#reblog the dog of 5 months of good luck

[snowdice]

Big Bang Editing Story [Day 124]

I started writing this fic while editing my Big Bang story years ago, but am going to continue doing it for other things now that Kill Dear is out. I will write and publish 100 words of the story every time I finish doing whatever task I’m doing. If you’d like to block these proceedings, please feel free to block the tag ‘proofread stories.’ I will reblog this post with the parts of the story I do today. Edited chapters are linked; everything else I’ve done so far is under the cut.

My Master Post Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11 Part 12 Part 13 Part 14 Part 15 Part 16 Part 17 Part 18 Part 19 Part 20 Part 21 Part 22 Part 23 Part 24 Part 25 Part 26 Part 27 Part 28 Part 29 Part 30 Part 31 Part 32 Part 33 Part 34 Part 35 Part 36 Part 37 Part 38 Part 39 Part 40 Part 41 Part 42 Part 43 Part 44 Part 45 Part 46 Part 47 Part 48 Part 49 Part 50 Part 51 Part 52 Part 53 Part 54 Part 55

I have been sick as a dog since I last worked on this story. I'm not even doing any work today lol. I just want to get this chapter finished. Will probably do a couple rounds and then cook myself dinner, so there may be a gap at some point. Mostly I'll just be, like, reading when not posting. Wish me luck.

“Good day for a picnic,” Helen commented as she handed over the basket Thomas had requested from her a few days before. He was taking Logan, Patton, and Virgil to the cliffs today and it was perfect weather for it. Spring was truly here, which meant that those of Thomas’s duties that had laid dormant over the harsh winter were about to start up again.

The world had been on pause for a bit considering no armies or agents from any kingdom could get through the snow the last few months, but the concerns of last fall were showing their heads once again.

Thomas had just gotten word a day ago that the queen of Lamir had routed out a second assassin hiding in her ranks over the winter. The assassin had been sent shortly after it was made clear that the queen wouldn’t bow down after the assassination of her mother. Luckily, the assassin sent for Queen Cecil had not managed to complete her mission during the winter months.

While there had been no similar attempt on Prijaznia soil, Thomas couldn’t help but feel it was only a matter of time now that the snow had melted. They were already working on increasing security in the coming weeks and, though it was doubtful an assassin had managed to hide in the castle all winter without revealing themselves, they’d be closely scrutinizing all of the newer staff members.

It would be a stressful time in the coming months, which is why, despite everything Thomas needed to do, he was still going to take his son and his son’s friends on a picnic today. Logan had already started taking on royal duties as of late, but he still hadn’t taken them all on quite yet. Considering this was last summer before Logan was of age, they should at least try to take advantage of it where they could. Patton was a year younger, but the sentiment held for him as well.

Then there was Virgil. Despite their best efforts, they still didn’t know enough about Virgil, but Thomas was fairly sure he’d never had a summer to enjoy until now.

“Thanks for prepping lunch for us,” Thomas said to Helen with a smile.

“No problem,” she said waving them off. “I put in some of Virgil’s favorites.”

“Great,” Thomas said. “Do you know where the kids are?”

“Patton said they were going to go pet the cats, so I’d guess they’re in the gardens.”

Thomas thanked her again and told her to have a good day before exiting the kitchen. There was a nearby door that led straight towards the part of the gardens Patton and Logan had always favored. He figured they’d either still be around there, or they would have wandered towards the stables by now knowing that they’d be taking horses to the cliffs. So, he decided to simply walk the normal path from the door to the stable, hoping to find them.

His prediction ended up being hilariously correct. They were indeed on the path Thomas had chosen. It was clear they (or at least Logan) were attempting to make it to the stable. However, as was typical, a portion of the party had been waylaid by whimsy.

Logan was standing further down the path, arms crossed and frowning as he watched his friends. Patton and Virgil were surrounded by cats. Patton was sitting down, holding two of them in his lap and watching Virgil’s legs being swarmed by the rest of them, maybe two dozen in total.

Virgil looked confused, but not unhappy about the presence of so many cats. He was leaning down to try to pet them all.

Logan met Thomas’s eyes as he approached and waved a frustrated hand at the two of them. Logan couldn’t help but smile.

“Virgil fed one of them,” Logan complained as though he wanted Thomas to somehow go into the past and prevent this crime.

Patton and Virgil looked over at Thomas, noticing him when Logan addressed him.

“You’re going to make Princess Marisol jealous,” Thomas said. Logan frowned at Thomas as he used the ‘Princess’ label for the cat.

“Princess Marisol decided not to come,” Virgil said with a shrug. He continued to pet one of the cats.

“She’s probably sleeping on my pillow,” Logan said, sounding grumpy.

Thomas just chuckled. Princess Marisol was technically Logan’s cat, at least that’s what the kids said, and she did spend much of her time in the royal rooms. However, she was very clearly actually Virgil’s cat. Virgil just spent a lot of time in the royal wing as well.

In fact, Thomas still didn’t know where Virgil was supposed to be sleeping. He and Mr. Deknis had gone so far as to tail him a couple of times, but he always ended up sleeping in Logan’s room those nights.

Knowing Virgil, he might just sleep in the walls. Though that still did not answer the question of where his parents or guardians were. They still had not figured it out. Thomas would assume he was an orphan who’d snuck onto castle grounds for safety, but Virgil had told Mr. Deknis during their first meeting that he was supposed to be in the castle, and it had not been a lie.

Then again, it had slowly become apparent that Virgil was good at dodging the multrum’s powers. It was starting to seem more likely that he’d somehow inserted a second meaning into his answer to Mr. Deknis that night than he somehow had some ghost guardian no one was able to locate working in the castle.

“She deserves the pillow more than you,” Virgil said, bringing Thomas’s thoughts back to the situation at hand. The look of audacity on Logan’s face made Thomas chuckle.

Thomas cut in before it could become a fight. “I could get Princess Marisol a pillow, so she doesn’t sleep on yours. Or we can get you a new pillow if you’d prefer, Logan.”

“It’s not about the pillow for her,” Logan argued. “It’s about her inflated sense of superiority.”

“She deserves it,” Virgil declared. Thomas could tell he was just trying to rile Logan up, and Thomas was sure Logan knew it too, but still his son reacted exactly in the way Virgil wanted him to.

“You have enabled and encouraged this behavior from the start!” Logan seethed.

“She’s a princess.”

“She is not a princess!”

Patton shook his head while squeezing the cats in his arms, completely used to this behavior. He ran a chin idly over one of the cat’s heads while watching the argument.

“We’re never going to make it to the picnic at this rate,” Thomas said to him, “and after your mother made all of this wonderful food.”

“You’re the dad,” Patton said. “Make them stop.”

And, of course, Patton did just mean that he was Logan’s dad with that statement. However, when he glanced back up at the silly argument still going on between his son and the cat covered boy, it did almost look like a fight between siblings.

Especially with the dark hair and stubborn but mischievous look in Virgil’s eyes, Thomas could almost imagine the boy being his own child.

He shook away the thoughts and glanced at the picnic basket in his hand.

“We do have a lot of food in this basket,” Thomas said, pitching his voice up so that Logan (and more importantly) Virgil would hear them clearly.

Virgil immediately turned to look at him, abandoning all interest in antagonizing Logan to look at the basket curiously.

Thomas was never sure if he should be amused or worried about how food motivated Virgil often was.

“What’s in the basket?” Virgil asked.

“I’m not sure,” Thomas said. “Patton’s mom made it. We’ll just have to see once we get to the picnic area.”

Virgil nodded in understanding and began to gently extract himself from the droves of cats. Logan rolled his eyes, but didn’t seem inclined to continue the argument he’d been dragged into. Virgil and Patton got to their feet, and they continued on their way towards the stables.

The horses Thomas had requested be prepared for their trip were already in saddles, though the stable hand who had been handling Mr. Apples seemed a bit dirtier and more exhausted than the rest.

The stable hand seemed as happy to hand Mr. Apples over to Virgil as Virgil was to have Mr. Apples handed over to him. Thomas received Bella with a smile and Logan and Patton got their own horses as well.

The cliffs were about half an hour's ride from the main castle. There was a mostly well-maintained path to them, though it was easy to get lost if one didn’t know the way. Mr. Apples knew the way perhaps better than Thomas himself and seemed annoyed by the fact that Thomas was trying to lead the way. Virgil and Thomas ended up side-by-side whenever the path allowed it to placate him.

Thomas still marveled at how willing Mr. Apples was to let Virgil ride him, especially when he tossed his head in Thomas’s direction, a horse’s equivalent of giving Thomas a stink-eye.

“Are you excited for the picnic?” Thomas asked the boy beside him.

Virgil glanced over at him and nodded.

“I am too,” Thomas said. “It’s always beautiful this time of year. I’m glad I could find the time to take you all there this year.”

“Are you very busy?” Virgil asked curiously.

“I am king,” Thomas reminded, “and now that the world isn’t snowed in anymore things will be busy.”

“With the war?” Virgil asked.

Thomas paused for a few seconds. “Yes,” he confirmed. “With the war, but you don’t need to worry about that.”

“Why shouldn’t I?” Virgil asked.

“You’re just a kid,” Thomas said.

“I’m 14,” Virgil said.

Thomas glanced at him. “Exactly,” he said, “a kid, and luckily, you’re in a place that can afford you the luxury of being one.”

“What do you mean?”

“The war has been mainly fought on Mocnejsi soil in recent years. Our boarders have held strong against invasions. Unless something goes horribly wrong suddenly, it would take a long time for the main conflict to get here. The only real threat in the castle would be assassins sent after me personally.”

“Right,” Virgil said. There was an awkward pause in conversation before he spoke again. “You’re winning the war then?” he asked.

“Something could always happen,” Thomas said, “but for the most part, yes, we have quite the advantage right now.”

“Oh,” Virgil said.

Thomas shook his head as they were coming up to a narrowing of the path. “Anyway, today is a day to not think about war. Today we’re going to have a lovely picnic and do some bird watching.”

“Right,” Virgil agreed from behind Thomas as Bella took the lead (to Mr. Apples discontent.)

When the path widened again, Thomas did his best to direct the topic to lighter subjects and soon they made it to the cliffs.

Chapter 57 (Virgil)

Virgil had never been to a picnic. At least, that’s what Patton had informed him when Virgil had described his past experiences of eating outdoors. Logan had agreed even though he’d admitted that the definition of “picnic” was only eating a pre-packaged meal outdoors which Virgil had done plenty of times.

From what Virgil could tell, the main difference was just how much stuff one brought to a picnic.

In addition to the basket full of food (that Virgil still hadn’t gotten to look in yet), the king had brought a large soft quilt that he had Logan and Virgil spread out on the ground for them all to sit on.

Patton and Logan had also packed some things themselves to bring along. Logan had brought along a book to read, and Patton had brought along a board game (thankfully not checkers but something Virgil did not recognize). Virgil hadn’t brought anything (except for the fire knife he was definitely not supposed to have and was definitely not letting the king see) because he hadn’t known he was supposed to bring things. He wouldn’t have known what to bring anyway.

The blanket was soft and a much better alternative to sitting on the ground, especially because, while there was grass at the top of The Cliffs, there were also a good number of rocks.

The king set the picnic basket in the middle of the blanket once it was spread out and then lowered himself down to sit on one side. Patton quickly followed him, already fiddling with some of his board game pieces, though he wasn’t setting it up yet. Virgil highly doubted that Logan was going to be allowed to read his book unless Patton eventually got bored of the game.

However, they would, hopefully, be allowed to make use of the basket the king had brought along.

Virgil followed the king and Patton’s lead and got to his knees on the blanket across the picnic basket from the king. He peered at the basket curiously.

He didn’t quite know what picnic food was, but Patton had told them they’d be getting ‘picnic food’ and he was very curious about what that meant.

King Thomas smiled at him. “Let’s see what Patton’s mom packed us, huh?” He reached for the basket and flipped it open as Logan sat next to Virgil. “There is a lot more food than usual in here,” the king said, sounding amused. “Let’s see.”

He began to pull out packaged food and glanced in each package to identify it before setting it out.

“We have a few types of mini sandwiches,” he said, putting them down, “and some pasta salad.” He set down the bowl.

“We also have… er something else.” He showed it to Logan.

“They’re hot cauliflower bites,” Logan said instantly upon seeing them. Virgil perked up in excitement. That was one of his favorite foods.

“Ah,” King Thomas said, but shrugged and set it down. “We also have two desserts apparently: cookies and mini apple pies. That last one’s a bit extra for a picnic.”

“They’re very good,” Virgil said happily.

“And we also have.” King Thomas paused, looking confused. “Chicken alfredo?”

“Yes!” Virgil said.

“Why do we have chicken alfredo for a picnic?”

“It’s a Virgil picnic,” Logan groaned. “She packed us a Virgil picnic.”

“Hey, at least momma sent us something too,” Patton said.

“I think I’ll stick to sandwiches for today,” King Thomas said. He looked at Patton and Logan. “Do either of you want…?”

“No,” Logan said. Patton shook his head.

The king nodded and offered the entire covered bowl of chicken alfredo to Virgil. “Here, this one’s yours,” he said.

“Really?” Virgil asked tentatively. It wasn’t exactly strange for people here to offer him food, and he’d expected and anticipated getting to eat on this venture, but the king of the country offering him an entire bowl of his favorite food was something else.

“It’s not really my idea of a picnic food and you seem excited for it,” King Thomas said with a warm smile, still holding it out.

Virgil took it reverently. Despite the time it had taken to get to the cliffs, the bottom of the container was still warm. Virgil assumed it was one of the heating spells the kitchen sometimes used.

“Thanks,” Virgil said, setting it in his lap.

“Of course, Virgil,” the king said.

The bowl was enough for four people to have a little bit, but for one person it was a lot. Still, Virgil was offered a little of every other food in the picnic basket (and he ate a good number of the hot cauliflower bites).

“Where do you put all of that?” the king asked when Virgil finished polishing off the chicken alfredo bowl.

Everyone else seemed to have finished eating long before Virgil, though Patton still had a small plate of grapes, and he occasionally popped one in his mouth. King Thomas was currently setting up the board game they’d brought on the blanket between all of them.

Virgil shrugged in answer to his question. “It’s good,” he said, “and I don’t want to waste any of it.”

“You know we can just take the leftovers back to the castle and eat them later,” King Thomas said. “You don’t have to eat it all now.”

Virgil just shrugged again, watching as the king set out a group of 8 figures on the board.

“Here, which character do you want to be?” the king asked Virgil, gesturing at the group of figures. Virgil had not noticed the figures were different at first glance. They were all copper colored and about the size of his thumb, but they had slightly different shapes. He squinted at them each carefully, finding they all looked like people, but with different clothing. Some worse pants and some skirts, a few had hats, and one was even carrying a book.

After a few moments, he pointed at one that looked like it had vines wrapped around its arms and was wearing a floppy hat that almost covered its eyes.

“That’s the druid,” King Thomas told him with a grin. “Good choice, and luckily not one that anyone usually fights over.” He glanced at Logan who didn’t react to his father’s gaze. He just plucked the figure clutching the book off the board for himself.

Patton and the king picked pieces for themselves. Patton picked one with an apron that kind of reminded Virgil of his mom and the king picked one that was in a suit of armor before putting the other 4 figures away.

Unlike checkers, this game wasn’t just for two people, and so no one had to sit watching people play while bored out of their mind.

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They played a practice round so Virgil could figure out how the game worked, though honestly it wasn’t that complicated, so it wasn’t really necessary.

The theme of the game was all about stealing. They were supposed to steal special tokens from other players as well as characters in the game and the first person with 20 tokens won.

The other three players argued that stealing was not the point and not the main mechanism of the game, but considering Virgil was consistently winning the entire time, he would argue they were just playing it wrong. He managed to collect 20 tokens before anyone else. In second place at this time was Logan with 9 tokens.

Logan insisted on continuing to play the game to determine 2nd and 3rd place, so Virgil ended up watching them play for a bit. Virgil didn’t mind sitting and watching other people play this game, mostly because he still had the joy of victory running in his veins.

Thomas was definitely going to lose, he noted. He kept wasting his money feeding the nonplayer characters who lived on his lands. Virgil didn’t mention this faulty strategy to him in case Virgil ever played him again.

When Logan took too long thinking about his next move, Virgil took in their surroundings.

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He’d been a bit too distracted by the prospect of food and then trying to understand (and then win) the game to truly take in The Cliffs. They were settled a good distance away from the cliffside but Virgil could still see how quickly the edge dropped off. He couldn’t see the large river he was told was at its base from where he was sitting, but he did see a few of the promised wild birds (including doves) flying around. The king had promised they’d bird watch for a bit, and Virgil figured that would happen after the game was over.

A cool spring breeze brushed across Virgil’s face, and he put his hand in his hoodie pockets to warm them. Instead, his fingers hit something icy cold.

For a moment, he didn’t remember what it was. The crescent shape of it was familiar when he put his hand over it, but he had never felt it cold before.

It was the protection charm: the first charm Virgil had ever made with Logan so many months ago. It was meant to ward off small threats as well as warn you about larger threats by changing temperature…

It had always been warm.

“What?” Patton asked, having noticed Virgil suddenly tense. Virgil, despite how he drilled into his friend’s heads to stay alert had gone soft. He’d let himself be distracted by a full belly and warm blankets and fun games.

He didn’t answer Patton. He filtered the other boy’s worried face out as well as Logan’s face as he glanced at him and the king’s still focused on the game for now. He filtered out the picnic blanket and smell of food still lingering in the air and the vine covered figure set in the middle of the board on the winner’s space. He filtered out the sound of the breeze and the breath of his companions and the distant chirping of birds.

And he heard a whoosh.

Chapter 58 (Patton)

If Patton hadn’t already been looking, he probably wouldn’t have had any idea what happened.

Everything had been fine. Virgil had been sitting cross legged, idly watching the conclusion of the game they’d been playing when his posture had suddenly changed. Patton had looked over at him only to see an expression on his face he didn’t recognize, but it didn’t seem good.

“What?” Patton had asked, but the question didn’t seem to register to Virgil.

Logan had glanced up confused and also noticed Virgil’s face. He’d just opened his mouth to also ask what was going on when chaos descended.

Virgil was suddenly moving, crashing into King Thomas who hadn’t even looked up to see something was wrong at that point. Patton realized after the fact that Virgil had swiped up the board of the game they’d been playing as he jumped over it, the pieces previously stacked on it scattering all over the blanket. There were three thumps as some things hit the thick board, imbedding themselves into the surface.

When Virgil discarded the board in favor of the picnic basket, Patton saw there were small darts in it oozing a dark black liquid. The parts of the board they touched were dissolving, the grass under the new holes beginning to wilt rapidly.

Logan seemed to notice the oozing liquid the same moment Patton did and was quicker to realize what it was. He grabbed Patton’s arm and yanked him away from the board so hard he almost dislocated Patton’s shoulder, not that Patton was too worried about that. He scrambled away from it when he realized what it must be himself.

He could hear the sound of glassware smashing above them. Logan and Patton had rolled off the blanket in their quest to get away from the smoldering, melting board and apparently Virgil had pulled the picnic blanket fully over the king at some point.

Virgil himself was now gone from where he’d been the last time Patton had looked and it took him a moment to figure out where the boy had gone. The person who had been shooting poisoned darts at them had been drawn out of the wooded area they’d been hiding in by Virgil’s attacks.

They were cloaked in dark green from head to toe, explaining why they’d been difficult to spot when they were in the woods. Whoever they were, they were significantly larger than Virgil, possibly an actual adult or almost adult assassin, but they were also clearly a long distant fighter. They had not been expecting resistance let alone resistance in the form of a so quick he was almost a blur fellow assassin.

They had a bow strapped to their back, but they hadn’t had a chance to get it. Instead, they were trying to fight Virgil off with an arrow they’d managed to draw from their quiver. Virgil, meanwhile was lunging at them with a broken piece of plate in one hand and the picnic basket in the other.

Virgil dodged out of the way of the arrow striking towards his arm, though Patton didn’t think it was because he was afraid of getting scratched by an arrow, but because it may also be poisoned tipped.

Virgil was distracted by dodging for long enough that the older assassin managed to hit him in the face with the arm not holding the arrow.

He went down, but he took the older assassin with him, sweeping their legs out from under them. Patton hadn’t noticed (his mind working too slow for how fast they were moving) but they were on a slight incline. They went rolling in a tangle of arms and legs towards the edge of the cliff and skidded to a stop only a few feet away.

Virgil ended up on top, his piece of broken plate in his hands. He moved to slash it across the other assassin’s throat and managed to draw blood, but the assassin’s fist came out to shove at Virgil’s chest at just the right moment, causing the strike to veer off course and slice across the assassin’s cheek instead.

Virgil jerked to the side to avoid a second strike to the chest and went back for another slash. The other assassin rolled to the side as he did and the plate only managed to nick their ear. The point of the motion hadn’t been to dodge, however. They were lunging for the arrow they’d dropped a few feet away while they’d rolled. They grabbed it with their right hand and in the same motion stabbed back behind them towards Virgil.

Virgil rolled to avoid the hit, already slashing up with his plate as the assassin turned back towards him.

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He didn’t hit them this time but his swipe managed to stop them from stabbing him when they tried again. They shoved themselves back to avoid Virgil’s swing, putting a bit of distance between them. Both of them managed to make it to their feet during the momentary reprieve, but both also stayed crouched, eyeing each other.

They both lunged towards each other at the same time. The assassin went for a stab to Virgil’s neck with the arrow, but Virgil was already ducking down. This time, he wasn’t going for a kill shot. He grabbed the assassin’s wrist and at the same time drove his piece of plate into the assassin’s arm, slicing down from the elbow to wrist. The assassin spoke for the first time, cursing in a language Patton didn’t recognize as they were forced to drop their arrow.

Virgil took a moment to kick the arrow away from the assassin and it ended up falling off the cliff.

However, this pause gave the assassin enough time to regroup. Despite their arm bleeding profusely, they still decided to use it to backhand Virgil across the face viciously, leaving a long line of their own blood across his face.

Virgil lunged back forward, but the assassin was able to get a leg between them, kicking Virgil squarely in the chest and sending him flying back a few feet parallel to the cliff’s edge.

The assassin went to grab their bow and another arrow from the quiver still strapped to their shoulder.

Virgil, however, apparently went for another weapon too and he was much faster with a knife than any archer. A knife appeared in his hand, having been strapped to his ankle and was embedded into the assassin’s chest before they could even full remove an arrow from their quiver.

The assassin promptly burst into flames, fire catching their clothes (and from the smell of it their skin) ablaze. Panicked and dying, they stumbled two steps to the side. They stepped directly off the cliff.

There was a second of silence. They heard the sound of the body hitting the ground far below and then the flap of wings and screeching as birds below fled from the startling sound (and possible soon to be forest fire).

…

“Uh, Virgil?” King Thomas said. He had managed to get the blanket off his head at some point. When, Patton didn’t know, but seeing any of it was probably enough.

Oopsie.

Chapter 59 (Logan)

Logan and Patton had been useless during the fight, but that may have been for the best. Considering the skill differential when it came to fighting (and that differential had never been as clear as it was in this moment), that was probably for the best. They likely would have just gotten in the way.

The moment Logan’s father spoke, however, they both jumped into action.

They both knew their jobs in a situation like this. Patton pushed himself up to his feet ungracefully and all but sprinted over towards Virgil. Logan, on the other hand stood to face his father, putting himself very purposefully between the man who had no idea what was going on yet and the boy who was two seconds away from remembering what was going on.

“I can explain,” Logan said.

His father was still sitting on the ground. “You can explain,” he said slowly, “how Virgil just threw an assassin off a cliff.”

Logan thought pointing out that Virgil hadn’t thrown anyone off a cliff and instead had set them on fire with a magical knife causing them to walk off a cliff, would not be useful in this moment. He glanced back briefly towards where Virgil and Patton were standing and then turned back to his father. “Yes.”

“And what would that explanation be?”

Before even starting to speak, Logan found himself making large dramatic ��explaining hand gestures’ that he’d thought he’d long since trained himself out of. When he was younger and in trouble, he always used to give himself away as guilty by being overly expressive with his hands (and arms).

“So,” Logan said. He was still not able to stop the hand motions. “Virgil was an assassin. He came here to kill you last fall, but he accidently went to the wrong room in the royal wing. Patton and I were having a slumber party and caught him in the act. Then we reformed him and now he doesn’t kill people anymore.” He paused and glanced back, remembering the body that had just toppled off the cliff. “Er, uh, he doesn’t kill people who haven’t shot poisoned darts at people recently anymore?”

“What?”

“Look,” Logan said. “You’re going to have to tell him you’re not going to execute him soon. Patton can only keep him from bolting for so long.”

[crimson-flash]

TOA Anniversary Munday Post

haha i haven't even been here for a month

Celebrating TOA and the people who contribute to make our group what it is.

Repost, don't reblog. Only fill in what you feel comfortable sharing!

Happy anniversary, TOA! Here's to many more years spent together.

Name: Penny

Pronouns: She/them

Birthday (no year): 8/19

Where are you from? What is your time zone?: I'm from the United States of 'Merica, Georgia in particulary.

How long is your roleplay experience? Uh, outside of Roblox, and a little bit of Amino, I basically have none, so a month!

How were you introduced to roleplaying as a whole? I was introduced to roleplaying when I entered a Big Brother RP amino thingy when I was 12, and I won the whole thing while mascaraing as like double my age. It was crazy back then.

How were you introduced to TOA?: I was looking at Joshua art, and then I stumbled across an old Joshua muse which lead me to TOA. I know it sounds a bit crazy.

Do you have any pets?: I have a dog named Mellow! I will protect him with my life. He is my pride and joy.

What is your favorite time of year and why? (Season, holiday, general period): Favorite season is Fall, favorite holiday is Christmas, and my favorite general period of time is whenever I don't have school.

What is your IRL occupation? I don't have a job at the moment, I am just a simple high school senior.

Some interests and things you like/enjoy? I enjoy coding little games, I like romhacking and just seeing my edits change the game, it's kinda like magic, lol. I enjoy going for walks, and racing other people, I also enjoy sleeping, who doesn't.

What non-Fire Emblem games do you play? Pokemon, Stardew Valley, Wildermyth, Ace Attorney, Smash Bros, Mario Kart, Kirby

Favorite Pokemon type & Pokemon: Water, Vaporeon (NOT IN THAT WAY)

Tell us some funfacts and trivia about yourself! Oh, a fun fact? uhhhhh

How did you get into Fire Emblem? I wanted to know where Marth from Smash Bros came from, so I decided I was going to play Awakening, and now I'm obsessed.

What Fire Emblem games have you played? I have played FE7, FE8, FE11, FE12, FE13, FE17

First & Favorite Fire Emblem games: FE13 was my first, and FE8 is my favorite!

List your 5 favorite Fire Emblem characters across the series! Nooo, I can't choose between my bab- Marisa, Henry, Clanne, Joshua, The 7th Platoon is it's own character right?

Who was the first character ever to make you go “ooh I like this one in particular” and why? Can be any context and reason! It was Clanne when I was playing Engage and got really good growths and he MVP'd like the whole entire game.

Any Fire Emblem crushes? 😳 A certain green-haired woman from a game I haven't even played yet.

If you’ve played (or are familiar with) the following games, who was your first S support? Who would you S support nowadays? - Awakening: My first S support was Anna, and I would probably S support my baby Henry now. - Fates: N/A - Three Houses: N/A - Engage: My first S support was Ivy, but now it's probably Panette.

Favorite Fire Emblem class? Armor Knight

If you were a Fire Emblem character, what would be your class and stats? Would you be playable? I would be a reclassable very flexiable unit, but I would always been just below-average in everything, so just like very disappointing. One speed from doubling, and one attack from killing, but I force that luck will always be in my favor.

If you were a Three Houses character, what would be your affiliation? Yellow Team! Uhm, I mean Golden Deer

If you were an Officers Academy student, what would be your boons, banes and potential budding talent? Boons: Reason, Faith. Banes: Axes, Flying (fear of heights), Heavy Armor, Budding Talent: Bows

If you were an Engage character, which nation would you originate from? Solm! I really love Solm and it's characters, it's like Jehanna if it was cool, and didn't have a queen who died in a pretty stupid way and didn't fight back EVEN THoUGH SHE'S A TRAINED SWOR-

How do you pronounce TOA? 🤔(separate letters, to-ah, other?): T-O-A, I will not accept any other pronouncations. 

[braintapes]

man i know ive been reblogging a lot of posts abt how awful the job hunt is but truly. genuinely. the whole thing is just so utterly thoroughly completely fuckin Borked dude. fully just Does Not Work

job listings are either fake, scams, inaccurate to the role they want filled, poorly written, written by someone who doesn't know what the job is supposed to entail, are either way too short or way too long, and/or by and large don't include the actual information you actually for real actually NEED to know whether the job is worth your time to apply for, such as, i dunno, the salary. your actual everyday job duties and what you Actually need to perform them. an absurd amount go out of their way to specify just how able bodied you need to even Think about Breathing on the job listing (very) even when that's blatantly false because fuck anyone with a disability i suppose.

assuming some of the jobs are, in fact, real jobs that someone would like filled by a human person to perform a series of tasks, you still may not have a good selection. depending on location you could be out of luck for any halfway decent work. there's a billion positions open for things you Know you can't do. the jobs all seem to come in the following flavors: entry level (but you must have 1-2 years experience in this field) entry level (must have a masters degree a phd and 6-10 years experience) and entry level (must have 5 years experience and be willing to lift an entire house's weight in manual labor every single day with no break)

if you don't have experience having a job well. sucks to suck i guess!

but whatever. okay. find some promising (read: seemingly not fake/scam) listings. go to apply. upload a resume you spent hours poring over to make sure ATS wouldn't mangle it while also keeping it professional and with all the relevant information to make you look as good as possible to prospective employers. the company website then takes the resume you uploaded (in the correct format) and dumps it in the trash. manually write down all of the information in their little text boxes please! oh and also make an account with all your personal information to even have the privilege of getting to fill out this application. mandatory work history information required. fill out this questionnaire - just be sure not to step on the mines and answer a question Wrongly. "why do you want to work at this company?" write an essay for us detailing the most personal aspects of yourself. dont click the buttons that masquerade as offering accommodations and diversity inclusion because theyll actually just set all of this on fire if youre actually honest. grovel in our uncaring text boxes about how badly you want to be part of our team and how YOU can best serve US you worthless dog. slowly crawl your way out of the last circle of hell so you can be done with the application. click the last button. write the last bit of forced-smile text so your teeth dont feel like they're going to shatter apart anymore

wait for weeks. then for months only for a rejection long since youve moved on. assuming you get a response, as the standard now seems to be ghosting. repeat process again and again and again and AGAIN. endlessly. scraping and clawing and begging. youre not grovelling enough. youre not kneeling and cowering and pleading hard enough. the people in your life who Do have jobs cant seem to understand why youre so distressed by it all because, well, They got jobs so Why Can't You? repeat process. repeat process. repeat process.

on a rare occasion, get a response (!!) and make it to the interview stage (!!!!!) which as it turns out is not actually a discussion about the job and how youd fit into it but a vibes check where you prostrate yourself once again to the hiring manager and they decide if they personally like you enough as someone they'd want to hang out with on the weekends to let you in. high chance to fail this immediately if you are some kind of minority, but because they dont want to get in trouble for discrimination, they instead Make Up A Reason not to hire you which then makes it perfectly fine because you can't prove the real reason. browse through your email to see the other rejections. repeat process.

remember that for every application you send out youre competing with hundreds of other desperate people who just need some money to god damned Survive. try to go find advice and find that everything is so heavily weighted in favor of employers it might as well be a fucking black hole (which would be apt considering everyones applications magically disappear) so the only advice anyone can give is pithy little platitudes about how you should look and act and speak and dress and behave and make sure youre grovelling! have you tried grovelling!! are you doing that enough because if you arent well it really is your fault isnt it then!

god and like even if you GET a job it's still a shit job and there's still no ladder any more. there's no Progression it's just moving horizontally across various shit jobs. even the "easiest" jobs to get hired at, customer service jobs, retail, food service, etc, are so terrible you arent treated like a human being by basically anyone from customers to managers. you arent allowed to sit down. you need to grovel STILL. to your boss. to customers. constantly. for 10 dollars an hour, probably less depending on location. but you have to agree to work all their horrible shifts for 10 hours a day on your feet no sitting 2 15 minute breaks fuck man. fuck. FUCK. WHAT IS ANYONE SUPPOSED TO DO AT THIS POINT?????

[b00ket]

OC GUIDE

Character sheets will be added later but here’s basic information on them

This post is already long as shit so BACKSTORIES FOR EACH UNDER THE CUT and side characters will be in a reblog later

Name: Amani Ayad

Gender: Female (She/Her)

Height: 5’ 8”

Birthday: July 23rd

Age: 18-22

Romantic/Sexual Orientation: Bisexual (weakness for women 😏👈🏽)

Country of Origin: Karnassos

Languages spoken: Fluent in whatever tf Vesuvians speak, Karnassi, and basic conversational skills in a handful of others

Hobbies: Partying HARD, growing plants, singing & playing Guitar/Fiddle

Magical Abilities:

Herbal Magic

Raw Magic (similar to Asra) (ill put a link that explains it in depth later)

FIREEEE

Personality:

Mischievous and mysterious. A liar. Definitely a flirt. Trust issues and a bit of a coward.

Name: Lucas Karimov

Gender: Male (He/Him)

Height: 7'

Birthday: July 10th

Age: 25-28

Romantic/Sexual Orientation: Demisexual

Country of Origin: Vesuvia

Languages spoken: Vesuvian

Hobbies: Cooking/Baking, Fighting, Gambling, Politics

Magical Abilities:

Learned how to channel whatever magic he produces into bouts of extreme strength

Personality:

Outgoing. Friendly! Altruistic and loyal to a fault. Has a fear of loss. Romantically dense (good luck flirting with him). Anger issues 😳. Holds a grudge. Not white.

Name: Kieran Power

Gender: Who cares (They/Them)

Height: 5’ 8”

Birthday: time is nothing

Age: Stopped keeping track (500~ years)

Romantic/Sexual Orientation: As long as you’re hot (Pansexual)

Country of Origin: A long abandoned village in the Southern Spines

Languages Spoken: Fluent in Most Languages

Hobbies: Throwing Parties, Reading, HOMOEROTIC SWORD FIGHTS, sleeping

Magical Abilities

Magic blocked by their deal

Personality:

Dramatic and they love it. Enjoys causing others pain. Depressed but wont admit it. Quick learner and a master of manipulation. Vengeful and will hold a grudge.

Name: Donovan Nwadike

Gender: Male (He/Him)

Height: 6’ 4”

Birthday: September 20th

Age: 33-36

Romantic/Sexual Orientation: Bisexual

Country of Origin: Nopal

Languages Spoken: Vesuvian, whatever you call the language of the Scourge

Hobbies: Sword Making, painting, sculpting

Magical Abilities:

Metal manipulation

Personality:

Quiet and reserved. Incredibly shy. Blames himself for most things that go wrong. Has the most braincells. REALLY STRONG PTSD. Self-sacrificing.

Amani Ayad

Family left Karnassos after Lucio’s murder of their mayor. Her family was labeled as cowards since.

Helped parents with a traveling doctor office. They went around the lands, healing people they come across and providing a meal. Her father helped her control her magic and mother taught her everything she needs to know about healing magic.

Helped a struggling town in the Shining Steppe. The people of that town later tried to raid their traveling doctors office. Someone shot a fire spell at the father that hit the shop instead. It exploded, killing the father and nearly killed Amani. Her mother grabbed her and escaped to a nearby abandoned shack to hide. The mother suspected they would come after the both of them and quickly gave Amani to a merchant ship. The merchant watched after her for a few months before selling her to a Pirate ship.

The crew was welcoming and caring at first, as time went on they demanded more of her (ex. cleaning the whole ship by herself instead of with the crew), and later forced her into being a fighter after discovering her magical Abilities and natural skills in fighting

Was undefeated in the ring. Gained the name “Hand of Death”

Made an attempt to kill the Captain. She failed, the Captain using a hot sword to scar her face before dumping her on the docks of Vesuvia. Was taken in by Lucas a few days later. A year later she made a home in a old abandoned apartment in the Flooded District where she grows herbs and heals anyone who catches her in her shop.

Now she tries to run from her past, replacing it with a new reputation. A party crasher, thief, general nuisance to law enforcement.

Lucas Karimov

Grandparents and Mother were refugees from the genocide of the Kokhuri. The mother fell in love and had 4 children.

They made a home in Vesuvia. Opening up a restaurant/bar called “The Iron Clad Owl”

Were generally poor (giving away free food/giving people money). Lived in a 2 bedroom apartment with Grandparents, 2 aunts, 6 children, parents, 2 dogs, and a parrot named stick

It was a crowded but homey house. They all slept in a giant cuddle pile. It was cute as SHIT

The siblings were all older than Lucas and liked the cause trouble to law enforcement, hang out with orphans and shop for food for da parents. The whole family hated Lucio and his rule from the rip. The aunts often participated in politics and 100% ranted to the children about government. Near the end of Lucio’s rule is when things went off the deep end.

During his rule: Oldest Brother falls into the Canal, dies of blood loss. The only sister was robbed (killed when she tried to fight back).

The plague: The Parents and brother die of the plague, the aunts flee out of fear of dying. Lucas takes up a job as a grave digger to keep the shop open shortly after. A brother gets involved in crime as a hitman. Jargal (brother) steals some food, gets caught and fights against the Scourge as a result.

After Lucio’s death: The brother is attacked by a revenge hitman, he is killed and the grandparents both die in the confrontation. Lucas sells the pets in a last ditch attempt to keep the shop open, the shop is closed. Lucas spirals into a depression, mentally stuck in a numbness that is only punctuated by bouts of anger and irritability. Finds a abandoned cat and adopts her. Befriends Amani.

Now he works as a dock worker, trying to heal old wounds and make lasting change in Vesuvia that finally serves the people.

Kieran Power

Works for a rich family. Is picked on and abused by their employers and other citizens in the village. The mayor’s daughter dies of “an illness” and they blame Kieran & their mother, saying they placed a hex on her.

Kieran’s mother is hung and Kieran escapes the same fate, running to hide in an old shed. A strong winter storm swoops in, trapping Kieran in there without food or warmth. Kieran discovers the body of the daughter with a knife in her heart. Kieran burns hot with rage and a need for revenge.

The Devil appears and offers to make a deal, to give Kieran the power to kill their enemies in exchange for a portion of their soul. Its a self enacted deal, sell a bit more if their soul for more power.

The technicalities of the deal: At least once a week Kieran needs to eat a person (collection of their soul). Without a meal their blood runs cold, the hunger grows, and when it hits a peak they become a beast. This can only be reversed with more than one human sacrifice.

They’ve been alive for centuries. They’ve seen and been subject to abuse that is only solved with more power. They only have a sliver of their soul left, instead choosing to gain power traditionally in the past few years. Gaining money and a powerful reputation. Has lost faith in humanity and believes they are better than them.

Hosts parties as an easy way to get a victim to eat. Really into sword collecting, befriending Donovan and has soft feelings for him.

Is always trying to gain power.

Donovan Nwadike (backstory in development)

Abandoned as a newborn in Vesuvia. Grew up as an orphan.

Thinks he is purposeless, joins a gang of orphans and becomes the punching bag/pushover of the group. Has a small book that he draws in.

Joins Lucio is his army (assuming Lucio has made attempts to expand the “Vesuvian Empire”) and befriends the lead medic.

Becomes a sword maker for Lucio’s army and eventually becomes a solider on the field. A sword to the eye takes his vision in one eye and a magical blast takes off his right arm.

He carries the weight of his actions, people he’s killed, people he couldn’t save on his shoulders. Tries to bring his friends back in a magical ritual, it fails. The ghosts of his friends haunt him, whispering and visible only to him.

Runs a blacksmith shop, his main customer is Kieran who enjoys his sword designs and paintings.

[iguessweallcrazyithinktho]

The one I remembered

Summary:

you were the only ex Chris remembers. And he misses you. He always thinks about you, hoping you were doing the same. What happens when he sees you again?

Warning: fluff, angst

Title: the one I remembered

Word count: 2.9k

Pairing: Chris Evans x childhood ex

Masterlist • requested closed momentarily

Please don't post any of my content anywhere else without my permission. Comments and reblogs welcome!

You loved Chris deeply when you were dating when you were 16 and 17. And you still love him to this day. You and Chris were young and didn't understand the relationship at all. You both worked it out the best you could, but when Chris was ready to start his career, he broke up with you. 

There were no hard feelings between the two of you. You both stayed in touch for a few months after, but soon lost connection after you left Boston for work yourself. 

Now 20 years later, you were an interior realtor and back in Boston.  There were times when you thought about Chris when you saw him in movies or on your TV. You try your best to get him off your mind, you really did.

-♥-

It was around 8am when you woke up to your dog, Monty jumping on you. Groaning, you opened your eyes slightly to see your blue staffy.

"Oh Monty." You groaned out again. He began to jump up and down on the bed again making sure you were up.

"Okay Monty I'm aware you want to go on a walk buddy, just hold on. We're going to go." You breathed out as you laid back against your pillow. Monty probably understood you as he whimpered out before laying beside you, letting you get your day started.

Unknowingly Chris a few blocks away was standing in his kitchen, drinking his morning coffee. Dodger was right beside him wagging his tail, as he pawed at Chris's leg because he wanted something.

Chris looked down at the big brown eyed dog, laughing. 

"What is bubba?" 

Dodger ran towards the front door and Chris followed. Beside the door was his leash. Dodger turned around, looking up at him. Chris knew actually what he wanted. "Oh you want to go to the park?"

Dodger tail began to wag at his favorite word park. Chris laughed, taking the leash of the hook. "Okay, let's go for a walk."

-♥-

You got up out of bed and changed out of your jammies. Less than 10 minutes later, you were out of the door with Monty on his leash, ready for your morning walk. 

You were thinking you were going to stop at the park and maybe let Monty play at the dog park, but for now you weren't sure. 

Began to walk, you looked around the neighborhood seeing your elderly neighbors working on their garden. They saw you and waved like they always did. You smiled and waved back at them before continuing your adventure.

Chris was halfway down the street with Dodger. Dodge was smelling all the flowers and was tugging on the leash so he could try to get the squirrels. Chris laughed, keeping the puppy in front of himself. 

"Come on dodger," he shouted. "Work with me bubba."

At the same time you were walking down the same street, on the same sidewalk with Monty. As soon as the staffy saw the dodger, he charged excitedly to meet the dog.

The tug caught you off guard making you yelp as you accidentally let go of his leash. "Monty!" You started to chase after him. Your yelling caught Chris's attention. He saw Monty running towards him and Dodger and you jogging behind him.

He quickly grabbed Monty's leash before he could get any further, even though he was really only wanting to see Dodger.

You quickly ran up to Chris, panting. "Thank you. He's a pain in the butt." You laughed through your breathing trying to make light of the moment. 

Chris was about to say something but he was cut off when he noticed you. He's heart skipped a beat.

"Y/n!?"

You looked up at the familiar boston accent. Your mouth feels opened as you spit his name out. "Oh my gosh, Chris?" 

Chris smiled at you, nodding. "Yeah, it's me." You smiled back at him. "H-how are you?" You asked, shocked that you were even seeing him. It felt like a dream. 

"I'm good." 

The both of you stood in silence before Chris spoke. "I… can I hug you?" He asked, looking at you with an adorable little smile. You nodded, "I'll love that." 

Chris walked around the two dogs to pull you into a deep hug. The scent of fresh pine filling your nose reminds you of the past. Chris nose pressed into your neck, he was still smiling. He just couldn't believe it was you. 

Eventually you had to pull away from him. Chris looked at you with a smirk. "Ah it's been a while since I saw you. 20 years." You sucked in your breath. "Yes, 20 years." You chuckled softly, looking down at the ground. You weren't sure what to do or say at this moment.

Chris took in the sight of you. You looked the same as you did when you were younger. Your eyes still sparkled the same way when you smiled. Your beautiful features were the same, and your laugh still made his legs feel like Jell-O.

"So um you live around here?" Chris said, speaking up. You looked up at him. "Uh yeah." You nodded. "I live down the street. Just a few houses down." You pointed behind you as you looked at Chris. 

Chris nodded, "yeah well I live a few houses the other way. Pretty crazy how we live near each other as we did when we were younger." Your eyes widen at the memories. 

"Hey I was wondering if you wanted to go out to lunch or something?" Chris asked. You knew he was nervous at how his lip rolled in between his teeth. That hasn't changed since you both were younger.

"How dinner? I have to go to work and I really have a lot. So if you're fine with 8: 30 then we can do 8:30 but you don't have to, but you know…"  You trailed off as you noticed you were about to ramble. Chris smiled at you making your face heat up. 

"I'll love too. We can meet at the diner down the street, what do you say?" You nodded quickly, almost too quick, making you shyly tear your eyes from Chris. 

"Sounds nice." You and Chris said goodbye and began to get your pups so you can take them home and see each other later. You swore you heard Chris mutter you were so beautiful, but your mind could have been playing tricks on you.

-♥-

After a long shift, you were finally home. Chris was on your mind the whole time. You thought you wouldn't get through the day like that, but you somehow did.

Entering your house, you were greeted by a happy Monty. You smiled and kneeled down, giving the pup a scratch and a kiss. "Hi Monty. Mommy has to go get ready okay." Monty giving you a few more licks before you stood up, racing up stairs.

After about 10 minutes in the shower, you got out and wrapped your towel around your wet body. You walked out of the bathroom into your bedroom. Going straight to the closet, you searched for an outfit that wasn't too much, but something that looked good.

After about 5 minutes you decided on a pair of blue jeans and a black shirt. You slipped that on and then went to do your hair and some light makeup. 

Once you got yourself ready you went downstairs. Monty who was sitting on the couch, jumped down and began to walk over to you. You kneeled down to your baby, chuckling as you scratched his cute wittle face.

"Well buddy I guess Mama is going out on a date, I don't know if it's a date but I'm going out on a date with Chris. you know, the guy I used to date, but we broke up because he had work. Isn't that exciting?"

Monty looked at you confused as can be. He didn't understand you but you know he was happy for you.

"Ok well I should get going now. I'll see you a little later Monty." You waved goodbye to him as you opened the front door. "Wish me luck bud." With that you walked out of the house.

Chris was just walking out of the house as he got ready. He decided to wear some trousers and a button up shirt. It was his normal style, but he didn't care.

 He took the sun glasses in his hand and put them on his face. He smiled as he walked to his car and got in. Shutting the door, he turned and put the key in the ignition. The engine roared as the car started. Chris exhaled before backing out of his driveway, on his way to the diner.

-♥-

You've been sitting in a booth in the back of the diner for about 5 minutes. Every time you heard the door open, you would look up hoping to see Chris, but it wasn't him.

After about 15 minutes of doing that, you saw Chris. You smiled when his eyes met yours. Chris walked over to you. "Hi." 

He sat across from you with a sigh. "So how was work?" He looked over at you as he asked you that question. "Well I'm,it was pretty okay I guess. I'm very happy it's over now." You said.

Chris chuckled, "yeah."

You and Chris  eventually ordered and kept making conversation. You both talked about your careers and how your lives have been since you were younger. 

Chris found out you've only had 3 partners since him. you've been in Boston for a while now and Chris was just now figuring it out. He told you a lot of things you already knew, but you listened anyway.

By around 9:45 you both were done and the check finally came. You were quick to pay, but Chris snatched it off the table before you could put your money on it. 

"You know I'm not letting you pay." You shook your head and laughed. He still hasn't changed since you were younger. 

After Chris paid you, both walked out of the diner. You underestimated the temperature and when you walked out the brisk air hit you. Chris saw you shivering and he instantly pulled off his Jacket. He draped it over your shoulders, so you wouldn't get any colder. Turning to him, you smiled. "Thanks Evans."

Chris smiled as his hand rested on your back as you walked to your car. No problem." You finally reached your car. You opened your door and got in. When you got all the way in, Chris shutted the door before leaning down to the window.

 Hey um where do you live? Maybe dodger and Monty can have a play date sometime." 

"Oh um I live (random address). You can come over whenever you like. I'm free tomorrow." You said. Chris nodded. "Okay, I'll see you later then. It was nice spending time with you y/n." You smiled at him. "It was nice spending time with you too Chris. Bye."

With that, you pulled out of the parking lot. Chris watched as your car vanished from his vision. He smiled as he tucked his hand in his pants pocket. He wanted to tell you he still loves you, but should he tell you so soon.

Chris walked to his car and got in. His mind and heart was telling him to do the unthinkable and he was really thinking he should do it, but he kept telling himself don't. Chris pulled out of the diner lot and began to make his way down the road to his house. 

He shook his head as he passed your house. His heart was controlling him as he pulled into the front of your house. He turned off his car and got out, walking up the steps to the front door. His knuckles pressed against the door as he knocked.

Inside, you were sitting on the couch, a glass of wine in your hand, a sweater and panties on, and clean makeup Free face. You heard a knock on the door and you frowned as you sat your wine down, getting up. Walking to the door, you opened it slightly, looking out at who was on the other side. When you saw it was Chris, you smiled and relaxed. 

"Oh hi Chris is there something wrong?" 

Chris looked at you. "Um there's two things." You opened the door wider as you nodded, Chris walked in, turning to you. "One thing is you have my coat." You gasped, turning to the coat rack behind you. "Uh here you are." You handed it to him and smiled. " So number two?"

Chris walked closer to you. He hesitated, as he placed his hand under your chin. You looked up at him, Chris didn't know it, but butterflies were taking over your stomach. "And number two is this." Chris leaned down and placed his lips on yours. 

You moaned softly as his lips touched yours. Chris began to cup your cheeks as he deepened the kiss. Your arms snaked around his waist, pulling at his shirt. Chris pulled away from your lips as you began to unbutton his shirt. "I've been wanting to kiss you ever since I left 20 years ago. He kissed you again, his tongue teasing you slightly before he pulled away. You pushed his shirt off his shoulder. Chris then pulled your sweater off. You didn't have a bra on and Chris looked down at your body with pure lush. "So fucking beautiful." He said. He kissed you again, but this kiss wasn't like the first one. It was more intense than the first, his tongue was in your mouth, he could taste the wine on your tongue.

You laughed as Chris began to stumble across your foyer. "Where is your bedroom?" He mumbled against your lips. You took his hand, "this was." 

Chris followed you until you reached your bedroom. You shutted the door before you pushed Chris against the bed. He chuckled as you straddled him. 

"I should be o-"

You cut him off with a kiss. Your wet panties grinded against Chris's rough trousers.  Chris gripped your hips, his left hand coming down on your ass check. You yelped, pulling away from Chris's lips.

"I just want to ride you Chris." You mumbled. Chris smiled. "Ride me sweetheart." He said in the deepest voice ever. You shivered at it and pulled back. Your hands slid down his chest until they reached his pants. You unzipped them and pushed them down.

You can see Chris bulge through his boxers and you beamed. You pulled them down and his cock slapped against his lower stomach. You took him in your small hands and began to stroke him. Chris moaned softly, looking at you. "Feel so good sweetheart." 

You hummed, "yeah. Let's see how good you feel inside of me." You pulled your panties to the side before pushing Chris's tip into you. 

Inch by inch you felt him stretch your walls. You and Chris moaned softly, as you slowly rocked your hips. He moved so well in your wet pussy, it was almost like he was made just for you. 

"Oh Chris you feel so good." Your eyes were shut as you began to speed up. Chris gripped your hips hard as you took him. He was in literal heaven, loving the way you squeezed him. 

He moaned. "Fuck sweetheart, if you keep squeezing me like that I'm going to cum." You looked down at him under you. "Well your so fucking big, I can't help it."

Chris laughed dryly. "Far enough."

He let go of your hips and placed his hands on your clit. He started drawing lazy circles on it and it made you whine out as you felt the coil in your stomach tighten. 

"Fuck." 

Without a second to spare, you came. Not even a few seconds later, Chris was cuming in you. You fell against his chest as you moaned uncontrollably. Chris wrapped his arms around you as you both rode out your high. 

When both of your breathing slowed down, you sat up and looked at Chris. "Wow." You said. Chris laughed. "Pretty nice huh?" You laughed, taking his cock out of you. "Pretty amazing."

You laid yourself beside him with a sigh. "I can't believe we're here. I never thought I would see you again after you left." 

Chris turned to you, "yeah me too. I regret breaking up with you, but hey this is the future and we're here together that's all that matters."

He kissed you on the check softly making you smile. 

"Ok, I should get home to dodger. He probably misses me." Chris got up and picked his boxers off the floor.  You sat up, pressing your back against the headboard. "Yeah. I'll miss you too but I can manage." Chris shook his head at you. "You're adorable."

He zipped up his pants and looked at you. "I guess my shirt is your foyer, I'll get it when I leave." Chris walked over to you. "I'll see you later, I promise." You nodded before Chris kissed you. 

After making out for a few seconds he pulled away. He walked to the door and opened it up.

"Oh Monty." 

You saw Monty standing on the other side, he probably thought you were going to bed. 

"Do you think he heard us?" Chris asked you. Your eyes widened at the thought of your son hearing you and Chris. "Oh gosh I hope not."

*✭˚･ﾟ✧*･ﾟ*✭˚･ﾟ✧*･ﾟ*

This took forever. I'm sorry. It's not the best and it's not proofread. Lots of mistakes.

@chris-butt @princess-evans-addict @patzammit @bval-1 @irespostthingsiwanttoseelater @raveviolet @rynabarnesrogers-reading @enn-j @london-dreamer71 @harrysthiccthighss @captainamerica-is-bae @la-cey @weirdowithnobeardo @lovepeacefood @baby-i-am-fireproof @denisemarieangelina @evans713 @smyfmj @thereisa8ella @jillanaholland @rororo06 @briannab1234 @keiva1000 @ughitsnic @kianifan @adriannajackson @boojack73 @marvelnaturalock @notyourtypicalrose @dummiesshort @onetwo3000 @i-lie-here-charmed @hhiggs

[icouldntfindquiet]

Thanks for the tag @catb-fics! ❤️

1. Why did you choose your url?

I wanted my URL to be my Wattpad account but it was taken. 😭 Then I looked into song lyrics but thought all the good Catfish ones got taken so I looked into The National. At the time, I really loved the song Pink Rabbits so I wanted to pull lyrics from that song and that’s the story! The lyrics are strange but I like it. Sometimes you just want to get away for a bit and find some quiet and Tumblr is my place to do that if that makes sense. 🙂

2. Any sideblogs?

Nope! Just this one. I’m trying so hard not to make another one, hence why I combine CATB and photography on here.

3. How long have you been on Tumblr?

I’m a longtime lurker! I was avoiding making an account bc I didn’t want to get addicted. But alas I have no willpower and cracked. I made this account end of December 2020 so it’s almost been 6 months?

4. Do you have a queue tag?

Do you mean queue? What’s a queue tag? I did queue my posts at the beginning bc I love that feature. I wish Wattpad had a queue for writing! But I stopped bc I thought it was weird. That people would think I’m online when I’m not if that makes sense.

5. Why did you start your blog in the first place?

The CATB Tumblr community looked like a lot of fun so I wanted to join! Ya know...to obsess over CATB some more as if I don’t do it enough!

6. Why did you choose your icon?

Because Van McCann and dogs! Need I say more?!

7. Why did you choose your header?

I wanted to personalize my blog by adding a picture I took. This photo matched my blog’s color scheme the most.

8. What’s your post with the most notes?

Y’all love rainbow Van so much! The CATB covers compilation is a close second!

9. How many mutuals do you have?

I can’t be bothered to count but I love them all. ❤️

10. How many followers do you have?

94 but it’s actually less than that bc of all the spam bots that got deleted.

11. How many people do you follow?

50 blogs but most are inactive or don’t post much. I’d follow you all but I HATE having a cluttered feed! I’m the type who has to see everything, and if I’m unable to, it stresses me out. Please don’t take it personally if I don’t follow you! 😭

12. Have you ever made a shitpost?

Of course! Many times! 😁

Bernie sitting memes: x and x

CAPTCHA test: x

There are more...just gotta dig for it.

13. How often do you use Tumblr a day?

I’m on Tumblr WAY too much! I check it throughout the day.

14. Did you ever have a fight/argument with another blog once?

Nope! I’m dead peaceful. 😌

15. How do you feel about “you need to reblog this” posts?

Depends on what they are. If they’re pointless like “reblog this for good luck” then nope. But if it’s important or helpful, then yes. I don’t think I’ve come across many posts like this. 🤔

16. Do you like tag games?

Yeah they’re fun but a lot of work! I think I’ve been writing this for half an hour now. ��

17. Do you like ask games?

Of course! They’re so much fun! I’m sorry if I’m annoying you with them. 😅

18. Which of your mutuals is Tumblr famous?

Basically everyone! Everyone adds value to the CATB community. You’re all nice and funny people!

19. Do you have a crush on a mutual?

No crush but I wanna be friends with all of you. 🥺

20. Tags:

Only do it if you want! And if I missed you and you wanna do it, feel free to tag me! I honestly don’t mind! x

@vanmccannonlyfans @vananamccann @youlovehermadly @louistbottlemen @ifluctuateaboutu @bohf1 @tyyrants @vanmccantfish

[strawberryswalker]

REALLY LONG  CHARACTER  SURVEY.

RULES.

repost ,   don’t  reblog !    tag 10 ! good  luck ! TAGGED. @bulletballet TAGGING. @unlicenscd , @scribedhorror, @loverslanetm, @merchantofwhispers​, @mettleborn​

BASICS. FULL  NAME :  Thaddeus Warren Walker NICKNAME : Thad, Daddy, Thaddeus ‘Toehead’ O’Driscoll NAME  MEANING / S:  It means a heart or courageous heart HISTORICAL  CONNECTION? : Middle name is after his father, but his own first son would take on his name.  AGE : 47 BIRTHDAY :  August 17th ETHNIC  GROUP : Caucasian NATIONALITY :  American LANGUAGE / S : Barely English, yet at some point does learn how to read some Korean. SEXUAL  ORIENTATION :   Bisexual, Biflexual, Homoflexible, Gay ROMANTIC  ORIENTATION :  Biromantic RELATIONSHIP  STATUS : Taken - By Dante, but verse dependant. 

CLASS : Lower-Class - Middle class, only rich sometimes. HOME  TOWN / AREA : Strawberry, Lousianna CURRENT  HOME : Tall-Tree’s , Lousianna PROFESSION : Criminal, Bounty Hunter, Trader, Hunter, Craftsman, Carptener, Handyman. PHYSICAL. HAIR : Black. short cut most always. EYES : Dark brown narrow. NOSE : Handsome Bell nose. FACE :  Tall ass forhead that can refelect the moonlight, and has deflected one bullet. Could cook an egg on the forehead. LIPS :  Thin, not very much to work with. COMPLEXION : Skin is rough and tanned.  SCARS : Various scars on hands from carpentry work, a few too many slash wounds from knife fights. A sad few bad bullet wounds that he’s also taken to the shoulders, right leg, and gut. A long scar from behind his hairline that goes down toward his left eyebrow.  TATTOOS : None. HEIGHT : 5′10′ BUILD : Lumberjack, build. Thick like a mitt all round. USUAL HAIR STYLE :  Messy short, just rolled outta bed and off i go. Looks perfect. 

USUAL LOOK IN PUBLIC: Thaddeus looks like your typical stright presenting asshole of a straight guy. Has a face that says don’t talk to me, don’t fuckin look at me. Unless he’s inviting you, and specifically being kind to you. He looks kinda like a jackass, and he is. USUAL  CLOTHING : Jeans, Boots, shirt, or no shirt. Clothes easy to clean, and clothes he gives no shits about getting dirty. PSYCHOLOGY. FEAR / S : Being Outnumbered, Loosing Dante, What comes after death. ASPIRATION / S : Just wants to be a better person, live his life with Dante and be happy. Hope to die old in his sleep. POSITIVE  TRAITS :  Generous, compassionate, patient, protective, tough, Determined NEGATIVE  TRAITS : Hard to understand, is sometimes entirely non-verbal. Stubborn, quick to act, slow to think MBTI :  Advocate - ISTP-A ZODIAC :  Leo TEMPERAMENT :  Melancholic, Aloof ANIMALS :  Goat VICE / S :  Lust, Greed, Gluttony FAITH : Christian.  GHOSTS ? : Yes AFTERLIFE ? : Yes. REINCARNATION ? : Sure ALIENS ? : Yes, but it hurts his head to think about. POLITICAL  ALIGNMENT :  Democratic ECONOMIC  PREFERENCE :  Wishes he was the richest guy on Mars, or Earth. SOCIOPOLITICAL  POSITION : He does not know what that means.  EDUCATION  LEVEL : None.

FAMILY. FATHER :  Warren James Walker MOTHER : Ethel Marion Walker SIBLINGS : Leeanne Ethel Walker EXTENDED  FAMILY : Nope.  FAVOURITES. BOOK :  Whatever Dante reads to him.  5  SONGS :  Don’t You Ever Get Tired Of Hurtin’ Me/ I Could Never Be Ashamed Of Loving You / Wafrefaring Stranger/ I Like Beer / I Washed My Hands In Muddy Water DEITY :  Lucifer HOLIDAY : Any Holiday, if it means he can eat something. MONTH :  April SEASON :  Winter PLACE :  Fishing Cabin by the lake, outside of Rhodes. Big enough for two. WEATHER : Light Snow fall, Stormy skies overhead.  SOUND : The sounds of birds in the home, dogs snoring, the sound of his writing when Dante’s studying. Nature breathing as he sits on a tree stump and takes it in.  SCENT / S :  French Cologne, whiskey, firesmoke, gunsmoke, rain, early morning fog humidity. TASTE / S :  Seasoned, Savory, Moonshine kisses. FEEL / S : Every bullet leave the barrel of his gun with precision, The rough lasso, A sucker punch of drunken kisses against the closest surface. The heartache of riding home alone, The excitement to reunite. ANIMAL / S : Goats, Chickens, Barn cats, various birds from Dante. Horses: Tequila, Ben and Miss. Patsy .A Chocolate Lab named Luanne, and a Huskey named Hunter. NUMBER :  7 COLOR :  Orange EXTRA. TALENTS :  Gun tricks, bartending, drinking exessively, Shooting pretty fucking well when drunk. Can play Guitar, banjo and piano. Can carry a bit of a tune. BAD AT : Speaking, reading, writing, math, following conversations, talking about himself, Expressing his needs to others. Communication. TURN  ONS :  Kind to Animals, good of heart. Smarts. Consent. TURN  OFFS :  Being mean, non consensual things. HOBBIES :  Music playing, whittling, Hunting and tanning hides.  AESTHETIC :  Western World of Cowboys QUOTES :  “You Sad?”  FC INFO. MAIN  FC / S : Michael Park (As the World Turns) ALT  FC / S : N/A OLDER  FC / S :  Michael Park YOUNGER  FC / S : Michael Park / Cody Kearsley VOICE  CLAIM / S : Southern..Michal Park MUN QUESTIONS. Q1 :   if  you  could  write  your  character  your  way  in  their  own  movie ,   what  would  it  be  called ,  what  style  would  it  be  filmed  in ,  and  what  would  it  be  about ?       A1 : Dude..lol I sadly think about this too often for comfort lol. I would rather it be a show, and it would start off centered around Thaddeus and Dante, but it spirals into something far bigger than just gay cowboys and murder plots. Time and space, and the fate of humanity will rest on the actions of Thaddeus and Dante. As for a name, couldn’t give you one.    Q2 :   what  would  their  soundtrack / score  sound  like ?         A2 : I would request for Lil naz x and orville Peck to preform Wayfaring Stranger as a whole Thad piece thats in my mind. But also it would be a lot fo country music. Just, put into better and gay context. 

  Q3 :   why  did  you  start  writing  this  character ?   + Q4 :   what  first  attracted  you  to  this  character ? A3 :  I had developed Thaddeus as just an oc on Red Dead 2 online, but yeah he just came as a natural comfort to write. The world fo red dead attracted me to want to make someone worthy of that world. Now i feel like Thaddeus and Dante have both surpassed that. Which is very excting. Q5 :   describe  the  biggest  thing  you  dislike  about  your  muse.         A5 :  Uhh, the fucker talks a lot for being someone who i say doens’t talk alot lol. But maybe i should just talk that up to poor writing skills and not the thing i dislike about my muse. I don’t think i dislike anything about Thaddeus. he’s my best cowBoyyyy. Q6 :   what  do  you  have  in  common  with  your  muse ?       A6 : Both stubborn, both sometimes a bit quick to anger for stupid reasons. Not very skilled in the logics, but I think he’s smarter than me in some ways, and I am much smarter than him in others helps.   Q7 :   how  does  your  muse  feel  about  you ?         A7 : Probably would love to party with me, get drunk and have a good cry together. it wont take much for me, but Thads been drinking since 2 so we are both on the same level practically. Wasted.  Q8 :   what  characters  does  your  muse  have  interesting  interactions with ?   A8 :  We skippin’ this question. Q9 :   what  gives  you  inspiration  to  write  your  muse ?       A9 : Lots of older country music, can give me inspiration to write. I’ll watch some movies too with Dante Mun and we get good ideas from those. Honestly we make up so many aus and ideas all the time. Everything can trigger an idea to pop off and wanna write with Thad lol, i just. Don’t because he don’t have too many followers.  Q10 :   how  long  did  this  take  you  to  complete ?       A10 : About an hour. 

[masonscig]

about me tag game

rules: answer 30 questions and tag blogs you are contractually obligated to know better

tagged by: i was tagged by a bunch of people so thank u to @lilas, @veeples, @admdmrtn, @agentsunshine, @echohauville and @masonsfangs for thinking of me !!! and im using the edited version by meg @/lilas !!!

tagging: @raleighcarrera, @pixeljazzy, @bravomckenzie and whoever else wants to do this !!!

name/nickname: jade / please is there really a way to give me a nickname... most people make it longer when they try LMFAOOO

gender: she/her

star sign: I AM AN ARIES WOMAN [virgo ↑ sagittarius ��]

height: 4′10...................... anyways

birthday: march 29th [the way im about to have my second birthday in quarantine im absolutely SICK]

lucky number: none bc i have the worst luck on the planet. i like even numbers tho

when did you create this blog: i made this sideblog in like... june i think ?

what do I post: all twc – i reblog twc art, edits, and fics [even though i’ve been really terrible at that lately since i’ve been active in another fandom atm]. i post commissions of my own, occasional headcanons, shitposts, fics every once in a blue moon.... tbh im boring on here :/ sowwy

last thing googled: jared hess’s filmography [nacho libre / gentleman broncos supremacy]

do I get asks: occasionally ! i usually get them from my friends and forget to answer them [i am SO sorry rip to chrisha and esme and kat and becky and alicia and baylee..... yall are the vips i don’t deserve u]. and i get some prompts i never finish.... i love funny anons pls send sum of those

why I chose my url: bc i wanted something relating to mason! and since he doesn’t have a canon last name i had to choose something that was close enough for me. i’m genuinely obsessed w my url like i was FLOORED when it wasn’t copped SKDFKSDJ i don’t think i’d ever change it

*my current projects/wips: i have.... many wips bc ill have an idea and a basic passage and i’ll jot it down and take forever to actually finish it – the attached series is on hiatus for now while i write for another fandom, but i’m working on that, a spiritual sequel to another mason fic i wrote before, another mason fic, a felix fic w my new detective, and some prompts i might get to eventually. i am the literal worst at finishing wips LMFAOOOO

favorite bands: hmm i don’t listen to too many bands, so i’ll include rap groups, and girl groups! foster the people, pivot gang, the internet, bad suns, & two door cinema club, chloe x halle, city girls, and wu-tang clan !

favorite solo artists: buckle up biddies! these are my favs at the moment + some are my favs of all time – rihanna, megan thee stallion, bree runway, smino, tei shi, sza, flo milli, ari lennox, tinashe, slayyyter, cordae, schoolboy q, vince staples ... ok ill stop here

song stuck in my head: unrequited love by thundercat GOD it’s so good but haunting i LOVE it

favorite song: kiss it better by rihanna will always be my favorite song of all time no contest

last movie: don verdean bc i wanted to finish watching all of jared hess’s films ! 

last show: jojo’s bizarre adventure part 5 [i am a mista and bucciarati simp first, human being second]

favorite food: i love food and eating omg so this one is hard as hell

*food I hate: h*t d*gs and chili idk how the hell yall eat that shit

*favorite color: i really love mustard yellow and any deep green color !

*favorite animal: omg.... i love monkeys and dogs and cats... idk i love all animals tbh KSKDKKDFS

what I’m currently wearing: cotton shorts, a tank top, and my grandpa’s sweater [he passed last year and my grandma gifted a bunch of his old sweaters to me so it’s v comforting]

dream job: haha should i get existential here..... i genuinely don’t know what i’m supposed to be doing w my life SKJFDKSDJKJSD anyways !

dream trip: tokyo w my boyfriend !!!! we’ve been talking about it for years so i think it’d be the trip of a lifetime

*currently reading: i was trying to reread twilight but i got distracted LMAO [don’t worry i read my old copy from middle school i aint giving her any money]

*currently thinking about: finishing wips for an appreciation week i’m running, 

nationality: usa :/

*fun fact: during the first month or so i started dating my bf we were swimming at my house and i tripped over my sleeping dog and tore my knee up and i still have the scar to this day ! and we’re still dating almost 8 years later LMAOOO 

top three fictional universes: god im thinking more anime but i’d prob choose hxh or mha or any universe yuasa comes up with bc he writes women so well

[cursefelled]

really  LONG  CHARACTER  SURVEY.

RULES.  repost ,   don’t  reblog  ! good  luck  !

BASICS.

FULL  NAME: Trevor Cristian Belmont

NICKNAME/S: Cub (as used by his mother)

AGE: 23

BIRTHDAY: August 19th

ETHNIC  GROUP: Romanian

NATIONALITY: French Romanian

LANGUAGE/S: Romanian, French, Greek, Gaelic, Breton

SEXUAL  ORIENTATION: Pansexual (polyamorous)

ROMANTIC  ORIENTATION: Panromantic (polyromantic)

RELATIONSHIP  STATUS: Single (later married to Sypha Belnades)

CLASS: Upper middle class

HOME TOWN / AREA:   Born in the valleys of the Bucegi Mountains, south of Brașov at the border between Wallachia and Transylvania.

CURRENT  HOME: House Belmont, still located near the Bucegi Mountains

PROFESSION: Monster Hunter

PHYSICAL.

HAIR: Long, straight and shoulder length, parted slightly off to the right and a deep rich brown. Smooth in texture, soft and with a lot of shine as well as being thick in volume.

EYES: Pale steel blue, upturned in shape with pronounced and long eyelashes.

NOSE:  Straight and relatively narrow, but otherwise average

FACE:  Diamond shaped.

LIPS:  Slightly downturned lip shape when at rest, slightly more pronounced cupid’s bow

COMPLEXION: Olive in the warmer month when he spends more time in the sun, though generally somewhat fair with a warm undertone.

BLEMISHES: Freckles that cluster on the small of his back and between his shoulder blades

SCARS: A large scar spanning the length of his face on the left hand side, a prominent scar running diagonally from collarbone to the side of his ribs over the right pectoral, and an entry/exit wound scar on his left pectoral and beside his shoulder blade on his back. Numerous other small scars.

TATTOOS:  A runic tattoo in the shape of the Othala rune that all Belmonts have to use certain artefacts Leon brought with them into Wallachia.

PIERCINGS: Nipple piercings (post-CoD)

HEIGHT:   6′0″ (185 cm)

WEIGHT: 176 lbs (80 kg)

BUILD:  Tall, muscular and lean.

FEATURES:  Strong jaw and cheekbones but a rounder, softer chin, strong angular brows.

ALLERGIES: None

USUAL  HAIR  STYLE: Usually worn down loose, sometimes tied back/up when at work with labor-intensive tasks or it’s too hot to have it down and in or around his face.

USUAL  FACE  LOOK:  Often either stern, cool and focused with slightly furrowed brows, closed lips and an intense gaze or proud, smirking and confident with arched brows and an air of challenge in his expression.

USUAL  CLOTHING: When at rest at home, generally just a pair of high waisted pants with a belt and a loose fitting shirt with rolled back sleeves that he wears open on his chest. His hunting outfit as we all know consists of a numerous elaborate parts like chains, belts, thigh-high boots, a shirt with a wide collar and ruffled sleeves, a leather corset/bodice with laces and straps, a cross-body belt and his signature split tail coat.

PSYCHOLOGY.

FEAR/S: His fear used to be that of losing his home and his family when they were driven out of society by the church, fearing worse consequences would come upon them for their perceived wrong-doings. His fear as an adult is that the fickle natures of men might once again twist the fortune of his family to repeat the same mistakes once Dracula is defeated and within the peace that follows, people again forget they had once depended on the Belmonts for safety. He does not want history to repeat again so as that his children will suffer the ostracism that he did.

ASPIRATION/S: To help preserve and cement the Belmont name as one that is honourable and worthy in the eyes of their people, to raise a family of his own to continue the Belmont bloodline and to pursue greater knowledge to add to his family’s archive. He is very interested in learning all varieties of skills and practices to bolster the Belmont’s already impressive collection of writings and wisdoms.

POSITIVE  TRAITS: Loyal, generous, courageous, strong-willed, compassionate, protective, intelligent, considerate

NEGATIVE  TRAITS:  Competitive, stubborn, cocky, brash, hot-tempered, curt, impatient, commanding

ZODIAC:  Leo

TEMPERAMENT:   Choleric

SOUL  TYPE / S:   Warrior

ANIMALS: Stallion, bull, wolf, falcon

VICE  HABIT/S: Trevor’s largest fault is that he is an adamant fixer. When something is bothering someone he cares about, he has a habit of jumping in to try and solve it or hush up the person’s concerns by telling them what he thinks is the solution or otherwise trying too hard to reassure them that the problem is not as great as it seems. While this is well intentioned, often what the person wants is just to be heard and to reflect on the problem with him, not for Trevor to try to shoot it down as quickly as possible. A someone who often is required to take control of most situations, it can be a little difficult for Trevor to temper his desire to immediately fix a problem rather than letting himself and the person mull over it properly.

FAITH: Catholic

GHOSTS?: Yes.

AFTERLIFE?:  Yes

REINCARNATION?:  Very likely.

ALIENS?:  Maybe?

POLITICAL  ALIGNMENT:  Lawful Good

ECONOMIC  PREFERENCE:  Despite the opulence of Belmont Manor’s appearance, Trevor lives by considerably humbler means in a lot of his day to day life, hunting and preparing food for himself, helping to make most of the things he and his family need and tending to their livestock and animals himself.

SOCIOPOLITICAL  POSITION:  N/A

EDUCATION  LEVEL: Well and thoroughly educated in several manners of combat and hunting, fluent in a handful of languages while being somewhat competent in others, educated in numerous knightly values and teachings that were passed down from Leon through to his descendants. Efficient with magic and several weapons with some understanding of alchemy.

FAMILY.

FATHER:  Living, age 40

MOTHER:  Living, age 45

SIBLINGS: None

EXTENDED  FAMILY:   None that he is aware of

NAME  MEANING/S:  Trevor translates to “from the large village”, whereas Belmont translates to “beautiful mountains.”

HISTORICAL  CONNECTION?:  Connected to Leon Belmont who was once hailed as the greatest knight in all of France, the historical patriarch to their clan who abandoned his title and knighthood to begin a legacy of vampire hunters.

FAVOURITES.

BOOK:  His ancestor’s journals.

MOVIE:  He hasn’t had the pleasure.

5 SONGS: 1, Mars by Sleeping at last, 2. Wolf by First Aid Kit, 3. The Valley by The Oh Hello’s, 4. Steel for Humans by Marcin Przybyłowicz, 5. Iron by Woodkid

DEITY: Hades

MONTH:  August

SEASON:  Summer

PLACE:  Mountains, forests, glades, meadows, the observatory of Belmont Manor

WEATHER: Warm and balmy weather in the early summer

SOUND:  The sound of birds and wind in the trees, the rivers in the woodland, the sound of the fire crackling in the hearth, conversations from another room.

SCENT/S:   Spice, pine, mountain air, cooking, herbs.

TASTE/S:  Bold, sharp, whole, rich and savoury flavours.

FEEL/S:   Cool hands on his skin, fresh cotton, warm leather, hands in his hair, water running over his hands, caresses to his scars, a breeze through the open window while he lays in bed, sun on his skin.

ANIMAL/S:  Dogs and horses

NUMBER:  10

COLOUR:  Deep earthy tones, browns, beiges, moss or olive greens, warm greys.

[what-is-your-plan-today]

Riding High Ch 5: Ad Nauseam

Chapter Summary: It’s Mary’s first day at school, and it doesn’t go according to plan…

Chapter Warnings: Bad Language words.

Chapter Pairings:  Frank Adler x OFC Fliss Gallagher

A/N: So from here on in we dive into the GIFTED main story line so this contains SPOILERS for the film. If you haven’t seen it please be aware of that before you read on. As a Lawyer I know how long the types of cases depicted in GIFTED can take, and I also know how fast they can be too. So for that reason I’ll be spreading the storyline over couple of months, because I find that realistic and it also fits with how I want the story to go so…just roll with it!

This is also HEAVILY Frank’s POV at the moment, as probably most of the next few bits will be but it is a fic about him in the main! As always I’m a ho for a REBLOG and COMMENT!

Chapter Song: The Wind by Cat Stevens

Series Masterlist Main Masterlist

September 2017

“Hey! Come on.” Frank sighed, knocking on the door that led into his bedroom where Mary was getting changed “Come on let’s move”

“No” came the sullen reply

“Let me see.” he said a little more gently.

“No.”

“Come on, I made you a special breakfast.” Frank tried again, although why he had no idea. Bribery didn’t work unless it involved a visit to Fliss or the horses.

“You can’t cook.” Mary replied, a snort in her voice. With a deep sigh Frank decided enough was enough.

“Hey, Mary, open up.” his voice was sterner and a few seconds later the door opened and Mary looked up at him. She was dressed in her new red summer dress with a white collar and blue and white flowers patterned all over it. She wore a filthy scowl on her face which Frank was trying really hard not to laugh at.

“You look beautiful.” he told her.

“I look like a Disney character.” She seethed as she stormed past him. Frank watched her pass as the door to the room shut, gave a sigh and then followed her to the kitchen. She sat at the table, pulling the bowl of cereal to her as Frank set about making her lunch.

“Where’s the special?” Mary suddenly said.

“What?” Frank asked, reaching up for a piece of kitchen roll to wipe a knife clean.

“You said you made me a special breakfast.”

Frank leaned over and with his left hand turned the box of Special K round so Mary could see it. She rolled her eyes and made a noise that sounded suspiciously like a growl. Frank ignored her until she spoke again, her voice pleading.

“Please, don’t make me go. You can keep home schooling me.”

“I’ve taught you everything I know” Frank replied, smearing peanut butter onto the bread in front of him.

“But I don’t want to go.”

“Well… I don’t want to go to work, but I do.” Frank shrugged as he fixed the sandwich together and reached for a zip-press bag to place it in.

“You don’t go to work. You fix boats on the dock.”

“Okay, it’s a poor example..” he said, pulling the top of the bag open. “But you are still going.”

“But… but what about Fred?” Mary asked as Frank shimmied the sandwich into the bag and sealed it

“What about him?” Frank sighed

“You won’t take care of him. You don’t like cats.”

Well, she had him there. He really didn’t like cats. But Frank was ok. Frank wasn’t really a cat, he was more of a dog…

“I don’t like two-eyed cats” Frank shrugged in reply “Fred is as you know, monocular.”

“Who’s gonna throw him his ping pong ball?” Mary tried again.

“Fred’s gonna be fine, no more argument, okay?” Frank sighed, looking at her as he pulled another sandwich bag from the box for his own. “We’ve discussed this ad nauseam.”

“What’s an nauseam?” Mary frowned.

“You don’t know?” Frank turned to look at her, leaning against the kitchen unit. “Looks like someone needs school.” Mary looked at him, an utterly filthy scowl on her face and he stared back. She sighed and turned back to her breakfast, hand propping her face up as her elbow rest on the table. Frank stood watching her whilst he threw some bread in the toaster. He felt bad, he really did but this was for the best. She needed to be normal. He felt his phone buzzing in his back pocket and, wiping his hands on his dirty work jeans, he pulled it out, smiling as he read the text from Fliss.

“Good luck with the whole School thing this morning. If she kicks off tell her no riding lesson on Saturday. Give me a call or swing by if you need me xx”

“I don’t need good luck I need a miracle, and a drink. Is 8am on a Monday too early for a beer?” he replied.

“Well, it’s afternoon somewhere in the world Sailor ;-) “

He gave a chuckle as he put his phone back in his pocket and looked at Mary who was watching him, a knowing look on her face.

“What?”

“I know that was Fliss.” she said.

“How?”

“Because you’re smiling, the way you always do when she messages you.” “Well we’re friends…we like talking to one another. Something you might understand after you make some at school…” She scowled at him again and he ignored her looking up at the clock.

“Finish up, it’s nearly time to go.”

With a grumble Mary ate another mouthful before she slid off her chair. Frank packed her lunch into her rucksack  before he handed it to her. With another scowl she place her arms through the straps and then together they walked out of their home.

“Just remember that today, those kids in your class, they probably haven’t learnt even half as much as you.” Frank said, looking at her as they walked down the path. “So try not to show off ok?” “I can’t even use what I do know?” “No I’m not saying that, just…don’t make it so obvious ok? It will make people ask questions about why you know so many things and…” “AM I not supposed to know them?”

“Honestly, no, you’re 7.” Frank shrugged “but you’re smart, you know this.”

She remained quiet for a second before she sighed “Ok, I promise I won’t show off.”

They reach the end of the path and then walked across the grassy area between two of the other pre-fabs just in time for the bus to pull to a stop.

Frank watched Mary as she stood looking at it as the doors swung open.

“This is gonna be fun.” He said, watching the back of her head “You’re gonna meet kids today that you’re gonna borrow money from for the rest of your life.”

She didn’t reply

“Come on.” he said, gently gesturing her forward with his right arm, his tone somewhat softer. He watched her climb up the steps, his hands falling to his hips as he tried to think of something encouraging to say. “You’re gonna be great.”

She paused and looked back at him, her expression soft.

“You know, just…” he gave her a thumbs up “I don’t know. Try bein’ a kid.”

Mary looked down as the school bus doors shut and Frank sighed. He watched her take a seat as the bus pulled off and then turned to head back to the house. He was running through his day in his head, he had a boat he needed to have a look at but didn’t think it was a major fix, few parts that type of thing. He could swing by Sandybrook later on, maybe, see if Fliss was free for an hour for lunch…

There was a rapping on a window and he stopped dead at the end of the path looking up. His eyes locking with Roberta’s as she gazed at him from out of her window. With a sigh of frustration he turned to his left and continued back towards his home another way.

“Frank! Frank, I know you hear me.” He let out an inward groan as he rolled his eyes, ignoring her completely. He walked in the door to his kitchen, shut it and then snapped the lock across to make a point. The point being ‘piss off and leave me alone’. He knew that making the point was, however, pointless because she’d just fucking unlock the door and walk in anyway. Like she always did. He grabbed the toast that had popped up whilst he had been out and threw it on a plate.

“Frank!” There was a juggle of the door handle and he turned to look at Roberta as she pulled out a set of keys.

Ignoring her completely he grabbed a mug and poured some coffee into it.

“There’s still time for you to undo this nonsense. Go get in your car and go get that child.”

“Are you technically allowed to use these keys whenever you want?” He said to her, a little sarcastically as he passed her the mug. She took it from him

“How you can stand there…acting all calm and all of that making light out of this?” she asked as he took a bite of his toast “Now, go get her back before it’s too late.”

“She gotta go out in the world.” Frank said as he began to tidy up the kitchen, placing the breakfast and lunch making items away “She has no friends her age, no social skills. She doesn’t know how to be a kid.”

Roberta merely watched him as he sighed and turned to face her, leaning his hip against the counter. “Two nights ago she told me that even if Germany bails out the Euro, there could still be worldwide recession.” He shook his head “I was staring at the celling for three hours.” he finished softly

Roberta wrinkled her nose a little and looked down at the floor as she shook her head softly. “I’m so worried.” she said gently, her voice cracking and it was then that Frank noticed her eyes were filling with tears. He knew she cared for Mary, she cared for him too even if she showed that less. And he got it, he did, he got exactly what she was worried about because hell, he felt the same. If people spotted Mary’s potential and then started digging it was going to cause a whole heap of ramifications. But he had to balance out the need to keep her ‘talents’ hidden and for her to have a normal life. He saw so many parallels between Mary and Diane, and frankly it scared the shit out of him. His mother had been overbearing, insisted that they were both home schooled, but when their Father had died Frank had rebelled. He’d gone out, fallen in with a  BMX riding, trouble making crowd (well, as much trouble as 8 year olds could make…toilet papering houses, throwing stones at cars, that type of thing)  basically stuck the middle finger up at his mother who had in the end conceded and he’d gone to school. But Diane…well, she’d been smothered and grown up so isolated with no social skills.

No, he couldn’t let that happen to Mary.

He let out a sigh “Come on, Roberta. If you start crying, I will have to pretend to start crying.”

He watched as she nodded sadly.

“Hey.”

She looked up at him as he spoke.

“You know there’s something you could be overlookin’.” he smiled “This could work out.”

“Maybe.” she agreed, with a slight nod and a smile “But if anybody takes that baby away…I’ll smother you in yo sleep.” she warned him, her southern accent becoming stronger as she issued the threat “Morning, Fred.” she said to the cat who was led on the table. His tail swished as she rather viciously grabbed at her keys before she left the house.

With his fucking mug.

The sun was already warm and it wasn’t even 9 when Frank reached the dock, the rays bouncing off the crystal blue surface of the water. As he walked he applied a slight smearing of sunscreen to his neck, he knew that bore the brunt of the sun when he was outside and not in the lock up. Fliss had commented it on it the other day, and he had admitted to her that when he’d gotten out of the shower he had noticed he was definitely sporting some amusing tan lines, both round the collar of his T-shirts and where the arms finished. It was always the same though. Fliss had laughed, rolled up her sleeves to show him the same and pointed out it was why she spent as much time as she could on her days off by the pool trying to even it out.

Lying by the pool on a day off… Frank mused to himself, now there was a thought.

Whilst his mind was on Fliss, he pulled his phone out and dialed her number.

“Hey Frankie boy.” she greeted him “Did you manage to get her on the bus without a gun or…” Frank chuckled “It was surprisingly less trouble than I thought but…”

“You’re doing the right thing Frank.” she replied, and he had to smile at the fact she knew what he was pondering.

“Roberta doesn’t seem to think so.”

“Yeah, well, she’s worried but that doesn’t make her right.” Fliss said “Look, Mary is a kid. She needs to just, oh I dunno, live like a kid. You’ve done it now anyway so, well, just see how it goes, that’s all you can do.”

“Thanks Fliss.” he smiled to himself “Think I just needed to hear that.” “Any time, look I gotta go, my 9 am is here.” “Ok, well, I thought if the invite was open I could swing by at lunch. I’ll grab us a sandwich on the way?”

“Sounds great.” Fliss said, “Just message me later.” “Sure, have a good morning Cowgirl.” She laughed “You too Sailor.”

He tucked the phone back in his pocketed and continued to head down the gangway, nodding to a few people before he hopped onto the white speed-boat he was working on, pulling the dust cover off the stripped down engine.

**** Two hours. It was a whole two hours before he got a phone call telling him to head into the school. He strode back to the house, quickly washed his hands and threw on a blue and red plaid button down over his grubby white t-shirt before he headed to go get the pain-in-the-ass.

After a number of apologies, Frank walked out of the Principal’s office with a groan. Mary skipped ahead of him, examining something in a cabinet but he placedd his hand on her head and turned it in the direction she needed to walk. He pushed oen the double doors, letting her go in front of him.

One hand between her shoulder he steered her away from the entrance to the school and was fishing in his pocket for his keys when he heard a voice behind him.

“Excuse me?”

He turned to see a slim, quite pretty, brunette in a green and white dress hurrying towards him.

“Hi.” she said, raising her hand in greeting.

“Look it’s my teacher.” Mary said with a roll of her eyes as Frank slowed down.  “Probably wants to remind me what one plus one is.”

“Go to the car, okay?” he said, gently guiding her away with his hand.

“Hi” he repeated

“Hi.” Frank replied, removing his glasses and taking her extended hand in greeting.

“Sorry to yell at you and then chase you down.” she apologised.

“It’s okay. Mary’s teacher?” he asked, releasing her hand.

“Yes. I’m Bonnie Stevenson”

“Frank. How are you?” he said, and then before giving her chance to apologise he sighed “Sorry about today. She got little overexcited.” he gestured to the car as Mary climbed in “It’s just first day jitters.”

“Sure, yeah.” Bonnie nodded, turning to look at Mary

“We are running a little bit late actually, so we gotta get going.” Frank said, late for what he had no idea, he hadn’t made that bit up yet.

“Okay, I don’t even wanna talk about that.” Bonnie shook her head “I will keep you just a minute”

“Okay.”

“I think your daughter…I think Mary might be gifted.”

Shit.

“What?” Frank feigned surprise, quite well too so it seemed.

“Yeah, today in math, she answered some really…really…”

“Oh, no, no, no…” he said, holding his hand out to stop her as she was gesticulating rapidly with her own as she continued to speak. “No, that’s…it’s not gifted.”

“Difficult questions that a seven year old would…”

“It’s Trachtenberg.” Frank cut her off easily, he could deflect this.

“I’m sorry…” Bonnie laughed, folding her arms, looking at him, puzzled.

“Jakow Trachtenberg.” Frank nodded. “Spent seven years in a concentration camp. Developed a system to rapidly solve problems.” he gestured with the hand holding his keys “ It’s the Trachtenberg method.”

“But she’s…I mean… She’s seven though.” Bonnie said, smiling slightly, her tone still surprised.

“I learned it when I was eight.” he said, smiling “Do I look gifted to you?”

Bonnie looked him up and down and dropped her head, smiling.

“It kinda went out of note since the invention of the calculator…” Frank continued, backing away from her as he spoke, “But… I can still win a drink at the bar using it.” he smiled, opening his sunglasses out. “Sorry for today. Won’t happen again.”

“Okay.” Bonnie nodded as Frank slid on his shades.

“Nice to meet you…Bonnie.” he said, remembering her name.

“Frank.” Bonnie nodded again.

He drove them home in silence. His only words being an instruction for her to go change into something suitable for an afternoon at the docks before he stepped into the kitchen and remembered his lunch arrangements. With a curse he pulled his phone out and gave Fliss a quick call.

**** Fliss’ morning had been fairly busy as well. She’d given 2 private lessons, worked one of her horses, mucked half the block out as it was a Monday, which meant that Ellis had the day off so she mucked in, and was now going through the bookings for the week. She’d been inundated this week with requests that she couldn’t accommodate, but was contemplating putting another lesson on to satisfy the demand. Bill had told her not to be stupid, she was already teaching 6 days a week and needed to let her staff shoulder some of the responsibility before she burnt out.

“Joanne?” she called. Joanna walked in and looked at Fliss.

“How do you fancy taking over for me completely on a Sunday?” she asked.

“Me?” Joanne frowned.

“Yeah.” Fliss nodded “You open up, close and can run a couple of Classes. You have your teaching qualifications…I can supervise the first 2 weeks or so and if you’re happy after that then…you can take the day completely, take 20% of the earnings as an extra. What do you say?”

“Fliss, I’d…well, I don’t know what to say!” Joanne grinned “Yeah, yeah I’d love to!”

“Good.” Fliss smiled “There’s a list of clients here, you can call back after lunch and offer them a time slot to suit you on Sunday, have a think about a lesson plan for groups and then…” “Thanks Fliss. “ Joanne smiled “This means a lot.” “You’ve earned it.” Fliss smiled “You’ve been a perfect head groom these last 6 months. Keep going and…well, we’ll see where we end up!”

Joanne beamed and nodded, heading back out onto the yard.

Fliss took a deep breath. She had spent so much of her life not in control of her career or home life, doing as she was told by John, when she was told to do it or suffer the consequences of a beating, that she had gone the complete opposite way when she had taken grasp of her own life. Her business was run by her with military precision. Bill did the books for her, but other than that she arranged everything. She was a control freak, she knew that so stepping away 1 day a week might seem like a little step to other people but to her it was a huge one. Bill had reminded her the other night that the idea had been that eventually Fliss would have a manager running the place for her which meant she could turn up to provided lessons and ride when needed. She was a long way off that yet though, but this one day off was a little progress.

Her phone started ringing and she reached over to pick it up, smiling when she saw the number.

“2 calls before noon!” Fliss grinned “I’m honoured”

“Unfortunately I’m calling to cancel lunch.”  Frank sighed.

Fliss was surprised she felt disappointed. “Oh, it’s no issue.” she said, pulling a face “is everything alright.

“No.” he replied bluntly.

“Mary?”

“How did you guess?” he gave a low chuckle.

“She’s normally your source of your trouble. What has she done?”

“Apparently she stood up in class, and shouted at the principal to, and I quote “get on your phone and call Frank and tell him to get me out of here.””

Fliss bit back a laugh. It shouldn’t be funny, but she could picture Mary’s angry face and her arms folded across her chest. Despite her best attempts an amused snort escaped her.

“It’s not funny” Frank deadpanned

“I know, I’m sorry but… “ Fliss cleared he throat, forcing herself to become serious.

“You now I wasn’t a perfect kid but I’m pretty sure I never got thrown out before lunchtime on my first day.” Frank sighed.

“She’s not been thrown out…just told to go home early” Fliss countered

“Well I brushed it off as first day excitement but…the teacher was digging into how smart she is and…”

“Look, try not to worry.” Fliss said, sensing the tone of panic in his voice “Just try talking to Mary You always get the best out of her when you explain things to her.”

“Yeah, look, I better go…I need to get back to the boat yard.”

“No problem. Take care, and…just…well, listen to her Frank.”

“Yeah, bye Fliss.”

Fliss placed her phone down on her desk, and bit her lip. The morning had started off reasonably well too. She knew Frank well enough now to know that his frustration with Mary was born out of simply wanting the absolute best for her, and he was completely focused on making that happen even if Mary was not happy about it.

Fliss tapped her nails absentmindedly on the desk, trying to think of ways she could help. But other than talk to Mary, as she had encouraged Frank to do, she was stumped.

Nope, Fliss didn’t envy Frank one bit.

*****

“For the record, I didn’t wanna go to the stupid school in the first place.”  Mary rambled on as she perched on a cool box, blue sun hat perched on her face as Frank finally finished his work on the engine, screwing the cover back on “And the boy in the front row acts inappropriately for someone who’s a child.”

“Sorry. I’m still passively aggressively ignoring you.” he said without looking up.

“Other kids answer questions, they don’t get in trouble.” Mary continued to protest.

“You didn’t get in trouble for answering the questions.” Frank looked at her, still turning the screw driver, his voice taking on a tone of exasperation. “You yelled at the principal.”

Mary looked at him, shrugging.

“All right, you know what? You’re gonna find this interesting.” he said, stepping back slightly, tossing the screwdriver onto one of the seats as he made his way to the cockpit of the boat “So I googled" first graders who yelled at the principal". And statistically you will never believe how many kids do it.”

He started working his way through the checks as Mary answered

“How many?”

“None.” he shot back over his shoulder as he fired up the boat, revving it slightly. He heard Mary’s footsteps as she ran down the side of the boat and stopped.

“Frank, I’m sorry. I’m really sorry.” she said leaning over the edge to look at him.

“Yeah, right.” he said, shaking his head before he turned to look at her “You can’t show off like that in school.”

“I know.”

“You promised you wouldn’t then the first day…”

“I know, I screwed up.”

Frank looked at her, he could see she was genuinely contrite. Her head was dropped slightly. He watched her for a moment before he nodded and looked back out of the water before she spoke again.

“Do you think this boat needs a test ride?”

He looked back at her as she grinned up at him, the gap where her two top teeth had fallen out serving as a reminder as to just how young she damned well was. Like he could ever forget that, mind. Frank looked down and shoved his glasses back as they slipped down his nose and with a sigh he gave in, the way he normally did when she pulled those puppy dog eyes on him.

“Go get, Fred.”

She smiled and jumped up.

“Don’t run!” he called after her, watching as she slowed to a walk for a few strides, before running anyway. He shook his head, smiling to himself at her blatant disregard for his order.

She appeared a little while later and Frank got her settled in the seat of the boat with a life vest and a blanket covering her legs, it could get a little nippy on the water for Mary, not that it bothered him.

“Ready?” he asked

She gave him a thumbs up and he pulled the boat out of the spot and headed slowly out of the harbour. Once on the open water he sped up, relishing the feel of the wind in his hair. He felt at peace on the water, something about it soothed his soul. He drove them to a stretch of beach they knew and loved, a quiet one and he drove the boat into the shallow water before he shucked off his shoes and socks, rolled his jeans up and jumped down, pushing it up onto the sand.

“Alright short stack…” he smiled as Mary grinned and stood up. She shucked off her life vest and he lifted her out of the boat before passing Fred over. He hopped back in, grabbed the parasol and a fold out chair, passing her a bucket and spade, all of which he had thrown on the boat whilst she’d headed off to get Fred, before they made their way up the beach.

Mary soon set off, digging about in the sand and collecting shells, like a normal kid her age should do and Frank settled down to watch her, occasionally glancing out into the ocean, spotting every so often the ripple of the resident pod of dolphins as they broke surface lazily. Mary was splashing around in the shallow pools on the beach, Fred by her side before she looked up and came running towards him, jumping on his knee as the birds flew down to inspect what the tide had washed in.

“You ok?” he asked.

“Yeah.” she smiled, shifting around to get comfortable. “Fred loves to watch the sandpipers.”

Fred gave a meow as if to confirm what she was saying and Frank looked down at the cat as it lounged in the shade.

“He thinks he’d like to catch one, but he’d regret it.” she continued “Fred’s not a killer. He’s a lover.”

She gave a sigh and leaned back into him, her back resting against his chest and Frank moved his arms as she took his left hand in both of hers, gently looking at his palm and playing with his fingers.

“Would my mom want me to go to this school?” she asked.

“I can only guess.” Frank replied, honestly “But I will tell you that, she would have wanted you to have friends.”

“Idiot friends?”  Mary said, almost groaning.

“She’d want you to have compassion for others.” Frank said, tilting his head so he was looking down at the side of her face “Like a cat can have for a sandpiper.”

Mary paused and shifted slightly, looking down a little “But what if they don’t like me?” she asked softly.

And God, if that didn’t break his heart! He swallowed and took a moment, before he looked at her.

“Then they’re idiots.” he said simply, and in his mind it was the truth.

Mary didn’t reply, instead she leaned back, her head on his shoulder and Frank gently wrapped his arms further around her, patting her stomach gently. They both sat in silence for a bit, Mary gently tickling the back of his hands with her own. He was just thinking about telling her they really should get back, when he felt her sit up.

“Hey…is that Fliss?”                              

Frank frowned and looked at her, “Where?”

“There, look…” He followed where she was pointing and squinted slightly. There was a woman riding a chestnut horse a little further down the beach, and it certainly looked like Fliss.

“Hang on…” Frank said, pulling out his phone. He dialled Fliss and as he watched he saw the woman pause and reach into her boot to retrieve her phone.

“Hey…” she greeted him.

“Turn to your left…” he said.

There was a pause and then as she did so the two of the waved. Fliss laughed.

“Hang on…”

She placed the phone back in her boot and then kicked the horse into a gallop. It sped over the sand, kicking up spray as it went and Mary giggled and jumped off Frank’s knee as she approached.

“Hi!” she beamed down at them as she pulled the horse to a stop. Frank stood up and smiled at her. “What are you guys doing here?”

“Had to take the speedboat for a test drive.” Frank shrugged.

“Test sail.” Fliss countered.

“Whatever.” Frank rolled his eyes as Mary was busy stroking Heidi’s face. “What about you?”

“Oh had a spare hour so decide to load her majesty up and come down here.” she smiled “It’s nice and quiet. Sometimes I see the dolphins too.” Frank noticed the way her face lit up as she said that, and he smiled.

“They’re even better up close.” Mary grinned.

“Well, one day maybe I’ll get the chance” Fliss smiled.

“I still owe you a ride.” Frank smiled and she grinned.

“I’ll hold you to that…” Fliss said, “And speaking of rides…”

Frank took a deep breath “seriously?”

“Come on…” Fliss said “She’ll be safe, I trust this horse with my life.”

Mary, suddenly realising what was being said looked to Frank, her eyes sparkling.

“Fine…” Frank sighed, shaking his head “But drop her and I’ll kill you.”

“What do you take me for?” Fliss scoffed, removing her hat and handing it to Mary. Once she was seated in front of her Fliss held her tightly, one arm around her waist, the other in the reins and told Mary to hang on. She set off slowly at first and then with a grin kicked the horse on into a slow canter, and steered towards the sea.

“Shit…” Frank muttered, his heart in his mouth as the both cantered through the waves, the spray kicking up behind them. He could hear Mary’s shouting and laughing as it echoed up the beach. They went a little distance away before Katie slowed down to a walk, Heidi continuing along her path steadily.

“So, I hear school wasn’t great?” Katie said as they turned and made their way back at a slower pace.

“No.” Mary shrugged “Frank got mad.”

“Did you apologise?”

“Yeah…its ok now.” Mary shrugged “I just didn’t like it. And I don’t think they liked me.” Fliss took a deep breath. “I’ll tell you a secret…when I first started riding, the other kids didn’t like me either.” “Really?” Mary turned to face her as they wandered back, gently swaying with the horses motions.

“Nope, I came from a different back ground to them. We weren’t rich, I mean my mum and dad have money now but that was only after Bill opened the business.”

“So what happened?” “I kept going.” Fliss said gently “And then I met a friend, a girl called Charlotte. She was the same. Her family sold all their belongings so she could pursue her dream.”

Heidi slowed to a stop by Frank but Fliss continued to talk “And we became good friends, and we worked hard. She did dressage, I did show-jumping. And we both grew up together, and encouraged each other, and we made the teams.”

“Are you still friends now?” “Yeah, I still talk to her, I don’t see her as much but…” Fliss took a deep breath, the thought of the past still a bit painful. “The point is Mary, if you go in thinking that everyone is against you then believe me, it will seem that way. Maybe you should think about having an open mind and giving this a go, yeah?”

Franks eyes were hidden behind his glasses and at that moment he was kind of glad, because for some reason, there was a lump in his throat and tears in his eyes as he had observed his niece and Fliss together, the woman simply talking to Mary.

Mary pondered for a moment before she sighed “I suppose…”

Fliss smiled “Good, you’ll be glad you did.”

Mary shrugged “Maybe. Hey, you know what ad nauseam means?”

Fliss frowned and looked up as Frank gave a laugh “It means indefinitely, never ending…forever, why?” she looked at Mary. “Oh, something Frank said I’d learn at school but I didn’t…” she shrugged “But now I know, thanks.” “You’re welcome…” Fliss chuckled, as Frank helped her down. She watched her run off to pick up her cat.

“Thank you.” Frank said gently, turning to look up at Fliss.

“What for?”

“Talking to her, the way you always do. I don’t know how you do it Lissy, but you make her listen.”

“Don’t worry too much about her.” Fliss smiled “I know it’s easy for me to say but, well you always said today would be a challenge. See how she goes tomorrow.”

Frank smiled and rubbed at the back of his neck before he took a deep breath, suddenly making a decision. “I err, don’t suppose you wanna come for a drink on Friday? I’m only going to Fergs but…”

“I thought Fridays were your nights, you know where you sat at a bar, alone, all broody and mysterious…” Fliss grinned down at him.

Frank shook his head, a crooked smile spreading on his face “Yeah well, maybe I fancy a bit of company this week…”

Fliss looked at him for a moment, considering what he had said before she smiled “Ok, I got lessons until 6:30 but I can meet you there later on?”

Frank smiled “Great, it’s a date.”

Fliss arched her eyebrow and Frank inwardly cursed “I mean, not a date, but…you know, a…”

“You’re cute when you get flustered.” Fliss teased, cutting him off with a laugh “Don’t worry sailor, I know what you mean.”

With that she turned the horse back the way she had come and winking at Frank called to Mary. “Hey, you know when you asked how fast Heidi could go?”

Mary nodded.

“Well watch this…”

And with that Fliss gave the horse a gentle nudge and it erupted into a ridiculously fast gallop back down the beach. Fliss’ whoops echoed in the air as she looked back waving, and Mary ran a little way after her laughing and waving back.

****

Fliss was right. The next morning they had a little fuss but nothing drastic. Mary came home with a note about Wednesday being show and tell and she wanted to take Fred. So they bundled him into a cardboard box. Frank waited patiently outside until Mary was escorted back out by a classroom assistant to hand the cat back over.

“Enjoy that?” he said.

Mary nodded.

“I was talking to Fred.” Frank teased. Mary narrowed her eyes and he laughed.  “I’ll see you later ok?”

She came home a lot happier, talking to him about how the kids had asked her questions about Fred that she had answered and Frank couldn’t help but smile as she rambled on and on. Later, when he called Fliss he couldn’t stop himself from talking either and Fliss had been led on her bed, smiling at his voice as he continued to gush about his niece. Thursday and Friday passed much the same, which was why when Friday night came Frank was in a reasonably good mood, and ready to buy Fliss all the damned beer she wanted.

Fliss, however, was in a flap. Her lesson had overrun and now she had changed her outfit 3 times, finally settling on a light blue cotton knee length, sleeveless dress and brown sandals, leaving her hair loose and her make up light.  She hadn’t been out with her friends for, well, not since moving here. Sure, she’d been out with her parents and their friends but this felt different. And she was nervous.

“You look nice.” Her dad looked up as she walked into their living room. “Ready to go?”

“Yeah, you sure you don’t mind dropping me?” she looked at him, “I can get a cab?”

“Don’t be daft…” Bill said, picking up his keys.

“Have a nice time honey!” her mum called.

Bill could tell she was nervous so he made idle chit chat on the drive down to the main strip of bars and eventually pulled up outside Fergs.

“Just have fun.” he said to her gently “And if you need me, call.”

“Thanks dad.” she smiled, kissing his cheek before she let herself out of the range rover and headed into the bar.

She glanced around for a second, looking for Frank and spotted him at a table talking to a dark haired woman, with a pretty face. She hesitated for a moment, wondering if she really wanted to interrupt and was debating running back out to catch Bill when Frank looked up and saw her. Flashing her that smile that could melt her on the spot he waved her over.

“Thought you were gonna stand me up!” he grinned at her as she took a seat. “Sorry, my last lesson over ran.” She answered before she smiled politely at the dark haired woman. “Hi…” “Oh, Fliss this is Bonnie, Mary’s teacher.” Frank introduced them. “Nice to meet you.” Fliss smiled. The woman gave her a smile back and stood up speaking to her as she did so “Well, I think I’ve taken up enough of your time Frank and I don’t want to eat into your date.“ “Oh this isn’t a date…” Fliss protested at the same time Frank shook his head “We’re not…” he gestured between himself and Fliss with his hands “Fliss is Mary’s riding instructor” “She horse rides?” Bonnie said, an air of surprise in her tone. “The idea was it would hopefully teach her social skills before School.” Frank snorted “clearly didn’t work..” “Oh don’t be so hard in her.” Fliss jumped to the girls defence “she’s a good kid.” “I bet its easier when you’re trying to teach them something they actually want to learn…or in Mary’s case teaching her something she doesn’t know….” Bonnie said and Fliss laughed. “She’s actually one of the easier kids I have.” She said and Frank smiled at her comment “mind you, none of the kids give me any hassle really, its the adults that are hard work.”

“Oh my god tell me about it…” Bonnie groaned “I dread Teacher-Parent evenings, honestly, some of them are so obtuse…” “I can imagine.” Fliss grinned

“Anyway I better…” Bonnie gestured over her shoulder “see you later Frank, and nice to meet you Fliss” “You too.” Fliss nodded to he as Frank waved his hand in goodbye.

“What you drinking cowgirl?” he asked, standing up “I’ll go get em in.”

FLiss asked for a beer and sat down as he went to place their order. A frew minutes latger he was back, sliding the bud over to her.

“Thanks…” she took a huge drink. “I err, didnt interrupt anything before did I?“

“No, not really.” Frank shook his head “Not really?” “She errr…found out about Diane.” Frank said. “Oh.” Fliss frowned “how? I mean…” “When I picked Mary up on Monday she was asking me about her background om account of her being so smart. I tried to fob her off, saying I had taught her a system, you know for arithmetic but she didn’t buy it. Apparently she’s been giving Mary a few more advanced equations to do…”

Fliss looked down as he slid the paper on the table over to him. It contained a number of formulas and algebra problems which Fliss could see Mary had completed.

“As you can see, she aced them. And then Bonnie googled the system I mentioned, and then me and…up popped Diane” he shrugged .

“So did you tell her the truth?” Fliss asked looking up at him, sliding the paper back.

“What option did I have” he shrugged, folding it and shoving it in his pocket. “She came down here to call me out so I figured honesty was the best…what?“ He asked when he noticed Fliss was frowning. "She came down here on a Friday night to find you?” Fliss snorted

Frank shrugged “That’s what she said.”

“How she know you’d be here?” “I’m here most Fridays…not that hard to find.” “Maybe you should think about varying your routine Sailor” Fliss grinned “And you should definitely think about varying this shirt.”

Frank glanced down at his bright yellow palm tree print Hawaiian shirt

“What’s wrong with it?” he pouted.

“What��s right with it more like…”

“Well I’m not one for corporatism.” Frank shrugged “I like to think I’m an individual.”

“To be fair I’m not sure planet Earth could deal with two of you.” Fliss shot back. “I can only just about cope with one…”

Frank paused before he looked at her, shaking his head with a snort as his mouth curled up at one corner “Well that’s just fucking rude.”

“Made you smile though.” Fliss grinned at him.

Frank looked at her for a moment before he felt his face split further into a grin as he looked at her. “Yeah, yeah you do…I mean did.”

He saw her cheeks flush in that adorable way they did, and he decided to save her from further embarrassment by changing the subject. It wasn’t long before they settled into an easy conversation and the events of the previous week and all worries about Mary flew completely from Frank’s mind. @the-omni-princess  @momobaby227 @geekofmanythings16 @angelofhell-666 @thewackywriter @marvelfansworld  @cobalt-gear  @asgardlover75 @jennmurawski13​  @jtargaryen18 @saiyanprincessswanie​  @navispalace​ @patzammit​  @joannaliceevans-fanficblog​ @djeniiscorner​  @ayamenimthiriel​  @coldmuffinbanditshoe​  @disneylovingal​ @madzmilllz​  @sgtjaamesbaarnes​ @sweater-daddiesdumbdork​ @southerngracela​ @goldenfightergir​ @kellymat​ @official-and-unstable-satan​ @icanfeelastormbrewing​ @pagesoflauren​

[onceuponadreamgirl]

12 Wonderful Things that Happened this Year

1. My mattress fixed my back! To be fair I bought it at the tail end of last year (it got set up just after Christmas) but...technicality. It’s been a year. My back has spasmed on occasion, but the chronic pain? Gone.

2. I saw two movies! Neither in theaters; both after everything shut down but they were both really awesome. Emma and Birds of Prey. I’ve reblogged a lot from both. You’ve probably noticed.

3. My dogs continued to be perfect! Both healthy, both happy. Both adorable and sweet as can be. I’m a lucky girl.

4. Cartoons kept me going! Shout outs to Bob’s Burgers and Ducktales. When I needed something low stakes and soothing, these two were there for me like champs.

5. My family is healthy and safe! At one point this year, three family members had been exposed to Covid from different sources but fate or luck or guardian angels kept us safe. My parents also went through some separate, non-Covid health challenges this year (dad had to recover from finger surgery last Christmas Eve, mom had eye surgery and rotator cuff surgery) but they’ve both come through it with relative good cheer.

6. My friends were always there! Whether we’re new acquaintances, old friends, or besties, I’ve had amazing people to get me through this crisis. Special shout-out, as ever, to @thenotoriousscuttlecliff.

7. My house didn’t burn down! Which was a possibility for a while...One of the biggest fires in California this year was uncomfortably close to my home. I even packed for quick evacuation. The fire ultimately veered away from my neighborhood, although I did have to inhale way too much smoke for about a month.

8. Taylor Swift gave me not one but two reasons to live! I’ve only listened to evermore a few times (this time of year my focus is on Christmas music) but folklore saved my 2020. New favorite album. Of all time. That it was a surprise made it all the sweeter.

9. Hamilton premiered on Disney+! That was fun. That was VERY fun. I’ve been lucky enough to have seen the show in person twice but seeing it with the original cast, up close and personal...I’d say it’s a once in a lifetime experience but the best part is that it’s not! I’ll be able to watch it again and again and again. What a gift.

10. Biden won the election! And not just once! The man kept winning! It doesn’t take the pain out of knowing over 70,000,000 of my fellow country-people support Tr*mp’s racist and cruel policies but it’s a relief to know that the country will now be run by, at the bare minimum, someone who knows what he’s doing.

11. I made some massive steps in my mental health journey! I don’t make a secret of my anxiety, depression, ed, and ptsd but I haven’t said anything about this yet: in coordination with my doctor, I’m decreasing my meds! Well, one of my meds. Still, though. I gradually reduced the amount of mood stabilizers I take by a fifth and honestly? I feel better. My lows are a little lower but my highs are miles higher and more frequent. I’ll be looking to continue the trend after the holidays with the goal of eliminating the mood stabilizers altogether and just living on anxiety meds and Prozac.

12. It’s Christmas! It’s the most wonderful time of the year! It’s my favorite time of year and although things seem pretty bleak right now, there are cookies and carols and presents and that has to count for something, right?

[creek-cryptid-deluxe]

Oh man... I just had an experience and a half at the park.

So let me just start by saying that I go to this park pretty regularly in the evening or at night, especially in the warmer months. My dad walks Bailey (& Indie when she isn't struggling with her injury) & I cruise about in my wheelchair hunting pokemon or park over by a mural that has a bricked area that connects to the sidewalk but is off to the side. It happens to be positioned so that I'm within range of 2 pokestops, so I park and drop lures. We are often there after dark & I pretty much never have an issue. In fact, I have more issues during daylight because some middle aged women can't keep their opinions to themselves.

So I was parked in my spot, & Dad & Bailey happened to be nearby because there is a treeline right across where bunnies frequently appear & Bailey like to pretend to be a hunter. (She suddenly morphs from a giant goofy beast to a silent, graceful, statuesque predator which is crazy to see.) I was chilling, catching them all as the theme song instructs, listening to Frank Zappa sing about Saint Alfonso & his pancakes when Dad & Bailey appear next to me, striking up a conversation.

During this conversation, I see an older guy who was headed directly for us, make an abrupt direction change. I mention it to dad, saying he must find Bailey unsettling. I mean, it is dark & she is waist high on all fours. Dad says, "Yeah he was booking it directly toward you & it gave me a bad feeling, so I thought I'd come chat just in case." I thanked him & applauded his instincts. I guess all the stories I'd told him about women being attacked over guys feeling rejected & the fact that The Spawn narrowly escaped a kidnapping across the street from our house a couple days ago (thankfully her boyfriend was there) made an impact on him.

After the dude left, we carried on as we normally do. But the dude made another loop & I saw him approaching. I genuinely hoped that he was just out for a walk & had been put off by the sight of Bailey earlier.

I think we all know at this point that this wasn't the case.

This significantly overweight man who looked to be my dad's age walks over & says, "Hey beautiful. What's your name?"

Me: "Not interested."

Dude: "That's rude. You should really be nicer since your prospects are limited. Not many guys will put up with a cripple but I'm willing to overlook that since I find you so beautiful despite that."

Me: "I am gorgeous but you wouldn't know since it's dark. Being gorgeous & having a fantastic personality, my options are absolutely not limited, so fuck off. You're way too old & creepy for me."

Dude: "Too old? Don't act like I didn't just see you flirting with that guy before. He's got to be around my age, so I know you have no problem with an older man."

Me: "Dude, even if I was into older guys, that doesn't mean I'm obligated to give you the time of day. Also, that was my father."

Dude: "Oh, so you're into having a daddy? I can be your daddy."

Me: (after throwing up a little in my mouth because I DESPISE that 'daddy' shit) "Fucking gross. He is my FATHER. As in he had sex with my mother & I am the result. And I seriously suggest you get the fuck out of here before he & my very protective great dane come back. She's not a fan of strange men being near me."

Dude: "Fine, bitch. You're going to die alone since you think you can afford to be picky even though you're crippled & not even that cute."

Me: "Better to die alone than deal with someone like you for more than 5 minutes. I'm calling my dad."

I picked up my phone & dialed, putting the phone to my ear. At that point he quickly walked back the way he came muttering about me being a bitch & how he was 'trying to be nice'.

🤢🤢

What the actual fuck is it with dudes thinking they are entitled to a woman's time & attention? Also, why in the fuck would i give the time of day to someone who starts insulting me straight off? Or won't take no for an answer? Or thinks it's ok to approach a woman out at a park seemingly alone?

For a bit of contrast, a couple of dudes in their 20s walked by to fish at the pond. One came back by, asked how I was & when I responded & asked how he was, he told me he forgot his bait & laughed. When he came back he continued with "but overall I'm good. Was the dog I saw with you your service dog?" I said no because she's too stubborn to even listen to simple commands 3/4 of the time, much less listen to urgent commands that mitigate my disability. He laughed & said that was fair, told me his name & said to 'holler' if I needed any help while I was there. I thanked him & we wished each other good luck for the night (me with pokemon & him with fishing).

That is a pretty normal conversation for me to have at the park. That's part of why I find the old dude's behavior so baffling. That & more often you see the 'nice guy' or incel type behaviors in younger men. I'd say the oldest dudes with that mentality are generally early 40s & that's at the outside. Yeah there are weird outliers but like... dude just seemed far too old for that. It's unacceptable at any age, don't get me wrong. I was just referring to how common an occurrence it is in various age groups.

I dunno. Shit is gross & kinda scary.

[ DISCLAIMER: UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES DOES ANYONE HAVE PERMISSION TO REBLOG THIS POST. if you reblog, I will find you, I will send you a very abrasive rude message, & I will block you. Thanks! -Dumpster Fire Management ]

[blackcatkita]

The Consequence of Secrets- Chapter 25

The Return

It’s back, my friends, and so is Drake! If you’ve stuck with me this long, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. I decided to split this chapter to get it out sooner- there is more coming soon. No warnings aside from Drake loving the F bomb, word count is 2288 and credit for this awesome moodboard goes to my bestie, the beautiful, the talented, darley1101. Tag list will be in a reblog because Tumblr, if you’d like to get in on it you need only ask! I hope you like Drake’s (and the series) return and if you do, please like, comment or reblog. I appreciate every single note!

Drake’s idly drumming fingers curl around the steering wheel of his truck, squeezing as he lets out a jaw-popping yawn. It feels like he’s been here for months. Stuck between the hospital and the palace at the longest red light known to man. Noticing the sky to the east barely beginning to grey, he glances at the clock display on the center counsel. 5:23am. He’d been up over twenty-four hours, and that was with what? Three hours of sleep total the night before? No wonder his eyes burn like hell and feel like they’re filled with sand.

He presses the heels of his palms against his eyelids, then blinks away the stars he caused as he rolls down the window to let in the cool morning air. It had been a hell of a day. Between the argument with Olivia and her storming off to learning Jennifer was sick, hearing from Liam and spending the night waiting with him at the hospital; it had been a hell of a few days. He still doesn’t know what Olivia wanted to tell him when Liam called. Could be another of her “get your head out of your ass” lectures about making up with Liam but it didn’t seem like it; not the way she was acting. It was like she was afraid to tell him and from a woman like Olivia Nevrakis, it was… disconcerting to say the least. 

Whatever it was he would find out soon enough. If this goddamn light ever changes. Why it’s even working this early in the morning is beyond him. There isn’t any traffic to regulate yet and it’s not even a major street… which means there’s no one around to see if he should just happen to… go through it. Would be his luck that a cop rounds the corner right as he does it though. Doubtful they would ticket a ‘Guardian of the Realm’ on the Royal Council, assuming he hadn’t been stripped of his title and still had a seat, but it would still be a pain in the ass and would further delay the blissful moment when his head hits the pillow.

“Fuck it. I’ll pay the damn ticket.” He sits up straighter to look to his left, then his right to check for oncoming traffic and that’s when he sees it. The opposite lights- blinking red. “Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me…” Screwing his eyes shut he thumps his forehead against the steering wheel. He’d been fucking sitting at a fucking blinking red light, waiting for the fucking thing to turn green for God fucking knows how long. Yep, that’s a thing he did. He really, really needs to get some fucking sleep. “Fuck!” he roars, hitting the gas to go through the dumbass light his dumbass sat at for no damn reason. At least the palace is only fifteen minutes away. Fifteen minutes he should use to calm the fuck down before he has to deal with the assholes inside.

The quiet drive calms him and pulling up to the gates, he’s struck with a feeling he can’t quite place. It’s… strange. The Royal Palace had been his home for most of his life, but after what happened, and the way he left, he wondered if it would ever be “home” again. He thought he’d be apprehensive returning but, he isn’t. Not at all. He feels… happy, content, comfortable, like putting on his old denim shirt Jennifer teased him for wearing too often. Maybe Liam was right: it would always be his home.

From the guard shack on his left a man approaches the open window while two others move in front of, and on the other side of the truck. Unlike the dark grey suits or plainclothes of Liam and Jennifer’s personal guards, per tradition they wear the ceremonial dress uniform of the Royal Guard; jackets of Cordonian blue with the same color in a stripe down each side of their black pants. Drake had never had to wear the getup thank God, but he knows under those jackets adorned with buttons and rope and other kinds of nonsense they had on bullet proof vests. They could thank Anton’s attack at the Homecoming Ball for that little addition to their wardrobe.

“Stephens,” Drake greets his former colleague with a nod. “Been a minute. How the hell are ya? How are the wife and kids?”

The guard stands rigid with an expression devoid of emotion and speaks in a clipped tone. “Good evening, Sir. Identification and royal decree you have permission to enter the palace gates.”

“Royal decree, right. Ha-ha, very funny. Now open the gate, it’s been a long ass day.”

“Sir, I cannot allow you to enter our illustrious halls without the express permission of His Majesty King Liam or our beloved Queen Jennifer. If you are unable to provide the proper documents I am afraid I must deem your intentions as malicious and you will be detained for further questioning.”

“What in the hell are you talking about?” Drake asks. “I was at your wedding for Christ’s sake and there’s no such thing as a ‘royal decree to enter’ pass.”

Stephens’ nostrils flare and he takes a step back, nodding at the guard on the other side of the truck as he lifts his hand to his earpiece. “We have a possible bogey at the front gate, dispatch Tiny and Cheech.”

“The bomb sniffing dogs? Are you serious?”

“I assure you, we take the lives of our King and Queen very seriously.” His suspicious gaze never leaves Drake as he reaches for the extendable mirror clipped to his belt. “Step out of the vehicle please, Sir.”

With an aggravated groan Drake runs his hands through his hair as the guard begins checking the undercarriage for explosives. He should have anticipated this after being gone so long. Practical jokes were commonplace among the guard’s members but he is far from in the mood. Pulling the door handle, he pushes it open little more than an inch before Stephens slams it shut.

“Stay in your vehicle! Stay. In. Your. Vehicle!” he shouts, one hand on his hip holster.

A snort of laughter sounds from the front of the truck and Drake glances up to see Fitzgerald, turned away with his shoulders shaking as he tries to contain his amusement. He turns back to Stephens, standing there with his lips twitching like he’s trying to fight a smile of his own. “Alright, asshole, you’ve had your fun but like I said, it’s been a long fucking day. I’m running on three hours of sleep, drove from Lythikos and spent the night at the hospital with the King and Queen so if you don’t open that goddamn gate right now, I’m gonna shove that mirror so far up your ass you’ll be…”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, no need for such gratuitous violence.” Stephens holds up his hands, laughing as he collapses the mirror. “Cap already told us you were on your way.” He clicks his heels together, standing at attention. “You may proceed, Sir Drake, sir!” Turning toward the gate he draws a circle above his head, signaling to the guard on the other side to open it while Drake puts the truck in gear. As the heavy metal starts to move he turns back around, tapping the handle of the compacted mirror on the open window frame. “Oh and Walker, welcome home.”

Drake huffs out a laugh, shaking his head. “Yeah, yeah. Watch the paintjob, ya dick.”

He drives through the gate and around to the residential side of the palace, wondering where to park. Should he park in his old spot in the garage that housed the Royal Family’s vehicles? Did he even still have a spot? Staff parking was out unless he wanted to go back through the gates, or there was the garage all the security vehicles were parked. Leave it to nobles to make something as simple as parking so complicated. He didn’t have this issue in Lythikos. No, he parked wherever he damn well pleased; usually in a garage full of cars Olivia doesn’t even drive. A bitter chuckle escapes his lips at the thought. He could park anywhere he wanted but what did that have to do with anything? Is he just the Duchess’ consort or does he hold significance? Ever since he left the Capitol all those months ago it seems no matter where he goes, he doesn’t know his place.

The convenience of a direct entrance from the family garage to the private quarters makes the decision for him and he stops at the bay door, reaching into the center console to press the button on the remote. He drives in, past expensive means of transport he would never buy but loved to drive and pulls into his empty spot. The slamming of the truck door echoes through the open space as he walks across the concrete floor, swinging his key ring around his finger. He unlocks the deadbolt and steps into the hallway, taking a moment to breathe in the familiar scent. Hearing approaching footsteps on marble, he scans the area quickly, gauging whether he has time to escape as Regina appears from around the corner.

She approaches with a modest smile, hair only slightly disheveled and wearing a long sleeved set of lavender pajamas. “Drake, it’s wonderful to see you back at the palace.”

As she gets closer he sees her eyes are red rimmed with bags beneath and the deep furrow of a worry line between her brows. In all the years he’d known her he’d never seen her look so tired. “Your Majesty, what are you doing up at this hour?”

“I’m afraid I didn’t get much sleep. I was going to take a walk to clear my head… perhaps in the gardens,” she trails off, turning her head slowly to stare blankly down the hall for a few beats before turning back to him. “Were you there? At the hospital?”

“I was,” Drake nods.

“Thank you for that. For being there for them.” Her lips tremble as she attempts to smile, faltering quickly as she clasps her hands too tightly for it to be a casual gesture. “The last I heard from Liam they still didn’t know what was happening. They had taken Jennifer into surgery and I haven’t been able to get ahold of him since.”

“I think he turned his phone off. It was… hard on him seeing her like that and then worrying about the baby… he probably didn’t want to disturb you, being so late and all.”

“Were they able to make a diagnosis?”

Resisting the urge to look away from her scrutinizing gaze, he takes a deep breath, chewing on his lower lip as he lets it out slowly. “I’m sorry, Regina, but I can’t…”

She holds up a hand to stop him, shaking her head. “I don’t need details and I would never ask you to betray their confidence. I just… I need to know if they’re alright.” She steps forward, placing her hand on his shoulder. She looks up at him, eyes pleading and wet with unshed tears. “Please, Drake.”

Taking in her concerned expression, he argues with himself. This isn’t Queen Mother Regina standing in front of him looking for an edge. This is just a woman, worried sick about her family. She loved Liam like he was her own son, had come to love Jennifer too and was vocal about how excited she was to become a grandmother. No matter what he will always be loyal to Liam and Jennifer and it’s not his place to say anything; but denying a worried grandmother news that will help ease her mind doesn’t sit well with him either. “She was out of surgery and sleeping when I left. From the looks of it Liam wouldn’t be far behind.” There’s no harm in telling her that much. They could all use a bit of good news.

“And the baby?”

“The baby made it through surgery fine. That’s all I know.”

“It is enough.” The breath she releases wavers as she smiles, reaching up to brush a single tear from beneath her eye before it has the chance to fall. “Thank you, you’ve eased my mind considerably. So much so that I believe I may be able to get some sleep after all. Good-night, Drake.”

“Night, Regina.” He watches as she turns back the way she came, thinking it could have been much worse. He could have run into Madeleine. The she-devil always got up at the ass crack of dawn to make sure she was prepared for whatever the hell she thought she needed to be prepared for. An involuntary shudder moves up his spine and he shakes it off, heading in the opposite direction of Regina to his own quarters.

Letting himself in, he flips on the living room light and tosses his keys and wallet on the table by the door. He takes a second, letting it soak in. Like Liam said, it’s exactly how he left it; from the tools he used to hang his new tv scattered on the hearth to the socks slung over the back of the armchair.

The room feels stuffy, the air stagnant from being shut up so long and he opens the window on his way to the bedroom with his hastily packed duffle bag in hand. Dropping it to the floor with a thud, he barely manages to set the alarm on his phone before flopping onto the comforter fully clothed; his last thought whether Olivia will be there when he wakes up as he drifts off to sleep.

[nightslain]

really  LONG  CHARACTER  SURVEY.

RULES.  repost ,   don’t  reblog  !   good  luck  !

Tagged by: @notte-la-lagna​ 💕💕💕

BASICS.

FULL  NAME: Leon Belmont

NICKNAME/S: Lion of France, Cherub, Kitten, Sunflower--

AGE: 22

BIRTHDAY: 22nd June

ETHNIC  GROUP: Celtic French 

NATIONALITY: French

LANGUAGE/S: French, Breton, Gaelic, Romanian

SEXUAL  ORIENTATION: Demisexual

ROMANTIC  ORIENTATION: Panromantic

RELATIONSHIP  STATUS: Verse dependent (usually taken)

CLASS: Upper class

HOME TOWN / AREA: Carnac, Brittany. 

CURRENT  HOME: Wallachia.

PROFESSION: Knight / Vampire Hunter

PHYSICAL.

HAIR: Jaw length, honey blonde and soft in texture; very thick and falls smooth nearer the crown of his head before it unravels into a halo of unruly curls around his cheeks and ears

EYES: Pale icy blue, almost silver in bright daylight.

NOSE:  Straight and petite, rather slim with a high bridge.

FACE:  Heart shaped and very soft; he lacks a lot of angular bone structure and has a very gentle, feminine appearance as a result.

LIPS:  Average; paler pink in tone, pronounced cupid’s bow.

COMPLEXION: Fair, but he tans to a more olive complexion in the summer. Gains a lot of freckles across his face and body when exposed to the sun.

BLEMISHES: A prominent dark cluster of freckles above his right ankle that are comparative to a birth mark.

SCARS: Many littering his torso, shoulders and back, most acquired from battle and from his training regime as a child.

TATTOOS:   A scar-like tattoo in the inside of his left wrist in the shape of the Gebo rune.

PIERCINGS: None

HEIGHT:   5′11′’

WEIGHT: 68 KG

BUILD:  Broad, muscular frame, toned and has a sculpted appearance out of dress.

FEATURES: Long, full eyelashes and a slender high-arching brow, very rounded and youthful face

ALLERGIES: None

USUAL  HAIR  STYLE:  Loose about his face, combed despite its wavy texture often making it appear windswept and a touch unkempt. Sometimes worn tied back and twisted up when he needs his hair out of his eyes and face when battling or working.

USUAL  FACE  LOOK:  Either quietly stern when in a position of commanding authority from his men, or traditionally adorned with a more tender and thoughtful expression. Most often seen with a fond smile.

USUAL  CLOTHING: His knightly garb consisting of his armour, chainmail and tunic when he is out on duty, or otherwise his more casual clothes for inside the home and attending get-togethers, consisting of flowing high-collared robes, sashes, cloaks and ornamental jewellery.

PSYCHOLOGY.

FEAR/S: Abandonment, loss, failure, the rejection of his family, the inability to protect his loved ones

ASPIRATION/S: To sire a family of his own to carry on his legacy of keeping the world safe from monsters is, naturally, his biggest goal. Being a good father has always been his goal from the very beginning of his knighthood, albeit.

POSITIVE  TRAITS: Patient, compassionate, thoughtful, generous, approachable, nurturing, strong-willed, resilient

NEGATIVE  TRAITS:  Stubborn, impulsive, hot-headed, emotional, gullible, overbearing

ZODIAC:  Cancer

TEMPERAMENT:   Phlegmatic

SOUL  TYPE / S:   Artisan

ANIMALS: Lion, saker, stag

VICE  HABIT/S: Among his worst habit is undertaking too many tasks or burdens that aren’t necessarily his to care about; he often stretches himself thin and sometimes creates more problems than he began with. He doesn’t have many vices when it comes to food, drink or other physically manifesting habits.

FAITH: Christian

GHOSTS?:Yes.

AFTERLIFE?:  Definitely.

REINCARNATION?:  Yes.

ALIENS?:   Possibly!

POLITICAL  ALIGNMENT:  Lawful Good 

ECONOMIC  PREFERENCE:  Though he was born into wealth and flourished in it for much of his life, he has no qualms about abandoning it all when push came to shove. He is equally happy living as a noble as he is a common man, but he was glad to have gathered sufficient wealth upon putting down roots in Wallachia to provide for his growing family.

SOCIOPOLITICAL  POSITION:  Hidden

EDUCATION  LEVEL: Trained from age six in all facets of knighthood which covers an incredibly broad number of subjects and skills. He was given a privileged education given the standards of the time.

FAMILY.

FATHER:  Raoul Alaine Belmont (Deceased), Demetre Cariveau (foster father, living)

MOTHER:  Emeline Belmont (Deceased), Rosamonde Cariveau (foster mother, living)

SIBLINGS:   None

EXTENDED  FAMILY:   None that he has met

NAME  MEANING/S:  Leon is a name that is Greek in origin, but also comes from the French word “Lyon” and translates, evidently, to Lion; however, the earliest recorded usage of the name “Leon” by a historical figure was that of Leon of Sparta in the 5th century. The name is also thought to have diverged from the Greek name Leonidas, which was also the name of a famous Spartan King, meaning “son of a Lion.”

HISTORICAL  CONNECTION?: Leon’s history is very muddied and uncertain due to the absence of any living relatives. He is not highly aware of his lineage outside of the fact his family have served as knights to feudal lords for several generations, and they have been rooted in French soil for as many of them as are recorded.

FAVOURITES.

BOOK:  Many.

MOVIE:  Can’t say he’s seen any, haha!

5 SONGS: Ailein Duinn - Meav, The Night We Met - Lord Huron, The Valley - The Oh Hellos, Light - Sleeping At Last, So Far - Olafur Arnalds

DEITY: Helios

MONTH:  August

SEASON:  Summer

PLACE:  Mountains, forests, cliffs, the shoreline and the sea, his lavender fields

WEATHER: He enjoys bright summer sunshine and warm afternoon storms

SOUND: The sound of the sea tumbling over the beaches

SCENT/S: Lavender, florals, spice, leather, rain

TASTE/S:  Enjoys sweet things the most

FEEL/S:   Hands through his hair, silk on his skin, brushing lips, whispers in his ear, warm sand under his feet

ANIMAL/S: Birds, deer, snakes, rabbits, dogs

NUMBER:  10

COLOUR:  Red, orange, white, yellow, gold, brown, blue

[a-damn-good-medic]

Really Long Character Survey

RULES.  repost ,   don’t  reblog  ! tag  10 ! good  luck  !

TAGGED.  Stolen from: @cromwellharvests​

BASICS.

FULL  NAME :   Charlotte Beatrice Samaritan NICKNAME :   Lottie, Trixie (older brother only), Samaritan, Samari AGE :  21 (1915 – She turns 22 after the Promised Day) BIRTHDAY :   17th August 1893 NATIONALITY :   Amestrian-Aerugian – though born and raised in Amestris LANGUAGE / S : Amestrian, conversational Aerugian SEXUAL  ORIENTATION :  Heterosexual ROMANTIC  ORIENTATION :  Panromantic RELATIONSHIP  STATUS :   Single HOME  TOWN / AREA :  Limoux (based off of this map), South Region, small town roughly 25-30 miles east-north-east of Fotset CURRENT  HOME :   lives in military barracks near to where she’s stationed, she’ll often say she’s “going home” when visiting her family PROFESSION :  a medic to her core

PHYSICAL.

HAIR: Black, 2a/2b wavy/curly hair, down to mid-back/the bottom of shoulder blades; pulled into a pony tail or bun for work reasons EYES :  Honey brown – her father’s FACE :  heart-shaped, light freckles across bridge of nose and cheek bones; somewhat baby-faced; fresh-faced LIPS :  slightly thinner than average, upwards tilt on either side COMPLEXION :  warm skin tone, freckles as mentioned above, skin tends to go through patches of dryness every few months BLEMISHES/SCARS :  medium sized one on her left temple acquired from injury during active duty, but it’s mostly covered by her hair; a few smaller ones on other parts of her body acquired in a similar manner including one in the middle of her left pinkie finger TATTOOS :  I have been toying with the idea of having a red cross (like the medical symbol) on the side of her left shoulder HEIGHT :   5′2″ WEIGHT :   112lbs. BUILD :   neat hourglass shape, toned arms and legs, well built FEATURES :   none particularly stand out ALLERGIES :   None USUAL  HAIR  STYLE :  Whilst at work, pulled back into a ponytail or a bun; outside of work tends to leave it down unless doing something where it needs to be/it’s better to keep it out of the way USUAL  FACE  LOOK :  looks either busy in thought or bored, there is no in-between; she’s also an occasional victim of resting b!tch face; however will brighten up when approached by someone USUAL  CLOTHING :   military uniform is worn regularly; she loves her boots and will often wear them with other pairs of trousers; relatively simple clothing, rarely goes shopping for clothes, if she’s wearing something new most likely her mother sent it to her; dislikes long-sleeved shirts and prefers no sleeves altogether, tends to stick to three or four outfits which she cycles through; favours trousers, saves skirts and dresses for special occasions or good weather

PSYCHOLOGY.

FEARS :   despite her profession death is a big one; emetophobia (fear of vomiting, especially in a public place/away from home); despite loving the appearance of lightning, thunder during storms triggers varying levels of anxiety ASPIRATIONS :   to help as many people as she can, to improve awareness and treatment of mental illness which are often overlooked (especially the effects military service has on individuals) even if it’s just on an individual basis, to settle down with someone and raise a family POSITIVE  TRAITS :   sweet, charming, protective, compassionate, level-headed, genuine, dedicated, perceptive, ballsy, cheeky, forward NEGATIVE  TRAITS :   overemotional; gets attached too easily; unforgiving or (depending on circumstance) holds a long-standing grudge; unsure of her position when in a new place so feels she has to justify herself and her abilities/work, leading to her being very short with some people; can be rash and impulsive when it comes to her patients, would rather throw herself into danger with them than leave them on their own MBTI :  ISFJ-A – the Defender ZODIAC :   Leo TEMPERAMENT :   phlegmatic SOUL  TYPES :    server, priest ANIMALS :   turtle, dog, snake VICE / HABITS :    losing track of time and taking very long showers; staying up too late; shakes her head side to side when she yawns, as if waking herself up; chewing on the end of a pen; repeatably pops on/off snap poppers on clothing, especially if they’re on the end of her sleeves FAITH :  agnostic though will often fall back on religion when she can’t do anything to help a situation (e.g. she’ll resort to praying if a situation is dire) GHOSTS ? :   nope  AFTERLIFE ? :   wants to believe in the afterlife but can’t quite bring herself to REINCARNATION ? :  wants to believe in reincarnation more than the afterlife but again, can’t quite bring herself to ALIENS ? :   probably, but accepts that that question won’t be answered in her lifetime  POLITICAL  ALIGNMENT :  wish-washy; goes through periods of being furious with the political climate (often when issues arise) whilst remaining up to date, and times of just ignoring it/not being too involved; however, stands (and somewhat fights) for equality across the board as well as protesting to protect the freedom of choice EDUCATION  LEVEL :   due to growing up in the middle of nowhere, she only attended a small school which obviously limited her education to the point where I argue that she probably left school at 14 (due to context of schooling in the early 1900s) like everyone else who lived in the area; received specific training when she enlisted to become a medic; spends time reading up on other medical techniques/treatments that she wasn’t taught at the academy; some basic knowledge on how the family business is run, but she never expected to inherit it and therefore didn’t spend much time considering it

FAMILY.

FATHER :    Lucian Samaritan MOTHER :    Silvia Violetta Fontana SIBLINGS :  she’s the second eldest of seven with six brothers, Andrew, Samuel, Seth, Kent, Isaac, and Wyatt EXTENDED  FAMILY :   Henrik and Eleanor (paternal grandparents) NAME  MEANING / S :    Charlotte – female version of Charles – meaning “man, army, warrior”; Samaritan – following Arakawa’s lead, she’s named after the FV104 Samaritan, which is an armoured ambulance.

FAVORITES.

BOOK :  fiction, often books from her childhood which are mainly coming-of-age stories; she does also have a soft spot for biographies or journals of people who have similarities to her (whether that be type of job, favourite hobbies, Southern region background/childhood, etc.); keen to read any medical journals that she can get her hands on 5  SONGS :  her favourites tend to be country or folk-songs, songs with a story or meaning; she also holds a soft spot for swing DEITY :   although she relies on religion in dire situations, she doesn’t believe in the afterlife because she doesn’t believe in a supreme being/creator HOLIDAY :   tries to get time off to go home to visit family on holidays, but will conspire with her older brother to make sure that they are either both home or both away; because of this, holidays get ‘postponed’ in the Samaritan household until the two can find time to get away; tends to be a busy household due to numbers, with Lottie being liable to drag a couple of friends with her if they have nowhere to go MONTH :   September SEASON :   Autumn PLACE :    the large barn at Willowbranch Acres, the family home; the narrow top floor was claimed by the kids soon after it was built, with it being full of cushions, blankets, rugs, as well as a couple of hobby items; it’s always there when you need time to think and space away from the likeable chaos WEATHER :    sunny, clear skies but with a mild cooling breeze, not too hot, not too cold; lightning on a dark, cloudy night, despite dislike of thunder that is too close SOUND :   humming from down the hall; light playing of a piano; muffled voices and music of a tavern/pub as you walk by; crunching of leaves and heavy footsteps as you run through the woods SCENTS :    warm bread, lilies, apple blossom, TASTES :    chocolate, orange juice, apple cider, well-done buttered toast FEELINGS :   long hot shower, the first gust of wind after a stifling train journey, a dog curled up beside you, forehead kisses and touches ANIMALS :    love dogs with a passion, wanted one desperately as a kid before she received Sven on her 16th birthday, has a soft spot for donkeys, cows, and horses as well due to their present back in her hometown NUMBER :  8 COLORS :   white, beige, black, all kinds of blue and fall colours (specifically the oranges)

EXTRA.

TALENTS :  deescalating or delaying conflicts; decent with a pistol; scarily good with a bow and arrow; telling when someone is lying or telling a half-truth; coincidentally getting away with only telling half-truths instead of outright lying whilst having the same effect BAD  AT :  keeping herself healthy (well-fed, good sleep schedule, enough liquids); going to bed at a decent time when she doesn’t have to get up at a particular time the next morning; taking out someone in order to ensure her safety; shutting up when someone is threatening her; remaining impartial; cooking or baking more than the three dishes she has down; keeping a straight face after saying something that she thinks is ~hilarious~ TURN  ONS :  really enthusiastic about a hobby; susceptible to gingers/redheads for some reason ¯\_(ツ)_/¯; also susceptible to short beards, van dykes and goatees; confidence; good sense of humour; ideally intelligent (not necessarily academically though, can be on a very niche topic) TURN  OFFS :   when they won’t take a hint that she’s not interested; people who insult the person they were just hitting on because they got rejected; shallow but if they’re shorter than her; honest to god, bad mustaches (the roystache I’m looking at you (≖ ‿ ≖ )  ); HOBBIES :    Soapbox/Baby cart races; swing dancing; violin; piano; running; sparring; singing; walking in the countryside; archery TROPES :   Girl Next Door, Loyalist, Farmer’s Daughter, The Reliable One, Big Brother Instinct, Good is Not Soft, The Heart, Technical Pacifist

[puckinghell]

Stars and Supernovae | September

Summary: As soon as you meet Tyler Seguin, you know you’re destined to be best friends. Sometimes you wonder if you’re destined to be more, but life keeps getting in the way. Perhaps it’s just not written in the stars? Note: This is part 8. Part 1 | part 2 | part 3 | part 4 | part 5 | part 6 | part 7 Note 2: This is it! The final part. Kinda happy I got it over with, I really wasn’t sure if I’d find the motivation to finish. Thank you so much to everyone who has sent me nice messages, or left a like or reblog. You’re all the reason this was even a thing!! 

With it being the pre-season, you hadn’t bothered to go to tonight’s game, but you hadn’t been able to resist the urge to put the game on the television at work. You had done it a few times this past month, and the first time your boss had told you off, but now he didn’t seem to mind anymore. You guessed he was becoming a hockey fan.

You’re welcome.

It was strange, watching Tyler on tv again. This summer, you’d managed to almost forget about hockey. You’d just been busy; you moved out in July, finding a new apartment with two roommates, finally leaving Sabrina behind. You’d also been picking up extra shifts at the coffee shop because although you were sharing a house with more people now, the rent was still a little steep, and extra money never hurt anyone. And then you’d been busy being miserable and feeling sorry for yourself. That, really, took up all your energy.

The game ended, Dallas winning 3-2 over Ottawa, and you shot Tyler a congratulations text, as well as texting Katie to tell her to give Jamie a hug from you. They were so cute together, so happy, it was annoying. You started cleaning tables - you had to do something - when the door opened.

“I’ll be right there!” you yelled behind you, and then a familiar voice spoke.

“No need to hurry.” You turned around, facing Max with a smile.

“Max, hi! It’s been a while!” You walked over and gave him a quick hug. “How are you doing?”

He sighed. “Pff, exams…”

“Don’t mention another word,” you puffed, moving over to the counter. “Large flat white?”

“Please.” He leaned over the counter. “How are you doing, Y/N?”

You’d told Max you could no longer date him the morning you got back from the cabin. To your surprise, he hadn’t argued it, didn’t even seem shocked, really.

“Is it about Tyler?” he’d asked, and because you weren’t able to lie to him, not anymore, you’d nodded.

“It’s always been about Tyler.”

You had fallen into an easy friendship with him, after that, and it was so much nicer to just be his friend. You’d even introduced him to your new roommate, hoping that Max would find someone who was actually worth his attention.

You shrugged. “I’m doing alright. Busy, working a lot.” You pushed his drink towards him.

“I was going to look over some math problems,” Max told you, motioning to his book. “Wanna join me?” He’d clearly remembered that you were never very good at math, and you smiled.

“Sure, that’d be great.”

You talked about math for the next half hour, but then, Max suddenly sat up straighter.

“Okay, so, tell me, how are things with Tyler?”

Now that was a more difficult question to answer than Max might’ve thought it was.

“Things are… normal?” You sighed. “But not really. I don’t know, he never really brought up the kiss again. He was at the cabin all summer, you know. We kinda just texted every now and then but it wasn’t the same as before. And then he got back for training camp in August and he asked if I wanted to come over one night and I was expecting us to have this huge conversation about it, but.. nothing really happened. Everything was just like it was before this summer.”

Max raised an eyebrow. “But you don’t want it to be. So why don’t you just bring it up?”

You stared at your hands, curling your fingers around the math book. “Because what if he realized that night was a mistake, and he doesn’t want that anymore, and he spent all summer regretting it, and me bringing it up will just make it a whole big deal and then he realizes we can’t be friends any more because I’m in love with him?”

“That could happen,” Max said slowly, “or, and I think that’s a lot more likely, he thinks you don’t want him to bring it up, because you, you know, literally ran away from him, and he’s waiting on you to make a move?”

“Hey!” You lightly hit his arm. “I ran away because I was technically dating you, and that would’ve been cheating!”

Max laughed. “Okay, fair, but have you told him that? Or is it possible that he thinks you just ran away from him?”

You groaned, dropping your head in your hands. “This is all so much more complicated than I thought it was going to be. I thought we were just going to be best friends forever and I would get over my crush and that would be that.”

“You’re never going to get over your crush,” Max scoffed. “And neither is he. But the ball is in your court, Y/N. You have to let him know why you ran.”

You were just about to say something else when the door opened, and you turned around to tell the customer you were coming, when you were met with a familiar face.

“Tyler?”

He stood in the door, his arms limply by his side, wearing a suit, as he always did to and from games, his hair still wet from the shower, and his eyes oddly emotionless.

“I thought you might want some company,” he said, his voice low, “but I see you already have some. I’ll text you tomorrow.” He was about to turn around when you jumped up.

“Ty, wait…”

And that’s when he exploded. 

“You know what? No. This is bullshit. You can’t seriously still be dating that guy when you know he’s not right for you. You’re not even in love with him!” He turned to Max. “Sorry, dude. Don’t mean to involve you in this, you’re just kinda… here.” 

Back to you. 

“You can’t tell me that you’re seriously considering staying with him when you know that I… that we…” the words died on his lips and he shook his head. “I actually came to bring this by. Saw this and thought of you.” He threw something on the table next to the door. 

“I thought I might be your supernova too, but I guess I was wrong,” he said bitterly, and before you were able to get a word out, before you were able to tell him how incredibly wrong he was, he was gone.

“Well,” said Max, frowning, “that was a lot.”

For a second, you contemplated running after him, but you were still on the clock and you couldn’t just leave like that, so instead, you picked up the little package Tyler had thrown on the tablet. It was a blue velvet box, and when you opened it, tears jumped to your eyes.

“What is it?” Max asked curiously, and you showed it to him. It was a silver necklace, the pendant a round plate of silver with the outline of a star engraved in it.

It was perfect. Of course it was perfect; it was from Tyler, and Tyler knew you so well, so much better than you even knew yourself. He knew how much you loved the stars, but he didn’t know how much you loved a particular Star; number #91. And he had to know.

The next two hours of your shift went awfully slowly, so slowly that you felt sick to your stomach. Max stayed with you, talking you through most of your mental breakdowns, and then finally, you were off the clock.

“Good luck,” Max smiled, but you’d already taken off running.

It was strange. Normally, when you got to Tyler’s house, you would just let yourself in, but now you were hesitating. Maybe you should knock, give him a chance to tell you to fuck off. You probably deserved it, at this point. At least, from his point of view. He thought you were still with Max. You didn’t even know why you didn’t tell him you’d broken it off; maybe because then he would’ve asked questions, questions you were too scared to answer.

Before you had to make a choice, the door opened, and there he was, wearing sweats and a hoodie this time, a frown on his face.

“Were you going to come in or what?” he asked slowly. “The dogs are going crazy.”

Of course, of course the dogs had let him know you were here. Traitors. 

Tyler stepped aside and you walked into the hall, petting all the dogs before turning to the guy in front of you. He just stood there, uncertain, and you knew Max had been right. The ball was in your court.

“You said you hoped you were my supernova,” you started, your voice soft. “But supernovae happen when stars die, Ty. The glow we see is the explosion surrounding its death.”

“Oh,” Tyler mumbled. “Well, we never got that far into our conversation about supernovae. I just thought it was a really bright star.”

You couldn’t help but giggle, but then you saw the look on his face and your eyes softened. “Tyler, I broke up with Max the second I got home from the cabin. It was never going to work out with him. Not when I’ve been in love with someone else since he interrupted me while I pronounced my love to his dog.”

Tyler’s eyebrows shot up, and you took a step closer. “But you ran,” he said softly. “You ran away and then you acted like it never happened, and I thought I misread it all… I thought I fucked it up.”

You shook your head. “I was scared, Ty. I don’t want to lose my best friend.”

“Me neither.” Tyler took your hand, lacing his fingers through yours. “I’m not going anywhere, Shiny.”

You smiled. “I know. And I think, maybe, you can be both my best friend and my…” Getting the word out was hard, your heart beating in your chest, and Tyler knew. Because of course he did.

“Boyfriend?” he finished for you. “Because I think I can be both too. I’m pretty good at multitasking, you know.”

You snorted. “You suck at multitasking.”

“Fine,” he admitted, and then his free hand moved to the necklace around your neck, fingers grazing the pendant. “But I buy pretty good gifts, so I’ve got that going for me.”

“Hmm,” you hummed in agreement. “And you’re pretty cute, too, so that’s two things.”

“Apparently everyone has known that I would end up with you for years,” Tyler said, then, his fingers trailing from your necklace up your neck to your jaw, then brushing past your lips. “Except me.”

“And me.” You smiled up at him. “Are you going to kiss me, or will that take you another 2 years?”

“Very funny, Shiny,” he whispered, and then his lips were against yours and stars were exploding around you, and suddenly, everything was exactly the way it was supposed to be; exactly the way the universe had planned it.