bad could possibly have happened to me?"

"I feel honoured by that assessment, but still, you take their crude behavior far too lightly."

"I'd rather say you take it too seriously. You said yourself that it's just a room full of idiots and creeps, so why should we waste a thought on them?" She gave him a pointed look to accompany the statement. "It's over now either way, and the only idiot you have to deal with is me."

"Yes, but that is an entirely different matter. You are my idiot."

"I am?" The grin was on her face before she could help it, and his words burned themselves into her memory to haunt her in her mind for all time to come.

"Obviously." He quirked an eyebrow at her in a way that made her grin even more, and only then he allowed himself the tiniest smirk in return. A moment passed in silence before he spoke on. "It is fairly late already, and knowing you, you will most certainly want to look into another theory tomorrow morning."

"We don't have to! I mean, if you'd prefer to… to take a break, we can continue any other time really. If you've got something else to do, I absolutely understand that. I mean it's been two weeks, and I haven't even once asked if I was keeping you from anything, and really it's been quite rude of me to just blindly assume that you would want to waste your entire holidays on me, but since we never really discussed it, you know, I just-..."

"Breathe." He cut in with a still subtly amused expression. "Tomorrow is fine."

"Good…" Robin said and let out a long breath at the same time indeed. Really, if she was exceptionally good at anything, it would have to be rambling. Or overthinking. "Tomorrow morning it is then."

"The cliff?"

"Always lovely meeting there. Eight as always?"

"Very well."

"So… time to say goodnight, I guess."

"Indeed."

And yet, they both remained standing a step apart on the dark sidewalk, looking at each other expectantly while neither wanted to be the first to go. After half a minute, Robin started smiling, then grinning, and finally straight out laughed at the situation and at how silly they both were being. This wasn't the first time this had happened, but it never ceased to amuse her, nor amaze her that he seemed to be as reluctant to part ways as her.

"Coffee?" She finally asked with a soft smile.

"Yes."

… … …

Finding a place to have decent coffee after eleven at night was surprisingly easy in London, but for the sake of being a little more subtle than going to the Leaky Cauldron or any other establishment where either of them surely would be recognized, they settled for a random muggle pub that wasn't too crowded nor too loud, and where hopefully nobody would ask questions about Snape's choice of clothing. He'd been very much right in that regard, muggles didn't take too kindly to people in robes, but since Robin looked mostly normal, they merely received a few odd glances. Admittedly, they could simply have gone back to making instant coffee somewhere far away from people, but real coffee was a tempting change for once. Thus they found themselves sitting at a small table in a corner, and Robin couldn't help enjoying the anonymity of a crowded place as well as the bliss of doing something so very ordinary with Snape for once. If one looked at it that way, they had never actually spent time in public together, so this was a welcome new experience that came with very welcome tingles no less. Before long their orders arrived, and the overly cheerful blonde waitress reminded Robin of something she had almost forgotten about after everything that had happened that day.

"Oh fuck…" She groaned under her breath, sighing at the realization that her evening had just gotten a whole lot longer than anticipated.

"Huh?"

"Oh, nothing really." She sighed again as she returned Snape's inquiring gaze and rested her chin in her hands, elbows propped up on the table. "I just remembered that I still have something to do when I return… home tonight."

"Doesn't look like it will be a pleasant task. Chores?"

"If that's what you wanna call Cas, then sure." Robin laughed, especially when he rolled his eyes in return. "I'm supposed to help her with something, and I don't know if I can. At least not in the way she would like me to."

"You have always been exceptional at keeping me in suspense." He sighed, then took a sip of his coffee and motioned for Robin to go on already. After briefly considering it, she did.

"I said something on the train ride home, about how a well written letter can be a great way to connect with someone if you can't see them for a while. And well… she wants to write to Simon without being cheesy or boring."

"And she wants you to write it for her?" Snape quirked an eyebrow at Robin in doubt. "That would defy the entire purpose of such a letter, wouldn't you say?"

"Obviously it would, and that's why I don't know how to help her! She didn't specifically ask me to write it for her, just to help her in any way I can. Give her some inspiration, or pointers maybe… You got any idea?"

"I'm afraid I have no experience with this kind of matter. Most letters I have written throughout my life were related to my work in both content and form. Don't you have received or written something of a similar kind before?"

"Obviously not! I've only ever written to you, to be honest." Robin shrugged, stirring her coffee with a spell before remembering where she was and quickly taking the teaspoon instead. "But I'm supposed to be the knowledgeable one and help Cas out. It's my job to know better than her."

"That is what I thought about you for a certain amount of time." He mused with a not-smirk. "But I gave up at some point in your third year."

Robin chuckled, sipping her coffee as well, before setting it down with a sigh and a new determination. Without another word, she summoned a piece of paper, a pen, and Cas' book out of her backpack, then placed it on the table in front of her with a thud. "You're helping me with this. If I don't know what I'm doing and you don't either, we better be clueless together."

"I had feared you would suggest that." He sighed dramatically, giving her a teasingly annoyed glance nonetheless. "But I would be a poor excuse of a friend if I let you down in times of despair."

Smiling, Robin pushed the dreaded book closer to him and kept the paper to herself. "Here, look through that for anything useful. Cas loves this book, it's full of sappy teen romance."

"And you would know that because…?"

"She sneakily made me promise to read it, so I did. I had to."

"Of course she did…"

"Now you just sound like Dumbledore."

"Insult me and I'm gone." He drawled in bad neutrality while flipping through the pages, and Robin had to snort. Neither of them seemed to be on good terms with the headmaster today, not after he had put Robin through giving a lecture without even a notice.

"The book really is quite terrible. I got it over with in the first week of the holidays, but I barely made it out alive." She remarked as she brainstormed what she knew about letters, love, Cas and Simon, but her thoughts kept coming back to the book as her only point of reference.

"What is it even about? I cannot tell from the glimpses of bad dialogue thrown at me here."

"Oh, you know… stupid stuff." Robin replied evasively, but even to herself that answer was a poor excuse, if anything. She hadn't written it after all, nor even read it voluntarily. But secretly enjoyed it a little more than she would ever admit. "This eighteen year old girl who falls madly in love with some guy who's new at her school. Ridiculous, really… They don't even know each other all that well, but still hit it off after just a few weeks of unreasonable conflict. It's the least romantic thing ever, they don't even seem to care about each other as much as they care about themselves. They go through all those firsts together, which admittedly is quite adorable, but then they ruin it all again by being so flat and shallow and vain that you just wanna smack them in the head the entire time. If anything, that book is a test of patience."

"Certainly sounds like it, yes… The writing is poor, the plot too as it seems, and the dialogue is an abomination in itself."

"Yeah, you could say that." Robin snorted with a smile.

"Perhaps we should treat it as a negative example for the task at hand then." He suggested. "Tell me, what exactly is bad about the way this is written?"

"Well, the entire thing is just so exaggerated and blown out of proportion... It feels unnatural for people who have known each other such a short time to be quite so over the top with their emotions and declarations." Robin started, and at the same time Snape plucked the pen out of her hand and pulled the papers on the table closer to himself.

"Do go on." He said as Robin stopped speaking to frown at his doings, and then gave her a look that left no room for argument beyond his words.

"Uh, alright… as I said, it's exaggerated, and just too much. Then the author also relies way too much on the use of straight out saying 'I love you', as well as just kissing and making out, to indicate the sentiments between the characters. The emotions should rather be obvious between the lines; if you have to directly say them to be understood, you're doing it wrong. Not that saying it would be bad, I don't mean it like that, it's just… it shouldn't be said just because it needs to be. At least not when they're already in a relationship. Their love should be the driving force of everything that is said, not the direct message itself, and-..." Robin cut herself off before she could start rambling again, and focused on moving on instead. "Then, as I said earlier, they seem to not even know each other. You could switch out any of the names on the pages, and it wouldn't make a difference. They should be playing on what they know and adore about each other, even if it's not much yet. Just… lending a book to someone who loves books will be a much more meaningful gesture than getting them a bouquet of roses, for example. People really shouldn't be afraid to go for the unusual kind of gestures and gifts."

"That makes for a decent list of don'ts already, which is a point to start. So tell me, what would you like to read instead of the negatives you pointed out? You already mentioned a few ideas for improvement, but perhaps you can think of more. Start from the negatives you created, and envision their counterpart."

Robin gave him a partially annoyed, partially desperate look, but he merely quirked an eyebrow and waited for her to continue. Insufferable idiot… but his idea to make her talk on the basis of the stupid book was helping more than anything she had come up with herself. Sighing, Robin gave in. What would a teenager want to hear from their love interest? What would Cas enjoy reading if she already enjoyed the stupid book so much? Damnit… this was difficult. "I don't know… I'm not good at these things, I can't imagine what a teenager would want to read."

"If Cassandra would have wanted to write by the standards of a teenager, she would have asked one of her mutuals. But she asked you, so you might as well advise her from your own perspective."

"Fine…" Robin sighed, and hid the heat on her face behind her coffee cup. What had she enjoyed hearing from Snape, in letters or in conversation? Or rather what would she enjoy? Damnit, she should have allowed herself to dream about this more often. "I think it is of major importance how much you let someone see of yourself. Allowing them to know you better than anyone else, giving them the chance to understand you in a different way by showing them more than just the big picture. Learning about the small and random moments in someone's life just has an entirely different level of intimacy to it than learning about the big things. I mean sure, it's the big events that shape a life, but it's the small things that shape the person and give them their colour. If I had to choose, I would always choose the colour, because it is what makes a person truly who they are, and not just the sum of bad or good things that have happened to them. The sky doesn't need a shape to be beautiful either, but it's the colour that makes one fall in love with it."

For the moment that followed, they both stayed quiet. Robin sipped the remainder of her coffee, and Snape finished writing whatever he was noting down of her words and thoughts. Perhaps she shouldn't have let herself get so deep… perhaps she shouldn't have asked him for help in the first place. But then she would be sitting in her tent by herself tonight, listening to the same old records she had put on every night since taking the player, and drown in sorrows over how little she really knew about love, and about people. No, this was much better indeed. Before long, Snape pushed the piece of paper across the table towards Robin again, and she smiled when she saw the perfectly organized list of things to avoid, and things to do instead. Copying it would probably be the best idea, to send it to Cas in her own handwriting. But Robin was keeping the original for sure.

"I think that should be a decent reference for anyone to write by." He said calmly, and finished the rest of his coffee while leaning back in his chair. "Cassandra would have to make a real effort to mess it up now."

"You should never underestimate Cas' ability to mess things up… Especially the easy ones." Robin grinned at him for a moment, until she managed to tone it down to a sincere smile. "Thank you for your help with this. I think we did pretty well for two people who didn't know any better."

"You shouldn't thank me. It was you who said every single thing that is on this list; I merely wrote it down in an appropriate format."

"And you made me say them in the first place!" Robin objected, almost finding herself as amused as nervous by the fact that the statement was only too true. He was the only reason she knew what truly loving someone felt like, even if it left her no wiser about being loved in return. But she knew that he appreciated her quite a lot, at least. Who else could say that about themselves, huh? In a way, that was a status as exclusive as it could get.

"Perhaps we simply make a good team no matter how impossible the endeavour." He suggested calmly, and gave her a not-smirk that had her melting within seconds.

"We most certainly do."

______________________________

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[seizethecringeofproduction]

Flashpoint 2: Advent Solaris - Chapter 4

AKA the chapter with the “Take that!” trope pulled against people who made a movie I highly dislike

And also where a bunch of elitist government people get what you wish they’d get in our world.

Enjoy the escapism!

With everything that was going on in and around Soleanna - as well as the time stream for that matter, it was easy for one to forget one of the people who the events seemed to center around. That person being the young, no older than fifteen in fact, Princess Elise III of Soleanna. Kidnapped twice by Dr. Eggman in the span of just a few hours, the auburn haired teenager sat alone in a cold metallic cell. All she had with her was the clothes upon her body, and the thoughts within her head.

Even as she looked down at her lap, even as her face frowned and her arms folded, she remained strong. She did not shed a tear. Even in this, one of her darkest hours yet, she reminded herself of when she was a young girl resting her head upon her father's lap. His words, his voice, repeated in her head:

"Be a strong Duchess, Elise. Don't cry, no matter what happens".

"Be Brave…"

It took all the strength within her to not cry remembering her father again. She was sure that if he were still upon the earth, Eggman would not have dared kidnap her.

However, there was nothing she could do to change the fact he was gone.

Closing her eyes, she tried to focus on memories that didn't bring her to the verge of tears. All she could get into her mental imagery however, were the events of the previous hours - Sonic. The blue wind. Not quite the knight in shining armor that one would expect to save a kidnapped princess, though Elise was not one to complain. She remembered being first held at Eggman's impromptu outpost in the various ancient ruins in Soleanna's great Dusty Desert, with Sonic and Tails arriving to save her, having the perfect opportunity to do so due to the Egg Carrier needing to land in order to be properly refueled.

She remembered watching Sonic square off against that massive, black robotic dog that the mad roboticist had sent after him and Tails. The robot was more than incapable of matching Sonic's speed - and was outsmarted by the Hedgehog simply grabbing hold of the horn atop its head and forcing him to ram into the walls and statues of the impromptu arena that they fought in. Elise watched all of it with awe, and smiled hopefully once the robot was finally successfully vanquished.

Watching the one-headed 'Egg Cerberus' fall to the sand-drenched stone beneath it as it short circuited and succumbed to the damage Sonic gave to it was satisfying to her - not because of the robot's fall, but because it meant Sonic had managed to at least temporarily rescue her from Eggman's clutches.

The best part of her temporary time being rescued was what came after though. Sonic whisking her through the desert, giving her more thrills than she ever had in her entire sheltered life as he destroyed any robot that came after them - Tails successfully holding a larger armada of them off, and eventually taking a 'pit stop' in a beautiful plain of lush, green grass and winding hills. Her and Sonic had a good laugh about it as their excitement calmed down, before she took notice of a minor cut he had on his arm.

"You're hurt!" she had said to him, though he was quick to brush it off:

"Oh that? Don't worry about it, it's nothing."

"Don't say that! Here, let me fix it" with a slight chuckle, she insisted - and he relented, as she cut off a small portion of her white dress and used it as a makeshift bandage for Sonic's arm. It was the least she could do, after all he's done for her so far. However, she couldn't help but feel guilt for the small cut, as small as it was, it would not have happened if not for what she held inside of her - "I'm sorry" she said as he remained kneeled down to Sonic's eye level, "It's all my fault."

"Hey" Sonic said to her, gaining her attention, "Smile!"

Looking at her, he wagged his finger as if to say that her frowning was not what he had signed up for, though his nose soon became the brief resting spot for a butterfly as he did this. Both he and Elise froze and looked at the small winged creature so delicate and silent. So a smile, Elise reached out a hand to the creature - though it flew away from the two once she did. There was then soft laughing from both of the two, as one does with such small yet lovable moments in life. They watched it as it flew off into the sky above the grass-covered hills, following the breezes of the wind to wherever it's next destination was.

That was when Sonic commented:

"Your smile, that's all I need."

As Sonic began to walk casually away from Elise, the princess softly chuckled once more before following after him - the two walking side by side at a 'normal' pace, enjoying the clear blue sky, bright sunlight and peaceful breeze while Sonic finally had enough time to get some important questions out of the way:

"Eggman mentioned something about the 'flames of disaster', is that why he's after you?"

"Yes" Elise explained, "The name of the sun god our country honors is Solaris, it is told that Solaris' rage would destroy the world. His wrath comes in the form of the flames of disaster. 10 years ago, we almost faced the full force of his fury" she then stopped as she attempted to recall the events of ten years ago, all she remembers was her five year old self standing before her father, moments before he jumped onto her as a white flash enveloped them both, her only explanation for Sonic though was a softly spoken "I was a child then, so I don't remember it very well…...I lost my father then…."

It was her last few words which made Sonic stop and look at her as she looked down at her hands, struggling hard to grieve without tears. However, Elise managed to collect herself as she said to Sonic:

"And now that man is trying to cause the same disaster again, what can I do?"

After a moment of her bowing down at the ground below her, soon she felt something - someone - grab onto her hand. It was Sonic, whisking her away to run with him across the hills. Of course, he body did comply with his silent urging - though she had to remind him:

"Sonic! Sonic wait, I can't run that fast!"

Though he ignored her. Thankfully he was not going anywhere near his top speed, instead merely running with her at a slightly above average pace, as to not hurt her. Even so, Elise proved to enjoy the sensation of running with Sonic, just as she did during their trek through the desert ruins. The breeze against her hair and face, the rush and thrill of it all. The fact that they were now running through a much more peaceful environment helped as well. Stopping at a hill about a mile or so away from the one previously were standing on, Sonic said to the princess as she laid in the grass, gazing up at the beautiful sky:

"Feels great, doesn't it?"

Panting as she caught her breath once more, Elise replied:

"Yes, I, I never ran that fast before!"

"Nothing starts until you take action!"

Nothing starts until you take action...

In the present, as she remained sitting on the cold metallic floor, those words continued to echo through her mind. So far, all she has been is a damsel in distress - a princess to be constantly kidnapped, and constantly rescued. She had hoped that her being rescued in the desert would have been the only time she needed to be rescued, though that ultimately turned out to be quite the wrong assumption.

Once her and Sonic had returned to the Soleanna Castle Town district, walking straight through one of the open plazas on their way to where Elise could safely be transported back to her castle, the two's walk was interrupted by a single green ball of energy that exploded at their feet, making them both jump back with Sonic holding an arm out to protect Elise. Down from the sky descended their attacker - a white, golden eyed hedgehog with black-green boots and gloves with a mysterious cyan symbol on them - both his gloves and boots were more futuristic than most contemporary fashion - and he had several leaf-like quills protruding from his forehead while only two large quills extended from his head.

Pointing directly at Sonic, he said in a menacing tone yet not-so-intimidating voice:

"I've been looking for you, you're the Iblis trigger. Your actions will condemn us all!"

Iblis…

Elise felt a shiver down her spine hearing that name, and felt it again while recalling the events. She had never explicitly heard that name in her life, though something about it - something in her mind if not her very soul - made it feel familiar as though it were a close friend or an even closer enemy.

Still, in that memory, she could recall Sonic standing in front of her in a protective manner - asking of the strange newcomer:

"Who are you?!"

To which, the white Hedgehog responded:

"My name is Silver. For the future of the world, I will destroy you!"

What followed was a battle between Silver and Sonic, the blue blur and the soldier of the future. Sonic, needless to say, made Silver seemingly hopeless on the ground - as Silver was incapable of reproducing any more than average walking and running speed. However, as Sonic dashed to the back of the plaza and then charged at Silver both he and Elise soon discovered Silver was far more a deadly threat than first estimated: with the sheer power of his thoughts he surrounded Sonic in a cyan aura and lifted him into the air - stopping all of his speed and momentum as well.

"It's no use!" Silver shouted at Sonic, before sending him flying into the tables and chairs scattered around the plaza with just one more shout, "Take this!"

With a loud thud and several crashes, Sonic was now in the middle of several debris - chairs and table parts mostly. However, now levitating in the air Silver was approaching him. Realizing he had to think of an actual strategy to use against him, Sonic bought himself by running around the plaza in a circle - making sure to keep distance between himself and the white-furred attacker. Elise though, screamed as she soon was caught in the middle of Silver telekinetically lifting up a virtual army of tables, chairs and even assorted barrels into the air and beginning to hurl them like rapid fire missiles at Sonic's speed-powered blue wind. There was nothing the princess could do besides keep a safe distance between herself and the conflict - while praying she would not get hit in the crossfire considering how much debris was flying around as the objects hit the stone floor at a velocity comparable to Sonic's running speed.

Elise could hardly keep track of what was going on - all she could see was Sonic's blue wind, and Silver stationary in the middle of the plaza, attempting to use virtually every object in the entire plaza as an aerial projectile against Sonic. Sonic, for his part, was trying to get a surprise attack against Silver. He did get at least one in when he slid on the floor from behind Silver - managing to trip Silver onto the floor and force him to drop all that he was carrying in that moment.

However, Silver fired another psychic energy ball at Sonic - forcing Sonic to do a flip to avoid it in time before contact - and the battle resumed immediately. Elise, watching this, only wanted it to end. Yet still, as she looked at Silver - she couldn't help but feel as though this white hedgehog was familiar in a way. Even as she recalled him in her memory, she felt as though the two had met before the battle took place - though that couldn't be, she doesn't remember a Silver the Hedgehog outside of this battle.

Even in her recollection she had little time to ponder Silver's identity however - as soon enough she recalled the end of the battle, when Sonic was successfully caught again by Silver's telekinesis following a failed surprise attack and was promptly flung directly at one of the surrounding building's stone walls. Miraculously Sonic survived the blast, though fell to the ground in short order. As Sonic struggled to catch his breath, Silver approached him and expressed condescending disbelief in him:

"Hmph!" the Hedgehog huffed, kneeling down to get a good look at the panting blue Hedgehog as he continued to arrogantly mock him, "Is this a joke? How could something like you cause the destruction of our world?"

Unbeknownst to both Hedgehogs, a family set of large mechanical hands was appearing just behind Elise - Elise herself could only hear their mechanical whirring sounds far too late to react to them, just as Sonic responded to Silver:

"What...do you mean?"

"It doesn't matter" Silver shook his head, "For the sake of the future, the Iblis Trigger must be destroyed!"

Just before Silver could attempt another direct hit to Sonic, both Hedgehogs were distracted by Elise's loud scream as Eggman's hovercraft yet again grabbed her. The last thing the princess could make out from the distance as she was Silver managing to make Sonic trip to his feet, and a pink colored figure heading towards them - though nothing beyond this point was audible for her beyond the sound of the hovercraft's engines and Eggman's laughter.

Such was the story of how she ended up in her current place of imprisonment - this large, metallic base situated near the snow-covered peak of Soleann's White Mountain. She wasn't sure if this base was built by Eggman or by her own people, though if it was the latter she had never heard a thing of it - not that her 'regent' ever seems to inform her of anything.

Aunt 'Mairie'...

That name.

The regent of Soleanna, Lady Mairghread of House McLoch from the far-off land of Lochland. The closest surviving relative of Princess Elise due to her father having no siblings, necessitating the arrival of her maternal aunt to rule as regent for Elise's minority following the man's death. Arriving to Soleanna when Elise was only five years old, it was in truth Mairghread who held the true power in Soleanna for the past 10-11 years - and Elise doubted that her aunt would begin rescinding such power when her 16th birthday would come a mere two months from the current time.

Mairghread was also, legally, the heir to Soleanna's throne should anything happen to Elise herself. Though the woman was well in her later 40's, Soleanna's succession laws were not gender-restricted like that of Lochland's - and Mairghread was Elise's oldest surviving relative.

Elise did not like being the only remaining royal of Soleannan blood, as though it gave her popularity among the people she cared to protect so deeply it also placed a severe amount of stress on her - if she didn't feel that fire inside of her whenever she was urged to cry, she likely would have had a mental breakdown years ago. Aunt 'Mairie' as she liked to be called, was no help in that department either.

Though she was only five years old at the time, Elise still remembered vividly the day that her aunt arrived in Soleanna. The current castle had not been built yet, as the decision as to what to do with the massive, practically imperial stone castle situated as the epicenter of the 'Kingdom Valley' hadn't been quite made yet. Elise remembers waiting at the altar at the cliffside of the forest area, her five year old self protected by mustached prime minister and mayor Lord Regis alongside a small squad of at least seven royal guards. Not to mention the priests that were behind the lot of them.

Still silently grieving for her father, let alone the mother who she lost even before that, Elise stood silently while awaiting for her aunt to arrive. It took a fair few hours for her to materialize in the distant horizon.

Escorted by not only at least seventeen Lochish musicians, complete with plaid kilts and bagpipes, but also by ten armed Lochish guardsmen and what appeared to be a young sheep woman dressed in a professional though now outdated business suit, was Lady Mairghread herself. Elise could back then see elements of her mother in the woman, or at least what she could remember her mother looked like. Her most prominent feature was her bountiful, naturally curly red hair that glistened in the sunlight like fire all those years ago. Elise had inherited the color, though not the curls. The arriving lady also had a thin, hourglass figure. Her hips swayed elegantly as she walked, and she always seemed to hold her head up high - as though she considered herself well above all others around her. She certainly dressed that same part, always wearing extravagant clothing in various rich and exocit colors such as tyrian purple, garnet red, or other specific shades of dark, emerald green. While the outfits she wore were no longer specifically remembered by Elise, she remembered her aunt usually liked to have long, almost whip-like drapes from her shoulders in addition to the addition of veils and golden jeweled crowns - even though she was neither a queen nor even the duchess. Though many in Soleanna would comment that she looked more like an empress with the way she dressed.

Still, there was the matter of her first meeting her niece. Being five years old, Elise did not remember much of what was specifically said that day - except for one thing, the first thing she remembers ever being spoken to her by her aunt:

"Greetings, Elise" she spoke in her soft Lochish accent, almost as though she was trying to conceal her heritage to sound more 'royal', "I am your Aunt Mairghread, though I prefer you call me Mairie, so long as you do we'll get along just fine."

Elise remembered the look on her face. The smile she said while looking down at the five year old. Elise did not trust it. The look in her cold eyes, there was something about her aunt that sent shivers down Elise's spine - as beautiful as the woman had been ten years ago, the fact that way she said 'fine' always struck Elise as strange. She also did not even give Elise the curtsey as traditional custom, even though the young girl gave her one out of respect. Instead, 'Mairie' simply stood though, with a lit cigarette in her hand - puffing it's smoke in the direction of Lord Regis who coughed whenever she did so.

Their relationship did not get better over time.

Elise remembers various quotes from her 'beloved' and 'respectable' aunt, said to her throughout her youth at various times. One specific moment, from only a mere week after their first meeting, remains one of the most vivid conversations she had with her aunt, taking place directly in the old Soleanna throne room itself:

"But I don't want a new castle!" the young princess had shouted, upset upon hearing Mairie's idea of constructing a new castle, with the various priestesses around Elise desperately trying to keep the girl from crying as he continued, "The old one is just fine!"

Mairghread, still smoking in one hand, looked to her niece with a virtually remorseless look as she said directly at her:

"This castle is about as old and dead as your father, princess! And what's dead, is dead. Everyone must learn to move on with life sooner or later, might as well start young!"

The priestesses around Elise all gasped, and stared at their duchess almost frightened at what would come next - while Mairie herself only continued puffing away at her cigarette, ever the chain smoker.

It took every fiber in her being for the young five year old girl to not burst into tears at what had been said to her. Shaking with both rage and sadness, Elise actually clenched her fists and only muttered but one response, the only thing she could force herself to say that wouldn't be seen as madly disrespect to her aunt:

"I'm not a princess, I'm a duchess."

"Excuse me?" her aunt suddenly became angry, approaching Elise as though she intent to do bodily harm to the young child for what she had been told - though one of the hooded priestesses instinctively kneeled down in front of the duchess in silent effort to protect her if the worst did happen.

"I am a duchess" Elise bravely repeated, "I am not a princess!"

To do this day, she remembers precisely what her aunt said to her:

"We'll see about that, 'duchess'."

Elise had madly underestimated the sheer pettiness of that woman. In addition to increasing the taxes on residents in the New City district and drastically cutting the funding for the police force in order to gain the funds to construct the new and current royal palace as well as the ferry system required to reach it, one of Mairie's first major acts was a new constitution - one which she effectively forced a then freshly six year old Elise to sign, decreeing that the duchess was to drop her current title - demoting herself from a Grand Duchess to a mere sovereign Princess. Purely to win an argument with a child.

For years, Elise pondered why her aunt was able to stay in power for so long. Perhaps it was the fact that G.U.N. effectively protected Soleanna as a military force due to Soleanna having abandoned military pursuits in the modern era. Perhaps it was the fact that she was the heir to the throne. Perhaps it was the fact she surrounded herself with Solennans who only had their position because she herself had appointed them - such as Pietro the incumbent captain of the royal guard, to Mairie's personal bodyguards Ernesto & Matteo, not to mention her new assistant Christina. Elise never found out what happened to the sheep woman, though there was that lavish feast thrown upon the grand opening of the current royal palace. 'Lamb Chops' and Haggis were served among the various native delicacies of Soleanna.

Aunt Mairie…

Elise thought to herself, a mix of emotions she struggled to keep down continuing to rumble within her at the mere thought of that name alone.

Just like what's happening now, everytime something good happens that makes me smile, she comes along and ruins it….always...

And….I never take action….

Elise remembered but one incident in particular. A stroll by horse drawn carriage through the streets of Castle Town, protected and escorted by a small troop of Soleanna royal guards. This incident was fresh, as it had occurred just the previous year - and by then the years of unhealthy habits had taken their toll about Elise's once beautiful aunt.

Her age, now rapidly approaching 50, had brought with it grey streaks within her hair which she dried desperately to cover up with dye - though the chemicals she was using proved to be slowly causing her hair to fall out, evident by the once luscious mane having lost plenty of its weight in the prior 10 years. Her voice, once easy to the ears, now had become more hoarse and witch-like, her smoking having done a number on her 's not to mention the increasing amount of early wrinkles that were propping up on her face - and her various tax payer funded plastic surgeries to attempt in coring them, leaving her face an artificial mess.

Even still, she made Elise struggle to keep from coughing as she still ever had a cigarette within her hand. Her assistant and Soleanna royal press secretary, Christina De Paulis - an early-mid 30's native Soleannan woman of average physique who usually wore a face mask due to the aforementioned smoke, was also in the carriage alongside Elise's primary Lady-in-waiting Anna, who was known for usually wearing her large red skirt and pink blouse. She kept having to clean her glasses due to Mairie's smoke getting in them - let alone having to stifle her need to cough.

She snapped if we coughed in her presence...saying it was 'un-lady like'...

All in all, it was not a comfortable ride through the town.

At least, not until a faint sound of music had turned into a symphony very audible to Elise's ears. The unmistakable sound of an accordion, being played by the jolliest of plump, mustached men who inhabited the city - singing in the Soleannan native tongue that made Elise actually defy her aunt's usual orders:

"Stop the carriage!" the 'princess exclaimed, and the drivers complied to her orders. Mairie was visibly shocked, but did not have time to respond as Elise opened the carriage window so that she could get a better look at the jolly middle-aged man as he sang a most beautiful, operatic song in the most jovial of tunes - a song that made her for once in her life feel as though she was something more than just a political pawn:

"Oh, beautiful Princess Elise

Princess Elise, Princess Elise

Oh, beautiful Princess Elise

Beautiful beautiful Princess Elise

All of my love and all of my dreams are only for you

Oh, beautiful Princess Elise

Beautiful beautiful Princess Elise"

Elise was made happy by every word in the song, even making her softly sigh of happiness by the sheer fact the song was complimenting her. She was only ever called 'beautiful' by Anna and the other Ladies-in-Waiting or by the male guards around the palace, never by her aunt nor Christina.

However, there was the matter of the former, who quickly gained command of the situation with an angered yell at the carriage drivers:

"Drivers! Get a move on already!"

And with a rapid jolt of movement that almost sent Elise and Anna out of their seats, the carriage continued on its way - causing the accordion player's music to begin growing ever fainter once more. Then, came the moment when Mairie directed her words directly at Elise - her mouth still fuming out smoke as though she was a dragon:

"What do you think you are doing? You do not stop a carriage ride through the streets to gawk at filthy commoners!"

"He's not a filthy commoner, he's a citizen of my city!" Elise argued back, "And he was singing a song about me, the least I could do was listen to it!"

Her aunt was amused by what she said - laughing until her hoarse coughing kicked in before making moves to strike down Elise's moment of triumph with harsh words as she always did:

"Is that the best you can do? A lonely, fat, middle-aged accordion player who probably makes a single cent an hour? He's lucky I don't have some of my men snap his overweight neck and toss him into the canals like the garbage he is! A commoner's a death for a lowly commoner, not worth the time of royals such as me, and I suppose you as well, Princess" with another huff of smoke she continued as Elise bowed her head and Anna glared with silent fury at her, "It would be a fitting end for street trash such as him. He's not worth a noble death. No, a quick snap to show just how beneath the crown he truly is, how useless and meaningless as a person he is. Like the crap we dump into our toilets. Though, I suppose all things that are dead become meaningless, is it not true?"

That final quote made Elise once more shake, reaching the border of finally snapping. Had it not been for Anna stepping in, she would have:

"Okay, that is enough!" the Lady-in-waiting exclaimed, silence overtaking the carriage as she got her words in, "Madame McLoch, you are only to be regent until Duchess Elise is sixteen years of age, is this really the impression you want to leave when it is you who must listen to her for a change?"

Christina coughed nervously once the ensuing silence became near deafening.

There was nothing anyone of them could say, for once not even Mairie. The rest of the carriage ride that day had been silent, as was the ferry ride back to the castle.

Thank you, Anna

I hope you're still alright without me there...

Unfortunately for Elise, while she remained trapped within her cell at Eggman's base she had no earthly way of knowing if her absence had any effect on Mairie's way to torment Anna. Knowing the powers that Mairie had from her position as regent, she feared the worst.

Still, there were others that she worried about as well.

Not that long ago - only about an hour or so from the present time - she was standing with Eggman inside of some control room, overlooking a window into some circular chamber of sorts - Eggman did not mention what the purpose of this room was until well after the then-upcoming events had taken place. It was honestly hard for her to make much sense of her surroundings - all of it was metallic - clean and reflective, though cold and lifeless. Everything else was only a series of wires, panels, monitors and other various machines. Though it took some time, Sonic, Tails and the red-furred, purple-eyed echidna with two spiked gloved fists known as Knuckles barged into the room - their footsteps clanging against the metallic floors.

As the metallic door slammed shut behind them, Eggman spoke to the trio from the aforementioned control room far above them:

"You're late."

"Well" Knuckles snarked, "We had to deal with your little pets."

"Where's Elise?" Sonic was quick to demand, though as Eggman pulled Elise to be by his side, all the man said was an arrogant and somewhat callous set of words:

"My aren't we impatient?"

"S-Sonic!" Elise exclaimed, honestly feeling uncomfortable as the evil man laid his hands upon her, though there wasn't much she could do about her situation at all. As the three on the ground below got into battle stances, Eggman was quick to remark:

"Ah-ah-ah, you'd better not move" he 'warned', before making demands of his own: "First, the chaos emerald."

As Sonic held out the blue chaos emerald that Elise had tossed to him, Elise couldn't help shake her head at what was happening. She could not believe that what had just started as a regular festival, had turned into all of this. Yet here it was, all unfolding before her eyes.

From a circular 'dent' in the floor a cylinder appeared - with Eggman gesturing for Sonic to place the emerald upon said object. Though Sonic as well as Tails and Knuckles paused, with Elise trapped behind a thick, heavily reinforced plane of glass there was little else for Sonic to do besides comply with what Eggman wanted. Placing the emerald upon the cylinder, in an instant a glass dome encased the emerald and the impromptu container slipped back into the ground - the emerald completely in Eggman's clutches.

Eggman himself almost laughed, though for once managed to hold back on doing that - though he did push Elise away from himself as he extremely giddily slammed a single finger down on a button that evidently, he'd been wanting to press for some time.

In an instant, what had been thought to be a series of bright lights at the top of the room turned out to be part of some greater machine - as a field of bright pink energy emitted down from the ceiling and trapped Sonic, Tails and Knuckles inside of it. After the initial moments of confusion wore off, Knuckles attempted to punch the field - though was sent back via an electric shock. Eggman was quick to 'explain' to them:

"No no, it's no use" he said as menacingly as his now excited self could manage, "It's far too powerful for you to overcome. Now, all me to introduce to you my latest creation - this is the Solaris prototype."

Solaris, Prototype?

Elise could only look to Eggman with a horrified gasp. She had no idea what a 'Solaris Prototype' meant, though something about those two words together made her mortified, as though a dark memory that she kept locked away deep enough so that even her present self couldn't properly recount it. However, the events which were being remembered did not stop with that phrase, as Elise still strongly remembered the rest of what had happened as though it were mere seconds and not an hour prior:

With sinister, wicked laughter Eggman yet again pushed Elise away from himself, this time to step himself towards a small red liver. Frightened, Elise made sure to run to the opposite end of the room - though still all she had the power to do was watch as Eggman swiftly pulled the level and activated his so-called prototype:

"With this machine, I'll be able to control the flow of time itself!"

Within an instant Sonic, Tails and Knuckles were lifted in the air by the force of the machine - and sent barreling towards the ceiling as they could do little else besides scream. Just as quickly did they vanish, along with the pink energy - all in a flash. Watching this Elise had her hands on the glass as she slid down to her knees, the hopelessness setting in as her only would-be saviors had just vanished as though they were nothing.

Eggman, standing on the other side of the room, was quick to bluntly inform her of things which she wouldn't know otherwise:

"Rest assured" he 'comforted' her while standing with his hands behind his back as he paced around the room behind her, "They're not dead...yet. They've just been transported by my glorious invention to another time. Who knows where they'll end up? Could be in the distant past or far future. But my machine still requires some fine tuning."

Elise just bowed her head at the cold metallic floor, trying her best to not cry over the three heroes she had just lost. She could hear all that Eggman said, though she was not actually paying attention to her. It wasn't until he said his next set of words that she actually did so:

"In fact, what my machine needs in order to be complete is your power."

What? My...power? But, I have no powers...

"My...power?"

"Yes" Eggman nodded as Elise looked towards him, slowly building up to his usual gloating self, "I can finally complete plans, now that I have acquired even just one of the chaos emeralds - and you, the duchess of soleanna. I may have lost the scepter of darkness, but nevertheless all I need at this point is you to revive the flames of disaster! And with its power alone I will be able to control everything, and rule the world!"

It was then that he looked down at the teenager, still processing all that was going on in her world. The last thing he said to her before ordering robots in to show her to her cell was a rather cold:

"So, you would be wise to remain on my 'good' side."

And so, events were finally brought to the present. After two 'Egg Gunners' escorted her to her cell, there she sat. Alone. Cold, with only the facilities air conditioning and vent systems providing sound besides her voice. She sat on the floor, thinking over all of these past events repeatedly in her head as she processed all that was happening.

Of all the things she thought over in her memories, one thing rang the most true of all. Those words Sonic said to her in that grassy field:

Nothing starts, until you take action…

However, there still was reality to consider:

I just need to know what action I can take...

There truly wasn't much she could do, being as far as she was aware only a powerless human. Aside from the vents supplying her with the cold air surrounding herself, there wasn't much in the way of anything she could use to escape - the door being one to lock from the outside.

She could only sigh - though while her breath was still visible due to the cold, it should be noted she did not shiver. As though her body was not at all affected by the cold air around her.

There's nothing I can do...

Sonic's gone, and I can't even really save myself from this room at all….

What am I supposed to do?

That was when the vent far above her burst open, as though something had just punched or kicked it open. As the vent cover crashed to the floor out of seemingly nowhere, Elise gasped and stood to her feet. Though she soon heard the sound of footsteps clanging onto the floor from the vent, she saw nothing. That is, until before her eyes a figure materialized seemingly from thin air - a purple figure. Rather than fur, this anthropomorphic creature had scales that were purple in coloration - paired with golden eyes as well as a golden horn above two holes used for his 'nose'. This male figure's tail curled, and he had black-purple shoes with bandages around the top - in addition his gloves seemed to have the addition of armor once they reached his wrists. In addition to the black spikes along his back he did not have 'quills' per say, but his head mimicked the shape of three - one extending from the top, and two from the side.

The purple chameleon looked to Elise and gave her a respectful bow before addressing her in a manner akin to one of her courtiers:

"Princess Elise of Soleanna?"

Elise nodded, though she remained heavily confused by this sudden intrusion. She assumed he was here with heroic intentions, however.

"There is not much time to talk, but I'm here to rescue you from this base."

"I know."

"Then follow me before the alarms sound off, I will explain everything on the way."

Elise nodded in response - though just as she approached Espio, the chameleon's point revealed itself as the loud, blaring sounds of the base's alarm systems went off. Not wasting any further time as robots were sure to be in the cell soon enough, Espio held out his hands in motion for Elise to jump onto his hands. Though she was nervous about doing so, she complied. Amazingly, Espio was capable of lifting her and then tossing her towards the opening of the vent - allowing the 'princess' to successfully climb into the vents. Espio himself followed in after, using his tongue to latch onto the ceiling and climbing back into the vents like any ordinary reptile would.

By the time the robots entered the cell door, there was no sign of either besides the opened vent and the removed cover.

While the vents certainly were cramped and forced Elise to sacrifice much of her bodily mobility, at the very least Espio was crawling in front of her, showing her the way. All around the two, they could hear the alarms from outside. However, either none of the robots were capable of entering the vents properly - or more likely, they weren't aware that Elise and Espio were inside of them. Unless of course, some third option was occurring.

While Elise followed the purple creature through various, twists, turns and sharp corners with only the sounds of the alarms and their own movements surrounding them there was yet still the matter of some explanation for what was going on:

"Can I ask a question?" Elise spoke, "You said, you would explain on the way?"

"Yes ma'am" Espio replied, "Before they headed into the base, Knuckles informed me of what was going on - we agreed on an infiltration plan just in case things went wrong. Evidently, they did."

"Yes" Elise said as she sadly lowered her head, though still followed the reptile, "They did. Eggman, he, transported them into the future."

"The future?"

"Yes, that's what he said...Sonic's chaos emerald, let him do it."

"Sonic's chaos emerald?"

"Yes" Elise spoke with sadness in her tone yet she again restrained himself from tears, "He gave the chaos emerald to Eggman, letting him have one piece of the puzzle to his Solaris project."

"Don't worry" Espio remarked, turning to Elise while suddenly pulling out from the cuffs of his wrists something that shocked her - the blue chaos emerald. The same one that, as far as she knew, had been delivered to Eggman's clutches at least an hour ago.

"Wha-what?"

"We discussed a plan of action before the three headed to base. The one delivered to Eggman was a fake chaos emerald developed by Tails - it had chaos energy stored into itself, but can not generate for itself. We had been hoping to trick Eggman with it….I'm sorry."

"It's alright" Elise sighed, "I'm hoping they'll find a way back."

"It's not impossible, but we must keep moving. I was able to locate a hangar in the base where Eggman keeps various models of his airborne vehicles. We can acquire one and use it to travel to Soleanna faster, rather than traversing through the mountains."

Elise nodded in response, agreeing that it certainly was a plan. She placed her complete trust in Espio - and it was well placed trust. It did not take long for Espio to trace his steps and successfully locate the hangar, and promptly took out one of his shurikens to break the vent open.

Espio jumped out first, though extended a hand out upwards and gently assisted Elise by catching her once she jumped down, before then letting her gently onto the floor. Looking around, it was swiftly confirmed that they were indeed within the hangar that Espio was talking about - it was a large, spacious room constructed like a warehouse. Frost covered parts of the floor due to it existing alongside a currently open bay door - revealing the snow-coated mountains and valleys outside as well as letting in the piercing cold wind inside. Yet Elise still felt none of the cold.

Most importantly though, were the levels of the hangar. Though it was only one room, there were multiple floors worth of walkways and scaffoldings joined together by elevator lifts - with each caring various versions of flying vehicles Eggman is known to use on a regular basis. Elise and Espio had in fact made landfall on the top level walkway.

With the alarms still blaring throughout the base, there was no time to waste in deciding one particular model. Instead, Espio immediately took Elise's hand and led her to the nearest machine. It wasn't the same one as Eggman's current model - it lacked the hand extensions, was more old in design, and even had caution tape around the top of it's hull.

However, just as the two stepped inside of the vehicle and Espio made moves to turn it on and begin piloting it, the robots of Eggman's army entered the room in an effort to stop them.

Elise let out a scream as various Eggman robots began swarming the room - the white Gunners and red Stingers being joined now with brown ball-like robots that rolled in, until revealing they were more beetle-like robots that threw small bombs from their 'horns'. They were also joined by blue-green rhino bots which moved via a single wheel, having a range of attacks ranging from an electric field as well as 'bomb's from their 'flaps'.

Luckily, most of the rhino and beetle robots were crushed to pieces when Espio managed to get the vehicle to turn on and begin moving - the seventeen of them were largely crushed by it immediately. Though both Elise and Espio had to duck in order to avoid the gunfire from the Gunners.

Soon, after some tinkering with the buttons and levers, Espio found out how to speed up and properly steer the vehicle - thus the two were on their way out of the hangar doors before it could close.

A few squadrons of Egg Gunners were sent after them, though they were easily outrun by the flying speed of the vehicle. Once Espio and Elise peered their heads up and back at where the squadron was, they could see that all of the machines had disappeared behind the thick, freezing fog surrounding them.

Turning to Espio, Elise smiled of great relief:

"Espio…" she said, "Thank you, for saving me."

"We're not out of the woods yet, Miss Elise" Espio responded, "We still need to get you back to your castle, to safety."

"I know…" Elise nodded.

"Luckily, this vehicle has a G.P.S. system, so we should be able to-"

"AH!"

Both of them were shocked when suddenly explosions shook the vehicle they were commandeering, in the form of missiles rapidly striking the hull - causing significant damage to the machine and it's systems just as they were beginning to leave the fog of the snow-coated mountain peaks into the more temperate skies that made up the rest of Soleanna.

Robots had managed to catch up with the two - ones that were similar to the Stingers, though we're yellow instead of red, and fired missiles far more rapidly. It wasn't long before Espio and Elise's vehicle began to smoke and short circuit in addition to rapidly begen descending towards the ground below, just as the New City came into view.

As Elise screamed and braced for impact with the ground, Espio dispatched the robots using his shurikens, though to actually destroy them it took some effort as their armor was thicker than the usual models. As in, Espio's projectiles didn't work at all.

"We're going to have to jump!" Espio exclaimed to Elise as he saw that the machine was now either going to explode mid-air due to the yellow robots' constant barrages, or otherwise crash into one of the high-rises of New City. Elise however, could hardly even hear his words:

"What?!"

"No time!"

Espio quickly took Elise into his arms and jumped from the cockpit - just moments before the original model egg mobile was destroyed by the yellow robots' missiles. Elise held tightly onto the purple lizard and was sure that this was the end - though Espio instead landed on the rooftop of an apartment building, perfectly on his feet. As the debris of the destroyed vehicle rained down to the streets below, Espio knew the swarm of yellow-black robots was chasing after him and Elise and as such rushed for the door leading to the stairway inside of the building.

Of course, the robots' missiles still proved to be strong enough to burst through the apartment windows and walls alike - soon resulted in Espio and Elise being joined by human and anthro citizens alike, screaming and running as the robots forced their way into their rooms in their search for Elise and Espio. Not to mention setting off the fire alarm and sprinkler system due to the fact the fires from the explosions caused by them lingered.

There was little time to talk. With absolute chaos breaking out throughout the building, Espio focused completely on running with Elise to the first floor and from there out onto the streets of Soleanna's New City district. Most of the robot swarm eventually caused their own destruction due to the apartment building eventually collapsing due to the damage their missiles caused. Elise herself looked back with horror as she witnessed the building crumble in a cloud of dark grey dust. Her horror grew when at least seven surviving robots emerged from the dust and rubble to continue giving aerial chase to her and Espio.

There were Soleanna royal guardsmen, though all of them cowardly ran away along with the screaming civilians - none even seemed to consider checking if there were survivors from the building collapse.

My people...

Elise wanted to cry for any lives potentially lost in the collapse of that building, though for now there was no time to mourn.

Eventually, the seven robots that were chasing after Elise and Espio were defeated - though due to their thicker armor it was not by anything Espio himself had actually struck them with. Instead, it was through Espio outwitting them. He focused on traversing through the small alleyways that were too thin for the robots to force themselves through in bulk - due to the speeds at which they were flying they destroyed each other through crashing into one another or otherwise directly into the buildings of the city.

Only once the seventh one was finally destroyed did Espio stop, halting in the middle of a roundabout, right at the edge of when the New City actually started allowing the use of automobiles and began to become a metropolis better resembling what it becomes in the future. The two both panted as they recovered, having lost their breathes through all of the hectic insanity they had just been through.

"That should be the last of them" Espio commented as he recovered his stamina, "At least, for now."

"I hope it is the last of them, period," Elise remarked, to which Espio nodded. However, there was still work to be done for the two: namely taking Elise back to the castle. As such, Espio was quick to resume said objective:

"We still have to get you back to the palace."

"If you take me to the docks by castle town, one of the guards should summon that allows us to go to and from the castle."

"Why not use a bridge?"

"My aunt wanted to build the new castle on an island" Elise revealed to him, "She said it is a deterrent to any potential rebellion or revolution."

"I see" Espio did not linger on the thought for very long, "Well in any in case, we must be on our way before more of Eggman's army arrives."

Elise nodded, and was more than willing to take Espio's hand yet again as she was whisked away towards the doorway and tunnel to the Soleanna castle town, this time the run being rather uneventful. There were no further squads of robots sent after them, though there were many shocked and horrified pedestrians either running away from the mayhem or otherwise looking to see what precisely had gone so wrong.

Espio did not pay much mind to them however, his sole focus was getting Elise to safey.

Luckily, locating the ferry used to travel to and from the town to the castle was not hard to find. It was a simple run across at least two of the artificial islands of stone-and-mortar making up the castle town until it was visible parked by the city's docks with a large cave system leading to the Wave Ocean beach area visible in the distance behind it.

Elise could make out multiple figures on the large pleasure boat as her and Espio approached it - the same large boat she had been on during the interrupted festival though now in the light of the sun rather than the moon; those figures were none other than her prematurely aged aunt Maighread, royal press secretary Christina who now had no mask over her youthful face, a squad of at least five Soleanna royal guards including the captain Pietro, the still living Lady-in-waiting Anna, and even Ernesto - 'Ernie' - and Matteo - 'Matt' - , currently the ministers of the treasury and labor, respectively.

As Elise and Espio neared the pleasure boat, there wasn't much time to question why it was already in port. Mostly because Maighread immediately called gestured for Espio and Elise to stop in their tracks immediately before the former stepped his feet onto the boot itself, even saying to him:

"That is enough, lizard."

"Ma'am, I'm a-"

"I don't care" 'Mairie' took another puff from her cigarette, casting it's smoke into the air, "Thank you for rescuing our princess and returning her safely. Now your services are no longer needed, so you may go." - she even waved her hand, as if gesturing for Espio to leave her sight immediately.

Though he looked at the woman with severe distrust, Espio still turned to Elise and gave her a respectful bow, with Elise saying in a far more genuinely kind tone than her aunt:

"Thank you for rescuing me, Espio."

"It was an honourable duty, Lady Elise."

With those words having been exchanged, Elise joined her aunt and the others onboard the pleasure boat, while Espio walked away. Elise watched as soon enough, the castle town became further and further away with the boat's team of rowers not having any time to waste in pulling out of port and heading on their way towards the grand, opulent royal palace that rested so many miles away on its own smaller island.

Though the first few moments of the boat ride was silent save for the ambience of the waters and the jovial accordion player's music, Aunt 'Mairie' did turn from grimacing to smiling once said music was out of her personal earshot.

"Finally…"

"Aunt Mairie?" Elise asked, though when her aunt was 'forced' to look up at her suddenly the woman seemed not as pleased:

"Not you, 'dear'."

"Hm…" Elise honestly did not want to speak with her aunt anyway. Instead, she was glad when Anna approached her with more genuine happiness - leaving her aunt and her entourage to discussing things amongst themselves:

"Miss Elise, I'm so glad you are okay!" Anna and Elise even exchanged a friendly hug with one another, "But, what happened to the blue hedgehog?"

"It's a long story, I'd rather not talk about it…" that's when Elise gasped: she looked at Anna's hands and arms - noticing what appeared to be slowly healing but still fresh scars across them both. They resembled marks left by a whip or some similar instrument of punishment, and appeared to have been to Anna enough to actually inflict bleeding - though that had since dried by this point. Shocked to see this, Elise exclaimed to Anna, "What happened?!"

With a sigh and more saddened tone as she pulled her arm gently away from Elise, Anna explained:

"Madame McLoch did not take kindly to me being the one person in the country not afraid to stand up to her...she wanted to 'discipline' me once you were gone."

Elise's eyes widened with shock as she gazed upon what her aunt had done to one of the only friends she had. At first, she wanted to cry - as much as she knew she shouldn't do such a thing. What stopped her from doing so was the fact that she remembered well those words Sonic had told her many hours ago:

Nothing starts until you take action….

Turning her sadness into a form of fiery rage, Elise instead marched away from Anna and towards Mairghread, Ernie, Matt and Christina. Christina had to gesture to the regent in order to get the older woman to turn to face her not only angry but now most brave niece.

Not realizing, or not caring, why Elise was mad the aristocrat callously asked:

"Yes?"

"Aunt Mairghread-"

"Mair-"

"I don't care!" Elise almost screamed with rage, enough fury in her voice that Mairghread's own eyes widened and the entourage behind her almost stepped back in shock as Elise continued to vent her frustrations with her aunt, "Lady Mairghread of House McLoch, you have always been nothing but mean to me since the day we met when I was five! I'm the daughter of your sister, and I can see why my mother wanted to leave her homeland considering she had to put up with you all of her life! Not once have you ever even shown any sympathy or grief for her, you couldn't even be bothered to attend her or my father's funeral services! You might be my regent, you might be in charge of things while I am a minor and-or away, but that does not make you the Duchess of Soleanna! It gives you no right to threaten to have my people assasinated, and no right to torture my friends just because you want to feel more powerful than them! Once we return to the castle, I would be very happy if you rejoin the court of Lochland because you are no longer welcome in my country, and no longer will be my legal heir!"

The rowers stopped.

Everyone onboard the boat but Elise herself had their eyes widened as much as they could.

Even the gulls seemed to stop their noises, leaving only the sound of the sea's waves as ambience in the aftermath of Elise's words.

That is, until laughter broke out.

Specifically, laughter from Mairghread, Christina, Ernesto and Matteo. The rowers and members of the royal guard remained silent. Elise remained angry, though she was about as confused as Anna when Mairghread and her cohorts broke out into their fit of cackling - once more until the latter inadvertently broke out into a small fit of hoarse coughing. Upon recovering, all the amused Mairghread could respond with was more callousness:

"And how, my dear, do you plan to accomplish this goal of yours?"

"I am the Duchess of Soleanna" Elise proudly responded with her head held high, "It is completely within my legal right to dismiss you as my regent, and I'm sure the people will support my decision to relieve you from your status as heir."

"Oh really now?"

"Yes."

"Well, my dear niece, there is one detail that you are forgetting", Mairghread once more seemed to be holding back a witch-like fit of cackling as she sinisterly neared her niece. Elise remained fueled by fury in her voice as she replied:

"Like what?"

Suddenly, Elise felt a sting across her face as Mairghread's aged, boney hand slapped her hard enough to send her to the floor as the aunt coldly hissed from her yellow teeth:

"I own this country."

"Miss Elise!" Anna was about to run to Elise's side, though on Mairghread's gesture Pietro and the policemen with him drew their weapons,standard issue handguns, out on her - forcing her to immediately stop and raise her hands in fear of getting gunned down by them. Elise managed to recover nonetheless, though wasn't quite aware of the treachery as when she got up to her feet again she immediately directed her shouting to Pietro:

"Pietro! Guards!" she yelled, "Arrest this woman for assaulting the Duchess!"

Neither Pietro nor any of the guards made any response, only kept their guns aimed at Anna while their faces remained stone cold. Only Christina, Ernesto and Matteo laughed at how naive Elise proved to be. So naive she was that Mairghread had to explain it for her:

"Oh please, Elise. Your precious royal guards aren't going to help you, they're on my payroll. Have been for quite a while, actually. I could order them to kill both you and your friend right now if I wanted. There would be no witnesses. Christina could easily come up with the excuse of a robot doing it, and there would be no suspicion. If it wasn't for you being so beloved by the people, I would be the duchess already. Trust me."

Though Elise seethed with fury, there was little she could do. An immunity from the cold she did have, though not immunity to gunfire. Closing her eyes and clenching her firsts before opening them at her heartless witch of an aunt, she hissed out:

"What are you going to do, then?"

"Oh, me?" Mairghread chuckled at the thought, "I'm not going to do anything my dear! Though, I can tell you who is."

Before Elise could contemplate who this other person was, said person arrived on the scene in the form of their airborne vehicle descending right beside the boat with enough gunner robots to completely surround it. Complete with a sinister laughter now forever etched into Elise's mind, Eggman only said to Elise:

"I hope you enjoyed your walk, princess, but we really must get going now" Eggman then smirked, "And to make sure you don't get any ideas this time, allow me to introduce you to a bit of a 'blue wind' of my own."

It was then that Elise, who had turned to face Eggman, was stunned by what she saw. Flying into the air from behind Eggman's vehicle and landing on the deck of the robot right between Elise and Mairghread was a robot that was far unlike the others. It was almost like a robot version of Sonic - the exact same height, though with a three-spiked head akin to Espio. It's noise was as pointed as the sharpest of knives, and the same could be said for it's clawed hands. It's body was a miniature jet engine to allow for maximum speed to keep up with Sonic himself, and it's eyes were pitch black screens, with glowing red pupils. Elise, horrified by the arrival of this silent and uncanny machine only backed away from it in horror as Eggman introduced it:

"Meet Metal Sonic, dear princess" the roboticist proudly said, "He'll be helping to make sure this incident doesn't happen again. Now seriously, do come along, I haven't got all day."

Needless to say, Elise hesitated. Between her own policemen and now the robots aiming at her, she had not the faintest idea of what was going on. Even Mairghread was via her smile seemed to be suggesting Elise give herself up to Eggman. However, all Elise uttered was directed at her treacherous monster of an aunt:

"You're working with Eggman?"

"My dear are you dense" Mairghread almost rolled her eyes as she took another puff of her cigarette, "Yes, why do you think I got that emerald off of the black market for you? You didn't seriously think that it was some 'birthday present', did you? There wasn't any other way I was going to get the man to get into contact with me!"

"He's trying to release the flames of disaster!"

"Oh please" Mairghread carelessly remarked, "You think I honestly believe any of this country's ridiculous superstitions? Perhaps I should have told you when I put the 'scepter of darkness' up for sale on the black market, would have saved you the trouble of having to figure all of this out I suppose."

You….you bitch!

Elise had plenty that she wanted to say, though Eggman was quick to interject:

"I hate to get in between family discussions, though I have quite the busy schedule - so if you don't mind…"

"I apologize for your wait, Doctor" Mairghread responded, before turning to her niece and pointing towards Eggman and his vehicle, "I suggest you take your leave, my niece. Don't make this more difficult for yourself than it has to be."

Elise did not budge however, however two of the Egg Gunners did land immediately behind her - completely preventing Anna from approaching as well as Elise from even considering escape. With that set in place, she bowed her head in defeat. She could hear Ernesto, Christina and Matteo laughing at her misfortune in hushed whispers and murmurs.

With Elise bowing her head in surrender, Eggman then directed his attention to Mairghread herself:

"Oh, and Madame McLoch" he said in the most cordial of tones, "There is a matter I need to discuss with you."

"Yes, Doctor Eggman?"

"Well" Eggman explains, "I would like a refund of sorts, for the scepter of darkness. I won't go into too much detail but will say that it appears G.U.N. has become more involved in my plans than I was anticipating. Whatever you've been doing to stop them from interfering with my capturing of Elise, it does not appear to be full-proof."

"Excuse me?"

"You do realize that my glorious creations don't pay for their own production, do you not?" Eggman snarked, "Since I've lost the scepter of darkness to G.U.N. I would greatly appreciate assurance that I will get my money back, if you please."

There was yet again a moment of silence throughout the scene as everyone awaited for the regent's answer. Even Christina nervously walked towards her mistress and spoke in a soft, somewhat frightened tone:

"Miss Mairg-"

But Mairghread put out a hand in order to swiftly silence her, before turning to the guards and saying:

"It appears our deal with Eggman is now canceled" she said to the policemen, "Dispose of these robots immediately, and I don't care if you hit the princess or not."

The police, even Pietro, for once broke from their cold, tense looks and now seemed more frightened than anything else. They were not idiots. They were well aware that these robots would not be harmed by their pathetic handgun bullets - they looked at the regent as though she was completely demented for even suggesting it. Ernesto and Matteo though, were ever the loyalists and shouted at the guards once it was apparent that they were not responding:

"You heard the regent!" Ernesto exclaimed, "Fire, you idiots!"

"Take them out now!" Matteo yelled, "Your future duchess commands it!"

"That is my line, Matt!" Mairghread growled, before turning to the arrogantly smirking Eggman and continuing to bark like an enraged dog, "How dare you! You do not get to make demands of me!"

"It appears, dear Madame McLoch, that your guards would agree with me that I can."

"No you can not!" Mairghread roared as she directed her fury at Eggman - her damaged voice making it sound even more like one, "I am Lady Mairghread of the House of McLoch! Princess of Lochland! Future Duchess of Soleanna! You are nothing more than a mad scientist who still plays with childish toys! My money has better uses than catering to you and your frivolous, insipid plans! Do you know how much plastic surgery costs? Or how about bribing those in charge of G.U.N. to say out of my plans? The only reason I wanted you was to get my niece out of the picture, but now I am in the perfect position to do without you-AGH!"

In an instant, all on the boat were shocked. In her ranting against Eggman, Mairghread had not paid attention to Metal Sonic. The robot had grown quite tired of her voice and levitated himself in the air, within an instant having grabbed her by the neck - which he proceeded to snap and fracture within a matter of minutes. The sound of her bones cracking could be heard by all on the deck. After her dead muscles relaxed and her cigarette dropped from her hands, Metal Sonic discarded Mairghread's corpse by tossing it onto the floor of the deck as though she were nothing but trash - meaningless, worthless trash.

Eggman was the only one not horrified to witness the power behind Soleanna's throne be discarded like an everyday piece of garbage - in fact he was quite elated by it:

"Good idea, Metal!" he cheered, before turning to the rest of the robots surrounding the boat, "The rest of you, follow his example! Though do not harm the duchess!"

Right before the carnage began, Ernesto and Matteo callously screamed at Pietro and the police virtually in unison:

"Hurry!"

"Kill the girl before he kills us all!" Ernesto screamed in terror.

"She's useless to him dead!" Matteo added.

Their lack of humanity was rewarded with them being among the first to perish once the Egg Gunners began firing their machine gun bullets at all on the deck - both 'Ernie' and 'Matt' dying almost immediately to bullets in the head, meeting a similar fate to Mairghread in dying as though their lives held no significance whatsoever.

They were followed by captain Pietro and the rest of the guardsmen onboard soon after. Their handgun bullets were of no effect and merely bounced off the robots, and they themselves along with all of the boat rowers were gunned down in a blood-soaked massacre as bullets promptly descended into their bodies.

Elise could only drop to her knees, holding her head as she hoped with all heart that she would not be among the growing number of corpses aboard the boat.

The two Egg Gunners behind her, following their creator's orders, turned their attention to Anna. Backing away in fear, Anna was lucky as though bullets did graze the edges of her arms and legs the shock of it was enough to send her off the side of the boat and into the waters below. She lost her glasses as she screamed though none of her injuries were fatal by any means.

The same could not be said however, for Christina. While the Egg Gunners were mowing down Ernie, Matt and the guardsmen she screamed at the top of her lungs and ran straight for Elise. Slipping right past a seemingly idle Metal Sonic, she managed to take advantage of the two robots' distraction with Anna and grab hold of Elise:

"Ah!" Elise shrieked as suddenly Christina held her as one would a hostage - the once usually quiet assistant telling her in a panicked tone:

"Shut up you fucking bitch! I'm not dying because of you!"

However, she was quite wrong. Just like her mistress, she far too late realized that Metal Sonic's position had changed. Christina did not even have time to process that the robot was behind her until she felt a sudden, piercing sting at her waistline.

It did not last long, though it did completely eliminate her ability to speak or even move.

Within moments both her top half and bottom half fell to the ground - her body having been successfully bisected by a single slash of Metal Sonic's knife-like claws. Well before the Egg Gunners had the time to turn around to kill her themselves, for that matter.

My god…

Elise could only express horrified awe at how the most powerful, yet evil, people in all of Soleanna had been taken down in mere seconds by Eggman and his machines. Christina, Ernie, Matt, Pietro and Mairghread all lay dead on the deck of the boat as though they were completely worthless - the power they once held gone about as fast as their lives. Not even Eggman wasted time dwelling on their downfall:

"Excellent work my robots! Now, let's take our friend here back to the Egg Carrier, this vacation has gone on quite long enough!"

Anna…

Elise bowed her head in surrender as Metal Sonic lifted her with his cold, metallic hands and saw to it that she was placed in the cockpit with Eggman. The robot along with the others in the squadron wasted no time in flying away at that point, Elise only looking down at her feet during yet another ride as Eggman's captive.

She could only hope that Sonic truly would find a way back to the present time in order to rescue her.

While Elise was happy when she looked over to the side of the vehicle as it ascended and left the scene of the slaughter and saw a visual of Anna swimming back to Soleanna's docks - that did not change the fact that Sonic was still sent through time.

That did not change the fact she yet again felt hopeless.

Sonic…

I hope Espio was right….

[mirkwoodshewolf]

Freddie’s 40th birthday; Freddie Mercury x reader

*Author’s note*

In honor of the legend’s 74th birthday, as apart of my Rock Angel series, I have written up this little filler chapter centered around Freddie’s birthday. It’s unbelievable that had he lived today, we would’ve been celebrating his 74th bday. But as it is said in the Sandlot ‘Heroes get remembered, but legends never die’. Happy birthday Freddie Mercury, wherever you are, know that you are loved and are continued to be loved by generations of people that are just getting to know you or people that have followed/known you when you were alive.

Enjoy my lovelies and until the next update :)

Taglist:

@plethora-of-things​

@waddles03​

@psychosupernatural​

@ixchel-9275​

@simonedk​

@queensdivas​

@queendeakyy​

@geek-and-proud​

@platawnic​

@jd-johndeacon-or-jackdaniels​

@klausidiot​

@onebigfangirlworld​

@naturalswifty89​

@starswin​

@dj-lowkey​

@isabella-bby​

@bohemiansweede​

@5sos-wdw​

@labessieisallama​

____________________________________________________________

*Sept. 7th, 1986*

I was looking myself over in the mirror seeing how my cowgirl hat looked.  It wasn’t anything fancy just a simple leather khaki hat that belonged to mum who gave it to me just for this party.  I brushed the ends of my hair before Jack came in wearing his Indiana Jones hat.

“Look at you my little cowgirl.”

“Now don’t you dare say something naughty or else you’re going to get it.” Jack faked a gasp.

“How dare you suggest I’d say such a thing.”

“Please Jack. You may look all sweet and innocent but even you can go Freddie Mercury dirty. Or worse Deacy leveled of rottenness.”

“Never did I think he could think such thoughts.”

“You do realize that his first song Misfire was all about pre-ejaculation right?”

“Okay subject change please!” I shoved him and said.

“You started it.”

“Nu-uh!”

“Oh shut it you. Now remind me again why you didn’t want to wear a cowboy hat?”

“You know what those hats do to me. Plus….” He stroked the rim of his Indie hat, “this makes me look cooler.” His brow quirked as he smirked in the mirror trying to be sexy (which he was but I’ll never admit that out loud).

“But then we could’ve been a matching set at the party. Fred would’ve been all gushed up about it.”

“You know this day is about him right?”

“Correction two days ago was all about him. This is his birthday party. Thankfully it won’t be as crazy as last years. Yeesh. I still don’t remember how Roger and I ended up in that closet together.”

“Let alone with your shirt over his face.”

“Oh god yeah that—most awkward thing ever. But I think I recall saying something like ‘it’s too hot in this hellhole for me!’ Or some random thing like that. At least that’s what Deacy said he heard. God we had sooo much tequila that night. Never again.”  He chuckled and wrapped his arm around me and pecked my cheek.

“Yeah cause I wouldn’t want to think that my wife was screwing around with her father figure.”

“EWW! Now that is something I know that not even drunk me would do. Why put that image into my brain oh god JACK!!!” he laughed as I began hitting his arm.  

“Ow! Okay! Okay I’m sorry!”

“You better be. Now what time is it?”

“6:40.”

“Shit we better get going!” I grabbed his hand and we took off out of the bedroom and down the stairs.

In the living room our sitter Derek aka ‘Dancing man’ Anderson, who was also one of my roadies on tour, was already feeding our daughter.

“Okay Derek, we’re heading out. Again thank you soo much for volunteering to babysit for me. Normally I wouldn’t ask you to do this much…….”

“Relax (Y/n). I’ve had 3 kids so I know how this works. Thankfully I was in the neighborhood. Plus I get the chance to see the kid before the rest of the roadies do.” I shook my head at him.

Derek had been one of my first roadies ever since I became the Rock Angel.  He was about the same age as Roger was and if I’m being honest, he’s kinda like Roger in a way.  In fact if I remember correctly it was Roger’s roadie Crystal that recommended Derek to me.  He’s great with electronics and lighting and he’s basically the ringleader since he’s the only one of my original team that has stuck with me for the past five years.

“Okay so her bottles are in the fridge and I’ve laid out instructions on how to warm them up. Her bedtime is in two hours, and her favorite story is ‘Oh the places you’ll go’. And ohh I know I’m forgetting something.”

“Angel, relax. I’ve got this. Jack gave me the full rundown about an hour ago while you were deciding on your hat. Give my birthday regards to Fred.”

“We will. Thanks again Derek.” Jack said as the two of them shook hands with each other.

“No prob, you two kids have fun. And don’t worry mini Angel will be safe and sound.”

“Alright, bye baby girl. Mummy loves you.” I leaned down and pecked my daughter’s cheek repeatedly then Jack came down and kissed the top of her head which was starting to sprout my hair color and told her.

“Daddy loves you too sweetheart.” Jack and I picked up our gifts for Freddie and we walked out the door and headed to the car.

To my surprise Jack actually offered to drive to Freddie’s place at Garden Lodge.  I looked at him surprised and switched seats with him and I must admit I’m surprised that he’s managed to get driving in England down.

“Wow Jack I must say, you’ve really adapted to our way of driving, haven’t yah?”

“Well seeing you guys drive all the time kinda helped me out a bit more. Plus those old driving lessons from Deacy also helped as well.”

“So I got to ask. American style of driving or UK style of driving.”

“Oh American hands down. I still fear that I’m gonna ram into someone driving on this side of the road.”

“Guess we both feel that way. When your cousin Jensen gave me my first car driving lessons, I was terrified beyond belief. Not only was it something totally different, but also just driving on the side of the road that I’ve never driven on. But you’re doing good baby. I’m proud of you.” I gave him a peck on the cheek and he said.

“Hey now, no need to get frisky. I’m the one behind the wheel here.”

“You are just full of snappy comebacks today aren’t yah?” he grinned at me and continued to drive on.

After a while we finally arrived at Freddie’s place just ten minutes past 7.  Jack parked the car just a few yards away from the entrance of Garden Lodge and the two of us walked hand in hand towards the entrance.  I pressed the buzzer at the gate and that’s when Jim’s voice came on the intercom and he said.

‘Hello?’

“Hey Jim it’s Jack and (Y/n). We made it.”

‘Ahh the Kline couple, come right on in.’ the gate let out a buzz and Jack opened the door and tipped his hat just like Indiana Jones as he did his best Harrison Ford impression.

“My lady.”

“Why thank you Dr. Jones.” I said in my best Southern accent before walking right on in and he followed behind me.

We walked across the front garden and I couldn’t help but admire the flowers that grew down the runway towards the house.  We walked up the steps and Jack knocked on the door and soon answering the door wearing a pink boa with an angel halo on top of his head was the Queen himself, Freddie Mercury.

“Well about fucking time you two got here. I was beginning to think you both skipped out on me.”

“Please Fred. If we wanted to, you’d never let us hear the end of it.” I teased him.  He chuckled and smiled that wide smile of his before extending his arms out and the two of us hugged and kissed each other.

“And Jack. Handsome and dashing as ever.” Freddie praised.

“Thanks Fred.” Jack blushed.

“And a couple’s costume at that. I swear I think you two will upstage me. And I’m supposed to be the birthday boy here.”

“Oh well Fred actually we’re not doing a couple’s costume. At least not anymore we aren’t.”

“Oh well then Jack what kind of hat is this supposed to be?” Fred said as he stroked the rim of Jack’s Indiana Jones hat.

“Wow and I thought you would’ve at least seen at least one of the films. This is an Dr. Indiana Jones hat.”

“A doctor you say, well what the fuck kind of doctor wears that kind of hat?”

“He’s also an archeologist that goes on adventures Fred.” I explained to him.  Freddie ahhed in understandment.

“Okay now I see. Well besides all that, come on in my darlings the party’s just beginning.” Fred opened the front door wider and allowed Jack and I to enter inside.

And amazingly while there were a lot of people there, it wasn’t as full crazed as his birthday party last year.  It was mellow, quieter, people making small talk amongst friends.  It was a nice change for once (especially after the after party for the Magic tour).

The party went on and as Fred and I stood side by side of each other looking out at the other party guests I turned to him and said.

“You know I’m really surprised Fred. You really mellowed out.”

“Well darling the older you get, the less of a party animal you become. Even the champ must lose at one point.”

“All these metaphors and old saying you’ve been saying throughout this past year, I swear Fred you should be a philosopher.”

“As great as some of their sayings are, they’d be boring to meet in real life. And dear I refuse to be boring.” He playfully dipped my hat forward covering my eyes.  I groaned and playfully shoved him as I readjusted my hat.

That’s when I noticed a band on his right ring finger.

I took his hand and held it and looked up at him and asked him intrigued.

“And just what is this Fred?”

“Oh wouldn’t you like to know.” Fred teased me.

“C’mon Fred. You know as well as I that this ring isn’t like any of the old concert rings you used to wear ten years ago. So out with it.” Fred looked around before clasping my hand with his and he dragged me off upstairs where we would have some privacy.

We made it to his master suite and there I saw Delilah and Goliath both sunning themselves on the bed.

“It’s from Jim.” Freddie spoke softly as he stared down at th ring lovingly. “He gave it to my just before everyone got here. A sorta—one year anniversary present. I would wear it on my left hand if I could but—you know how people are these days when it comes to relationships. Especially with mine.”

I walked up to him and cupped his face between my hands.  He and I stared at each other and I said to him.

“I’m happy for you Fred. Truly I am. And hell if it were up to me, I’d have you and Jim married tonight if you both wanted to.”

“I know you would darling.” He very gingerly pinched my cheek.

“And……people can be bastards. They think that sexual relationships have to be in a straight fashion. Even Johanna and Graham thought that way. Any trace of homosexuality, they’d treat them as if they were scum of the scum. They’d even tried to brainwash me into believing it as well. But thankfully I have more common sense than them or anyone else that thinks that way. Love is Love. As long as two people are happy and in love with each other, so long as they are of legal age, then it doesn’t matter.” I said as I wrapped my arms around his neck.

“A lioness with a heart of gold. Your parents would be proud of you darling.” He said as he wrapped his arms around my waist.

“Who knows maybe one day the world can change and have people of the same sex get married. And when that day comes, I’ll be right there at your side as your Maid of honor.” Freddie softly smiled and said.

“I’ll let you plan the whole thing out if you want.”

“Good cause you know I’ve got some suggestions.”

“You did learn from the best.”

“Also I’m gonna tell you what you once told me when Jack and I first became a couple. If he breaks your heart, or makes you cry like that last bastard of a man you had, I’ll pop him off his arse till he’s in a coma.”

We both softly laughed and pecked each other’s cheeks before embracing each other tightly.  “Never change my darling Rock Angel.”

“Never Freddie. So long as you never change either.”

“With you by my side, I doubt I ever will.” We both softly laughed.

“C’mon. I’m betting everyone’s wondering where the birthday boy is at.” We took each other’s hands once more and walked out of his master suite and headed back downstairs.

Everyone gathered in the back garden as Jim, Terry and Phoebe pulled out the cake (which was sculpted into the shape of an orange, black and white patterned cat standing on a podium with its paw up in the air).

Once the sparkling candles were lit, we all sang Happy birthday to Freddie.  Freddie stood by his cake smiling and gushing about till the end of the song before finally blowing out his candles.

“I better not expect a girl wearing a cat costume to pop out and ruin this cake!” we all laughed and that’s when Jim came up to him and delicately cut the bottom part of the cake.  As Jack and I sat together I couldn’t take my eyes off of Freddie.

He was just radiating this pure energy as he chatted away with Phoebe, Jim and his other friends that he knew outside of Queen. He truly was a ray of sunshine who made everyone laugh and smile, and I am so glad that he got out of Prenter’s grasp when he did cause this this was the Freddie I knew and loved.

“He seems happier with Jim.” Jack said to me as he ate a piece of his cake.

“He does. He finally found himself a little niche in life. And I’m happy for him.”

“So they’re really together, aren’t they?” Jack asked me. Of course there wasn’t any hatred or disgust as my husband spoke those words, he genuinely wanted to know whether or not Freddie and Jim were seriously an item or not.

“They are. And I can see that it’s real love between those two. I hope they stay together for a long, long time. They’re good for each other.”

“I’ll admit it, even though I’ve never really seen a gay romance for myself. I think they really do love each other.”

“It’s just like us. Like Deacy and Ronnie, like any other straight marriage or relationship. It doesn’t matter the gender of the person so long as two people love each other and care about one another. Love is Love.”

“I can get behind that.” Jack said as he nuzzled his face into my neck making me giggle softly.

It was about an hour after sunset when the party finally came to a close.  Everyone bid their goodbyes to Freddie and when I had invited Fred and Jim to come and have tea tomorrow, that’s when I found out that they would actually be leaving for Japan tomorrow afternoon.

“Oh wow Japan. You two going on your honeymoon?” I playfully nudged Fred.

“It’s not so much a honeymoon dear. Just a way for Jim and I to get to know each other a little more without all the press and cameras stalking us.”

“Understood. Those blood-sucking leeches.”

“Tell me about it.” He grumbled.

“Well I hope you both have a safe trip and enjoy yourselves.”

“We will darling. And I’ll be sure to pick something up for the mini-angel’s birthday in a couple months. As well as a souvenir gift.”

“You know she’s still a baby right?”

“So what? Just because she’s a baby doesn’t mean I have to stop spoiling her.” I rolled my eyes and embraced Freddie and he hugged me back.

“You’re gonna drive me to early grey hair Mercury.”

“Oh don’t be ridiculous darling.” He said in a posh tone. “As I’ve always said you’re gonna be an ageless beauty. It’s me and the other guys that’ll age like milk.” I slapped his arm then we kissed each other goodbye then Jack and I took our leave.

When we arrived back home, we came in to see Derek sitting on the couch watching the news.

“How was the party?” he asked us.

“Mellow but fun. How was our girl?” Jack said.

“Barely gave me any trouble, unlike my own daughter when she was that age. The only fuss she made was when I had to change her nappie before bed.”

“She’s done that with us too. Mum hopes she’ll grow out of it soon.” I said as I walked up to him.

‘Growing cases of the AIDS and HIV virus continues to climb. So far in England alone more than 1000 confirmed deaths have occurred due to the virus…..’ I shut the TV off and muttered angrily.

“I hate the news. They never have anything positive to say. All it is is just death, gang bangs, cults, economy crashes, war, or this new virus that’s been coming up.”

“Don’t let it affect you too much Angel, you don’t need to have all that negativity floating in your head. Well I best be off.”

“Thanks again Derek, I’ll send you your payment in the morning.” I told him.

“No need. This one’s on the house. Have a good night Angel, Jack.”

“Night Derek. Drive safely.” Jack told him as Derek grabbed his coat and keys then left the house.

Jack and I changed out of our party clothes and got into our pajamas and cuddled close together.

“G’night Jack.” I yawned.

“G’night my love. Sweet dreams.” Jack whispered.  He kissed my forehead as the two of us fell asleep cuddled under the sheets.

[aion-rsa]

Best Romantic Movies on Amazon Prime Right Now

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Some movies brave enough to tread where only pop songs and poems go, and try to capture all the drama, contradictions and happy, bubbly feelings that come along with romance and love. It’s high-time that we honor them and defend them against their unearned sappy reputations with the best romantic movies on Amazon Prime.

We’ve scoured Amazon Prime to find the best romantic movies available for your viewing pleasure. Here are the best romantic movies on Amazon Prime. Ok, some of them are perfectly sappy.

The Big Sick

Kumail Nanjiani and his wife Emily Gordon’s theatrical debut made big waves when it came out for the singularity of its vision and just how plain funny it is. Now Amazon gets to reap the benefits of producing a bonafide romantic indie hit by getting its exclusive streaming rights. The Big Sick is the real life story of comedian Kumail Nanjiani meeting and falling in love with his wife, Emily (who is played by Zoe Kazan in the film).

Kumail and Emily’s courtship process is difficult enough to begin with due to Kumail’s family pressuring him to find a nice Pakistani girl to settle down with. But soon things get even more difficult as Emily suffers a health scare and Kumail must suddenly contend with that situation and Emily’s eccentric parents who have just come to town. The Big Sick is a clear vision from talented people and tells a beautifully convincing love story while making plenty of room for laughter. Not only that but it’s a big win for our list of best romance movies on Amazon Prime.

Watch The Big Sick

What If

Canadian drama What If (originally known as The F Word before the MPAA got its greasy fingers all over it) is a fun romantic movie and a tremendous showcase for its two young stars Daniel Radcliffe (you know what he’s from) and Zoe Kazan (The Big Sick). Radcliffe stars as Wallace – a directionless young man living in Toronto who decides to become more social after his girlfriend cheats on him.

Enter Kylo Ren (Adam Driver playing a character who is unfortunately not named Kylo Ren) who takes Wallace to a party where he meets the alluring Chantry (Kazan). Wallace and Chantry immediately fall for each other. Unfortunately there’s the small matter of Chantry’s boyfriend. What If? is a sweet little Canadian flick that knows how to push its audiences romantic buttons.

Watch What If

Still Mine

Still Mine isn’t necessarily about romance. It’s about love – a deep prevailing love built up over decades. Craig Morrison (James Cromwell) is a farmer in rural New Brunswick, Canada. He intends to build a new house for his ailing wife Irene (Geneviève Bujold) but runs into trouble with the local municipality’s bureaucracy prevents him from doing so.

Still Mine is as romantic a movie about bureacratic development regulations as has ever existed. Cromwell and Bujold have wonderful chemistry and paint a portrait of profound, abiding love.

Watch Still Mine

Some Kind of Wonderful

Some Kind of Wonderful doesn’t have the same pop culture standing as other John Huges films like Sixteen Candles or Pretty in Pink. Still this remains a worthwhile entry into the Hughes canon on teenage love. 

Read more

Movies

Celebrating John Hughes’ Sixteen Candles

By Carley Tauchert

Movies

The Bee: The $50 Million John Hughes Movie That Fell Apart

By Simon Brew

Keith Nelson (Eric Stoltz) is a high school outcast who has his eyes set on popular girl Amanda Jones (Lea Thompson). Thankfully he has his tomboyish Watts (Mary Stuart Masterson) to help court her. Based on that meager plot description, you may think you know where Some Kind of Wonderful is going to end up, and…you’re probably right. That doesn’t make the journey any less satisfying. 

Watch Some Kind of Wonderful

To Catch a Thief

You know who would make a great romance film? The guy who did Psycho. Yes To Catch a Thief is a classic romance film from none other than Alfred Hitchcock. Of course, there’s a lot more going on in this heist thriller.

Cary Grant stars as retired cat burglar John Robie. When another burglar starts copying his act, Robie has to undergo One Last Job (TM) to catch…a thief. In the process John comes across the wealthy Frances (Grace Kelly) and the two strike up an unlikely romance for the ages.

Watch To Catch a Thief

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Hello, My Name is Doris

Between TBS’ Search Party and Hello, My Name is Doris, director Michael Showalter had a stellar 2016. Hello, My Name is Doris is a wonderfully sweet, equally tragic and completely hilarious romantic comedy. Sally Field stars as the titular Doris, a lively woman in her 60s who after the death of her mother becomes infatuated with a younger man. 

Read more

Movies

Best Romantic Movies on Netflix

By Alec Bojalad

Movies

Best Romantic Movies on Hulu Right Now

By Alec Bojalad

With the help of cliched self-help materials she does whatever she can to get his attention. Hello, My Name is Doris is an empathetic romantic comedy that will change how you view age. 

Watch Hello, My Name is Doris

Sabrina (1995)

Let’s get one thing out of the way right now. Sabrina‘s theatrical poster is dope. When I was a kid and I would pass the VHS cover in Blockbuster, I couldn’t help but think “Wow, that is a real adult movie.” At a young age, the mere sight of a woman’s lascivious red lipstick (lascivious in my head at least) was enough to fry my brain. Poster aside, however, Sabrina is an excellent romance with some real star power. It’s a remake of the 1954 film of the same name starring Billy Wilder and Audrey Hepburn. 

This version was directed by the great Sydney Pollack and stars Harrison Ford, Greg Kinnear, and Julia Ormond. Weirdly enough Greg Kinnear plays the ultimate rich playboy while Harrison Ford plays his studious older brother. Weird casting choices but it works out alright thanks to each actor’s chemistry with Ormond.

Watch Sabrina

Ghost

Ghost is much more than just the reason you can no longer attend a pottery class without giggling. It’s a legitimately great sci-fi romance yarn. Patrick Swayze stars as Sam a banker who is killed by a mugger. Immediately post-death he discovers that he has become a ghost and can no longer directly interact with his girlfriend Molly (Demi Moore).

Sam sets out to solve his own murder and somehow reconnect with the woman he loves. Ghostcomes along with all the corniness of an early ’90s blockbuster but its central theme of love trying to achieve the impossible plays in any decade.

Watch Ghost

Brokeback Mountain

Longing is a crucial part of the formula in any romance movie and Brokeback Mountain has it in spades. Ang Lee’s 2005 film played a crucial role in bringing queer cinema to the mainstream and it did so by presenting mostly straight audiences with a universal depiction of love and passion – the kind of love that supersedes the norms and expectations of everything in your life to that point.

Heath Ledger and Jake Gylllenhaal star as 1960s Wyoming cowboys Ennis Del Mar and Jack Twist. While herding sheep on the Brokeback mountains, Jack makes a sexual pass at Ennis and the two begin a summer-long physical affair. The movie then follows the pair through the subsequent decades as they try to return to their “normal” lives, all the while unable to forget their time on Brokeback.

Watch Brokeback Mountain

Letter to Juliet

Somewhere along the way, Hollywood decided to let Amanda Seyfried become the queen of romantic comedies set in exotic locales…and that’s perfectly fine with us.

In Letters to Juliet, Seyfried stars as a New York fact checker Sophie on “pre-honeymoon” with her fiancé in Verona. There she learns of the phenomenon of “letters to Juliet” where women women bring love letters to Juliet Montague’s Verona courtyard. When Sophie answers a letter from 1957, she embarks on a decades-spanning journey of love and self-discover.y

Watch Letters to Juliet

What Men Want

Back in 2000, only one film had the distinction…nay, the courage of trying to figure out What Women Want. The answer, apparently, was Mel Gibson. We don’t talk about this movie that much.

Read more

Books

Which YA Romance Should Netflix Adapt Next?

By Kayti Burt

Books

Yesterday Is History: Meet the Latest Addition to the Time Travel Romance Genre

By Alana Joli Abbott

2019’s What Men Want is a loose remake of the earlier film. And it has something that the original never did: Taraji P. Henson! Henson stars as Ali Davis, a sports agent who gains the ability to read men’s minds after meeting a shaman. The movie puts Ali’s male-dominated profession to good use and in the process tells a nifty little romance story.

Watch What Men Want

There’s Something About Mary

More than two decades later, it’s still wild to see that above screenshot. Like, that ran in newspapers. It was on a poster! And if you don’t know why a photo of Cameron Diaz with a unique hairstyle is a big deal then you’ve likely not seen the Farrelly Brothers 1998 gross out classic There’s Something About Mary.

This is not so much a romance movie as it is an exploration of the pitfalls of attraction. Diaz stars as Mary Jensen…and there’s just something about her. Ben Stiller, Matt Dillon, Lee Evans, and Chris Elliott all play men who are helplessly in love with Mary and trying to win her affection. In the process, many injuries as sustained.

Watch There’s Something About Mary

Moulin Rouge!

If you like your romance with more than a dash of Baz Luhrmann saturated colors and big, sexy musical numbers then Moulin Rouge! is almost certainly the movie for you.

This 2001 film is set in 1900s Paris amid the Bohemian movement. When Christian (Ewan McGregor) falls in love with Moulin Rouge cabaret actress and courtesan Satine (Nicole Kidman), he must contend with her impending betrothal (or really sale) to the Duke of Montrose. As one might imagine, this is resolved with quite a bit of singing and dancing.

Watch Moulin Rouge!

Sylvie’s Love

Amazon Prime’s 2020 film Sylvie’s Love positively oozes jazz era atmosphere and tells a compelling, decades-spanning love story in the process.

Tessa Thompson stars as Sylvie Parker, a young woman who one day meets an aspiring saxophonist (played by Kerry Washington’s husband and former NFLer Nnamdi Asomugha) and in her father’s record shop in 1950s Harlem. This leads to sweeping romance that guides the pair through the era’s jazz music scene.

Watch Sylvie’s Love

The post Best Romantic Movies on Amazon Prime Right Now appeared first on Den of Geek.

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[the-real-srsteele]

Have Yourself a Merry Little Chaos Chapter 7

Connie’s POV:

“Jules, where did you put my hairspray?” I hollered from the top of the stairs.

“Oh, sorry, it’s in my room on the dresser,” she yelled back up at me.

“Naturally,” I muttered, rushing off to give my hair a quick touch-up before Jeff arrived.

“Hey, wait!” Jules called after me. “Step out on the stairs to I can see you!”

I reluctantly obliged, struggling to keep my balance atop my high heels, which were already pinching the feeling out of my toes.

“Wow, Connie, that dress is killer!” She gushed.

I shot her a questioning look. “That’s a good thing, I hope?”

She giggled. “Of course it is. You look amazing.”

“Well, thanks, I guess,” I responded doubtfully, dashing off to my room before she could make more of a fuss over me.

I hoped she was telling the truth. Whatever I looked like, I felt like a fish out of water. The flashy red evening gown I wore was definitely a far cry from my typical sweater and jeans combo. I’d picked the simplest option Jules had presented to me at the mall, but it was still the fanciest (and most expensive) dress I had ever owned.

In addition to the dress, Jules had insisted I wear lipstick, which was about as foreign to me as the menus at La Chalet. It felt strange and sticky against my skin and made me feel immensely self-conscious every time I caught a glimpse of myself in a mirror. It looked good, I guess. It just didn’t look like me.

I stared at my reflection in the mirror above my dresser, barely recognizing the person staring back at me. Am I forgetting anything? I asked myself, trying to collect my racing thoughts.

Suddenly, the doorbell rang, nearly startling me out of my skin. With trembling fingers, I grabbed my shimmery black clutch purse and began a hasty descent down the stairs.

Jules stopped me short at the bottom.

“No, no, no—go back upstairs for a minute or something.”                              

“Why?” I shot her a confused glance.

“You can’t come to the door right away. You have to make him wait a little bit.”

“Again, why? And wouldn’t that be…rude?” I protested.

She rolled her eyes. “You’re late for everything else anyway.”

“Hey, I’ve been working on that. And besides—”

She cut me off. “Connie. Just shoo.”

And with that, she waved me away upstairs.

Back in my room and not quite sure what to do with myself, I sat down on the edge of my bed and strained to hear as Jules welcomed Jeff inside.

“Hey, Jeff! Come on in. She’ll just be a minute.”

She introduced him to Gigi, and he greeted her cordially. It amazed me how effortlessly he was able to make conversation, even with a complete stranger.

How long is “a minute or something”? I wondered, nervously fidgeting with my necklace. After a while, there was a lull in the conversation, and I decided it had been long enough. I stood, looked myself over in the mirror once more and headed for the stairs.

My breath caught in my throat as he came into view. He looked absolutely stunning. His ebony suit superbly complimented his dark eyes, enhancing their boyish sparkle. I gripped the stair rail as I made my descent, careful to avoid any missteps.

Our eyes met, and my heart gave a weird thump. I was grateful when he spoke first.

“Wow, Connie, you look beautiful.” He sounded sincere enough, but I couldn’t be sure if he meant it, or if he was just being polite.

“Really?” I half-croaked, unintentionally crinkling up my nose at the compliment. “Uh, I mean, thanks. You look great, too. Really, really great.” No, no, no, no. Too much. I felt my cheeks flush. My eyes flickered over to Jules, imploring her to come to my rescue. She read my signal and snapped into action.

“So, uh, how long are you party animals planning on staying out tonight?” she asked, interrupting the awkward silence I’d created.

“As late as our parents will let us, I suppose,” Jeff joked back. “What do you think, Connie? You don’t turn into a pumpkin at midnight or anything, do you?”

I laughed stiffly and opened up the hall closet to rummage for my dress coat, suddenly wishing I’d remembered to have it dry cleaned. I fished it out and flung it over my left arm, fumbling for the other sleeve with my right.

“May I?” I hadn’t heard him come up behind me, and the closeness of his voice startled me. I nodded silently. Then, ever-so-gently, he lifted the offending sleeve and guided it over my flailing arm.

“Thanks.” I forced another awkward laugh and then just stood there for a moment, staring up at him. Why had I suddenly lost all ability to speak and act like a normal human being?

“So, are you ready to go?” he finally asked.

“Huh? Oh! Uh, yeah.”

“After you, then.”

He swept the door open and gestured for me to go on ahead of him.

It took extra concentration to keep from crashing down the front steps in those wretched shoes, but I made it without mishap.

He followed me out to his sleek, black Mazda and held the door open for me as I ducked into the passenger seat.

An instant later, he was beside me in the driver’s seat, starting the engine.

“Are you cold?” he asked, holding one hand experimentally in front of the heat vent. “I can turn up the heat if you want.”

I shrugged. “Nah, I’m good, thanks.”

“Okay, just promise me you’ll tell me if you’re not comfortable.”

I nodded. I did, in fact, feel quite uncomfortable, but it wasn’t because of the temperature. I noticed my hands were trembling as I locked my seatbelt in place. Why was I so nervous? It was just an evening out with a friend. Nothing to be nervous about, right?

He turned the radio dial to the Christmas music station, and I felt a silly smile spread across my face. Most people teased me about my soundtrack of choice during this time of year, but Jeff indulged it gladly.

I caught the answering sparkle in his eye as he shifted the gear and started to back out of the driveway.

“Hey, listen.” His voice was calm and reassuring—I figured he must have sensed my nervous energy. “I’m so glad you agreed to come with me tonight, Connie. There are going to be some really great people there that I can’t wait for you to meet.”

“Like who?” I asked.

For some reason, I hadn’t considered the fact that I’d potentially be meeting dozens of strangers at this event. Strangers who would ask me all kinds of questions about my career, my relationships, where I was going in life. All the kinds of questions I never had a good answer to.

“You’ll just have to wait and see.” His answer broke into my thoughts.

“Wait and see what?”

“You asked me who I wanted you to meet tonight.” He paused briefly. “Are you feeling okay? You seem kind of distracted.”

“Yeah, I’m okay. There’s just a lot on my mind right now.”

He nodded knowingly. “Yeah, I know. I guess I was just hoping tonight might help take your mind off everything.”

I smiled gratefully. “Thanks, Jeff. I really appreciate that.”

“You’re going to have a great time tonight. I promise.” His smile gave me butterflies.

Suddenly, before I could stop myself, I blurted out, “Hey, can I ask you a question?”

He shrugged agreeably. “Go for it.”

“Okay, um…” I took a deep breath. It was too late to back out now. “Is this…like…a date?” The words tumbled out like melted ice cream from a spilled milkshake.

He raised an eyebrow and took his eyes off the road for a brief moment to venture a glance at me. “Would you like it to be?”

“Um…yes? NO. I don’t know…maybe?” I squirmed uncomfortably in my seat.

He laughed. “Well, which is it?”

“Well, uh…I’d kinda rather hear what you think first, so I don’t embarrass myself.”

“So I’m on the hook now, huh?” He laughed again.

“I’m sorry, I just—” He didn’t let me finish.

“Hey, don’t worry about it. I was just kidding.” He took a deep breath and then continued. “To be honest, it’s an easy answer for me. Yes, Connie. Without a question. You are an amazing woman, and I would be honored if you might consider me as, well…more than a friend.”

“Oh, wow, uh, okay.” I started to babble, a million thoughts racing through my mind all at once.

He immediately looked concerned. “Was it okay that I said that?”

“No, no, no,” I stammered. “I mean—yes, it’s totally okay. I just…didn’t expect it.”

“Why not?” He looked a little bewildered. “You mean a lot to me, Connie. And I hope I’ve shown you that.”

He had shown me, hadn’t he? The late-night text conversations when I’d wake up missing Mom. The random grocery deliveries that always seemed to show up at exactly the right times. The hours-long talks about God and about life. He’d invested a lot in me over the past few years. And he’d come to mean a lot to me, too.

“You have, Jeff. And I…” I couldn’t think of the right words to say. “Thank you.”  

He looked at me and smiled, his eyes meeting mine and filling in the rest of the unsaid words between us.

Surprisingly, it didn’t take us long after that to slip back into our typical easy, friendly chatter. I was almost sorry when we pulled up at the valet stand and had to go inside.

  My eyes widened as we entered the enormous, brightly-lit room. Every inch of the place was decked out in holiday splendor.

“It’s beautiful,” I gasped.

“I knew you’d like it.”

I hoped he didn’t find my amazement too childish.

A man in a white tuxedo walked by, carrying a tray of delicate stemware filled with bubbly amber liquid. Jeff stealthily swept two glasses from the tray and handed one to me. Following my questioning gaze, he stooped down and whispered, “It’s sparkling cider.”

I giggled a bit foolishly and took a sip.

The rest of the evening went by almost in a blur. Jeff made me feel instantly at home with everyone he introduced me to and invited me to join in on every conversation. I couldn’t imagine anything I had to say was really all that interesting, but it didn’t seem to matter to him. He hung on my every word, as if each one were of utmost importance.

But then again, he was always like that—attentive and considerate, always making sure the other person knew they mattered.

And with every new acquaintance, I felt myself growing more and more proud to be by his side.

[best-enemies]

For the fandom ask meme thing can I request the whole damn alphabet or is that not very cash money of me? I’m nosy lmao I wanna know all of them!

AHDKAJSDKJAHSKDA JACK YOU’RE THE BEST

A - Your current OTP(s)/OT3(s)/OTX(s)

I’ve had my current OTP for like almost 8 years and it’s, obviously, Thoschei (Doctor/Master). My other current obsession is the Gallifrey OT4 hehehe

B - A pairing you initially didn’t consider but someone changed your mind

It’s funny because I didn’t ship Hannigram at first... I’d thought the idea of a cannibal having a relationship was terrifying because what if they had sex and Hannibal got hungry in the middle of the act? Lmaoooo 

But yeah they’re my endgame now. I watched the show when it first aired and I was about 14/15 years old so now you see why I thought that. Although I’m still afraid I’m gonna be reading a fic and Hannibal will suddendly bite Will’s dick off or smth AKJHSAKJSAHSASKAJ

C - A ship you have never liked and probably never will (be nice)

Uhhh Doctor/Clara. Mainly because I don’t like to ship the Doctor with companions (there may be one or two exceptions but I don’t ship them enough to actually say I ship them lol) and I don’t know I just never vibed with it

D - A pairing you wish you liked but just can’t (again: be nice)

Doctor/River. I mean, I did like it for a while years ago but now it’s just... eh. I think she has a waaay better chemistry with the 12th Doctor, but still don’t ship it. I might give it a try once I listen to the River audios but so far meh. I’m not much of a multishipper anyway.

E - Have you added anything cracky/hilarious to your fandom, if so, what

God. I’ve written a couple of Academy Era (focused on the Deca) crack fanfics and I still have to translate them to English. They’re pure garbage but I love them. I have a lot of fun writing crack fics because they’re easier and I can ignore whatever piece of canon I want just for the laughs

F - What’s the longest you’ve ever been in a fandom

Guess it’s Doctor Who, been here (in and out of the fandom) for over 8/9 years

G - Do you remember your first OTP, if so who was in it

Uhhhh I think it was Han Solo and Leia, since I was a kid really. I wanted to marry both of them lol

H - What is your favorite source text for fandom stuff (e.g., tv shows, movies, books, anime, Western animation, etc.)

I had to google what a source text is and still don’t know

I - Has tumblr caused you to stop liking any fandoms, if so, which and why

I don’t think so, but Twitter definitively has. I remember a couple years ago I was curious to see what voltron was about and watched a few episodes, it was ok, fun and cute but the fandom was so annoying I stopped watching it for good and don’t care about it enough to pick it up again

J - Name a fandom you didn’t care/think about until you saw it all over tumblr

I had definitively forgotten about supernatural until I saw it all over my dashboard in the year of our lord 2020 lmao like in my wholock days I tried to watch the show because everyone on my dash (is it still called dashboard?) was talking about it and I watched about 8 episodes before dropping it. But seeing it again on the dash was actually a happy surprise because the memes are too funny hahaha

K -Say something nice about someone in any of your fandoms

I’m extremely shy irl and on the internet as well but I wanna say that  @janeturenne is one of the best authors ever and her fanfics are a blessing in my life; also @thebraxiatelcollection who brings awesome content to my dash and is also one of the best authors. And of course, you, Jack, also one of the best authors god I’m so BLESSED

L - Say something genuinely nice about a character who isn’t one of your faves (chars you’re neutral on are fair game, as are chars you dislike)

Uhhh I guess I’m neutral about the current companions. They’re not my favorites but I don’t really dislike them - they had a lot of potential and chibs came up with some good storylines but did not develop them well in my opinion. I think Graham is a fun grandpa whom I’m going to miss when he leaves; Ryan is cool and could’ve done a lot more if the writers had kept a few things, it’d be awesome if he vlogged all of their adventures. He’s like the one I was curious to see more but sadly didn’t feel a connection; and Yaz, I hope she’ll keep growing and that her friendship with the Doctor will finally be developed to a level we can connect to her.

It sounds weird because with the fam it’s always ‘what I wish could have been’ because I never felt really connected to them :(

M - Say something genuinely nice about a ship that you don’t ship (or its shippers, or anything related to you)

Ok... I don’t really ship Rey/Finn but I think it’s one of the sweetest ships ever, and if they ended up together I’d be happy. They love each other and are there for each other always so, yeah :D

N - Name three things you wish you saw more or in your main fandom (or a fandom of choice)

I don’t know if I got the question right but it’s three things I wish I saw more in my main fandom? Well, if it’s that, then, 3 things about the Doctor Who fandom: 1) people having more civilized or light-hearted discussions about things. Like, I genuinely disliked an 8th doctor audio I listened once that my friends loved, and they made fun of me and we joked about it. Also once we were in a live twitch video playing among us and discussing doctor who, and then we got into a ship “discourse” as a joke and nobody really cared and just laughed because everyone knew it’s fictional shit so why get mad over it? 2) Doctor Who has a titanic amount of content, it’s all canon but at the same time it’s not, so who cares? If you want to listen to Big Finish audios and if you can afford it, then lisiten; if you can’t, it’s okay, no one has the right to tell you you’re less of a fan. Just tell them to fuck off; 3) The best way to keep fandom alive is by creating content. Here in my local fandom we have several podcasts dedicated to all areas of the whoniverse (the show, the expanded universe, the audios, etc), those old fandom websites who do serious work to bring news to the fans, people who make subtitles for the classic series (we don’t have it available here so they do their best to make it accessible to other fans), accounts dedicated to promoting dr who fans who create content, and we even have people making their own audiodramas with dw characters and writing book-lenght fanfiction to help explain the show to people who’ve never watched it, and a great variety of things. I’ve seen a few of these things in the international fandom, mostly by older fans, so I wish younger fans about my age who have the means to make this kind of stuff would make it too. Maybe there’d be less twitter drama out there lol

O - Choose a song at random, which ship or character does it remind you of

“the killing moon” by echo & the bunnymen reminds me of thoschei. yep it was totally random

P - Invent a random AU for any fandom (we always need more ideas)

The fact that we don’t have a pride and prejudice AU for brax/romana yet is driving me insane

Q - A ship you’ve abandoned and why

I’ve mentioned it before but doctor/river, don’t really remember why idk I just don’t vibe with it anymore. But also because thoschei has so many different pairings in 1 ship that I don’t really feel the need to ship them with anyone else lol

R - A pairing you ship that you don’t think anyone else ships

GOD I NEED TO TALK ABOUT IT BECAUSE IT’S SO SPECIFIC ok fellow academy era stans gather around if you have read Divided Loyalties there’s a scene where it SHOWS that Magnus had a crush on Ushas. And NO ONE HAS EVER TALKED ABOUT THEM and the power couple they would’ve made. I write them into all my fanfics in hopes of making other people ship them but I’ve had no success so far

S - Show us an example of your personal headcanon (prompts optional but encouraged)

The Master is a big fan of musicals and in the 77 years he spent on earth he watched every single one ever. I’m gonna be bold and say that when he was young, still Koschei, he was an artist, and thought about dropping everything to become an actor on Gallifrey. Time Lords do appreciate art, and have their own plays, but it’s just the same old and boring ones the young people don’t care about. The Master then created a shocking performance that was way ahead of its time and the older Time Lords were so appalled they banned him from writing and presenting plays and that’s his villain origin story

T - Do you have any hard and fast headcanons that you will die defending, about anything at all (gender identity, sexual or romantic orientation, extended family, sexual preferences like top/bottom/switch, relationship with poetry, seriously anything)

1) The Doctor and the Master married on Gallifrey and the entire show is just them having the most litigious divorce in the universe (still isn’t final because the Master has killed all the judges); 2) Ushas/The Rani is ace; 3) The Deca was a 10 people polyamorous relationship; 4) Romana and Livia were girlfriends at the Academy and they hate each other now because the break up was baad; 5) Romana writes fanfiction; 6) Romana/Leela had a thing in Davidia I KNOW it; 7) Leela pegs Narvin; 8) Brax has a life-size painting of Romana at his collection or a statue or smth; 9) Brax’s dream in Reborn is actually REAL and he’s married to Romana, Leela and Narvin all at the same time

U - 5 favorite characters from 5 different fandoms

I don’t even think I’m in 5 fandoms but

Doctor Who: The Master, The Doctor, Romana, Leela, Sarah Jane, Bill (this was the hardest thing ever)

The X-Files: Mulder, Scully, Monica, and can I add The Lone Gunmen too?

Star Wars: Leia, Obi-Wan, Finn, Poe Dameron and honorable mention to Din Djarin and Grogu

Hannibal: Hannibal, Will, Bev, Alana, Chiyoh

V - 3 OTPs from 3 different fandoms

That’s hard

Doctor Who: thoschei ofc, gallifrey ot4.......... uuhh as you can see i don’t ship many pairings in the show

The X-Files: Mulder and Scully. And whatever Scully and Monica had going on because they definitively flirted

Star Wars: Poe/Finn, Han/Leia, whatever Han/Lando had going on too

W - 5 favorite ships and 5 kinks you like best for said ships

WHATVASHAJSKAJSA ok this is a little embarassing but I don’t have a lot of kinks for many ships... I guess I have some for thoschei like, choking, whipping, blindfolds/gagging, bondage, begging, biting, sem-public, phone sex, dirty talk, body worship, praise kink, etc. Alright alright I know it’s a lot but in my defense they've shown half of these on the show

X - top 5-10 characters who are yoUR PRECIOUS BABIES AND YOU WILL DIE DEFENDING THEM

The Master, Romana, Leela, Brax, Narvin, Bill Potts, Martha Jones, Sarah Jane, Donna Noble, Lucie Miller. No particular order for most of them but the Master is my precious baby and I will die for this mf

Y - What are your secondhand fandoms (fandoms you aren’t in personally but are tangentially familiar with because your friends/people on your dash are in them)

Not many, usually the people I follow are in the same fandoms as I am but I’ve seen some mutuals reblog some Hadestown stuff which is a play that I’ve never seen but definitively would because the protagonists look hot 

Z - Just ramble about something fan-related, go go go (prompts optional but encouraged)

I DON’T KNOW WHAT DOES IT MEAN

it took me three hours to do this but it was fun!! thank you bb <3

[xsecretblastsx]

1x10 - High Society

Finally I’ve reach a double digit episode, and what an episode, I feel this is where I really start questioning characters decisions, but I also love drama so, withouth more preamble, here’s the recap. Again it got insanely long.

Thoughts I had while watching the episode:

I love “comin home baby”, so right there this show is making me so happy.

I’ve actually paused the episode to see the date of the debutante ball a.k.a Cotillion 

I love Blair’s red tigh outfit, also where did that guy Prince Theodore came from?

Chuck’s proud face when Nate mentions how happier Blair seems lately, and also, dude really you don’t miss your girlfriend haha

Honestly I feel this scene with all these parallel conversations about Cotillion is great, right up my alley.

All the subtle drama in that rehearsal, the secret glances, Chuck and Nate keeping their eyes on Blair all the time, this is the kind of content I’m here for. 

I would  like to know why everyone is in their preppy uniforms and then there’s Kati and Is who look like they’re part of Flashdance

Lilly rolling her eyes the moment she sees CeCe, and then really enjoying Cece’s mortification when she realizes Dan is a Humphrey. I love Lilly.

And from Cece’s horrified face we go to hottest PG-13 make out ever. For real though I love this scene, they both look so good and so into it, and they’re so deliciously flirty and their chemistry is out of the charts. Great choice in music too.

I don’t know who is more frustrating by Nate interrupting Chuck or myself.

Chuck’s little smile when Blair says to Nate they should  move on, only to be whipped out in the next minute

Two things about the heart pin: that was an incredibly smart move on Nate’s part, and if you had any doubt Blair Waldorf is such a hopeless romantic.

Cece such a manipulator, it’s unbelievable. Imagine if Serena was more like her family...

Nate’s tux fitting deserves an honorable mention just for the fact that Blair’s actually wearing jeans. Also he kind of deserves she’s lowkey ignoring him

I mean, Dan is so annoying, like yeah I get his point Cotillion is such an elitist unnecessary event, but the way he goes about it gets on my nerves.

Hello Carter. I actually don’t mind him this episode. 

Out of all the seasons I feel like Season 1 is the one where it’s weirder for the final reveal of who gossip girl is, right now it makes the guy really look like a sociopath, with all the stuff he pretends not to know.

Oh Nate! This scene is so fun, like Chuck is so done with the conversation and then “you guys are still pretty close aren’t you?” Dude you have no idea. And the Cherry on the cake “Could you find out who she’s seeing? - Me” he told you Nate, he told you.

Cece’s words to Dan are cruel, but it is the crux of their relationship,, right until the very end and he deals with it in the worst way possible, and why in his mind, every issue in their relationship is always Serena’s fault. Ugh.

Between Dan and Carter, yeah she should have ended with Carter, too bad Cece’s word weren’t profetic.

I wish we had a clearer view of Blair’s outfit in that scene she’s talking with that New York Times guy, because I think it’s purple, and I wish we had seen her using that color a bit more.

Chuck is so jealous and Blair’s like yeah whatever as if. But a jealous Chuck is scheming Chuck. 

I love Rufus, you go Dan (just for this one time)

I’ve always felt Serena’s look for Cotillion was a lot of gold, not in a good way, but right now? I’m kind of feeling it. And she looks gorgeous. 

I mean I think there was probably a better way to say that Grandma Cece is evil, but still I’m not sure it would have matter Serena didn’t want to listen, she never does actually now that I think of it, the end of S3 comes to mind.

Blair has the funniest lines “I’m gonna go Naomi Campbell on you” Is so sad though that we got to see so little of that Erickson Beamon necklace, it’s lovely.

“Hey Beatiful” oh the things one notices when one no longer hates Carter and VanderBaizen is your second Serena ship.

Lily and Cece’s faces at Serena’s presentation stament are to die for.

The pretty little liars song! But since I haven’t watch that show, this one is going to remain a Gossip Girl song for me.

Seeing Cece and Lily at Cotillion makes me think that Blair’s parents are the worst, it’s their daughter debut and none of them could be bothered to attend the event

It didn’t remember this was the first time they mentioned the Santorini incident, less of all in the way Carter tells it, I thought this was first mentioned in S2, 

Not exactly a fan of Lily’s scene with Dan, because yes I agree at this point for the most part Dan is a good influence, but she almost makes it look like Serenas change is thanks to Dan, and that’s not the case. She had decided to change even before she met him.

Also this is feeding Dan’s ego and his belief that he’s the best thing to happen to his girlfriends. 

Oh Chuck finding out than when it comes to Blair scheming is not an easy feat,  and to think this in only the first time this is going to happen.

Poor Chuck, that hurt. Nate’s wink adding salt to his wounds ouch.

That phone between Ruflus and Lily, yes you shouldn’t have let her go!!!

Oh how I used to like that last scene between Dan and Serena.

Seeing that scene of Cece taking her pills made me think of S5, and that’s probably the episode I hate the most in the whole show.

Blair and Nate finally get to it, but seriously Blair doing it with Nate while wearing the necklace Chuck gave you, is tasteless. Also compared to a certain scene at the start of the episode, this looks a bit dull..

Chuck running away, also him looking at the news paper where Blair is happily smiling with some guy, reminded me again of S5. 

Ending this episode with “Apologize” was so 2007, remember how popular this song was?

This was a really packed episode. It introduces us to Cece, and gaves a bit more insight into Rufus and Lily’s history. We have Jenny picking the UES over her family, she’s changing. A dash of Van der Baizen, and our first glimpse to their shared past. Dan and Serena having another clash of worlds, that ends with Lily finally acepting Dan for real; and finally the end of Chuck and Blair 1.0 and the star of Nate and Blair 2.0.

While interesting Jenny’s and Rufly bits this episode, they’re a small part of the episode, Jenny’s in particular feels like a setting up of events to come and as such I feel I have not much to say about it right now. So this episode Dan and Serena had to deal with quite an opponent: Grandma Cece.

Cece while manipulative did raised some interesting points, mainly how out of place Dan feels in the UES, all those things she mentioned are things that Dan resents about the UES, and he may be brushing it up aside for now, but that doesn’t mean it won’t linger and fester in his mind. And then we have Serena who for some reason (which i can’t help but feel is related to Dan) has decided to ditch Cotillion, the even that according to Lily she wanted to attend since she was much younger, and sure people change, Serena is proof of that but in this case I feel her not going is in part to annoyed her mother but also to prove Dan she’s the girl he thhinks she is, i know I may be projecting my dislike of Dan and Derena on this, but it just feels like that to me, and it’s a troubling aspect of their relationship. Also when Dan mentioned to Serena about Cece’s ploy, she doesn’t believe him, doesn’t want to hear it at first, and I just feel for her because sadly is not the first time she’s going to have to accept that her family is not who she think they were.

Last but not least there’s Chuck and Blair. So their secret fling lasted only a month, since the beginning it took Chuck much less effort to embrace the situation, for all his playboys ways the morning after their first time... he wanted them to get breakfast, and it took him Nate messing up again for him to convince Blair of giving them another chance. So when Nate shows interest in Blair, this is Chuck’s worst nightmare come to life, Blair had her whole life with Nate planned out since she was a little girl, she only gave up on that dream when it was clear Nate wanted no part of it, and sure Chuck knows the potential they have, he lowkey always knew, and that’s why he falls so fast, because subconciously he was halfway there since foreve, but it’s very hard to compete with years of Nate, Nate Nate, in Blairs head. So he panics, he gets jealous... and he plots. And it backfires horribly. And for the first time in his life he gets his heart broken.

I don’t judge Blair on this one though because well she knows Chuck, he has an agenda always, and him being Chuck Bass it never occurs to her that he may be realy into her beyond just sex, to her all they being doing is fooling around, she tells Chuck that he needs to learned to behave for them to move to something more, and Chuck behaving is an eufemism of so many things: trust,knowing that she matters to him enough, that he cares. And that’s a big step and it’s a conversation that needed to happen.. and then it doesn’t. Thanks Nate. But really having Nate finally wanting her, and then Chuck seemingly only caring for himself and his own amusement is not suprise she picks Nate. 

I do feel for Chuck because when he gets desperate he doesn’t think properly at all,  he knows Blair, how smart she is and that she’s a good at him at plotting and manipulation,and yet he fails to take that into account, like this episode, he wants Nate to cause a scene to shatter Blair’s image of Nate, because she tells him he would never, so it’s not hard for Blair to see that Nate only caused one because Chuck manipulated into it, it’s transparent. And this is a lesson that sadly he’s not going to learn anytime soon. 

Random bits I would like to mention: ( a bit surprised I got so many for this episode)

So Blair’s birthday is the 15th of november, this means Chuck and Blair version 1.0 lasted a month. Common knowledge I suppose, but I’ve read fanfics where the timeline is much shorter. 

A bit of personal trivia: I love the song “you’re a wolf” (the one playing when Chuck and Blair are making out) and last year was kind of weird for me and I had like a thousand mood changes so anyway, so there was one week I started listening to this song, and I just couldn’t stop re playing it, just so out of nowhere, I played it so much, it ended up being my most played song last year according to Spotify. 

I remember when the type of purse Jenny has was on fashion, and it was cool because it got to the point that street markets they were sold really cheap because they made them out or recycled materials

Chuck tells to Nate that “like the book says she’s just not that into you” and it made think that this was so long ago that there was only the book, the movie wasn’t out yet, wow.. 

I wonder what would have happened if she hadn’t fight with Dan, because then Carter wouldn’t have been at Cotillion, and then the drama between Chuc, Blair and Nate could have ended up in a completely different way.

The Palace does likes like a good place to have the Cotillion, not sure that would have been the case in real life, but here it fits nicely.

Irrelevant but apparently Kati and Is do everything together at such an extent they were scorted by two guys that I guess were brothers because they had the same last name.

You won’t believe but The Pierces have a 2020 version of Secret, it came out on my new releases list on Spotify last week.

[laertesstudies]

Song of Achilles: Review

Madeline Miller's Song of Achilles received tons of critical acclaim when it was first released in 2012, even winning the Orange Prize for Fiction. I bought a copy of this book in 2017 when I was in high school and my tumblr dash was full of fan art, fanfiction, and discourse about the book. I'm afraid to say that it sat on my shelf untouched until January of this year (oops), but I finally got around to reading it. For those of you who don't know, Song of Achilles is a modern retelling of the Iliad from the point of view of Patroclus, who was a relatively minor character in the original epic. Miller's version focuses primarily on the love story between Patroclus and Achilles, aristos achaion, best of the Greeks, against the backdrop of exile and war.

For me, the love story was a bit of a disappointment. I came into this book expecting great representation for the LGBTQ+ community as this was one of the things the reviews seemed to praise the most, and even though the book does explicitly show a sexual relationship between two men, I felt that the execution could have been much better. For one, a lot of the story focuses on the feeling of gay angst in a heteronormative world. Sexuality was a contentious topic in Ancient Greece with understandings of it fluctuating over time, so this is understandable. Most of the information we have regarding the reception of the Iliad in the ancient world comes from the Classical Period (some 400+ years after the epic was written, and ~800 years after it takes place), and we have no way of really understanding how homosexuality would have been viewed when it was eventually written down, let alone how the characters themselves would have viewed it. Even Homer’s own take on the character’s sexuality would likely have been anachronistic to how people in the 13th century BC really thought. That being said, the evidence we have from the Classical Period - which would have formed a basis for Miller’s interpretation of ancient attitudes - shows very split opinions about whether Patroclus and Achilles were in a pederastic relationship, and the morality of this relationship if it existed was also highly debated. Most of the criticism regarding the morality of pederasty is rooted in the fact that these relationships were practiced mainly by the aristocracy, making it incompatible with democracy. The fact that these debates exist in classical literature means that even though Patroclus and Achilles would have faced likely faced some stigma, a decent amount of ancient readers would have accepted their relationship as well.

In addition, Miller lost a vital opportunity to provide representation for the LGBTQ+ community when she erased half of Patroclus' character. In the Iliad, Patroclus is told to be both a warrior AND a healer, but Miller completely erases his identity as a warrior, instead painting him as a meek, violent abhorring pacifist and placing him squarely as the damsel in need of protecting by the strong, masculine, protector Achilles. By doing this, it forces their relationship to immitate traditional understandings heterosexual relationships, which is hardly representation at all. All in all, however, I don’t feel that the book gains anything through its depiction of homophobia, and instead found it very triggering as a queer reader. I would rather have seen more exploration of Patroclus as he was in the Iliad, trying to balance his desire for peace and security against his honor as a warrior and worthy companion to the demi-god, or the feeling of violence and displacement forcing him to grow up too early.

In addition to its lack of proper representation of the gay community, Song of Achilles may also be a little disappointing for readers of color. Miller seems to describe most of the Achaeans as looking fairly similar, with dark skin and hair, and then defines Achilles’ beauty by his golden hair, light skin, and green eyes. This doesn’t reflect the diversity of Mediterranean peoples in real life, and centers traditionally white (as defined in the US) features as the pinnacle of beauty. I'd like to think that this was an innocent mistake as she does preserve attitudes present in the Iliad (there are incredible similarities between the way Achilles is described and the way Homer describes Helen), but in the end if still perpetuates harmful stereotypes that portray having more melanin as somehow being inferior. Reading this book in 2020, it feels wrong to celebrate this book as a win for diversity.

Still, in spite of these two major issues, Song of Achilles isn't a bad book. Miller's prose is modern and simple, unlike the soaring poetry of Homer. This book makes the classics accessible to the general public, and it's a great gateway into the topic for anyone who may want to dig deeper. In addition, the book is strongly anti-war, which is something I can appreciate. One of the central themes of Song of Achilles is the way in which war takes "boy after boy trained for music and medicine, and unleashes [them] for murder." War has a way of taking good, kind innocents and turning them into either monsters or corpses. In a time ravaged by war, this message is eerily relevant. There is nothing good that can come from the war the U.S. is currently waging. It cannot coexist with goodness, honor, and morality. It cannot coexist with art and innovation and improvement - the very things that make us human. It can only ever end with more dead children. And that is a tragedy.

Overall, Song of Achilles is certainly not the best book I've read, but it isn't the worst either. So long as you don't think too deeply about it, its a quick and fun read, touched with both love and tragedy, beauty and heartache. And while it isn't the best representation, it is a stepping stone in the right direction for LGBTQ youth and adults alike. If I had to give this book a grade, I'd give it a solid B.

[yamithediaperdork]

The wall and the baby (DC Universe, AU)

Amanda Waller, AKA the wall was known for many things. Her hard nose attuide, her belief that she knew right and damn everyone else, and her big baby husband Bruce Wayne. They had met at a gala, where Bruce had been head over heels with her despite well, less the striking figure but it didn't take long to figure out a few things about the Billionaire playboy. One, he was a chubby chaser who had actually kept drooling as they chatted, blushing and saying sorry when she had pointed it out with a smirk. Two, Due to his parents passing away in a skiing accident when he was 12, he had a VERY strong attraction to ladies who gave off a semi mommy energy. Now normally anyone who worked under the wall would of told you that the last aura she projected was that of a mommy, but since she had been there to suck up for some more founding for task force X, she'd had on a kinder face then normal. She did have to admit that it was cute seeing this handsome young man stumbling over his words and clearly love stuck, and so had come home with him that night. And the next night and the night after that. They had barely dated for a bare four months before they were walking down the aisle, Waller in a dashing white dress and Bruce in a pair of short alls and a puffy butt as by that point he was living as her big baby, 24/7. She assumed control of Wayne enterprises and put the corporation to work for Task force X, though most of the day to day was handled much as before, by Mr.fox. Bruce's days meanwhile were filled with making pretty pictures for mommy, playing with his toys and playing in mommies office, and of course, making mommy presents.

It was 7:30 am as Waller came into Bruce's nursery, wrinkling her nose a little at the smell that filled the room but it was all part of the mommy game and she forced the look off of her face as she made her way over the plush carpet that filled the room. Technically she could of sent Alfred in to wake Bruce up but she still felt bad about making Bruce sleep in his nursery last night instead of in bed with her, she'd been up late monitoring a mission to take out a drug cartel in San Baquero. For the most part Bruce just thought she had a very special job with the government and didn't ask too many questions, and in a way he wasn't wrong. but that still didn't mean she wanted him to see the ugly side of her work. shaking those thoughts out of her head, and hat a pain it was gonna be to replace Knockout on the team, she leaned over the side of Bruce's crib railing and smiled. here was a fit young man who could of been a star athlete, and instead he was sucking on a pacifier wearing a light grey onsie that helped keep him from wiggling out of the custom made extra bulky diapers that made it a chore for even Bruce to waddle, and let him stew in his messes for hours on end just like he wanted. 'Sometimes I wonder what I did to end up so lucky~' Waller gushed mentally, then gently patted the bugling (and not just from natural bulk) seat of Bruce's pamper butt. "Hey there sleepy head, time to get up~" she called softly. She of course had been up since 5 am, but unlike Bruce she thrived on little to none sleep and actually was more grumpy when she got a full 8 hours in. Bruce gurgled behind his paci and opened one eye, then grinned and let the paci slid out of his mouth. "Nggggh five more minutes mommy~" He giggled playfully. the big baby knew Waller let him sleep in as long as she could if he wanted to come in with her to work, and he'd been VERY clear that he got to come into the office today. "Sorry my adorable little stinker, if you wanna be mommies cute widdle secretary you have to get up now. for one thing, SOMEBODY needs a diapie change." "-GASP- Did Alfred poop himself!" Bruce asked and giggled like he'd told the funniest joke ever. "heh, you're such a goof ball~ come on Bruce Sweetie, let's get you changed before you make mommies nose fall off."

One smelly diaper change later (which had left Waller seeing just how 'happy' he was to see and regretful they didn't have time for a quick roll in the sack) and Bruce was dressed in triple thick diapers and a black diaper shirt with light grey overall's on, Black and grey being his favorite colors. His bottom was puffed out and he was forced to crawl to the dining room where he was helped into his high chair, and while Waller had her normal steak and egg's with black coffe,she would pasue now and then to spoon anther mouthful of apple cinnamon oatmeal into the mouth of her big baby who gurgled and coo'ed, gushing about how much 'artz' he was gonna do for mommy t'day. "I'm gonna draw you a duck, and a bat, and and a fire truck and and and-" he babbled, only shush as mommy got anther mouthful in in mouth, taking care not to get any on his clothes. "Mhhm I bet you are, and they'll join the rest of your pretty pictures on my office wall, though I might bring some home for the fridge. what do you think Alfred?" She asked, amused and turning to look at the butler. The older man gave a smile. "well i for one would be VERY much honored if I could have some of Master Wayne's artwork on the fridge. But I didn't wanna speak up." he said. Waller had been worried the seemingly stuffie old butler would of been a stick in the mud when she and Bruce had first started dating, but in fact the old Englishman had helped give her pointer for dealing with his immature employer. "oh! I sowwy Alfred! I didn't even think bout that!" Bruce said, looking guilty. "Think nothing of it Master Wayne, I was just saying." "Nooo I'ma draw you a super cool picture!" Bruce promised, then grinned impishly. "Butttt not gonna tell ya what it is, it'll be a surprise!" he added with a giggle. "I shall be waiting with baited breath." Alfred chuckled and cleared the dishes away as Waller helped Bruce out of his high chair. "We should be back around 5:30ish Alfred, and I'm thinking me and Bruce would like some-" Waller started, but was cut off by her little guy as he wiggled his massive diaper butt back and forth. "Grilled cheese and fries! grilled cheese and fries!" He chanted. "heh..Grilled cheese and fries apparently." Waller said and ruffled Bruce's hair.

One half hour drive later and Bruce was crawling next to mommy as they made they're way though the hall's of Cadmus, getting amused looks and waves from staff who knew all about him, and baffled looks from those who had just been transferred. (and in one case the new head of genetics looked at her coffee she had been drinking from and dumped it in the nearest waste basket.) Getting into her office, it was almost exactly what you would expect for the head of a secret branch of the government charged with policing meta-humans and nipping problems in the bud. A high tech desk with a built in computer that could connect Waller to any database she might need, a direct line to the president him, a selection of hand guns in protective cases that only Waller could open (the glass had been installed after Bruce had mistakenly believe they were toys, thankfully no one had been hurt). The office would of had a cold and sterile feeling to it, if not for the corner of it that was dedicated JUST to Bruce. there was a patch of extra plush carpet, a small toy chest with just stuffies, a little desk (fisher price but bigger for the big baby) for him to make his drawing at and of course lots of crayons for him, and the walls were plastered with all the pictures he had made so far. Of course justifying having her big baby in the office hadn't been easy, even for Waller, at least till she pointed out just how much Wayne enterprises helped with the budget for the last line of defense against say, a rouge justice league. add in the expense of his little space was coming right from the Wayne/Waller fortune and well, The president had dropped the topic fairly quick. Bruce took his seat at his drawing table, and getting out some paper got right to work making arts, after getting a pair of headphones on that would be playing nursery music. marveling at just how god damn cute her widdle Brucie was, then brought up a chat with Rick flag so they could go over options for replacing the decreased Knock Out.

Bruce was humming away, rocking to his favorite song, 'the wheels on the bus' when he felt a cramp in his tummy. Looking up at the clock he was a little shocked, he mostly had a soiled schedule for his BM's but he knew when a poopie was brewing and it was a full 2 hours early, with it only just going onto 9:30. He looked over and Mommy was still making a call with one of her friends, and while she mostly dotted on him she had asked him to try and refrain from 'playing the butt trumpet' when she was on a call. He tried to focus on the picture he was making for Alfred, he was drawing his own superhero he had come up with, even though he knew for the most part mommy didn't like them. This superhero actually had no powers, and was like a ninja with a whole bat theme going on, and Bruce called him Bat Dude. he knew the name could use a little work but for now, it would work. As he colored in Bat dude's cape, all black of course, the cramps got worse and he leaned forward to try and help with the pressure. all that did however was bring thing to a boil and he could hear himself, even with his music playing loudly in his ear's let out a massive roar of a fart. if mommy hadn't of been on a call, and giving him a glare, Bruce almost would of been proud of it. Instead he gave a meek smile and lisped out a sorry, then made a face and stuck out his touage as the smell reached him. Looking over at mommy, who normally could take on his smelliest diaper with a bare reaction, he watched her nose twitch and she reached into her desk and brought out a scented handkerchief and pressed it to her face. "S-Sowwy.."

Rick flag did his best not to react to the sound that interrupted their call, but he was only human and the corners of his mouth were twitching as Waller was forced to grab a scented handkerchief and pressed it to her face. "Ma'am, If you need to call me back, I understand you may have other pressing concerns." He said. "I'm Muting my end of the call, but stay on for a few colonel, and I'll let you know." Waller said, hitting the button and muting Flag before he could reply. He was a good soldier and she knew he'd follow his order's anyways. Getting up from her desk she walked over to Bruce who was hunched over, holding his tummy. "are you ok sweetie?" She asked, leaning down and rubbing his back. "I..I don't think so.." Bruce said, of course having slid his head phones off as she walked over. "what's wrong Bruce?" she asked, putting a hand to his forehead and noting a slight fever for the first time. "Tummy hurts. gonna go uh-oh any second. I sowwy." Bruce whimpered, tearing up. "Shhh it's ok Bruce. you can go ahead and go uh-oh, and while you do that Mommies gonna arrange for one of her work friends to take over for her. I think somebody needs to go home, he's under the weather." she said warmly. She of course wouldn't of gone home if it was just her who was sick, having famously stayed at her desk and suffering though a Thangarian flu last year, but she wasn't gonna make her little guy suffer here when he could be looked after in the comfort of their home. As she moved back over to her desk to let Flag know he could make the final selection for the new member of task force X himself, as she trusted his judgement, as well as trying to decide between Eiling or Hamilton for taking over for her, a long booming blast came out of her little guys butt. Turning around she was almost transfixed on the site of the rapidly growing seat, and for a second wondered if maybe just maybe, if this wasn't some sorta meta human power manifesting. Sure, super human pooping would be a first but who knew with some of these freaks? She banished that thought almost right away even as the fumes from Bruce's diapers filled the office, so powerful she almost swore for a second she could SEE them. One because she had secretly had Bruce tested for the meta gene, and Two because she could never consider her little guy a 'freak'. "Guess it's a good thing we triple diapered you huh?" She asked, as Bruce was standing now, the back of his overalls straining as he grunted and groaned, but he nodded lots. "Oh god mommy, Hurts!" he whined and then sucked on his thumb, finishing his uber mess off with a last few weak sputtering farts. Alarms went off in the office as air quilty dropped, and Waller made the command decision to just make her calls from the car..as well as change Bruce outside.

After a check up with a trusted family doctor, one Leslie thompkins, Bruce was diagnosed with just a bad tummy bug..and being guilty of having been sleep waking in the middle of the night and raiding the fridge. Alfred had just assumed that Waller had been doing it since between his diapers and the high railing.. In any case there were changes to be made around the house, more baby proofing to be done, and Waller just spent the day field testing a new set of nose filters that would keep one save from toxic gasses and did a decent job with bad smells. Snuggling with he big baby on their bed, and watching tv, Waller again thought about what life might of been like with out the little stinker..and decided it wasn't worth thinking about before planting a kiss on his forehead.

the end