#the quarry emma salt

[ghostradiodylan]

Do you have any headcanons for how the hacketteers would deal with being sick? Maybe how often they get sick, what type of illnesses they are prone to, etc….

Way behind on Quarry asks but I am home sick with some kind of crud right now so what better time to answer this one?!

Emma - Emma is a people person and always on the go, so she's exposed to a lot of germs. I feel like she'd be the one to get into juicing and making smoothies for immune health and the 'sexy' supplements like Moon Juice or whatever Gwyneth Paltrow is selling (but nobody’s sure if she really buys into them or if she’s just trying to get a sponsorship). Emma has a system for any kind of normal illness that doesn't completely knock her on her ass and that is to take a very hot bath with peppermint and eucalyptus bath salts and drink a hot toddy while she's in there. (Just the one, she doesn't want to drown!)

Jacob - This guy gets the dreaded Man Cold and is the sickest person who has ever lived. He doesn't get sick often because he's fairly health conscious, but he's absolutely pathetic and mopey about it when he does. He wants to be babied because his perfect male specimen of a body and extensive supplement regimen have betrayed him. He hates going to the doctor and puts it off until someone makes him go. Kaitlyn brings him soup and yells at him (affectionately) to stop being pathetic. He drinks a ton of Gatorade when he's sick (always Cool Blue flavor).

Kaitlyn - Look, Kaitlyn's Asian and her family was wearing masks during cold and flu season long before it was cool. She doesn't totally buy into the traditional Chinese medicine stuff but she does believe in the healing power of food that's spicy as fuck, especially if she's having sinus issues. She's also a fan of long, hot baths or showers, chicken soup with a ton of garlic, drinking a bunch of tea with lemon and ginger, the sauna at the gym, exercising even if she doesn't feel like it, hot yoga, and acupuncture. If that doesn't knock it out, she's not too stubborn to go to the doctor, people like that (who have insurance but don’t use it) drive her crazy (Jacob!).

Abi - If something is going around, Abi just knows she's going to get it. She’s a worrier and a bit of a catastrophizer when she does get sick. She's a hand sanitizer addict, she's got those cute sparkly holders from Bath & Body Works (but she uses the Halloween ones all year). She's good about letting herself take time to rest and get her strength back after an illness though. She likes to catch up on trash TV while she's recuperating. She also gets allergy shots because her environmental allergies are insane. She uses a neti pot or saline spray often to ward off sinus infections.

Ryan - Our stoic boy is stoic. Ryan takes all the necessary precautions to not get sick, he's kind of an obsessive hand-washer for sensory reasons anyway, but when he does, he follows doctors' recommendations to the letter and rarely complains. He will typically muddle through like normal if he's not got something contagious, but if he has to take time off work or school, he doesn't really talk about it or look to be cared for, just holes up in his room alone trying to not spread it around--he is very conscientious. Ryan gets the occasional migraine and that's one thing he can't really muddle through. He has to be in a quiet, dark room to recover, with an ice pack on his head, a caffeinated beverage, and a guided meditation podcast.

Dylan - People love to make our boy a damsel in distress because he's a cute gay string bean that bad things happen to, but Dylan is pretty tough in the game (like, unrealistically tough at times). I tend to consider his amputee arc as main canon, so given the assumption that he doesn't die of sepsis after surviving werewolves, he's got to have a pretty robust immune system and probably doesn't get sick that often. He does have that whole under-react/overreact thing going on though (the air freshener lol), so I imagine that when he does get sick, he either just carries on until he physically can't anymore (he'd wear a mask and get vaccinated and all that good stuff, he's a scientist after all, but he’s bad about making sure he gets rest) OR he starts Googling his symptoms and getting paranoid, convinced he has some rare incurable disease (he doesn't). He also doesn't really like to slow down and let people take care of him but when they really insist, he not-so-secretly loves the attention, from his mom, his boyfriend, his roommate/bestie, whoever.

Nick - Nick turns into a slimy wet sex pest whenever he gets sick. No, I’m kidding. I think it’d be funny/ironic/unfortunate if chef Nick had kind of a sensitive digestive system. He will eat anything, especially if Jacob is eating it. But, alas, Jacob has an iron stomach and our poor Nicholas does not. So he gets a lot of tummy troubles from doing things like eating 20 year old snacks or trying to go head to head with Jacob and Kaitlyn in a spicy ramen challenge. Nick gets sick a regular amount with stuff like head colds and is just kind of middle of the road as far as how he handles it. He does however have a habit of making up untrue facts about Australia that he tells his coworkers and campers when no one has the internet available to fact check him and one of them is that a steaming mug of hot pickle juice is a favorite folk remedy for colds there.

Max - he doesn’t get sick often but he is highly accident-prone. Like, so accident-prone that his family has started calling them ‘Maxidents’ when he has a major mishap. He routinely falls off ladders, gets attacked by migratory waterfowl, trips while trying to carry more groceries than he should into the apartment, etc. Max is luckily a very good patient because he has a lot of practice. He also has a lot of ice packs in the freezer at all times.

Laura - she gets onto Max about being careful, getting enough sleep, eating healthy, etc, but Laura is a do as I say, not as I do kinda gal. She does try to be healthy and active but she’s really busy (busier than ever post-canon because she thinks she can outrun trauma if she never slows down long enough to think about it). When Laura gets sick she gets Leslie Knope sick.

Max has to put her in bed and take care of her because she will not admit she needs it until she is practically on death’s door.

[hyperfixatinglove]

Summary: Jacob gets upset after truth or dare goes too far and runs away to lick his wounds. Eden follows

Sun was setting near Hackett's Quarry. The eyes of young man did not see the beauty of the lake from the pier he was sitting on. The glimmer of light on water, the soft pinks and yellows on the sky, ignored by the lonesome man.

Melancholy was not the word Jacob himself would describe his, this feeling. It was more than sadness, deeper than melancholy. Loneliness. Even among people, the other counselors. Deep down he knew they didn't truly care, sometimes he doubted even Kaitlyn, his childhood friend, cared.

This evening did not help to turn Jacob's opinions around. Emma - his girlfriend who insisted on the term ''summer fling'' - had went and kissed Nick after Kaitlyn dared her to choose between the other man and him during the every evening camp fire truth or dare.

Everyone had already taken their gleeful turns of rubbing salt to his wounds, since last night, Emma had broken up with him. It hadn't taken long for other counselors to know and to constantly find little ways to be cruel to him due it.

The scene around him was serene and beautiful, spell only broken for his sobs.

Jacob hated crying. He always cried like baby when he once started and it lasted until he was exhausted, as if his body let everything bottled up out at once.

The soft creak of the dock alerted him to approaching soul. Jacob hurriedly wiped his face with his sleeve, the last thing he needed and wanted was others snark about him crying.

The person joined him, swung their feet in the air between the docks and the water. The only counselor to do that-

Jacob dared to peek.

The smallest of counselors was sitting next to him, looking at the distance with sour face. Their legs swung with increased speed and weight to the deed. Against the setting sun, colors of orange and red, to Jacob, Eden looked gorgeous.

''You know how she justified that stunt? 'Maybe it will give Abi the push', fuck off oh my god.''

Jacob tried to laugh, but managed a pitiful sound mix of wheeze and sob. Eden sounded pissed, their face morphed into heated anger.

''You deserve someone better Jacob. Someone who doesn't bring out the worst in you.''

Eden caught him looking their way. Through the anger, a crooked smile was shown to him. It felt like a gift, a blessing.

He understood what they meant but accepting the fact left bitter taste in his mouth. Acceptance had always been difficult task for Jacob Custos.

''Think I'm going to strangle Kaitlyn. And Emma.''

''Short kill list'' He managed to whisper.

''Oh others will be added later trust me. Right now-'' Jacob had no time to react as slender arms wrapped around him and pulled him close in awkward sideways hug. ''-I will make sure you feel bit better Jake.''

He clung to Eden, unable to muster response. Eden gently rocked them both, muttered soft words the young man tried to focus on.

The sky deepened into oranges and pinks as the time ticked on. The stars and deep almost black hue appeared on the sky. Big fullmoon lighting the docks.

Fast creaks on the wooden dock. Approaching person.

"Are you crying?"

Emma's question was quickly followed by Eden scoffing and Jacob sniffling.

"What do you think Mounteback?! Now leave." Eden spat and tightened the hug, the hold they had on him.

"Last I checked you're not Jacob."

"No but I can tell he doesn't want you here. Nor do I."

"Aw, here I was going to suggest flirty skinnydip with-"

"You expect him to leave you alone when you keep pulling him back with shit like that? Then whine how pushy he is? Fuck. Off."

With the last of two, hissed words, Eden got up and stared at taller Emma. Their eyes told of shared animosity, of opposing views and personalities.

"He needs to leave me be. I am allowed to put my tongue in Nick's throat."

"Yeah because you both are wrong. You bring out the worst in each other. Now stay away. Both of you, from each other."

Emma's eyebrows arched. She had never seen Eden like this. This, passionate and mad. She had thought of them as aloof and boring, couldn't fathom why Jacob had been hanging around them long before the break up.

Silent standoff came to still, as Emma adjusted her necklace, pretending not to care.

"Get yourself hot girlfriend, you & Abby do make cute couple."

Emma stiffled a laugh, a blush spread on her cheeks.

"You're not so bad after all."

With smile and salute, wooden dock creaked as footsteps grew more distant.

"Her and Abby?" Jacob muttered as he stared into the moon.

"Sorry Jake but if anyone can take her it's Abby."

"Here I thought you were only one not getting into everyone's love life."

"Well, I do read too much romance."

He laughed, openly and free. He had never been reader, but had been pestering the oldest counselor about the books they read.

The look they gave him was soft, question held in their smile.

"I'll be okay with you."

"I- I didn't even ask!"

"Don't have to. The great Jacob can tell."

"So oh great Jacob what am I thinking now?"

"That skinnydipping idea, with you and me."

The deep scarlet color illuminated by fullmoon on Eden was worth the shot in the dark.

[a-muscle-the-size-of-your-fist]

MUSE LIST - THE QUARRY

Robert "Bobby" Hackett - Gray Asexual Biromantic Monogamous Cis Male - 44 - FC: Ethan Suplee/Game Model

Name: Robert Jason Hackett

Nicknames: Bobby

Faceclaim: Ethan Suplee/Game Model

Age: 44

Height: 6'9″

Gender: Cis Male

Sexuality: Gray Asexual Biromantic, Monogamous

Species: Human

Werepire AU Species: Human

Hair Color: Brown

Eye Color: Brown

Occupation: Unemployed, Receives Veteran SSI Benefits; Hunter; Works in the Junkyard on-and-off

Headcanon Masterlist

Bobby is a very sweet man if he knows and cares for you. He wants to help others rather than cause harm, as he'd had enough of that when he was enlisted. All he wants is to help his family, and he feels as though he cannot do that without getting involved in the hunting. He wants to protect the councilors, but he knows he cannot do it with all of them. He is very strong and resilient, and can take several shotgun blasts to his body.

Christopher "Chris" Hackett - Heterosexual Heteroromantic Monogamous Cis Male - 47 - FC: David Arquette/Game Model

Name: Christopher Martin Hackett

Nicknames: Chris

Faceclaim: David Arquette/Game Model

Age: 47

Height: 5'9″

Gender: Cis Male

Sexuality: Heterosexual Heteroromantic Monogamous

Species: Human

Werepire AU Species: Werewolf

Hair Color: Brown, salt and pepper

Eye Color: Brown

Occupation: Runs a summer camp, also runs the quarry as a hunting/fishing spot

Headcanon Masterlist

Chris loves his family dearly and wants them to be safe. When he wolfed out and was dropped into the room with Bobby, Travis, Laura, and Ryan, he was knocked unconscious by Bobby. Laura was caged by Travis and Bobby, and Ryan was enlisted to help with Chris. He remained in the cage until it was over, and he didn't want to see his family for what he'd done. He mourned his children for a long time, knowing that they passed so suddenly without him there to ease their pain.

Dylan Lenivy - Homosexual Homoromantic Ambigamous Cis Male - 20 - FC: Miles Robbins/Game Model

Name: Dylan Michael Lenivy

Nicknames: DJ Dylan, Dylan-Dylan

Faceclaim: Miles Robbins/Game Model

Age: 20

Height: 5'11″

Gender: Cis Male

Sexuality: Homosexual Homoromantic, Ambigamous

Species: Human

Werepire AU Species: Werewolf

Hair Color: Brown

Eye Color: Brown

Occupation: Ex-College Student; Podcast/Radio Host

Headcanon Masterlist

Dylan has always been a bit of a bookworm but fell into his persona of an edgy, funny socialite at camp due to nerves. He can put on a great show but still loves his alone time and time to tinker with this. During their last night at Camp, Ryan ultimately cut off his left hand to prevent the infection from spreading, and it is a constant reminder to Dylan that he went through something pretty harrowing. He is still close with Ryan and really likes him, though his fear of rejection keeps him from making any concrete moves on him. He still flirts despite this, and is always game if Ryan initiates, but his boldness wanes if Ryan isn't giving him 100% Good Signals.

Jacob "Jake" Custos - Pansexual Panromantic Ambigamous Transmale - 21 - FC: Zach Tinker

Name: Jacob Michael Custos

Nicknames: Jake, Jakey, Jakey Boy, Hurricane Jake, Assclown (Laura Exclusive)

Faceclaim: Zach Tinker/Game Model

Age: 21

Height: 6'0″

Gender: Transmale

Sexuality: Pansexual Panromantic, Ambigamous

Species: Human

Werepire AU Species: Werewolf

Hair Color: Brown

Eye Color: Brown

Occupation: College Student

Headcanon Masterlist

Despite everything, Jacob is still head over heels for Emma. He wants to do whatever he can to hold onto her, even if he's sort of accepted that she has moved on. He remains close to Nick and Dylan, and by extension Ryan. He was bitten by Max on the island with Emma, and has a draw to him when he turns, and slowly when they aren't turned. His mark is on the back of his neck, and acts as something of a pseudo-mating mark. Being so helplessly romantic, he's willing to accept anyone's attention, as long as they will love him. Emma made him wonder if he's just unloveable, and he took it to heart.

Maxwell "Max" Brinly - Bisexual Biromantic Ambigamous Transmale - 22 - FC: Skyler Gisondo/Game Model

Name: Maxwell Carson Brinly

Nicknames: Max, Honey, Mister, Golden Thunder

Faceclaim: Skyler Gisondo/Game Model

Age: 22

Height: 5′11″

Gender: Cis Male

Sexuality: Bisexual Biromantic, Ambigamous

Species: Human

Werepire AU Species: Werewolf

Hair Color: Red

Eye Color: Slate Blue

Occupation: 

Headcanon Masterlist

After becoming a werewolf, Max got a little colder around strangers. He feels like a monster and tries to avoid people in the days leading up to the full moon. He hates how aggressive and wild he becomes without thinking because he's always been a sweet, nonconfrontational kind of guy. He and Laura drive around looking for an alternate cure for his affliction, occasionally making pitstops away from people so he can wolf out. He still loves Laura to the moon and back, but he struggles with trusting her.

[thecottageinthedark]

#this is Extremely Important and a caveat i want to make clear every time i bitch about a shitty portrayal#the only time i'd consider 'this work is problematic because it depicts [subject]' to apply is when it legitimately cannot be included#in a particular work in a way that is not insensitive or harmful; whether due to limitations on the part of the writer/the context they're#publishing the piece of media in; or because it just does not fit with the rest of the story unless you rehaul it entirely#if you're writing like a feel-good bargain bin comedy movie for five-year-olds about wacky aliens visiting earth and trying to blend in#that is SO VERY not the time or the place to go 'hey i think we should have a subplot about the holocaust!'#or that disaster going down in ttrpg spheres rn about the white guy hyping up his big publicized asian-fantasy-kitchen-sink dnd module#some of these circumstances can be mitigated by things like sensitivity readers#or holding off for access to a format + resources that will allow the subject to be handled properly#sometimes the only thing you can really do is take the subject back off your plate or go back to the drawing board entirely#and even that is complicated and can't be reduced to a 'no depicting [X]' binary!#and often if anything the problematicness of a depiction comes partly from the fact that *it could have been a good depiction*#do not get me started on all the fantastic ways the quarry could have gone re: toxicity and abuse in romantic and peer relationships#with just jacob and emma and the dynamics between other characters that are intertwined with their relationship#there are so few opportunities to tell those stories with the kind of formatting and platform and resources they had#and instead we got That Bullshit and the creators being high off their own farts about how ~profound and progressive~ it is and UGH.#anyway. lots of feelings about this good post it is stapled in spirit to every post i make about this kind of thing#the salt files#quarrytag#holocaust mention cw#antisemitism mention cw#abuse mention cw#general fandoms tag

"this work is problematic because of how it handles [subject]": reasonable premise for media criticism

"this work is problematic because it depicts [subject]": do not pass go do not collect $200 this is, as a general rule, a functionally reactionary and conservative argument

[copdog1234]

Another thing yall are wrong about when it comes to The Quarry is your reasoning for hating Jacob and siding with Emma. You're absolutely entitled to dislike/like who you want, idc, but I'm not standing for the Jacob slander any longer.

The game's description of him as arrogant is so far off from his actual personality even outside of the choices you can make as him. He is a sweet, dumb, jock himbo man who is mourning a relationship that he thought and felt more about than he maybe realized he would going into it. And he is not coping well with it. Also, I'm pretty certain there was a HUGE miscommunication on what his and Emma's relationship was supposed to be and what she wanted with it and so, yeah, he makes a pretty dumb decision to tamper with the car and prolong their stay at Hackett's Quarry. However, he had no reason to know any of what would go down for the rest of that night.

His ultimate goal is to hang out with the group and try to rekindle a relationship for which he truly cares about to the point of actual tears (which he cries multiple times). Also, just to make one more memory if it doesnt work out. And, yes, I will say, it is absolutely wrong of him to disrespect Emma's feelings (or lack thereof) for their discarded relationship. He does constantly call her his girlfriend when she's not, and that's not okay.

BUT. It's a two way street. And here's the thing. SHE, Emma, does NOT even try to respect his feelings either. At all. Throughout the game, anytime she's around him, she insults him and also flirts with him, which, guess what? Sends mixed signals. She doesn't want a relationship with him and only sees him as a fling??? Then tell me why she thinks it's ok to come onto him and drag him into skinny dipping with her. After she forcibly (because Nick looked like he was trying to pull away towards the last half of it) kisses and makes out with Nick. And makes Jacob cry as a result. And then calls him a baby for it. You know, as if she isn't hurting his feelings constantly and being unnecessarily mean and confusing him on purpose.

Hm, idk, maybe I would cry too if someone did any of that to me.

Emma is not obligated to be with Jacob if she doesn't want to be, but she should also respect his feelings too, just as he should with her.

She's fine when she's not around him, but she is literally so toxic around him. Idc what reasoning you use for it either, it's terrible. Like, I will take a guy not quite knowing small boundaries when he is otherwise being pretty sweet over a girl making someone feel horrible because they have feelings for her.

You can like Emma and you can dislike Jacob, but you need to acknowledge that she is more in the wrong about their circumstances than he will ever be.

[ncfn]

Nothing Comes from Nothing: Chapter 16 Update

Nothing Comes from Nothing Update: Part 16 Swan Queen Story

Author: parakitty Co-Author / Beta: ­­­Lain Stardust

Summary: AU, Post Cricket Game, Emma casts a not-so-innocent locator spell, provided by Rumpelstiltskin, to find Regina, and the unexpected consequences bring Emma and Regina closer while revealing painful secrets that not only change their lives, but everyone else’s, too.

FF.net / AO3

A little gift from us to you on our 17th anniversary!

Leaning forward and propping her hands on her knees, Emma gulped a lungful of salty, sea air. She swallowed and resisted the urge to lick her dry lips. Damn, Anne was kicking her ass harder than usual. She peered through the curtain of her blonde hair and watched the scout grandmaster inspect her long knife. Then, her eyes drifted to the hatch leading below deck and the potential safety of the captain's cabin. She sighed, knowing she should let Regina sleep.

"Come on, Swan," Diego Flores taunted from the crow's nest. "If you're not going to train, you'd better start scrubbing," he teased the recruit with a boisterous laugh. With his need to jeer satisfied, he resumed his observation of the horizon.

"Ass hat," she muttered good-naturedly, straightening and glaring up at the guard. Rolling her shoulders, she took a couple steps toward McCormac, but someone coming through the hatch caught her attention. She couldn't stop the lopsided grin as she saw Monty escorting Regina onto the weather deck. Instinctively, she took a step toward them, but her face quickly met the planks she had mopped the night before. "Ow," she whined, rolling onto her back, and glowered at the scout grandmaster. "What was that for?"

"Always pay attention to your surroundings and finish training," Anne scolded, flipping her knife in the air. "You can irritate the queen later," she added with a smirk as she took several steps backward. Watching the savior stand, she noted the improving, fluid motion, how she was using her arms less and less each time. She smiled at the determination in the recruit's eyes.

For another thirty minutes, Emma and McCormac clashed blades, arms, and legs around the main deck of the Jolly Roger, providing ample entertainment for everyone else. Of course, the sheriff ended up on her ass more often than not, but she remained a persistent and willing student. When the recruit successfully blocked a series of vigorous attacks and even made an impressive countermove, the scout grandmaster released her for the day and went to check on the queen who was sitting on a low storage locker on the forward, port bow.

Emma sheathed her short sword before wiping her brow. She flung off droplets of sweat and bits of sea salt. Pursing her lips, she moseyed over to the starboard gunwale and stretched, giving her muscles a chance to cool down after the exercise. She leaned on the heels of her hands against the rail and stared out at the seemingly endless ocean, noticing the slight curvature of the horizon. It was beautiful.

"It's pretty amazing, isn't it?" Mary Margaret commented, coming to stand next to her daughter. "I never thought I'd see an ocean so big," she added, peering over the rail. She lost herself, momentarily, in the rhythmic motions of the boat's emerging wake.

"You never sailed in the Enchanted Forest?" the sheriff questioned. She turned around and surveyed the ship. Her gaze lingered on Regina for a long beat before she dropped down to sit, her back against the bulwark.

"Oh, I was quite content to live inland," the school teacher replied off-handedly, smiling down at her daughter. Glancing up at the large, fluffy clouds overhead, she continued, "Although, I can certainly see the appeal." Memories of state visits to other kingdoms and family vacations to the coast of Angevin flittered across her mind's eye. Looking over her shoulder at her stepmother, she remarked, "Regina always loved the ocean." She had rarely seen the woman as happy as when she had frolicked, utterly carefree, on the beach during their rare trips to Edetani.

Emma hummed in response. She could see a distant light of excitement in the former mayor's gaze when she looked out into the sea or up at the full sails. There was a wildness hidden in those brown depths, and it was captivating. Looking at her lap, the sheriff bit her lower lip and pulled her sheathed, short sword to rest across her thighs, idly tracing the delicate design on the hilt. Anne had told her it had been gifted to her by Jean-Luc Elmwood, Monty's older brother and Regina's Marshal, when she had agreed to infiltrate the castle and be assigned to the Queen's Guard. Then, the scout grandmaster had bestowed it upon her when she had agreed to join the Crows Guard. She felt honored, even if she didn't quite understand the full scope of the gift.

"Your melee practice was impressive. Your father said you've improved quite a bit," Mary Margaret commented, sitting beside her daughter. She glanced at the short sword before staring across at the scout standing beside Regina. "I still can't get over the fact that she's a woman," she muttered wistfully, shaking her head. All those years living in that castle, and she had never once suspected, only thought McCormac was small, much like Chavez. It left her wondering how many women her stepmother had employed as guards. When her daughter didn't say anything for a long minute, she turned her head and studied her profile. This was a lot harder than she had thought it would be, reconnecting with her child. Reaching out and placing her right hand on her daughter's left knee, Snow promised, "I want all of us to be a family, and we'll do whatever we need to do to make that happen."

Pursing her lips, the sheriff remained still. This shouldn't have come as a surprise, her mother cornering her, but she wasn't sure how to handle the constant neediness. She still carried so much anger and disappointment toward her parents, and the longer her mother's hand stayed on her knee, the more agitated she became. Slowly shaking her head, she started to bounce her left leg, a subtle cue to be released, and when her mother merely squeezed it, she nearly lost what calm she had remaining. She scrambled onto her feet, readjusting the short sword, and glared at the still sitting woman gazing up at her with wide, soulful eyes. "You want things to be okay between us?" she hissed, bending forward to keep her words soft and clipped. "You want me to try and have a relationship with you?" she continued, silently acknowledging to herself that she missed her mother's cursed personality. "Then, apologize to Regina, and not because I want you to but because you mean it," she demanded, leaning back and crossing her arms as she watched Mary Margaret stand.

Anger coiled within the school teacher. She was tired of hearing the same thing over and over again from her only child. She was tired of the insinuated exaltedness of her stepmother. Her eyes flashed in brilliant defiance as she stared her daughter down. When Emma refused to flinch, Mary Margaret gritted her teeth and lifted her chin. "Fine," she intoned before stomping across the ship. With her quarry in sight and finally alone, she briskly moved across the weather deck, calling, "No, don't run away from me," as she saw the former queen moving in the opposite direction.

Regina startled at the sudden abruptness in Snow White's demanding tone. Once her guards had taken their leave after some unnecessary fussing by Anne, she had decided to begin her slow lap around the main deck. It was an uncomfortable exercise but a necessary one; however, she did note a distinct improvement since the previous day, no doubt thanks in large part to Emma's nighttime healing. Filing the observation for later consideration, she turned and faced the petulant woman before her. Gesturing around her, she mildly taunted, "We're on a boat in the middle of an endless ocean. Where am I going to run?"

"Why do you have to be so abrasive?" Mary Margaret groused, standing at her full height, arms akimbo.

Smirking and unable to resist, the former mayor casually retorted, "Why do you have to be so self-absorbed?" Her smile broadened as she blinked lazily at the fuming woman.

[ncfn]

Nothing Comes from Nothing: Neverland Teaser #1

Nothing Comes from Nothing Update: Part 15 Swan Queen Story

Author: parakitty Co-Author / Beta: ­­­Lain Stardust

A swirling, green whirlpool formed in the shallow waters of the small island. Three heads broke the surface, gasping for air and spluttering out salt water. As she got her bearings, Tamara took quick stock of her companions. Greg appeared to be fine, already reaching for Henry’s arm and hauling him toward the beach. She waded in behind them, relieved when she caught sight of the two Templars waiting for them on the shore.

The men were in lighter armor than usual, the leather and chainmail still too warm for the tropical island but better suited for the balmy climate than their typical heavy plate. As the trio slogged through the surf to reach them, the knights eyed the boy with interest. They had gone through an unreasonable amount of trouble to locate and apprehend the child, but the Chantry had demanded it be done. Without him, their entire purpose for being on this Maker forsaken world would be for naught.

Tamara stepped up to the Templars and gave them a respectful nod, glad to see some familiar faces, again, after being so long on her mission. “Irminric, Gowreth, it’s good to see you both,” she said as she closed the distance between them.

“You, as well,” Irminric Eremon replied with a faint smile. “I see you caught our quarry,” he observed, indicating Henry who fidgeted sullenly in Greg’s tight grip. “The Knight Commander will be most pleased to know your mission was a success.”

Tipping her head in acknowledgement at the praise, she hoped it would be enough to finally gain her admittance to their order. It had been a long road, working with the Chantry and integrating into their culture, but it would be well worth the reward if she could, at last, seek service as a Templar. Falling into step with Eremon as he began trekking into the jungle, she asked, “How is Tavish doing? Last time I was here, he was complaining about the weather.” A quick glance over her shoulder ensured Greg and Henry were behind them, Gowreth bringing up the rear.

A low chuckle fell from the Knight Corporal as he led the way toward camp. “Not much has changed, then. He’s still moaning about the humidity eating away at the armor.” He shook his head in amusement and added, “He’s got the recruits rolling the mail about in the sand barrels every other day, paranoid that it’s going to fall to rust as soon as he turns his back.”

Greg scowled as he marched along behind his partner and the knight. He didn’t like the way she was so chummy with the Templars on the island. The New York branch of the Chantry hadn’t bothered him as much, but there was something about the searching looks this group gave him that set him on edge. They were too secretive, too furtive, for his tastes. He didn’t quite buy the line that they were there mining for lyrium. If that were the case, why would they need the boy? No, there was something bigger going on than they were being told, and he didn’t like it one bit.

Henry looked around his surroundings with wide-eyed wonder, trying to take it all in as he was marched along. He figured the two men who had met them on the beach were guards or knights of some sort, judging by their armor and swords and their strict, military bearing. The woman who had claimed to be his father’s fiancé seemed to know where they were headed, but the man holding him didn’t look very happy about being there. He didn’t know what they wanted with him, but he was pretty sure that Emma and his dad were already trying to get to him. Grudgingly, he admitted to himself that his mom was probably helping, too. Regardless of anything else, he knew that his family would come for him. That’s what family did, after all, find each other.