#the pink/violet kind of EVERYWHERE but I barely ever see yellow

[paltering-peculiarity]

Then we shall!! Oh, and how about we pick some berries too? I have scones leftover for dessert, those’ll go together nicely as well.

Hello there wizard island island... I washed up here the other day and I just wanna say hi. I have no name, I'm 14, and I don't know how I got here, the waves keep telling me it's some kind of secret and I trust them so... I guess it's okay! Come by and maybe we can build some sand castles together...

[bluesdesk]

ZELDA HEADCANONS

Sun:

-- considers "Zelda" and "Hylia" as 2 different identities. When she has to act as Hylia (to give a serious order, to do some magic...), she moves her fringe to her left side. Also when Sky makes her angry in a discussion she is like: "remember I can be Hylia!" and  not "remember I'm Hylia"

-- she wears shorts under her dresses, she would be pretty uncomfortable without them.

-- She has a very strong personality, like a girlboss, and she's as chaotic as Tetra

-- She's Hylia, and so she must handle magic pretty well. Also Sky didn't have problems, if not more frequent nightmares and lightning scars and fear of thunderstorms... But "fear of thunderstorms" doesn't even count! However, she noticed her hair became lighter near the tips, and wavier.

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Dot:

-- the girly princess? No way! She grew up with Four, she's a smith too, she loves adventures and festivities. The fucsia jacket is a hoodie (she covers the hood with her cloack), she wears leggings and seakers nunder the dress, that's actually a high waisted long skirt she can remove

-- her hair is kinda orangey! Also it's pretty long

-- she's a relative of Four! In the italian version of Minish Cap she refers to Link's grandpa as "uncle Smith". This might mean Smith is her uncle, grand-uncle or greta-granduncle? Dot's mom might be Smith's younger sister for example.

-- She had a pretty simple life before MC and FS.  Dot had learnt some magic because of the whole "descendant of a goddess" thing. Not much, and she preferred to not use it. So, when she got petrified by Vaati's magic, she got the signs of it. Her hands and feet are as small as when she was 12 (MC), and her hair got way straighter than before. And when Vaati kidnapped her, she got some eye markings, like tattoos, on her arms.

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Lullaby:

-- genderfluid! But their father doesn't really support them and when they feel like a boy they just become Sheik and go in the woods or at Lon Lon!

-- They have a tanned skin and dark blonde hair

--They do want to be a mom though. Dusk is their daughter!

-- They can handle magic well, but Lullaby turned into Sheik for the first time when they were really young, and this had an impact on them. Their blue eyes became red with the Sheik mask (yeah I headcanon it as a mask!), and the repetitive use of it made their eye color turn from blue to violet even when they're "Zelda". They also got a sheikah eye symbol on their left eye, which they cover with their hair.

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Dusk:

-- She grew up with her grandpa (Lullaby's father)

-- She has Lullaby's skin color! Also she's thin and tall

-- She  didn't attend a royal/exclusive school but went at Twi's same one so they were friends as kids. She also studied swords and archery!

-- She simply didn't recognize Twi as a wolf, she thought he had become a spirit, because she didn't know he had the triforce too!

-- When Ganondorf turned her into his puppet, her skin became pale, and she had those black scars/signs and her eyes turned yellow. Her light power kinda healed this, but she now has light brown eyes, that turn blue when she's really happy and yellow when she's angry. Her skin color changed back to normal but her lips are always more violet than normal and she still has those black scars.

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Artemis:

-- Dusk's great-great-granddaughter! She has a similiar face, but her colors are different. Also she has chubbier legs.

--When the war started, she took the master sword and trained with it, until Impa told her she had to leave it for the next hero

-- She's been training with magic for a long time, since she can really use it perfectly, and she masters different kinds of magic. Every scar/sign she got is from the enemies' weapons, and not magic

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Flora:

-- She refused the whole princess/goddess thing, she just refers to herself as a scholar, researcher and adventure.

-- she loves Sheikah clothing!  She has stealth lessons with Paya

-- she tries to imitate Wild's cooking in secret, but she refuses to admit it because of the "powerful hero/ useless princess" thing

--She has also been training a lot with magic, and when she sealed herself and Calamity Ganon, her powers were awake. But being sealed for 100 years, with constant light powers on, and Calamity Ganon surely did something. The constant light made her photosensitive, and her hands are burnt, not as badly as Wild's face of course, but you can recognize they are. The usage of a newly awakened magic, for so long time and with that intensity made her unable to use magic for the next years after she came back, and if she'll ever get her magic back, it'll be only few.

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Tetra:

-- She grew up knowing her name wad Tetra. She didn't know it was just a nickname, so for her "Zelda" is a nickname she doesn't even like. In the italian version of WW/PH, her name is Dazel. She prefers Dazel over Zelda when she has to do royal stuff.

-- even as Zelda her skin is dark and her hair is all curly

-- Wind's grandma loves her and already adopted her in her mind XD but she keeps telling her she needs warmer clothes and she also gives her lots of Wind's clothes that became too small for him

-- she has blonde freckles on her dark skin, Aryll says she's a starry night

-- chubby!!

-- She had never heard of magic before her first adventure, so you might imagine she must have taken it really badly. She has a messed up sleping schedule and she falls asleep in the strangest ways, positions, and times. One second she's arguing with you, the next moment she's asleep, even if she's on her feet, this thing can get dangerous for her so she always brings someone (mostly Wind) with her. She has scratches everywhere from her petrification too, and being petrified surely didn't help with her previous situation.

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Fable:

-- she loves to wear pink and sky blue together! Pink is her favorite color and sky blue represents the goddess. She's a fan of jewels too!

-- Don't touch her hair, she'd get mad!

--Legend's step sister and somehow twin! She and Legend have different mothers and the same father (the father became a king after the marriage with Fable's mom, the queen). Oddly enough, they were born the same day of the same year.

-- She knows how to use a sword but she mostly uses magic and she can kick pretty well!

-- She can use magic almost perfectly, like Artemis! However, being in a painting gave her some lighter/"discolored" spots on her skin, pretty much like vitiligo. Just few spots, as she could handle that magic well too.

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

Aurora:

-- a child. She's like 10/12. A pretty smart kid!

-- redhead, tanned skin, curly hair and lots of freckles!

-- autistic, her stims are most likely jumping and moving her arms! She loves springs and water in general, she could spend her entire days with fairies in a spring! Pretty enthusiastic about literally anything too!

-- she sees Hyrule as an older brother

-- She had negative memories about her brother, and giving the adjective "brother" to Hyrule is  like turning the page, seeing that adjective with a new meaning

--The poor kid often thinks her dreams are reality. She has problems in distinguishing vivid dreams from reality as she had been asleep for too much. On the other hand, she barely sleeps.

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

BONUS:

Phantom/Angel (Spirit Tracks!):

As the great granddaughter of Tetra, Phantom and Link should be related (One of Spirit and one of Phantom's parents must be cousins) Unless Spirit isn't the great grandson of Tetra and Wind... but maybe the great grandson of Aryll instead! This would explain why Spirit is in contact with the pirate crew but not royal, and since their first common relative is so distant (Wind and Aryll's parents) they wouldn't be considered as related and the fact they didn't know each other before would have more sense

-- She took her personality from Tetra AND Wind: her will to help and be a hero too, still being a bit sassy, and a little rebel (escaping from the castle). She's like, a perfect mix of their personalities.

-- As for her design, she has wavy hair, a slightly tanned skin (she's not dark skinned, unlike Tetra), she loves earrings and she has a lot of them!

-- She wasn't used to magic, she knew that but not too much, so being a phantom and leaving her body because of said magic had an impact on her. Her eyes were originally dark blue like Tetra, but they're now pink to purple and yellow! Her skin got lighter after ST, and so she wears makeup to seem less pale. Her eyes get irritated easily (red eyes when possessed) and she spaces out a lot, sometimes she has dissociative events

[zitrolena]

What’s meant to be will always find a way (2)

1st heads-up it's long; 2nd heads-up: I'm not sure how fast I'll upload the next one. Conclusion: Hope you still like it :)

(Chapter 1)

----

Chapter 2: Nothing is the same, except everything and nothing is.

Athazagoraphobia – the fear of forgetting; being forgotten or ignored; or being replaced.

She doesn’t know how she has found herself here. Well, of course she does but it doesn’t make her register it more either.. Firstly she asked Amira for Joanas current address, ignoring the face that Amira made that could either mean ‘Why are you doing this to yourself?’ or ‘Why are you doing this to her?’.. Cris can’t decide which one would be worse.

Now, standing in front of the large building, fixing her braids, breathing out, breathing in, she finally builds up the courage to knock on the door.

3 knocks are all she manages before she leans back again, stiff like a stick. Her heart beating in her chest, pulling against it as if it was trying to get out before it breaks again. Scared. When she hears the creak of the opening door she closes her eyes for a second; not ready yet. Not ready ever.

“Heyyyy!!!”, the familiar voice screams before Cris feels arms pulling her into a soft hug “You’re back!!”.  Cris immediately hugs her back, actually thanking her body for reacting when her head felt like infinite loops of ‘What the fuck’s.

When the girl ends the hug, she looks at her with an excited grin in her face. Her light-brown locks, a little shorter than Cris remembered; are falling around her cheeks landing on her pink T-shirt. She looks almost exactly the same; still seeing Viri has never confused Cris more than at that moment.

The infinite loop hasn’t stopped when she finally manages to speak again. Weirdly chuckling she murmurs “Haha yeah”. Trying to hide her confusion, Cris raises her arms in the air and strengthens every muscle in her face; Faking excitement never feeling as exhausting as at that moment “Surprise”.

It isn’t as if Cris hadn’t planned on seeing her friends again, of course she did! She actually planned to crash Amiras party on the weekend and pull a more existing surprise than the one she did right now. She missed them and wants to see them as soon as possible. But not here. Not now. Not when she wants to see Joana.

“Since when are you back?”, Viris smile widens “God, you must have so many stories to tell”. She claps her hands exhilarated. “And oh my god, wait!”, she grabs one of Cris’ braids “Am I delusional or is this shorter?”. It is. Travelling through the Asian-heat with long hair was actually like accepting a slow and painful death, so she cut it. Like some kind of restart; she wants to grow it back though.

“Only 2 days..”, Cris leans from one foot to the other “But I wanted to settle in a bit before meeting all of you again.. and yes”, she answers and brushes her fingers over her bare arm, which is covered all over with goosebumbs either because of the april weather playing games or her body just now fully processing the whole situation. A bit late, fella, but thanks for the delay . 

Viri immediately notices the goosebumps on Cris’ arm and tells her to come inside, almost pulling her with her.

The apartment is beautifully decorated, with some drawings by Joana which Cris immediately notices the second she enters through the door. She could register her drawings everywhere. Viri slowly leads her to the big gray couch and both of them sit down.

Like so often, Viri is still wearing a big smile on her faces when her eyes suddenly widen and she quickly looks down at her watch, almost terrified. “Shit!!”. She jumps up in a quick motion and starts shaking her head “Chica, I love you. But I gotta go, I have classes with THE WORST teacher EVER. I’m really really sorry!!”

She picks up her bag and looks back at Cris who still sits on the couch as if someone put her into stand-by-mode. She really feels like someone did. Viri starts talking again, getting kind of nervous at the thought of her teacher “We could meet another time or you could stay cause J-..”… And then there’s the click. Viris body seems to calm down for a second and she slowly registers everything. The whole reason Cris is here.

She pulls her lips together into a soft smile and starts shaking her head again “Just stay!”, she bits her underlip in excitement “She’ll be right back”.

You could literally see her fangirling on the inside from the way she tried to hide a grin. And with that big hidden grin and her white bag in her hand she disappeared through the door, leaving Cris alone in the apartment of her ex-girlfriend. 

“B-Bye”, Cris murmurs completely aware of the fact that there’s no way Viri could hear her.  

-----

It takes a while for Cris to fully process everything that happened in the last 3 minutes and when she does, she comes up with the conclusion that it couldn’t have gone any worse. Wait till Joana sees you, she thinks but slowly brushes the thought away. She built up the courage to get here and now she wasn’t planning on giving up the second it got hard. Or weird.

Slowly she stands up from the soft cushions and looks around. There are drawing everywhere, almost on every wall, and if Cris were to count them she’d say that there are around 30 drawing she’d swear are Joanas. They are colorful, full of yellow, orange, red, violet and every shade of blue. Happy colors. Cris pulls up her hands to touch her cheeks, trying to ground herself; trying to get her heartbeat to a normal pace again; trying to whipe her big smile away. Happy colors.

She cups her face a little more almost as if she was trying to squish her smile out of her face. Happy. Joana. She feels a heat rising in her chest, that special kind she hasn’t felt for a long time. Joana.

For Cris, there are four different types of heat in your chest: the one where you want something, the one when you’re drunk, the one where you miss something or someone and the one where you’re undeniably happy. She feels the last one now.

She has arrived home again. At least it felt like that.

When she hears the clicking sound of the lock, quickly followed by the creaking sound of the wooden door being opened she turns around. She feels unprepared, still not ready, but knows that there isn’t going back now. There’s never a going back.

Joana looks unprepared as well; understandably. Who would expect their ex to be standing in their living room after not being in contact for 15 months? Her upper body is leaning forward while her feet are still right next to the door whilst she’s actually keeping her hand on the door handle as if she’s preparing for escaping through the door again.

Her hazel eyes are fixated on the blonde girl, looking up and down as if she’s not sure that she can trust her eyes yet. Her dark brown hair is put in a bun showing the green highlights on her hair-ends. That’s the only change Cris can register in the first few seconds of them looking at each other from across the room, both not saying a word. She still looked like Joana. Her Joana.

“Hey”, Cris’ voice is soft, mimicking the heat that she still carries around in her chest even though her big smile is now covered by a nervous one. She feels like a little girl mentally preparing herself for a presentation at school.

Slowly Joana lets go of the handle in her hand and her arm loosely falls next to her body. “Uhm hi”. She looks confused, of course she does, but it bothers Cris that that’s the only emotion she can register from Joanas eyes. The only other sign of emotion is her voice vibrating when she says those 2 words, but everything other than that makes Cris feel like a stranger.

Cris points behind herself “Viri let me in..” her hand finds her neck “I didn’t just break in or something “, she chuckles trying to break the awkwardness.  

It doesn’t break.

It doesn’t even crack a little bit.

Joanas seems unbothered, seemingly distracted even, and starts moving from the door to the kitchen and puts her bag on the kitchen table. “Aha okay”, she says calmly while pulling one item after the other out of the bag, storing it in the fridge but leaving a loaf of bread outside. As if it was a normal day. As if nothing was different.

Cris feels as confused as a couple minutes ago; waiting for Joana and then actually being greeted by Viri. Just that she feels like waiting for Joana now whilst actually talking to her. She doesn’t know what she expected but that definitely isn’t it.

“I- I just came back and..” Cris starts stammering while Joana cuts off a slice of bread with a fast motion, that makes Cris bite her inner lip before she starts talking again. “And I came here, because I wanted to see you.. bec-“

Cris jumps up at the feeling of something brushing her bare legs. She looks down at a little white fluffy creature with brown-green eyes looking at her. In the back of her eyes Cris registers Joanas confused look while she pushes herself up at the counter and looks over to the little fella, that is waddling between Cris’ legs, brushing over each side, waiting to be stroked.  

“Madame!”, Joana hisses and claps her hands trying to get her cat away from her ex. The fact that Cris is the only guest Madame hasn’t scratched before she gets comfortable enough with the idea of them stroking her, isn’t helping either.

The cat, totally unbothered by her owner making that sound looks up at the blonde human over her, ready for her pickup. Cris immediately follows that demand and starts caressing the back of the soft cat. She can feel Joanas eyes on her, darting through her. Watching every move as if she isn’t sure that she likes what’s happening.

“Madaaaaame”, Cris mouths, pulling the head of the pillowy cat to her “You are such a cutie, I love you already!” and softly gives kisses her fur with her eyes closed. Joana starts biting her nails at that comment, still standing behind the kitchen counter, trying not to look at the softness of that moment.

When Cris opens her eyes again, she immediately notices the little violet collar and the words printed on it “Madame de Tourvel”. And with that, the heat in her chest is back again. She pulls the fluffy cat against her chest, against the warm feeling inside of it.  

“What are you smiling about?”. She hears Joanas voice, seemingly so far away but yet so near. Cris doesn’t look up, she wouldn’t want Joana to look away. Being watched by her while looking away was still better than being ignored.

Cris makes a grimace “I’m not smiling”, she murmurs while shaking her head, not even trying to wipe the smile off her face. She pulls the cat closer to her as if the soft fur of the cat and her purring was some kind of shield against Joana. In some way it works.

Joana grunts, opening the fridge next to her and taking out a slice of cheese. “You have a big ass smile all plastered over your face, Cris”. The mention of her own name out of Joanas mouth only makes her smile grow wider. Even if she said it while being annoyed; at least she registered her existence now.

“Huh.. I don’t know”, Cris chuckles leaning against the fluffy fur that’s tickling her chin “I guess I’m just really happy then”. With you. Even if it looks like you want to kill me. She knows she shouldn’t have said it, but she doesn’t care. Standing in front of Joana, even if she has the biggest frown on her face, feels nice. Unreal but yet so meant to be.

Joana murmurs something under her breath, smacking the door of the fridge shut.

Cris watches her amused. “I think your mommy is mad, Madame”, she whispers into Madame de Tourvels ear, her grin making her voice sound much higher than it usually is. She’s talking in her baby-voice and she doesn’t even know why. Her defense for saying that…well, she doesn’t have one. The cute cat in her arm. The stress. Seeing Joana again. All this is making her feel high both in the good and the bad way.

“I’m not mad”, Joana denies. The lie is plastered all over her face, even though she looks away.

Cris chuckles; if there’s one thing she always notice about Joana it’s when she’ uncomfortable or mad. Talking to her then felt like talking to someone you don’t know. Just like now.

But the fact that her eyes finally talk for her gives Cris some confidence. Cris pulls up the cat again, turning her around so that her green eyes look directly at Joana, with Cris’ blue eyes right behind her doing the same. “Madame, what do you say? Is she angry or not?”

Slowly Joana looks in her direction again and they lock eyes from across the room, just like they did so often before. It’s as if they’ve both been hypnotized, in trance, dancing through the room without actually moving.

People say the eyes are the doors to the soul and if that is true Joanas and Cris’ souls have been connected since the first time they met at that step outside the club. Just like they still are now. Just like they always will be. Nothing is the same, except everything and nothing is.

In slow pace and the cat still pressed against her chest, Cris walks across the room, as they talk without saying a single word. Joanas body is both stiff and also loose, leaning against the counter as if she’d faint if she moved.

She looks attentive, annoyed and like she’d want to scream another A-word at the blonde girl that is coming dangerously close to her again.

Now standing in front of Joana, with only the cat between them, Cris finally lets out the breath she didn’t even knew she held in. She takes Joana in, every detail, she couldn’t register from afar before. Her brown hair that is lighter now because of the summer-sun. Some freckles that are covering her cheeks and making her look younger. And those hazel brown eyes, those beautiful eyes that are fixating on her right now. And her soft lips. So close.

Cris’ cheeks blush immediately, and she looks away “I’m sorry”, she laughs not being able to keep the energy that is bottled up inside her in anymore. “You know how I am with cats”. Actually nothing was not because of Joana, but it was obvious that something inside Joana wouldn’t wanna hear the real reason.

She gets back into reality when the purring animal starts moving in her arms again. “Here”, Cris says softly while brushing over Madams fur one last time before she carefully cups her little body and heaves her in Joanas direction, closing the space between them some more. “I guess she misses you”

Their hands brush each other and even that little touch is enough to cause the heat in Cris’ chest to spread everywhere, from her head to her toes. Both of their hearts beating at the same speed.

Like a song moving them on the inside. A song that, this time, is not playing.  

“I actually get that”, Cris whispers, mostly to herself, but Joana is too close not to hear it. And the damage is done before Cris can take it back. She shouldn’t have said it, but she doesn’t regret it either.

“Don’t say that”, her voice is demanding, so Cris doesn’t answer and instead looks away, her head burning from the awkwardness. She’d never thought that Joana could intimidate her that much again. She looks to the counter, the toast that Joana prepared so forcefully while they “talked” being the first thing she notices. Cris starts chuckling again, obviously completely unable to act or think like a normal human being in front of Joana anymore, the uncomfortableness between them only making it worse.  She feels like a complete lunatic being around her now.

“Why are you laughing again?”, Joana asks, focusing on the “again” while looking behind her to the kitchen counter confused.

“You forgot the oregano”

Joana squeezes her eyes shut  “Can. You. Not..”, she bites her lip, trying to not let her smile show now that she can’t cover it with her hands anymore because she’s holding her cat “Fuck…Just.. Shut up”.  The memory of the terrifyingly bad toast floods back to them and they both start chuckling, like 15 months before. Finally feeling like them again.

Like so often, and with their usual luck, it was exactly that moment that Viri enters the room, opening the door violently “And? How was-“, an uncomfortable smile immediately covers her face when she notices that Cris is still here. Right next to Joana. Well not that near anymore, anyways.  “Criiiiiis, hey. You’re still here!!”

“Yup”, is all Cris manages to answer. If the awkwardness had passed with their laughter it was definitely back again now.

“So uhm..yes..”, Viri awkwardly folds her hands into each other “..-I-I’m going to my room”, with a big smile she walks through the living room “See you, Guapas”. 

She entered as fast as she left,  but the moment is gone already.

Joana looks back to Cris and takes another step back.. distancing herself from her some more. “We’ll see each other, okay?”, she murmurs scratching her head “Now that you’re back..”

Now that we have to, Cris thinks and hopes that Joana doesn’t.

 And with that another goodbye was said.

[jolteonjordansh]

Day 1: “Successor”

Synopsis: It’s been five years since Wes and Rui have defeated the criminal syndicate Cipher, and since their disbandment the duo have advanced their travels to a wider scale as they visit multiple regions. Upon making their recent arrival to the tropical region of Alola however, Rui discovers the potential uprising of old adversaries.

Author’s Note: It’s the first day of 2017’s Orre Week! I hope to get everything in on time, but if I don’t I’ll still be sure to post everything I have planned! This may disappoint some people, but this is pretty much the only prompt that will directly connect to the events of Pokémon Colosseum. My focus will be the events after Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness. But this is a story I wanted to get out. I should confess though: This is actually my first time drawing Wes and Rui. Okay, maybe not first time ever—I did an old comic back in elementary school regarding origin stories of this duo, but my headcanon has drastically changed since then and I can’t even find the original material. Still, this is my first time actually drawing default Wes and Rui and as much as I wish it was better, I’m mostly happy with how it turned out! Still, I never realized how ridiculous Wes’ hair is… lol

I hope we all have a great Orre Week, and I hope you guys like my contributions! I’ll admit, I’m a bit nervous as this is some of the first writing I’ve posted online in years, so I could be a bit rusty. Proceed under the break to read today’s one-shot!

His black boots trampled against the wooden stairs as Wes trekked up to the next floor, his Espeon and Umbreon trotting adjacent to his left and right. Reaching into a pocket in his blue coat, he pulled out a card as he made his way towards a door. Placing the card up against the knob, it clicked and he opened the door as he and his Pokémon companions passed through the door.

“Oh, you’re back already?”

Wes looked towards one of the beds, where Rui laid back as Espeon stood up to the side of the bed, rubbing his head against her hand with a soft purr. She was one of the few sights that could crack a genuine smile out of Wes, and he nodded as the door shut behind him. “The trainers are still pretty sparse around here, but I’ve noticed they have quite a close connection with their Pokémon, even if they’re not as challenging as some from the other region.”

“Yeah, a lot of them walk around with their Pokémon everywhere. There’s so many cute companions around here!” She giggled, looking down at the pink feline and his approaching ebony ally. “But not as cute as you two, of course.”

“Don’t spoil them Rui. They’ll become too content with all of the attention you give them.”

“Oh, relax. You keep them well-trained as it is. Just because you’re not as affectionate doesn’t mean I can’t be,” She reached her hands as she pet them both, their purrs harmonizing.

“You make it sound like I don’t care for them at all. These guys are the closest thing I have to family,” Wes sat down on the adjacent bed. “And how have you enjoyed your down time?”

“Oh, I just woke up from a nap. I can’t believe how much there is to do on Melemele Island! This place is just so beautiful, and this region still has other islands we can visit. I had to have a day to take it all in!”

“I guess this is our most relaxing visit yet. I guess you made the right decision picking it out.”

“It’s almost like if Agate Village were a whole island. I think I’m ready to pick it out for the both of us to stay here!”

“Come on, cut that out. You’re being silly,” Wes looked down and scratched underneath the chins of his companions, noticing what seemed like a pair of smirks between them. “I still want to be able to go back to Orre too. I’ve got pals to meet up with at the Outskirt Stand when we go back, if hell hasn’t frozen over and Officer Johnson hasn’t caught them.”

“I know, and I want to go see grandma and grandpa when I can too,” Rui looked over towards the TV running in the background as she held the remote out. “I do hope they’re doing alright though. The P*DA’s service doesn’t really work outside of Orre, and you know how my grandparents are with technology…”

“You’re not trying to search for the ONBS through the TV service here again, are you? You’ve done that in every region we’ve visited, and you’re never successful. I get that you’re so blown away by how many channels they all have, but ONBS just has too limited of a broadcast.”

“I just want to try, alright? Is that such a bad thing to do?”

“Well, alright. I’m just saying it’s probably a hopeless cause,” Wes shrugged as he scratched behind Espeon and Umbreon’s ears, listening to their shrills of delight as his two friends turned over towards him instead and leaned into his hands. His ears blocked out the clicking of the TV, staring into the violet and red eyes blinking at him as he gave them a gentle smile.

I do wonder how things are in Orre, His mind wandered, but easily he remembered just how little Orre had changed in his time living there. Even in his life living alongside Team Snagem, his life had been mundane. The places he saw never changed. The people barely changed. Regulations never changed. Even when Cipher had reared their ugly heads into the scene, only a handful of people took action.

The police force was nearly nonexistent after all, as Chief Sherles and Officer Johnson were the only ones who strived for any sort of peace. Only the occasional bystanders like Duking ever bothered to step in. There was the Kids’ Grid, of course, but they were just as their name implied—kids. As skilled as they were with technology, they didn’t have the resources to reach any further than Orre. For all Wes knew, they could have been continuing with their usual work behind the scenes in The Under as he and Rui continued to travel.

But Orre had found peace after he had stepped in, and that was what mattered. The usual petty crimes of bandits and lone wolves would continue throughout the region, but he wasn’t a superhero meant to handle the region’s problems. These were mere misdemeanors that would take care of themselves. The world was built to handle those who could survive in it, and nature would take its course. It was only if humanity strayed nature too far from its course that it required such interference.

Still, I can’t help but wish to see Orre improve for the better. Solving everyone’s problems is a nice thought, just not feasible, He ruffled his hands against Espeon and Umbreon’s heads. I suppose it’s just best to believe Orre is on a road towards improvement.

“Wes!”

He lifted his head up at the sound of her gasp. “What? You didn’t seriously find it, did you?”

“In a way, but… Not in a way I was hoping. Look!”

As Rui sat up and pointed towards the screen, like an excited child pointing out her favorite superhero, what she pointed towards was nothing to be thrilled for. A bold red banner laid at the bottom of the screen, reading its news report.

“Orre News Broadcast Station Attempts ‘Shadow Pokémon’ Hoax”

“What…?” The words squeezed out of Wes’ mouth like a ghastly breath.

“Today on the Pokémon Conspiracy Network, we have probably one of our strangest stories in years,” A red-haired woman appeared on camera as video footage played to the left of her. “From the obscure ‘Orre Region’, we received word of supposed news reports of an entire city being taken over by a criminal organization named Cipher, with weapons the news station— ONBS—has reported as ‘Shadow Pokémon’.”

“Why would ONBS report false news? I know they weren’t the most accurate when I blew Gonzap’s base, but this doesn’t sound right…” Wes mumbled.

“If this story sounds crazy enough to you, don’t take our word for it—Here’s the full footage of ONBS’ supposed news report,” The camera panned away from the woman as the video to her left then filled the screen. It was the usual ONBS set-up, but rather than having the station’s standard broadcast woman reporting the news, a somewhat familiar brown-haired boy sat alongside a monitor playing back footage, with the young narrator beginning his speech.

“Hello, viewers! This is Secc, ONBS’ Director. We bring you a special scoop.”

“No way… That’s Secc? He really grew up!” Rui exclaimed.

“And he’s ONBS’ Director? I guess that was only a natural progression for him in Orre, the kid being so smart…” Wes then rose his hand in a gentle hushing manner, as Rui’s voice calmed to whispers of disbelief.

“The courageous actions of a young boy thwarted a group of Cipher operatives who had infiltrated Phenac City,” The monitor’s camera then panned towards a young boy with long red hair clad in yellow, a strange mechanical arm adorning the left half of his body. “This footage shows the boy and his Pokémon driving off a top Cipher Admin from the city’s Stadium.”

Wait, that machine… That can’t be…! Wes’ eyes widened as the robotic arm caught his attention, subconsciously glancing towards his own left arm to the machine that he wore as rusty armor, his voice reduced to a raspy whisper. “That’s Phenac City, no doubt about it…”

“I don’t think we ever saw that guy from Cipher though. He… kind of looks like Ein had a little too much fun at a costume party,” Rui said.

“He’s got a weird get-up, I’ll give you that,” Wes added.

“Cipher had been trying to take over the entire city by replacing its citizens with the syndicate’s members,” Secc continued. “ONBS was also targeted for takeover by Cipher. Despite this setback, Cipher appears to be growing more active.”

“Wait, they tried to take over ONBS too!?” Rui piped up.

“So did Venus try that nonsense again? At least it sounds like Orre’s smartened up to know not to let them influence them… I bet the whole Kids’ Gridd works for ONBS now. That’s why they managed to actually capture good coverage of Cipher… if this is real.”

“Wes, you don’t really think Secc would fake thi—“

“Hang on, let it finish Rui.”

“The authorities have issued a caution to all citizens and organizations to be alert to the possibility of further attacks,” Secc said. “As you have seen, Cipher has returned with a vengeance. The entire Orre Region is endangered again. ONBS promises to doggedly pursue this story and provide you with the most accurate information on Cipher’s actions,” A look of determination flashed into Secc’s eyes, one Wes recognized from nearly half a decade ago. “We must not allow Cipher to carry out its conspiracy of fear. Let us all protect the peace of Orre with courage!”

And with a final outcry, the video faded to black, returning to the red-haired woman at the center stage of the TV recording. “The ONBS report was sent to multiple news stations from Kanto to Hoenn. However, most officials have dictated the footage to be false and controversial at best. The so-called ‘Shadow Pokémon’ that were reported could not be seen in the footage, as the battle seemed no different than any other Pokémon battle,” The woman explained. “The obvious bias towards the Orre Region and justice for it also leads officials to believe that the report was put together to gather attention towards a region even I have never heard of before.”

“Of course that battle seemed regular to you guys!” Rui’s face turned red with anger as she found herself getting up out of bed. “Normal humans can’t see Shadow Pokémon! You wouldn’t know the difference unless you watched the battle closer!”

“Rui…” Wes murmured.

“While the report talks as if these attacks have happened before, we could not find any evidence of such incidents between several news stations through multiple regions. It seems the whole ‘issue’ is a self-contained show with over the top acting, particularly with the ridiculous cloaked man. For now, the ‘Cipher’ reports are being dismissed. We’ll show you what other locals had to say after seeing this stage sho—“

The TV blinked off as Rui held out the remote, slamming it down next to the TV as she turned around to Wes. “I can’t believe these people! The ONBS is actually reaching out to other places in the world and they won’t listen because Cipher’s work has always been so under-handed and secretive! How was any of that fake!? Secc and the other kids would never lie and spread it around like that!”

“Rui, you need to calm down. You’re hardly rational right now,” Wes hushed.

“I’m not rational!? Wes, you should be mad too! That’s our home these conspiracy jerks are talking down about, and our friends too! They’re hardly being reasonable about this to! And everyone could all be in grave danger but no one else is bothering to get involved!”

“Rui,” Wes stood up as he placed a finger on her lips, immediately silencing her ranting. “Let’s think through this, alright?”

Her shoulders slouching, Rui sighed as she looked up at Wes with her blue eyes crying of despair. “Wes, I just… I can’t believe this is happening again, and we weren’t there for it… What if this has been going on since we left?”

“I can’t imagine it’s been going on for that long. I know our connection with Orre has been limited in the last five years, but we’ve found ways to send e-mails at some places with wired connections. I would have gotten an urgent message back when we visited the PokéCom Center in Johto last year. It must have been within the last few months at most.”

“I guess… But do you really think this was faked?”

“No, I think there’s some legitimate news here. Sure, Secc was pretty vocal about justice for Orre, but… He’s not wrong. And I wouldn’t put it past Cipher to take over a city. Evice posed as mayor for Phenac City all while we remained unaware, and they built a whole tower for themselves. They have resources and connections, without a doubt.”

“Yeah, this has to be legit… But it doesn’t look like Orre is completely vulnerable.”

“You’re right. They had a boy fighting that Cipher Admin, not to mention that mechanical arm…”

Rui nearly felt her soul leap right out of her skin as she recalled the machine Wes had just pointed out to her. “Wait, you don’t think that was a…!?”

Wes nodded. “It’s got all the parts. That kid had a Snag Machine on him, no doubt about it.”

“Do you think maybe Team Snagem is working with Cipher again, and that boy got his hands on their Snag Machine?”

Wes snickered. “That thing looked way too fancy to be Snagem’s handiwork. Besides, they’d practically fallen apart by the time we left, but the Old Man insisted he’d bring Team Snagem back. Besides, after Cipher made a fool of themselves, he’s got bad blood with them. He told me all about it before we left.”

“So you went to see Gonzap even after everything that happened? Wouldn’t he have bad blood towards you?”

Wes shrugged. “It is what it is. I figured I’d at least try to set things straight with him. Either way, that kid doesn’t really look like Snagem material. Gonzap was barely willing to take me in at my age as it was. That Snag Machine was probably reverse engineered somehow, I’m sure. And if the boy fought off a Cipher Admin, sounds like he’s doing a lot of the dirty work.”

“I guess so… But I can’t believe Cipher would return, and with more Shadow Pokémon too…”

“Were you able to tell if that crony was using a Shadow Pokémon? Or maybe that kid?”

“I don’t know, I couldn’t really tell but the battle was pretty violent… Maybe since the footage is recorded and I’m not seeing the Pokémon directly, I couldn’t see the black aura around it.”

“I see… I guess that only makes sense,” Wes looked out towards the window, his yellow eyes gazing out away from Rui. “ It’s in their hands then.”

“In their hands!? That’s all you have to say!? Wes, we need to go back there and help! We can’t just leave Orre’s people and our friends and family out there to just deal with it!”

“What do you propose we do then?” Wes gave her a sharp glare. “You know as well as I do that finding a ferry that takes us back to Orre only comes once in a blue moon in regions like this. And there’s certainly no airports nearby. We couldn’t afford a private jet even if we wanted to.”

“What about your Skarmory? She can fly us there, can’t she?”

“She couldn’t fly two people to a far off region efficiently, that’s for sure. I can’t put that kind of stress on her.”

“But Wes, if we just try—“

“Rui,” All Wes needed to do was firmly say her name for her to realize she needed to calm down. There was a stiff silence between them, Rui’s heart dropping to the pit of her stomach as she began to understand Wes’ logic was sound—far more than her rampant emotions.

The silence held as if the legendary Celebi had entered the room, with time itself frozen to a halt. Umbreon and Espeon stared up towards the argument of their two human friends, but remained neutral with their own sense of tact. Only the soft sound of Wes’ feet shuffling and turning towards the door could be heard among them.

“Wes, I’m sorry. I just…” Rui broke the silence as Wes had turned away from her. “I want to help everyone back home. I can’t stand the thought of thinking they might be in trouble. I don’t know what I’d do if Cipher took over Agate Village and did something to grandma and grandpa.”

“I know it’s frustrating,” He extended his right arm out, as if signaling her to hush, but now with a sense of understanding. “I want safety for Orre too. There’s a reason I left Team Snagem so many years ago—I understood how important its people and Pokémon were. But we’re not in a position right now.”

Rui had no response. She didn’t have to remind him that he was right. He already knew, and she did too.

“But you have to remember too, just because we’re not there doesn’t mean Orre is helpless. I think it’s fair we give the rookie a chance.”

“Oh, the kid? You really think he can handle it though?” Rui asked.

“The footage spoke for itself, don’t you think?” Wes grinned. “He fought pretty well with his Pokémon, and defeated a Cipher Admin. It seems like he has the tools, especially if the Kids’ Grid have made connections with him.”

“You’re right… You always seem to figure things out quick, don’t you Wes?”

“I’ve got street smarts. That’s about as well as I can put it,” Wes turned back to her as he placed one of his hands over her shoulders, then gently bringing her into a supportive embrace. “I’m sorry if I came off as cruel. Why don’t we try to find a place like the PokéCom Center and connect my P*DA so we can communicate with the others? If we can do that, we can at least see if we need to make drastic measures to intervene and make sure everyone else is okay.”

“Yeah… That sounds good. Maybe we should go start asking around?”

“Sounds good to me,” Wes released Rui from her grasp, though reaching and holding her hand in support. “It’ll all be okay. I’m sure of it. And if worst comes to worst, we’ll make sure to fix everything.”

Rui nodded, as her eyes suddenly lit up. “Hey, maybe we can even spread awareness outside to the other regions so people believe that it’s true! We can tell them it’s no hoax!”

“I’m not sure how much they’ll believe us. To the rest of the world, we’re nobodies. But I suppose it couldn’t hurt.”

“Come on then, we shouldn’t waste time! Let’s get going!” Rui grasped Wes’ hand as she charged towards the door, Wes feeling his body being thrown forward along with her. Standing back up, Umbreon and Espeon yipped and skipped along as they followed after their master and his companion. The discovery of such a dire situation was disheartening to be sure, and perhaps now their master had more work to do.

But a new hero had stepped forward now, one they had now decided to place their trust into for the sake of the Orre Region.

[ronansparrishes]

I was tagged to answer all of these questions!!

1: when you have cereal, do you have more milk than cereal or more cereal than milk?

more milk than cereal

2: do you like the feeling of cold air on your cheeks on a wintery day?

yes i don’t like to be super warm ever 

3: what random objects do you use to bookmark your books?

usually sticky notes that i write things on about the book or like lists of stuff that i have due that week

4: how do you take your coffee/tea?

i take tea with nothing in it and coffee with lots of sugar and cream 

5: are you self-conscious of your smile?

yeah my teeth are a little weird

6: do you keep plants?

yep! i have two cacti, richie and nini

7: do you name your plants?

see above lmao 

8: what artistic medium do you use to express your feelings?

i’m a writer

9: do you like singing/humming to yourself?

i literally never stop singing lmao but yeah i do

10: do you sleep on your back, side, or stomach?

back or stomach

11: what's an inner joke you have with your friends?

“I have to microwave this” anytime anything is awkward 

12: what's your favorite planet?

saturn 

13: what's something that made you smile today?

i had a nice talk with a girl from my history class and this guy from my shakespeare class last semester, like we sat on the benches outside of this building for an hour and a half

14: if you were to live with your best friend in an old flat in a big city, what would it look like?

plants and paper everywhere lmao 

15: go google a weird space fact and tell us what it is!

space is... big

16: what's your favorite pasta dish?

alfredo which im eating right now

17: what color do you really want to dye your hair?

like a reddish color

18: tell us about something dumb/funny you did that has since gone down in history between you and your friends and is always brought up.

calling the musical oklahoma ‘kansas’ 

19: do you keep a journal? what do you write/draw/ in it?

i have one but i barely write in it lmao

20: what's your favorite eye color?

i don’t have one

21: talk about your favorite bag, the one that's been to hell and back with you and that you love to pieces.

my like briefcase bag thing that i used for like 3+ years and the strap was broken but i kept using it

22: are you a morning person?

yeah i guess, like i get up early every day for class and im usually pretty awake and functioning 

23: what's your favorite thing to do on lazy days where you have 0 obligations?

read fanfiction and watch musicals

24: is there someone out there you would trust with every single one of your secrets?

b, corinne

25: what's the weirdest place you've ever broken into?

i dont think i ever have 

26: what are the shoes you've had for forever and wear with every single outfit?

my black knock off vans from target

27: what's your favorite bubblegum flavor?

anything fruity

28: sunrise or sunset?

sunset

29: what's something really cute that one of your friends does and is totally endearing?

b always leaves me sticky notes and they’re always so cute

30: think of it: have you ever been truly scared?

yeah probably

31: what is your opinion of socks? do you like wearing weird socks? do you sleep with socks? do you confine yourself to white sock hell? really, just talk about socks.

i have so many socks and i never wear matching ones and my dad gets mad when i buy more socks

32: tell us a story of something that happened to you after 3AM when you were with friends.

idk me and b used to stay up real late with JM and send each other dumb memes

33: what's your fave pastry?

anything with peanut butter

34: tell us about the stuffed animal you kept as a kid. what is it called? what does it look like? do you still keep it?

violet, she was like a tiny purple weasel thing...

35: do you like stationary and pretty pens and so on? do you use them often?

YES I LOVE THEM SO MUCH I COLLECT CUTE STATIONARY 

36: which band's sound would fit your mood right now?

the front bottoms

37: do you like keeping your room messy or clean?

i clean my room every sunday usually

38: tell us about your pet peeves!

everything my stupid roommate does

39: what color do you wear the most?

black or red

40: think of a piece of jewelry you own: what's it's story? does it have any meaning to you?

i don’t wear jewelry

41: what's the last book you remember really, really loving?

the raven cycle series!

42: do you have a favorite coffee shop? describe it!

we live right next door to a coffeehouse, it’s not my fave but i spend a lot of time there. it’s student run so it’s kinda shitty lol

43: who was the last person you gazed at the stars with?

probably b

44: when was the last time you remember feeling completely serene and at peace with everything?

right now, sitting in the kitchen with my friends

45: do you trust your instincts a lot?

yes

46: tell us the worst pun you can think of.

im too lazy, ask ali

47: what food do you think should be banned from the universe?

onions

48: what was your biggest fear as a kid? is it the same today?

clowns, probably

49: do you like buying CDs and records? what was the last one you bought?

i buy kpop CDs lol u, i gotm lemonade for christmas from my friend

50: what's an odd thing you collect?

socks

51: think of a person. what song do you associate with them?

b - hey thanks by the wonder years

52: what are your favorite memes of the year so far?

the one making fun of student athletes 

53: have you ever watched the rocky horror picture show? heathers? beetlejuice? pulp fiction? what do you think of them?

all of them but pulp fiction, i like rocky horror and heathers a lot

54: who's the last person you saw with a true look of sadness on their face?

i don’t.... know...

55: what's the most dramatic thing you've ever done to prove a point?

spent 5 days not talking to any of my friends

56: what are some things you find endearing in people?

when they’re funny 

57: go listen to bohemian rhapsody. how did it make you feel? did you dramatically reenact the lyrics?

i’m not going to but if i did i would dramatically reenact it

58: who's the wine mom and who's the vodka aunt in your group of friends? why?

im both. bet

59: what's your favorite myth?

anything greek

60: do you like poetry? what are some of your faves?

yeah, i like bukowski

61: what's the stupidest gift you've ever given? the stupidest one you've ever received?

everything i give is dumb, also one time veronica got me a slinky for christmas and i was so mad

62: do you drink juice in the morning? which kind?

apple!! 

63: are you fussy about your books and music? do you keep them meticulously organized or kinda leave them be?

i organize by letter 

64: what color is the sky where you are right now?

black, it’s night

65: is there anyone you haven't seen in a long time who you'd love to hang out with?

corinne or my friend mason

66: what would your ideal flower crown look like?

BLACK

67: how do gloomy days where the sky is dark and the world is misty make you feel?

like kind of at peace and calm

68: what's winter like where you live?

cold as fuck and lots of snow

69: what are your favorite board games?

clue!!!! idk a bunch 

70: have you ever used a ouija board?

fuck no i dont fuck with that

71: what's your favorite kind of tea?

chamomile 

72: are you a person who needs to note everything down or else you'll forget it?

no i have a really good memory

73: what are some of your worst habits?

biting my nails, being generally awful 

74: describe a good friend of yours without using their name or gendered pronouns.

egg

75: tell us about your pets!

i have none :(

76: is there anything you should be doing right now but aren't?

sleeping lol i have to be up at 5:30

77: pink or yellow lemonade?

yellow lemonade

78: are you in the minion hateclub or fanclub?

HATECLUB

79: what's one of the cutest things someone has ever done for you?

make me a mix CD

80: what color are your bedroom walls? did you choose that color? if so, why?

at school and at home they’re both white, but they’re covered in posters of things i like, like monsta x and the x files

81: describe one of your friend's eyes using the most abstract imagery you can think of.

egg

82: are/were you good in school?

yeah i usually get all A’s, school/academics are super important to me and i’ve always been good at them

83: what's some of your favorite album art?

any front bottom’s cover

84: are you planning on getting tattoos? which ones?

yes! the phrase “a miracle of moving parts” 

85: do you read comics? what are your faves?

nah but i watch daredevil

86: do you like concept albums? which ones?

yeah, lemonade. and so many others

87: what are some movies you think everyone should watch at least once in their lives?

ferris bueller’s day off, all the LOTR, les mis

88: are there any artistic movements you particularly enjoy?

dadaism lmao

89: are you close to your parents?

not my mom but i’ve live with my dad since i was 15, he’s like my best friend probably 

90: talk about your one of your favorite cities.

i really love Nuremberg when i was there. it was so nice and beautiful yet still modern?? but there were furries everywhere lmao

91: where do you plan on traveling this year?

around PA and maybe jersey and new york, nowhere major tho

92: are you a person who drowns their pasta in cheese or a person who barely sprinkles a pinch?

so much

93: what's the hairstyle you wear the most?

hair down, pin straight bc that’s how it drys 

94: who was the last person you know to have a birthday?

ummmmmmmmmm idk im bad at this lmao

95: what are your plans for this weekend?

newspaper layout

96: do you install your computer updates really quickly or do you procrastinate on them a lot?

no i like never do

97: myer briggs type, zodiac sign, and hogwarts house?

INFJ, cancer, gryffindor

98: when's the last time you went hiking? did you enjoy it?

with dallas last spring break probably lmao no i hate hiking 

99: list some songs that resonate to your soul whenever you hear them.

we don’t eat by james vincent mcmorrow or something like that

100: if you were presented with two buttons, one that allows you to go 5 years into the past, the other 5 years into the future, which one would you press? why?

future. forget the past lmao

[devourer--of--books]

blinking in the starlight

I am so excited to tell you that I actually did it. You may ask yourself, what is this crazy bitch up to now?

So, as some of you might know, during Tagatha Ship Week 2016 I originaly had planned to do a Tangled AU one shot. It turned out messy because I had to rush the whole thing to be able to write it in one day, so that draft was deleted. However, I decided to go down this road and write an actual multichapter story. I think it will be about 12 chapters long? Maybe a few bonus chapters along the way? Not sure yet. What I do know is that updates will be slow, perhaps once a month? I keep all information on progress and updating on my profile at FF.net (https://www.fanfiction.net/u/4592257/), so if you wanna know what I’m up to or when the next chapter will be posted, check it out.

Disclaimer: I do not own The School For Good And Evil series and all characters belong to Soman.

Warning: As always, language, because I have a sailor’s mouth. Not half as many as in “if you’re not the bride”, but stil.

- Cece

Caged Birds Don’t Sing

Happy ever after is a little more boring than Sophie thought it would be.

As she finished another book, the blonde young beauty couldn’t help but frown. Yet again, the princess rode off into the sunshine, with a dashing prince, to a ginormous diamond castle, and guess what, “they lived happily ever after, the end”.

How… unoriginal.

Sitting at the big chair placed at the center of the library, Sophie let mind wander around a bit. How about a plot twist? “Princess decides to travel the world”? Or maybe “princess makes new friends and throws the sickest party ever after”?

Not that she was ungrateful.

Sophie had everything one could wish for. She lived in a magnificent luxurious tower, with maids that attended to her every will, all kinds of beauty cosmetics to make sure her wellbeing was a hundred per cent perfect, and she had the most handsome prince in the world.

She had fancy groom-rooms, tons of jewels and dresses, all the shoes a woman could ever hope to own. She was beautiful, rich, charming and she lived the dream. She was a real life princess.

It’s just… When she read about in her fairytale books it always seemed a little bit… greater? After all, she couldn’t even remember most of her own story. She was just a child when it happened.

“Lady Sophie?” her personal maid, Kiko, called by the door. “It’s time for your bath”.

Kiko had been assigned to her a few years ago. She was a little darling thing and definitely an upgrade from that annoying Beatrix girl that used to occupy that position. Beatrix always had that small smirk on her face and the only thing worse than her attitude was that look she sometimes sent Sophie. It made the princess’ blood boil.

Blue eyes filled with pity. Ugh.

Yes, Kiko, the sickly sweet maid that could never look her in the eye was definitely an upgrade.

“Oh” Sophie raised her eyebrow, slowly looking away from her book while lazily uncrossing her long legs “Is it lavender or enchanted bubbles?”

“W-which one would your highness prefer?” Kiko asked quietly, eyes looking downwards to Sophie’s velvet pink heels.

“Both” She answered uninterested, dismissing the shy maid.

The same thing, every day.

Wake up, morning routine, breakfast, free time, lunch, free time, lessons, free time, afternoon routine, free time, guard switch, dinner, free time, night routine, sleep. Wake up, morning routine, breakfast …

Ugh.

You would think that for someone with so much free time, Sophie would have found something to do with it. The thing was, it was called free time, but there was a surprisingly lack of freedom involved.

No matter how many times Rafal explained it was for her own safety, Sophie couldn’t help but wonder what could lie beyond the enormous walls of her tower.

It was a dangerous world, all kinds of sorcerers and black-magic-users could attack her, bandits could get her, she could even end up as a meal to some savage beast, bla bla bla. She got it, really.

But she had already read and re-read every book on the library, no matter how many books her prince would bring her. Her maids took care of the tower, no need to cook, or clean or anything. The gallery could only fit so many portraits and Sophie knew every single detail by heart.

She would ask him when he got home. After dinner, tomorrow.

But tomorrow seemed so far away…

“Sophie?!” The rude exclamation echoes from the main room, and Sophie’s mood turns south very fast.

Aric, the main general of her guard.

Also known as the bane of her existence.

How many times she complained to Rafal about him? Her prince would always dismiss her frustration, presenting her a new jewel as a peace offering, and while Sophie appreciated the gifts, she would trade them all for a chance to kick Aric’s sorry behind all the way down from her tower.

Aric was rude, bad mannered, scary as hell and his only joy came from working the other guards to death and annoying the daylights out of her.

“Lady Sophie, Aric” she gritted her teeth, forcing a polite smile, as she entered the room. “Know your place, will you?”

“My apologies” he smirked, mock bowing, violet eyes never leaving hers.

As always, Aric was dressed in his sweaty black and green uniform, wolfy smile in place and looking at her with that superior attitude that pushed her buttons in all the wrong ways.

Sophie suppressed the instinct of backing away from him, knowing that acknowledging his attempt to intimidate her would only serve to amuse him.

“Apology accepted,” She granted eyeing the general cautiously. “What are you doing here?”

“Master Rafal sent a falcon today. He’s coming for lunch tomorrow, so the guard switch will be done earlier” Aric explains, toying with the small dagger he carried in his sleeve. “Didn’t he tell you, lady?

"No.” Sophie answers, crossing her arms while transferring her weight to one leg “Why would he do that?”

“Does it matter? Ask him yourself.”

“You should stop this attitude, Aric. A little bird by the window told me you were late to work yesterday. Careful, or…”

Aric tensed up, his right hand gripping the silver dagger.

“Or what? I’m pretty sure where I go is my business. You, however, should watch your step…”

“Is this a threat?” Sophie asks, her voice low and incredulous.

A shiver goes down her spine as in a swift movement Aric throws the dagger.

The sharp blade shatters the window, the shards barely missing the blonde waves of her hair and the general smirks while admiring his work.

“I thought I saw a bird. They’re common at this time of the year. Interesting, I keep seeing them near the windows, don’t you agree that they should know their place and mind their business? Accidents do happen, could be dangerous.”

Sophie doesn’t say a thing, green eyes glaring at him.

“Don’t forget to close the curtains; It will take a while to get that window repaired and Master hates birds inside the tower” Aric taunts her in his way out.

Kiko and some other maid appear to clean up the shattered glass, but Sophie doesn’t stay to see the damage. It’s everywhere, and the curtain is probably ripped. Great.

She’s partly furious and partly terrified, her hands shaking like a leaf.

That tended to be the effect Aric caused every single time he went within a ten-meter radius from her.

Not that Rafal would ever let anything happen to her. He promised.

And soon enough Rafal would be back home. Then she could ask him.

Ask him to take her with him the next time he left.

.

.

Sophie is hopeful.

She always is this time of the year. Is near her birthday (tomorrow) and Rafal always visits on her birthday. Ever since he rescued her he visits every two months or so (running kingdoms must keep him busy), but he always stays an extra day or two for her birthday.

Usually she goes straight to bed after her night routine, but today, Sophie sits by her bedroom’s window.

It’s a beautiful view. The forest that surrounds the tower looks emerald green during the day, but Sophie liked it better during the night, when the moon and the stars color the trees in shades of grey and silver. Beyond the trees Rafal told her there are kingdoms, full of evil kings and witches.

Sophie doesn’t doubt him, of course not, but she can’t help but think that it was quite a waste for such beautiful woods to be infested with beasts and bandits and for such evil kingdoms to produce such an alluring light.

Oh yes, the lights.

The beautiful lights that came into view a few days after her birthday, at the beginning of spring. At night, one by one, the lights colored the sky, orange, yellow and gold lit up the sky, irradiating warm and comfort.

Rafal told her it was a festival. The witches set fire to the sky so all the birds would be burnt and fall to the ground.

And that’s why she should stay in her tower, where she was safe. So no harm would ever come to her.

My little bird, Rafal called her.

Because Sophie was a princess for a reason, you see.

She could sing.

But unlike any other singer, she did not sing songs. Oh no. Sophie sang people.

Rafal, mostly.

Everyone had a special tune, an essence. Her prince asked her to sing his at least once every time he visited. He told her that his tune reminded him of the birds that sang every day outside his window when he was a child.

That it made him feel young.

Sophie did not understand what kind of bird could sing such a melancholic melody. Rafal would laugh and then whisper in her ear:

“Blue falcons, Sophie. They are native from my kingdom.”

She wanted to ask more.

But she didn’t, and the information wasn’t offered either.

Tonight, sitting by the window, bathing in moonlight, Sophie tried to remember.

Rafal’s song was slow and husky, in a dark and dangerous pace.

Her mother’s song used to be soft and sophisticated, like an expensive velvet dress.

But Sophie couldn’t remember her own song.

She sang it every day as a child. But, like magic, she forgot.

Rafal told her it might have been a scar from pos-trauma. From her fairytale.

Sophie doesn’t remember when it was exactly, but she might have been around ten.

She lived in a luxurious house in a big estate. Her mother had inherited from a wealthy uncle or something. She loved Sophie’s voice, told her to sing every day. Her father wasn’t much of a fan.

One day, a dark old wizard attempted to kidnap her, so he could sell her voice for money to buy more ingredients for his potions. Rafal was passing nearby and heard the fighting between her father and the wizard.

Her mother hid her in a closet. Told Sophie she should stay there.

Sophie remember screwing her eyes shut and singing her song quietly.

After what felt like hours, someone came to her rescue.

A dashing young man, with shiny white hair and intense eyes greeted her. Told her that her parents were dead, but he was a prince and could keep her safe.

Even back then, Rafal was gorgeous.

And she lived happily ever after ever since.

Tired, Sophie decided that maybe she should have gone to bed: Now, she was tired and Rafal liked her better when she looked her best.

.

.

Stupid Aric.

Sophie’s high heels clicked against the expensive dark marble floor as she paced back and forth, her hand gripping the hairbrush hard enough that her knuckles were turning white.

He should already be here.

The guard switch was done earlier. Aric was supposed be here already. If Rafal arrived and he wasn’t here, his mood would be ruined.

Then, there was no way for Sophie to ask him her birthday gift.

To leave with him.

Oh, she was going to kick Aric out of this tower.

As soon as he got here.

Distracted by her angry-pacing Sophie did not hear the sound of the door opening.

A cold hand gripped her shoulder and she screamed on the top of her lungs, tripping on her heels. Instinctively, Sophie pointed her hairbrush to the stranger, wielding it like one would a sword.

“Woah.” Rafal exclaimed, backing away, hands up in mock surrender. His serious composure was intact as always, but his eyes looked amused. He offered her a hand.

“Hello.” Sophie answered, taking up on his offer “What do you find so funny?”

“Your brush” He told her, brow raised “What would you have done if I was actually an intruder? Get back or I’ll brush your hair?”

“Well, if the intruder was you, it would have worked. Your hair looks like it hasn’t seen one in weeks.” She noticed, taking up on his appearance.

As always, Rafal was dressed in a black outfit, detailed in gold and red, the huge cape trailing behind him, made out of grey-ish feathers. However, his hair was a mess, differing from the usual soft spikes it was usually sported in.

Rafal lifted a brow.

“Really?”

He walked in the direction of the giant mirror in Sophie’s room. His hands fondled with the white locks, sealing them in place.

“Aric usually remembers me to do this before I come inside.” He tells her, frowning “Where’s Aric?”

Sophie can feel the dread of telling him the general is not there and she decides that no, Aric isn’t going to ruin this.

“He must be checking on something since guard switch was done earlier. You can look for him later.”

“Sophie” Rafal narrows his eyes “Where’s Aric?”

Plan B it is then.

“You haven’t even wished me happy birthday yet.”

Her prince seems to calm down a bit.

“I’m sorry, my little bird.” He approaches “Happy birthday.”

“It’s quite alright” She answers, the fake tears drowning her green eyes.

“Please, don’t cry, Sophie.” He hugs her close and whispers compliments on her ear. “I have a gift for you”

“Do you? I was thinking about asking you…”

“Later, my little bird. For now, I’m hungry.” Rafal says, backing away, and Sophie follows him on his heels.

“It’s kind of important, Rafal, and…”

Her prince does not hear and she stops trying to catch up with him.

.

.

“So, you said you had a gift for me?”

The two of them are sitting in the library; Rafal is sipping his coffee (as he always did after lunch), seated at the big chair in the center of the room while Sophie nervously plays with a book, not quite looking him in the eyes, but standing directly in front of him.

“I do” He answers.

He reaches into his pocket and takes out a small box. A ring box.

Sophie eyes go wide.

“Yes”

“I’m afraid, my little bird, this is not that kind of ring”

Sophie’s excitement dies when she notices her prince’s serious demeanor. He puts the mug down, leaning forward, not once breaking eye contact.

“This is a safety ring, Sophie. It’s not a toy. You’ll wear it every day, 24/7. You won’t be taking it off for showers, for beauty treatments or for sleep. If you take it off, I’ll know you’re in danger and I’ll show up immediately. You’ll most likely never have to, but just in case, so we won’t have a repeat of today’s hairbrush incident”

He pulls Sophie’s hand away from the book, and slowly, slides the ring up her finger.

The piece itself was probably one of the most beautiful pieces she ever got from him, and that’s saying a lot. The ring shines in pale gold, dark reflexes running along the metal. Underneath, the words “True Love” could be read in silver. It was very light and delicate, but, somehow, Sophie felt like it yet another thing weighting her down.

“Happy birthday, my little bird. Now, how about you sing me my song again?”

“Thank you, Rafal”

Sophie finds herself singing his song four times in a roll. She quite enjoys the pleased look on his face, as he closes his eyes and lies back on the chair, expression twisted in the rare form of joy.

“Now, my little bird, I need to talk to Aric.” He excuses himself, heading to the door.

Sophie gets up from her chair so fast Rafal actually stops walking. She throws herself in front of him, blocking his way, sheepish smile and hopeful eyes.

“Remember that thing I wanted to talk to you about?” She batted her eyelashes at him, pouting.

“Oh, right”

“Well, since it is my birthday, and I now have a way to stay safe 24/7” She told him carefully “I was thing that maybe you could take me with you when you leave this time? To see our kingdom. I thought it might be a good experience for me, since one day I’m going to be a queen and…”

Rafal’s stoic expression and unreadable eyes were killing her.

“No.”

“But I…”

“No, Sophie.” He said firmly, trying to walk around her.

“Why not?” She asked, grabbing his arm, pulling at his sleeve.

“Are you not happy here, Sophie?”

“Of course I am…”

“Because if you’re not, I can arrange for you to live in a half-assed cottage in the middle of the woods, living out of nothing but berries and water, vulnerable to every single wizard and beast on the forest!” Rafal snapped.

Sophie suddenly lets go of his sleeve, her face losing color as real tears threaten to roll down her face.

“You wouldn’t”

“You’re right; I wouldn’t, because you can’t handle yourself out there. You’re weak, Sophie! Weak like a freaking chicken waiting to be somebody’s next meal! Don’t you understand, no one will ever care for your safety the way I do!”

She lets him walk around her, and as he finally reaches the door, Rafal signs, not once looking back:

“I won’t be home for dinner. Tell Aric I’ll be back in two weeks.”

She’s quiet.

“And Sophie” He adds, “I don’t wanna hear another word about you thinking about leaving this tower ever again”.

The door closes with a soft noise. Almost as soft as the quiet sobs she lets out as soon as he leaves.

.

.

Sophie spends another night sitting by her window.

She warns Kiko to let Aric know Rafal’s message, but after dinner, her maid tells her Aric never showed up to work. She also asks if Sophie need anything but the blonde doesn’t feel like dealing with Kiko’s over sweetness at the moment.

As she stares at the forest, Sophie wonders if it would be best if she left.

Not forever, of course. Just for some time. Away from Aric, from Kiko, from her maids, from the guards…

From Rafal.

Her ring shines in the moonlight.

“Happy fucking birthday.”

Language, Sophie. She can hear Beatrix’s voice taunting her in an old memory of her etiquette lessons.

This is her mouth. Her window. Her bedroom.

Her cage.

She’ll curse as much as she wants.

…Besides is not like anyone can hear her. The walls are thick and it’s late. The only ones awake are the guards posted on the staff levels and in the forest.

A quiet song is audible, and Sophie turns her head down to look at the small bird that sat by her window. She opens it with extra care not to scare the bird away. Upon closer inspection, she can tell it is tired. It’s night after all. Birds are usually day-time creatures.

The song is sad and Sophie can feel it tugging in her heartstrings.

She tries to touch the little animal, but as soon as she reaches for him, it flies away.

Sophie tries not to feel jealous.

It’s a bird. They’re supposed to be free creatures. That’s why Rafal won’t let her built a cage for them to keep her company.

Then why don’t you ever let me go…?

Sophie shakes her head. Nonsense. Rafal is just protecting her. He loves her.

She retracts from the window, deciding that yes, just for today she’ll leave it open. Rafal wouldn’t approve, but if Rafal wanted the window closed then he could come home and close it himself.

Looking back, if Sophie had indeed closed the window, our history might have gone in a completely different direction. Fate has a funny way of intervening in our lives.

.

.

It’s four AM when Sophie hears it.

It’s not very loud, but the soft sounds reach her ears and wake her up. She looks around for the source of the noise, when her eyes lie in her open window.

There’s hook on her window sill. Probably linked to a rope. With an evil bandit coming up to her bedroom, where no one could hear her.

And if he climbed up the tower and got through the guards, what could she do…

Her eyes darted to the ring.

She could call Rafal, he would protect her!

… but then he would be completely right, wouldn’t he? She was just some damsel in distress, like a princess in her fairytale books.

She moved her hand away from the ring.

“You’re weak, Sophie!”

No, this is something she could do by herself.

She walked slowly, making no sound, to the other side of the room, crouching near beauty supplies where the shadows were darker to help blend her blonde hair in the moonlit place.

Finally, after what felt like forever, the intruder sneaked into the bedroom.

Covered in a dark cape, hood covering most of their features the intruder drew a bow, arrow in position, while scanning the room. Sophie held her breath, not daring to move a single muscle.

The bow was put down a few seconds later, returned to their back, as was the arrow. She noticed the intruder carried a big satchel and walked around in heavy hunting boots.

Then, they signed.

“Finaly”

To Sophie’s surprise, the intruder was apparently a woman. At least, they sounded like one.

With all her attention on the so-called woman, who was now walking around the bedroom, Sophie nearly missed a new character’s arrival.

“I don’t think so” the new voice said.

It belonged to a man, about as tall as Rafal. But there’s where all similarities ended.

This man wore a military based uniform, much like her guards’, but instead of black and green, his was light blue and gold, a glowing sword attached to his belt, his feet covered by hunting boots. His features, while still immensely handsome, were rounder than Rafal’s and the strangers hair was several tones darker than her prince’s was, more like her golden sun-kissed tresses.

“You simply don’t know when to let it go, do you?” The first intruder questions the man, arrow ready.

“I told you I would hunt you down. I’ve been told quite a few times that I am a great hunter.” He answers, wielding his sword.

“By whom? Your fangils?” The caped woman mocked.

Despite drawing out weapons, they didn’t show signs of attacking any time soon, the banter between the two getting to a level Sophie would almost label flirty.

This was going too far. If these intruders decided to go at each other’s throats, then Sophie would be doomed. Again, she felt tempted to take off the ring…

No, she just had to do some quick thinking.

The first stranger was a priority, she had a long range weapon and was closer to her, so Sophie had to take her down first. But how…

Her eyes laid on her beauty supplies. Of course!

As quietly as she could, Sophie sneaked her hand to grab a small jar.

Imported from Maidenville, sleeping-rose’s petals.

Great to get rid of under eye bags and it’s tea had anti-insomnia properties.

Also, good for knocking people out in a few seconds or so through inhalation.

Please work.

The jar collided with the front of the hood, knocking the woman to her knees, shards of glass everywhere.

“What the actu…alll…?”

She tried to get up but the petals did their magic. Limp on the floor.

On the other side of the room, the man lowered his sword.

“If this is a trick, it won’t work, witch.” He threatened, but worry was clear in his voice. “Witch?”

He was coming near and Sophie started to panic. He would see the petals and it wouldn’t work unless he got really close to the woman’s face.

Okay, now what to do, what to do, what to…

Is that a brush?

“What would you have done if I was actually an intruder? Get back or I’ll brush your hair?”

Sophie would show him.

With all her might, she threw the hairbrush at the stranger. It hit the center of his forehead and Sophie swore she could see his blue eyes roll back as he too fell down, face first on the floor.

So. That happened.

She did it. Holy… she actually did it.

Who’s week now, Rafal? I’ve got two intruders in my bedroom, and you know who neutralized them? Yours truly!

Oh, god, she couldn’t wait to take off the ring and summon Rafal! He would be so…

…Angry that she didn’t take it off when he expressly ordered her to do so.

And if Rafal got angry with her again then he would not even notice her skills. He would probably double the security and then her tower wouldn’t even have windows!

What to do then?

[celestial72817]

i.

She’s a girl.

She’s a girl, and the forest around her house is made up of trees. Grass covers the ground like moss covers the trunks, and is broken by little streams of rainwater once or twice a year. Coyote howls at night. The tapping of acorns falling on the roof. Deep violets to reds to oranges to yellows to blues to black at sunset. Beauty in doses. Her eyes see it all, and it leaves imprints like a stamp on her memory. Playing outside all day leaves many different stamps, and some inevitably wind up mashed together on the canvas of her brain. She finds it hard to think of herself most of the time, there’s so much to look at. As with any child, learning is a constant. Instead, she finds it easier to be who others tell her. That way, she can spend more time seeing. Polo shirts, cheap sneakers, short hair. Hair so short she can feel it push back into her scalp rather than bend as she runs her hand over her head. She tends not to think about it. Instead, her thoughts become plots. Seemingly complex conflicts, cookie-cutter cardboard characters, worlds of already written books. Main characters as the one she ‘wants’ to be. Conflicts based on how she is told to act; calm, reserved, dark, stone, yet kind, happy, light, bright. She acts like she is herself. It’s a good practice for the real world.

Her name is kid. Her name is buddy. Her name is sport, tiger, lad. Her name is son. Brother. Boy.

ii.

She’s a girl, and she’s growing now. Her synapses process questions as well as analysis. She learns the feeling of being unanswered. It always fills her the most when she thinks about herself. Her canvas is a mixture of everything now, Monet and Michelangelo and Dali and a million others all in one. Colors run everywhere, filling up the page in a hurricane of pinks and blues and flowers and stones and clouds and mountains. Asking questions is like founding new constellations, but she’s only ever known Ursa Major, Ursa Minor, and Orion. Her younger self was always so proud of those constellations. Now it’s not close to enough.

Sometimes, recently especially, people ask who she is. For some reason, she finds that as a very odd question. She’s who she is wanted to be. Now polo shirts and short hair isn’t enough? It makes her question; and in the forest, questions grow. Some are wildflowers, and dense in number, varied in color and shape, and ranged in beauty. Others are trees, massive trunks of impenetrable wood, that, when felled, create the loudest, most satisfying noise. They grow, and grow, much faster than they fall. It’s so close to being overwhelming again. Nothing makes sense. Why did she really hate the soccer team so much? Why did she have so many crushes on girls? Were they even crushes? Does the soccer team scare her? Why? Why did her toes point inward? Other boys’ didn’t do that.

And then, one day, in the forest inside her head, she understands. A stray thought is caught. It flies past, a blue jay, and she realizes she has to follow. As she walks, the wildflowers begin to wilt. Yellows and reds and blues and purples move into grays and blacks and whites and more grays. She’s scared now. She starts running. It makes too much sense. The awkwardness, the negative connotations, the confusion. Trees around her shake, and many begin to rot like the flowers. Her heart is pounding, her muscles fill with soreness. Massive sounds begin to boom around her, the ground shakes, so many trees fall. Some topple like skyscrapers to the dirt, while some others land in the more traditional sense. But as they fall, more sprout in their place, growing faster than ever before, inches per second, feet per second, oak, hardy, pine, sweet-smelling, birch, layered. It takes years, or maybe seconds, for the forest to sit still again. She can hear the streams. Birds chirp again. Nothing had happened. But so much had happened. She was a girl.

iii.

She’s a girl. She’s a girl! Her heart pumps with excitement now. Joy. Wonder, as things connect. As questions are answered. Arya makes sense. Riley makes sense. They all make sense now. But, even with happiness, it pumps in fear as well. Worry. Doubt. Questioning. Secrecy. The world wouldn’t like her as a girl. The world doesn’t know her as a girl. It didn’t pin her as a girl, it never would by itself. She can’t tell anyone. Her heart wears a hood now, an impassable, black fog, a deep forest, an ocean cave. When she thinks about it, she realizes it always had. She’d just finally waded through it herself.

So much runs through her forest. Looks of surprise from her friends, her models. Of confusion, Of disgust. Of curiosity. They’d pick her apart like she was the corpse of an alien. They’d yell at her like she were a delinquent. They’d push her away like she was infected. They’d disregard her, and refuse to believe her when she says I want long hair!, and regale her with the horrors of braids and brushes. Or they’d look at her like a predator, eyeing her and questioning their safety. She wouldn’t be able to stand it. There are hundreds, thousands of they-woulds in her head that she’d fall from, that would stop her in her tracks and end her life. There are only a few in which things stayed normal. Maybe they’d already know, and laugh when she told them, their eyes crinkling kindly and forming new laugh lines. Or maybe they’d do research themselves, and try to help her. It seems so strange; distant. Impossible.

Either way, her heart and her mind both yearn for the same thing, an occurrence similar to that of an eclipse or an alignment of the planets: change. She decides, on a day in the heat of June, the beginning of summer and the beginning of a new chapter, to shave her legs. She asks her best friend first- would it be weird or make you uncomfortable if I shaved my legs?- and looks at the task as a mountain she has to traverse, thousands of miles tall, or a statue she has to sculpt out of sand. After all, these legs aren’t hers. Fear envelops her psyche as she turns on the water. Should she tell anyone else? The thought comes into her mind again. Her legs weren’t hers- they were the world’s. Would it be mad if she made them lovable? Her head is now locked and tense, and her emotions threaten to blow it off. The different colors storm in her irises. Her heart pumps, yet again in fear. Questioning. Doubt. It pumps doubt into every limb, she can feel it, every organ, every vein of her body, a virus ready to kill. No one would like this. This would be a mistake. Going this far is already a problem. You need to stop. She needs to stop. Yet, as she presses the razor to her hairy ankle, hesitating and asking the question one more time- Can I do this?- courage breaks through. She makes the first stroke. Before her lay a section of skin now bare. Soft. Pretty.

After the first stroke, the doubt dies. Disintegrates, falls away into some void. The murky waters are washed away by a tsunami; all that is left is the clear blue water, and the life underneath. Curiosity. Wonder. The process takes what seems like forever, but eventually it is finished. She feels new feelings, one she swears she’s never felt before. She feels clean. Wonderful. Almost beautiful. One of the most odd ones is normalcy, sinking into her skin like cetaphil, or iodine. These legs are hers now. For the first time in her life, she owns some part of herself.

She smiles, looking at her soft, quiet legs, a smile filled to the brim with a new emotion. This is a new time, she decides. This feels too good to end. She will grow now. She will change. She is a photo album, waiting to be filled with colors and smiles and memories until her ends bend with weight, curving like a grin themselves. She is a daisy, just now coming out of the earth, waiting to bloom into the flower she’s been denied. She is an exception, she is a survivor. She is a girl.