#sorry this took so damn long LMAO

[pantpisser9000]

Combined together, Chapter 7: One mark, then another.

“C’mon, Tweak!” Kwazii begged, “Just for a test drive, matey!” Tweak, hands on her hips, reluctantly shook her head. “Last time y’ took ‘er out on a test drive I had to spend a whole day repairin’ er.” 

“I be careful this time, I swear, matey!”

“Mhm. And that’s what y’ said last time, Kwazii.” 

“Twwwwwwwwwwweakkkkkkkkkkkkkk please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please ple-” 

Tweak threw her hands in the air, “Fine, fine.” she relented, but as she walked over to the lever –Kwazii already jumping in the GUP by this point–she whipped out her pointer finger. “Don’t wreck her completely, please. Thanks.” she says, and Kwazii holds up a thumbs-up, and Tweak pulls the lever.

The GUP B, with Kwazii inside it, obviously, rocketed out of the Octopod. Tweak let out a heavy sigh, leaning against the panel. “He’s gonna crash.” she muttered. 

Kwazii, hands on the wheel, sped around the bright ocean, sunlight filtering through the salty water he was currently stirring up with his fast, bright orange, shark-like GUP. His GUP. He grinned at the thought–it was nice to have something that was his, and that he knew could be repaired (even if it was to Tweak’s dismay). Making loop-de-loops and doing flips and narrowly avoiding rocks, Kwazii was having a grand ol’ time steering the GUP B through every twist and turn, doing any and every trick he could think of. He was having so much fun he didn’t realize how far away from the Octopod he’d gotten. Coming up on what looked like a small island, Kwazii decided a narrow turn would be a good challenge, a sudden jolt to the left. And that was what he did as he sped towards the island, making a sudden turn to the left. His eyes widened when he saw was right in his path now–a whale. He couldn’t just ram into it, so in the spur of the moment, he made a sudden turn again. Just upwards this time, launching him out of the water backwards, and Kwazii’s head thunked against the glass of the GUP B’s top window.

“Yeow..” he muttered, twisting himself so that he was now upright, sitting on the glass. He was surrounded by wet sand. He grit his teeth. Pressing the button on his helmet’s collar, he spoke. “Kwazii to Octonauts, Kwazii t’ Octonauts,” he said, though he was only met with static. He was too far away. Leaning back, he looked up at the GUP B’s controls. Pressing the radio button, he spoke again. “Kwazii t’ Octonauts, Kwazii t’ Octonauts?” he asked. Just more static. He groaned, leaning back against the cool glass. He honestly had no idea on how to get out of this predicament he was now in. He knew he had to make some sort of plan, though. Even if that was usually up to the Captain, not him. Kwazii just did the dangerous stunts and did things that needed to be done quickly. Still, he thought. He wasn’t sure how long it’d take for the Octonauts to find him, and… he was a little thirsty. His first thought was to try to open up the bottom, but he figured that might not be the best idea. Because, first of all, Tweak’d be pissed, and second of all, he didn’t know if he could, anyways. Especially without the help of Barnacle’s strength. Until, he remembered–the window could open. Maybe not the best idea, but… he was already getting restless, and he doubted he was lodged too deep. Taking a deep breath, he pressed the button on his helmet and the bubble like glass formed over his head. And then, he pressed the button for the windshield, and the sand only moved a little. He honestly had expected it to pour in–but he supposed since it was wet, it stayed in place (besides the slow inching that it was doing) better for some reason. He didn’t question for long, though. He wasn’t the type to do so, honestly. So, he dived into the sand, and he was never more thankful for his helmet. Swimming (?) upwards (hopefully) through the sand, it was hard to do so given how thick it was, but he managed to burst out. He glanced behind him. The GUP B, flipped over onto its front, was lodged in the sand behind him. That was good, it wasn’t buried or anything. And, it somehow didn’t seem too damaged, which he was glad about. He didn’t want Tweak to ban him from driving his favorite GUP, after all. 

Still, he was stranded on an island. Trying his radio again, he was met with static. He supposed that it wasn’t just the sand stopping the signal–it was the distance, too. His first thought was to try to get the GUP B out of the sand and try there, but especially given how it might not work, he decided against it for now. It was getting late, the sun was beginning to set. What did he need to survive again? Oh, right. 

Food, shelter, water, and fire. He knew there was some emergency supplies in the GUP B–some water, a glow stick… Matches too, probably. No food, to his knowledge, though. He groaned. He knew he should’ve brought some fish biscuits! But, he needed to figure out how to get the GUP B out of its place, lodged in the wet sand of this (seemingly deserted) island. He’d need a shovel or something, obviously. He looked around–the leaves on the trees were kinda.. Cup-shaped.. Though it wouldn’t be able to scoop sand, especially not wet sand. There were some coconuts. He could try throwing one against a rock and see if it cracks open. Yeah, that sounded like a good idea that totally wouldn’t go badly. He flicked his claws out, shimmying off his octo-boots so those claws could be released too. Walking over to one of the many palm trees, he grinned, and sunk his fingernail-claws into the trunk. And then he sunk the next one in, but higher. And he propelled himself upward with the grip from one of his feet, grabbing onto a higher spot on the tree. He continued with this little cycle until he was near to the top, leaves just barely not clouding his vision. Steadying himself, breathing in, and then he jumped, grabbing onto one of the coconuts–it only took a moment for it to rip off from its growing place and plummet to the ground along with Kwazii himself. He groaned, laying in the warm sand. He grasped his head, moaning, and he got up shakily. The coconut hadn’t broken from the fall, unfortunately. Of course, Kwazii didn’t give up. 

He yoinked the ball off the ground and sauntered over to a particularly sharp rock, and then he raised his hand, coconut in his grip, above his head. “Arr!” he yelled as he chucked it against the thing. It was at that moment that he learned the fault in his plan as the coconut hit him smack-dab in the face, causing him to stumble backwards and fall back into the grainy sand. He mewled. “Yow..” rubbing his temples and sitting up, he looked at the coconut–or rather, the two halves of the coconut. “Well I’ll be a sea monkey’s uncle..” he muttered, looking at the split coconut. He grasped one half, and looked around. “Now me just need a stick…” he muttered to himself, standing up.

He put back on his Octo-boots off the ground, and taking a glance around, it wasn’t hard for him to find a washed up piece of driftwood, and he grabbed it, attached it with some kelp and other suspicious methods, and he had his own (albeit crappy) little shovel. And now it was time to start digging.

He scooped up heaps of sand, forming a rather large pile, until he could successfully unlodge his beloved GUP, and flip it back over into its rightful position–upwards. Reaching inside, pressing on one of the panels, he grabbed the emergency supplies. Sitting down on the sand criss-crossed, he opened it, and it had what he expected. Clean water, glowsticks, matches, and a seaweed snack bar. He was kinda hungry, so he ripped open the seaweed snack’s biodegradable packaging and chomped. He figured the Octonauts would find him soon, right? Either way, after finishing his snack, he looked back at the sky. The sun was getting closer to going to sleep–and Kwazii didn’t have shelter. Besides the GUP B itself. He could just hide out in the GUP, but he didn’t really want to risk sinking back into the sand. Taking a quick glance around, he decided to head into the brush, GUP B in tow. Stringing together some kelp or seaweed or something, which he tied around his most beloved GUP, he tugged it along with him through the palm forest. He wasn’t really sure if it could be considered a forest, actually? He shrugged to himself, towing it along, before he noticed something. He grinned, canine teeth as prominent as ever. He lucked out this time–a cave. He let go of his seaweed leash and rushed in, taking a glance. It looked empty, at least from his first observation. Going back for the GUP, he dragged it into the cave, (and grimaced at the noise of metal against the rock–Tweak would be really annoyed when he got back from the scratchings) and he sat down, tired out. Just in time, too. The sun had set, and he was tired. One night couldn’t hurt. 

***

He groaned when he got up–his back hurt from sleeping on the hard, pebble-littered ground of the cave he was residing in. Yawning as he got up, doing some stretches, (not unlike the ones that like. Actual cats do) and eventually standing up, just a little light shone through the cave. Kwazii sighed. The Octonauts hadn’t found him yet? That was… odd. He figured they’d come faster, but maybe they were choked  up with an unfortunate circumstance. A thought or two of worry pierced through, thinking things like what if they don’t want to find me? But he shook those away. He was pretty useful, most of the time. Though, he knew not to trust that they would come at the same time–he knew he couldn’t trust them because of things like this.

Shaking those thoughts of doubt away, he decided to focus on surviving. He’d already eaten his only food, and he was hungry for some breakfast. He debated having some coconut juice, but given his lack of luck when getting the first fruit and the fact it wouldn’t be all that filling, he decided against it. He couldn’t eat fish, obviously. Partially because he didn’t have a fishing rod and mostly because it would be incredibly immoral (and a bit ironic considering his job). No coconuts, no fish… seaweed was on the table, wasn’t it? He knew there was a lot of it. He’d eaten seaweed salad before when he was traveling with the Blackclaw pirates, and it wasn’t the best (in his (that he considered completely correct) opinion), though it would satiate his hunger. 

Thinking about it, he was fairly certain he could just munch on it straight off the beach, actually. If seaweed salad was just seaweed cut up and put into a bowl basically, couldn’t he just…chomp? No harm in trying… he thought to himself. Giving his GUP a loving pat, he walked out of the cave, and back onto the beach. 

There was quite a bit of seaweed, unsurprisingly, lying washed up on the beach. He walked over, picking up one of the slippery greens, and dropped it into his gaping mouth. He immediately spit it out as soon as he crunched. “Eugh,” he muttered, dusting off his tongue, “Damned sand…” he looked at the piece of seaweed he just spit out. He wasn’t going to go baby-bird style and just try again with that piece, and instead walked to another part of the beach. He squatted down, picking up a piece of seaweed. Sand was stuck to it. He tried dusting it off, but that didn’t really work. Looking at the briny sea, he figured that he could just… wash it… in there. 

Wading into the water, slimy seaweed in hand, he got up to about his knees when he bended down, washing off the seaweed. Lifting the now sopping seaweed out of the water, he held it stretched out with his hands, not unlike how you would hold a piece of cloth you’re squeezing the water out of (He wasn’t doing that, though his hands were in a similar position ). And he bit, right in the middle, and he chewed. It didn’t taste all that great, and he dropped the remainder of the seaweed that was still in his grasp back into its watery home. Trying his best to chew, he squeezed his eyes shut. 

Ew ew ew ew ew ew-

He eventually swallowed it down. It was gross, grosser than the salad that one time. It didn’t fill him up completely, though he’d lost his appetite at that point. That was one problem solved, at least. Walking out of the salty sea, he heard the smashing of sand under his blue octo-boots. He figured that since seaweed wasn’t exactly the tastiest, (nor the most filling) he could try looking for different food? Or water, actually. He had fresh water with him, though he knew it wasn’t a lot. Just two bottles. And, if he wasn’t able to find any other food, that’d make it worse–the salt ingrained within the seaweed just made him thirstier. 

Wandering back into the brush, he glanced around. And suddenly, he heard something new. His cat ears twitched, listening in. He cupped his ear with his hand, and he grinned. “Rushing water!” he exclaimed. Trying to keep in his excitement, he shut his mouth and listened in. It took a little of wandering, but he eventually pinpointed where the sound was coming from, and after a little of careful listening, he got closer and closer until–

A beautiful lake–or pond? Honestly, Kwazii didn’t know all of those terms. Whatever it was, there was a waterfall gushing water into it. Kwazii leaned down, looking at the crystal-clear water. He bended down, lying himself across the muddy ground. He didn’t care much about getting the wet dirt lathered on his shirt, he just wasn’t the type. Sticking his tongue out, he lapped the water. Not bad. He thought to himself, standing up and attempting to dust off his muddy shirt, to no avail.

He wiped off his mouth, and glanced around. He didn’t notice any food. Until, some small little berries caught his eye–he didn’t know what type, but they looked familiar, for some reason. A normal person would be nervous about them being poisonous, but Kwazii? He was daring enough to take that damn risk, and honestly none of his fellow crew members would. Peso would likely not even try, or even just end up recognizing them, and eat/not eat them accordingly. The Captain might try it if it looked okay, but only if desperate enough, and would only let the other members try when he was sure it was safe. Tweak might try, actually. Though, only if she truly, really, had to–plus, she usually had at least four or five extra carrots on her. It was less likely to come to fruition for her. Shellington wouldn’t even try or, like Peso, might recognize it and eat/not eat accordingly. The Professor would probably pull a book out or just remember and know whatever type of berry it was, and would act accordingly. 

The point was, Kwazii was the only one out of the octonauts who was actually daring enough to dive right damn into it, and go ahead and eat those berries without a second thought. And that was exactly what he would do–as soon as he got across this pond. Stepping back, getting into a running pose, and gritting his teeth, Kwazii ran. And he flew across the pond, (his cat-bits certainly helped) and his momentum ended just at the ridge, and his chin hit right there. His body was plunged into the water, and he squirmed in the liquid, splashing about and gripping onto the muddy banks desperately. His fingernails, that now were claws, gripping on the bank. He managed to shimmy himself up on the banks, scooching across the ground. He was, surely, coated in mud by now. He pushed himself up, standing up. He looked over at the berries. Walking over, he plucked one off the bush. Popping it into his mouth, he chewed. Kinda sour, though bearable. Plus, it was certainly better than seaweed.

So, he popped a few in, chewing up berry after berry as he sat on the ground. He looked down at himself, covered in mud, and he just shrugged to himself. If the Octonauts came, he’d get new clothes. And if not, this wouldn’t be the only time he had lived in dirty clothes. He was… full enough, now. So, he picked off another bit of berries, took off his hat, put the berries in, and held it in a way that his hand was covering it. Walking further back this time, he made a mad dash and jumped across, this time just barely making it over, but still tripping and face-planting into the mud. Fortunately, the berries were safe, though. 

Standing up from the mud again, he took a deep breath, and walked back to the cave, sauntering on. He snacked on a couple of the berries while he walked, and when he got back, he was tired. He placed his cap down in the compartment of the GUP B. Then, he looked at the side. Since the rest of the Octonauts weren’t probably coming, he figured he should at least track time. And since it was basically the end of the day… he flicked out the claw on his pointer finger, and pressed it against the metal side of the shark-like mini-submarine. And he scratched, his ears pressed down to the side of his head. It wasn’t an enjoyable noise, though. Claw against metal. One tally mark. 

Hopping into the GUP, he curled up inside. He was tired, after all. Just a sleepy guy. And so, he and his sopping wet, muddy clothes, sat inside of the orange GUP and Kwazii promptly fell asleep. 

***

The Captain was worried. Kwazii left around 12ish hours ago. His helmet’s tracking seemed to be out of range, and the GUP B’S either broken or somehow also out of range. Tweak hadn’t really been paying attention to where Kwazii was going, and the routes didn’t save, (A feature Tweak promised to implement later) so they had practically no way of knowing where he went. And knowing how unpredictable the ginger was, it would be hard to guess. Barnacles knew he had a history of running away, but the last time he’d done that, it’d been with his previous pirate crew. Who were bad people. He knew for a fact that the Octonauts, Kwazii included, were not bad people. They’d all joined for one reason or another, but all they’d done so far was some exploring, rescuing, and protecting. Plus, Kwazii enjoyed it. Barnacles had pretended not to notice when he grinned at the food and how quickly he scarfed it down because he was used to having to fight for his food and get it as speedily as possible because otherwise he might not get much food at all, and now he didn’t have to worry about that. The vegimals always cooked an overabundance, anyways (which was useful as everyone always had a fish biscuit or two on hand, or at least in the GUPS). Barnacles noticed how happy Kwazii was when he learned he had his own room and not just sleeping on a likely falling apart hammock. He noticed that Kwazii was so reckless with the GUP B because he knew it’d just get fixed up again, (despite Tweak’s annoyance to the fact) and that he seemed protective over it already. The Captain was observant;it was part of his job, so he’d noticed all these things. 

He noticed things about all of his crew. Peso, for example; really cared about his family and just others in general, was very passionate about his job, was nervous all the time but was easily encouraged by Barnacles (or just anyone, though he noticed he tended to be the most motivated when it came to him. Maybe it was the Captain status, maybe it was something else,) and he got spooked easily. He hid behind Barnacles (or Kwazii on occasion) when he got scared. 

Barnacles had a slight suspicion that Peso might have some father-related issues, though that was just a guess. Either way, the point was, Barnacles was observant. And he knew Kwazii well enough by this point to know that he wouldn’t just leave, especially not in the way he did. Making it known to Tweak that he was leaving? Odd. The fact that most of Kwazii’s belongings (besides his spyglass and the clothes he’d been wearing) were still in his room, even his rum and catnip? (Barnacles knew he would’ve brought those if he was trying to ‘escape’ for whatever reason, he’d mentioned that he had brought those when running away from his old crew). Plus, even if Kwazii was stupid, he was smart enough to bring more food and water than what was just in the emergency supplies. 

So, because of all of this, Barnacles knew Kwazii wasn’t intentionally leaving them behind. He was probably stranded somewhere, if anything. He just hoped he was alright. 

That morning, right when he woke up earlier than usual, (before becoming a Octonaut he had survived off five or six hours of sleep, and now he got around eight to twelve, but today he was going back to his old schedule) he got changed, walked into the kitchen, quickly ate some fish biscuits, (as well as tucking some into his pocket) and walked down into the launch bay. He’d asked Tweak to prepare the GUP A for him, so he didn’t have to wake her up early. When he glanced over into her room, he chuckled. She was passed out on the floor, game controller in her hand while text saying “WASTED” was on her screen. He peeked back over at the GUP A, and suddenly, he saw Peso, launching out of one of the tubes. “H-hey, Captain!” he said, and Barnacles was mildly confused, before remembering he’d announced this yesterday. They’d been looking for a little while, and when he couldn't find Kwazii after a hot minute, Peso had practically demanded he get some sleep (“Captain, I’m a medic, I know what’s best f-for you. You have to get some slee-” “Peso, I appreciate it, but-” “No, Captain,” and Peso had tugged on his sleeve, and Barnacles reluctantly turned the GUP around. Sure, he could easily overpower Peso, but he was right. He needed sleep). He’d told everyone he’d be getting up early to search, and he didn’t expect anyone else to, though they were welcome to join. Seemed like Peso was the only one to take up his offer. 

“If- No, when, we find Kwazii, he might be hurt.” Peso explained, though it wasn’t necessary. Barnacles knew that was certainly part of the reason, though he also knew it was because he genuinely cared about Kwazii and wanted to help with the search as well. So, Barnacles let Peso into the GUP, and pulled the lever. Peso (very reluctantly and surprisingly steadily, though the Captain knew he shouldn’t be surprised. Peso had literally done surgery–of course he was steady) drove the GUP A through, and then Barnacles turned on his helmet, swam down through the launch bay, pressed the big red ‘close/open’ button right inside of the mouth, and quickly swam out before it closed. He climbed into the GUP A, taking over driving. It was still early, so it was a little dark. Barnacles noticed how scared Peso was–it didn’t surprise him that he didn’t like the dark. Made sense with the information he’d gathered about the penguin-hybrid. Either way, the Captain decided to go in the complete opposite direction that he had gone the day before–sure, it was possible he hadn’t noticed the GUP lodged somewhere, but he didn’t see a bright orange shark-like metal submarine anywhere, so he figured that covering more ground would be better. He was driving relatively fast, surveying the area. Peso was looking out one of the back windows, looking. Barnacles just hoped that Kwazii was on land, or a air pocket, or something.. And that he hadn’t already.. 

He shook his head. Something told him Kwazii was too daring and motivated to just… give up. It wasn’t in his nature. While he didn’t believe in the supernatural, he still felt as if.. Well, he didn’t think Kwazii was a ghost. He chuckled. Kwazii’d somehow break that and become a ghost despite the odds, just to spook people. Be a little prankster. And Barnacles hadn’t come across any random pranks. So, therefore, Kwazii couldn’t be dead. He cruised through the salty seas, until he saw a glimpse of orange. Stopping the GUP A in its tracks, he let the helmet incase his helmet, putting on a air tank. Peso looked at him in confusion. “I believe I saw something orange,” he explained, and Peso nodded. “I-I’ll come with. Incase he’s hurt.” Peso said, and the Captain let him tow behind him as he splashed into the water. He waited a moment for Peso to dip into the water, and once Peso had made the plunge, they swam downwards. 

The bottom of this part of the sea was rocky, some urchins. The Captain lifted up some bigger rocks, and Peso just scanned the area. Barnacles figured that maybe Kwazii was in radio distance, now. Pressing the button on his collar, “Captain Barnacles to Lieutenant Kwazii, Barnacles to Kwazii, are you in the area?” he asked. He was met with static. He took his hand off the button and shook his head. “Let’s go back into the GUP, Peso,” he said, and Peso nodded. They swam up, clamored into the GUP A, and began to drive along again. Peso, looking out the side windows, Barnacles looking out the front one, scanning the entire area. Neither of them saw anything in the murky water. Eventually, they stopped for a quick lunch break. Barnacles sat on the ground beside Peso. He was criss-crossed, Peso sitting on his own knees. Barnacles pulled out the bag of fish biscuits, and laid them out. He heard the static of the radio picking up, then. Glancing back, he ran over. “This is Captain Barnacles,” he said through the GUP A’s microphone. “Heya Cap, this is Tweak. Just lettin’ ya know that Shellington and Dashi are going out too–they’ll be goin’ in a separate direction t’ cover more ground, though.” she said. “How is it goin’ for y’all?” Tweak asked. 

“Unfortunately, not all that well. I thought we had found him, but we didn’t. Must’ve been a fish, I suppose.” the Captain said. “That ain’t good. I hope y’all find him,” Tweak said, and Barnacles could hear her crunch on a carrot. “Good luck. Over ‘n out, Cap,” she continued. Barnacles sighed. “Over and out.” and the transmission ended. Barnacles then came to a realization. He pressed the radio button. “This is Captain Barnacles to Octopod, specifically Dashi,” he said, and he heard Tweak’s voice. “Huh? Oh, uh- They haven’t gone in the GUP E yet, Cap’n.” she said. “Excellent. Can you get Dashi for me?” he asked, and was silent for a moment, and then agreed. “S…sure, Captain.” she said, and he could hear her shouting. 

“This is Dashi, Captain. What do you need?” she asked. “Tweak, do we know how much time Kwazii was… driving around?” he asked. “Um, no. But, I know the GUP B would’ve ran out of battery in at least three hours after the fact. Why?” she asked. “How fast can the GUP B go?” he asked. “Pretty fast. I’m sure I have it written down somewhere, why, Cap?” she asked again. “Dashi, do you think –after Tweak gets how fast it can go–get a radius of where he could possibly be?” he asked. “Oh- of course, Captain. I don’t know how I didn’t think about that. I’ll get right on it,” she said. Barnacles nodded. “Excellent. Thank you, Dashi and Tweak,” and he finished, “Over and out.” 

“Over ‘n out, Cap!” and the transmission ended once more. Barnacles walked back over to Peso, picking up a fish biscuit and tossing it into his mouth. “I hope he isn’t hurt,” Peso muttered, nibbling at a biscuit. “I’m sure he’s just alright, Peso. Kwazii’s… He’s good at worming his way out of bad situations.” Barnacles said, and Peso nodded. “Still. If h-he, uh, crashed, he could have a broken bone or a concussion or-” he was stopped by Barnacles. “It’s okay, Peso. I’m sure he’s fine,” Barnacles said, and Peso meekly nodded. “And, even if he isn’t, you’re a fantastic medic. The best of the best, I’m sure,” and Peso tried to interrupt but the Captain simply did not let him. “So, if he is hurt, you’ll be able to patch him up in a jiffy.” he said. Peso nodded, with a little more confidence this time, and finished his fish biscuit. 

Barnacles gobbled down a couple more before returning to steering the ship, letting Peso clean up the remainder. Dashi sent them the radius, and they were getting to the edge of it, and Barnacles started going along the rim. Unfortunately, when it was getting late enough for the lights of the GUP A to be required, they still hadn’t found Kwazii. Barnacles looked at the barely-awake Peso in the back of the GUP, and took a glance at the battery. It wasn’t low by any means, but they would need to start heading back. 

As they were driving back, Peso fell asleep, leaning against the wall. Barnacles was obviously disappointed that they hadn’t found Kwazii yet, but he knew they would. They had to. As he cruised into the mouth of the Octopod, Tweak greeted them. “No luck?” she asked. Barnacles nodded. “Not a sign of him.” Tweak frowned, “I hope he’s alright,” she said. The Captain agreed. He scooped Peso up in his arms, and Tweak giggled. It was a little funny, with the size difference and all. This huge, towering man, carrying a ridiculously small adult man. Barnacles carried him to Peso’s bedroom, and laid him in his bed, tucking him in and switching out his usual hat for his nightcap. It was just to be polite, really. 

He clicked off the lights as he left, mumbling, “Goodnight, Peso,” and he heard a little muttering back that he presumed was just sleep talking. He sighed as he exited–he was really hoping they’d find Kwazii. Deciding to go straight to bed as well, he did his nightly routine, (ate a couple fish biscuits in place of dinner, though) which was a schedule he liked sticking to when there wasn’t something going on:

1: Eat dinner (Fish biscuits, today)

2: Do a small workout

3: Take a ridiculously quick, freezing cold shower

4: Brush teeth

5: Change

6: Sleep

So, his fish biscuits were finished. He didn’t go all out, instead just opting for some sit ups, some push ups, and some pull ups. He did about 30 of each before deciding to take his nightly shower, finishing up in record time: four minutes and twenty-three seconds. After he finished, he speedily brushed his teeth, set his alarm for earlier then the usual one once more, and changed into his pajamas, putting on his nightcap, and tucked himself into bed after flicking off the lights. 

Kwazii woke up again. He remembered where he was–curled up in the GUP B, stranded on an island. It was the second day–the others still hadn’t found him yet. He straightened his back, cracking it with his hands running down it. He pulled out his cap from the area in the GUP–the berries were still inside. He popped a few into his mouth in place of breakfast. He was still kinda hungry, but he decided instead of eating the rest of the berries he’d search for more food. That way, even if he came back empty-handed, he’d still have some food. 

Securing his hat and his only food inside, he got up. He looked down at himself. His shirt was still lathered in mud, and his pants weren’t the cleanest either. He pulled some of his hair closer to him–it wasn’t the cleanest either. It was quite dirty, actually. Not surprising, though he wasn’t looking forward to taking a shower, especially not being so thorough. He took showers almost every day, though he forgot a lot. And they were usually as short as possible while still making him cleaner–instead, he opted to use hefty amounts of deodorant most of the time instead of showering more thoroughly. Wandering around the island, he didn’t see much. Rocks. Palm trees with coconuts he couldn’t crack without his skull cracking along with them. Shells. Bushes. Grass. Nothing interesting, (at least by Kwazii’s standards) and certainly not anything he could reasonably consume. He figured to go back to that water–try to clean off a little bit, try to scrounge around for more food.

So, he trudged over to that area, (a branch smacked him in the face while he was walking more than once, but that was irrelevant) and he walked over to the bank of the pond or lake or whatever. Leaning down, his hands gripping onto it, he leaned down. And he supposed that wasn’t the best idea as his arms weren’t as spread out that time, and he ended up plunging into the clear, cool depths of the water. Coughing as he emerged from the liquid, he looked around. A little fish-girl (mermaid, basically) popped out from the water’s surface, though quickly dived back down. I wonder if there be food in the water, Kwazii thought to himself. He didn’t have his air tank with him, so he decided to revisit that later if he had to. Instead opting to climb out of the water, and searching for food on land. He shimmeyed his way onto the bank, breathing heavily. He walked over to the berry bush. He only could find one or two–the rest had been taken by himself or by presumably other creatures. 

After a little more scrounging, he found some nuts. Not the best food, but he supposed it’d do for lunch. He figured he was in an area that was warm all year-round, so he wouldn’t have to worry about winter, (he, at this point, had figured the Octonauts had abandoned him–he lied to himself about not being sad about this fact, and how he expected it) at least hopefully. He was pretty sure he was in what the pirates called the ‘warm zone’, (apparently it was called the.. Egg-waiter or something? He didn’t care) and he figured food would be growing year-round. He ate the nuts, and it wasn’t very filling, though he figured it was good for now. It would be fine to satisfy him for the moment. 

He also was itching to leave, though. This was part of preparations to do so–get as much food as he could, then figure out how to charge the GUP B, bring some other stuff, and leave. Surely, it was a good idea. He’d be able to live out his pirate dreams once more! (He ignored the thoughts at the back of his head thinking about how much he’d miss his crew and how he still loved being an Octonaut and-)  and he continued to gather things. He wasn’t going to leave all that soon, (and totally not because he was waiting, still, because he was hoping so badly that the others would come back for him-) likely in a week or so. Or at least he’d start building a raft of some sorts in a week. He was really just wandering this island, and he only managed to find some more nuts which he just ate immediately. The place was barren of actual… food. He might have to go back to seaweed, and he almost barfed at the thought. 

…though he supposed if he cooked it, it likely wouldn’t be so horrible. He wasn’t the best chef, but he knew how to make a fire and he was sure he could figure out making seaweed all crunchy and nice, like how that seaweed bar was or the seaweed chips were! He raced back to the cave, grabbing his lighter and his makeshift shovel he’d made prior. Walking over, he used the shovel to dig a hole in the sand, gathered some rocks to put around it. He took the coconut off the stick and scooped up some water, just in case. Getting some kindling, (dried grass and twigs, mainly) he threw it into his makeshift fire pit. Grabbing a few bigger steps and using the ti-pi method, he (albeit badly) made his starter. He also found three other sticks–two Y shaped ones to stick in the ground, and one more to put over. It took a minute, but he yoinked some seaweed (and washed it to make sure there wasn’t any sand) and then he lit his fire with the flick of the lighter. The fire crackled, and Kwazii grinned in accomplishment. Sure, it was kinda hard to screw this up, given the lighter, but he was still proud of himself! Lying the seaweed over the stick on the fire, he watched it crispin and cook. It actually smelled decent.

Eventually, after a little bit of waiting, he figured it was good enough. He touched a piece, and immediately slinked away- “YEOW!” Obviously, it burnt him. Most things that are hot do, after all. He dumped the coconut water on the fire, and then when that didn’t entirely put it out, he scooped some sand onto it. It was gone within a flash after that. He waited, impatiently so, (tapping his thighs, pacing around, doing a few backflips, stretching, humming a tune, ect.) and he eventually waited long enough to eat the seaweed. 

It was crunchy, which was what he wanted, but still tasted off. Certainly not like that bar or usual seaweed snacks, at least. Still, it worked. He ate a few pieces, then he was done with a surprisingly hefty amount of leftovers. He washed out the coconut, and put the remaining crunch-ified seaweed into the coconut, and the lighter back into his pocket. He looked up at the sky. The sun was already setting, and he walked back to his cave (he was thinking of it as ‘his’ cave now, given how nobody else had claimed it, to his knowledge) and ducked under the shelter of the rocky hole. He swung out his claw, and made another tally on his GUP. He wondered how many he’d end up making. 

***

Tweak leaned against the wall, crunching a carrot. The Captain was talking about searching for Kwazii some more. Of course, she was worried, but at the back of her mind, she wondered if Kwazii wanted to leave? Kwazii always seemed like he was holding something back, like he was hiding something. What was he hiding? Tweak didn’t know. She knew one of his deepest secrets, being that he was trans, (even if he didn’t know that–it was a complicated situation) though he didn’t seem to care all that much about hiding that. And, she could only assume, his whole pirate past thing. He didn’t seem to like talking about it besides those stupid monster stories, and that didn’t really give much info.

Maybe someone had found out something horrible he’d done and he’d ran off out of fear? It didn’t sound like him, (nor did Tweak think he was the type to do something that bad) but she supposed it was an unlikely possibility. He also could’ve just wrecked the GUP B and was stranded somewhere–that was the more likely possibility. He was pretty good at driving when he wasn’t been all bonkers, though Tweak had seen how excited he was to get in that GUP. He was just a little too excitable, and boom, ended up stranded on an island or something (or at least Tweak hoped it was an island, and not the bottom of the damn sea). The Captain then said something that perked her interest. “Since we haven’t found Kwazii for um.. Almost five whole days now, everyone is required to go out and search, besides Inkling and the Vegimals.” He looked to Tweak. “Can you prepare the GUPS, Tweak?” he asked, and she nodded, tossing the green bits of her carrot into her mouth. “Sure thing, Cap. Faster than you can say buncha munchy crunchy carrots–I just needa know which ones, is all.” 

The Captain cleared his throat. “I’ll be taking the GUP C,” he then looked to Peso. “I-I’ll go in the GUP E, Captain,” he said. Dashi spoke up, then. “Me and Shellington will go in the GUP A.” she said. Tweak nodded. “I’ll take the GUP D, then.” she launched herself down the Octo-chute, and re-entered into the launch bay. She got the GUPS prepared quickly, and of course the Captain and Peso were first down. Dashi and Shellington followed soon after, along with Tunip. Tweak left herself in the GUP D a little after those three exited. 

All of the other team members had established where they were going, so Tweak went in a direction nobody was. And, nobody had gone that way yet, either. As she cruised through the salty sea, she caught a glimpse of something orange near the bottom. She quickly stopped the GUP D, and jumped out. She swam down to the ocean floor, looked around. “Nothin…” she muttered to herself, sighing. Part of her was glad that wasn’t Kwazii, though. Because if he had been stuck there that entire time… his air would’ve ran out long ago. Tweak hopped back in the yellow, crab-like GUP, and decided to move a couple bigger rocks with its ‘arms’, just for good measure. Once again, there was nothing, so she decided to keep going forward. The water was empty besides a few fish hybrids swimming by–just nothing. She decided to take a little snack break, driving the GUP D up to the surface of the water and retracting the glass shield. She leaned back, ran her hand through her hair. Yoinking a carrot, she took a bite and looked out over the horizon. She saw nothing but water stretching on for miles–as far as she could tell, at least. Taking a bit out of her carrot again and tossing the greens in too, as she chewed she got a little sad. Where the hell was Kwazii? 

Sure, he was reckless and stupid, but they should’ve found him by now, right? A thought crossed her mind, what if he’s buried underneath the rubble and y’all are too lat- but she shook that away. That was absolutely NOT the way to think at the moment–she knew she had to keep up hope. For the crew, too. She mumbled, “Kwazii, wherever y’ are…” and she leaned back. “Just… get back ‘ere. Give a sign, or somethin.” just as she said that, she saw a spurt of water. Raising a brow, she wondered. She wasn’t really religious or superstitious, though….maybe that wish had come true? She quickly resealed the GUP D, and dove back under the water. 

She gasped–a giant whale hybrid. She didn’t know the type, (Shellington certainly would, but Tweak did not) though she throttled full speed ahead. Luckily, the whale didn’t seem to be in much of a hurry, as she swam pretty slowly. Tweak stopped right in front of the whale, turning on the microphone. “Heya there–” she said into the mic, and the whale slowed. She tilted her head to the side. “Hello, there,” she replied. Tweak looked at the whale–very gorgeous. She had barnacles on her back, short flowy hair, and was a dark grey-blue ish color with a light ombre near her torso. “What do you need, small one?” she asked. Tweak gulped, pressing the microphone button again. “I uh, was just wonderin’, have you seen…a orange GUP?” she asked. The whale looked confused. “GUP?’ she asked. Tweak blinked. “Sorry, submarine. Looks like a shark.” 

“Ah, that sounds more … familiar. Yes, I saw a small orange creature almost crash into me.” she said. Tweak blinked. “D-did he- uh, crash on the bottom?” she asked. The whale shook her massive head. “I don’t believe so. It went up and I did not see it come back down.” she said. Tweak furrowed her brow. “... did he go up in this area?” she asked, and the whale woman shook her head once more. “He did not. It was..” she pointed with her giant flipper-arm. “Somewhere in that direction, I believe. I think there was a island nearby.” she said, and Tweak grinned. Kwazii was hopefully on that island, and hopefully fine. “Thank ya!” she said, and the whale just nodded. Tweak pressed the radio button. “Tweak t’ Captain Barnacles, Tweak t’ Cap.” she said, noticing the whale swimming away. The Captain came through quickly. “Barnacles here, what is it Tweak?” he asked. She smiled as she spoke, “I might have an idea of where Kwazii could be, Cap.” she said. “Can you send me the coordinates, Tweak?” he asked. “Yup, in a minute.” she responded. “Good work, Tweak. Ending transmission,” and the Captain cut off the connection. Tweak pressed on the map in the GUP, and she zoomed out. An island was just a little ways away, so she pressed on it and sent it out to everyone. She just hoped Kwazii was actually there. 

***

Kwazii had laid down on the sandy sea shore, (tongue twister moment) looking at the sky. There wasn’t much else to do. He had food and water. He was just tired. And the Sun was as nice and warm as ever, and the sand wasn’t too hot on his skin. He’d taken off his boots at this point. He just closed his eyes, wondering if the Octonauts were searching for him. Because surely they would’ve found him by now, right? He sighed. 

He was getting hungry. He slipped back on his Octo-boots and walked back to his cave, grabbing some of the dried seaweed and dropping it in his mouth. He still had a lot left–he’d made an unholy amount the night before out of pure boredom, so he had food for a while. Even if it was kinda gross. He looked at the GUP B, and since he figured that the Octonauts probably weren’t coming for him at this point, he’d make another tally. Grating his claw on the metal, the fifth tally was added. Honestly, it made the GUP B look pretty damn cool. And, now, he realized he should start coming up with ways to leave. 

He’d been waiting long enough. He knew how to make a simple raft, though he knew that likely wouldn’t hold the GUP B’S weight. He still wanted to take that with him–he couldn’t just abandon her! It’d be rude at the best. He remembered an old pirate tale;

The Tale of the Shocking Serpent. 

It was one of his few memories from before the Blackclaw pirates. His grandfather, Calico Jack, had told him it at least two decades before. He must’ve been five or six, maybe seven? Though, Kwazii honestly wasn’t entirely sure of his own age. Either way, he remembered the memory decently well. 

“Grandad, one more story, please Grandad!” a young Kwazii had begged. “Alright, alright. Calm down, matey,” Calico Jack had said, chuckling. “Hm,” he put a hand to his chin. “What about I tell you the tale of the Shocking Serpent?” he asked. A little Kwazii practically jumped out of “her” bed. “Yes, yes!” Kwazii had agreed, excited. “A long time ago,” Calico had started. “When I was just startin’ on me pirate journey,” he continued, “I made a rest stop at a coast. In South America, I believe. When me an’ Pete were strollin’ around,” (the Pete in question was currently maintaining the ship–he was a parrot-hybrid, though they were sometimes just called avians) “I found a murky stream. I beheld the knowledge of cleaning water, of course, so I decided t’ get some of it.” Kwazii was leaning forward, listening intently to this story. 

“Just then, when I be collecting water in me container, a giant, slimy, snake burst out of th’ water, hissing! She be huge!” Kwazii gasped. “I be backin’ away, and yet she still hissed, and suddenly, she stirred up some electricity, somehow, and shocked me right out of me boots!” he said, and Kwazii was –ironically enough–shocked. 

The Shocking Serpent. He wasn’t really sure where he was, but he figured that he was probably at least near or in South America. So, if he found a murky enough pond–not like the beautifully clear one he’d found before–he might be able to harness the beast’s power, somehow. It was a possibility. So, taking some seaweed and stuffing it in his pockets, he started his search. If he couldn’t find it, then he’d have to come up with something else, but he was determined to find the beast. Deciding to head in the opposite direction of the crystal-clear pool, he sauntered his way to finding a murky enough body of water that the slimy thing could be hiding in. 

So, he walked out of the cave, and began the search. 

*** 

It didn’t take long for Tweak to arrive at the island. It was further then she thought it would be, though it certainly existed–and was bigger than what she was hoping. She scoped around the water of the island, first, just in case if he didn’t land on the island, and she didn’t find anything. So, deciding to go up on the shore, she went into “crab mode”, releasing the GUP D’S ‘legs’ and ‘arms’. She walked around in it clunkily along the shore. She didn’t see the pirate cat, but she did see something that was interesting, so she hopped out of the yellow submarine. Looking closer, she realized–it was a fire pit. A cooking place, even. Tweak knew Kwazii was definitely on his own for a while, so it certainly wasn’t entirely bonkers for him to know how to make one of those. She inspected the stick that would’ve been roasting something over the fire, holding it up to her face. Licking it, she realized–it tasted like…sea salt. Seaweed, even. She put the stick back in its place. She knew the others were coming, but she didn’t see them yet. They were on opposite sides of the radius, though, so she figured it might take them a bit.

Deciding to look around a little more, her eyes widened in happiness. Foot prints. And ones that looked like they were made by the standard Octo-boots all of them wore. The boots were pretty smooth at the bottom, so they didn’t leave a design in the sand. There wasn’t any semblance of a design, so she was almost completely sure—Kwazii was here, or had been here. The main thing she was concerned about, though, was that she didn’t see the GUP B anywhere. No trace of it. Sighing, she decided to follow the footprints. They must’ve been pretty recent, she reasoned. Otherwise they’d likely be swept away by the wind by now. Following them, she only got to the beginning of the forest area–the footprints were obscured by grass and plants. She walked back to the GUP D, jumped in, and went back over to the footprints. The GUP D trotted on through the forest, and Tweak searched for any semblance of her friend and crewmate. She sighed. Nothing. Then she remembered–the GUP B had to be near by. Activating the GUP tracker, she grinned. Bingo. Drove the GUP D on over there and she came across a cave. She assumed it was a shallow one, so she hopped out of the GUP D, flashlight in hand. 

She flicked it on, walking inside and looking around. A grin crept onto her face—the GUP B! But, alas, no Kwazii in sight. She jumped back into the GUP D, activating the radio. “Tweak to Captain Barnacles,” she said, and was almost immediately met with the Captain’s voice. “Captain Barnacles here–we’re cruising to your location.” “I’ve got good ‘n bad news, Cap’n,” Tweak said, munching on a carrot. 

“What is it?” he inquired. “Good news, I found th’ GUP B, and it seems to be in… okay condition. A little scratched up and the front is a bit banged up, but other than that it’s decent.” she replied, leaning back and taking another bite. “That’s wonderful news, Tweak! What’s the bad news?” he asked. “No Kwazii in sight. I’ll look around a little more over here, but I haven’t even caught a glimpse.” she said. She could hear the frown in the Captain's voice. “That’s unfortunate. But there’s no sign he left the island, right?” he asked. “None. Actually, I found a firepit–that was pretty recently cooked on.” “That’s fantastic, Tweak,” the Captain exclaimed, “I’ll be there shortly.” he said, and Tweak clicked her tongue, “Right on, Cap,” she tightened her headband-goggles a little. “Over and out!” and she pressed the end radio transmission button. Deciding to search around the cave a little more, she hopped back out of the GUP D, and she wandered into the cave. Squeezing her eyes shut,she let her bnnuny ears come out and pressed one against the cold metal of the GUP B. Balling up her fist, she knocked against the orange submarine. Sounded the same as usual. Bending down, she ran her fingers over the surface–and was surprised to feel some tally marks engraved in the metal. Five marks. She groaned. “Seriously? That’ll be an annoyin’ fix..” she grumbled. She circled back around, and there was only a bump and a dent near the back, and the front was a little more banged up. Surprisingly, it wasn’t anything too bad though. She looked inside, opening up the panel. Her face scrunched up a little, and she took something out. Dried seaweed.

She took a cautionary bite. Wasn’t the best, but it was alright. She put it back immediately. The seaweed chips were a lot better, to say the very least. She took a few more cursory glances around, and Kwazii was nowhere in sight. She sighed, and decided to head back to the beach and wait for the Captain–he’d come up with some sort of brilliant plan, she was sure of it. So, she hopped back into the GUP D, and sauntered her way back to the shore, where the GUP C emerged, and the Captain jumped out. “Tweak,” “Cap,” “Any sign of him?” he asked. 

Tweak pointed behind her with her thumb. “The GUP B’s dragged into a cave back there. No idea where Kwaz went, though,” she said. The Captain only nodded. “I see.” another GUP, the GUP E with Peso inside, surfaced. He hopped out. Barnacles faced him and then Tweak. “Tweak, do you think the GUP C’s towline can reach the GUP B?” he asked, and Tweak put a finger to her chin, thumping her foot in thought. “I think so. I’ll give it a shot,” she said, and the Captain nodded. “Excellent.” he faced towards Peso. “Peso, you and me, and when Dashi and Shellington get here–will search for Kwazii all separately. Knowing him…” he sighed. “We should try to find him fast, is what I’m saying.” Both Tweak and Peso sharply nodded. Tweak walked over to the GUP C, grasping onto the towline and securing it in  her grip. Peso and the Captain had already headed off into the underbrush. She yanked, and dragged it with her all the way to the GUP B’s resting place–it was just barely long enough to reach the orange submarine. She hooked it on the ‘tail’ of the GUP B, and ran back to the GUP C, and began retracting the tow line–usually this would be a job for two, but currently the others had to work on finding Kwazii. Which, Tweak would resume to, once she did this. She heard the sloshing of water, and glanced over. The GUP A, with Shellington and Dashi inside. They both hopped out, Shellington stumbling a bit as he did. “Hiya Dashi,” Tweak said, waving, “Hi Shellington,” and the both of them waved back at her. “What are you doing, Tweak?” Dashi asked, polite as ever. “Just haulin’ the GUP B back in. It’s in a cave.” she said, and Dashi looked a little surprised. “I’ll help with that.” Tweak lit up. “Thanks, Dashi.” Shellington stood awkwardly, before speaking up. “I’ll just uh- I’ll just go search in the forest,” he said, waving and walking away. Dashi hopped in the GUP C. “I’ll control from here, and you tell me what’s going on where the GUP B actually is,” she said, and Tweak nodded, jumping out. She sauntered over to the GUP B, and hit her radio button. “Tweak t’ Dashi,” she said. “Dashi here. Should I start retracting the tow line?” she asked, and Tweak made a little nod. “Yup.” the towline started retracting, pulling the GUP B back, albeit somewhat slowly. The grating of the GUP B’s metal against the rocky floor of the cave made Tweak cringe. A little bit of pulling, Tweak told Dashi to stop, she repositioned, pulled once more, rinse, repeat. A very simple cycle, that after a little bit, managed to get the GUP B back on the sandy shore. Dashi hopped out of the GUP C. She and Tweak high fived. “Well, on with the search now, yeah?” Tweak said, and Dashi nodded. “Yes, I’ll see you in a little,” Dashi said. Both Tweak and Dashi wandered into the forest in different directions–which Tweak was a little disappointed by. She enjoyed spending time with Dashi, but oh well. She supposed that could wait for later–they had a ginger cat to find. She, in the GUP D of course, searched through the forest, clearing the branches obstructing her view. Eventually, after a little bit of scrounging around, she came across a murky stream. Deciding to head up it, she saw something familiarly orange. Turning on the microphone, she spoke, “Kwazii?” she asked. Suddenly, it turned towards her–the cat she’d known for a while now. 

“Tweak, matey!” he cried, and Tweak un-encased the glass on the GUP D. “Kwaz, hey! Glad yer alright!” she said, and Kwazii immediately jumped up on top of the GUP D, sitting on it. “Be careful,” she warned, and he grinned. “I always be careful, me heartie,” he said, proudly displaying his canines. Tweak playfully rolled her eyes, clicking the radio button on the GUP D. “Tweak to Octonauts,” she said into the intercom, “Barnacles to Tweak. What is it?” 

“Guess who I just found,” she said. 

***

Of course, everyone was grateful that Tweak’d found Kwazii. Tweak also ended up not removing the tally marks on the GUP B, with Kwazii’s insistence. It would’ve been annoying, so that ended up being a good thing for her anyways. Kwazii didn’t seem like, permanently traumatized from the whole thing, which was also pretty good. 

Kwazii had been overjoyed when eating actual food again for the first time–and even more overjoyed with the seaweed chips instead of the horrid dried seaweed he’d had to endure eating on that wretched deserted island.

[beargregor]

Chef greg delivery just for you. it's a wonder I hadn't bearified him yet, he's my fave greg too 🔪

gays literally only want one thing (to be chopped up and eaten by a depressed man) and it's fucking disgusting

[wat-zu]

For some reason I imagine the pixel guy ( ballista if you read the wiki) as being competitive with caveman drawing (Primal if you will, idk where they get these weird ass names), do i think this because of the height diffrence? Yes. Yes i do. Is Pixel dude like an angry chihuahua? Absolutely.

Also Bathroom sign man is my favourite, hes just so KAHDHDIDBISKAKAGDIDHDHXJZH yk?

Bros the he dont bite of the group

Also i get u with bathroom sigh guy he's fucking hilarious USVHSVSHBS

[snailchasers-den]

I would love more information about the small changes to the Clans in the False Prophecy!!

Could we pretty please get a small overview of it? :³

Absolutely! >:) Though I can't 100% ensure how small it'll be LMAO

So, with the four clans, it's essentially a sliding scale of how strictly traditional they are- Because I honestly just think it makes things more interesting, I think we should've seen more of a spectrum with that-

So it essentially goes that Thunderclan is the most traditional, and Riverclan is the least, in the order Thunder - Wind - Shadow - River

Just a note that this isn't a serious rewrite, and is just some background for my silly SpottedTiger AU that plays into the themes of the story I've got going and the adjustments I've made for it LMAO Any of this could be changed or tweaked at any time.

Here's kinda vague overviews of each:

Thunderclan: (Pre-Firestar, this is all before he's leader) Very traditional and strict to the warrior code and Starclan's word. They believe in turning away kittypets and the inherent strength of warrior blood. They have a culture focused on bravery, and while they're compassionate, that's mainly focused on their own cats and select allies. All of this can lead them to look judgy or stuck up to the other clans.

Windclan: Though Thunderclan is the most pious to Starclan, Windclan is the actual closest to them. Thunderclan is hidden under the cover of trees, giving the stars less room to look down on them, Windclan doesn't have that issue on the moor. It's full of scrawny, smaller cats, but though they're not the most intimidating, they're some of the most resiliant cats you'll meet.

Shadowclan: Shadowclan is fun, because I leaned really heavily into the secrecy aspect for them. A lot of shadowclan cats tend to be BIG. They're some of the slickest cats you'll meet, and though they tend to be large, they're stealthy, and the other clans don't tend to know too much about them. They've built up skills and strategies the other clans haven't, and are extremely picky about who finds out about them, so they're infamous for not talking at gatherings more than they need to. Cross-clan relationships involving Shadowclan cats are the least common.

Brokenstar kinda fucks this up royally when he comes in, but this is at least how they are before and a bit down the line after him.

Riverclan: Riverclan is flexible, and probably some of the nicest cats you'll meet. They're the least traditional and are more connected to the land and water than the other clans. They tend to be mellow and mindful, and don't mind taking in kittypets or loners half as much as the other clans, which unfortunately has them suffering from the lazy pushover stereotype. They're also the most lax about cross clan relationships. They absolutely do not care as long as you're careful.

[corviisquire]

i was watching someone talk about and go over Boisvert and saw a character i thought was cool and i saw you talking a oh its so heres a doodle

i just thought they were silly

AAAA HI ROACH!!! You drew the receptionist so silly cute ong im eating it. Boisvert mentioned, nueron activation.

Here’s a drawing of the angel!!! I tried drawing Dogtooth and Room but they looked bad so ANGEL.

I think this is a sign to rewatch all the videos and a lore video. It’s been too long.

[ashchoo]

Odalia is so gender

she knows /pos 🤭🤭🤭

[qverdia]

@sarcaasmic sent "[ braid ] sender braids receiver's hair"

abilene could braid her own hair , or the styling team , but she wouldn't say that . she didn't want any other hands brushing through her dark curls than ellie's at this moment . her best friend . she would understand one day , perhaps years in the future , why it had to be this way . ellie had an entire life ahead of her , she had people she could return to . . . and abilene would not have been able to continue on if it was ellie in this seat and not herself .

the suit was a thin jumpsuit with some sort of belt around her waist that felt full of liquid when she had poked at it . there wasn't anything thermal on it , which led abilene to believe that it would be another scorching arena and another battle with dehydration . there was no one there to help her this time , either , and everyone else had experience with killing not that abilene's hands were clean , but any attack she had done had been in a frenzy as though a wild animal was cornered .

abilene was afraid , terrified , but she was trying not to let it show on her face . it manifested in other ways , however , like the bouncing in her leg and the tremors in her hands and the tremble in her voice . she cleared her throat and tipped her head back to look up at ellie .

❛ could you do two braids instead ? the ones that start up here and go all the way down my head ? ❜ she asked , reaching up to draw a line down her scalp and hair in case her words weren't quite enough to paint the picture . ❛ i don't want to look too much like the others out there . ❜ she tried to laugh but the humor didn't quite reach her eyes .

[crows-of-buckets]

Beating veilguard may genuinely get me out of my writing slump because I Need To Fix It

[cuteniarose]

since ming-hua/ghazan have 2 kids... what abt zaheer + pli??

(firebender/combustionbender and/or nonbender -> airbender?)

I was gonna answer this earlier but the lack of sleep reared its head 😅 I took a nap and in the meantime received permission to talk about it, though just in case I will still try to keep it brief. A P’heer child does exist in a few of our verses (we aren't lying when we call it the MULTIverse of madness, I can name at least 7 different AUs off the top of my head and that's not counting the variants where only small changes are made. If we ever made a comprehensive list it'd probably be longer than the list of our OCs and that one’s currently up to 31)

Anyway, her name is Nazra, born in about 153 AG if I remember my timeline right, and she’s a combustionbender. But despite being the same height as her mom, possessing easily the deadliest ability imaginable and generally looking rather intimidating, she’s an impossibly awkward nerd who’d rather sit around and read Air Nomad philosophy like her dad all day. Though she does take after her mom in the romantic sense, having a soft spot for airbenders, while simultaneously doing it better because she’s the definition of a disaster lesbian. She’s quiet, a bit anxious and really sheltered, but she does have a feisty streak to her in that she easily calls people (read: her sister/s) out on their bullshit if they annoy her, and isn’t afraid to use her bending to protect those she loves

The reason I’m not quite sure of the extent as to which I’m allowed to talk about her is because she’s not my OC and neither is she Kat’s. She was created for the fic Empty and Become Wind by Esaleyon, a Red Lotus Korra AU which Kat used to beta read for and which we use as basis for the Ultimate AU I described in my response to the Lien-Hua ask. But as far as I know, the author quit writing/the fandom and as I said above, Kat and I took Nazra in, so to speak. But she features in only a small handful of our AUs (currently only 3 come to mind, one of them ironically being the complete polar opposite to the other two in terms of tone and how dark the storyline is) so we don’t speak of her that often. She is still very dear to my heart, has been since 2020, and in the AUs she features in I consider her a sister to Suiren and Midori

If you’re curious, a few years ago Nina (@silima, who single-handedly fed the entire Red Lotus fandom with amazing art back in 2020-2022 or so) drew her, thus creating the design that I base my own sketches off of, so everyone say thank you Nina :)

[dryeyed]

starter call. / @xplosionbomb.

things hadn't been easy lately, not for a while now - distantly shouta is able to connect to how his students could possibly be feeling, even moreso with the stress of an impending raid. of the impending battle between some major figures, some enemies that have been a thorn in everyone's sides for far too long. he knows what it feels like to only focus on training, to throw oneself so much into quirk improvement and combat and field training that they'd lose all sense of self otherwise.

so he watches. he keeps an eye over every single one of these teenagers, so bright with purpose and determination that it felt as if he'd been staring into the sun most days. he guides them whenever he can, a gentle or a firm voice whenever need be. but it isn't above him to notice how he keeps a tighter watch over three students in particular, a concern-driven notion fueled behind a hidden life's mistakes and lessons learned.

it isn't unusual he starts with bakugo first, a calmer sort of way about shouta's attitude as he calls him over once his sparring session had ended. fire must be met with water, indeed, but there had been an overall shift in the way bakugo behaved. in how he interacted with others, his very nature seemed to be evolving.

" bakugo. do you have a minute? "

[merriclo]

Everything About Lorule

@ikaishere made some beautiful art of Lorule and so i’ve decided to spill everything i can about them. enjoy <3

> from hcau <

general/pre-hcau stuff:

i said earlier that Lorule’s 19 but i changed my mind!! he’s like 22-23 :)

ravio and her have the weirdest fucking relationship. there’s so many rumors about what’s going on. like they’re roommates. theyre best friends. they’re business owners. they’re married. they pine helplessly. they make out sloppy style. they’re afraid of the other rejecting them. they’ve been dating for years. they insult the hell out of each other. they wax poetics about each other. they’re in a qpr. they’re married for tax benefits. they’re in love romantically. they’re somehow both each other’s sugar daddy.

and then the truth is that Ravio’s very nervously working up the courage to ask them out. meanwhile Lorule thinks they’ve been dating for months. also they’re married for tax benefits.

Lo gives Rav a kiss on the cheek and thinks abt how much she loves his partner. meanwhile Rav’s like “haha. just bros being bros right??? 😃 he couldn’t possibly be into me right???? i have no chance??????” they’re sleeping in the same bed and Lorule’s wrapped around Ravio and he’s still convinced that Lo’s just a really friendly person

Lorule’s incredibly sweet and energetic and goes with the flow of things very well but on the inside the alarm bells are screaming 24/7. there’s so much behind those eyes and it’s called unspeakable anxiety.

she’s originally from Hytopia! he lived there for 14 years, but ran away to Hyrule after his mom died. yeah that’s right not only is this bitch a fucking ginger, they’re also french.

Growing up in Hytopia means that they’re good at sewing, knitting, crocheting, embroidery, macrame, etc.

because of this, she’s got eye strain, minor scoliosis + back pain, neck pain, shoulder pain, and joint pain. they stretch and everything pops.

their accent is thick as hell, too. i have a fic that’s half-way written abt it that should be out sooner or later actually !!

before ALBW, she had a huge fear of heights and getting over it was really difficult. once she ended up sobbing while practically paralyzed on a floating, unstable, moving platform that was hundreds of feet above lava, just trying to get herself to jump off of it and onto the next platform below. understanding that they’re brave despite their fears is something he and Ravio are getting through together lmao

he likes marmalade. and birds

they’re simultaneously very very silly and jarringly blunt

they used to not curse much but Ravio’s rotten mouth wore off on them and it’s incredibly funny. once they tripped over a rock and let out the most vile string of curses known to man, only to get up and make direct eye contact with a horrified priest

their sense of humor is a mix of the worst puns in existence and incredibly clever innuendos or sex jokes

music is a crazy important part of Lorulian culture, so he and Rav sing together all the time :) he’s gotten pretty good at it too

speaking of Ravio, he’s got the worlds’ worst New Jersey accent. it’s the Lorulian accent but he’s undeniably got it the worst. overhearing him and Lo talk causes constant whiplash.

not a fan of ghosts or poes

he sleeps like a fucking rock. Gulley has to get creative to actually wake them up in the morning, because if he doesn’t she’s sleeping well past noon

BESTIES with Irene. they shit talk :)

he’s also very good friends with Zelda and Styla, and is in the process of forming a better personal relationship with Hilda

not necessarily the smartest when it comes to the more scholarly things. most of it flies right over his head lmao. Ravio has tried to explain politics to him several times and it’s never worked. however!! she’s very smart when it comes to hands-on things (and counting and measurements—those are essential to most crafts.)

complicated relationship with the concept of beauty. very very complicated relationship.

idolized the hell out of Oracle when they were younger. yes their mind breaks for a good while when they first meet them and realize he’s a total fucking loser jackass.

she’s always doing something. it’s both out of fear of being seen as lazy and out of a need for an outlet for their energy

fantastic depth perception

their map was their mom’s!! it’s crazy fuckin faded but he refuses to buy a new one

unofficially a part of the blacksmith’s family. it’s sort of like an open secret, everyone knows it but no one talks about it

he’s crazy close with Gulley, they hang out all the time. don’t let their constant teasing and playful bickering fool you, they would die for each other. they’re siblings your honor.

the blacksmith’s wife (i’ve named her Giulia) made her her clothes. Giulia might not be the best seamstress, but Lorule full on sobbed when she first put it on. something something, mommy issues and emotional healing, you get it

she does odd jobs and favors around town all the time. her off-days are spent roaming through Kakariko, sewing up holes in a clothes, fixing fences, delivering packages, babysitting, that sort of stuff. everyone in town is very familiar with and fond of him as a result.

hcau stuff:

out of the chain, they’re closest with Ages, Wild, and Oracle.

Ages because they’re both really creative people and Ages feels super comfortable around them because of his prior experiences with Ravio.

also. ok listen. i’ve been pondering adding a sort of tragic romance element to this au bc i am obsessed with the “maybe if things were different, if we were different, if we were in another life, we could’ve been” trope. i’m rlly interested in exploring the quiet acknowledgement that something is there accompanied by the quiet refusal to do anything because they both know that they’ll never see each other again once the journey is over. and idk man Ages and Lorule are kind of perfect for that 👀

regardless of if i pursue that route or not, their character arcs are very closely linked and they deal with and get through a lot of shit together :)

Wild because they’re both genderfluid and Lorule really admired their relationship with fashion. Wild rocks the most atrocious outfits with a confidence that’s an inch away from becoming hubris. also they talk abt magic jewelry and clothes together.

and Oracle because holy shit this hero i’ve idolized all my life is actually a total fucking loser in desperate need of psychiatric assistance i have got to help them. also Lo can sniff out a closeted trans kid from miles away. also also they talk abt magic jewelry and clothes together.

very good at conflict resolution. they’ve done the whole “working together” thing before and they’re damn good at it

because of how close they are with Gulley, they’re very good with the younger heroes. he doesn’t act condescendingly or keep information from them cause Gulley rants about how people do that to him all the time

heavily disagrees with how much Red and Prism sugarcoat things. she’s civil about it but definitely hates how slow they peel the bandaid off

after a big battle he’ll often volunteer for first watch, and stay up for second as well. he makes the excuse of needing to work on repairing tunics, but really it’s his anxiety going fucking apeshit.

they love listening to the others’ musical talents. they’re shit at instruments themself so they just sit there and enjoy the show whenever someone starts playing. and then of course Ages ratted on them being able to sing (Ravio had told him that she could during the war) and they were then promptly dragged into the shows

if it weren’t for Loft and their chronic fatigue Lorule would be the first to start snoozing almost every night

whenever the chain is in Lorule’s Hyrule and near Kakariko village, they’ll have dinner with the blacksmiths + Ravio

Wind, Wild, and Lorule band together to braid everyone’s hair. braid trains are a common thing to see during rests

there’s so much more but i can’t tell bc it spoils stuff so that’s it for now T.T sorry for typos

[bittercoldbrew]

business vampire?? demon gf?????? i simply must know more.

let's dooooo family and future!

Cas* I am SO sorry that it's taken me this long to answer from that prompt I reblogged uhhhhh a month (???) ago 😭😭😭 I don't have a good excuse except that I'm bad at things, but I can't thank you enough for asking about my two beloved idiots, they're everything to me.....🥲

Business Vampire, aka Max, aka Maximilian (yes it's his real name, no you can't call him that) is a recently-promoted Regional Manager of a temp agency that hires out vampire office clerks. They're diligent! They're effective! They'll work third shift! Hire a vampire today!! He's also...just kind of a bastard. Himbo-adjacent, but he's not always particularly nice, and not actually stupid--just willing to be ignorant about things that don't directly benefit him. He was way into his MBA program before he realized they weren't actually joking about the whole ~undead~ thing; and when he did, he figured he wasn't really doing anything with his immortal soul anyway 🤷🏽 Might as well cash it in now, right? He's Bad Bi Rep(tm) and was a prolific serial dater when he was alive--not a cheater, just addicted to "the chase", always loved a tough sell. Now that he's got supernatural mind control powers though, convincing someone to give him a chance when they initially don't like him comes way too easily and it completely killed the vibe; he's not actually a piece of shit, he just dresses like one. If he ever went to therapy he'd actually have to think about why, exactly, it's so important to him to pursue the kinds of people who are immediately repulsed by the persona he embodies, in the hopes that they'll dig a little deeper and find something worthwhile in him instead. He absolutely does not go to therapy.

Juniper, for better or worse, is exactly the kind of person to find him repulsive, and she's immune to his magical vampire compulsion trick, too. To call her a demon or his girlfriend are both a little misleading--she's only part-infernal, on her father's side, and she doesn't even like Max. She...is sleeping with him, though. Occasionally. And then a bit more often than occasionally. And then...a bit more often than that. But nope, no way, definitely not into Max. He's arrogant, annoying, and...absurdly attractive 😔 She's pathologically self-conscious about the whole infernal monster thing; she makes humans uneasy, in an instinctive, subconscious, fight-flight-or-freeze prey drive kind of a way, so she gears her whole life around keeping to herself and going unnoticed and trying her best to never make anyone afraid of her. But Max...isn't remotely afraid of her. And it's...nice, to finally have found someone who isn't. And he very much should be--the infernal magic in her blood is quite literally toxic to vampires, and drinking too much of it will quite literally kill him, this time for good. But...drinking just a little has a narcotic effect, and she's human enough that it satisfies his hunger for a while, and she agrees to fuck him, too? He's certain he's getting the better end of this deal, but he's sure not about to risk it by pointing that out.

ANYWAY, yeesh, that's way too much preamble before actually getting to your questions, sorry 😅 I just really love these two. But yes, goodness, prompts!! Gonna stick these under a cut because clearly I'm incapable of keeping concise! But hopefully this has whet peoples' appetites and you all will wanna know more about my darling monsters 🥲🥲 Everyone feel free to keep sending me those prompts if you wanna know more about them or any of my other OCs 🥰🥰🥰

Family: Like I said, Juniper is infernal on her dad's side; he's never been around much, but he's very sweet with her when he is and she's really fond of him in return. His dad was a genuine infernal creature, chaos and corruption and decay made flesh, so he's even less human than June is, and as such simply doesn't have much understanding of the sorts of things that strain human relationships, like distance and time and lack of communication (which is why June's mom broke things off with him shortly after June's birth). June is his only child, and she's way more sympathetic towards him and his less-than-stellar parenting skills than anyone else in her family--her mom, stepdad, and two half-sisters all just try to pretend that he doesn't exist and even if he did exist then there totally definitely wasn't anything weird or unusual about him at all. June moved across the country as soon as she was old enough to get away, and she gets the sense they're all trying to pretend the same things about her, too. It hurts her feelings way more than she lets on, but helps solidify her decision to keep everyone ever at a distance (until Max comes barreling through all her carefully crafted defenses).

Max is somehow even less close with his family. He talks to his mom on the phone for birthdays and big holidays, but hasn't seen her or spoken to his father in years. Vampire powers or no, he'd probably kill the man on sight, given half the chance. His dad was an army engineer once upon a time, and then a traditional engineer when that was over, so there really was never much chance of any amount of emotional availability over there yet even so he was a real piece of work. Max was an only child, and his mom always tried to comfort him after his dad's verbal and emotional abuse but was never able or willing (he doesn't know which, and decided ages ago that he doesn't actually care) to prevent or intervene in the abuse when it happened. Again, a tiny amount of therapy might help him realize that his whole prideful, unserious, charming lothario persona was initially just a front he put on to piss off his shitty dad. But why would he do any self-reflection when he's got this hot, mean demon babe with her own luggage rack of family baggage to bang about it, instead?

Future: This is such a good prompt but unfortunately not one I can answer very thoroughly without spoiling my own (still very roughly drafted) plot. BUT I can say that there's a vampire named Leon that they're both interested in seeing, Max for the first time ever, June for the first time in several years. Leon's the leader of a very powerful vampire sect, and possibly the oldest living one in North America, and he's...sort of missing? Maybe? No one's seen him in a couple years now, though he's definitely not dead because the vampires he sired (and the ones they'd sired, and on down quite a few degrees of separation) would have felt a weakening of their own power if he'd died. And it isn't super unusual for him to just kind of wander off and disappear for a while; much like June's dad, he's so old that he doesn't have much sense of insignificant things like the passage of time. But it's odd for him to have been gone for this long without anyone having seen nor heard from him. June isn't terribly worried for him--he's a big vampire, he can take care of himself--but they're friends (insofar as either of them really have "friends"), and she'd like to know for certain that he's alright. Max, meanwhile, thinks it'd be good for business to get in with the "trads", and knowing and/or collaborating with a guy like Leon would definitely give him a leg up on his way to the c-suite. June figures that's as close to a genuine motivation as she'll see from her annoying vampire fuckboi, but, hey, fuck it, she'll take what she can get.

[gonnabefamous]

@pastelchosen (x)

“I am! Well, sorta… not like a YouTuber or anything like that.” Zach admits with a slight roll of his shoulders. “It’s more real. Up close in personal; I have my own camera crew.” He tells Sham, leaving out the part where he’s blowing his college savings on the camera crew in order to achieve his dream of fame.

[tpwk-formula1]

Biggest Fan - MV1

Max Verstappen x Dancer! Reader

AN: Sorry this took me so long! Literally been sitting in my drafts almost done but had a lack of motivation but it's a new year so we need to relive this blog!

Summary: Just Max being madly in love with his dancer girlfriend

Face Claim: Rylee Arnold

Max Insta Stories

Twitter

Youruser Insta

Liked by maxverstappen1, yourbff, landonorris, and 1,890,879 others

tagged maxverstappen1 and stephen_nedoroscik

youruser life lately <3

user1 I love being able to watch you every week!

user2 you two better win this year or I will riot

maxverstappen1 I can't wait to see you two perform

youruser I'm so glad you're coming!

user3 I love knowing that those 2 are both dominating in their respective field... power couple of the century

user4 I love how max posts Y/N like he's there with her. Like we KNOW he's sitting down every week to watch Y/N and Stephen dance

landonorris yes... and most of the time he ropes everyone else into watch youruser Lando... don't act like you didn't make Max facetime to last week to tell me how amazing I did.... landonorris damn... catching strays user4 lmao... I didn't realize my comment would create such discourse

Max’s Insta

Likey by your user, landonorris, redbullracing, and 3,809,899 others

tagged yourusers

maxverstappen1 4 time world champ and I still didn't beat Y/N karting

user5 what are the odds he let her win?

youruser wow... that little faith? Remember Oscar defending in Baku? Ya that's me behind the wheel

user6 I'm sobbing at the fact that Y/N watching races so intently she can bring in references

user7 I still can't believe he's a 4x world champion

youruser I am so beyond proud of you love! My Champion <3

maxverstappen Ik hou meer dan woorden van je

landonorris congratulations!

user8 LFGGGGGGG!!!

Youruser Insta story

Max’s Insta

Liked by youruser, landonorris, yourbestie, and 2,094,632 others

maxverstappen1 I've loved every moment with you

tagged youruser

user34 I love seeing these two together! And the way he's always posting her

user42 perfect perfect

youruser I love every moment with you too!

landonorris GAG

user13 Im cryinggggg! Lando be nice youruser ya be nice!

user22 I have a feeling Y/N helped with the aesthetics of this post but I am STUNNED that Max didn't sneak a RB pic in

Max’s Insta Story

Twitter

[landograndprix]

╰┈➤ ❝ desire us • l.n c.l ❞ i

part two

➪ life changed after you decided to go through it as a single woman, offering your daughter the best life she deserves, focusing on work, friends and family but damn, that guy.

➪ life is good and so is your 'friendship' with lando

➪ mom!reader x dad!Charles x lando

➪ book two is here & im so so sorry it took so long :( this takes place 2/3 years after desire. I kept the taglist from the first part of this series but let me know if you don't want to be tagged anymore. Comments and feedback are welcome <3 **I fucked up with Shangai gp and Suzuka, please pretend you never saw that 😭

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y/nusername

📍 Monte-Carlo, Monaco

liked by manon_roux, charles_leclerc and 578,982 others

y/nusername meeting manon's mini 👶🏻

tagged manon_roux

view all 1,212 comments

norrizz welcome to the world manon's mini! <3

milliexoxo he's here! Will drop by soon 💙

↳ manon_roux still in florida with your boy?

milliexoxo yessss ☺

logansargeant what's his name, logan?

manon_roux boy you wish :')

logiebear still not over the fact logan is a part of this silly ass friend group 😂

norry4 congrats to Manon & Alice 🍼

joris__trouche bienvenue petit garçon 💙 (welcome baby boy)

landooooo zoe would make a great big sister 👀

↳ carlandooo bet lando would love to volunteer 👀

landooooo lando give y/n a 2nd baby pls 😭

norrisgp what the actual fuck is wrong with you guys?

landonorris thanks for the nephew 💙

landonorris his name's lando right?

↳ alicedidier 🖕

landonorris classy

yukisan MANON HAD A BABY?!

↳ landoscar girl her and her wife have a whole football team already 💀

yukisan WIFE?!

charles_leclerc bébé, tu es déjà tellement aimé 👶🏻💙 (baby boy, you're so loved already)

leclerc_16 all these men in the comments having massive baby fever lmao

charlos16 I personally think Charles and y/n should give zoe a sibling

↳ norry4 leave them alone jfc

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y/nusername

📍 Australia

liked by landonorris, oscarpiastri and 462,781 others

y/nusername straya 🇦🇺

view all 1,222 comments

oscarpiastri would've given you a tour if you'd told me you were here

↳ y/nusername I've been here before, I know my way around :')

oscarpiastri I guess what i'm trying to ask is; do you want to hang out?

y/nusername no, I only want to hang out with lily

oscarpiastri that's fair and totally understandable

landoscar I love them your honor 😭

norrizz just two girlie girls living their best lives 🥺

charles_leclerc c'est définitivement ta fille 😂 (definitely the your daughter)

↳ arthur_leclerc deux divas (two divas)

y/nusername tu devrais peut-être te regarder dans le miroir une seconde ;) (maybe you should look in the mirror for a second)

joris__trouche trois divas dont Arthur 😂 (three divas including Arthur)

y/nusername fais-en quatre parce que tu es le plus grand de tous 🤣 (make that four because you are the biggest one of them all)

norry4 can't wait to see your pretty face on TV again <3

milliexoxo thanks for the invite..

↳ y/nusername you're welcome 😘

logansarge mom abandoning her child again lol

hamilt44n pls continue to humble Danica this season 😂

sharl16 I'm counting 3 adorable koalas in this post 🐨

landonorris do you want to build a snowman?

↳ y/nusername no

landonorris oh ☹️

y/nlando please y'all still so cute :(

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y/nusername

liked by manon_roux, oscarpiastri and 413,678 other

y/nusername osc & co.

tagged: milliexoxo, oscarpiastri, landonorris

view all 1,319 comments

mrsnorris interesting

oscarpiastri knew I was being watched

norrisfour in the mclaren garage again? Interesting indeed 👀

↳ bott_ass she was in Oscar's side of the garage, calm your tits

norrizz yall need to chill out, she's with mclaren, ferrari and williams most of the time. She's friends with their drivers. Give it a break.

logansarge what the hell millie, a mclaren hoodie?! 😭

↳ milliexoxo I'm sorry, it was the first thing I found in y/n her suitcase!

landoscar it's alright bestie, we know it's your favorite team <3

milliexoxo don't tell my bf :(

charlos16 dinner with lando you say?

maxfnorris where's zoë?

↳ sharl16 she's got a dad too yknow?

maxfnorris I never see them together

sharl16 then you need a pair of glasses cause youre blind as shit, Charles loves to show off his daughter 💀

landonorris starting to feel you're a bit obsessed with osc

↳ y/nusername just a bit?

landonorris a bit too much

manon_roux same 🥰

y/nusername yeah, don't you just want to pinch his cheeks and ruffle his hair?

manon_roux i just want to kidnap him and put him in my basement

oscarpiastri this is getting weird now, should I be worried?

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y/nusername posted to their story

manon_roux replied to your story

manon_roux

What are you doing in London?

I mean I know why you're in London but want to see if you're going to be secretive about it again 😂

y/nusername

?

manon_roux

No shame in visiting the people you'll call your in laws in a couple of months 😉

y/nusername

Don't you have a newborn to look after?

manon_roux

He's taking a nap

If he let's me, I'll have 20-30 minutes to annoy you

Are you staying at his place?

y/nusername

I hope Noah keeps you up at night

manon_roux

He's got a one bedroom flat, right?

y/nusername

He's got a couch

manon_roux

lol and who's sleeping on it? You?

He's not letting you sleep on his couch and you're not letting him sleep on the couch either

y/nusername

People can sleep in the same bed without anything going on

We did it before

manon_roux

we never dated nor do we still have feelings for each other

y/nusername

I'm glad you know how I feel

manon_roux

Bubs you're an open book to me, it's written all over your face

Even your baby daddy is trying to get you two back together

y/nusername

what?

manon_roux

oh c'mon charles is trying so damn hard to get you and lando back together, don't play dumb with me 😂

you meeting up with mum and dad norris? 🥰

y/nusername

You've been hanging out with millie too much

manon_roux

and you've been hanging out with my wife too much because why are you ignoring my questions?

y/nusername

Suck my nonexistent dick babes

manon_roux

I tried for years babes but turns out your into British goblins :(

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Everything taglist; @thomaslefteyebrow @hopefulinlove @smoothopz @softboystarkey @honethatty12 @cixrosie @parkersmjs @ireadthensuetheauthors @celestialams @be-your-coffee-pot @heli991113 @kodzuvk @reality-is-a-con @bibissparkles @myescapefromthislife @lanando4 @elliegrey2803 @ravisinghs-wife @harrysdimple05 @minkyungseoki @pretty-little-bunny382728 @thatgirlthatreadswattpad @severewobblerlightdragon @cherry-piee @namgification @mycenterfold @devineendevers @celestialend @jsjcue @d3kstar @themislovesf1 @geehsf @mehrmonga @gentlemonsterworld

Lando taglist: @beatricemiruna @simp-for-fictional-people @landossainz @christianpulisic10 @bored-brunette2 @i83andrew @mcmuppet @justdreamersdream

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[atlabeth]

(not so) simple finale - anthony bridgerton

masterlist

summary: coercing lord bridgerton into pretending to court you to avoid the affections of a baron is very simple — that is, until it isn’t.

a/n: so um ignore how long every part of this took to come out. i have no excuse. anyways we are finally here at the end!! almost 10k words of proper regency soap opera type shit and it all ends happily i promise. i hope u enjoy because damn this was supposed to be a short one shot and ended up being over 40k lmao

wc: 9k

warning(s): angst, reader is a lil insecure, slightly steamy make out scene, happy ending<333

You’d never been this restless before. 

Your dreams had a part to play in it. They insisted on tormenting you, though not in the usual way. 

No, these dreams would have been pleasant had they come any sooner. For Anthony Bridgerton appeared in near every single one, with his charming smile and soft eyes and hair you always desired to run your fingers through. 

He would smile at you, offer his arm and walk with you all around the park and the city as you talked for hours. He would compliment you, and you would compliment him, and he would court you as a perfect gentleman would. 

He would kiss you, ravenously so. His hands would touch you where no one had touched before, leaving trails of fire in their wake, would unearth feelings you never could have imagined. He would revere you, near worship you, because in this world you never made such ill-advised choices. In this world, you never dragged him into a worthless scheme that ended with a ruined reputation and a broken heart.  

In this world, he loved you just as much as you loved him, and you never did a single thing to make him doubt that. 

But you were not there. 

You were here, in the real world. Where you were in the midst of reaping what you spent a whole season sowing. 

You were roused from that less than peaceful attempt at sleep—though thoughts of Anthony took longer to disappear—by the opening of your door, and despite your visitor attempting to be quiet, you found your eyes fluttering open against your will.

“Oh, dearest,” your mother lamented, “I did not mean to wake you. I apologize; I merely wanted to check on you. I will return later—please, rest.”

“No,” you murmured, and you rubbed your eyes as you pushed yourself into a sitting position. Small movements were much easier, which at least meant a step in the right direction. “No, stay. Please.”

“Are you sure?” she asked. When you nodded, she closed the door lightly behind her and sat on your bedside, laying her hand over yours. 

She whispered your name, her voice already thick with tears that she was trying to hide. “I am so glad you are alright.” 

“You say that every time you come in here,” you said.

“And I will continue to say it.” She shook her head. “You nearly perished. You should consider yourself lucky I am not in here at all hours of the day.” 

You managed a smile, and she sighed. “How do you feel?”

“Better,” you said. “I am still sore, but much better.”

“Good,” she said. “All I can ask is that you continue to get better.” 

“The rest has certainly been nice,” you said. “Am I still a true lady despite my late wakings?” 

“You have always been a true lady,” your mother assured with a slight smile. 

“I believe you may be the only one that still thinks so.” 

“If you are feeling ready, there is a ball in a fortnight,” she said. “It could be a good way to garner good will again.” You gave her a look, and she held up her hands. “I understand how you feel, but your presence is important. There are… rumors floating about, and we must lay them to rest.” 

“Rumors,” you muttered wryly. “That your daughter is an ungrateful wench and will die a spinster?” 

She said your name sternly, and you shook your head. “I read what Whistledown wrote about me—she’s likely written a hundred more. I do not care what any of them think of me, Mother. I am only sorry for the pain it has caused you and Father, and the Bridgertons.” 

“The Bridgerton name is strong enough to weather scandal,” she said. “We have to work a bit harder. And making an appearance in society again, especially with Lord Cardew by your side, will help.” 

You suppressed a scoff at the mere thought of him. You’d been granted such a reprieve from Lord Cardew because of Anthony’s influence, and while you were recovering, no one but family was to see you. But soon—very soon—he would be your entire life. 

“That brings up another question,” your mother said wryly, and when you met her eyes she was giving you a very pointed look. “Are you still sure about this?” 

No, you wanted to say. You couldn’t be less sure about Jonathan Cardew. But you’d dragged your family into this mess of yours, so it was your duty to fix it. 

Plenty of women married much more dreadful men every year. You should have considered yourself lucky that a man of his breeding, of his standing was interested in you at all—especially after the season you’d spent distancing yourself from him and the scandal you’d caused. 

“...Yes,” you finally said. “I am sure.”

Your mother sighed and said your name. “You are sure? You have not reached out to Anth—” 

“There is nothing left between us,” you interrupted. “I know it is not the best situation, and I know it is my fault, but I am making the best of it. All I ask is that you support me. It is hard enough attempting to make my way through this world—I need my mother to be there for me rather than constantly pushing against it all.”

“...Of course,” she said quietly. “And I am so sorry that I have ever done differently. My dear, all I ask in return is that you understand me, as well as the decisions I make. All I want is the best for you, and I know that marriage is not what you desire, but there are things we must do.” 

“Of course,” you said, and your echoing words spurned a small smile from her. “I am sorry that I have always fought you so much. All I could see was my hatred for any kind of union, but all I managed was hurting you and Father, as well as myself, and— and I cannot think of any apology that will be enough.” You shook your head with a mirthless laugh. “I’ve no idea how you put up with me for so long, truly.” 

“I’ve never had to put up with you,” she said. “I realize I may not have done the best job at showing it, but— but I love you more than anything in this world. Everything I have ever done has been for you, my darling. You are the future of our name, and I know you will do an excellent job at carrying on our legacy.” 

“Truly?” you asked softly. 

Your mother nodded as she took your hands and smiled at you. “Truly. Nothing in this world can change my love for you. You are our greatest accomplishment.” 

You swallowed the sudden lump in your throat as you smiled as well, and you pulled your mother into a hug. She reciprocated, and tears filled your eyes. You’d missed the comfort of her presence so dearly. 

“I love you too,” you whispered. 

-

“Are you alright, my lady?” 

Your lady’s maid's words snapped you out of the stupor you’d found yourself in, and it was all you could do to attempt a smile. 

“Yes, Julia,” you said. “Quite alright.” 

Her brows furrowed as she draped a pendant around your neck, the cold metal turning your exhale slightly shaky. “Pardon my plainness, my lady, but you are not believable in the slightest.” 

“You have been around me for far too long,” you said dryly. “I request another maid, one that cannot read me so easily.” 

Julia offered a wry smile. “You are stuck with me for now, my lady. What is weighing so heavily on your mind?” 

You stared yourself in the mirror as you turned the question over. It was not as easy to answer as it should have been, not when everything was so out of order. Not when you hardly recognized the reflection staring back at you, wrapped in orange silk and adorned in jewels courtesy of Lord Cardew. 

You were not yourself—you were to be Baron Jonathan Cardew’s wife, a baroness and status symbol to hang off his arm and smile prettily, and Baroness Cardew was who stared back at you. 

Only a few more balls remained until the season came to an end, and though Lord Cardew was doing your family an immense service by giving you a second chance, he did not want to wait much longer to make it official. 

It was all planned out. Your relationship would truly enter the public eye tonight with your dances, you would promenade in open parks to have as many eyes on you as possible. He would call on you and your meager staff would be encouraged to spread rumors. Another ball would pass together, enough to hopefully weather some of the scandal you’d created, and then…

Then, he would propose. 

You would accept. 

And the fate you’d been so intent on avoiding would be sealed. 

You swallowed the lump in your throat, blinking back the impending tears. 

“I am nervous,” you admitted. “My decision didn’t exactly feel… real. Not until I was standing at the modiste getting fitted for this gown with one of Cardew’s maids. And all this jewelry…” Your fingers trailed across the raised designs on the pendant. “It makes it even more so.” 

“I can only imagine,” Julia said. “He has certainly put in effort.” 

“And yet it all feels hollow.” You moved away from the mirror and stopped in front of your vanity. The light blue reticule sitting near your jewelry box felt as if it was mocking you. 

Julia said your name with a sigh. “You made your choice. You pushed him away.” 

“I know,” you murmured, tracing the embroidery with your finger. “But feelings do not disappear so quickly.” 

“He wrote letters,” she said. “After you moved from Bridgerton House to recover here, after I refused his calling on you for the hundredth time, he wrote letters and delivered them by hand.” 

You picked at a loose strand of white thread on the purse, jaw clenched so tight you thought your teeth might crack. 

“He told me he did not care if you didn’t want them,” Julia continued softly. “He just needed you to know how he felt.” 

“This is how it has to be,” you finally said, voice shaking. 

“And what makes you think that?” Julia challenged. “You believe you have to live a life of misery simply because half the ton does so in the name of reputation and riches?” 

“Two things I no longer have any of,” you murmured. “Cardew’s pedigree is enough to get both back for my family. It is my duty, Jules, and I can no longer hide from it.” 

Your lady’s maid looked at you with desperation in her eyes when there was a knock on the door followed by your mother calling your name. You nodded your permission and she opened it.

“Lady Worthing,” she said, curtsying just so to your mother. “I’ve finished getting her ready—I’ll give the two of you some time alone.” 

“Thank you, Julia,” your mother said with a smile. She turned back to you, her eyes softer than ever as she moved forward and set her hands on your shoulders. 

“My darling,” she said, “you look so beautiful. I did not lie when I called you the crown jewel of our family.” 

You couldn’t help but smile at her compliment, trying to ignore the tightness in your chest. “Thank you, Mother. I’m glad I can make you proud.” 

She murmured your name, turning you so you faced the mirror. You saw yourself more this time, feeling more assured with your mother standing behind you holding all the stars in her eyes. 

“I have always been proud of you, darling,” she murmured. “Even if I did not show it in the best way. I love you more than words can express. I meant it when I said you are our greatest achievement.” 

You let out a shaky breath, leaning back against her. She allowed you to sink into her and you felt the tears brimming in your eyes. 

“...I’m afraid, Mother,” you whispered. “To marry. To be a wife.” 

She was silent for a moment, busying herself with adjusting your jewelry before she spoke.

“I was afraid too,” she admitted. “I hardly knew your father outside of a few promenades, and one lovely bouquet of flowers. It was almost fully arranged by our parents. But when he proposed, he vowed to always be my friend, and to always take care of me.” 

“Has he?” you asked. 

“Yes,” she said. “We did not love each other on our wedding day. But he has always been kind to me, and he has always advocated for me, and we have always been there for each other. We love each other now, in our own way. And,” she smiled, smoothing down the lace on your sleeves, “together, we brought you into the world. I would do it all over again if it meant I would get you in the end.” 

You could not imagine considering Lord Cardew a friend, nor the opposite. He saw you as just another pretty jewel to adorn himself with. 

Anthony saw you as a friend— as more. He always listened to what you had to say, always entertained your jokes with some of us own, never talked down on you. He saw you as an equal. 

 “I do not know if any woman is prepared to marry,” she finally said. “Even those that marry for love still have initial doubts. There are so many expectations of our behavior when we are told so little of what we must actually do.” 

“How do you do it?” you asked. “You married a man you didn’t know. You raised a child. You held face against a society that shamed you for only having a daughter.” 

“All you can do is trust in yourself, and in those around you,” she said. “If you are with the right person, everything will feel as natural as breathing. You will not care what anything thinks of you, because there is only one opinion that matters.” 

There was one man you felt natural around, one who you felt you could speak your mind around and not be judged. One man that you’d fallen in love with, that surely hated you in return for what you’d done to him. 

Your voice came out as little more than a whisper. “What should I do, Mother?” 

“You know what you must do,” she said softly. “All I can do is support you.” 

-

You’d rubbed your palms on your dress at least fifteen times since you’d arrived. A fruitless effort, considering you were wearing gloves, but you could not stand still. 

Your conversation with Lord Cardew had taken everything out of you, your dance with him even more so—an especially damning fate seemed ahead of you. But you could tune him out well enough, at least. 

It was an entirely different deal when the Bridgertons showed up. 

Violet walked in arm and arm with Anthony and Benedict, and Colin had a loose hold on Eloise. And to make matters worse, Daphne Bridgerton, alongside her husband the Duke of Hastings, were making an appearance. What an honor, to have the chance to embarrass yourself in front of such highly ranking nobles. 

Eloise branched off immediately after they passed the threshold, much to the protests of her mother, but your mother immediately pulled you in their direction. You could only imagine her thoughts—if she could get the Duke of Hastings touting for the Worthings, that would make things much easier.  

Anything for the optics, you supposed. But when you met Anthony’s eyes for the first time, you had to avert your gaze. He just looked so damn sad. 

“It is good to see you again, Violet,” your mother said. “And it is an honor, Duke and Duchess Hastings.” The both of you curtsied, and you could see the Duke’s slight smile. 

“I consider it my honor to meet the woman who has been the center of such conversation this season,” he said. You felt the heat rise to your cheeks, and thankfully Violet stepped in. 

“It is good to see you as well, Cecilia.” Violet smiled as she looked at you. “Especially you, my dear.” 

You bowed your head. “Thank you, Lady Bridgerton, Duke Hastings. I am grateful to be here.” 

Benedict smiled, the notion warmer than anything you deserved. “You look lovely, Miss Worthing. Especially for someone who escaped death with such recency.”

Anthony’s eyes remained on you the entire time, and more than anything you wished you could read this mind. The man probably hated you, and he had every right to do so. You just wished your feelings for him weren’t so insurmountable. 

You swallowed the lump in your throat and smiled as believably as you could. “Thank you, Mister Bridgerton. You also look well.”

Your mother nudged your shoulder and your gaze met Anthony’s once more. He still hadn’t looked away from you. 

You bowed your head once more. “Lord Bridgerton. It… is good to see you.”

No wonder you actually ended up falling in love with Anthony. It was the only way anyone could believe this ruse—you were quite an awful actress. 

Anthony lowered his head as well, his poise stiff. “A pleasure, Miss Worthing.”

“We’re glad to see you’re doing well,” Violet said, her smile a bit thin. You could only imagine the conversation that would occur between her and your mother later. “You caused us all quite a scare.”

“Oh, Anthony was so worried,” Daphne said, pressing a hand to her chest. “I’m thankful we have the chance to attend this ball so I could see you in person.” 

“I’ve recovered well,” you nodded, and you looked at Violet. “My family and I thank you immensely for your kindness and your doctor’s care. We’ll be in your debt endlessly.”

“There is no need for that,” Violet said. “It is enough that you are still here.”

Your cheeks burned but you tried to smile anyways. You wanted to burrow into a hole and never come out. It seemed the Bridgertons were capable of endless grace in public when they surely had to despise you. 

“Eloise has run off somewhere over near the strings,” Benedict provided in the silence. “I’m sure she would appreciate your companionship tonight.”

You glanced at your mother and she nodded, and your smile at Benedict was much more genuine. “Of course. I’ve been meaning to talk with her.” 

You mouthed thank you to him when your mother could not see, and he nodded. He’d always been so decent to you. 

You could not help but glance at Anthony as you went, and his gaze followed you. He would resent you if he had any sense, but it seemed the opposite—the sadness in his eyes was fatal.

You took a glass of lemonade from the refreshments table when you passed it, needing something to do with your hands. You found your way to Eloise’s side soon enough, and her eyes lit up when she caught sight of you.

“It is so good to see you,” she breathed. “I’ve only just arrived, and I’ve already had to fend off suitors. They just cannot seem to understand I hold such little care for them.” 

“I am just as glad to see you,” you admitted. “I do not think I can get through this night alone.” 

“I cannot imagine why,” Eloise said sarcastically. “I’ve heard the news. And I must say, it is your poorest decision this season.”

Your laugh was mostly out of surprise, and you nearly dropped the flute of lemonade you were holding. You were on edge far more than you expected—you almost wished your glass was full of champagne. 

“At least somebody is speaking plainly,” you murmured, your gaze distant and unfocused. “I think the rest of your family must hate me, but they’re all too kind to say it.” 

Eloise frowned. “Why would any of them hate you?” 

Your grip tightened on your glass. “Because I caused an immense scandal and then ended things with Anthony?”

She huffed a laugh, her eyebrows now rising. “Our family has weathered many a scandal, and we are still here. Or have you forgotten how Daphne’s dearest husband chose to court her?”  

“That is different,” you insisted. 

“I think it is worse, actually,” Eloise said plainly. “Simon is a duke, and Anthony nearly killed him before Daphne knocked some sense into him.” She chuckled and shook her head. “Truly, it was a disaster. We Bridgertons have a knack for them.” 

“As do I,” you said with a loose laugh. “I was stabbed, Eloise. I nearly died in your brother’s arms.” 

“And we nearly died in our drawing room,” she said. “Anthony, most of all. He cares for you immensely.” 

“Surely he cannot,” you insisted. “Not after what I’ve done.” 

“I am not blind,” Eloise said, “and neither are you. So do not demerit our intelligence and pretend as if you do not see it.” 

“I— I know.” You wrapped your arms around your midsection, and you grimaced as the jewelry on your wrists brushed against your skin. You were covered head to toe in finery that didn’t belong to you, and you itched from the inside out. “But I don’t know where to go from here.” 

“It’s quite obvious, isn’t it?” Eloise looked across the room, where Lord Cardew stood talking to your mother, and then over at her brother, who couldn’t have been less interested in the lady trying to strike up conversation with him. Then her gaze fell to you. “You’ve got a choice to make.” 

“I’ve already ruined things,” you murmured. “I— I can’t just back out of this.”

“I can tell you that you certainly haven’t ruined things with my brother. And Lady Whistledown’s speculation is the only thing binding you to that lecher.” Eloise shrugged. “You’ve already broken off one courtship. What’s another?”

Your eyes met Anthony’s from across the room. Once again, he’d already been looking at you. You averted your gaze quickly, feeling the heat rush to your face, and you tried to steady your breathing. He had no right to still have such an effect on you. 

“I need some air,” you murmured. “Will you—”

“Of course,” Eloise said. “You are simply touching things up in the powder room.”

You nodded your thanks and slipped out of the ballroom, finally able to drop the facade you’d been trying to uphold. You truly felt as if you were overheating, and the cool air was hardly of aid once you reached the outdoors.

Everything was all wrong—your dress, this damned tiara, the bracelets and the necklaces and every jewel that Cardew thought he could buy you with. 

It all belonged to him. You would not be another prize on his shelf. 

You couldn’t help yourself. You began to shed the jewelry as your pace sped up, ripping bangles from your wrists and pendants from your neck—by the time you reached a deserted area of the gardens, you were considerably lighter and considerably close to tears. 

You let out a frustrated sob as you slammed your fists against some artistic stone structure. It earned you nothing but pain, but it grounded you in some strange way. You tore off your gloves and threw them to the ground, a shaky breath escaping you as you screwed your eyes shut and  pressed your palms to your forehead. 

You could not marry traditionally, you could not follow through with your feelings for Anthony, and now you could not follow through with this ill-advised plan. 

Were you truly this useless? To bring ruin to two families with your knack for destroying things for it all to amount to nothing? You waxed poetic about the life you thought you deserved to live, about going to university and gaining your independence and never marrying, and yet here you were, near tears in the gardens of the ball you were meant to reenter society at. 

“Miss Worthing.”

The whispered words blared through the silence, and you knew who it was without having to turn around. It still sent a shock through you, your breathing faltering for a moment. Your eyes stayed shut. 

“Why are you here?” you asked, your voice watery. 

“You do not know me if you think there is anywhere else I would be,” he said. 

“How did you find me?”

“I followed the trail of jewels. You’ve left an awfully expensive path in your wake.”

“All of it is worthless,” you mumbled, finally letting your hands drop. “It all belongs to Lord Cardew.”

“You’ll have made a magpie very happy.” 

“Enough with the jokes,” you said. “Why are you here?” 

“Why do you think?” Anthony asked with a slight laugh. 

“I do not know,” you responded. “That is why I asked.” 

“I am here because I want to talk to you,” he said. “You cannot just avoid me for the rest of the season.”

You turned away. “I can try.”

“I will not let you,” Anthony enunciated. “I will not let you make the biggest mistake of your life because you believe it is your duty.”

“If you are here to change my mind, you are wasting your time,” you said stiffly. 

“I don’t believe I have to do anything,” Anthony said. “It looks as if you’ve come to the conclusion yourself.” 

“And what makes you think that?”

“You have not even glanced in Cardew’s direction this entire night,” he said. “You’ve been looking at me instead.” 

“Because I have felt your eyes on me with every moment.” 

Anthony huffed. “Can you blame me? This is the first time I have seen you since that night.” 

“Then you should remember my words from that night,” you bit out. 

“Why are you so intent on pushing me away?” Anthony begged. 

You scoffed. “Why are you so intent on bothering me?”

“Because I cannot stand here and watch you marry another!” he exclaimed.

Your brows furrowed and you turned around. Anthony stood in front of you, his outfit impeccable but not at all looking put together. Desperation colored his eyes, and you saw how truly undone he’d become. 

“I— I thought I could, but I cannot.” He shook his head, a muscle working in his jaw as he glanced away. “Every moment you are in the vicinity of that man is a test of my strength. And I do not know how strong I am.” 

“I don’t understand,” you said hollowly. “You should hate me.” 

“I could never hate you,” Anthony murmured. “I thought I could, when you first told me of your plans, but— but I could hardly even dislike you.” A wistful smile tugged at his lips as he shook his head. “My mother had been bothering me for nearly a decade to find a wife and settle down, but I thought love was a fool’s game. I would have my fun as a bachelor, and then settle down with the most advantageous match. There was no need for further emotional baggage—when you love, you can lose. And I refused to lose again.” 

For a moment, your heart stopped in your chest. He lost his father, he nearly lost you, and then you pushed him away like he meant nothing. 

“Anthony—” you whispered, but he shook his head. 

“Please,” he said. “I have a lot to say.” 

You nodded, and he did as well. 

“Our deal was perfect for that. You were nothing but my sister’s nuisance of a friend—a bad influence that I could never see as more.” You could not help your soft laugh, and Anthony’s smile turned a bit more genuine. 

“But then we spent more time together. I… truly began to know you.” He shook his head with a chuckle. “You shattered every preconception I had of you. I began to look forward to our meetings, to our promenades—I would get home from calling on you and could think only of the next time I would see you.” 

“Throughout it all, you made me realize I was worthy of love,” he said. “You— you made me realize that I wanted it. That I wanted you.” His throat bobbed, and you could see his eyes glistening. “That I loved you.” 

You could hardly find the strength to speak. You felt as if you could melt into a puddle at his feet just from his words. You were so intent on avoiding Anthony because you couldn’t stand the thought of hurting him anymore— you believed he would be better off without you, without the scandal you’d dragged him into. 

But he… he loved you. 

He loved you just as you loved him. 

“I do not expect you to share any of my notions, and I know you value your freedom more than anything,” Anthony murmured. “So if it is not me you wish to be with, I understand, and I will accept it without complaint. I just beg of you—do not become that wretched man’s wife.” 

All you could do was stare at him for a moment more, words beyond your reach before you finally managed to speak through your emotions. 

“I tried to tell myself the exact same thing,” you said softly. “That you could not be happy with me. That I could never be happy chained to another—truly, that I could never love. Not when freedom is what I have always desired most. But Anthony…” you moved forward until you were mere centimeters apart, unable to suppress the shiver that ran through you at the proximity, “I have never felt more free than when I am with you.” 

“Miss—” Anthony started, but he paused and shook his head before saying your first name instead. His eyes were softer than anything. “Are you truly…?” 

“I could never fathom you sharing my feelings,” you said thickly. “That is why I pushed you away. But I love you, Anthony Bridgerton. And I think I have loved you for quite some time.” 

You swallowed the sudden lump in your throat, turning away so as to not betray the fullness of your emotions, and though you opened your mouth to provide some excuse, you were not granted the chance. 

Anthony’s hand encircled your wrist, pulling you back around, and just as soon did you feel his lips against yours. The tightness in your chest dissolved almost immediately as you all but fell into him, Anthony wrapping his arms around you to support you as your hands found purchase on anything they could. 

Your focus became devoted solely to the feeling of him, his soft lips against yours even as they plied for access. Anthony held you as if his only desire were to protect you from the world, and it made you feel a way you’d never even imagined. Only when air became a necessity did he pull away, his labored breaths in contrast to the pure adoration in his eyes. 

“Never in a thousand years did I think you would feel the same,” he murmured, his hands cupping your face on either side as he gazed into your eyes. “I thought myself a fool, falling for the one woman I could not have. You’ve no idea the relief it brings to hear you share my feelings.”

“I suppose I am just as foolish as you,” you breathed. Your heart felt as if it could burst. 

The corners of his lips quirked up in a smile. “I cannot imagine what my mother would think—that after so long spent searching for a wife, I fell for the one woman who never wanted the title.” 

You let out an airy laugh, relishing the feeling of his skin against yours. “Nor did I see myself falling for the one man who resented the chains of marriage as much as I.” 

Anthony pressed his lips against yours once more, and your hands traveled up until they tangled in his hair. You kissed until you were nearly breathless, but Anthony still managed to pull a very unladylike sound out of you as he bowed his head, kissing down the line of your jaw, your neck, until his teeth nipped your skin just above your decolletage.

“Anthony,” you gasped, clenching your fingers as they buried themselves further into his dark locks. You had never been this close with a man before, never this intimate — you never thought you would even desire it. 

But Anthony lit a fire inside of you that only he could quench, and yet the only thing he seemed to do was stoke it further. It was equally maddening and dizzying, the control he so effortlessly had over you. 

“I never knew how much I would delight in hearing you say my name,” he murmured, his lips trailing against your skin. “No more Lord Bridgerton, I beg of you.”

“I should think I’d like to hear you beg—” you breathed, but Anthony cut you off yet again as he pulled you into another searing kiss. You could hardly stand it anymore as your hands fell down to his shoulders, and you pulled away for just a moment as you began desperately undoing his waistcoat, Anthony taking the hint and removing his jacket. 

“These buttons were not designed with the needs of a lady in mind,” you huffed in frustration, fumbling fingers failing to make progress, and Anthony chuckled breathlessly.

“Have we finally found something I best you in?” he asked, and you rolled your eyes with a smile.

“Just take it off.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Is that all?”

You groaned as you looked at him. “If you insist on teasing me this way, Lord Bridgerton, I shall go back inside and act as if nothing has happened.”

“There is no need for idle threats,” he defended, and you bit back your smile. Anthony made deft work of his waistcoat, and the second he tossed it aside he was back on you. 

“Besides,” his voice was a whisper a millimeter from your ear, and warmth blazed in your core, “I believe I told you to call me Anthony.”

“And I believe you should have to try harder than that.” You smiled into his kiss as you trailed your nails down his back, the thin fabric of his dress shirt doing little as you felt his involuntary shiver. 

“You’ve no idea the effect you have on me,” he groaned, once again dipping his head as he peppered even more kisses down your neck, sliding down the sleeve of your dress to allow himself better access. 

The night air on your newly freed skin did little for you, any coolness of the breeze instantly negated by the heat of Anthony against you. Your nails dug into his back as he moved down, each spot where his lips touched your skin erupting with fire. 

You gasped out his name, barely able to handle it—the feeling was so foreign yet familiar, as if you had been waiting all your life for Anthony in this way. 

You could hardly believe you nearly lost it of your own accord. 

“It appears I do not have to try hard at all,” he said, “the way you cry out for me.” 

You laughed breathlessly, though his words were indeed true. You knew, in this moment, that you would do anything for Anthony Bridgerton—and he would do anything for you. “How I fell for a man as irritating as you, I haven’t the slightest.” 

You caught the slightest glimpse of his grin before he ducked his head yet again, and he had only just begun pushing both sleeves of your dress down when a woman’s voice could be heard behind you. 

“Anthony— oh!” 

The unfamiliar voice struck fear into your heart you had never felt the likes of before. Anthony moved away from you quicker than you’d ever seen, you just as hasty as you tugged the sleeves of your dress back to where they belonged and attempted to smooth out everything that Anthony had so easily sullied. 

You’d never imagined this was how your reputation would be ruined, with Anthony Bridgerton in the gardens of some ball, but when you finally had the sense to look and see who had caught you in a most uncompromising position, you could hardly stifle your incredulous laugh. 

“Sister?” Anthony questioned in disbelief, so many emotions warring on his face you had to turn away to cover up your growing grin. 

“Anthony,” Daphne greeted in kind, fighting to conceal her smile as her eyes drifted to you. “Miss Worthing.” 

“Your Grace!” Your shaky fingers were hardly of use to you as you pulled your gloves back up to where they belonged and once again ran your hands down the skirt of your dress to smooth out the wrinkles. Your cheeks burned under her gaze and you were innately aware of the fire underneath your skin brought about by Anthony’s touch in contrast to the cool night air. “What brings you here?” 

“Mother was quite… nervous about tonight,” she explained. “She indulged in one too many glasses of champagne, so she is taking her leave with Benedict for aid. She requested I find you to alert you of her departure, but it seems she was not the one whose disappearance should have been questioned.” 

“I’m sure you know this is quite compromising.” Thinly veiled amusement crossed Daphne’s face as she eyed you pointedly. “I am afraid you must marry him at once Miss Worthing, else I shall have to duel you to protect my brother’s honor.” 

You laughed breathlessly as Anthony looked up at the sky, his face turning a deeper shade of red than you had ever seen. “Your Grace, are you suggesting that I have ruined him?” 

“Indeed I am,” she confirmed, and you could see how it took every muscle of her being to retain a serious image. “This is not a light matter, miss. I do not understand why you are laughing.” 

“Daphne,” Anthony groaned, avoiding her eyes as he occupied himself with his jacket. “Why do you insist on being a nuisance?” 

“Anthony,” she inflected his name the same way he did hers, “I cannot have this woman sullying your name! I know it was of no will of your own, but this can not stand as is. But do not worry; I am prepared to defend your honor to my last breath.” 

“My sincerest apologies for what I have done, Duchess Hastings,” you responded gravely. “I am prepared for pistols at dawn.” 

Anthony huffed as he buttoned his waistcoat back up then went to retrieve his jacket from the bushes. “You exaggerate, the both of you. This cannot be what I was like last season.” 

“You were worse, brother. But do not worry,” Daphne said with a grin, “I should think a taste of your own practices is only fair after all you put Simon and me through.”

Anthony sighed with a slight roll of his eyes. “I… suppose… that it is what I deserve.” 

“Thank you, brother,” she said. “I only wish we had a witness just so your confession is forever remembered.”

“I wish Mother had not sent you to seek me out,” he responded dryly. 

You and Daphne exchanged smiles with each other before your expression sobered slightly. “ I ask quite a bit of you with this, Your Grace, but… may I count on your discretion? I know we jest, but my reputation truly could not handle something like this. I do not know if…” you glanced at Anthony before looking back to her, “if we are yet ready to seal our union.” 

“Of course,” Daphne nodded, and a relieved smile tugged at your lips. “I shall not tell a soul.” 

“Thank you eternally, Your Grace,” you expressed, but at your short curtsy she shook her head.

“Please, call me Daphne.” She offered a smile of her own, slightly coy. “After what I have just witnessed, I’ve no doubt you will be joining our family soon enough.” 

“Sister!” Anthony scolded, and when you glanced at him his entire face was dusted pink, even the tips of his ears. It was enough to make you swoon. “You cannot just say things whenever you see fit.” 

Daphne merely shrugged, joyfully indifferent to her brother’s protests. “I outrank you now, dearest brother — I believe I can say whatever I see fit, particularly when it is the truth.”

“You are truly impossible,” Anthony muttered as he shook his head. 

Daphne just smiled before she looked back at you. “I believe it best if the two of you leave at separate times, so as to not allow room for any rumors. Miss Worthing, you should go first and return to your mother; you can claim you simply needed fresh air. Anthony and I will stroll around the grounds for a bit before allowing ourselves to be seen — we are simply catching up after such a stretch spent at Clyvedon.”

You nodded, taking a deep breath as you smoothed your mussed hair and wrinkled dress for the last time. Anthony certainly did a number on you, in more ways than one. “Thank you again, Your—” you caught yourself, correcting your error with a small smile, “Daphne. 

“You may count on me in the future whenever I am in London,” she reassured. “It is my hope anyway that I shall be able to welcome you to the family officially.”

“Daphne!” Anthony exclaimed yet again, glaring at her. “Might you take your leave so we may have a moment alone?” 

“I believe you just had quite a few moments alone,” Daphne said, but a pointed look from her brother had her conceding with a smile. “Alright. I will be by the trees when you need me.” 

Anthony turned to you with an odd look in his eyes when Daphne was out of hearing distance, and when he did eventually speak, his voice was far softer than usual. 

“Do you truly believe I would not marry you?” he asked, and the underlying hurt in his voice did not go unnoticed. “Even if there were not the risk of a scandal, I would not hesitate. My entire heart lies with you.”

“It is not you, Anthony,” you sighed with a slight shake of your head. “I do not… I do not know if I am even capable of marriage.” 

He frowned. “What do you mean?” 

“I have spent my entire life running from it,” you said, chuckling softly, “and yet, here I am, the one thing I never thought I would be.”

“In love,” Anthony realized, and you nodded. 

“It has always been easy enough to denounce marriage when I’d never experienced anything of the like. The union of my parents was for convenience rather than love, and for as long as I’ve been alive my mother has tried to drill it into my head that my feelings did not matter — so long as the man had the means to provide for me and was not completely awful, he was satisfactory.”

“A future like that— it was so completely absurd to me that denouncing it all was the easiest thing in the world. And then I nearly died and my entire world changed, and I decided that Cardew was the best option to allow myself to completely separate emotion from marriage, but now…” you looked at Anthony, feeling more vulnerable now than ever. “I have found a love in you I’ve never thought possible, and I cannot stop imagining a life with you. And that terrifies me more than anything.” 

“But…” you trailed off again and you turned away from him as you wrapped your arms around yourself. “But I do not know how to approach my future, especially one where we are so closely intertwined.” 

Silence hung in the air for a noticeable period before Anthony cleared his throat, and it was obvious the care he put into his words. 

“You know I never imagined I would marry for love. Truly, I never intended it—I expected to be miserable in marriage. I saw it as nothing more than another duty to take care of. I believed that love was trivial, a ridiculous distraction. You are the one who made me see differently.” 

You turned around with slightly wide eyes, your arms wrapped around your midsection doing little to ward off the cool night air that seemed far colder than it was before. Anthony’s gaze never left yours, the softness in his own at odds with the pure, unbridled passion. 

“I love you. Though I have only just allowed myself to accept the fact, you are someone that I cannot imagine living the rest of my days without. There was…” his throat bobbed as his voice crackled slightly, “there was a moment when I feared the worst, that you would permanently disappear from my life. And ever since you were all but brought back from the dead, I have known that you are the only woman I wish to be with. It is why as soon as I left you, I asked my mother for this.” 

Anthony took a box out of his pocket, and you gasped as he got down on one knee, your hands flying up to cover your mouth. 

“This is the ring my father proposed to my mother with, and their love was beyond anything I have seen before. But it is the love that I feel for you, something so strong, so overwhelming— something I never thought I would experience. And yet here I am, madly in love with the one woman who scorned me with every word, and only pursued me because of my brand as a lesser evil.” 

A laugh bubbled out of you, the sound slightly muffled through your gloves, and you could not help it as your eyes began to fill with tears. 

“I admire you; all of you. The part that loves her family with every part of her being, that looks out for those with less than her when those more fortunate turn a blind eye. The part that fights for the rights of her sex when it is so much easier to just bow one’s head, that puts her happiness on a rightful pedestal— the part that is so terrified to share herself with others and yet deserves a love of the purest form.”

“And I am aware of how the unknown is a fear of yours, as it is one of mine. But I assure you—” Anthony’s voice was filled with such passion, his eyes with such love, that you could hardly stand it, “—I will be there for you every step of the way. We will face our fears as one, and we will shape the future ourselves, not to be bound by anyone or anything.” 

“I do not know where my future will lead me, but I know I do not want to face a single second of it without you. If you do not feel the same, I understand, but I will not be able to live with myself if I do not at least try. It is why I ask you,” Anthony said your name with more love than ever before, “will you marry me?”

“Yes,” you sobbed, a smile breaking across your face even as tears of joy streamed down your cheeks. “Yes, yes, I will marry you!”

Anthony let out a sigh of relief as he grinned, and after he slid the ring on your finger he stood up and pulled you into a breathless kiss. Nothing picture perfect like you’d heard about as a young girl, the kind of effortless gentleman’s act— Anthony kissed you with pure passion, love, desire, and it nearly brought you to your knees. You thought it would have, were it not for Anthony’s strong arms wrapped around your waist, pressing you against him and supporting you. 

You could hardly believe the same man who treated you as if you were glass after your injury was the one standing before you now, the one who handled you in such a way that could get the both of you exiled were anyone to see—the one that you thought hated you.  

And you were more than willing to allow it to continue, to surrender yourself fully to your baser instincts, when you remembered something that made your eyes widen.

“Your sister,” you murmured between kisses until you finally managed to pull away, albeit reluctantly. “Daphne is still waiting.”

Anthony laughed breathlessly as he pulled you back in, and your earlier protest was shown to be completely nonsensical. “Let her wait.” 

You grinned as he peppered kisses down your neck, enjoying the sensation until you pushed him away. “Anthony.” 

He groaned. “Why must you be a better person than I?”

“Believe when I say it pains me,” you said. “But the last thing we need is yet another scandal by my hand.” 

“Let them know,” he said, taking your hands in his. “Let all of London know that I love you, that we will be wed. I do not care what we have to face so long as we face it together.” 

“The thought has never been so tempting,” you murmured. “But you should at least alert your sister. It would be improper to make her wait out here all night for nothing.” 

His grip tightened on your hands. “So you do wish to leave together?” 

“Anthony, I just accepted your proposal,” you said with a laugh. “I wish to spend the rest of our lives together.” 

“I believe tonight is a good place to start, then,” he grinned. 

Anthony would not let you leave his side, so you went to Daphne together. First she saw your smile, then her gaze drifted down to your hand—she looked knowingly at her brother, though she could not hide her smile either. 

“It would appear as if I was right,” she mused. “I am always right when it comes to you though, Anthony, so it is not much of a surprise.” 

“Do not mock me,” Anthony said. “I could have left you waiting by the bushes all night.” 

“If you had not proposed to her after the conversation we had the other day, I would have questioned your sense,” Daphne said. “Trust me, I would not have been here long.” 

Your eyebrows rose. “What conversation?” 

“We do not need to start on this,” he said with a pointed look at his sister. “I have already bared my entire soul tonight. I do not need my sister embarrassing me further.” 

“Oh, I would never,” Daphne drawled. “After all, there will be plenty of time for us to gossip together when I come to visit you all.” 

“Won’t you be busy with your child?” Anthony asked. 

She shrugged. “You may be busy with one as well by the time I see you again.” 

You looked at Anthony only to find his gaze was already on you. There must have been some shred of doubt in your eyes, because he only took your hand in his. 

“I meant what I said,” he murmured. “We will take things as slowly as you desire.” 

You swallowed the sudden lump in your throat and nodded as you squeezed his hands—you knew what was expected of you as a wife, and you wanted it with Anthony, but you could not lie and say that his reassurances did not bring you relief. 

“My best wishes to the new Viscountess Bridgerton,” Daphne said, her voice full of affection as she clasped her hands together. “It is an honor to have you join our family.” 

“It is an honor to be accepted,” you said, bowing your head. 

Daphne smiled. “I assume you want to reveal this on your own terms.” 

You nodded. “I’ve dealt with enough attention from the ton lately.” 

“I am afraid to say that will not go away,” she said wryly. “But I will cover for the two of you.” 

You pressed a hand to your chest. “Thank you.” 

“It is only proper to welcome my sister in such a way,” she said with a wink, and you could not help but smile. “Now run along, you two. Before rumors start.” 

Anthony chuckled, and the two of them embraced before you started on your way.

“Viscountess Bridgerton,” Anthony murmured in your ear. “I love the sound of that.” 

You hummed in agreement. “As do I.” 

You laid your head on Anthony’s shoulder as you walked back with your hands intertwined—not to the ball, but to a carriage for the promise of time alone. You glanced over at Anthony and he smiled, and you pulled him to a stop as you pressed a kiss to his lips. He responded with hunger, the same vigor he displayed when you first stepped into the gardens together, and you could hardly believe he still had it left in him. 

Far too many minutes passed as you kissed and kissed and kissed, not a single care in the world of someone catching you. What could they do? You’d already endured enough scandal to weather anything, and there was no way to punish you and Anthony — you were already engaged. 

Your lips were sure to be bruised once you finally pulled away, Anthony gazing at you with complete adoration as he brushed a strand of hair behind your ear. 

“I cannot believe you are to be my wife,” he murmured. 

“I cannot believe you are to be my husband,” you breathed. “When will we reveal it?” 

“Tomorrow,” he said, intertwining your hands with his own. “Tomorrow, we will tell everyone, and we will deal with everything that comes along with it. But tonight…” 

“It is our secret.”

Anthony nodded. “Tonight, we start the rest of our lives together.” 

“The rest of our lives together,” you murmured. 

Truly, it sounded like a dream. Months ago you could not even consider the thought of marriage without an air of disgust—now, here with Anthony, you could not stop thinking about the fact that you were to be his wife. 

The rest of your life with Anthony would be anything but simple.

And yet, somehow, you could not think of anything more perfect.

-

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