#the boys mom is named renata you can see she signed her name at the end of the letter

[wraenata]

WH. HELLO FELLOW WREN. HOW ARE YOU LIKE THE 5TH PERSON IVE MET THATS ALSO NAMED WREN(NOT NEGATIVE)

Hi wren-idkfeather! Wren is a great name isnt it?

So Wren is actually the name I give myself in video games for many years now. It's actually based on my middle name which is based on my great grandma.

My great grandmas parents wanted a boy to name Ray, but they got a girl instead. So they named her Raenata so they could call her Rae.

However the traditional spelling is actually Renata which is how my parents accidentally spelled it. So my name is spelled wrong but also spelled right 😅

I'm a big bird lover so Renata evolved to Wren 🪶

I think someone has the wrenata username so wraenata works for me as well as it's how my name was originally meant to be spelled!

And thats the origin of my name ❤️

[whmsycal]

Big Little not-so-secret Chp. 4

It’s been a while!

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Celeste looked up at the large, very large glass dome that surrounded her. A small little smile started to appear and it grew wider as she looked around. Jane watched her from the other side. She watched as Celeste placed her palms on the glass dome, moving closer to the glass, scouting out for the many different fish. Her hair was out and long against her back. She was wearing a taupe, flowy maxi-dress with her heeled sandals. She also wore  a satchel which had a stuffed animal hanging on the top. She unconsciously touched the monkey, making sure it was safe and stable. The boys had just won it for her the hour ago. And then she sighed and closed her eyes. She started to lean her forehead forward.

      “Mom,” she felt a shake of her hand, “can we go to the sharks next?” Jane looked from Celeste to her little prince and smiled.

      “Yeah of course. Max, Josh, you wanna come?” They nodded and Jane looked back at Celeste.

      “Hey Bab—“ Jane stopped herself firmly. The wind had just got knocked out her momentarily.  Jane leaned against the glass and breathed. What was happening to her? Madeline looked from the fish that she was criticizing and saw Jane leaned against the glass wall suddenly with a hand to her face.

      “Jane?” Madeline went over to inspect her friend. Celeste perked up at the sound of her name and immediately rushed back over reaching there before Madeline. Celeste went in front of her and brought up her face in her hands. She looked in her eyes.

      “Are you alright sweetie?” Celeste asked, tilting her head and inspecting her entire being. Jane closed her eyes and nodded. She moved from Celeste’s warm and soft hands and breathed. Madeline watched as Celeste passed a hurt look on her face, but quickly devoiced it and clasped her hands together.

     “I was just a little light headed. Don’t worry about me,” she chuckled and held out her hands.

     “The boys wanted to go to the sharks,” Max and Josh went for her hands and Ziggy was looking up at her, worried like his mom’s friends were right now.

      “We’ll be back,” she nodded at them and walked away. She left Celeste and Madeline pondering over what just happened. Madeline turned to Celeste, who was silent.

      “What just—“

      “I don’t know,” Celeste pressed her lips together.

/

        Jane sliced through the fish, so that she could pull out all of bones in the fish presented in front of Ziggy. She was seating at the polar end of the large table that housed the five moms and six children. And Celeste was at the other end. She was too busy slicing the chicken of the boys, but that didn’t stop her from the constant glances at Jane while she was doing that and holding conversations with her friends around her. It didn’t stop her at all.

      After the slip-up Jane almost made in the aquarium, she was quiet for the rest of the day, only responding to the jokes that were told with laughter, the conversations with the boys she nodded or shook her head as answers for the questions they had. She realized that she almost, almost called Celeste ‘Baby’ and that was unacceptable to have almost had done that. Celeste was not her baby and it wasn’t even the time or place to do that. She wondered if she ever did it before unconsciously.

Oh God.

      She wondered if she did for the past weeks, also wondering about any other pet names that she gave her or Celeste even said to her. What was going on? She was really and truly fond of Celeste. She was her best friend, for fuck’s sake. They made romantic things completely platonic. It felt good. The platonic and romantic. That hit Jane.

She was doing romantic things with Celeste that she didn’t even know. But she shook her head at the thought.

    Friends can have sleepovers every night with their children; they can also have their own solo lunches and dinner together and with their children. Friends can touch and be comfortable with each other. They can talk until the late hours of the night. They can call each other by pet names and be platonic about it. Friends can leave lingering kisses on cheeks and hands hovering over backs a little too long without it being weird. Friends can wake up next to…each…other.

     Jane inhaled sharply and realized the line blurred with her and Celeste. Were they just friends? They were practically building a life together when she stayed over for a week. Kelly was used to the fact that Ziggy was there. What?

     For the rest of the day, she tried to stay away from Celeste. She wanted to give her space. She wanted space actually. This can not happen. She would like it happen, but…this was her best friend and Celeste Wright. She was heterosexual. She had a husband. She was wanted by everyone in town, mostly men, so why would she want Jane. She wasn't nearly as successful as she was; they were complete opposites.

     She sulked from the walk from the aquarium to the hotel rooms they booked for the day. She and Celeste shared a room with the boys. So you can imagine when Celeste came out of the bathroom with a towel around her and her hair wrapped. The boys were watching television and not paying attention, but Jane was paying attention. All of them were ready. Jane and Ziggy were the first to get dress and Celeste got her boys dressed so now it was her turn, but they had a while before the actual reservations. Jane was on her phone when Celeste came out looking for her complete outfit she stored in the closet. Jane inhaled sharply softly and sighed. Her eyes drifted from her phone to see water slowly cascading down the tan skin of her…best friend. Jane’s center pulsated and she got butterflies. She moved her eyes back in time, before Celeste looked at her and sighed. She came over and sat on the bed, touching Jane’s ankle.

       “Hey, are you okay? You’ve been distant today, literally,”

       “I’m fine; it’s just…work,” she lied but Celeste saw right through it. She laid a hand on Jane’s hand, but Jane moved it and smiled. Celeste’s heart broke and tears threatened to surfaced, but she only smiled back while she rubbed her fingers together. She only had a few seconds before…

        “You can talk to me Jane,”

 “I know I can,” Celeste nodded and moved away from her at normal pace. She retrieved her outfit and went back into the bathroom. As she closed the door, two tear drops left her eyes.

      Celeste’s eyes glanced up at Jane, who was looking at her phone in silence. Ziggy was eating his food and smiling with Chloe on the side of him. Jane felt Celeste’s eyes on her and she continued to stare at her phone until she actually put it down and got up.

      “Hey guys, if you’ll just excuse me,” she forced a chuckle. She rest her napkin on the table and left. She held her head, pulling her hair out of the tight ponytail. Madeline looked across the table at the others and shrugged her shoulders. They all waited for Celeste to get up or something, but she just looked at Jane leaving, then her chair and down at her plate. She continued to eat her own food.

      “This dinner is fabulous,” Renata said, putting down her silverware, to fill the moment. Bonnie nodded and picked up her glass of water. She took a sip, looking around at the place, and put it down.

      “Where did you find this place Celeste? I love the decor. It’s giving me inspiration to start a collection of abstract art, but to do it myself of course. I’m not going to be a consumer gerbil for anyone,” She smiled. Celeste looked up and chuckled.

     “Well, when I first moved into town 7 years, I spent a few days the very hotel where we’re at and I just decided to go walking for the night. I saw the sign of the restaurant and I walked in and looked at the menu. Luckily, they had one seat available and i said this must be fate that I came here. You know?” She asked.

      “I always look back on that day and decide that chair was meant for me and I’m meant to be here with all of you,” She looked at everyone and they looked on at her with love in their hearts for her. Jane was walking back to the table with her hair cascaded down her shoulders. She smiled and said, “sorry,” as she sat back down and put the napkin on her lap.

         “No worries, Celeste was just telling us how she came about this restaurant,”

         “The one where she’s meant to be here, yeah I heard it on our date with the boys,” she nodded, looking started to cut her food, but then stopped and realized what she just said. She looked up and everyone was looking at her.

       “You know…our last meeting, dinner with boys, not an actual date with-with-ha, anyways, yeah, “ she drank her water, sitting back in seat. ‘Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, shut your mouth Jane,’ she didn’t dare look at Celeste. Celeste looked calm, but inside she was disappointment. Her insides sagged at the way Jane invalidated their date. It was a date…just with their sons. But…Celeste put down her knife and fork. She raised her glass.

       “I want to make a toast. I’m so glad we’re here today and I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else,” the kids ‘awwed’ and the moms raised their glasses; Jane a little lower than everyone else but she did it nevertheless. Celeste looked at Jane as she sipped her wine and Jane looked too, but she lowered her eyes.

 ‘What’s wrong Jane?’ Celeste wanted to scream.

/

          The boys ran into the apartment with all of their bags. Celeste blew her bangs out of her face, moving into the living room. She kicked off her heels and pulled her hair up in a bun. Jane lingered at the door with her coat still on. She moved in to the apartment slowly. She wanted to leave. She didn’t want to have a sleepover tonight. She didn’t want to do this right now.

      “I think I’m going to take a raincheck Celeste?” Celeste’s head perked up from the chair and she got up. She moved around the couch.

      “What? No! I…The boys wanted to watch movie and I was hoping…” She motioned upstairs and then to the tv a few feet away from her.       “I don’t feel like it tonight. If you don’t mind, Ziggy can stay and I’ll be back for him in the morning. I just need to be by myself right now,” Jane’s hands were in her pocket. She didn’t look at Celeste          “All day you’ve been like this Jane. I tell you you can talk to me, but you don’t want to; what’s wrong? What happened to you today? Tell me!”          “No! It doesn’t concern you!” Celeste looked at her in disbelief and she scoffed, but she didn’t say anything. She pressed her lips together to stop her self from saying something, but it slipped.

         “You’re selfish! You close yourself off when you have a friend to talk to! You don’t have to suffer in silence so why do you continue to do it? I thought we went over this some few weeks ago! You have friends, people who love you, people who want to listen to you and you just distance yourself!” Celeste shouted but she swallowed, realizing that she just did that.

        “And I don’t feel like talking. But what about you? You fucking suffered in silence, why didn’t you tell anyone that you were being abused before but we had to figure out that night and then it all happened!”

‘Stop Jane, stop! Jane! STOP’

        “Why didn’t you tell your support system! You have friends too! Why are you attacking me! Because I don’t want to talk to you? What if I don’t want to talk to you!” She stopped and realized… Celeste’s eyes were filled to the brim with tears. She looked away from Jane and turned around and nodded.

       “Get out, go. I don’t care,” She raised her hands in finality and moved to sit back down in the chair.        “Celeste no; I”m so sorry!” Jane came forward.

       “No you’re not! You had that on your mind, now it’’s off and in the open, now get out. GO!” Her voice cracked and the tears were free. Jane blew a breath and moved backwards.

       “Ziggy!” Jane called and he came downstairs. He looked at his aunt Celeste sitting still with tears coming down her face. He looked at his mom who had a guilty and sad expression on her face.

       “Hey bug, get your things, we can’t have a sleepover tonight,” He didn’t argue. He nodded and went back up stairs. They heard the groans of the boys and a few moments later, he came downstairs with all of his things. He looked between his mom and his aunt.

       “Bye aunt Celeste,” Celeste smiled and nodded, not looking at him. He looked to his mom, his face turning red. He moved past her to the door and opened it. She followed him and they left together. The door closed and Celeste cried even more and she buried her face in her hands.

      “Mom?” she snapped up and saw the twins on the staircase watching her. She wiped her tears and got up, smiling.

       “Hey, why don’t we watch the movie in my room?” She tried hard to remove her tears. When she came to the bottom of the staircase, they turned to her.        “Why did Ziggy have to leave?” Max asked, fidgeting with his hands.        “He just had to sweetie, let’s go,” she came up the stairs and moved them along to their room to get ready for the movie and then bed.

/

           Renata felt it. The shift.

       She looked between the two moms during the parent teacher conference meeting. Jane was sitting by herself in the front row with her hair down. Celeste was sitting in a sit completely far away from her. Madeline, at the time of deciding who to go to, just sat with her husband, so did  Bonnie. They all locked eyes with each other at some point during the meeting. Celeste was reading the pamphlet they gave out and Jane was fidgeting, something that wasn’t new, but hadn’t occurred in a while. The council were talking about the changes in the classroom other things that would be changing after the midterm break. The parents in the room gave a collective sigh. Midterm.

      Celeste smiled at them. She was going to be taking her boys to their cottage in Aspen for the week. She was really excited to go. She was going to lose all communication then as well. It would just be her family. The boys. She, unfortunately, thought of Jane and Ziggy. She was going to invite them, but…anyway; it had been a week an a half and the ripple between the two moms was growing and growing.

     Celeste stopped coming out to carry the boys out herself, so she just dropped them off. She carried herself to work and would work from 9 until 5 in the afternoon. She had Kelly pick them up at three and stayed until she reached home. At this rate, she might put her on for full time. She just wanted to work to the best of her ability. She didn’t want to confront anyone about why they hadn’t seen her. She didn’t want to talk. She just wanted to work. And it was paying off well. It was almost a month.

         The house was gone. It was sold. Their life there was finished and she was grateful. The money went in to the bank account which was never to be touched unless of emergencies. It also became the boy’s college fund.

       Jane didn’t tell any of the moms what happened, because it wasn’t their business. She even started to drop Ziggy off even earlier and find more work to do. She found loads of people that needed a book-keeper and that kept her business for the majority of her days. She would only take break when Madeline would call and invite her for a lunch or a snack or a midday drink, but other than that she was to herself, working, occupying her mind and not trying to think of how she absolutely fucked her relationship with Celeste.

      She said words that she did not mean; she couldn’t believe they came out of her mouth, but they did and now she was fucked. She didn’t know how to work it out. She…didn’t give up on trying how to work it out, it’s just…she guess she wanted to give her time. She needed time. The relationship was friendship at best; it wouldn’t change into anything else and Jane understood that. It wasn’t fair to play into the ‘playing house’ game with her when nothing was going to happen. They weren’t going to fall in love and raise three boys together and die old together.

Fairytales, sometimes, didn’t exist and that was a fairytale that she took away from herself before she actually got hurt.

     Jane moved to stretch her body. She was confined to the small little chair. She leaned over, listening to the council talk. She wanted to leave so bad. For the midterm, she was going to take Ziggy to her parents and then maybe another city. She had been working so hard and with the money she saved up in a matter of days, she wanted to treat him and herself.

       Once the conference was over, she looked around and saw her friends with their husbands and Celeste sitting by herself. Jane frowned and turned to get out there. She moved stealthily but Madeline caught her.

      “Hey speed racer, where are you off to in such a hurry?” She asked. Jane smiled and put her hands into her pockets.

      “Just home for dinner with Zig,” She said, looking around. Celeste was still in her seat, but Renata was by her. She looked back at Madeline.

     “Jane, my sixth sense is tingling. Something is wrong, what’s going on?” she asked, turning Jane around and moving out of the building.

      “Nothing’s wrong,”

      “Why can’t Renata, Bonnie and I see both, you and Celeste, in the same place anymore,”

      “We just had a little argument. We’re giving each other space; I don’t know. I have more work to do. I don’t have time to chat everyday. Listen Madeline, I really have to go, but I’ll call you tonight, okay?”

        “Yeah okay, talk to you later,” She watched her move quickly and disappeared in to the night. Then, she saw Celeste walking past her feverishly in the same direction.

      “Celeste!” Madeline waved to her, but Celeste looked back and waved, “I can’t talk but I’ll call you,” she said, wrapping her arms around herself. She went in a different direction and…disappeared into the night as well.

        “Lunch tomorrow,” Renata said, coming up from behind Madeline. She turned and tilted her head.

        “Something’s wrong, isn’t it?” she asked. She heard Bonnie say to Ed that she’d be right back and there she was on the side of her.

           “From the dinner something was wrong,” Bonnie added, wrapping her shoal around her.            “Hell from the aquarium something was off,” Madeline pointed at the moment Jane started to act weird.

           “What do you think it is?” Bonnie asked, looking between the two of them.

           “Don’t know, but lunch tomorrow and we can conspire, yeah?” Renata asked them. Bonnie smirked and nodded. Madeline shrugged, “ A free bird I am, so I’m in,”        

/

      “I think they’re fighting,” Bonnie said, putting the fork filled with vegetables in her mouth.

       “Duh Bonnie, we’re trying to figure out why they’re fighting. They were pretty much at each’s beck and call these past few weeks,” She sipped her water. They were at Chez Pierre’s, an exquisite restaurant Renata always came to when she had lunch business meetings. She sliced her steak with her silverware and placed a small strip into her mouth.

       “I bet it’s something with Perry…” Renata said aloud. They all stopped and nodded at the possibility. It had to be that.

       “It could be that their personalities clashed on a certain topic and they’re fighting because both of them think they’re, themselves, are right,” Bonnie added. They thought about that too. When you see Jane and Celeste, it was a really odd paring: petite yet muscular brunette Jane and tall, beautiful ginger Celeste, but they worked.

       “Although they look quite different and personalities are, very much, different, they just fit together, you know…I can see them together, with the boys, as a family,” Renata elaborated, “Remember when Max got that bruise on the beach, how Jane swooped in and took care of it as if he was was her son and she, was his mom. Oh! And Celeste and Ziggy in the limo going to the aquarium, he was leaning on her as she read his story book. They’re…good together,”

       “So all of us are okay with this?” Bonnie asked.        “I mean it’s not my life, but I am okay; I support them,” Madeline

       “Love is love and I accept my gays,” Renata said.

       “Lesbians,” Madeline corrected.

       “Don’t assume their sexuality! For all we know Celeste is bisexual and so is Jane,” Bonnie interjected. She huffed and and leaned back in her chair.

       “But now that I’ve come to remember Jane would date anyone she saw would be her match. She’s pansexual. I know cause she told me,” Madeline shrugged.

“So what happened?” Madeline chimed in. She looked around the table at her best friends who looked conflicted. The two women had cliqued and they kept to themselves, not really sharing their information between each other to the others, so it was difficult, like a needle in hay.

       “Could it be that one of them realized how they are? Remember the last dinner, one of us wondered if they knew how they looked when they were together…” Bonnie widened her eyes, leaning on the table.

       “Seems possible, but if one knew then they would have to talk about it with the other, wouldn’t they? If that happened, they should be together not avoiding each other like the black plague,” Madeline explained.

        “I think…something was said about a certain topic, Perry was brought up and then someone blamed someone, I don’t know who, but I feel like that’s it. That night and the funeral and everything, although it was months ago, it’s still, very much, fresh and not going anywhere, anytime soon,” she lowered on the last part. Bonnie nodded, looking between them, but still averting her eyes.

         “Well…whatever they have going on…I do hope that they fix it. We can’t be separated, not now…I don’t want to,” Madeline grimaced. These were the best friends she could ever hope for.

         “A toast…” Madeline raised her glass and Bonnie and Renata raised their own.

   “To Celeste and Jane, I hope they find one another soon,”

[ericsonclan]

A Heart Full of Love

Summary: Minnie and Sophie go on patrol and find a bandit camp where a young child is held.

Word Count: 2000+

Read on AO3:

Minnie walked forward towards the stables with Sophie. It was a pretty simple task they had to complete today: patrol around the walls of the Kingdom of Ericson and check  to see whether there were any weak points around it.

“Man, I’m so excited for lunch,” Sophie’s bright voice drew Minnie’s attention. “Then I can spar with Marlon and go flower picking with Raylan and Marley.” Sophie began to list activity after activity while she prepared Hullabaloo for travel while Minnie prepared Nightshade. Soon the steeds were saddled up and ready for patrol.

“Mom! Wait!” Raylan’s voice made Sophie look back just in time to see her five year old son. Raylan tackled her in a hug. A moment passed before Marley appeared, nearly falling as she also ran to hug her mom. “You can’t leave without good luck hugs,” Raylan looked up with a smile, his wild red hair getting in the way of his blue eyes.

“You’re right. Silly me!” Sophie returned the hug, picking up both her kids and spinning them around in a hug. Marley and Raylan laughed, their wooden swords at their hips clinking against their mom’s armor.

“I want to give a good luck hug too!” Marlon jogged forward with a loving smile. He quickly joined the family hug before giving Sophie a soft kiss. “Be safe.”

“I will, I promise. I gotta get back in time for flower picking,” Sophie smiled over at Marley who was jumping up and down with such excitement her blonde hair was falling forward and covering her face.

“Do I get good luck hugs too?” Minnie looked over at her niece and nephew with a smile. Raylan and Marley both gasped.

“Yeah, Auntie Minnie gets a hug too!” Marley ran forward first and hugged Minnie before Raylan joined in a few seconds later. Minnie gave a soft laugh and hugged her niece and nephew tightly.

“Minnnnnnniiiieeee!” Renata’s voice called out as she scampered forward, skidding to a halt in front of her wife. “Whew, I thought I was too late for a second there! I was so busy making you this for good luck I lost track of the time,” Renata held up a white handkerchief that had an embroidered design of red and pink flowers on the side.

Minnie stared at the gift with awe and gently took it from her wife. “Ren, it's beautiful. Thank you,” Minnie smiled over lovingly at Renata. Renata returned the smile then quickly captured the knight’s lips in a soft, tender kiss. Minnie pulled back and looked into Renata’s eyes. “I’ll be back soon.”

“I’ll be waiting,” Renata answered then ran over at Sophie and wrapped her in a hug. “You better be safe too,”

“I will, I will,” Sophie reassured her best friend who took a step back and walked back over to her love. Sophie gave her kids some quick kisses then got up on her steed. “We should be heading out, Minnie,”

“Right,” Minnie cupped Renata’s face and gave a quick kiss before hopping onto Nightshade.

“We’ll be back soon,” Sophie took Marlon’s hand and placed a gentle kiss on top of it then proceeded to follow MInnie who led the way. The two trotted side by side until they reached the gate.

“We are heading out to do a quick patrol,” Minnie explained to the gatekeeper who nodded and quickly worked to open up the gates. Minnie guided Nightshade forward once the gates were opened and the twin knights roamed out into the land ruled by the living dead. Sophie soon joined her sister’s side again, unsheathing her blade and slicing down a walker that had taken an interest in Hullabaloo's tail.

“It's a nice day for a ride around the walls,” Sophie smiled brightly as she led the way, moving clockwise around the perimeter.

“Yeah, it is,” Minnie followed behind, using her broadsword to slice a member of the living dead’s head clean in half. Flicking off the blood, the knight galloped forward and took out another one. Her crossbow gently clanked against her back as she slowed down her steed.

“Aww, no fair. I wanted to take down that one.” Sophie commented then spotted a living dead that was currently brushing its hands against the kingdom’s walls. Sophie clicked her heels against her steed’s sides and rode forward. With a broad swing she sliced through the creature’s gut and ran her sword all the way up through its skull. Trotting around, Hullabaloo snorted and shook his mane. “Sorry, Hullabaloo, moved you a bit too fast there,” Sophie gave an apologetic look to her steed then rejoined Minnie.

“It seems like there’s a few more than usual,” Minnie pointed out as she sliced through a creature’s hands before decapitating it. With a quick pull of the reins she guided Nightshade to crush the living dead’s still twitching skull.

“Yeah, I wonder what's up with that. We haven’t had to deal with a herd of the living dead in some time though, so maybe that’s it,” Sophie’s grip on the reins tightened. She had to make sure the walls were secure enough so that her family and friends were safe.

Minnie picked up on the tense aura her twin was radiating. “It’s going to be okay, Soph. We’ll check the walls; no creature or man will breach them,” She reached out and gently patted Sophie’s back.

“You’re right,” Sophie trotted forward, her red cloak blowing gently in the wind. The two continued their work, patrolling around the walls and checking each area. From the looks of it everything was secure. Those in charge of keeping up the walls’ maintenance were doing an excellent job. The twin knights were nearly all the way around the walls when suddenly Minnie spotted something. A fairly large patch of the living dead were roaming around aimlessly by a small forest only a short distance from the kingdom.

“Sophie,” Minnie glanced over and saw the look of worry in Sophie’s eyes.

“I see them. We better take them out. Don’t want them attracting any more of the creatures back towards home,” Sophie lightly clicked her heels and galloped forward. Minnie soon followed and closed the distance between them. Sophie harshly cut down a member of the living dead before one of Minnie’s bolts thunked into the skull of a walker beside her.

“Thanks,” Sophie smiled then redirected Hullabaloo and cut down another creature. Minnie galloped forward and quickly dealt with a small patch of four, slicing through the waist of one before jabbing her sword directly into the creature’s mouth and flicking her sword upwards, ending its frail existence.

Sophie worked to clear out the few that remained on her side. Swinging out her sword, she embedded it in the thick skull of a member of the living dead. Another was fast approaching the redheaded knight. Sophie took her foot out of the stirrup and pushed back the creature with a mighty kick. It stumbled back with an unnerving groan and reached out its hands blindy when suddenly Minnie appeared behind it and stabbed it through the back of its skull. It fell to the ground limp and lifeless as its brain matter and lifeblood seeped out of the hole the knight had created.

“That should be all of them,” Minnie sheathed her blade and looked over her armor to make sure she had not gotten bit. Sophie quickly did the same before giving a thumbs up. They had both made it out of that fight safely.

“Well, we should head back before the others-”

“Wait, be quiet,” Minnie cut off Sophie’s sentence and held up a hand. The younger twin grew silent as Minnie listened. “Do you hear that?”

Sophie listened to the wind. She heard the sounds of squirrels running around, crickets, a nearby river and... crying?  The twins shared a look. In an instant they began to guide their steeds further into the forest. If there was even a small chance that someone needed help, they were going to provide it. That was their duty as knights and what their hearts had told them to do.

Nightshade and Hullabaloo soon moved the knights towards a small river. Minnie’s eyes wandered around, trying to find the shallowest point to cross over. “There,” She motioned her head towards a part of the small river. Sophie nodded and let the way, The water splashed as the horses trotted through it before it got up near the top of their legs. The knights travelled through the water until they soon crossed to the other side.

The sounds of distress were louder now. It sounded like a young child. Minnie and Sophie quickly moved forward and wandered through the forest. The smell of smoke grew stronger the further they ventured forth. The sounds of the living dead echoed around them. Their unearthly moans drifted on the air. Nightshade was getting slightly spooked.

“It’s okay, Nightshade. Just a bit further,” Minnie reassured her steed as she pet her mane. The black horse seemed to calm down a bit from its rider’s words and trotted forward. Minnie’s eyes scanned the area around them for any signs of the living dead when she heard a horrified gasp from her sister’s lips.

Looking over, she saw Sophie’s eyes shake with emotion at the sight in front of her. Minnie followed her twin’s gaze and saw what looked to be an abandoned bandit hideout. In the center was crackling fire; some logs soon fell down from the flames and caused sparks to fly in the air. Surrounding the pit of flames were corpses upon corpses. Their blood pooled onto the ground, staining it deep red. Off to the side was a cage made of wood and rope and inside was a young boy looking around Raylan’s age. His brown eyes shone with tears as he cautiously reached out his hand towards Minnie and Sophie.

“Please,” His voice trembled as his reddish hair stuck to his tear-stained face. “Help me,”

Minnie immediately jumped off her horse and moved forward. Her guard was completely down; all of the attention and worry was on the child before her. “It’s going to be okay. My sister and I will take you back to a safe place.” Minnie’s eyes locked with his and in a moment he knew he could trust her.

“O-Okay,” The boy sniffled and pushed back his hair.

“My name is Minnie. What’s yours?” the knight asked as she moved closer to the cage.

“Timothy.” The boy answered and shuffled away when Minnie knelt before him. Slowly she reached for her sword and noticed Timothy flinch.

“This is just to cut the ropes to free you. I won’t hurt you. I promise.” Minnie’s words calmed him down and he gave a nod.

“My sister’s super nice,” Sophie gave a bright smile and hopped off of Hullabaloo. “And the kingdom we’re going back to has the best food and the nicest people.” Sophie’s friendliness made Timothy smile.

“Do you have any family? Or…” Minnie grew silent after she saw the boy’s expression and focused her attention back on the task at hand as she sliced through the ropes.

Timothy shook his head. “They died when I was younger. I don’t have anyone.” Timothy mumbled. His eyes grew large when the rope had been fully cut and the cage opened.

Minnie smiled softly at him before she noticed the gash on his collarbone and the dirt and dried blood on his face.

“Soph, grab my water pouch and that old rag,” Minnie instructed and her twin listened. Grabbing the water pouch off of Nightshade’s saddle, she tossed it over to Minnie. “I’m just going to clean off the dirt and blood, okay?” Minnie looked towards Timothy who gave a short nod.

Sophie jogged forward and held open the cage door while Minnie held out her hand. Timothy looked towards Sophie then towards Minnie. He looked at her gentle blue eyes and slowly reached out his hand towards her. WIth a light pull Minnie helped Timothy to his feet. She then took out an old rag and poured some water on it. It wasn’t the best choice; she mainly used the rag to wipe off her sweat during training and such. But it was all she had. Gently she began to clean off Timothy’s face then the wound on his collarbone. He hissed softly.

“Wanna hold my hand?” Sophie offered and Timothy softly grabbed onto her hand. He squeezed it when Minnie began to clean the wound once more.

“There, all done,” Minnie smiled, her eyes widening in surprise when Timothy gently hugged her.

“Thank you. You too,” He smiled over at Sophie.

“No problem.” Sophie casually placed her hands behind her head.

“Now let's get you to Ericson,” Minnie gave a warm look over to Timothy. He nodded and started to walk forward. Every so cautiously he held onto Minnie’s hand. The knight smiled and began to guide them to Nightshade when suddenly an arrow flew through the air and grazed Minnie’s right arm. The knight let out a pained hiss.

“Minnie!” Sophie unsheathed her blade as bandits started to appear from the trees around them. A man walked forward, his black hair pulled back into a long ponytail. “Well, well, well. It seems we have a couple of thieves. You’re stealing my merchandise.”

“Fuck you! Timothy isn’t something to sell!” Minnie growled angrily as she glared at the man she assumed to be the leader.

“Whatcha wanna do, Hawk?” A guy with greasy blond hair looked towards the leader.

“Kill the knights. I still want to gather a profit from the merchandise though,” Hawk spoke with a heartless tone.

The man nodded then motioned for the group to attack. One dashed towards Sophie, viciously attacking her with his dagger. The knight blocked it and stood her ground. Gritting her teeth, Sophie pushed back the man before slicing off his fingers. The man cried out but was soon silenced when Sophie thrust her blade into his skull. She hated taking human lives but these men weren’t that; they were monsters.

“Follow me!” Minnie ran forward with Timothy and helped lift him onto Nightshade. The black steed snorted nervously. “Stay here and I’ll be right back.” Minnie instructed and turned to join the fight only for a jagged blade to slash out and nick her throat. Minnie coughed sharply and stumbled back.

“Minnie!” Sophie’s worried eyes hardened and she harshly cut down another bandit.

“I’m fine,” Minnie unsheathed her broadsword and blocked an attack. With a kick she sent a bandit back before facing off against Hawk.

The leader smirked as their blades clashed. “Let’s see what a fancy knight can do,” He headbutted Minnie and tried to attack her once more while she was stunned but Minnie quickly bounced back. Sidestepping the attack she slashed out her sword, cutting off the leather strap on one side of his armor. Hawk was annoyed and punched the redheaded knight in the face. Minnie stumbled back and spat out blood before rushing forward again.

She sent brutal swing after swing towards her enemy. Hawk kept dodging and blocking them until Minnie feinted an attack and sliced through the other leather strap. The move made his armor fall to the ground. Hawk tried to recover and regroup but Minnie’s sword soon found his heart. “Die, you fucking piece of scum!” Minnie yelled and kicked him off her blade and into the fire. Striding forward she stabbed his skull so he wouldn’t turn.

Everyone was silent for a minute.

“Hawk!” The blond bandit cried out; his eyes burned with anger. “You’re not leaving here alive!”

“Richard, maybe we should-” Another bandit tried to speak up but the blond one snapped at him harshly.

“Shut your goddamn mouth! Hawk saved your ass countless times! Now pick up your sword and slice out these knights’ throats!” Richard moved forward and tried to cut down Minnie but Sophie slid in front of her sister and blocked the attack.

“I’ll hold them off and distract them for a bit. You take Timothy and run!” Sophie looked back at her sister. Minnie knew Sophie wouldn’t take no for an answer.

“I better see you again,” Minnie hopped up onto the steed and looked at her twin.

Sophie kicked back a bandit and gave a hopeful grin. “With my lucky trinket and those hugs, I’m invincible!” She got onto Hullabaloo. “You don’t stand a chance against me!” Sophie charged valiantly into battle and began to divert all the bandits’ attention onto herself.

“Hold on tight, Timothy,” Minnie instructed to which the little boy listened. His hands were shaking violently. Minnie didn’t know if she had anything to help calm him down. Her eyes wandered for anything before she saw the handkerchief that Ren had made tucked away in her armor. Grabbing it, Minnie held it out for Timothy. “This will keep you safe.”

Timothy looked at it for a moment then took it. He held it close to his chest while Minnie protectively moved her arms around Timothy as she rode forward.

Galloping through the forest, Minnie moved past the living dead and made her way towards the river. Her heart stopped for a moment when she saw how many members of the living dead were nearby. She knew she couldn’t take on that many while protecting a child. Minnie took her red cloak and shielded Timothy. She knew it was pointless against the creatures who couldn’t see that well but it made her feel better. Slowly she moved Nightshade forward at a snail’s pace, pulling the reins here and there and weaving through the living dead who blindly waved around their arms for a potential meal.

“Stay quiet, okay?” she whispered down to Timothy who nodded. Every so quietly the knight guided the steed into the water. Blood trickled down Minnie’s throat and splattered onto her armor while lifeblood from her arm stained the water below them red. Water splashed around Nightshade as the mare traversed the river; soon her legs were completely covered by the water.

“Okay, it should be safe now,” Minnie glanced back at the small herd of walkers.

“Cinnamon,” Timothy whispered, making the knight look down at the child. “This smells like cinnamon.” He smiled softly at Minnie before noticing the blood falling down her neck.

Minnie picked up on his concern and gave a reassuring smile. “It’s okay, this won’t take me down,” She continued to smile until she saw Timothy move the handkerchief closer to her hand.

“We can hold it together,” He looked up at her with big eyes.

“Okay, together,” Minnie held onto the handkerchief and continued to focus on getting them to safety.

After a few minutes they were out of the forest and Minnie stopped Nightshade, letting her trot in place for a few seconds. “Come on, Sophie. Come on,” Minnie’s eyes frantically searched the tree line for her twin. A few minutes passed. Then ten minutes. Then twenty.

Minnie’s gut twisted in worry and her heart felt numb. She needed to go back in there and find Sophie. Would she be alive though? Or would she be a member of the living dead? Minnie’s hands trembled before Timothy put his on top of hers and smiled softly. “I think she’ll make it.” Timothy’s words did little to calm down Minnie in the moment but she appreciated them nonetheless.

The knight was about to charge into the forest once more when suddenly she heard Hullabaloo whinny. Minnie’s eyes shot over in the direction of the sound and she saw Sophie give a confident smile even though a line of blood ran down her busted lip and a dagger laid embedded in her back.

“I made it. You saw me again.” Sophie galloped forward then winced in pain from the fast movement.

“Soph, take it easy!” Minnie looked frantically over at her sister.

“I’ll be fine. Right, Timothy?” Sophie smiled over at the boy.

“Yeah, but her boo boo,” Timothy glanced up at Minnie.

“Yeah, her boo boo. We have a healer though and I’m sure she’ll love seeing this.” Minnie led the way back to the castle.

“Ugh, Ruby’s gonna be a pain in the ass,” Sophie grumbled and spat out some blood.

“Not as much as your husband and kids,” Minnie replied. “Good luck getting patrol duty again.”

Sophie sighed deeply and let her head fall. “It will take some convincing but hey, we made it out and so did Timothy.” Sophie looked over at the child who seemed to already be getting attached to Minnie. He was still holding the handkerchief with her.

“Yeah, we did,” Minnie smiled and stopped Nightshade when they reached the gate. “We’re back from patrol and we have injured.” The knight's words made the gatekeeper panic as they struggled to open the gate.

Soon the twins were riding back into the kingdom and down the streets towards the castle. Renata was waiting impatiently for them and Marlon paced nervously. He was this close to hopping on Oblivion and searching for them. They had been gone for far too long. Meanwhile Willy and Allison were busy having sword fights with Marley and Raylan.

Allison sidestepped an attack then looked up, noticing the knights. “They’re back,” the magic weilder’s words made everyone stop and glance up.

“Sophie! Minnie!” Marlon ran forward and froze when he saw his wife’s injuries. “What the hell happened?” “Bandits, but don’t worry. They won’t bother anyone ever again,” Sophie reassured while her kids ran forward and started to worry over her.

Renata jogged over and stopped beside Minnie’s horse. “Minnie, you’re safe!” she smiled then looked over towards Timothy. “Oh? Who’s this?” “I’m Timothy,”  Timothy gave a soft smile over towards Renata. The court jester returned the smile until she noticed the wound on his collarbone and the ones on Minnie. She could feel her heart tightening.

“Well then, Timmy, how about I help you down from there and get you and Min to the best healer in all the lands?” Renata held out her arms and Timothy moved forward. Renata lifted him up and set him down. He was soon overwhelmed by the comforting smell of cinnamon. Renata knelt down and smiled at him. “My name’s Renata. I’ll make sure you get that boo boo taken care of and get you settled in your new home,” The jester rose up and held out her hand.

Timothy instantly took it before looking up at Minnie who had gotten off her steed. Slowly he raised up his other hand. The knight was surprised for a moment but took it. With that the three began to walk off together. Timothy looked around at the castle, then at all the people around and finally at Minnie and Renata. Maybe this really could be home. Maybe he had finally found it.

[yaziciyasemin]

MIGUEL DA SILVA was a FIVE YEARS OLD boy, his mother is a maid and he was at work with his mother, IN THE MIDDLE OF A PANDEMIC. The boss sent the mother for a walk with the dogs while doing her nails at home. Annoyed by the boy complaints to see his mom, she placed him in the elevator ALONE. He fell from the 9th floor and died.

What happened today in Brazil is another sad exemple of racism complextiy. The neglect of Miguel's life it's the result of a racist logic where the children of black women are less important than white women's vanity. The woman paid R$20,000 as bail and her name is being taken down from news and articles because her husband is the mayor.

"If it was me, my face would printed, as I have seen in many cases. My name would be printed and my face would be everywhere. But hers can not be placed in articles, can not be shared." Said Mirtes Renata, mother of Miguel Otavio Santana da Silva. She also said: "She trusted her sons and daughter to me and my mother. The moment I trusted her with mine, sadly she didn't have the patience to watch him. I know and I won't deny to anyone: my son was a stubborn child. But he's just a kid. Was a kid."

Please sign the petition and share this if you can. We've been living some scary days here in Brazil as well and we are demanding justice for Miguel.

[jesse-mills]

Convenience Store AU

Quick summary: Jesse dies on the beach and wakes up in a convenience store back near Crestwood. A dimension in which Jesse has sick new tattoos, the OA looks like an actual goddamn angel, French is a nerd ass loser who's been pining for Jesse for like 2 years, and everyone gets to be happy.

[[MORE]]

(apologies for awful formatting, this was so fucking long that I got tired of trying to make it read perfectly.)

ok so after Jesse dies it's just. dark for a long ass time right? but he wakes up to blinding light and it takes a moment for his eyes to focus. his first thought is "is heaven a 7/11?" and his second thought is "OH SHIT OA?!?!?" She found him passed out in the middle of the store aisle when she came in from the back room and after a very confused minute of conversation they realize that oh shit, it's the real OG them from the Crestwood dimension. so OA basically hires Jesse on the spot and Jesse has to help her get Hap (the manager, he's suppressed in this body but still a jackass of monumental proportions) kicked out and sent somewhere else. They do succeed after a few weeks (aka they get everyone to file complaints about him until he's relocated to somewhere out of state).

Jesse, however, has a Hell Of A Lot of new things to adjust to, the first of which being that What The Fuck, he looked in the mirror and he has fucking moving tattoos that Definitely weren't there before!! Turns out this dimension has such a thin membrane between it and the invisible river of the Between, weird ass shit tends to happen around people who have travelled through worlds. Jesse soon finds out that he isn't the only one with weird shit happening to him: the angels from the lab, especially OA, have some definite traditional angelic characteristics. OA has a ton of extra eyes on her face and neck and like. everywhere so she tends to wear gauzy scarves around her neck and ling sleeves everywhere. nothing can really be done about the ones on her face but she doesn't really show her face anywhere anyways so it's not that big a deal for her. Homer works at a patisserie in town and has extra eyes on his arms and back, as well as extra mouths on his hands (he wears gloves during work, don't ask). Rachel works there with him (and yes they're all in a thruple because. Oachel rights yo) and has extra vocal chords as well so her singing sounds absolutely ethereal. (She convinced Homer to hire Buck and Angie to work with him there after the OA told them about them.) Scott doesn't have too many extra weird eyes but his hair grows flowers and though he acts pissy about it he secretly really likes them. He works as the town's electrician and Steve apprentices under him. Renata tours around and always brings them back gifts from places she visits, and has both extra eyes on her arms that become part of her signature style (she claims it's prosthetics for the press) and a second mouth beneath her collarbone hidden under scarves so she can harmonize with herself.

BBA already works at the school and so knows them all already, and she shops at the convenience store for snacks at night during Jesse's shift and so is already close to him. She slowly puts the puzzle together herself, but in a very peaceful, calm manner; basically, she notices that he's acting different but doesn't throw a fuss about it ("I think Jesse's a different Jesse now. Hm. I'll ask if he still likes shortbread next time I go."). Lucky for Jesse, BBA and the angels all kind of adopt him.

Why do they keep working at the store after Hap leaves? a) it pays bills and like. they need to eat. and b) it's something to do, it's a normal part of a normal life that lets them spend time with each other and feel like they can finally live happy lives. Plus, Jesse and OA both desperately want to contact their home dimension and tell the others that they're okay, so the store provides a good space to do that.

and then French walks in the door one night because Olive Garden fired him and he needs to support his brothers and mom, and Jesse's world suddenly becomes a Hell of a lot more convoluted. French is confused when the pretty boy from school he was always too nervous to talk to looks up from the front counter and chokes on his drink; he's even more confused when Jesse stays bright red through their entire awkward conversation of "I need a job, are you hiring?" "UH. we are now. let me go grab the paperwork" (read: gay hyperventilating behind the backroom door for the minutes before grabbing the papers.) French is very concerned when as soon as he signs his name the paper just. crumbles to ash without any warning but Jesse just sweeps it into the bin and says "yeah you're hired, UHHH what hours???? work for you????? actually just come in when it does work and we'll get you started okay goodbye!!!" Of course night shift works best for French so Jesse has a mini conniption when French walks in the next night an hour after Jesse gets there and asks if he can start working Now.

French is a fucking NERD ASS LOSER in this dimension. so he's very confused when after a week of training almost nightly (hey, he needs to provide, yo) Steve, his old bully, walks in and greets him very nicely and apologizes for anything he did in high school (he does not notice Jesse glaring at Steve. he is also not aware of Jesse calling Steve the first night he came in and incoherently rambling for twenty minutes straight before yelling "I'M GAY" and hanging up. Steve was confused because didn't Jesse come out in like 10th grade to him??? he didn't bully French for being gay he bullied him for being a nerd ass loser).

French also begins to notice that things are fucking weird in this convenience store, and by that I mean he walks in one night and Jesse is calmly reading a comic book while one of the freezers is literally emitting fucking fire. ("Jesse. Tell me you fucking realize that THE FREEZER IS ON FIRE." "Yeah, OA said to just leave it. Scott's gonna fix it later" "But. But it's on FIRE." "Yeah lol apparently she's been workin on portals without dying and opened a hell dimenson? haha wack right. Just keep the door closed and it'll be fine.") He ends up calling Steve (who is being almost suspiciously friendly now under threat of bodily harm, and who is genuinely trying to be a better person) to ask if this is normal after Jesse tells very seriously after setting up "wet floor signs" that he should stay away from the soda fountain, OA accidentally fucked with it and it's biting people. (French, talking to Steve over the phone: "Yeah dude and then it just fucking crumbled to ash and he said I was hired. Like what the fuck. What the fuck." "Oh yeah lol apparently her husband's shop does the same thing. Btw tell Jesse to stop hoarding snakes in the cupboards behind the desk bc I'm the one Scott sends to fix that shit." "...........SNAKES?!"

Jesse has a weird thing with snakes in this dimension since he 1) found a weird tattoo of a snake with wings that just roams around his body as it pleases and acts like a pet (yes he named it Ramen Noodle. no he does not have shame.) and 2) realized that he can basically charm snakes just by talking to them. Friend shaped noodles. French walks in one night to find Steve trying to convince Jesse to "take them out of the cupboards" and after French cautiously asks what's in the cupboards Jesse just opens it to reveal like 30 snakes that he rescued from the cold (French yells and almost falls on his ass. Steve just sighs as Jesse picks up a ton of them and lets them curl up around his arms). OA does bi-monthly snake banishing (read: making Jesse go to different animal shelters to give the snakes away during winter or releasing them into the wild in warmer weather). (For his birthday about three months in she and Homer and Rachel find him an albino boa constrictor and Jesse genuinely looks like he's about to pass out from joy. He names it Theo, and for some reason, BBA tears up when he tells her and gingerly pets the snake.)

And the thing is, French is such a skeptic that he just can't bring himself to take Jesse seriously when one night about a month in he locks the glass doors and sits down to tell French very seriously that he's not the original Jesse from this dimension. Jesse realizes that French won't very easily be convinced, so he just does his best to flippantly include it in conversation in the hopes that it will slowly convince him. Even after French notices the moving tattoos (he was staring at Jesse's stomach when he stretched one night and almost yelled when a weird, almost tentacle looking tattoo idly moved across his skin) he can't bring himself to believe it, even when he realizes Jesse's eyes are a odd, almost shifting blue as opposed to the warm brown he searched for in the halls every day of senior year, even when there's fire and weird portals and a manager who has even more eyes than her husband (Homer comes in often with baked goods for Jesse and French. the first time French saw what he thought was a prosthetic eye on the back of Homer's hand wink at him, he almost passed out.). What finally convinces him is when Hap comes back.

Hap' s consciousness somehow came through after almost four months of wondering what was wrong with his old job, and when he comes back, French is in the store early just as Jesse is getting there and Homer is about to pick up OA when Hap comes in and points a gun at him. He's yelling what French thinks is nonsense, about a rose window and Prairie and how she lied to him, but he knows better now, he knows, and French is dead sure he's going to die when OA starts yelling back that he's wouldn't dare harm him or any of her friends. He can see in the reflection of the mirror above the front desk that Hap looks deranged, and it's enough to convince him of two things: one, Hap is about to kill him, and two, Jesse was telling the truth all along. He's about to do something desperate, kick Hap or try to grab the gun, something, when there's movement in the mirror and he spots something heavy swinging towards them. He ducks just as Homer creeps up behind them and brains Hap with a piece of scrap metal. The cops are called and everything is mostly sorted out-- Hap, of course, is going to jail-- but French is still shellshocked from realizing that it's all real, that Jesse died and came back in this dimension and that there are angels that act more like his parents than his mother ever has. It's a shock to him, but he gradually adjusts, and Jesse begins slowly filling him in on their old life in the original Crestwood, how they came together when a once-blind victim of a kidnapping came back with vision and stories, how he died on a beach on the way to San Francisco after overdosing on an old man's pain medication. Eventually, he gets the go-ahead from OA to tell the others and fill them in on exactly what happened. They reunite as they're supposed to and eventually become just as tightly knit as they had been. The Steve from Crestwood eventually joins them and while it takes him some time to adjust, he's so thrilled to have Jesse back and that everything is okay here that he's content.

[worldcakecakecake]

The Red Mask

In 18th century Valencia, Spain, thrives the legend of the Red Mask, a character with stories of bravery and heroism that have enchanted Lovino Valenti since he was a young child. On a new business deal, his family moves from Naples and Lovino finds himself wishing for adventure and action away from his duties in this new Spanish city. He is given that chance when he joins a group of masked heroes that fall under the command of the famed Red Mask. He grows a close and fiery relationship with the masked man of his tales and dreams, and without knowing his identity, he lets himself be swayed by his seduction, trust and daringness, to passions surely forbidden when he doesn’t even know his actual name or who he really is.

And the prologues are done! Let us begin!

                                                               Chapter 1

Such stories were the root of Renata Valenti’s current predicament. Hurrying her way down the streets, searching through every small crevice her eldest son could fit through. Some who knew her, giggled between their groups, knowing well what was happening.

 “Lovino is at it again?” One elder woman imagined.

 “As always,” Renata rolled her eyes.

 “Last time he was at the guard station.”

 “Another at the smiths.”

 “At the bar with those soldiers.”

 “Already checked and still no sign of him.” Her worry was peaking.

 “Think about the stories!”

 “What happens in the last one he heard?”

 “Something about some…barracks!” And that was the spark that gave her the next direction.

 “Then off you go!”

 “Thanks!” She hurried off.

 Lovino Valenti was well off her reach, already nearing his goal for the day, trusty toy sword on his waist and the determined glow ready for a fight…even when he was only seven years old, a little thing scurrying like an alley cat all across the actions of the city, making many smile dearly.

 “Buon giorno, Lovino!” One woman called.

 “Buon giorno, Signora Giosetta!” He greeted, breaking from that serious expression to one of kindness and gentleness, waving to her as excited a child should be.

 “Giving your mother a scare already so early in the morning?”

 “No! I’m only going to practice!”

 “Practice what?”

 “My sword skills to use for the war!” And he hurried off, only aiding to cause more giggles in the area.

 Soon he entered tunnels and streets that led him away from the routine of the common people, to another area of the city that now soldiers moved about, wondering why such a young child was sneaking his way between them. He scurried until he found a good spot, a good high altitude, trees covering his presence from those that could walk in his area. He only wished he could partake in the sparring he saw, in wearing those dirtied uniforms, in screaming along in shouts of pain or victory, swinging a majestic steeled weapon, moving about in grace as any dancer should. Lovino kept his eyes on one of them, the one he found had everything, speed, strength, defense, art, even the emotion well painted on his face. He stared, studying, copying, remembering well every trick, teaching, even his shouts of correct as he instructed others. Confident, sure, he stood, ready to try them, telling himself to begin once he started with a new figure to begin his new teaching. He really didn’t think about what he was doing, but of the pure beauty and interest of it, more like a show, a dance, a moment to think himself the hero of his mind. In that loss of his imagination, he did not notice the loud noises he made, the war cries, the utter performance he made himself from the heights he had thought was secretive and private. None of the soldiers could ignore this, stopping their usual routine to look above to this rather adorable child. Lovino went on uncaring, not seeming to notice the silence that settled as everyone laid their eyes on him. Renata had entered the area, easily spotting Lovino even between bushes, his moves and shouts too large to remain hidden even between their small covering.

 “Lovino Valenti!” She shouted, not being able to hold her anger.

 Lovino instantly stopped in his cowering, crunching down hoping to be unseen, but it was in that moment that he noticed all the eyes that were staring at him from the camp, some chuckling, others pointing, smiling, even waving. Lovino curled himself more, his childishness thinking he could disappear if he did so more tightly. It didn’t work, for soon enough he felt his mother intimidating shadow covering him completely, especially in this small stance he brought himself into. He only peeked, instantly fearing the way his mother’s eyes burned with fire.

 “You’re coming home, right now!” She instantly took his wrist, hauling him up and dragging him out, back to the busy streets. Some of the soldier men waved goodbye and to some Lovino managed his own.

  “See, Nonno, See!” Little Feliciano, showing his drawing of a little bird proudly, practically shoving it in Augusto’s face.

  “Lovely, angelo mio, lovely!” He excited, rubbing his hair, the little boy smiling and going back to his coloring.

 It was in that moment that Renata had finally made her return, exhausted, still grasping to Lovino, fearing that he would escape again at any opportunity that she wasn’t giving the slightest gaze.

 “There you are!” Augusto instantly stood, heading over to his other grandson, kneeling to make sure he was doing fine. When he did so, he then hit the boy at the back of his head harshly, Lovino groaning out and rubbing the area. He tried hard to not shed the slightest tear.

 “Lovino, stop doing this! It’s dangerous! You can easily get lost, kidnapped and you wouldn’t see any of us again. Do you understand that?”

 “I’m just learning to be a good fighter,” he tried to excuse.

 “Why on earth would you want to be a fighter? You are only risking yourself and assuring yourself a horrible death. I would never let that be the faith to any Valenti.” The proudness to which he called the name, a decree that was like a god implementing it. Lovino had gotten used to rolling his eyes whenever he got this paranoid.

 “That’s the point of practicing, Nonno. So I can get really good and then nothing bad will ever happen to me,” such a child seemed sure.

 “No matter the kind of practices you do, there will always be a weakness your enemy will take advantage of. Before that, I prefer you chose something safer that doesn’t involve making your mother chase you across all of Naples to find you because you’re trying to keep it hidden from us.” He got much closer, grabbing him by the shoulders, hoping that the words would truly pass through his intense gaze.

 “But I don’t…I don’t want to do something else…” Lovino was honest, tears even coating his eyes, an expression that hurt Augusto, that soothed his grip, until he let go, sighing.

 “Lovino, there are many things for you to try!”

 “He’s right, angelino. You might not like our business, but I’m sure there are other things that won’t have to make you fight so violently,” Renata came in, going down to his little level, joining her father. “You can become a banker, a smith.”

 “A cook, a carriage driver, farmer.”

 “Or a painter!” Feliciano himself added, raising his finished drawing high.

 “Even a writer! You do write the most gorgeous things,” Renata reminded with a beautiful sway, truly proud of both her sons’ talents.

 “It’s not as exciting…or cool…I want to be…like the stories, like the heroes in Spain who do so much for the people around them.”

 “You can do just as equally without adorning a disguise and learning to use a sword.”

 “Lovino…these stories are just that, stories to excite your mind and keep you hopeful. We all need this sort of escape from our dull, but they should remain as that. Let them do their job to protect, they know well the consequences and have prepared themselves for them, but you should focus on being safe…I’m sure is what the great…Red Mask would want,” Renata excited, twirling her son in a famous flamenco move to excite him and bring him back to their usual family joy. It was just enough to get Lovino laughing, that angry pout away and forgotten.

 He missed that.

 He missed how his mom could excite him, his little brother and grandfather so well after any little discomfort. Laugh, dance and play like no wrongs plagued the world. Why did these very plagues had to take her away? Why was the last he reminded of her sunshine being one tainted in blood, lifeless, greyed, continuing tears coating his eyes, his little brother joining along in bigger cries, in a desperate hold that begged her back despite the slashes and the long gone beat of her heart.

 These dreams had been so commonplace to Lovino that he had learned to awake in calm, not the shouts, screams and tears of the past. He had learned to quickly put them on the back of his head, focused then on the movement of the sceneries outside the coach window, a shinning sun that glowed strongly on his face, alighting his eyes quite beautifully, Feliciano had to admit from his side of the coach. Lovino glared at his giggle, but Feliciano smiled on, probably the only one in the coach who was truly excited.

 “I didn’t think you would take a siesta on such a short trip,” Augusto laughed himself.

 “That boat trip over here was annoying, I couldn’t get much sleep,” he groaned, rubbing out the last tiredness from his face. “Still can’t actually. I just want to have a proper stable bed to sleep on.” He looked on to the window, hoping that they would soon reach the house that had that promise.

 “I assure that you will for tonight,” his grandfather excited, for he was joyous to see this new house, alongside Feliciano.

 “Please tell me more about it, Nonno. I still can’t get over how beautiful it sounds,” Feliciano dreamed, practically making himself jump more than the coach was actually doing as they rode on.

 “Well, it has four floors if you count the attic and basement. It used to belong to a Spanish count who married a Marroquin princess, so he adorned it as much as he could to please her, yet she continued to insist that it was still too Spanish,” he laughed.

 “Please don’t tell me their ghosts haunt it,” Feliciano feared, already cowering and wanting to hide, making Lovino roll his eyes.

 “Nooo,” Augusto made sure, placing a comforting hand on Feliciano’s shoulder. “They left to Morocco many years ago where they died peacefully, so hopefully there are no evil spirits in this house. Of course, you’ll each have your own room,” he grinned, just as Feliciano jumped and clapped, Lovino sharing a smirk, trying not to show just how as excited he was as his brother for this.

 Not that he minded Feliciano, but after sharing a room all these years, it was a breath to finally have their own privacy and area for each.

 “We’ll have many servants, designated places to have our breakfast, lunch and dinner. They’ll be a lot of space to read, relax, paint, work. We’ll have a beautiful garden and…” Augusto halted, snapping and trying to remember anything else of importance that could be missing. “Oh! Of course! Antonio!” He finally realized.

 “Antonio?” Lovino questioned.

 “He’s a cleric to the main church of Valencia who will be staying with us,” he tried to excite.

 “A cleric? What for? Do you seriously want somebody constantly giving us liturgies,” Lovino was annoyed.

 “No, but I thought having a spiritual guide in our home could serve as an anchor in times of hardship, someone to go to when we feel hopeless and ourselves is not enough. He is much closer to God and can help immensely with our salvation. He is also training in his vocation and his friar suggested our home as a place to complete his testing.”

 Lovino was not swayed, despite how his younger brother smiled and was expectant, surely excited to meet this Antonio.

 “Are we paying him?”

 “Only housing and food. It’s mostly volunteering.”

 Good, because Lovino did not want them using the family expenses for such a thing.

 He continued to show an obvious annoyance about this though, one Augusto spotted. “Why are you not pleased?”

 “I don’t like having someone else in the house, it makes me think you just did it to replace Mamma. I think the three of us is just enough, we don’t need somebody else getting into our business.”

 Sure, it was a reminder nobody liked to think about, always a straining silence that made Lovino momentarily worry that Feliciano would start crying as he usually did, but he liked to make himself clear and avoid anything that could be unnecessary for their small family.

 “It was mostly to help a fellow man of the church, someone who has lived here long enough to help us with adjusting. I also really like the extra company. His room will be at the other side of the house, so if you don’t want to come into contact with him, I believe it shall be easy.”

 That did enough to remove layers of frustration on Lovino’s face, losing interest in the conversation and keeping his eyes locked on the passing outside.

 Finally, the large house was spotted, surrounded by a beautiful garden that was reminiscent of the ones in Italy, probably made in that specific style with them in mind. They entered through a gorgeous gate, then upwards to the heights of the house, shinning splendidly now in a style more of the region, Spanish, harsh reminder of where they went to, how far they left home behind and how there was no turning back.

 They continued upwards until the coach stood right in front of the grandeur entrance, servants lined and welcoming with bows, ready to start their business as soon as possible. Lovino did not expect such devotion so suddenly, such compliance, some coming even to begin picking their bags from the coach to bring inside. Feliciano was as well startled, after all, the two brothers had never been used to servants doing all the little chores they had grown to do themselves back in Italy.

 “Come along now,” Augusto instead smiled, used to this of course, for this was his life before he left to Naples, moving pass it all to begin the touring of the house.

 Lovino and Feliciano moved hesitantly behind him, slow as they took whatever small intricacy that decorated the entrance splendidly, from painted designs, sculptures, vases, desks, even flowers. So distracted they were they didn’t even notice as their grandfather stopped to talk to someone.

 “Lovino! Feliciano!” He called to them, then noticing the young man that was before them.

 He was about their grandfather’s height, waved and messed dark brown hair, gorgeous green shinning eyes, with a youthful but strong and piercing facial structure that had Feliciano awing and wanting to sketch immediately, while Lovino tried hard to hide a blush at how absolutely charming he found him.

 “These are my grandsons! Feliciano,” he introduced first, Feliciano happily going for a hug, jumpy and annoying to Lovino.

 “Awww! So lovable! I already like you,” this handsome stranger smiled in earnest, which only made Feliciano more excited.

 Lovino tried to move his thoughts away from his serene and full voice, giving him yet another shiver of delight.

 Augusto smiled, then moving the other forward. “And my eldest, my heir and the possible future owner of my business, Lovino Valenti.”

 Lovino in turn presented as that very business he was taught to show, only offering a handshake, quite a difference to a younger brother who had gone in and taken him in arms. The stranger had still smiled, taking Lovino’s hand in when Feliciano gave him the space. His hand was large, warm, Lovino couldn’t utter a single word.

 “A pleasure to meet you both. Antonio Fernandez, at your service,” he introduced, gazing into Lovino’s eyes strongly, hypnotized and swayed so much he had dropped the handshake before it could intensify.

 “He is the cleric I was speaking to you both about on the ride.”

 What? No! That could not be possible! Lovino was thinking a mere cook or even a gardener, not a man of religion who would stay in their home simply as guidance.

 “Nonno said you’ll be living with us.” Feliciano didn’t let his excitement dwindle for a second.

 “Yes, I will, at least until I have proven my vocation. I hope to be a proper guest and to always teach about the holy readings in the most respectful manner that enlightens and always help us to choose the right path.” He bowed that moment, a single golden cross hanging from his neck, the only proof of his profession on his wear. “I was going to suggest Sunday Bible readings after mass and then discussion with your grandsons, if you wish,” he commented, which got a roll of Lovino’s eyes, ready to decline.

 “That’s a wonderful idea! I’ll make sure my grandsons will attend.”

 Leave it to his grandfather to decide things for him as usual.

 To be respectful, he tried to hide a groan, while Feliciano jumped and clapped his hands.

 “Will you like to join us? I’ll be giving them a tour of the mansion now.”

 “Sure, I’m still trying to get to know this place myself.”

 “Wonderful! Then come along! Come along all!” Augusto led them, eager to show them the kitchen first of all. Antonio let the brothers move first and so they took to their grandfather’s leading.

 “He seems very nice,” Feliciano took Lovino’s arm lovingly, whispering, yet continuously looking back, making himself too obvious about what he was talking about. To prove it so, Antonio waved and Feliciano did so back.

 “I don’t know if to agree with you. I feel like I’ll be annoyed by him at some point,” Lovino made sure to say softer.

 “I really don’t think that’ll be the case. I’m sure we’ll have lots of fun and he can even be a new friend to us. I’m actually excited for the lessons he suggested.”

 As Augusto started talking and introducing the continuing rooms, Lovino didn’t find the chance to reply to Feliciano’s optimism about the new guest. He kept glancing to him, sticking with his skepticism, even as the other smiled and continued to shine as friendly.

  It was silent, one that Lovino would have found ideal, but now it was…empty and…weird.

 He thought he would be excited about having his own room, his own bed, his own desk to write and focus, with an amazing view of the garden and the shinning city in the distance to add. But it was just that, silent, practically empty if even his own presence and the flickering candles. He kept looking back, as if expecting his brother to say whatever silly nonsense just occurred to him, or wanting him to talk about his writing or newest reading. He would sigh, having to accept this new loneliness and the true dull of the night.

 Footsteps, suddenly interrupting the somber air, coming near, to his door and it was open, and there was the familiarity of his little brother he had actually missed.

 “Hi, Lovi!” He greeted as every night, jumping upon his bed as custom.

 “What are you doing here?”

 “I couldn’t sleep.”

 “And how is coming here the answer to that?”

 “I can’t sleep alone,” he shyly admitted, such a bright innocence in his eyes that was like looking back to a small child.

 Lovino sighed, closing the book he was writing on and putting it aside. He stood and took his usual position to sleep, getting covers and everything, Feliciano doing the same pull to get underneath the blankets as well. They settled as they usually did, as they were back in Naples.

 “We really should start changing this,” Lovino commented silent, to go along the stillness of the night.

 “My room is too lonely!”

 “Your room is right next to mine.”

 “It’s still not enough. I missed having someone to talk to.” Feliciano got even nearer.

 “We can always talk during the day, Feliciano. It’s not like we’re living in different parts of the city or I’m dead.” Even mentioning the word so loosely like this, was still like an echo that brought the wrong reminders, the images they hated having repeated in their heads, Lovino knowing he had to do something to drive themselves away from it before they were succumbed.

 “You can sleep here for tonight but promise me you’ll soon start staying in your own room. Nonno paid a lot of money for this house, you should really start using it and learn to be by yourself…you know we won’t always be with you.” Lovino had learned it the hard way and Feliciano hand long been due to do so as well.

 “I…I’ll try.” There was doubt in his voice, but Lovino focused on trying to sleep. “Even if…” Feliciano wanted to continue to talk as always, “I do know that I won’t always be with you, I still…want to spend anytime I can with you both. When…mamma left, I learned to understand and really use my time. We…never know what could occur that could bring us apart, so to be sure, I…try to get whatever chance I get.” He came much closer, and Lovino couldn’t deny the comfort his younger brother was asking. He wrapped an arm around him, bringing them both close, as they had been used to for several years.

 “Fine…just go to sleep.”

 Feliciano hummed in agreement, eyes shut and settling easy in his arms. “Story…” he chuckled, Lovino groaning.

 “We’re too old for that!”

 “We never are! Come on, were in Valencia! You can’t hide that you’re excited that we’re in the city of the Red Mask!” And Feliciano widened his eyes as if the sun was in all its splendor outside.

 Lovino stuttered, looking away and blushing, all the shields he had raised to keep himself from going on about exactly that crumbling. “I am not going to!”

 “You should tell me the one with the mountain heist in the alps! I think it’s my favorite!” Feliciano was expectant, as if his mere words could already get him to start.

 Lovino’s mouth trembled, wanting to continue to deny him, but another part of him was so anxious for the adventure, for the travel to bring them away from this dull room.

 “Maybe he’ll be able to hear you!”

 “Who?”

 “The Red Mask!”

 Lovino huffed, “it’s not like he goes jumping about our garden normally.”

 “In many of the stories, he does so all around the city! This is still part of the city! He could be right in this house!”

 Lovino rolled his eyes…yet looking out the window for the longest while…as if the breeze could truly be his passing, with the legendary red cape flowing and greeting the night. He gave up, sighing, and beginning. “There was once a mine with so many treasures, with jewels galore that attracted several workers to come, hoping to take their piece. Among those many was the fiendish Prince Louie, who had a dark plan to take it all at the cost of putting all the workers at risk. Word had reached Valencia and the Red Mask decided that he would not let it happen…”

 Feliciano smiled, hummed, and cuddled closer to his brother, eyes closed as he imagined the tale well in his head…as did Lovino.

  Antonio had had warmer nights, the breeze today chilling, but the heaviness of his cape and attire did well to shield whatever shiver that could escape. Out of the main activity of the city, his thread was more difficult, especially in the gardens and small trees of what was now the Valenti villa. At least the darkness worked better to keep himself hidden as he swung, skipped, ran, flew and held high across the forest, passing by small villages, raising the height of a hill until he reached a familiar unkept building. It seemed desolated as he intended it to be, over the past years using entrance with a hidden door at the top to make it difficult for any passerby to get in unless they were taught by himself. He fell well without warning, without strain or difficulty, and yet, although all who were there waited for him, they showed no surprise, simply turning to him waiting on his new words. With them just having accepted a new member in their mist, a mysterious, young, blue eyed addition they called to as ‘Hierro’ or the Iron mask, Antonio had lately decree to not let their masks fall until they got to know him better. Although it would be a release to remove it that instant, he kept it, walking forward, accounting all to be there.

 “Good evening and our warmest welcome, mon cher,” Alas would introduce, with a dramatic flare and plentiful pure white feathers to decorate his movement like a flag as he bowed.

 “Did you find anything out?” Hierro instantly asked, in a solemn tone, not wasting time in knowing.

 Of all the people to ask so quickly.

 Antonio sighed, “it’s only been a day, I really wasn’t able to speak to them that much.”

 “Oh, but did you see the house? Was it lovely? I’ve heard it has many beautiful flowers,” Flores excited, clapping her hands and jumping, the flowers in her suit making only clearer her curiosity.

 “He is not there to garden, Flores. We shouldn’t distract him from what we’re really supposed to be talking about,” Inca imposed, wanting instant information as Hierro awaited it still.

 “Did you at least meet the Valenti?” Alas knew was their biggest concern.

 “Yes. Augusto, Feliciano and Lovino Valenti.”

 “That’s it?” Joya was impressed at how little. With their importance, they were expecting a larger family.

 “Yes, it’s only Augusto with his two grandsons.”

 “And you didn’t find anything else?” Oscuro hoped.

 “It was only the first day. We only did a viewing of the villa. I could barely even talk to his grandsons.”

 Sol could notice a small disappointment, but not because of their current mission…there was something else in that tone that was fleeting but she managed to catch. “Do you think they have suspected you?” She wondered aloud.

 “Highly doubt so. They don’t know the city, what’s going on or the people. Even if they did, it wouldn’t be enough to arise suspicion.”

 “You are just An-” Neblina was about to mention, but one look at Hierro reminded that they had to keep their names hidden for now, “-just a boring old clergy man for now.”

 “For as long as I can keep it.”

 “What’s left to do then?” Alas questioned for all.

 “What we have always done. Keep your heads up, protect the city, all those you can and I’ll let you know when the time comes to take the next course of action.”

 They all nodded, beginning to settle off in their own directions, whatever would work best to keep themselves in the dark of the night. Antonio usually waited for all to leave before he took his own, but this time, Sol, Laura, remained by his side, a sign that she wanted to continue to speak of other matters just the two of them.

 “What is it?” Antonio knew well this sign.

 “Just curious,” she smirked.

 “About what?” At least he could relax and smile himself knowing now it wouldn’t be anything serious.

 “One of the brothers has taken your fancy…or I’m mistaken and it has been taking by old man Valenti.”

 Antonio laughed, confident to be able to take off his mask and let the cool air soothe his now free skin. “What made you believe that? I really didn’t speak much about them.”

 “I’ve learned to tell when you want to be friendly.”

 “I’m always friendly.”

 “More than usual.” She was inching closer to something.

 “What? His grandsons were cute. One seemed sweet, the other like he could best me in a fight. It will be exciting to get to know them better.”

 “Could best you in a fight huh?” She teased, ridding of her own mask by now.

 “Yes. He seemed powerful…there was something in the way he shook my hand,” and he smiled in a way Laura knew well.

 “Was he handsome?”

 “Very much so.”

 “Mhm…” she knew, she didn’t have to hear another word…but she did have to warn. “Antonio…remember the mission though…and be cautious.”

 “You know I’ve always been.”

 “Not when attractive Italians are involved,” she laughed, taking her own leave that instant.

 It didn’t give him a chance to respond, standing behind to relax and wonder about her words still.

 He knew well his mission, his goal, and Laura should know well herself how it was hard to break his resolves, especially when it involved a Montaje.

< prolouge IV

 chapter 2 >

[marisheeran-imagines]

Lego House: Christmas Special #1

A/N: Hello, everyone! On this Christmas time, I've been preparing for you a few 'surprises'. Starting with our 'Baby' Teddy!! I've been sick lately and these past two days are being the worst, so I had to slow down everything. Because of that, I'll probably finish to post these Christmas Special on Tuesday (I have the #2 ready and the #3 almost ready - but I'll post the #2 today as well). I'm going to my aunt's now, but I'll program everything, so don't worry - and there's internet there, so I can post using my cell phone as well. Just wanna wish you all a Merry Christas and say that I love you and I'm really happy to have you in my life! Hope you enjoy your reading!

Title: Lego House Chapter Title: Christmas Special #1 Pairing: Ed Sheeran x Reader Point of View: Ed's Rating: +15 Word Counter: +1200 Warnings: teenage Ed (16), teenage reader (15), fluffy, careful Ed, sweet Ed, encouraging Ed, rough father

Summary: Ed has been dating you for a while now... How are the preparations for your first Christmas together going?

var Mariana = prompt("What's your name?","Example: Ana, Taylor, Emma...")

var Mari = prompt("Do you have a nickname? Please, what is it?","Example: Tay, Bella...")

var brown = prompt("What's your eye colour?","Example: blue, dark green, light brown...")

var Lima = prompt("What's your father's last name?","Example: Sheeran, Winchester, Jones...")

var Maria = prompt("Could you tell me the name of your granny? The mother of your father!","Example: Juliet, Donna...")

var Renata = prompt("Can you tell me the name of your favourite aunt? The sister of your father preferably!","Example: Mary, Rose, Daisy...")

Ed's POV - December 2007

"Who's this beautiful lady?" grandpa asks me for the fiftieth time in the day.

"She's document.write(Mari), my girlfriend!" I answer and document.write(Mari) nods, beside me, smiling at him. I'm so glad she understands the whole situation. I myself, took a long time to get my grandfather's ilness, but she's so loving and caring it didn't take too long to her!

"And you, ginger?" he looks at me, frowning. "I'm Ed, your grandson!" I say and he smiles. "You are a couple? You look great together!".

"Thank you, Mr. Sheeran!" document.write(Mari) says. "She's so polite, you're a lucky boy! Have you fallen for her eyes? Do you know what Nancy tells about eyes? I don't remember anymore, but you can always ask her!" he says.

"Nancy, who is Nancy?" document.write(Mari) asks me. "It's my granny's nickname!" I tell her and she smiles. "Oh! And what does she say about eyes?" she tilts her head, frowning.

"Well, it's...".

"Putting up the tree time!" mom grins, carrying a box full of Christmas decorations. "Later, okay?" I ask my girl and she nods. We stand up from the couch to help my mom and granny to trim the Christmas tree.

"Hey, look, this one is almost as blue as your eyes!" document.write(Mari) says, swinging a blue Christmas ball in front of my face and I giggle, putting my arms around her and kissing her lips softly.

She blushes a bit, not used to public display of affection, specially in front of granny and grandpa Sheeran; document.write(Mari) is always afraid of being disrespectful toward them, though I've already told her not to worry about it.

"You're doing a good job!" mom says, smiling at us; her phrase could be either about our decoration or our relationship. I bet both of them.

"Thanks mom!" I say, picking the fairy lights from the box to put them around the tree "Jesus, this never ends!" I mumble, as I keep pulling the lights, but never see other tip.

"Teddy, be careful!" document.write(Mari) points at my feet, where the rope is falling and gathering around. "It's okay, love, I just... Oh, finally!" I grin when I grab the tip of the rope.

I turn around to start decorating the tree, but I barely have the chance to walk, stumbling and falling on the ground with a loud thud, my legs and feet surrounded by the freaking rope and its lights "Shit!" I groan.

"Teddy, are you okay?" my baby knees beside me, caressing my face as I lay on my back; she's so worried and I want to punch myself for not being more careful. "Yes, baby!" I nod, sitting on the floor.

"Look who's the new Christmas tree this year!" Matt mocks me and I hiss at him. "Are you okay really, son?" granny asks me and I nod once more.

document.write(Mari) starts unwrapping my legs and I thank her once she's done with it "Thank you, document.write(Mari)!" kissing her forehead, I stand up and help her doing the same.

"You're welcome, Teddy, but, please, be more careful, okay?" she looks at me, still worried and I sigh "Yes, love, I will be!" I peck her lips "Matt, you deal with this thing!" I point the fairy lights and he laughs at my face. "Alright, little bro!".

I grab document.write(Mari)'s hand so we can decorate the doors and widows with Christmas wreaths. "How's Christmas at your home?" I ask as we search for the wreaths among the other decoration items in the garage.

"Hm, granny document.write(Maria) and aunt document.write(Renata) would always make everything special. I believed in Santa Claus until before I came back here so they took me to see 'him' every year; we left milk and cookies for him on the Christmas Eve and on the following morning, there was no food left behind and my gift would always be there!" document.write(Mari) closes her eyes, smiling with her memories.

"Dad never did anything for Christmas" she resumes, opening her document.write(brown) eyes "I remember the first year I came back, I was 12. Aunt document.write(Renata) came here and took me to see Santa Claus a few days before Christmas. I thought everything would be like in the past years, so I left everything ready for him. The milk and cookies, my glittered card, wishing him the best days. And when I woke up, the food was there, intact, untouched. There was no gift for me".

"So I stayed there, seated beside the Christmas tree, waiting for Santa. And then my dad woke up with my present in his arms. It destroyed me, I know it's ridiculous, most of the children at that age already know the truth, but I didn't. Dad didn't even show any kind of regret, but aunt document.write(Renata) got furious with him. I remember him saying I was already a teen and that I should grow up. I don't have a real Christmas celebration since I was 11".

"Father and aunt document.write(Renata) were always arguing and this is totally the opposite of what Christmas means. So we'd never gather, and we'd never celebrate anything!" she says, biting her lower lip "I'm glad to be here with you, this year!" she smiles timidly.

Oh, Lord, my principal was such a terrible father! I caress document.write(Mari)'s face, smiling at her "I am glad to have you here! And I'm sorry that was the way you found out the truth about Santa!" I pout my lips, no kid should discover that in such a way!

"Oh, it's okay, I think it was about time; I was getting old and was still so naive!" she looks down at her feet, her cheeks getting red.

"No, love you believing in Santa at 12 it's not ridiculous at all, sometimes it's even better than realising the kind of world we live; our childish imagination and purity should be things we carry for life!" I raise her head, seeing her rosy and adorable face. "Yes, I think you're right!" she agrees. Grinning at her, I cup her cheeks before I press our lips, in a slow and tender kiss.

document.write(Mari) wraps her arms around my waist, her soft body against mine and I slide my tongue into her mouth; soon, the kiss become more heated and hungry, I lower my hands to the small of her back and then to her bum; it's the kind of touch she's been allowing me to have recently; and I've found I love to feel her soft shape in my hands, sometimes I even squeeze it. That always make her flushed, but not uncomfortable and I know she likes my... Wandering hands.

I press her against the nearest wall and she whimpers on my lips. I giggle, lowering the kisses to her neck, feeling her soft hands moving from my waist, to my chest and finally to my hair, pulling it out a bit.

"Teddy!" she whispers, twisting her fingers in my locks and I moan in her skin, squeezing her bum and feeling my friend giving some signs he's alive... Damn it, I have to control myself! Making out sessions with this girl drive me mad; she's so sweet and pure, but makes me burning and hard pretty easy!

"document.write(Mariana)! Are you there? Jesus Christ!" we both freeze when we hear Mr. document.write(Lima). Oh, Lord, we're so screwed up!

[kansascityhappenings]

She was shot dead by the Nazis in 1942. Her secret diary is to be published after 70 years in a bank vault

NEW YORK — For almost 70 years, the secret Holocaust diary of the Polish Jewish teenager Renia Spiegel was sealed away in a New York bank vault.

Shot dead by the Nazis just as she reached adulthood in 1942, Renia’s story was too painful for her surviving sister and mother to read.

Now, “Renia’s Diary: A Young Girl’s Life in the Shadow of the Holocaust,” will finally be published by her family. It is already drawing comparisons to the diary of Anne Frank for its clarity and skillful writing.

Described by its publisher, Penguin Books, as “an extraordinary testament to both the horrors of war, and to the life that can exist even in the darkest times,” the journal will be released on September 19.

The girl lived in Przemysl, south-east Poland, which was under Soviet occupation until the Nazis invaded the Soviet Union in 1941.

The diary, almost 700 pages, begins in January 1939 when Renia was 15 and chronicles her escape from bombing raids in her hometown, the disappearance of other Jewish families and the creation of the ghetto.

Renia and her sister Elizabeth (nee Ariana) got separated from their mother, who was on the German side during the war. Almost every entry of the diary ends with “God and Bulus will save me,” using the girl’s pet name for her mother.

An aspiring poet, Renia also fills her diary with dozens of compositions, as well as accounts of her falling in love for the first time for a boy named Zygmunt Schwarzer.

The two exchanged their first kiss a few hours before the Nazis reached Przemysl.

Renia was murdered in July 1942 at the age of 18 when the Nazis discovered her hiding in an attic. She left the diary with her boyfriend, who wrote the chilling, heartbreaking last lines in the journal: “Three shots! Three lives lost! All I can hear are shots, shots.”

Schwarzer shared it with someone else for safekeeping before he was deported to Auschwitz. He survived, moved to the US and in 1950 managed to return the diary to Renia’s sister Elizabeth along with her mother Róża, who were both living in New York

Elizabeth couldn’t bring herself to read it, so she decided to deposit it in a bank vault. It wasn’t until 2012 that her daughter Alexandra Bellak pushed to have the diary translated into English so people from all over the world could read it.

“I was curious about my past, my heritage, this special woman I was named after (middle name is Renata) and I don’t speak Polish (thanks mom!) And she never read it as it was too painful,” Alexandra told CNN in an interview conducted over Facebook Messenger.

When she read it for the first time, she was “heartbroken”, she said.

“I understood its depth and maturity, and fine writing and poetry, and with the rise of all the isms – anti semitism, populism and nationalism – both me and my mom saw the necessity in bringing this to life.”

Alexandra said her mom, now 87, hasn’t read the diary in its entirety because it’s too painful for her. “She read only the excerpts that were printed in the Smithsonian,” she added.

She added that the first reaction from people who have read it has been overwhelming. “From young and old, they’re praising the outstanding writing, the yearning for a normal life, the longing for her mother,” Alexandra said.

Here are some extracts from the book:

August 15, 1939

I haven’t spoken to you for a while. The end of the school year is long gone, my summer vacation is

almost over, and I haven’t spoken to you. I went to see my aunt in the countryside, I went to Warsaw,

saw Mama and now I’m back. But you don’t know about any of tha . You were lying here, left on your

own with my thoughts and you don’t even know that we have a secret mobilization, you don’t know

that the Russians have signed a treaty with the Germans. You don’t know that people are stockpiling

food, that everybody’s on aler , waiting for…war’

June 7, 1942

Wherever I look, there is bloodshed. Such terrible pogroms. There is killing, murdering. God Almighty, for the umpteenth time I humble myself in front of you, help us, save us! Lord God, let us live, I beg You, I want to live! I’ve experienced so little of life. I don’t want to die. I’m scared of death. It’s all so stupid, so petty, so unimportant, so small. Today I’m worried about being ugly; tomorrow I might stop thinking forever.

Think, tomorrow we might not be

A cold, steel knife

Will slide between us, you see

But today there is still time for life

Tomorrow sun might eclipse

Gun bullets might crack and rip

And howl — pavements awash

With blood, with dirty, stinking slag

Pigwash

Today you are alive

There is still time to survive

Let’s blend our blood

When the song still moves ahead

The song of the wild and furious flood

Brought by the living dead

Listen, my every muscle trembles

My body fumbles for your closeness

It’s supposed to be a choking game, this is

Not enough eternity for all the kisses

July 15, 1942

Remember this day; remember it well. You will tell generations to come. Since 8 o’clock today we have been shut away in the ghetto. I live here now. The world is separated from me and I’m separated from the world.

from FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports https://fox4kc.com/2019/09/12/she-was-shot-dead-by-the-nazis-in-1942-her-secret-diary-is-to-be-published-after-70-years-in-a-bank-vault/

from Kansas City Happenings https://kansascityhappenings.wordpress.com/2019/09/12/she-was-shot-dead-by-the-nazis-in-1942-her-secret-diary-is-to-be-published-after-70-years-in-a-bank-vault/