#twins of la huerta

[boag]

Trying to start logging the movies I watch on Letterboxd bc I’m rlly getting into film again lately . Follow me on there if u want hehe I’m not much of a reviewer and I tend to like everything I watch so most movies will be rated 4-5 stars LOL . I also have a list on there of films Paz de la Huerta told me I should watch forever ago and I haven’t watched them yet but I probably will this week<3

[mind-reader1]

The Twins of La Huerta (Ch. 2 Part 2)

A/N: This is a collaborative fic from myself, @bbaba-yagaa, @brightpinkpeppercorn and @roonarific. It is DIFFERENT than the one posted by @sceptilemasterr over the past few months. That being said, this story doesn’t strictly follow canon, it’s got crack-fic moments, serious moments, NSFW moments. A bit of everything and so we really hope you enjoy! Not for the faint of heart. 

Warnings: None 

Word Count: 2,075

Catch up with Chapter 1 and Chapter 2 Part 1 here! 

Last Time: Estela was hit by a tranquilizer dart courtesy of Jake and Taylor, and the group began to scratch the surface of the mystery that is La Huerta. Guests are missing, and strange things are found out by the pool. See what happens next!

Chapter 2 Part 2: Dull Pencils and Pool Noodles 

He took in the jungle themed room, vines hanging from the ceiling, it reminded him of Estela in a way. Beautiful but dangerous, hiding secrets that added to its allure. There was a knock on the door, he grabbed some of the bathroom cologne and pat his hair down before opening the door, surprised to find his sister and Diego there, also a little disappointed. Taylor walked in and scrunched up her nose, sniffing, he was busted.

“Is that, cologne?” She asked incredulously.

“You were hoping we were that mystery hottie from earlier, weren't you?” Tyler felt color rise to his cheeks. He didn't have time to retort, as a few of their classmates flooded in through the open door.

“Yo T and T! You coming down to the party or what?” Craig grinned. Taylor, Tyler and Diego all shared a look and smiled.

“Yeah we're headed down.” Craig slapped Tyler on the back and began chanting.

“TnT! TnT!” The twins laughed and pulled Diego out after them and towards the pool. Some of their classmates had already set up some party lights over the pool, music blasting. Jake was behind the bar mixing drinks, some of their friends were playing volleyball in the pool, others were talking and watching the game.

“How'd you get stuck behind the bar Jake? Lose a bet?” Diego sat on a stool, Taylor and Tyler on either side of him.

“Ha. Like I've ever lost a bet, you should have seen the drinks these maniacs were pouring.”

“Can I get something?” Taylor bat her eyelashes at Jake.

“Looks like I'm gonna be here all night. What's your poison Princess?”

“Make something inspired by me.” Jake grinned and began mixing, sliding a colorful drink her way. Taylor took a sip and her eyes widened in surprise.

“Hmm. Salty and sweet, tangy and bitter, dry and fruity.”

“Yeah, it doesn't quite know what it wants to be yet, but it's got a lot of potential.” Taylor smiled and leaned in closer to Jake who was watching her intently.

“Are we still talking about me or maybe us Top Gun?” Jake and Taylor eyed her brother cautiously, Diego had taken off not wanting to be a third wheel. Tyler seemed lost in his own thoughts though, his eyes wandering the party, Taylor knew exactly why. He was looking for her, the girl from earlier, Estela. She wasn't going to forget that name, the girl who was going to wreck her brother’s life with her secrets if he wasn't careful. Tyler began to wander, and Taylor followed.

“We'll pick this up later.” She winked grabbing her drink.

“Seems like you're having a good night.” Diego smirked at Taylor and then glanced at Tyler.

“Looks like you've caught some eyes as well.” They both followed his gaze to a figure on a cliff above the pool deck, Estela. She caught Tyler's gaze but forced herself to look away.

“Who's up for a game of chicken?” Sean called. Diego pushed the twins toward the pool.

“Go on guys. This is your moment.” Taylor turned back towards Jake and winked as she peeled her top off. Jake hopped over the bar and ran over, scooping Taylor up in his arms before jumping into the pool with her. She squealed as they hit the water.

“Jake!” He grinned, shaking out his hair as they re-emerged. Tyler scowled, now soaking wet from the little stunt.

“Are you coming in Tyler?” Quinn giggled looking up at him.

“Come on Ty! It'll be fun. You and Quinn can be partners!” Taylor climbed up on Jake's shoulders and wrapped her legs around his neck, his hands wandering dangerously close to her bikini bottoms.

“Sure.” He jumped in and cast one more glance up at Estela, the stars reflecting behind her, she watched them in the pool.

“Quinn! Climb on his shoulders! Oh my God you guys are so cute!” Tyler scowled at his sister and walked up to Jake.

“Ready sis?” Taylor recognized that determined look on her brother’s face, he was pissed. There was about to be another twin war, it had been a few years since their last one. Taylor was ready though, she liked Jake and she wasn't going to let her brother take that away or ruin his own life. Of course, Tyler thought the same thing about Estela, he liked her and didn't trust Jake, he was bad news and a jackass. He deserved a beat down.

“You really want to do this Tyler?”

“You started this Taylor, I'm just here to finish it.” 

They started the chicken fight and Quinn pushed but they were no match for Jake and Taylor. Quinn kept her legs wrapped around Tyler as she fell, taking him with her. She giggled as they rose to the surface, Tyler scowling at his sister. She was too busy to notice as she turned around on Jake's shoulders, so she was facing him. She moved slowly, his head was pressed tightly against her bikini bottoms, legs still wrapped around his neck as his hands squeezed her butt. Carefully she slid down into his arms, Jake guided her, his hands never leaving her butt, peppering kisses and little bites down her stomach until her legs were around his waist.

“Damn Princess.” Jake whispered. Tyler couldn't stand to see anymore as Quinn playfully splashed him to get his attention, he saw a chance. He sent a giant wave towards Quinn, dowsing Taylor and Jake, their hair falling in their faces like wet dogs. Quinn spit out water and pouted.

“Why'd you do that Tyler?”

“Yeah Tyler. Quinn was just trying to have some fun, you nearly drowned the poor girl!” Tyler rolled his eyes.

“Hey Sean! Taylor was saying how she'd love to play volleyball with you earlier, but she was too scared.” He shot his sister a look and climbed out of the pool, drying off and throwing his clothes back on before making his way up to the cliff where Estela was. As she heard his footsteps she didn't even bother to look back.

“I hope you didn't come up here to get your pride stroked after that humiliating defeat. What you need is a good stabbing for being a dick to Quinn, my dull pencil is still looking to claim its first victim, maybe it will end up being you after all.” “I came up here to bring you a blanket in case you were cold, and to see how you are doing but you're right, she didn't do anything wrong. I'll apologize later.” A silence fell between them, only for a moment. “So, what gives with all this kindness toward me anyway? First you carry me to the hotel and stay with me. Then you bring me a blanket and check on me again? Why? What's your angle?”

“To be nice Estela, no angle.”   

“Thank you.” She took the blanket and gazes up at the stars, Tyler followed her gaze, admiring all the twinkling lights. You could never see this many out in the city, even on the clearest night.

“Where I'm from, people don't do something for you without expecting something in return.”

“Maybe I just want you to like me.” Estela met his gaze, their eyes locked onto each other, both refusing to blink first.

“Isn't it pathetic? How lonely we all are? At least you're honest about it.” Estela gave him a small smile and turned back towards the endless sky, getting lost in it. Tyler let out a content sigh, his breath coming out as a cloud.

“You're cold too.” She scooted closer and wrapped the blanket around his shoulders, huddling together, their fingertips brushed lightly with just the slightest movement, Tyler could swear he felt sparks every time.

“Thanks Estela, that was nice of you.” She gave him a small smile, two shooting stars passing by.

“Did you see that? It was beautiful.” Tyler looked over at Estela and then down at her lips, wanting to taste them again. They were so close, he closed his eyes and leaned in. Suddenly she stood, and he felt the blanket fall against his shoulders, heavy, like the embarrassment he felt.

“I have to go.”

“Este-”

“Tyler, this is a bad idea.”

“Estela, wait!”

“Bad shit usually happens to the good people in my life Tyler, I don't want that for you...” Without another word she stalked off into the darkness. Tyler scrambled up to find her, but she was already gone, disappearing somewhere into the night. He took a moment to collect his thoughts before wandering down to the pool, he did a quick glance and noticed his sister and Jake were missing. He was gone for two minutes and they'd already snuck off. Marching over to Diego to see if he knew anything, everyone heard a blood curdling scream. Tyler knew it instantly, Taylor. He took off towards the beach where the scream had come from. He was going to kill the pilot if he laid a finger on her, no one hurt his sister.

“Taylor!” He leaped over some stray rocks in the sand.

“Princess!” Jake emerged from a different path just moments before Tyler and rushed over to Taylor. She was in the sand, clean towels strewn around her, skin pale as she stared out at the jungle. She looked like she'd seen a ghost.

“What's wrong?” Jake kneeled down next to her and rested a hand gently on her knee.

“Taylor!” She scrambled up and latched onto her brother, even if they were fighting they looked out for each other.

“What happened?” He glared at Jake.

“There was, I don't know. There was something out there.” She pointed at the fence. Taylor didn't want to believe it, she had known exactly what she saw but it couldn't be possible. It had been a sabertooth tiger. The party was over after that, everyone went back up to their rooms for the night. Tyler and Diego both insisted they could stay on the couch in Taylor's room, but she refused, wanting to be alone and go to bed. She tried to sleep but kept tossing and turning, images of the tiger haunting her every time she closed her eyes. Laying on her back, staring at the ceiling she jumped when there was a knock on the door, she crept over.

“Princess? Are you awake?” She opened the door and saw Jake standing there in the doorway, his black shirt and sweats on. She let him in and glanced down the hall to make sure no one had seen him enter. Jake wandered through the room and whistled.

“Pretty nice room you got yourself here.” She shrugged.

“What are you doing here Jake? You don't strike me as the kind of guy who goes to a girl’s room in the middle of the night to chat.”

“You seemed really freaked out earlier, I wanted to make sure you were okay.” Taylor stared at him, and he did seem genuinely concerned like he had on the beach earlier.

“I'm fine Jake, surprisingly thoughtful of you to come check on me.”

“Wow. I can't just be ‘typically’ thoughtful? It has to be ‘surprising’.” Jake playfully grinned and started walking back towards to door.

“Hey Top Gun, wait.” Taylor reached out to grab his hand and spun him back towards her.

“I can't sleep, maybe you could help me forget.” Jake grinned and looked down at her lips, running his tongue over his own.

“Yeah. I can definitely do that Princess.” Their lips crashed together, and Taylor's fears melted away. All she could think about was the pool earlier, his hands on her butt, the way his chapped lips felt against her skin, his teeth leaving little marks and pulling on her bottom lip. The distraction worked for a little, until Jake was curled up next to her on the bed. Taylor had been able to fall asleep, but images of the tiger came flooding back in her dreams. It was dark, the bushes rustled around her, she was surrounded, then it was there, lurking and watching her; sinewy muscles, glowing yellow eyes. Taylor sat straight up sweating and looked around, her breathing evening when she realized she was safe. Jake grumbled and sat up, blinking at her with bleary eyes.

“You good Taylor?” She nodded and laid back down, letting out a deep breath.

“Yeah. Go back to bed.”

Perma-Tag:   @sleepwalkingelite @ooo-barff-ooo @endlessly-searching-for-you @agent-bossypants @roonarific @likethetailofacomet @zaffrenotes @mysteli @vickypoochoices @kayann93 @jlouise88 @zigortega4life @findingdrake 

Jake-Tag:  @endlesstaylormckenzie @sophie-summer @feartheendlesssummer @darley1101 @emomoustache​ @xo-endlessmayhem-xo​

Twin-fic Tag:  @sceptilemasterr @queerchoicesblog

[beyonceswigs]

Perfect Match just went full Endless Summer and I’m shooked

* goes to replay all 3 books for the 16th time*

[marmolady]

Twins

Main Pairings: Graleister

Summary: Aleister and Grace's happy family gets bigger. OR in which we meet Erin and Imogen Hall.

Word Count: 4265

Tagging: @saivilo, @edgydepressedchoicesthot, @sceptilemasterr, ​@mauvecatfic @rhemenway888

Thanks for reading! Comments and re-blogs make me EXTRA happy.

______________________

La Huerta, March 2028

“At least you’re sitting down for this,” he said. “I certainly wish I had been.”

It wouldn’t be an issue this time, he made certain, seating himself beside his sister before continuing.

Estela’s face clouded with concern, then dawning fear. “Grace… she’s--”

“Fit as a fiddle,” Aleister assured hastily. “And actually, taking it all in her stride. It’s just myself who’s….” He trailed off.

“Aleister?”

He winced. “Twins,” he said at last. “We’re having… twins. Two babies. Two babies! At the same time!”

Estela was, of course, familiar with the concept, but thought better of snarkily saying as such. Instead, she brought forth her honest reaction to the news, which was a simple; “Holy crap.”

“Holy crap indeed!” Aleister panted, worked up. “I had my doubts in myself before we had Reginald, but that was one child--”

“One child who would tell you you’re a pretty great dad.”

Aleister shook his head. “I swore I’d never let him be neglected. Above all else, I wanted to be a father he could rely on.”

“That’s not gonna change,” Estela said. “You make Reggie a priority, and you still will even if he has to share that top tier.”

“I’m not… a natural with babies. All those times I called you in a panic because Reggie wouldn’t settle….”

“Most people find it hard in the beginning. And you do a hell of a lot more than a lot of so-called ‘fathers’ do-- that’s before we even go there with the likes of… yeah….”

In his fear, Aleister latched on to that ‘the likes of’, for that was what he was made from. All he had to offer. “I’m bound to leave my poor boy in the cold. I could barely manage one infant, let alone two, and he’ll be given the scraps of what’s left of my time.” My love. “My genetic programming will out after all. I suppose he’d laugh.”

Estela took him by the shoulder and shook him hard, making him yelp in surprise.

“What the--?”

“Gilipollas! Get a goddamn hold of yourself!” she snapped. “You drop the ball here, it’s all on you. And you’re not fucking going to.”

“Oh? You have a crystal ball now, do you?”

“Better. I know you.”

“That’s it? How reassuring--”

Estela snapped across him. “The father you are wasn’t inherited by any genetics, he was grown in protest to how that bastard failed you. Don’t pity yourself into forgetting that!”

Aleister silently opened and closed his mouth like a fish gasping for air.

After a while, he managed to meekly get out; “I… I don’t suppose you’d let me.”

“Hell no.”

Aleister was still shaky, but managed to look his sister in the eye. So fierce, the way she looked at him… but that fierceness was on his side. The no-nonsense approach was helpful; a good balance to Grace’s gentle compassion. In some ways, Estela’s blunt words were easier to take to heart.

“I suppose…,” he muttered, “it’s not as if his genes seem to be very potent.”

He and Estela so rarely talked about the very thing that linked them. A man like that was better not remembered. But it was difficult for old wounds to totally heal when the cause of the damage was buried deep down. Aleister reminded himself of the truth fear had hidden from him. The truth, he knew, was that his own father wasn’t why he’d be a bad one; his own father was what had made him care so much that he wouldn’t be.

Estela grunted her agreement. “I’m all my mom,” she said, pride evident in her voice and in her eyes. “And you got the full DNA blast and you still don’t look a thing like him. It’s almost as if nature was determined there was enough of him in this world already.”

“It has,” Aleister admitted, “rather tickled me how little I resemble the man considering… considering my origin.”

Estela’s dark eyes sparkled, teasing. “Just as well. If I twigged who you were, I’d have kidnapped you and held you hostage. You had a lucky escape, hermano.”

“Well, I’m afraid the egg would have been on your face-- there would certainly have been no rescue mounted. I suspect the bastard would simply have gotten a laugh out of it.”

Yeah… that sounded about right. “Asshole.” She shook her head. She knew her brother; she knew he wasn’t anything like the man whose genes he carried. And he sure as hell wasn’t going to be anything like him as a father. She’d seen the way he twirled his little boy in his arms… the way he kissed his grazed knees and read to him each and every night. “Aleister-- what if I was to swipe a kid of yours?”

Aleister answered curtly, not missing a beat. “I would have you stuffed and mounted on my wall.”

Estela snorted with laughter. She’d like to see him try. “See,” she said, serious once more. “You’re nothing like him at all.”

That brought him up short.

“It’s strange,” he said quietly, “how reassuring it is to have it demonstrated that way. Your pep talks are rather darker than Grace’s or Taylor’s….”

“You knew that when you came to me. If it helps you, it helps you. But you should know, however you want to go about hearing it; you would be a good father. I know that’s coming from someone who never had one, but unfortunately that’s the only perspective I’ve got.”

“That may be true,” Aleister noted, “but I have great respect for the parent you are-- and the aunt. I’d happily take that perspective.”

It was Estela’s turn to be left flustered, a pink blush across her cheeks to her ears giving her away. She cleared her throat, averting her gaze. “That means… thanks, I…. That means a lot.” After taking a few moments to recover, she looked back to him. “It’s going to be okay.  Twins is nothing you can’t handle.”

_________________________

USA, December 2028

Her face still red from hours of shrieking, infant Imogen, only three weeks old, gave in at long, long last, her eyelids fluttering, then closing. Peace.

Hallelujah. Halle-bloody-lujah.

Aleister might have wept himself, but rather he looked up from his newly slumbering daughter to meet Grace’s weary eyes to share with her a moment of triumph.

And then, because life is cruel, a whimper came from the second crib. The parents held a breath together, and with it a silent prayer, but the whimper became a wail and Ernest was suddenly very awake.

His cries woke Immy, and the shrieking resumed-- if anything, redoubled.

Grace sank down into the side of the bed, her face in her hands. “I… I don’t know how long I can keep doing this.” She was shaking. “I think I’m about to lose it….”

Aleister gently lowered Immy into her crib, feeling an absolute monster as he placed her down while she screamed and cried, then walked over to put his arms around Grace.

“Darling, come downstairs,” he urged, and he kissed her head. “I’ll make you a cup of tea, and we’ll take ten minutes.”

Ten minutes to pull themselves together so they could survive however many more hours the twins kept them going.

Grace looked up, pained, guilt-stricken, and Iris floated over, wanting to reassure.

“Grace, dear, the ten minutes it takes for the two of you to refresh and be okay will give your children so much more than what you can offer if you’re burnt out to nothing.”

Once his wife was settled in the comfiest armchair with a steaming cup of tea, Aleister returned to the kitchen to retrieve his own brew, only to be met by his eldest son, up many hours past his bedtime. Six-year-old Reggie was up in his pyjamas, his small, thin face streaked with tears, his eyes puffy.

“I can’t sleep…,” the small boy sniffed, and then fresh tears began to flow. “The babies are… are too loud. Daddy, why are they so sad?”

Forgetting all about his tea, Aleister knelt down and swept his son into his arms.

“Oh, Reggie, I’m so sorry they’ve kept you awake… come here, my darling boy. I promise; it’s going to be all right….”

“Daddy,” Reggie sobbed, “I just want to sleep! Daddy, I just want to sleep! Why won’t they stop?”

His little boy in distress damn near ripped Aleister’s heart out. At the end of his own tether with the incessant screaming, he’d nonetheless call upon reserves he didn’t know he had to comfort his beloved Reginald. He could do little but hold him, to let him know he was heard, and so very, very loved.

As Reggie hiccoughed in his arms, Aleister had to admit that they needed help. It hurt his pride, but logically, he told himself, he and Grace were only two people, and three crying children needed more than they could physically give. It was simple mathematics. There was no shame in knowing when you’d reached your limit; it was time to call in the cavalry.

An hour had passed, and there seemed to be no let up in the twins’ crying. Down in the basement, though, barely a peep could be heard. It was almost unnerving, but Aleister knew immediately from the change in Reggie’s demeanor that it had been the right call.

“There you go, Reginald,” he said, pulling back the comforter to invite the child into the freshly-made up camp bed that his aunts had brought over, “peace at last.”

Grace, still tense, kissed her son’s cheek as he snuggled in next to her. Doubt plagued her. How could she call herself a mother when she hid away from her crying babies? But, she told herself resolutely, it was best for her children that she be okay. Tonight-- or rather, this morning by this point-- her being okay looked like leaving Twins Duty to their Auntie Taylor and Tia Estela. She was close enough to come rushing if need be… but she was also there for Reggie when he needed just a bit of comfort and quiet.

Five-year-old Liv tumbled around at the end of the inflatable mattress, giggling as she toppled repeatedly over the edge.

“Liv, honey,” Grace said gently, “we’re going to need you to settle down just a little bit, okay? Your mommies told you it’s sleep-time, yeah?”

Liv crawled back up the bed and crashed down right up against her older cousin. “My mama and my mama said no playing, just sleeping.”

Aleister, yawning, climbed into bed so that the children were sandwiched between himself and Grace. Taylor and Estela’s rescue attempt would only succeed if their own little one gave in to sleep. “That’s right, I’m afraid,” he told her. “You and Reggie will have so much more fun together if you’re well-rested first.”

At that, Reggie opened his eyes. “Livia can stay and play in the morning?”

“Of course, my sweetheart. Now close your eyes.”

Reggie did so, with a tiny sigh of relief, contentment even. Then he mumbled out his usual goodnights, with a few extras, for this night was a little different. “Night-night, Daddy. Night-night, Mommy. Night-night, Immy-and-Ernie. Night-night, Auntie Taylor and Tia Estela. Night-night, silly Liv.”

“Goodniiiiight,” Liv sang, then she too closed her eyes.

When Aleister looked up from the children, Grace had already nodded off. His heart swelled with affection.

Bless her, her head must have barely grazed the pillow. Reggie won’t be far behind.

“Sleep tight,” he whispered.

_________________________

La Huerta, June 2031

The water of The New Celestial’s pool shimmered with sunlight, and welcomed back old friends for what had become the annual reunion. For the two littlest, the two-and-a-half-year-olds tentatively testing out their brand new water-wings, the big poolside gathering was something rather novel.

Imogen was far and away the bolder of the two. While Ernest was shy, withdrawing to the safety of his mother or father when faced with the large group, Immy was simply indifferent. She was a thinker, taking in everything all around her, and all these people she knew were familiar-- even if the didn’t usually appear all at once. She just got on with her explorations of the world, paying little heed to most of the people around her… except for the other kids, and except for Craig and Zahra. From when she was a tiny, tiny tot, Immy had been absolutely fascinated by the pair she’d quickly deemed to be the funniest of the big adults. Aleister noted the growing attachment as rather ominous. Heaven forbid what influence the likes of those two might have on his little daughter….

Ernest was a cuddler. When overwhelmed with the world, he cuddled Grace or Aleister, or his Auntie Taylor or Tia Estela whom he saw practically every day. When he was feeling brave, however, he’d cuddle just about anyone. He’d learned very quickly that Raj was a first-class cuddler himself, and as Ernie started coming out of his shell, on this, the first morning of the reunion, it was Raj to whom he was drawn.

“Heeey, li’l dude!” Raj cooed, opening his arms wide as the toddler paddled towards him. “Come on over here!”

Sitting in the shallow end, always ready to reach out and grab either of the twins if need be, Aleister gave Raj a stony look that was only half playful. “If you even think of pulling one of your world famous belly-flops while the twins are in the pool….”

Raj just laughed. “Al, my brosky, we’ve gotten this far without drowning any dudelings, not about to start now!” And he floated back on his back, and placed a beaming Ernie onto his vast stomach. “Look at you now! Best seat in the house.”

Her father’s momentary distraction was all Immy needed to get into mischief.

“Oh, no you don’t….” Aleister hastily reached back to his other side, and retrieved his little daughter’s skinny little arm from the pool’s filter.

“No! No!”

From his vantage point, Ernie chortled merrily. No one knew how to make him laugh quite like his sister.

Aleister found it all rather less amusing, especially as, for someone so small, Immy certainly knew how to kick up a large fuss.

“You-- can’t-- put your-- hand in-- there---”

“No! No!”

 At that moment, Grace arrived at the pool with Michelle, a pregnant Quinn, and four-year-old Isla. And thus Aleister was spared the tantrum that had so surely been brewing.

“Mommy!”

“Are you checking the filter still works?” Grace laughed, and she took Immy upon her knee and bounced her there.

Saved. Aleister strategically positioned his lithe body in front of the opening for the filter, just to be safe. He knew better by now than to underestimate his daughter’s stubbornness when she was focused on something. That she was utterly fascinated by how things worked would surely set them up for lots of interesting conversations when she was older, but for now, that curiosity meant that she’d stick her fingers into just about anything.

Thankfully, in this instance, Immy’s big friend Isla was fun enough that the pool filter was forgotten… at least for the time being.

Grace floated over, wrapping her arms around Aleister’s neck and bobbing closer in the water. She chuckled gently at his serious expression, and kissed his cheek. “You’re allowed to relax now and then, honey.”

Aleister felt his face flushing pink. Even after all this time, it never took much when Grace was around. “Darling, you do recall that we have two toddlers?”

“I do.” She kissed him once more. “And we’re doing just fine.”

Of course, he doubted it. He was human after all, and a human who’d grown up with emotional abuse and the constant message that nothing he could do was enough. But he and Grace had made a pact; he’d recognise and acknowledge out loud the good in her that she couldn’t see, and he’d do the same for him. And they’d never challenge that such good was there. Grace said they were doing just fine, and so… they were doing just fine.

Gazing across the pool to where Ernie was lounging upon Raj’s front as he floated there-- looking for all the world like Mowgli and Baloo in The Jungle Book--, and to where Immy was squealing with mirth as Isla bounced her up and down, making progressively large splashes, Aleister had to concede that Grace did have a point.

Yes, the twins were a challenge. But they were totally surrounded by love and always would be. So, he supposed, they weren’t doing ‘just fine’. They were doing stupendously.

UK, May 2028

Grace waited outside the exhibition hall, Reggie’s little hand in hers, while Aleister retrieved their coats. Tears pricked her eyes.

She hadn’t really expected her mother to show. Blaire Hall’s acceptance of the invitation had been a long time ago-- before the email that told her that Grace was now expecting twins. There had been no reply. Grace was almost grateful for that; after the judgement her mother had inflicted on her upon her first pregnancy, she’d dreaded what cruel words would come this time. The simple text message she’d received that very afternoon had said enough anyway.

‘I can’t make it, Grace. Do well, dear.’

That had been it. A chance to build bridges before Grace’s little family grew and drifted further away, and it had, as she had always been, rejected. Grace had little doubt that it was because of the pregnancy.

Protectively, she placed a hand on her belly. Her mother didn’t deserve to know her grandchildren. She was out of chances.

“I thought Granny was going to come and see your pretty pictures?” Reggie asked innocently, tugging at his mother’s hand. “It’s not nice that she changed her mind when it’s your special day.”

Grace had to take a deep, shaky breath before answering. “I know, sugar. She just decided other things were more important.

“I wish Granny Blaire was the dead grandma and Grandma Imogen was the alive grandma…,” Reggie muttered, looking at his feet.

Oof. But how could she blame him? She’d been lying if she hadn’t had that fleeting forbidden thought herself.

Grace knelt down, and tenderly held her son’s shoulder. “It does seem unfair that some really kind people can’t be with us physically.”

Reggie nodded stiffly.

“But,” she said, “what’s really important is that you appreciate the people in your life, how you have them. We are so, so lucky to have Grandma Imogen. Even if it’s not in exactly the way we most want.”

“Why doesn’t Granny Blaire love us? She’s not a very nice mom.”

How to answer that?

Grace looked her young son in the eye, her heart overflowing. “Oh, hon. I promise you it’s nothing we’ve done wrong, and especially not you. Some people… some people just find love a bit tricky. Maybe they never got shown how to do it when they were growing up, or maybe it’s just not what they’re good at.” She kissed his forehead. “Even though it feels like it sometimes, it doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong with you, or me, or Daddy, or the twins. Somewhere along the line, Granny Blaire just got stuck not knowing how to love very well.”

“She must be very sad.”

“I think she must be. She misses out on so many things-- like feeling the babies kick, and seeing the beautiful pictures you draw for us, and holding hands when we walk along the beach. I wish my mom could know how special those things are.”

Reggie hugged his mom tight, something that was getting trickier now that she had a fast-growing baby bump. In some ways it made hugs even better, though-- now, Reggie could hug his mom and his baby brother and sister all at once.

“I’m really happy we can do all those things with Grandma, even though she’s different from other grandmas. Some kids don’t get to play with their dead grandmas at all!”

Oh, sweet child.

“You know,” Grace said, “Daddy suggested we could name the girl baby after your special grandma.”

“Really? Baby Imogen and Grandma Imogen?”

“Yes, really! I wasn’t sure, but the more I think about it, the more I think the name is just perfect.”

“Because we love Grandma, and also we love the girl baby?”

Grace squeezed her son. “That is exactly right!”

They had to celebrate what they had, because what they had was everything.

Guess that’s one baby named! One down, one to go….

________________________

USA, January 2033

Ernie shuffled around her name cards; each had written on it a name beginning with ‘E’-- a shortlist her parents had given her to choose from. Her new name. A name for a girl. She traced a finger along the shape of the letters of the one she’d brought to the front of her stash… ‘E’… ‘A’… ‘R’… ‘T’… ‘H’… ‘A’. That one, Ernie knew, was ‘Eartha’. She had ‘Eartha’ and ‘Eliza’ and ‘Emma’ and ‘Emily’. And ‘Eleanor’  and ‘Evangeline’, which she’d already decided were too long and hard to read. She was only four after all.

She moved ‘Eartha’ to the back of the pile and smiled a little when she recognised the shapes that made up the name that she liked to look at again and again. ‘E’… ‘R’… ‘I’… ‘N’.

It was almost ‘E’… ‘R’… ‘N’… ‘I’… ‘E’. Just one letter missing, and two swapped around. Erin, Erin, Erin.

Her mommy told her that ‘Erin’ was Quinn’s middle name. That, Ernie thought, was pretty special. Grown-ups could be a bit scary… but Quinn was always kind and smiling, and never scary at all. When the family visited Quinn and Michelle’s place a few months prior, Quinn had put a stool in the kitchen so Ernie could see up on the counter when she was baking. Ernie got flour on her face, and cake mix between her fingers, and even icing in her hair. Quinn had laughed with her, and dabbed icing on her own nose. Ernie already knew that her new middle name would be ‘Grace’ because she wanted to share with her mommy. How lovely, she was beginning to see, it would be to share a name with Quinn, who she also loved.

Ernie got to her feet and trotted to the kitchen, her special name cards in hand.

“Daddy, can you say this one?”

Aleister looked up from the dishes, and dried off his hands. “That one, darling? That’s ‘Erin’.”

“Can you say it in big, so I can hear it?”

“Say it in…? Oh, I see! If you chose that one, your full name would be ‘Erin Grace Hall’.

Ernie mumbled it after him, trying out the feel of it in full.

“You rather like that one, don’t you?” Aleister gently prodded. His little Ernie was such a quiet, self-contained little soul, it could be a challenge to know where her head was at. Choosing a new name could well feel very daunting, but as far as he could tell, Ernie was rather enjoying pondering on it.

“It sounds like a name for a girl,” said Ernie. “Can we… can we tell Mommy ‘that one’? I think ‘Erin’ is my name.”

“I think Erin sounds like a name for a very special girl. It suits you very well. Let’s go and find Mommy, shall we?”

Ernie slipped her little hand into Aleister’s big one and looked up at him with big, sparkling eyes. “Yes please, Daddy.”

In his little girl’s eyes, Aleister knew, it all had led to this. She, after all, had always known who she was; it had just taken a little while for the message to come across. To himself and Grace anyway. Immy had always known that she had a twin sister, not a brother, and had referred to Ernie as such more often than not. They’d always picked out the same clothes, played the same games. Ernie had been free to enjoy dresses and bows without anyone looking too far into it, but from the first day she uttered ‘I’m a girl’, she’d been heard.

“Moooommmy!” Ernie called down the hallway as she dragged her father by the hand. “Mommy, I know my name now!”

She took Aleister to the office, where Grace was at the computer, poring over her latest fractal art project.

 Grace turned in her chair, all smiles, and putting work aside for her little girl. Moments like these, the moments of connection she’d never had with her own mother, were her priority above all else. The look on Ernie’s face said it all-- this was a big one.

“You’ve chosen?” Grace exclaimed. “Oh, wow! That is exciting!”

Ernie stood up tall, emitting a sense of confidence so rare in her. “I am… E-Erin.” She did a little jig. “Erin-Grace-Hall! That is me now, Mommy. Erin is me.”

Grace opened her arms and enveloped Erin in the tightest, proudest of hugs, and Aleister put his long arms around them both.

“My sweetpea,” he said, “’Erin’ really is you. And I’m really happy for you, sugar.”

__________________________

La Huerta, December 2033

“I swear Immy got the evil psychopath gene. Should probably feel lucky none of the rest of us caught it, but she is definitely going to be an evil genius when she grows up.”

Grace couldn’t believe she’d heard those words out of her son’s mouth, a flippant comment to his cousin. She thanked their lucky stars it was she who’d overheard the exchange rather than Aleister… oh, he’d have been crushed to hear one of his precious children talked about in that way. Well, if she was honest to herself, Grace was too. A comparison between a monster of a human being and her precocious, aloof and admittedly mischievous five-year-old was unfair, and to her mind, cruel. Clearly, Reggie knew as much, going by the look on his face when his mother walked into the room where he and Liv had been hanging out over their Literacy homework.

The difference between the two children’s attitudes towards their late grandfather was startling. To Reggie, Rourke was clearly a boogeyman figure; a face to the vague concept of greed and plain evil. He could joke because he was sheltered, the threat represented no more pressing than any other fairy-tale villain. Grace supposed it was due to her and Aleister making a point of never giving that disgusting excuse for a human being any power in how they spoke about him. Having heard Reggie’s comments, she wondered if it was time to sit him down and help him truly understand the atrocities committed and attempted, and how they-- especially Aleister and Estela-- were affected by them to this day.

For young Liv, it was different. It was why even before having a long talk with her son, Grace’s first instinct was to care for her niece. To Liv, Rourke was a real and pressing threat even long gone as he was. A threat that had taken from her a grandmother, and ruthlessly tried to take both of her mothers as well. Rourke had done so much harm to Liv’s mom, and she’d grown up well aware of the fact. The poor kid had been so uncomfortable with Reggie’s flippant remarks about Immy’s nature that she withdrew from him completely, something Grace knew was unheard of.

Even after the kids were dealt with, Reggie’s words echoed around Grace’s brain. She couldn’t deny that it had crossed her mind… fears that whatever had been so deeply wrong with Rourke might carry on in some way through those who came after him. But it was a thought that she, and Aleister as well, had always brushed aside. The suggestion was absurd, and it brought out in her an even fiercer protectiveness of her children. And so, all she wanted now was to be with her little Imogen.

Immy was exactly where Grace expected to find her, crouched on the rug and putting together yet another attempt at a Rube Goldberg machine. Since receiving ‘Mouse Trap’ for her birthday a month prior, the concept had been the object of the little girl’s fascination.  Again and again, she’d put it together and take it apart again, studying how all the mechanisms worked together and making up her own combinations. Now, she’d moved on to trying to put together a series of chain reactions from her own imagination.

Her heart swelling with affection, Grace knelt down to her daughter. “How’s it going, sugar?”

Leaning back to sit on her bottom, Immy frowned. “You can’t watch it go yet, Mommy. It doesn’t work.”

“Oh?  If you want to show me later, I’d like to see what you’ve been so busy with, but if not, that’s all right too. You’ve been working so hard.”

A frustrated Immy took both arms and pulled down all the dominoes, and paper cups, and spoons, and rubber bands, and funnels, and marbles, in one fell swoop.

“Honey!”

“Why can’t I work it out?” the little girl cried. “Nothing does what I want, and I try all different things!”

Grace saw tears forming in her daughter’s dark eyes. Had Reggie said something to her jokingly? She held out her arms, and Immy took shelter there.

“Do you know what, darling? When you start feeling like that, usually it means it’s time for you to take a good break.”

“But if I don’t keep trying, I’ll never get it right! Why’m I not smart enough?”

That was frighteningly familiar. Grace wasn’t seeing Rourke-- she was seeing herself. How was Immy only five and already putting such high expectations on herself?

“Oh, baby,” she assured. “You are plenty smart enough.” She cupped Immy’s chin and looked into her eyes. “You are everything enough. You just get so focused on what you want to do that sometimes you forget that the most important thing is having fun. Sometimes, your brain can get all clogged up with all the thoughts you’ve got in there. If you take some time out, you might find the best ideas come to you then.”

Immy was quiet for a minute, mulling it over. Then she blurted out: “I’m good-person smart and not bad-person smart like Daddy’s daddy?”

It was confirmation of what Grace feared-- she’d really need to have a very serious talk with Reggie. She held Immy tighter. “You are wonderful-good-person smart, Imogen Hall. Anyone who says otherwise is just being silly and unkind.”

Immy sniffed, the tiniest flash of guilt crossing her face. “I did do a really clever chain reaction where a water balloon would fall on Reggie’s head if he opened his cupboard.”

“That is a little bit cheeky, I’ll admit.”

“But it made Erin laugh, which is why I thought it was a good-genius prank, not an evil-genius prank.”

Grace couldn’t help but laugh at the logic. She kissed her daughter’s head. “You know, pranks are only really funny if the person on the receiving end thinks so too.”

“I… think Daddy said that too before. I’ll tell Reggie I’m sorry for making him wet with chocolate milk.”

So that was where that whole bottle had got to. “How about we stick to water-based cheekiness next time as well?” She sighed. “You are such a pickle, young lady!”

And she wouldn’t change her for anything.

________________________

San Trobida, May 2036

Immy raced ahead, shaking what felt like the entire structure as she stomped. There was no fear in her-- certainly not of heights.

Poor Grace was not so fortunate. She’d faced her fears many times over by now, but she really was never going to get a head for heights. The wooden stairs that spiraled round and around the towering tree trunk into the canopy were an obstacle in themselves, and that was before she was to find herself crossing the rope bridge between the trees-- some hundred feet above the forest floor.

“You can do it, Mommy,” said seven-year-old Erin sweetly, holding out her hand from two steps above. “It’s not so bad!”

Higher up, thirteen-year-old Reggie was helping is father in trying to wrangle Immy. “You know all that shaking of the stairs isn’t making poor Mom’s jelly legs feel any better--”

“Oh,” said Immy, and she stopped abruptly. “Sorry, Mom.” She descended back down, making an effort not to stamp her feet so much. “Mom, I thought you’ve done lots of high up stuff? It’s high up when we go to Elyys’tel-- way higher than these trees.”

“I’m a bit more used to Elyys’tel, Immy,” Grace explained. “A lot of practice helps it become a little less scary. I’m sure after a few more tries I’ll be just as comfortable climbing this.”

As it happened, Elyys’tel had provided a great deal of inspiration for the canopy walk that had been erected in Parque Nacional Lago Zafira, San Trobida’s newest protected wilderness area. With the attraction still being something of a novelty, it was often busy with visitors, but by a stroke of luck the family had the place to themselves.

“See, girls,” Grace said, distracting herself by engaging her young twins, “right now we’re climbing through the understory layer-- do you know what that is?”

“I know that, Mom!” replied Erin eagerly. “It’s the bit underneath all the bushy bits of the big trees. There’s like smaller trees all spaced out.”

“And do you know what’s next?”

Immy scoffed. “Uh, yeah! We’re climbing up to a ‘canopy walk’. Gotta be the canopy up there!”

She was a little smart aleck that one, much, Grace often thought, like her older brother Reggie. It was small wonder they often butted heads.

“I bet,” Erin said, reaching for her father’s hand as she and Grace caught up, “when we get there, Daddy’s gonna be even taller than the canopy.”

“Daddy’s the emergent layer!” Immy giggled.

Aleister raised an eyebrow. “I’ll assume that’s complimentary, shall I?”

Grace couldn’t help but smile-- she was always helpless in the face of Immy’s ‘nerd humour’. They spent a lot of time out in nature together as a family, and she and Aleister always tried to throw in a bit of science education where they could. A part of her-- the insecure part that had been fed continuously through her early years-- nagged that she was simply bothering her children by trying to share her interests, but the truth was that some things were just all of theirs. The kids’ individual interests were lovingly nurtured, but as a family, they just plain enjoyed science.

“I told you, Mom!” Erin said brightly as the four of them at last reached the platforms high in the trees. “You can climb all the way up, no problems.”

“I’ve no doubt your cheering me on helped wonders, sweetheart.”

The next hurdle was the long bridge spanning the space between two of the tallest trees in the forest.

“Don’t worry, Reggie,” Erin was saying, patting his arm. “It’s just like the bridge at Elyys’tel!”

The older child grumbled, brushing her away. “I’m not--- Mom’s scared of heights, not me! I’m just thinking about Livi, that’s all. Sucks that she’s out of action… she really loves it up here.”

“I’ll take some photos for her!” Immy suggested, holding out her father’s phone over the side of the bridge and aiming it at the most sprawling view of the surrounding forest.

Immediately, Reggie hid his face in his collar. “Not with my face in it you’re bloody not!”

Erin put her arms around his middle and hugged him. “I’m sorry you’re sad,” she said. “We should all come back with Livi when she’s feeling better.”

“We will, Reggie,” Aleister said, “I promise. It might not be until we’re back from La Huerta, but I promise we’ll all come back up here together.

Reggie was still quiet, but seemed content enough to keep going across the bridge, looking out over the park and finding peace in nature. Immy remained a few steps ahead, always needing to one-up her big brother. But Erin stayed close, offering her mom a hand to hold.

“You can keep going, sweetheart,” Grace said, “Daddy’s taking good care of me, don’t you worry!”

Truth be told, seeing her precious children up so high turned her stomach far more than her being up there herself ever came close to, but she kept that smile plastered on. Her phobias were her problems, not theirs. After all, Aleister was always there to hold her hand when the nerves got too much. Slowly, slowly, they made their way to the next tree.

“Whoops,” said Immy. There was a small thud down below.

“Do my ears deceive me, or did the young lady taking photos with my new phone just say ‘whoops’?”

“Sorry, Dad, I dropped it….”

Aleister sighed, but waved his hand, dismissing her need to worry. “No matter, darling…. I didn’t get one of those tough cases for no reason. We’ll just have to let Tia Estela know to ring your mother’s phone if Liv needs us at the hospital before we-- sorry, who are we fooling?-- if we find mine.”

“We’ll find it!” Erin cried. “We can’t litter in the forest!”

Immy, of course, had an answer for everything. “Grandma will find it. There’s no one else here-- she should come out anyway!”

“Imogen,” Aleister said, “you know how important it is that we’re careful.”

“But we’re up high in the trees! No one will see her!”

Grace and Aleister exchanged a look. It was true that they were about as secluded as they could get. Secrecy, though, was important. Should Iris be discovered by a stranger, attention would be inevitable, and Aleister had worked hard to minimise any connection the world had between himself and his father-- for his sake and his family’s. Like the truth about La Huerta, who and what Iris was needed to remain secret.

“I bet Grandma would really like to see the big park you protected,” Erin said.

Aleister looked at his girls, then to Reggie, whose expression was no longer etched with sad concern but a hopeful twinkle, and he couldn’t help a reluctant smile. “I hope you know we can’t make a habit of this.” He opened the flap of his backpack, allowing the little metallic orb to fly free. “Mother, if you want to scan the area first, do you fancy joining us?”

And with that, the family outing was even better.

________________________

USA, November 2028

The little boy was handed to Aleister first, swaddled securely in a towel.

“He-he’s here, Grace,” he stammered. “Fine and healthy, and completely marvellous….”

Baby Ernest was frowning, no doubt bewildered by what to him must have been an unexpected entrance to this cold, strange world. Immediately, Aleister picked up on similarities with their dearest Reginald-- the texture of his hair, though Ernest perhaps had a little less, the steel blue eyes. Ernie’s skin was darker, and his cheeks chubbier even for being born a few weeks earlier… but he was Reggie’s brother all right.

With all the care as if the child were made of the finest glass, Aleister angled the little baby down to Grace, bringing him to her face so she could snuggle and kiss him. She wept, too overwhelmed to say even a word.

Then, the next baby was along; their little girl, Imogen. She was bigger than her brother, with a shock of dark hair, and was already shouting at the world.

Aleister chuckled through his tears. “Someone’s indignant at being plucked from her comfortable bed….” But to hear the strength that was so present in that tiny girl made him want to whoop with joy. Twins were always higher risk, but their darling babies were strong and well.

As Grace was sewn back up and monitored, the midwife helped the pair of them settle with the twins for their early skin-to-skin contact. Sitting upon the hard hospital chair by his wife’s side, Aleister soon had his tiny new daughter snuggled up on his chest.

“You just wait, little one. Wait until your Grandma finds out who you’re named after.”

Grace was beaming, and seemingly incapable of looking down at either one of her twins for more than a few seconds for the desperate need to gaze adoringly at the other. “She’s definitely an Immy, isn’t she?”

“It rather suits her. And I think you’re quite right; he’s ‘Ernest’.”

“Ernie and Immy….” Grace whispered the names again and again, and kissed Ernie’s exquisitely soft little forehead.

She was on top of the world, thoughts of people who’d let her down didn’t even reach her-- she was just there. There with her babies, with her love.

“Reggie’s going to love them so much….”

Somehow, the fears were gone. Vanished. This was right-- this was their family as it was meant to be. Aleister cradled his fragile little daughter and knew he would move mountains for her and for all of them. The wounds in his heart and Grace’s were being patched up by the simple presence of Ernest and Imogen, as they had been by Reginald before.

They were complete.

[sceptilemasterr]

Endless Winter (ES Book 2) Act 2, Scene 5 - A New Year Dawns

Title: Endless Winter

Main Pairings: Estela x Ian (M!MC), Jake x Alyssa (F!MC)

Other Pairings: Craig x Zahra, Grace x Aleister, Michelle x Quinn, Diego x Varyyn

Genre: Full Rewrite

Rating: PG-13 for swearing, violence, alcohol, and sexuality

Summary: It's New Year's Eve on La Huerta, and the Catalysts are determined to make the most of it.

Previous Scene: Any Port in a Storm

Masterlist: Link

INT. ELYSIAN LODGE RESORT - LOBBY

Several hours later, the sun is just beginning to set outside the windows of the Elysian Lodge’s expansive lobby, which has been completely transformed into an ornate party room, complete with marked-out dance floor in the center of the area. A series of tables laden with food have been set up near the walls, with a haphazard arrangement of various candles scattered around. Craig, dressed in a tight-fitting dress shirt and tie, leads Furball around the room as the little fox freeze a series of impromptu “ice coolers” around the bottles of champagne and other drinks scattered about.

CRAIG: Nice job, little guy!

FURBALL (proudly): Mrrrrrffff!

Raj emerges from the kitchen, dressed in a suit and tie with an apron over it, bringing another food-laden tray out into the lobby. Quinn follows close behind with a tray of desserts, a similar apron to Raj covering her ornate blue dress.

QUINN: Where should I put these?

RAJ: Over here is good!

He indicates a table, and she sets her tray down. Raj looks down at one of the fruit trays and frowns.

RAJ: Hey… has someone been eating all the strawberries?

CRAIG: Don’t look at me… but I think I spotted Alyssa usin’ some strawberries to practice her Time Lord stuff.

RAJ: Aww… (brightens) Ah, never mind! Good for her. If I know anything, it’s that the Time Twins are gonna be the key to getting us out of this place. Besides, there’s still a bunch more fresh strawberries in the kitchen fridge!

FURBALL (excitedly): Ffrrrruuulll!

A few of the Vaanti trickle in, all wearing haphazard mismatches of formalwear. Varyyn, dressed impeccably in a suit and tie, accompanies them.

VARYYN: Hello, Centaurus. I am told today is your people’s New Year celebration. I thank you for inviting us.

Varyyn bows deeply. Raj blushes and laughs.

RAJ: No need to be so formal, Varyyn! You invited us to your festival the other day, the least we can do is return the favor!

Michelle and Ian enter the lobby, chatting animatedly about school. Michelle is wearing a sparkling golden dress, while Ian is dressed in a black tuxedo with matching bowtie.

MICHELLE: --so I think you’d only need one more bio elective if you already finished Genetics and Ecology. And the MCAT, of course, but I’m pretty sure you can take that anytime…

Michelle’s voice trails off as she sees the newly redecorated lobby. Behind her, Sean and Grace walk in, chatting excitedly to one another.

MICHELLE: Wow! Look at this place; Raj, you did all this?

Raj turns and grins broadly at her.

RAJ: Yep! With plenty of help, of course. Quinn here was--

He stops abruptly when he turns and sees Quinn is no longer in the lobby. He frowns, puzzled.

RAJ: …Uh, Quinn was right here a minute ago. Huh.

IAN: This place looks amazing! Perfect for a Raj party!

RAJ: Haha, thanks!

ALYSSA (O.S.): Alright, let’s get this thing started!

Alyssa strides confidently into the lobby, wearing a long white dress with a plunging neckline. Michelle looks her up and down approvingly.

MICHELLE: Wow. Looking good, Alyssa!

ALYSSA: Thanks, Michelle! You too!

Alyssa frowns as she looks around the room, evidently searching for something.

RAJ: Hey, Alyssa, everything okay?

ALYSSA: Yeah, I’m fine, just.. y’seen Top Gun anywhere?

It takes Raj a moment to realize who she is referring to.

RAJ: Oh, you mean Jake? Actually, I haven’t seen him since--

A sudden commotion from the top of the lobby stairs draws Raj’s (and everyone else’s) attention. Emerging from the second-floor hallway, Jake, Estela, Quinn, Diego, Aleister, and Zahra stand on the landing, all fully done-up and impeccably dressed. Alyssa, Ian, Michelle, Varyyn, Grace, and Craig all stare open-mouthed at the sight of their respective significant others, completely lost for words. Estela frowns.

ESTELA: What? What are you all looking at?

RAJ: Hey, there you all are! Come and join the party!

All of them descend the staircase, though Estela is blushing heavily as she does so. She doesn’t look entirely comfortable in her formal dress. When she reaches the bottom of the stairs, she beelines immediately for Ian.

IAN (stunned): I… uh. You. Wow.

ESTELA (shyly): I… I know Raj wanted us to dress up for New Year’s, but I never… really went to big parties or anything. Is this right?

Ian smiles warmly at her as he takes her hand in his.

IAN: More than right. Wow. Uh... I actually can’t even think of any other words right now.

In spite of herself, Estela giggles.

ESTELA: You… uh, you’re looking pretty good yourself.

Ian blushes heavily. Near the back of the room, Raj plugs his phone into the stereo system, but nothing happens. He frowns.

RAJ (frustrated): Damn, and here I thought this would work…

Craig and Zahra approach him.

CRAIG: Man, can’t believe it’s been a whole year already.

ZAHRA (frowning): …It hasn’t. We skipped six months, remember?

CRAIG: Oh. Right. Duh. I knew that!

ZAHRA: Raj, y’need some help?

RAJ: Yeah, I’m tryin’ to get the music working, but…

Zahra takes his phone in her hands and fiddles with it for a few moments. Before long, party music starts playing through the whole resort.

RAJ: Awesome! Thanks, my dudes!

CRAIG: Anytime!

ZAHRA: Craig, you didn’t do anything.

CRAIG: What? Naw, I… uh…

Any retort he may have had is cut short when he looks back at her in her formal dress. Craig can only stare open-mouthed.

ZAHRA: Huh. Guess there may be perks to dressin’ up like this after all…

Zahra playfully reaches out a finger and closes Craig’s mouth for him. Near one of the tables, Jake pours himself a glass of whiskey and raises it into the air.

JAKE: So! Who’s up for a toast?

ALYSSA: Personally, I can’t believe I’m still sober. Drink, please!

ESTELA: What are we having?

Jake grins and glances toward Ian.

JAKE: Why don’t we let Hero Boy pick?

IAN (surprised): I… what?!

ALYSSA (smirks): You heard him, “Hero Boy.”

Ian looks nervously at the assortment of drinks laid out on the table, feeling put on the spot.

IAN: I, uh…

Alyssa nudges him, glancing meaningfully toward the glass of whiskey in Jake’s hand.

IAN: Alright, how about this one?

He grabs a similar glass to Jake and pours himself some whiskey as well, then pours two more glasses for Alyssa and Estela. Estela takes a sniff of her glass and frowns.

ESTELA: What is this? It smells like sawdust.

JAKE: Trust me, there’s an art to whiskey. Now, the key to appreciating it is--

ESTELA: Getting it over with. Cheers.

She clinks her glass against Ian’s and throws back the whiskey. She winces.

ESTELA: It burns.

IAN: That bad, huh? Sorry, I--

ESTELA: Pour me another.

JAKE: Looks like Dragon Rage’s a fan, y’all.

Ian pours Estela another shot of whiskey as the four of them clink glasses and toast to the new year. In another area of the party, Varyyn and a few of his Vaanti warriors sip their own drinks as they chat with Diego, Lila, Raj, and Quinn.

VARYYN: It is interesting that your people count your years. You say this year is…?

DIEGO: Well, in a few more hours, it’s about to be 2018.

RAJ: Y’know what Varyyn here needs? One of those party sunglasses with the year on ‘em. Then he’ll never forget!

He, Quinn, Lila, and Diego burst into laughter. Diego claps Varyyn’s shoulder and pulls him into a hug.

DIEGO: Varyyn, I know you probably don’t get it right now, but we will take a picture next year while wearing those, okay?

VARYYN (warmly): I trust your judgement, my light.

Diego and Varyyn snuggle into one another as Quinn glances wistfully across the room. The camera follows her gaze to where Michelle stands chatting idly with a few of the others…

Some time later, the sun has set and most of the Catalysts are noticeably tipsier than they were previously. Several of the Vaanti warriors excitedly clink glasses of whiskey together with a triumphant cheer, then all down their drinks in one shot as Zahra looks on approvingly after downing her own glass.

ZAHRA: Doin’ great, guys! Now this is a New Year’s party!

Behind her, Aleister takes a seat at the grand piano as Michelle stands beside him. The others all crowd around. Aleister begins to play Auld Lang Syne.

MICHELLE (singing): Should auld acquaintance be forgot, and never come to mind…

Aleister accompanies her, infusing each note with a delicate, classical touch. A few people sniff back tears, including Quinn and Grace.

MICHELLE (singing): For auld lang syne, my dear, for auld lang syne…

Alyssa looks pensively up toward the ceiling while Jake wraps an arm around her. Estela and Ian look deep into one another’s eyes. Raj sniffs back a tear. As Michelle begins the final part of the song, Quinn stands up and joins her:

MICHELLE AND QUINN (singing): We’ll take a cup of kindness yet, For auld lang syne!

Everyone bursts into applause. Aleister stands and takes a formal bow. Quinn and Michelle look at one another; Michelle is the first to blush and look away. Jake walks up and claps Aleister on the back.

JAKE: Nice job, Schroeder. Didn’t think you had it in you.

ALEISTER: Ah. You are most welcome. I did enjoy that quite--

RAJ: Whoa! Everyone, hold up! I almost forgot; we still gotta sing “Happy Birthday!”

Everyone looks back at Raj. He grins broadly and gestures to the crowd.

RAJ: Dunno if I mentioned it to everyone yet, but with the skip forward in time, we missed a bunch of birthdays! Including Aleister, and the Time Twins here! …Not to mention myself, of course!

He steps between Alyssa and Ian, pulling them both into a group hug.

RAJ: Anybody else we missed? Who’s had a birthday between… uh…

GRACE: June 6th and December 26th!

Aleister, Michelle, Craig, Quinn, Estela, Zahra, Raj himself, and the Czasa twins all raise their hands.

RAJ: Alright, cool! Aleister, if you don’t mind?

He gestures to the piano. Aleister nods and takes his seat once again at the keys.

DIEGO: Are we even allowed to sing it? I heard it was copyrighted--

CRAIG: Who’s gonna stop us, bro? Unless… (completely seriously) Dude, does Rourke own the rights to Happy Birthday? That’d be his most evil plan yet!

Zahra shakes her head and sighs. Aleister begins to play, and everyone else starts singing along, with the Vaanti catching on after the first few bars…

EVERYONE (singing): Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you! Happy birthday dear…

A variety of names are all shouted out at once. Ian makes a point to sing Estela’s name rather than his own, and she likewise sings his name in return. They both smile warmly at one another.

RAJ (excitedly): Dudes, that was flawless! Best birthday song ever!

CRAIG: Ha! Take that, Rourke!

Everyone applauds and hugs one another after the song. Lila stands off to one side, glancing around at the others with a strange expression on her face. She glances around furtively for a moment, then quietly slips upstairs as the others continue celebrating.

SEAN (shouting): Hey! Don’t forget, it’s only a few minutes ‘til midnight!

Everyone startles at this pronouncement, glancing at various clocks… which all show completely different times. Sean shrugs.

SEAN: Well… as close as I can tell, anyway. Who knows on this island?

ALYSSA (laughing): Fair enough. Alright, let’s do this!

RAJ: Craig, you ready for our master surprise?

CRAIG: You know it!

Craig and Raj lead the others up onto the roof of the Elysian Lodge. A large crate full of red flares has been set against one edge of the roof; Craig rushes toward it excitedly with a lighter in his hand.

MICHELLE (worriedly): Uh… guys?

JAKE: Are those flares?

Craig stops and turns around, grinning broadly.

CRAIG: Yup! One of those commando dudes dropped ‘em! Me and Raj thought--

JAKE (fiercely): Don’t you dare light those--

RAJ: Aww, c’mon, don’t ruin our fun! I’d have thought you’d be all about this! What’s the harm in--

Estela crosses her arms and steps closer to Raj, glaring angrily.

ESTELA: So, right now, we’re hiding from a death squad of highly trained, well-armed mercenaries… and your plan is to shoot off a bunch of flares directly over our location.

She holds her death glare on the two of them. There is an awkward silence before Craig and Raj finally glance at each other, both clearly embarrassed.

CRAIG: Okay, when you put it like that…

RAJ: Sorry guys. No fireworks this year.

Raj looks down dejectedly and starts heading toward the stairs, when suddenly:

GRACE: Wait! Look!

Everyone follows her gaze off toward a distant mountain range, where the sky is lighting up in beautiful, otherworldly colors. Jake and Alyssa exchange a shocked glance: the colors are identical to those they had seen during their first day on La Huerta, back at the airstrip.

SEAN: What is that?!

VARYYN: Ah, the Lights of Vaanu. Among our people, they are believed to be a sign of good fortune to come.

JAKE: Dunno about y’all, but I’d say we could definitely use some good fortune right about now.

Raj shrugs.

RAJ: Well, it’s not fireworks, but it’s close enough for me! Fifteen seconds ‘til midnight!

Everyone starts looking around at one another, most of them pairing off: Alyssa with Jake, Aleister with Grace, Craig with Zahra, Diego with Varyyn, and two of the Vaanti with one another. Quinn looks as though she is about to approach Michelle, but shies away at the last minute. Ian nods toward Estela, who approaches him. Ian starts to turn away, when Alyssa not-so-subtly kicks him with her heel, pushing him back toward Estela.

IAN (annoyed): ‘Lyss!

He bumps into Estela, who awkwardly catches him in her arms.

ESTELA: Oh! …Hey.

IAN (awkwardly): …Hey.

Everyone else starts counting down from ten. Ian scratches the back of his neck and glances away from Estela. Alyssa shoots him an “are you kidding me?” glance, while Diego raises his eyebrows so far that they nearly vanish into his hairline. Ian sighs and nods in acknowledgement, then takes a deep breath.

EVERYONE: Five… four… three…

Estela steps close, the brilliant otherworldly lights reflecting in her deep brown eyes as she and Ian gaze at one another.

ESTELA: I…

EVERYONE: Two… one… HAPPY NEW YEAR!

The other couples all pull one another into New Year’s kisses as those who are single celebrate in their own ways. Ian starts to hesitate, then relents and pulls Estela into a deep kiss. When they part, Estela smiles up at him.

ESTELA (laughs): I almost thought I would have to do everything myself. Again.

IAN (laughs): Guess I just thought… I was worried you might not want--

He is interrupted by Estela pulling him back in for another kiss. Elsewhere, near the rooftop jacuzzi, Diego and Varyyn sit side-by-side, just breaking apart from their own midnight kiss.

VARYYN: This tradition of yours. Kissing at midnight.

DIEGO (awkwardly): Well, it’s not exactly my tradition--

VARYYN (warmly): I enjoy it quite a lot. Does it apply only to midnight?

DIEGO: Well, uh, if you’re asking if we can kiss again… I won’t say no.

VARYYN (ecstatic): Wonderful! Then, may I…?

Diego nods, and he and Varyyn kiss once more. In the background, Raj can be seen nodding at the two of them, and Craig groans and hands over some cash. Elsewhere, Jake and Alyssa stand hand-in-hand, gazing off at the multicolored lights.

JAKE: Looks familiar, huh?

ALYSSA: How could I forget? That was kind of a big day for me. Y’know.

JAKE: Why, ‘cuz you met me?

ALYSSA (teasingly): Don’t get too excited, Top Gun. A lot more happened than just that.

JAKE: Alright, answer this: were you really looking at those lights the whole time?

ALYSSA: I--

She laughs and rolls her eyes in tacit admission that her attention had indeed been elsewhere at the time. Jake wraps his arms around her and pulls her in close.

ALYSSA: What do you say we take this somewhere else?

JAKE: What were you thinkin’, Princess?

ALYSSA: Somewhere with a bed, if you know what I mean…?

JAKE: I am never gonna say no to that. Lead on.

Alyssa takes him by the hand and leads him back downstairs. As the night continues on, several other couples do the same. Diego and Varyyn are on their way toward the stairs when Diego stops for a moment near where Ian and Estela are sitting.

DIEGO: Go ahead, Varyyn, I’ll catch up. I’ve just gotta check on something first.

Varyyn nods and continues down the stairs. Diego approaches Ian and Estela, resting a hand on the former’s shoulder.

IAN: What’s up?

DIEGO: Can I talk to you for a sec?

IAN: Uh… sure?

Ian gives Estela an apologetic look, and she nods in response. Diego leads him over to a secluded area of the rooftop and lowers his voice.

DIEGO: You know the night’s not over yet, right?

IAN (genuinely confused): What?

DIEGO: Ian! Seriously! Surely you noticed the other couples heading off, right? Me included?

IAN: Yes… and?

Diego seems to be fighting the urge to facepalm.

DIEGO: You. Estela. Do I need to say anything more?

IAN (nervously): Okay, I get what you’re saying, but… where would we even go? It’s not like the lobby is exactly private, and--

DIEGO: This is a hotel, Ian! Are you kidding right now? All the bedrooms you could possibly want! Just go find one!

IAN (laughs): Alright, alright. I’ll ask her. You know, she might say ‘no’--

DIEGO: With how she’s been looking at you all this time? If she says ‘no,’ I’ll literally eat my shoe. Not even kidding. (sighs) Just ask her, would you?

IAN: Will do, Diego. And thanks for the push.

DIEGO (shrugs): What can I say? It’s kinda my job.

He nods at Ian, then turns to rejoin Varyyn and head back downstairs. Ian steels himself, then heads back toward Estela.

ESTELA: What was that all about?

IAN (awkwardly): Diego. He, uh, not-so-subtly hinted that… we should… y’know, ‘find a bedroom.’

ESTELA (coyly): Oh? And what did you think about that?

Ian scratches the back of his neck awkwardly.

IAN: Well, uh… if you said ‘no,’ I’d definitely understand--

ESTELA (genuinely confused): …Why would I say ‘no?’

IAN: Dunno, guess I just thought--

She holds a finger up to his lips and smiles.

ESTELA: You think too much.

With a wink, she takes him by the hand and leads him downstairs…

_______________________

Note: If anyone was wondering, Ian was born at 11:59 PM December 31st, 1995, and Alyssa was born at 12:01 AM January 1st, 1996.

Next: The Fourteenth Vaalta (Coming soon!)

CIU Tag List: @brightpinkpeppercorn @endlesshero1122 @bbaba-yagaa @acidsugar0 @shaylan211 @griselda1121 @acanthisorbis @marmolady @choicesbabie @mauvecatfic

Endless Summer Tag List: @mysteli @edgydepressedchoicesthot @endlessly-searching-for-you @lovelywrites

[blightarts]

PROLOGUE

Next Chapter: Coming Soon

Disclaimer: All Endless Summer and Choices rights belong to Pixelberry. Also, jokes here are not meant to offend anyone. 

MC x LI Pairings: Quinn x M!MC, Jake x F!MC

Word Count: 4799

Tags: @princessstellaris​, @mechaspirit​, @xo-endlessmayhem-xo​, @skyila​, @choicesyouplayandmore​, @i-miss-trr​, @mysteli​, @brightpinkpeppercorn​, @aquamarvel​, @marmolady​, @sceptilemasterr​, @endlessly-searching-for-you​, @ohmyeightpastlives​, @choiceslife​

Blue eyes open to a new day. A young man in his early 20′s wakes up on his bed, with ruffled black hair and drool near his lips. One thing keeps repeating in his mind as he blankly stares at the ceiling.

“Everything in its own time.”

The man sighs and sits up straight.

Casey: That’s the only thing I believe in… for about a week. But as of now, there is little progress in restoring my friends’ memories and helping them back up to who they used to be during our adventures in that isla—

Suddenly, there was a loud bang on his door which scared him. The door opens and in comes a young blonde woman, also in her early 20′s and with blue eyes. It’s Casey’s older twin sister, Emily Summers.

Emily: Hey, Casey! Breakfast is ready! We got a big day today!

She grabs the collar of his shirt and drags him out of bed, towards the dining room.

Casey: Forget what I said. My overly-ecstatic sister is always dragging me, literally and figuratively, back to optimism. But who can blame her? She wants to be with everyone again, especially Jake.

Emily: Stop talking like Deadpool.

Casey: What? The writer likes jokes that break the 4th Wall.

(Note: You guys will read a bunch of jokes that break the 4th Wall. 😆)

The young woman rolls her eyes and chuckles as she puts her little brother on his chair, next to their roommate, Zahra Namazi, who chuckles at their antics.

Zahra: You two should audition for a sitcom, cuz your everyday shenanigans is making even me laugh.

Casey: Thanks for the compliment? I guess?

Emily just sips her coffee and stares blankly, internally giggling. Casey notices the red tint in his sister’s eyes, realizing that she cried herself to sleep, thinking about Jake, then he sighs. Soon, after the three finish breakfast, the twins go to prepare for the first day of the Hartfeld Science and Technology Week. As they get dressed, they head for the door, but not before turning to Zahra.

Emily: Zahra, you not coming?

Zahra: Why would I go to a stupid event with stupid people attending?

Emily looks at her, unamused. She turns to Casey for help who gives his sister an “I got this” look.

Casey: You know… there could be some tech in there you could hack into and use it to mess with those stupid people.

Zahra looks at Casey with a raised eyebrow.

Zahra: You present a very compelling argument, Summers. Alright, I’ll go, but I will be sitting at a discreet location so people won’t easily know it was me messing their stuff.

Casey: Great!

Emily gives Casey a double thumbs up before the three leave their dorm. They arrive at the central campus, where the event is being held. The twins see some of their friends at different places, all except one. Emily sighs as Casey pats her shoulder.

Casey: Don’t worry. Wherever he is right now, he and Mike are alright.

Emily nods and gives her brother a weak smile.

Emily: You’re right…

She shakes her head and turns to a nearby smoothie stand.

Emily: Gimme a sec.

Emily runs to the stand to order a smoothie, trying to hide her obvious pain. Casey sighs at this and just stands there, waiting for his sister to come back while looking for their best friend, Diego Soto. Soon after, Emily returns and spots Diego already with Casey.  She grins.

Emily: Heyyo, Diego!

Diego: Heyyo, Emily….yo…

Casey: Close enough.

The three share laughs before being interrupted by a tapping sound from the stage’s microphone. The school dean is onstage, ready to give the opening speech for the event.

Dean: Greetings, students. Welcome to the first day of the Hartfeld Science and Technology Week.

As the dean is greeting the students and giving his speech, the twins start to feel a slight pain in their heads. Diego notices this and whispers to them.

Diego: You guys okay?

Casey: Yeah, it’s just… we haven’t felt this kind of headache since…

Diego: Since…?

Emily: …La Huerta…

Diego: “La Hoopla”?

The pain continues to hurt the twins as they look around, searching for the source. It wasn’t a success but they do spot their friends. Casey’s beloved, Quinn Kelly, is by the fountain, having a heated conversation on the phone, possibly with one of her parents. Estela Montoya is backstage, talking to someone the twins cannot see from their point of view. Sean Gayle is with Michelle Nguyen, arguing about something, while Craig Hsiao is in between them, trying to stop the fight. Raj Bhandarkar is at his food stand, selling snacks to fellow students. Zahra is on a bench, trying to hack into some of the tech present in the event. Grace Hall is at the back of the audience, twiddling her fingers and paranoid ever since her arrest. And Aleister Rourke is also at the back of the audience, arms crossed and annoyed at everything around him.

Casey: Everyone… is… here…

Emily: Almost…

The twins then feel their hearts suddenly sink, as if they’re sensing something ominous coming. Even with this pain, they can still hear the dean’s last lines for his speech.

Dean: And now, may I introduce to you, our sponsor for this event, our great Emperor. His Eminence, Mister Everett Rourke!

Most of the audience clap with joy. Some just clap normally or don’t clap at all. And very few glare at the man, including Casey, Emily and Aleister.

Emily: Great, as if we couldn’t get any more headaches…

Casey: Sshh…He’s looking right at us…

Everett spots the twins and gives them an evil smirk before starting his opening speech for the event.

Everett: Hello, students of Hartfeld University. You know? Knowledge is power, but only a few can wield this power, and even more so, only very few could utilize this power to its highest potential. With this power, you could become Gods… like who I am right now…

During the speech, Everett is being broadcasted by a news crew, showing the footage live around the world. Somewhere in Costa Rica, two familiar grown men, laying on their hammocks and sharing bottles of beer, watch the broadcast.

Jake: This news is boring. Change it.

Mike: Nah, too lazy too.

Jake: Jackass.

Mike: Nitwit.

As Everett continues his speech, the pain the twins are experiencing gets more intense as they start to hear a screeching sound. Emily drops her smoothie because of this as it spills all over the ground. Diego, confused with what to do, tries to ask for help but before he could do so, a loud bang is heard from afar. A sonic wave travels from the source of the bang and reaches the Hartfeld central campus, knocking down everyone and interrupting Everett’s speech. Quinn drops her phone on the fountain. Sean falls on Michelle. Estela falls along with the person she was talking to, revealed to be her mother, Olivia Montoya. Raj’s food stand falls apart and his snacks drop to the ground. Zahra drops her laptop and it gets broken. The rest of the gang falls over normally.

Michelle: Get off!

Sean: Wha… What was that?!

Craig: Well, whatever it is, it sure knows how to literally drop the bass.

Estela: Mom! You okay?

Quinn: My phone!

Raj: My snacks!

Zahra: My laptop!

Random Student: My leg!

The news-broadcasting camera falls on the ground. Jake and Mike notices this while watching their TV.

Mike: Woah. What do you think is going on out there?

Jake: I don’t know. But I’m having an unusual sensation right now… it’s like… this is all familiar to me…

Mike soon notices Jake glowing.

Mike: Jake!

Jake: Wha—

Jake takes notices of his situation and sees Mike glowing as well.

Jake: What the fuck is happening?!

Mike: This ain’t like any hangover I’ve experienced befo—

The two are then transported to the Hartfeld central campus, next to Casey, Emily and Diego, who immediately notices them.

Emily: J… Jake?!

Diego: Woah! Those are the wanted fugitives, Jake McKenzie and Mike Darwin!

Casey: What are they doing here…?

Jake quickly sees the American flag near the campus, realizing that he and Mike are in USA, a place they shouldn't be in.

Jake: Fuck, we shouldn't be here.

Mike: How did we even get here in the first place?

Jake: I dunno, kid. But we gotta get outta here fast.

Mike: We're not Sonic the Hedgehog!

Jake quickly keeps Mike quiet and they try to sneak away from the public. No one seems to notice this as Diego is more occupied looking after Casey and Emily while everyone else tries to get back up on their feet. But suddenly, a large crack in the sky appears, catching everyone’s attention.

Sean: Great, now what’s that?!

Aleister: That’s…

Aleister sort of realizes what is going on and goes onstage to confront his father. But before he could do so, the crack becomes larger and a large spirit entity comes out of it. It is Vaanu, or at least, what remains of it. Its presence releases a second sonic wave, which blasted Aleister away from Everett. Vaanu reaches and grabs Rourke in anger.

Vaanu: Everett Rourke! Do you not care for the consequences that come with your unforgivable sin?! You are not a god. You have tampered with the decision that decides the fate of this world. And now this world is falling apart because of you.

The masses panic and run away, pushing each other and only caring for their own safety. Casey stands up, despite his pain. He runs around, looking for Quinn.

Diego: Casey! Where are you going?!

Emily: He’s going for her…

Diego: “Her”?

Emily: Quinn Kelly…

Emily stands up and asks Diego for help.

Emily: Diego…

Diego: Yes?

Emily: I want you… to help me… reach him…

Emily points to Jake, also running away with Mike from danger, which shocks Diego.

Diego: You want me to help you get close to a wanted man?!

Emily: He’s… an innocent… and kind… man…

Diego looks into Emily’s eyes, as if she’s telepathically saying “Please” to him, and eventually, nods.

Diego: Alright, I trust you in this.

Diego helps Emily up and guides her to Jake and Mike. Meanwhile, Sean, along with Craig, tries to calm the panicking masses.

Sean: Everyone, please. Stay calm. Don’t push each other. In a single file line, please!

Craig: Listen to the man! Come on.

Michelle takes a more aggressive approach as she smacks people with her purse.

Michelle: Hey! The guys said no pushing, you idiots! In a single file line, now!

Some people nod and follow her orders, scared of her more than Vaanu’s presence.

Sean: Uhh… thanks?

Michelle: This doesn’t make us even. Now get your ass to safety while helping everyone.

Sean nods and continues helping people while Craig follows him. Michelle went a different direction to help other people. Meanwhile, Raj runs away, holding his snacks in his arms, but clumsily dropping some of them.

Raj: This is totally not the mushrooms I had this morning! This is all too real, dude!!

Grace runs along with him, scared for her life.

Grace: I don’t wanna die… I don’t wanna die… I don’t wanna die…

On the other hand, Zahra, all alone and away from the majority of the people, runs to away from Vaanu and everyone.

Zahra: These punks can take care of themselves. I don’t give one single fu—

Suddenly, she spots a disabled student, struggling to get up with her crutches. Zahra groans in anger and runs towards the student.

Zahra: Damn you, whoever’s deciding my destiny!

She gives the disabled student a piggyback ride as she runs away from the danger.

Zahra: I blame you for not being near those goody-two-shoes football players, so they could help you instead.

Student: Umm… thanks?

Back near the stage, Aleister gets up after being blown back by Vaanu. He spots his father being grabbed by the entity and grits his teeth. He turns to see Estela and Olivia being helped by I.R.I.S. and Lila.

Aleister: Sister, everyone!

The four women spot Aleister.

Estela: Aleister? What are you doing here?

Aleister: Confronting our father about what he did.

Olivia: What he did?

Aleister: He must have done something. Knowing him and his ego, it must be meddling with time, space or reality itself.

Lila: Nonsense! His Eminence would never do that!

I.R.I.S. places a hand on her son’s shoulder.

I.R.I.S.: Aleister, come on. Let us get to safety.

Aleister nods and points to the running crowd.

Aleister: Let’s go with them.

The women nod and follow Aleister to the crowd. Meanwhile, Casey eventually finds Quinn. She is struggling to run away with lots of people running faster around her. Her breathing is slow and she is getting slower. Suddenly, a random student accidentally bumps into her and she falls to the ground.

Casey: Quinn!

Casey tries to help her but his headache gets worse, causing him to scream in pain and fall over, next to her. Even with this severe pain, he crawls towards his beloved, muttering her name. Quinn looks up, spotting Casey reaching to help her. She recognizes him during their first encounter after Casey and Emily wakes to Rourke’s world.

Quinn: You… I remember you…

Casey caresses Quinn’s cheeks with tears in his eyes. He gives her a hopeful smile.

Casey: Quinn, it’s okay. It’s gonna be okay. I’m here…

Quinn smiles back before falling unconscious. Casey holds Quinn’s hand before also falling unconscious. On the other hand, Emily and Diego reach Jake and Mike.

Emily: Wait!

Jake and Mike turn to Emily. Jake makes heavy eye contact with her, slowly familiarizing her. He stops in his tracks. Mike stops as well, right in front of him.

Mike: Jake, what’s wrong?

Jake: This lady… I feel like I’ve seen her before.

Emily collapses from Diego’s arms. 

Diego: Em!

Emily: I’m fine… Get to safety…

Diego: Not without you!

Jake and Mike rush to Emily’s aid.

Jake: Here, let me carry her for you.

Mike: Get to safety, buddy.

Diego pushes Jake and Mike away.

Diego: Why would I listen to criminals like you?!

There was a long silence between the three.

Diego: I don’t know why Emily has a fixation on you, but I’m not giving her to dangerous men like you!

Mike: Listen, we don’t have ti—

Jake stops Mike and steps forward.

Jake: Listen. We maybe criminals in the eyes of the public, but right now, your friend is in need and I don’t think you can carry her on your own and away from that thing. So, let me help, Short Stuff.

Diego glares at Jake’s eyes and exhales deeply.

Diego: Fine. But I’m only letting you save her. I’m not letting you near my best friend again after this.

Mike: That’s fine by us.

Jake carries Emily in his arms and runs away, with Diego and Mike right behind him. Emily, struggling not to fall unconscious, reaches to caress Jake’s cheek and smiles.

Emily: Nice to see you again… Top Gun…

Emily falls unconscious while Jake feels both relief and confusion after hearing what Emily said. As everyone runs further from Vaanu, it opens its other hand and shows Rourke what it has. Everett’s eyes widen to see the Crystal Heart of Vaanu on its palm.

Everett: It can’t be!

Vaanu: This time, you will not get in the way of this world’s destiny. 

Vaanu crushes the Crystal Heart and shatters it into three shards. It then opens three portals to three different timelines, before hurling each shard to each timeline. Rourke protests.

Everett: What did you do?!

Vaanu: I have sent my Heart’s shards into different timelines in order to keep this world intact long enough for the Catalysts to restore it into the way it’s supposed to be.

Everett: You insolent...!

Rourke grits his teeth in anger and activates something on his watch. Soon, the Omega Mech appears. Vaanu, prepared for the machine’s arrival, drops Rourke on the ground and grabs the robot, crushing it. This surprises Rourke, who starts to back away in fear. But before he could run away, Vaanu hurls the Omega Mech behind him and fires a celestial beam to it, causing an explosion. Broken shrapnel pierces Rourke’s back, heavily but not fatally wounding him. The explosion then blows him towards a pole and his body collides with it, knocking him unconscious. Vaanu looks onto the running crowd, spotting Casey, Emily and the rest of the Catalysts.

Vaanu: Everything else falls into your hands now… Catalysts…

Vaanu raises its arm and snaps its fingers. It then fades away as the crack in the sky and the portals disappear. The panicked masses notice this and have stopped running.

College Professor: Is… is it gone…?

Dean: I think it is…

Student: We… we’re safe now, right…?

Aleister’s group, noticing the disappearance of Vaanu, run back to look for Rourke and they eventually spot him on the ground, wounded and unconscious.

Olivia: Everett!

Lila: Your Eminence!

Aleister: Father!

Estela: No!

I.R.I.S.: Scanning vitals.

The group crouch around him.

Olivia: I.R.I.S., status!

I.R.I.S.: Vitals are stable but he’s still bleeding. We need to give him quick medical attention.

Lila: Alright, let me carry him to the—

Estela: Mom…?

The group turns to Estela, who is glowing and slowly fading away.

Estela: I don’t feel so good…

Olivia: What the... No, no, no…!

Olivia holds Estela close, as the latter clutches her mother, not wanting to let go.

Estela: I don’t wanna go, Mom… I don’t wanna go…

Olivia turns to the group for help.

Olivia: What is happening to my daughter?!

I.R.I.S.: It is as if she is being transported a different place… or a different time…

Lila: Like… she is being sent to either the past or the future.

Aleister: That is the case...

Olivia: Then help her!

I.R.I.S.: I am truly sorry, Olivia… but there’s nothing we can do here…

Olivia turns to Estela with tears in their eyes.

Olivia: It’s going to be alright, Dear. Look at me.

Estela nods, speechless as she completely fades away. Meanwhile, the people look to the sky, questioning if whatever just showed up is truly gone.

Sean: Where did it go…? What did it want…?

Craig: Uhh… Sean…?

Sean turns to Craig, who fades away like Estela. Sean is left speechless and sees himself fading away as well. His face shows both confusion and fear before he is completely gone.

Michelle: Sean! No!

Michelle tries to reach for the fading Sean but she fades away as well. Raj and Grace watch in horror but then soon realize that they are fading away too.

Grace: No, no, no—

Raj: This has to be some sort of tri—

The two are then silenced by their disappearances. Meanwhile, Zahra sees her hand fading then her entire self. She sighs and shakes her head in annoyance.

Zahra: Motherfu—

On the other hand, Casey and Quinn remain unconscious to each other. No words. Just Quinn fading away, leaving Casey alone. Meanwhile, Emily is laid on the bench with Diego comforting her. Jake and Mike discuss what just happened.

Mike: What do you think is going on here?

Jake: I don’t really know but I don’t wanna stick around to find out. We gotta find a way back to Costa Rica someho—

Diego: Woah!

Jake and Mike turn to Diego who starts to fade away. 

Diego: This is crazy! Like Infinity War cra—

Jake goes to help Diego but the latter disappears completely.

Jake: He's... gone...

Mike: Jake…?

Jake turns to Mike, who is looking at his own fading hand. They look at each other before Mike fades away entirely. Jake, in silence, also notices himself fading away. He turns to Emily, still unconscious, and crouches near her.

Jake: I don’t know who you are yet… but I promise… I will find you…

Jake smiles and pats Emily’s forehead gently before disappearing. After Mike and most of the Catalysts disappeared, a portal opens above Casey and Emily’s unconscious bodies and Vaanu’s hands carefully scoop them up and pull them in the other side of the portal. The people in the central campus of Hartfeld are left bewildered and traumatized by what they have just witnessed.

“Everything in its own time.” 

Two pairs of blue eyes open upon hearing these words. Casey and Emily wake up, no longer in pain. They look around and see nothing but a white void.

Casey: Whe… where are we?

Emily: I don’t know. I don’t even remember how we got here.

Casey: Last thing I remembered is seeing Quinn.

Emily: Mine was Jake.

The twins stand up and walk a few meters in the white void until it starts to take form into a familiar purplish dimension, with prismatic crystals laying around and a purple moon in the sky.

Casey: Looks like the dimension where we met Vaanu.

Emily: And before we made the choice of fucking up everyone’s lives.

The twins sigh, realizing their mistake of siding with Rourke and thinking that they might make their friends’ lives better.

Vaanu: That is not entirely true.

Vaanu appears in front of Casey and Emily.

Vaanu: You did choose to side with Rourke, but that is not the whole story.

Emily: What do you mean?

Vaanu: That truth is not mine to tell.

Casey: Well, what is the kind of truth that Em and I should know right now?

Vaanu taps the twins’ foreheads and shows them a vision of what it did to Rourke and the Crystal Heart.

Vaanu: Rourke did something that goes against what we all agreed upon. He messed with things that he should not have control over. And thus, with my remaining strength, I had to punish him and scatter my Crystal Heart into different timelines in order to keep this world from self-destruction. However, time is limited. I am tasking the two of you and your friends to collect the shards and make it whole again.

Casey: After that, we’re going to decide again, like last time?

Emily: Well, this time, we’re gonna choose the one where everyone is happy, except Rourke.

Vaanu: That is not entirely the case.

Emily: Huh?

Vaanu: When you chose to side with Rourke and had the Omega Mech utilized my power, stored within the Crystal Heart and you two, the both of you became completely human.

Casey: Like, Emily and I are no longer a part of you?

Vaanu nods in agreement. Casey and Emily look at each other for a moment, realizing that if they did manage to repair the Heart of Vaanu and restore things to how they are supposed to be, they can stay and be with the people they care about the most.

Vaanu: I suppose you two already know what I am implying.

Casey: Yeah. The three shards of your Crystal Heart each have a third of your full power.

Emily: And if we managed to put them back together, then you can be whole again, the world is saved and the two of us can stay here, with our friends and family.

Vaanu: Exactly. An ending befitting everyone’s needs.

Emily glares and points upwards.

Emily: Calling you out, Pixelberry!

Casey chuckles at what Emily is doing.

(Jk, love you, PB. Keep doing great on your books. 😆)

Vaanu then opens three portals, each leading to a timeline where it sent its Crystal Heart shards.

Vaanu: Behind these gateways are the timelines where I sent the shards. I have also separated your friends and sent them here to help you two in your quest.

Casey: Alright, simple enough.

Vaanu: However, once you enter either one of these gateways, you will be sent to a time one month after I have already sent the shard and your friends.

Emily: So, our friends get there on Day 1 and the two of us get there after a month?

Vaanu: The two of you are quite adaptable compared to your friends. Besides, it will be easier for you to find them once they have gotten familiar with the world they are currently living.

Casey: Makes sense.

Emily: Can you at least tell us which of our friends are in which timeline?

Vaanu: That is for me to know and for you two to find out on your own.

Emily: ….Cool!

Emily puffs her cheeks and cross her arms. Casey pats her back and gives her a motivational smile. Vaanu then guides the twins to each of the portals, giving them a background on the timelines they lead to.

Vaanu: This gateway leads to the Arcane Era; a time where technology is rare and magic is everywhere. Humans are able to use magic and wield spellbooks to better utilize this magic. The world is also split between the Natural Realm and Spirit Realm.

Casey: Sounds like something from an isekai-genre (Other world) anime.

The three then approach the second portal.

Vaanu: This gateway leads to the Dragonic Era; a time where dragons, wyverns and large beasts roam the land, along with humans. They were once allies, however an unforgivable sin done by the humans sparked a war between them. That was their history. In the present, the descendants of the humans are studying these creatures and uncovering their past while the creatures are behaving like animals in your world.

Emily: Sounds like something out of a video game.

The three then approach the final portal.

Vaanu: This gateway leads to the Dystopia Era; a time where I did not confront Rourke and sent away my Crystal Heart shards to the different timelines. In this timeline, an old enemy takes over and kills Rourke. This enemy then terrorizes the land and is planning to expand his control to the entire world. But a rebellion is standing in this enemy’s way.

Casey: Sounds like something from the Terminator film series.

Vaanu then gives each of the twins a special bracelet that contains the Hadean Zodiac signs of their friends.

Vaanu: This will help you find your friends. When one of the signs glows temporarily, it means they are nearby. The signs will permanently glow once your friends have their memories restored.

Emily: Thank you.

Emily smiles and admires her bracelet. Casey does the same.

Vaanu: Have you two decided on where to go first?

The twins nod.

Casey: I’m going to the Arcane Era.

Emily: I’m going to the Dragonic Era.

Vaanu nods back.

Vaanu: Excellent. Now once you two have reunited with your friends and reclaimed the two Crystal Heart shards in their respective Eras, you can tap your bracelets and you will be sent back here. You and your friends must go to the Dystopia Era together and reclaim the final shard before Rourke wakes from his slumber. He won’t be in a coma for too long, and his allies are making sure that you will not accomplish your goal.

Casey: Understood.

Emily: We won’t lose this time.

Vaanu then extends each of its hands towards the twins and gives them each an outfit, matching the Era they have chosen.

Vaanu: Now, it is time for you two to be equipped with the proper attire.

Casey receives a pair of matching silver and crimson gauntlets and boots, an Eastern waistcoat, arm-gloves to go with his gauntlets and a sleeveless crimson shirt with a cape-like bottom. Casey also gets his hair tied to a rising ponytail and his bangs dyed crimson. The young man grins at his new look.

Casey: Dang! I look smokin’!

Meanwhile, Emily receives a set of leather armor, including a black long-sleeve leather jacket, a brown leather vest, a pair of brown leather bracers, a pair of leather greaves, and black short leather trousers. She also receives a pair of goggles and a slingshot-like attachment to her left bracer. She delights on her new outfit.

Emily: Sweet! I look like a hunter!

Vaanu nods and slowly starts to fade away.

Vaanu: You two are ready. And now it is time for me leave the rest to you.

The twins notice Vaanu disappearing.

Emily: Vaanu!

Casey: Wait. We still have no idea what to do.

Vaanu points up, to the stars in the sky.

Vaanu: Worry not, Casey and Emily. The stars will guide you.

Soon after, Vaanu is completely gone, leaving the twins to their task. The two look at each other with determination in their faces.

Casey: Last one to get back here with our friends and the shard owes the winner a meal.

Emily: Oh, you are so on!

Casey and Emily bump their fists then go in for a handshake.

Emily: Take care out there.

Casey: You too.

They then face their respective portals with determined grins before letting go of each other’s hands and running towards their goal.

--- END OF PROLOGUE ---

[thevividgreenmoss]

Dennis Hopper? Politics? That son of a bitch! That piece of butt-hair-crusted shit! What does that dumbfuck know about politics? I was the one who said: take up politics, Rafael, take up some noble cause, goddamn it, you're a freaking man of the people, and the bastard would look at me like I was shit, some piece of trash, like he was looking down from some imaginary height, and he would say: cool it, Barbarita, it's not so easy, and then he'd go to sleep and I'd have to go out to work and then school, I was busy all day, basically, I'm still busy all day, back and forth from the university to work (I waitress at a burger place on Reston Avenue), and when I came home Rafael would be asleep, the dishes in the sink, the floor dirty, crumbs in the kitchen (but no food for me, the deadbeat!), the house a pit, like a pack of baboons had been through, and then I'd have to start to clean, sweep, cook, then go out shopping to stock the refrigerator, and when Rafael woke up I'd ask him: have you written, Rafael? have you started your novel about Chicano life in San Diego? and Rafael would look at me like he was watching me on TV and say: I wrote a poem, Barbarita, and then I would give up and say all right, asshole, read it to me, and Rafael would open a couple of beers and hand me one (the bastard knows I shouldn't drink beer), then read me the goddamn poem. And it must be because deep down I still love him that the poem would make me cry almost without me realizing it (only if it was good), and when Rafael was done reading my face would be wet and shiny and he would come closer to me and I could smell him, he smelled like a Mexican, the bastard, and we would hold each other very gently, and then, but maybe half an hour later, we would start to make love, and then Rafael would say to me: what are we going to eat, baby? and I would get up, without getting dressed, and go into the kitchen and make him his eggs with ham and bacon, and as I cooked I would think about literature and politics and I would remember the time when Rafael and I were still living in Mexico and we went to see a Cuban poet, let's go see him, Rafael, I said, you're a man of the people and that faggot will have to recognize how talented you are whether he wants to or not, and Rafael said: but I'm a visceral realist, Barbarita, and I said don't be a dumb shit, your goddamn balls are visceral realist, will you face the fucking truth for once in your life, darling? so Rafael and I went to see the great lyric poet of the Revolution, and all the Mexican poets Rafael hated most (the poets Belano and Lima hated most, that is) had been there, it was funny because both of us could tell it by the smell, the Cuban's hotel room smelled like the peasant poets, like the poets from the magazine El Delfín Proletario, like Huerta's wife, like the Mexican Stalinists, like the shitty revolutionaries who cash a government check every two weeks, but anyway, what I said to myself and what I tried to tell Rafael telepathically was: don't blow it now, don't fuck this up, and the Havana guy was nice to us, a little tired, a little sad, but basically nice, and Rafael talked about the young Mexican poets but not about the visceral realists (before we went in I told him I'd kill him if he did) and I even came up on the spot with a plan for a magazine that, I said, the University of San Diego was going to fund, and the Cuban was interested in that, interested in Rafael's poems, interested in my fucking nonexistent magazine, and suddenly, when our visit was almost over, the Cuban, who at this point seemed more asleep than awake, suddenly asked us about visceral realism. I don't know how to explain it. The room in that fucking hotel. The silence and the distant elevators. The smell of the previous visitors. The Cuban's eyes, closing from sleep or boredom or liquor. His unexpected words, as if spoken by a man under hypnosis, a man mesmerized. It made me give a little scream, just a little scream but it sounded like a shot. It must have been nerves, that's what I told them. Then the three of us were silent for a while, the Cuban surely wondering who this hysterical gringa must be, Rafael wondering whether or not to talk about the group, and me saying over and over to myself you stupid fucking bitch, one of these days you're going to have to sew your fucking mouth shut. And then, as I imagined myself sitting in my closet at home, with a giant scab for a mouth, reading the stories of El llano en llamas over and over again, I heard Rafael talking about the visceral realists, I heard the fucking Cuban asking question after question, I heard Rafael saying yes, saying maybe, talking about the birth pangs of communism, I heard the Cuban proposing manifestos, proclamations, repostulations, greater ideological clarity, and then I couldn't restrain myself anymore and I opened my mouth and said that those days were over now, now Rafael was only speaking for himself, like the good poet he was, and then Rafael said be quiet, Barbarita, and I said don't tell me to be quiet, you bum, and the Cuban said oh, women, and tried to step in with his rotten, revolting macho bullshit, and I said shit, shit, shit, we just want to be published by the Casa de las Américas on our own merits, and then the Cuban looked at me very seriously and said of course, the Casa de las Américas always publishes people on their merits. As long as it suits them, I said, and Rafael said Jesus, Barbarita, the maestro will get the wrong idea, and I said the fucking maestro can think whatever he fucking wants, but the past is the past, Rafael, and your future is your future, right? and then the Cuban looked at me even more seriously, his eyes seeming to say sweetheart, if we were in Moscow you'd end up in a mental ward, but at the same time (I noticed this too) as if he were thinking, well, what does it matter, madness is madness is madness, and sadness too, and at the end of the day the three of us are Americans, children of Caliban, lost in the great American wilderness, and I think that touched me, to see a spark of understanding, a spark of tolerance in the eyes of that powerful man, as if he were saying don't take it to heart, Barbara, I know how these things are, and then, like an idiot, I smiled, and Rafael took out his poems, some fifty loose-leaf pages, and said here are my poems, friend, and the Cuban took his poems and thanked him, and then right away he and Rafael got up, as if in slow motion, like a flash of lightning, or twin flashes, or a flash and its shadow, but in slow motion, and in that fraction of a second I thought: everything is all right, I hope everything will be all right, and I saw myself swimming on a Havana beach and I saw Rafael by my side, a little distance away, talking to some American journalists, people from New York, from San Francisco, talking about LITERATURE, talking about POLITICS, at the gates of paradise.

Roberto Bolaño, The Savage Detectives

[likethetailofacomet]

A Hike to Remember

A/N: This was supposed to be a quick little 800 word drabble to answer @brightpinkpeppercorn ‘s kiss prompt request for: Jake and Kara, a kiss in the rain because of love. But Top Gun had other plans, and this became a fully fledged fic instead. So, enjoy Jake and Kara on their fourth anniversary. 

Pairing: Jake x Kara

Word Count: 1,846

When the sun rose over Lake Fausse on the second day of their camping trip, Kara stretched and smiled, delighting in the rays of the day’s first light and the way that they streamed into the cabin and over her sleeping husband. The sunlight shone brightly on Jake’s tanned skin and picked up the sandy highlights of his mop of hair, strewn messily about his pillow. Kara rolled over and propped herself up on one elbow, watching the steady rise and fall of Jake’s bare chest as he snored lightly. She reached over to rake his hair away from his face, fingertips trailing over the warm skin of his cheek. He stirred momentarily and Kara retracted her hand quickly so as not to wake him. Instead, she adjusted herself so that she was lying curled against him, and, still asleep, his arm came around her and pulled her to his body. “C’mere, princess,” he muttered, lips barely moving and eyes still shut. He nuzzled into the back of her neck, burying his sleeping face in her hair, and though Kara was eager to get out of bed and start their day, she felt the gentle waves of sleep pull her back beneath the surface as she gave in to the sound of Jake’s breathing and the soft chirping of birds outside the window.

About an hour later, Kara woke to the feeling of Jake’s fingers brushing against her waist and his lips planting delicate kisses to the top of her shoulder. She opened her eyes, inhaling the fresh morning air through her nose sleepily, and looked back at him. “Mornin’ Jake,” she said lazily, turning in his arms.

His smile crept slowly up his lips and into his eyes, bringing brightness to their endless cerulean depths. “Mornin’ sunshine,” he responded. He hugged her tightly and kissed her forehead, breathing in the fruity scent of her shampoo.

“You sleep well, Top Gun?” She flattened her palm against his chest, pointer finger tracing a small figure eight above his heart.

“Always, when I’ve got you with me, princess,” he splayed his fingers out across her spine. “And it doesn’t hurt that there’s no munchkins jumpin’ on me.”

Kara smiled, a small chuckle escaping her lips. They’d roped April and Kenji into watching Molly and the twins for a few days so they could get away and celebrate their anniversary, just the two of them. They’d gone camping with the kids earlier that year, and it had been a blast, although not nearly as relaxing and soothing as the trip they were currently on. No wriggling limbs that needed sunscreen, no mops of messy hair that needed to be picked through for ticks, no little voices begging for one more campfire story before bed. “Yeah, I can’t remember the last time I fell back to sleep like that…” she picked her head up to look quizzically at him. “I think it was back on La Huerta, on Yvonne’s ship.”

Jake laughed, the sound rumbling through his chest so that Kara could feel his happiness. “It’s been a while, huh?” He took a breath, his smile relaxing as a piece of hair fell into his eyes. “I wouldn’t trade a minute of it.”

“Me neither.” Kara dropped a kiss to his nose and felt it wrinkle beneath her lips. “Now let’s get this quiet, kid free show on the road, shall we?”

Kara had been ecstatic when Jake planned the trip to Lake Fausse Pointe State Park. It had been where he and Rebecca had grown up camping with their mother and aunts and uncles and cousins, and he had buckets of memories that he’d shared with her over the years. She was excited for them to make memories together, for him to add her to the fond memories that he already had in this place. She’d excitedly studied the map of hiking trails that she downloaded weeks ago, picking out the longest hike and planning stops for breakfast and lunch. If all went according to plan, they’d get back to their campsite just as the sun was sinking into the lake. They’d packed their backpacks the night before with food and water for the hike, and within fifteen minutes of dragging themselves from the bed, they were lacing up their boots and leaving the cabin, the swinging screen door banging closed behind them.

The first part of their hike took them through a wooded area, silverbell trees dropping soft, white blossoms as a breeze blew through their branches. A few blooms settled in Kara’s hair like a crown and Jake plucked them out with his thumb and forefinger. They walked hand in hand, breathing in the clean air and basking in the drips of sunshine that filtered down through the limbs and leaves. When it was time to stop for breakfast, they found a stump to use as a picnic table, settling in with the blueberry muffins Kara had baked to bring on their trip, and the thermos of coffee that Jake had insisted upon. Kara leaned across the stump to swipe some smashed blueberry from the corner of Jake’s mouth, grinning as she stuck her finger in her mouth to suck the sweet berry juice from it. “That’s a dangerous game you’re playin’, princess,” he smirked at her, referring to the teasing way she was biting down on her finger.

“I live on the wild side, Jake, you knew that when you married me,” she winked at him and rose, packing up their meal as though she hadn’t just started to get him all hot and bothered. “Now, we have some ground to cover. You ready?”

Jake stood, wiping his hands on his khaki shorts. “Baby, I was born ready for anything you can throw at me.” He returned her wink and smacked her ass playfully as he walked past her. He turned to look at her over his shoulder. “Come on, slow poke.”

Kara shook her head and laughed as she quickened her steps to catch up. The second leg of the hike led them out of the cover of the trees and into a wide open field, dotted with bright purple Lousiana phlox. Kara’s eyes grew at the sight of the violet flowers, her mouth dropping open as she stopped in her tracks to take in the view. Jake watched the awe on her face, knowing how much she loved purple flowers, how they reminded her of the promise of devotion that she and Jake had made to one another. Kara was sure beyond a shadow of a doubt that no two souls in existence had ever been more devoted to one another than hers and Jake’s, and he had to agree. He wrapped his arms around her from behind and kissed the spot behind her ear, where she’d worn a purple hibiscus flower on their hand fasting day. “A year and a day… and then forever.” He whispered as she pressed her back into his chest.

“Forever sounds like a good start to me,” she whispered back, emotion breaking her voice ever so slightly. They’d stopped again, spreading the picnic blanket out among the phlox and making quick work of the sandwiches that Kara had thrown together.

As soon as the last crumb was devoured, Jake pushed Kara’s shoulders down, climbing on top of her. “Time to pay for that blueberry juice stunt you pulled, Princess.” He drawled, his desire heavy in his voice. He lowered himself down so that the length of his whole body was pressed against hers, laying his weight on her chest. He kissed her deeply and thoroughly, hands roaming beneath her shirt and playing with the waistband of her shorts. He smiled as he felt her gasp his name against his lips. “And I want that payment with interest,” he added wickedly as he continued to take her breath away, losing all track of time and all ability to care about it.

By the time the two of them had adjusted their clothing and packed the picnic back up, they were sated and breathless. Their fingers twined together, they set back on the trail to finish the third leg of the hike. Neither of them noticed the significant darkening of the skies overhead, or the few degrees drop in temperature as a breeze blew the clouds through the sky, too wrapped up in the afterglow of their love to care about something as inconsequential as the weather. Besides, Kara had checked before they left and it was supposed to stay sunny all day.

A crack of thunder too close for comfort ripped through the air, shattering the oblivious bubble that they two of them were under, and causing them both to whip their heads up towards the quickly darkening sky. “Looks like we’re about to get soaked,” Jake remarked, squeezing Kara’s hand.

“No! The weather app said it was supposed to stay sunny all day!” Kara whined, blinking at the sky as a fat drop of rain splattered on her nose.

Jake laughed as one hit him in the eye. “Well, the clouds had other plans, darlin’. Come on, we better get a move on.” He pulled her along the trail and they quickly tried to cover as much ground as possible before the skies really opened up. Another crack of thunder accompanied by a brilliant flash of lightning told them that they had about fifteen seconds before that happened. Jake laughed again. “We ain’t makin’ it back to the cabin, Princess, not before this comes down.” He gestured up to the sky with their twined hands. “C’mon,” he pulled her under the cover of a silverbell tree just as the worst of the rain began. The tree did little to shelter them, its blossoms falling limply from the weight of the heavy raindrops.

Kara shrieked playfully as cool rain water slid down her shirt, soaking her in seconds. Jake cupped Kara’s face between both of his hands, her drenched hair sticking to her neck as the deluge poured down. “Princess,” he said, projecting his voice over the booming thunder and the beating of the raindrops on the rocky path, “this has been the best hike I’ve ever been on. Best trip to Lake Fausse I’ve ever taken.” He pulled her face closer to his own and felt her hands find the soaked hem of his shirt, sliding beneath it. “Best anniversary yet.” He ducked his head to capture her lips in a kiss that made her forget how soaked they were, made her feel warm and steamy and full of sunshine, made her remember every kiss he’d ever given her, and how none of them measured up to this one.

They broke apart gasping for air, raindrops continuing to splash down on both of their faces, dragging blossoms off of the tree above them and littering their hair and shoulders with them. “Even in the rain?” Kara asked, plucking a waterlogged blossom out of his ear.

“Especially in the rain, darlin’,” he said, leaning in to kiss her again.

Here is the Masterlist for the kiss prompts- still have one more to go, but feel free to send more! 

[blightfics]

We’re Cops! (Jake and M!MC Brotp)

Pairings: Quinn x M!MC, Jake x F!MC

MC Names: Casey (M!MC), Emily (F!MC)

Summary: Let’s just say, Jake “borrowed” his sister’s police car and ensues hijinks with Casey.

Disclaimer: I apologize to those who are related to police officers. I did not mean to insult the law nor the people who enforce them. Plus I have no idea how cop talks work so I did my best to write them down. I was just basing this from a Youtube Video of the same name by the channel, Mondo Media.

@princessstellaris, @mechaspirit, @xo-endlessmayhem-xo, @zekei-sentry, @mysteli, @choicesyouplayandmore, @brightpinkpeppercorn, @sceptilemasterr, @scgdoeswhat, @endlessly-searching-for-you

After the escape from the island of La Huerta and the mission to restore Casey and Emily back, the twins have finally settled down and marry their respective soulmates. Casey marries Quinn Kelly, while Emily marries Jake McKenzie. While Jake and Emily search for a new place to call their home, Rebecca, Jake’s sister, invites them to live under her roof in the meantime. Meanwhile, Casey now lives with Quinn.

One day, Rebecca goes out with Emily to go shopping with Quinn. Jake wakes up and walks around the empty house while rubbing his eyes.

Jake: Princess? Sis?

Jake realizes that he’s currently home alone and finds a letter from Emily that she went shopping with the girls. Jake nods at the letter and prepares his own breakfast. Afterwards, he goes in the garage to move a few boxes when he comes across Rebecca’s police car. He gives it a considering look and remembers the car keys on the kitchen table.

Jake: Hmm....

He then smirks.

Meanwhile, just a few blocks away from Rebecca’s house, Casey is also home alone in Quinn’s house trying to do chores. He is currently mowing the lawn.

Casey: Ah, what a wonderful day...

All of a sudden, police sirens start bursting while someone speaks through a megaphone.

Voice: Get on the ground, a-hole! Do it! Do it now!

Casey freaks out and does what the voice is telling him. He goes down on the ground, with his hands over his head, and starts to whimper. The voice continues.

Voice: I’ll shoot yo face off, ye son of a yeller belly!

Soon after, Jake drives up next to a cornered Casey and laughs.

Jake: HAHA! You should’ve seen your face, Boy Scout!

Casey looks up to see Jake then stands up furious.

Casey: Jake?! You douchebag! You scared the sh--

Casey notices what Jake is driving.

Casey: WHAT THE HELL?! DID YOU STEAL REBECCA’S POLICE CAR?!

Jake puts his finger on his grin.

Jake: Sshh! Don’t be too loud!

Casey continues to banter.

Casey: Dude! Get outta there! Our sisters are going to kill you!

Jake: Pffft! We’re only going for a short drive. They won’t know that I even touched it.

Casey: “We”?! I’m not going to get involved in this!

Casey crosses his arms and squints at Jake.

Jake: .......I’ll let you speak through the megaphone.

Casey’s scary face turns into a considering look.

Two minutes later, Jake and Casey are now cruising through town in Rebecca’s car.

Casey: WOOO!!!...

Jake: ...HOO!!!

Their hijinks ensue until they are radioed by the station.

Radio: All units, we got a 211 on 3rd Jefferson. All available units, respond.

Jake and Casey look at the radio then each other. They decided to go and investigate. They eventually arrive at a crime scene of a robbery in a bar, another police car is parked outside. They enter a bar to see a policeman interviewing the bartender and approach them.

Jake: Alright, what do we got?

The policeman looks at Jake and Casey and assumes that their off-duty cops not in their uniforms but still want to investigate.

Policeman: Uhh... Well, this bar was just robbed by a former employee. Whoever they may be, they couldn’t have gone that far. Our dogs got his scent so we’ll catch him in no time.

Jake: Good, good. Glad to see some good cop work around here.

Policeman: Sure...

The policeman exits the bar and goes back to his car. Meanwhile, the bartender prepares two glasses of beer for Jake and Casey.

Bartender: You boys keep fighting a good fight.

Jake raises his eyebrow at the drinks

Jake: Wait, we didn’t order anything.

Bartender: I know. But knowing your hard work for our city, you deserve a treat. I’m always on the house for cops.

Casey: Uhh...

Jake lightly elbows Casey and winks at him to play along. The pilot looks back at the bartender and “humbly” takes the glass.

Jake: Yeah, we’re cops.

Casey rolls his eyes and accepts his glass.

After a few drinks, Casey and Jake reach a drunk-state where they would just do almost anything stupid. So, they sort-of abused their “fake cop status” to get free stuff. They respond to another robbery crime scene near a Pizza Hut. After a small investigation, they get four boxes of pizza for free, while saying the same thing over and over.

Jake: We’re cops!

Casey: We’re cops.

Jake: Yep, we’re cops!

Soon after, Jake and Casey reach Rebecca’s home. They enter the house with each holding two boxes of pizza, laughing, but quickly freeze as they see who’s inside the house; Rebecca, Emily and Quinn, all crossing their arms towards the boys.

Emily: Where have you two been?

Jake: Uhh...

Casey quickly drops the boxes and runs out of the house. Quinn awakens her Vaanu powers and goes after him, leaving Jake to deal with his wife and sister.

Jake: Listen...

Rebecca: We’re going back into my car and you’re going to pay for what you’ve “gotten for free”!

Jake: Yes, but...

Emily: And you’re going to do chores for a month!

Jake gives up trying to defend himself.

Jake: ...okay...

Eventually, Quinn catches Casey and the three girls make the two boys pay for the beer and pizza they “got for free”. Casey and Jake then served a whole month of harsh chores under the supervision of their wives. Though they did get some “relaxation” at some nights during that torturous month.

THE END.

[azure-wolf-227]

Coco/Zorro AU: La Jaguar

An idea that I had for a Coco/Zorro AU set during the Mexican Revolution, specifically the Huerta Dictatorship (1913-1914) with Imelda Rivera as the protagonist. After her parents are murdered by Army soldiers, 17-years-old Imelda becomes La Jaguar, a masked swords-woman who along with her faithful steed Pepita, vows to protect Santa Cecilia and the nearby towns from the soldiers. Also assisting her are her 14-years-old twin brothers, Oscar y Felipe who invent gadgets for her to use, and her best female friend, Ceci who designed her outfit (while also complaining about her always ripping it and/or staining it with blood). There's Héctor (16-years-old), an orphan músico who has feelings for Imelda but finds himself conflicted when he also falls for La Jaguar, unaware that that both these women are one and the same. Héctor's childhood friend Ernesto de la Cruz is, unknown to anyone, is the nephew of a high-ranking officer in the Army and acts as a spy to find out La Jaguar's identity in exchange for support/connections to become famous. Also, we have Miguel, a 12-years-old orphan who looks up to Héctor and is rescued from the soldiers by La Jaguar. Imelda's Jaguar outfit is based of Zorro's outfit with heavy influence from the outfits worn by the 'Adelitas' or soldaderas, female soldiers in Mexico. Coco and Zorro belong to their respective owners, I only own this AU.

[mind-reader1]

The Twins of La Huerta (Ch. 4)

A/N: This is a collaborative fic from myself, @bbaba-yagaa, @brightpinkpeppercorn and @roonarific. It is DIFFERENT than the one posted by @sceptilemasterr over the past few months. It’s also come to my attention some tags aren’t working, please let me know if that’s the case!

Warnings: None

Word Count: 1,376

Catch up here!

Last Time: The group decided to send a few of them out to search for the shelter and missing guests. Along the way, Tyler and Quinn found a waterfall with one entrance, Taylor and Jake found the actual shelter from their hike! Once they made it in though, they found some unexpected company. 

Chapter 4: Tigers and Tunnels 

“Don't move.” Jake breathed out and everyone did as he said, not daring to move a muscle. That only lasted for a second though as everyone began to have their own meltdown of sorts. The beast loomed closer to Tyler and Quinn, it's eyes seemed fixed on Taylor though, as if it remembered her from the night before.  

“Get behind me.” Tyler pulled Quinn behind him and moved to pull Taylor behind him too, but Jake had already done so, the small blue fox thing on her back. Suddenly the tiger slashed out with its claws, catching Tyler right in the side.

“Ahh!” He cried out in pain, his shirt hanging in shreds off him.

“Tyler!” Taylor watched her brother carefully as he stumbled back.

“I'm fine it's not deep.” The tiger growled again and circled, a cat playing with its dinner before the kill. She was furious with him, but now wasn't the time, they needed to find a way out first.

“We need to make a move!” Aleister cried.

“Oh, and what do you plan on doing Malfoy? There's no outrunning this thing.”

“There's a door over there.” The tiger let out a low growl, almost like it was laughing at their efforts, 500 pounds of pure muscle just watching them closely.

“You think we could make it?” Lila asked.

“I don't think we have much of a choice!” Taylor took a step back and bumped into a fire extinguisher. They were cornered.

“It's now or never!” Quinn yelped. Taylor grabbed the fire extinguisher and blasted the tiger with the cold gas.

“Go!” She screamed. They all bolted for the door. Tyler turned back to help Quinn and saw Taylor was lagging, the tiger's vision clearing.

“Taylor!” He wanted to go after her, but Jake was first, yanking her through the doorway before slamming it shut, the tiger throwing its body weight against the door.

“Way to not get us shish-kabobed on those teeth!” Jake grinned at Taylor.

“Thanks, but what were you thinking Tyler! Why'd you jump in front of the tiger like that! You could've gotten yourself killed!” She shoved him.

“What was I supposed to do, let Quinn get hurt instead?”

“No! You both get out of the way! Don't be an idiot Tyler!”

“You were the one who almost got eaten Taylor!”

“I'm the one who got us out of there! No thanks to you!” They bickered, everyone uncomfortable, shifting as they looked anywhere but at the twins.

“Why don't we keep moving, find a way out of here.” Diego broke the twins apart and the group continued into the shelter. Quinn noticed Tyler wincing with certain movements, grabbing his side where he had been cut. She stopped and tore a piece of her shirt off to bandage it up.

“Thanks for saving me Tyler, just please be careful okay. I'm not worth it.” She had a sad look in her eyes as she met his gaze, he felt guilty about pushing her away, but he couldn't forget about Estela even if he wanted to.

“You're definitely worth it Quinn, I'd do it again if I had the choice.” He squeezed her arm gently and they continued with the group. It was silent until Jake spoke.

“I should have enough fuel to get us back to the mainland.”

“Mainland? What are you talking about?” Tyler asked.

“You're leaving the island?” Taylor sounded hurt.

“Come with me or stay, I don't care. I ain't sticking around to get eaten by some prehistoric beast though.”

“Don't overreact Jake. We'll be perfectly safe once we get back to the resort. You don't want to miss out on your entire vacation, do you?”

“Well no…” Diego still seemed unsure though.

“Oh really? What about all the missing guests? What about the tiger that attacked Princess last night on the beach? I don't know what game you're playing dimples, but it ain't safe here.”

“Oh, and flying with you is? You almost killed us in that storm cloud on the way in!” Aleister snapped.

“I'll take my chances.” He took a step towards Aleister, Taylor stepped between them.

“What about your money? You haven't been paid yet.”

“I've done enough gambling that I know when it's time to cut and run Princess.”

“You're right, this place is crazy. We should get home.”

“Glad you've got your head screwed on right Taylor. What about the rest of you?”

“I wanted an adventure, but this is too much.” Diego said.

“I had a vision of how this week would go, this isn't it.” Quinn sighed.

“I'm not leaving.” Tyler huffed.

“Excuse me?” Taylor spun on him, Diego was gearing up for another argument.

“You heard me! I'm not leaving this island.”

“You don't want to leave because of her! Because of Estela! She's not worth it Tyler. I don't care who she is, she's not worth dying over.” Tyler rolled his eyes; his sister was always so dramatic.

“I'm not going to die for her Taylor! I'm just saying that I don't think we should run away like chickens. Let's enjoy our time at the hotel, we're fenced in from the jungle.” Taylor shook her head in disbelief.

“You think a fence is going to stop that tiger? It body slammed the blast door! A little fence isn't going to stop it Tyler. I'm leaving even if I have to shoot your ass with a tranq dart myself!” Tyler was fuming at this point, both of them so wrapped up in their own fight, they wouldn't have even noticed if someone tried to stop them.

“You just want to follow the pilot around all day like a lost puppy Taylor! If he was staying you would too. Also, a tranq dart huh? Thought you didn't know anything about that?” They stared at one another, never breaking each other's gaze. Diego groaned. They could be at this for hours, but honestly, he agreed with Taylor, normally he refused to take sides.

“Taylor is right Ty. It's not safe, we can take Estela with us, but right now arguing isn't getting us anywhere.”

“Also, I have a name Boy Scout, it's Jake.” Taylor turned on Jake, that same fury she had with Tyler still in her eyes.

“Stay out of this.” She hissed, storming off into the shelter further. After winding through various tunnels, they stumbled upon a security room, active feeds from the Celestial on the screen. Tyler fidgeted with a way to make contact while the others looked for a map of the shelter. Glancing at the screen he saw Sean and a small figure strut up, draping their arms around his neck, Michelle.

“Oh man. Don't want to see this, c'mon.” He mumbled desperately trying to change the scene. So much for pushing Sean and Taylor together, Sean and Michelle in a room together alone, you didn't need to be a genius to figure out what happened next and Tyler wasn't interested in watching.

The screen changed and that's when he saw her, Estela. His eyes focused in on her, she's marched down a hall of the Celestial, glancing back as if to check if someone was watching her, someone was. Estela was clearly hiding much more than she let on, Tyler was desperate to know what that was, so he kept watching. She slipped into the ballroom going straight for a painting on the wall, Tyler didn't see any significance to that one versus the others, but Estela seemed to. She glanced around again before reaching behind and taking something, shoving it into her pocket and dashing off before Tyler could see what it was. He grumbled in frustration and turned his attention back to Raj who was sleeping in the lobby. With a couple clicks, he was able to get his voice on the intercom and started messing with Raj. Taylor came up behind him and hit him on the shoulder.

“Grow up Tyler! Tell them to meet us at the airstrip and then let's get out of here.” He rolled his eyes but did as his sister asked, he just wouldn't be meeting them there. They carried on in silence until they found the doors to the exit, only it was pitch black.

Perma-Tag:  @brightpinkpeppercorn @endlessly-searching-for-you @roonarific @likethetailofacomet @zaffrenotes @mysteli @vickypoochoices @kayann93 @jlouise88 @zigortega4life @findingdrake @bbaba-yagaa

Jake-Tag:  @endlesstaylormckenzie @sophie-summer @feartheendlesssummer @darley1101 @emomoustache​ @xo-endlessmayhem-xo​

Twin-Tag:  @sceptilemasterr @queerchoicesblog

[josiecarioca]

Something people often don´t consider regarding Imelda

.We all know Imelda is a fierce, independent and strong-willed woman. And the whole Coco fandom agrees that having to make a living for herself and her child all alone after being “abandoned” by hector made her into the strong woman she is (I´m sure she got help from the twins, but they seem to be younger than her so I imagine there was just so much they could do).

While I completely agree with that, I feel like there´s something about Imelda people often disregard: Imelda was a single mother in a rather difficult period of Mexican history. 

From the date on the Rivera´s shop, she opened the business in 1921, presumably after spending some time teaching herself the trade and probably saving money for the initial investment (materials, tools, eventually a place which may have been rented or bought). In 1921 Mexico was NOT a very peaceful place, specially for a single mother with a small child. 

Mexico had JUST emergerged from the Mexican Revolution, a decade-long conflict, involving so many players, factions and politicial interests I couldn´t possibly summarize it here. It was also a VERY violent conflict in which anywhere from 1.3 to 2 MILLION Mexicans perished, a number that included civilian casualties.(which may explain in part why news of Héctor´s death never reached his family. Social structures were still in disarray and Ernersto probably didn´t even need to try too hard to make sure Héctor would be buried in some unmarked grave. Those were probably abundant)

The Presidency of Álvaro Obregón (1920-1924)  wasn´t all that peaceful (even though it was the first stable government Mexico had in a while). A former general of the Mexican revolution, Obregón came into power after launching a revolt against then president Venustiano Carranza and assassinating him. 

In 1923,  half the Mexican army joined a revolt led by  Adolfo de la Huerta, finance minister intent on usurping Obregón like he had done to Carranza. There was a conflict between the government´s troops and the rebels, and Obregón eventually crushed the rebellion, which was followed by many executions.

Fastfoward to 1926,  Plutarco Elias Calles presidency (1924-1928) and we have the Cristeros revolt also known as La Cristiada, a conflict taking place  central-western Mexico against the secularist, anti-Catholic and anti-clerical policies of the Mexican government. Calles had sought to eliminate the power of the Catholic Church and organizations affiliated with it as an institution, and also suppress popular religious celebration in local communities. This resulted in a massive, popular rural uprising supported by the Church hierarchy and aided by urban Catholic support. This revolt was the last major peasant uprising in Mexico following the end of the military phase of the Mexican Revolution in 1920. ALL OF THAT happened in the first decade after Héctor´s death, while Imelda was presumably working to start and stablish her business. 

Look into how it was for Mexican women then: they got the right to vote in the early 1920s, after having actively participated in the Mexican revolution (just look up “soldaderas” to learn more about how they picked up arms and fought side by with the men). Acess to divorce (only under certain circumstances) came about in 1916. The Catholic church had such a sway over the population, attempts at supressing its power caused an armed revolt. Women were DEFINETLY not in a comfortable position. Just consider that until as late as the 1960s  the use of contraceptives was prohibited by Mexican civil law.  Culturaly speaking ,Mexico was, and still is, deeply sexist and conservative.

Now think about Imelda, alone with a 4 year old daughter in THIS environment. Imagine how difficult it was for her to open a business in a time period in which women had JUST gotten the right to vote,and the Catholic church and cultural norms still dictated that women should be submissive to their husbands and do nothing but care for the house and children. Imagine Imelda all alone with a small child and two younger brothers (who may not even have been of age then) trying to run a business in a time period in which political assassinations, armed rebellions and widespread violence were the norm rather than the exception. 

Now consider this: Imelda was a young and beautiful woman, with a child and no husband, She CERTAINLY got unwanted attention from men. Men who could have been just regular guys, decent men who took a legitimate interest on her, but who just as well could have been former members of political factions involved in any of the armed conflicts popping up in everywhere in Mexico, or even just bad guys taking advantage of the general chaos to “seize their moment”

Think about all this for a moment.

Imelda didn´t just pull herself by her bootstraps (get it? ;) ) and started a successful business. She did it during a period of deep political, social and economic chaos and widespread violence. She did it as a woman. She did it as a single mother.

And that really put her forceful, domineering personality in context. She probably NEEDED to be like that to make sure her family was safe and sound. Is not like she had a choice but to be a overbearing, take-no-prisoners hardass. It was a matter of survival in the environment she lived in. 

Imelda is probably one of the strongest, if not the strongest character in Disney canon, people. 

[nextnnet]

Creo recordar que de pequeño le justifiqué a mi madre el por qué me gustaban los juegos de peleas con algo como que “ninguna partida es igual”. El desafío de que cada combate los ataques con los que me sorprendiese el otro jugador o la máquina fuesen distintos al combate anterior y tuviese yo que saber adaptarme y superar esa situación en el momento, creo que es lo que me lleva haciendo jugar al género todos estos años. Pero los que llevéis ya un tiempo por aquí sabréis que hay otro género que se adapta bastante bien a la definición de “no hay dos partidas iguales” y por el que también tengo cierta devoción. Evidentemente hablo del roguelite, un género donde cada muerte hace que todo cambie, teniendo que adaptarnos a él. Un género que, os lo adelanto ya, tiene un nuevo juego de esos que se convierten en referencia, Dead Cells.

    Combate, sobrevive, avanza, armate, muere, aprende, repite

La muerte en los roguelites no es más que un nuevo comienzo, uno nuevo, fresco y con cientos de posibilidades. Dead Cells ocurre en una isla donde “El Mal” se ha apoderado de su reino y todo aquel sospechoso de poseerlo en su interior acaba muerto o en la prisión, donde su estatus social es peor que el de las ratas. Allí es justo donde nuestro protagonista, compuesto por un cuerpo sin cabeza al que se le acopla una masa de células verdes, empieza su huida de la isla, una isla maldita que cambia con cada muerte.

  Como roguelite, las pantallas, enemigos y objetos que recolectamos en cada partida o “run” son distintos y al morir tenemos que empezar de cero. ¿Totalmente desde cero? En realidad no. La estructura diferenciada por pantallas de Dead Cells está bastante cercana a la de un juego arcade de avance lateral como los Castlevania originales pero con toda la aleatoriedad que caracteriza al género. Lo bueno es que entre niveles podemos gastar las células que han soltado nuestros enemigos, siempre que hayamos encontrado alguno del centenar de planos necesarios, para adquirir nuevas armas, poderes, trampas y mutaciones (habilidades pasivas para esa partida). Todos estos elementos pasan a formar parte de las cosas que podemos encontrar en las siguientes partidas. De esta manera la sensación de progreso, por muy mal que salga una partida, es constante y súper satisfactoria. Cada nuevo plano, la cantidad de células necesarias para desarrollarlo, la potencia de cada arma está medida de tal forma que se sienta una progresión y una sensación de ir a cada muerte más preparado física y mentalmente.

    ¿Y para qué hace falta tantísimo armamento? Pues para que el combate sea el punto que más destaque de Dead Cells. Hablamos de un combate de velocidades “ninjescas”, de habilidad, reflejos, agresivo, con una gran variedad de enemigos con sus patrones, ataques y armas y muchas esquivas a base de volteretas. Especialmente duros son los combates contra los jefes que, sin ser muchos, no te puedes confiar ni un solo momento y siempre se las apañan para ponerte contra las cuerdas. Pero que haya pocos jefes no significa que los “masillas” no sean desafiantes: un enfrentamiento mal planteado contra dos o tres al mismo tiempo puede acabar de vuelta en la cárcel y sin pasar por la casilla de salida. Merece la pena destacar también a los “élite”, enemigos más fuertes de lo habitual que invocan a otros y que al ser derrotados dan muchos de los objetos más raros de conseguir. Si bien es cierto que en la mayoría de la ocasiones no hará falta enfrentarse a estos enemigos, ellos son los guardianes de las runas y objetos que dan las habilidades pasivas permanentes entre partidas que nos permiten acceder a nuevas zonas secretas y pantallas, por lo que tarde o temprano hay que hacerles frente.

  Pero no todo es combate en Dead Cells, también está la parte de exploración y de construir a nuestro protagonista a nuestro gusto como si de un RPG se tratase. Lo primero viene por el propio diseño y planteamiento de los escenarios, con muchos caminos que recorrer, salas secretas y varias salidas posibles que nos llevan por un camino o por otro, variando la dificultad de la partida pero aumentando las recompensas. Lo segundo se da a la hora de escoger armas, habilidades y qué potenciar del personaje. En esta ocasión Dead Cells reduce las estadísticas a tan solo tres posibles: brutalidad, táctica y supervivencia, cada una de ellas asociada con los colores rojo, morado y verde respectivamente. Mejorar una de ellas significa potenciar las armas y/o habilidades de ese color, por lo que en un principio la decisión de qué mejorar es fácil: de lo que más armas lleves. Es entonces cuando te das cuenta que mientras más mejores una misma estadística menos vida recibes. Y si lo de la reducción de vida no es suficiente, resulta que todo el equipamiento tienen habilidades pasivas que combinan entre sí. Llevar un arma roja, que hace el doble de daño a los enemigos congelados, una granada de hielo morada que congela y un arma de largo alcance verde que hace que los enemigos congelados al morir exploten soltando gusanos carnívoros es más habitual de lo que uno puede llegar a pensar, como también es habitual estar contento con un set de equipamiento y que aparezca un arma que te guste más pero te desbarate el combo y plantearte qué hacer. Con este panorama resulta difícil decidir si potenciar únicamente una estadística, dos o ir picando de aquí y de allá.

    Dead Cells coge lo mejor de cada uno de los referentes que tiene. Es evidente que el tema de los combates bebe mucho de las aguas de las obra de From Software, por el tema de la voltereta para esquivar de Dark Souls y el recuperar vida atacando de Bloodborne, pero también recoge del estudio nipón el contar la historia del juego a través de la narrativa ambiental y mediante fragmentos de grimorios y salas que puedes encontrar o no. De los Castlevania rescata el aspecto gráfico y el diseño por fases (algunas incluso con los mismos nombres y aspectos), que a pesar de ser generadas aleatoriamente no se notan en absoluto artificiales. Y de los roguelites coge de aquí y de allá pero sabe quedarse con una curva de dificultad bastante bien medida, una sensación de progreso y descubrimiento constante y una aleatoriedad que tarda bastante en repetirse. Todo esto hubiese sido bastante distinto, y sobretodo menos refinado, de no ser porque Dead Cells ha estado un año en proceso de early access en Steam, cosa que se nota a la hora de ver cómo de pulido está el juego. Aún así se nota alguna ralentización muy leve cuando hay mucho elemento y partícula en pantalla, pero nada que estorbe al jugar y que no pueda solucionarse en un futuro próximo.

  Dead Cells – Células muertas abono pa mi huerta

De vez en cuando aparece un juego que comprende de dónde viene, lo acepta, aprende de ello y da un paso adelante destacando por encima del resto de juegos similares. Eso es Dead Cells a los roguelites. Un juego que destaca en absolutamente todo lo que hace y decir eso con el enorme catálogo de roguelites que hay en Nintendo Switch no es ninguna tontería ni algo fácil.

  Este análisis ha sido posible gracias a un código de descarga proporcionado por Motion Twin.

Análisis – Dead Cells (Nintendo Switch). El nuevo referente de los roguelite Creo recordar que de pequeño le justifiqué a mi madre el por qué me gustaban los juegos de peleas con algo como que "ninguna partida es igual".

[marmolady]

Birds and Butterflies

Main Pairings: OC x OC (Liv x Jeimy), and teeny snippets of most of my other usual ships

Summary: Endless Ending timeline. For Valentine's Day! And, as it happens, the debut of adult!Livi.

Liv has love on the mind.

Word Count: 4336

Chronology: Present-tense is after 'Mutual Comfort' , flash-forward is after 'Blue, Blue Christmas'.

Tagging: @saivilo, @edgydepressedchoicesthot, @sceptilemasterr, ​@mauvecatfic @rhemenway888

Thanks for reading

________________________________

La Huerta, 2028

It was the second night of the reunion, and amid the usual excitement, the big news was that Aleister and Grace-- already on cloud nine with the expectation of twins-- would be married legally in a big celebration. Liv was thrilled.

It took a lot to tempt the five-year-old to leave the pool, especially when there was Fun Uncle Craig to play with, but this was a special case.

Dripping wet, Liv skipped over to Aleister in his deck chair and flung herself on top of him, arms around his shoulders and smacking him in the face with a mop of sopping hair. In the chair beside them, heavily pregnant Grace chuckled fondly-- seeing Aleister’s patient side with the children in the family never ceased to warm her heart.

“Uncle Al! When… when you first saw Auntie Grace, did you think ‘oh, I’d really, really, really, really like to kiss her’? Did you think ‘she’s super pretty’? Did you think--”

“Livia, ew!” Reggie groaned, coming up from behind. “What is it with you and kissing?”

“Well, they’re gonna do it at the wedding! It’s gonna be really romantic.”

“Yeah, but the wedding’s gonna be in a museum! There’s gonna be much more interesting stuff than kissing.”

“Kissing with dinosaurs in the background must be the most romantic wedding ever…,” Liv sighed dreamily.

“Fossils, Livia,” Reggie corrected. “They’re dead.”

“Well,” Aleister said, just loudly enough to keep the brewing bickering at bay, “actually, when I first saw Auntie Grace, I thought she looked rather lovely. I think ‘super pretty’ sums it up quite well.”

Grace smiled bashfully, mouthing an “oh, you!”.

“And then, I realised that Auntie Grace was also kind, and intelligent, and full of curiosity for the world. I knew quickly she was very special.”

Liv beamed. “Awwww! That’s really cute! And now you’re getting married!”

“Actually,” Grace explained, “we already had a wedding ceremony during Niala’rei, before you are born. But sometimes when you’re really in love, it’s something you want to celebrate more than once. Your mommies did that too, you know.”

That just about blew Liv’s mind. That had to be the most magical feeling; to be so in love that getting married once wasn’t enough. That was it; that was the dream. In the moments it took for Grace to plant the picture in Liv’s head, the start of years of daydreams were set alight. All Liv had to do, was someday, somehow, make sure she noticed when she met her very special someone, just as Uncle Aleister had.

______________________________

San Trobida, 2041

Liv was panting. Looking for all the world like a literal hot mess. Two days into her degree at the University of Santa Juana, and she was already arriving late to a lecture after completely misjudging where the theatre was and having to make a dash from almost the other side of the campus. Sheepishly, she took a seat at the back of the theatre as discretely as she could manage.

At least it wasn’t too crowded a lecture. The back row was empty, save for one student at the other end, a girl whose appearance was so loud she’d have stood out in the busiest of classrooms. Her shining black hair was streaked with vibrant colour; yellow, orange, lime-green, sky-blue, scarlet. A tattoo of a macaw’s wing stretched over her left arm, and a colourful feather earring dangled by the left side of her head. Catching herself beginning to stare, Liv looked away-- but in her flustered state, she dropped her notebook as she did, Awesome Colourful Biology Student caught her eye and gave a shy smile. Liv’s cheeks burned.

Yeah… that was definitely a pity smile. Because you look like you’re so sweaty you can’t keep hold of your freaking books.

But, god, was that smile very nearly worth it.

The next two weeks passed uneventfully; Liv got herself lost only a couple more times, and she kept up her unfortunate trait of being apparently incapable of making friends. It was something she’d anticipated. Friends had never come easily to her. She was used to being lonely outside of her small circle of trust, but it didn’t make it pleasant. That loneliness was made harder because it wasn’t something she should have even been facing. Her cousin Reggie, her closest confidant and lifelong partner in mischief, was supposed to be attending Santa Juana with her. But the freaking nerd went and got into Oxford. She didn’t resent his choice… not anymore, but it was all but impossible not to imagine how much better her university experience had almost been.

And so, needing to do something about her friend situation, or lack thereof, Liv signed up for Queer Students of USJ. There, at the first gathering, a few people along in the circle from Liv, was Awesome Colourful Biology Student With The Cute Smile. Of course, Liv had seen her at every Evolutionary Biology class, always sitting off on her own… but she sure as hell hadn’t been brave enough to so much as say ‘hi’-- for all she knew, the girl wanted to be left alone. In that moment, Liv realised she’d been wrong on both counts; most people who showed up to a social group were probably open to the idea of making a friend, and looking at the name-sticker on the cute student’s chest which read ‘Jeimy, they/them’, Cute Stranger Whose Hair Could Probably Be Seen From Space was likely not a girl at all.

The meeting wasn’t terribly exciting, just information given out, questions and answers with the more senior members, and then it was over. This time, though, Liv was determined to work up the courage to introduce herself to Jeimy.

She swallowed up her nerves, tried to ignore the furious thudding of her heart, and approached.

“Hey,” she said, “I… I think we have Evolutionary Biology together.” There was no ‘think’ about it. “I’m, uh, I’m Liv.”

Dian avoided eye contact, clearly shy, but they smiled. “Yeah… I remember you from there. Uh….” They gestured awkwardly at their name-sticker. “Jeimy.”

Liv was glad to hear it spoken out loud, pronounced ‘yay-mee’ rather than ‘jay-mee' as she’d guessed. She was struck by just how quiet their voice was, how unsure they seemed in their interactions. It was violently at odds with the way they presented themselves to the world visually, and immediately Liv admired Jeimy. She was shy herself, and her usual instinct was to blend in as much as possible-- Jeimy didn’t hide who they were, even though it meant they drew attention.

She smiled back, feeling that little bit more confident. It was still nerve-wracking, but Liv couldn’t find Jeimy intimidating-- not when all she could feel from them was genuine warmth shining through the shyness.

“Jeimy? Am I… saying that right?”

Jeimy looked up, for a beautiful moment, meeting Liv’s eye. “Yeah, you’re fine.” And they smiled broader, their dark eyes twinkling.

Oh, sweet Jesus I have a crush. Say something, idiot!

“I really love your hair. And your tattoo-- is it a macaw wing or something?”

Liv must have said something right, because Jeimy’s whole posture relaxed, more at-ease than she’d seen them. She could punch the air in triumph.

Yeah! You can people!

“Thanks! It is, actually,” Jeimy gushed. “It’s a scarlet macaw wing. Birds are pretty much my thing.” Again, their smile became shy. “It’s… where I got the idea to do my hair like this-- bright colours. In sexually dichromic birds, it’ll the male birds who are always bright and extravagant, while the females are kind of drab. So… to me it feels masculine.” Then, that bashfulness returned, as if they caught themselves getting too excited. “I know it’s stupid, and no one else really gets what I’m going for… but it’s me.”

“That’s… actually really cool.” She gestured to her own hair, dark brown with the streak of blonde she always dyed in. “Obviously I’m pretty much your standard drab female. But this streak here is for my mom.”

Jeimy perked back up at realising they hadn’t weirded out a potential friend. “For your mom?”

“Yeah. Well, for one of them. Back when I was small-- I think five or something?--I wanted to have a little bit of my non-biological mom’s appearance so I started having blonde in my hair. ” She chuckled. “At this point it would feel weird to stop, even though I know it wouldn’t hurt her feelings. It’s just become a ‘me’ thing.”

Jeimy looked at Liv with such curiosity, as if trying to get the measure of her, but still any eye contact was fleeting, nervous. “I, um, I have another class I need to get to, but we could… we could maybe… talk? Sometime? I don’t know anyone yet… probably a little human contact would do me good.”

“God, I know that feeling!” Liv laughed. “I would really, really like that. I’ll catch you round, yeah?”

As they went their separate ways, Liv felt as though she was floating on a cloud, she felt like skipping. Suddenly… university didn’t look nearly so sad and lonely.

______________________________

La Huerta, 2028

“Liv! Livi!” came the cry of a watchful Mama Taylor, “What have we told you about ‘running feet’?”

Liv screeched to a stop, almost toppling in. “Not near the pool…,” she grumbled.

“And why is that?”

“Sln…hurr….”

“Sorry?”

“I could slip and get hurt.”

“See! I thought you knew how to stay safe. Make sure you remember, okay? Near the pool is for ‘walking feet’, sweetheart."

‘Walking feet’ were no fun at all. What was it with grown-ups and walking everywhere, anyhow? Liv sure didn’t get it.

A cheeky smile across her face, Liv exaggeratedly walked to the shallow end of the pool, where Quinn and Michelle were taking turns in gently bouncing baby Isla in the water. Her mothers joined her, apparently relieved to have her in the water where she was unlikely to slip and crack her head open.

And so, Liv bounced between them, splashing and playing, but being extra careful not to send any big waves crashing over baby Isla’s head. Wanting to quiz her aunts, she slowed her movements to a gentle bobbing upon the surface.

“What’s it like to fall in love?” she asked.

Michelle answered without hesitation. “Confusing. But in a really nice way.”

“Like… trying to spell a word right?”

Michelle laughed kindly. “Not exactly. I know when I fell in love with Auntie Quinn, I kept feeling a lot of butterflies in my stomach--”

“OhmygodAuntieMeechhow’dtheygetinthere!”

To Liv’s indignation, both her moms and Michelle and Quinn laughed all the more.

“You’re not meant to have big flapping bugs in your tummy! I’m only five, but I know that!”

“Liv, Livi…,” Taylor said, controlling her giggles-- god, she loved that little dork--, “butterflies in your stomach doesn’t mean you actually have butterflies in there. It’s just a feeling. It’s like… you feel like your insides are twisting and turning. It’s like feeling nervous, but it makes you happy all at the same time.”

“Oh.” That wasn’t quite so interesting, but rather less alarming. “Did you have lots of butterflies when you fell in love with Mama ‘Stel?”

“Hoo boy, did I! So many butterflies. And I still get them sometimes.”

Then she looked to Estela and Quinn, her expression questioning.

“Yes, Mama Taylor gives me butterflies. At first it was scary, because it was a feeling I couldn’t control and I didn’t know what to do with it. But… once you get past the fear, falling in love has to be one of the best feelings you could have. No matter how much you’re hurt, it can make the pain less.”

“It’s really special, Liv.” Quinn grinned as an excitable Isla kicked her legs about, sending up a spray of water. “You cannot beat love!”

Liv wasn’t totally convinced on the whole ‘butterflies’ thing, but it didn’t sound quite as gross as she’d first assumed. More information was still needed. She hauled herself up onto Estela’s shoulders and hollered across the pool.

“AUNTIE ZAHRA!! DOES UNCLE CRAIG GIVE YOU BUTTERFLIES IN YOUR TUMMY!?!”

And, thus, poor Zahra died on the spot.

Craig, of course, bellowed straight back. “HELL YEAH, I DO!” And mysteriously doubled over, as if someone had booted him in the stomach below the water.

Love, Liv determined, was weird and chaotic. And… apparently, full of bugs.

____________________________

San Trobida, 2041

“Listen…,” Liv said, only slightly out of breath as she reached the top of hill, “we do have a spare room. I’d have to run it by the moms, but if you weren’t having to pay for accommodation, you’d have more of the money from your lola free to use on living your best life. I know I can only guess, but wouldn’t that be what she wanted?”

Jeimy took Liv’s hand, getting a boost to the top, then sighed. “Yeah… I know she’d want that. It’s really sweet of you to offer, but I can’t just… take advantage of you.”

Liv frowned. “I don’t know that it’d be taking advantage. I’d quite like the company in all honesty. And, hey!-- we could build an aviary out the back! We’ve got a load of space; we could build rehabilitation flight cages and everything, start a real rescue.”

“Livi, that’s definitely getting very far into ‘really should talk to your moms’ territory,” Jeimy laughed affectionately. “Honestly, I’d be happy just hanging out with those chickens you’ve got. I miss having chickens.”

Together, they sat down on a log, and Liv passed Jeimy their water bottle.

“There must be a lot of things you miss. I know it wouldn’t be the same… but it might feel more like a home than what you’re in now.”

Jeimy stared down into the valley. Feeling home had been lost to them long before they were forced from the physical house they’d once shared with their parents.

Seeing their friend retreat into themselves, Liv’s stomach dropped. Too sensitive a subject?

“I’m sorry. It’s not fair for me to stir up bad memories….”

“It’s not… the bad ones. The happy memories hurt more. They feel dishonest now the people in them have decided they don’t love me after all.” Jeimy rested their head on Liv’s shoulder. “I don’t want you to be another thing I miss from another home I can’t go back to.”

Liv took Jeimy’s hands and squeezed. She knew it was hard. Jeimy hadn’t been close to anyone since coming out as non-binary, and changing their name… and leaving everything they knew behind. She wanted to be something safe, reliable. Someone Jeimy could trust in. After all they’d been through, she didn’t expect that to happen overnight-- even if she had to sometimes catch herself getting over-zealous in her excitement over the burgeoning friendship, and her own growing romantic feelings.

“You’re not going to lose me. I’m pretty stubborn; once I’ve decided you’re one of ‘my’ people, you’re in for life. You know I’m far too much of a social disaster to risk losing the friends I do have.”

“Livi, you’re not nearly as bad as you think you are. Trust me.”

“I guess what I’m saying is… with us, there’s always going to be another hike up into the hills together. But I get that moving in with me and my moms is too much.”

Jeimy returned the pressure to Liv’s fingers, and lifted their head to meet her eyes with a grateful smile.

Something in Liv’s stomach fluttered at that smile. Butterflies. It kinda made her want to sing… and it kinda made her want to puke. As if feeling queasy could ever feel so good? She beamed back. And she felt something change in Jeimy’s gaze. She couldn’t read it. It was new. But it felt so tender….

A distant bird cry, and the spell was broken. Jeimy looked away, and ran their fingers repeatedly up and down their arm-- an anxious habit. So Liv gave them a moment.

“Hey…,” Jeimy said shakily, their fingers slowing to a stop, “if the offer works for just weekends? I’m going to be an anxious wreck by the end of the quarter with all the damn parties in the dorms.”

Liv could have screamed ‘yes’ from the treetops. Do you have any idea how much I like you?

“I think that can be arranged,” she said instead.

Movement in the trees caught both their attention. Jeimy reached into their pack for two pairs of binoculars and passed one to Liv.

“Tamarins, I think?” they observed. “I can’t tell which species.”

Liv frowned, scanning the trees going down into the valley. “I can’t… quite find them….”

Gently, Jeimy put a warm hand over Liv’s, and guided her gaze. Liv’s breath caught in her throat, nothing to do with excitement over the monkey sighting.

“See,” Jeimy said, “just to the left of the big fork. Looks like a family of them.”

“Y-yeah,” Liv managed, seeing the tamarins at last. “Yellow-crested, I'm pretty sure. Back in school, I did a project on them; Tio Nicolas took me out here to go searching for them on the weekends and we eventually found a family a bit further down by the river. Might be a good place to set up the camera trap.”

Jeimy lowered their binoculars to look at Liv. “Your tio abuelo sounds really great. I don’t even want to think what my papa would say if he ever found out I was hanging out with the family of Nicolas Montoya.” Their eyes clouded, and their voice became soft. “But… it doesn’t matter anyway. We’re a long way past fixing things as it is.”

Liv cuddled closer, offering what support she could… and realised Jeimy was struggling with something. They tried to speak once, twice, three times. Their voice caught in their throat, not quite getting out a full word. Liv waited, letting them find the words that were eluding them.

“I… mmm… this is going to be weirdly personal…,” Jeimy managed at last, wincing a little.

“That’s fine,” Liv assured.

Again, Jeimy took a few minutes, but then they spoke. “How….” They cleared their throat awkwardly. “How do you feel about kissing?”

Liv felt herself blushing furiously. She could evaporate on the spot her face and neck were so hot. She could only hope Jeimy was bashful enough themselves that they didn’t notice.

Her voice was rather high-pitched when she gathered her senses enough to reply. “I’m, errr, I’m open to kissing. I mean, I don’t really get, you know, like sexually driven kissing-- like, making out with someone and having no emotional attachment to them. To me, kissing has to mean something, otherwise it’s just… there’s no point to it.”

“Oh.. o-okay,” Jeimy stammered out, clearly flustered themselves. “I didn’t want to make assumptions. Some people see it as a very sexual thing, and I already know that’s not your bag.”

Why were they even asking? They couldn’t seriously be thinking about kissing her, could they?

“What about you?” Liv asked, putting on a very poor impression of being cool. “How does kissing appeal?”

Jeimy giggled. “With the right person? Wouldn’t say ‘no’.”

If Liv’s cheeks were red before….

“Thanks,” she said, looking out over the beautiful valley, so much lovelier for the company she shared it with, “for coming up here with me. I really needed the break from studying.”

“Honestly?” Jeimy said wistfully. “Anytime. Really.”

__________________________

La Huerta, 2028

Liv shrieked as she ran, Reggie’s footsteps pounding behind her. No way was she going to let him catch her. No wa--

Suddenly, she was in midair, held aloft by her mother’s strong arms.

“Mooom! Lemme go!”

“Oh, Livita,” Estela teased, totally unruffled by the struggling, “we told you only ‘walking feet’ by the pool. You know what happens if you can’t walk safely… you’ll just have to swim instead!”

She dangled a squealing, squirming Liv over the water.

“Do you think you can get those feet of yours to behave?”

Liv just wriggled and laughed and screamed bloody murder.

“No? Oh, mi amor….”

And Liv was dunked. She came spluttering up to the surface, still laughing hysterically. Estela jumped in after her, and Liv threw her arms around her neck, held safely above the surface while she tried to get over a wicked case of the giggles.

“Do you get the message now, monitita?”

Reggie crept cautiously to the pool to join his friend. “I’m walking! I’m walking! Don’t throw me in, Tia Estela!”

“Wuss!” cried Liv.

He entered the water at his own pace, having avoided the ire of his tia. Liv, though, he discovered, was still banging on about sappy stuff to whoever would talk to her.

“Mama?”

“More questions, mija?”

Liv stuck out her tongue. “Yup! I haven’t asked you before-- when you fell in love, did you kiss Mama Taylor, or did Mama Taylor kiss you?”

“Livi, are you still going on about kissing and stuff? Gross!”

“It’s not gross! It’s romantic!”

“It’s just like… mashing lips together. What’s so good about that? I bet kissing is all slobbery….”

“Yes, thank you, Reggie.” Estela detached Liv from her shoulders. “Well, I guess it was Mama Taylor who kissed me first, after I asked her.”

Reggie’s eyes grew wide. “You asked her? How did you know she’d say ‘yes’? You could have said, ‘please, Taylor, I think you’re pretty, please kiss me’, and she could have said ‘ew, Estela, no.’! That would be completely and totally and one hundred percent embarrassing!”

“See!” Liv said, triumphantly. “Kissing isn’t lame. It’s for brave people. So, Mama Tay said ‘yes’ and kissed you? How did you know?”

Estela scratched the back of her neck awkwardly. How to explain sexual tension to a five and six year old?

“I didn’t know exactly, but I had a feeling. Sometimes that’s all you have to go on, a feeling that you have to choose to be brave and trust. And, yeah, it was scary. It can’t remember many things that made me more scared than I was in that moment when I told her I wanted her to kiss me. But then… she did.”

“Awwww!” Liv cried.

Reggie grumbled under his breath. “I guess that must have been pretty exciting. But can we talk about something cool now?”

___________________________

San Trobida, 2041

Just lean in.

Just a little bit.

Close enough that they can take the hint, but not so close you can’t recover if you’re reading this wrong.

Come on, Liv… just lean in.

Oh my god, can they hear how hard your heart is beating right now?

And then, Jeimy closed the gap, their lips meeting Liv’s softly in a chaste kiss. They came away trembling, eyes wide with panic.

Her own eyes still closed, Liv instinctively raised a hand to her friend’s face, a gentle touch to reassure, even though she was certain her own mind was teetering on the verge of a short-circuit. Was she even breathing right now? She exhaled shakily, opening her eyes to look into Jeimy’s.

“...I…,” Jeimy choked out.

They looked afraid.

Be brave, Livi.

Liv leaned in again, and pressed her lips to Jeimy’s, lingering to savour every sensation. The butterflies were going wild. This was pure magic.

“...I…never kissed anyone before,” Jeimy croaked after they parted.

“Me neither,” said Liv softly. “I wasn’t bad, was I?”

Jeimy laughed, still shaking like a leaf, but looking euphoric more than panicked. “We’ve just established I’m no expert!”

Liv snorted, feeling faint.

“But I liked it,” they breathed. “Sort of makes me wish I got up the courage sooner.”

Now, Liv wasn’t even sure if they were butterflies. The feelings in her gut were just too big. Probably, they were birds.

This was, after all, Jeimy, and birds made more sense anyway.

___________________________

La Huerta, 2028

The sun was going down. Liv scooted over in the sand, bringing herself closer to her beloved tio as he worked on their sand-castle beside her.

“All right, jefa, what castle do you think we should make it this time?”

With a lopsided grin of contentment, Liv sat back, looking over the rough mound of sand that was their creation.

“Can we do…. can we do….” She had to ponder. “Can we do the castle like the one in Labyrinth? We haven’t made that one before.”

Diego whistled, impressed. “Damn, that’s a pretty good one. I’ll have to look up some pictures.”

“It doesn’t matter if it’s not perfect,” Liv declared. “We know what it is, and that’s what matters.” She plucked up a piece of seaweed, scrunched it into a ball with some stringy ‘limbs’ sticking out, and placed it beside the mound. “See? This is Ludo!”

“Ha. All right. I guess this is gonna be Jareth’s castle.”

They worked together in companionable quiet. Liv had so missed time spent with her tio since she’d moved to the States with her mamas to go to school. This was just like the good old times. Diego looked up pictures of the castle, and side-by-side, they worked on turning their sad, sandy mound into a replica-- even if a little imagination was needed.

To her tio, Liv could ask the big questions.

“Tio Diego? Do you think one day I could fall in love and have a special person? I’d really, really like that.”

He smiled kindly, and patted down the walls of the castle with gentle hands. “Oh, I think so. If you’re open to falling in love, I think that your special person will find you exactly when you’re not expecting it, but when your heart needs them most.” He glanced upwards, toward the sea, where Varyyn was surfing the last waves of the day. “Sometimes, love is tricky like that. It knows what it’s doing even when you don’t!”

Tricky, Liv understood, but she knew that something so special must be worth even a hundred bugs flapping around in one’s tummy.

One day, she decided, I’m gonna fall in love.

[sceptilemasterr]

SHIP QUESTIONS! For Quinchelle, I would pretty please like 4-6 in pre-relationship, 1-3 in general, and 1, 7 and 9 in love. <3 Five domestic of your choice for Namasiao! Aaaand all the pre-relationship questions for Atlas/Beckett!

I'd be happy to, thanks for the request!

Quinnchelle:

4. Who felt romantic feelings first?

Quinn. At first she spent much of her time on La Huerta at first being afraid to get too close to anyone, afraid of burdening them with her terminal diagnosis. After being healed, Quinn had a lot of inner confusion as she adjusted to her new reality; through it all, Michelle was always there as a sort of emotional anchor for her. It wasn't long before Quinn realized just how much she wanted Michelle in her life; not just as a friend, but as something more.

5. Did either of them try to resist their feelings?

Quinn was very shut down to any romantic thoughts prior to her recovery, as mentioned above. After being healed, she quickly became open to the idea, though Michelle took a little longer to come around. It took Quinn flat-out asking Michelle on a date for her to acknowledge her feelings.

6. If you had told one of them that the other would be their soulmate, what would they think?

Quinn would've been sad at the idea that anyone would be "cursed" to be the soulmate of someone like her who was destined for a short life. She'd have hoped Michelle found someone who could stick around for her a bit longer, if possible. Michelle probably would've been a little skeptical of the idea of a "soulmate" at all but gradually opened up to the idea of dating Quinn.

1. Who initiated the relationship, and how did it go?

Quinn initiated; it wasn't long after she was healed that she decided to take the risk and ask Michelle out. She asked her while at the Elysian Lodge with the other Catalysts; Michelle was a little hesitant at first but finally acknowledged that she was starting to feel something for Quinn and was willing to try it out. Quinn was very relieved and somehow managed to be even cheerier than usual for the rest of the night, a feat the others acknowledged should probably have been impossible.

2. Did they have an official first date? If so, what was it like?

They had two, actually! Their first first date was at the Vaanti festival of shak'nalen, a rough equivalent to Thanksgiving. The two of them danced, enjoyed some Vaanti games, and ate plenty of food! The other Catalysts were all incredibly supportive and happy to see the two of them find each other.

Later, after returning from La Huerta, Michelle had the idea to ask Quinn out on a "second first date" now that they were back home. It was a bit silly, but it was really a way to take Quinn (and her own) mind off of everything that had happened. She took her to a fancy restaurant in downtown Northbridge, and then afterward to visit the opening of The Grand nightclub nearby. Here, they briefly ran into Sasha Stevens, who Quinn realized had a strong aura, similar to the one she'd started to notice around the Czasa twins near the end of their time on La Huerta. They quickly lost sight of her, and put the strange aura out of their minds as they enjoyed the rest of their night before returning to Michelle's dorm and spending the night together.

A few weeks later, Quinn would remember what she'd spotted that night. She immediately reaches out to Estela and Jake with what she'd found, leading them to investigate Northbridge further... but that's another story altogether!

3. What was their first kiss like?

New Year's Eve at midnight, at the tallest platform of Elyys'tel during the Catalysts' second New Year's party. They were both a little shy about it at first, but then Quinn took her attitude of "living life to the fullest" and went in for the kiss. Michelle reciprocated, to plenty of cheers and whoops from the rest of the Catalysts.

1. Who said “I love you” first?

Michelle! They were falling asleep together late at night in Elyys'tel; she didn't think Quinn could hear her at first, and was a bit surprised when she heard a mumbled "Love you too, 'Chelle."

It turned out Quinn hadn't remembered hearing that the next morning, but Michelle asking her was essentially saying it again, and Quinn reciprocated, this time while wide awake!

7. What are their favorite things to do together?

If you asked Quinn, she'd say "Anything as long as we're together." But, to be more precise, they really love having time to themselves; a night cuddled up on the couch together watching a movie is heaven for the two of them. They also enjoy baking together. Despite plenty of practice, Michelle hasn't gotten very good at it, but Quinn appreciates her effort and enthusiasm for helping out. They don't really have much fun when out in large groups; their experiences on La Huerta have set them apart from the rest of the world in a way they can't quite place, much like the other Catalysts. For that reason, they're always eager to invite some or all of the Catalysts to visit any chance they can. Furball appreciates the attention, too!

9. Who’s more protective?

Michelle tends to be the more protective of the two in most situations. She will not tolerate anyone insulting or belittling Quinn or herself and always makes her anger known very quickly. In contrast, it takes a lot to make Quinn truly furious, but when she does... the powers that awakened on La Huerta are enough to scare off most "normal" threats fairly quickly.

Namasiao:

1. If they get married, who proposes?

Zahra proposes a few years after returning from La Huerta. She dropped increasingly obvious hints to Craig, who missed each and every one of them, including straight up asking "you ever think about gettin' married?" to which he replied "well, yeah, of course we should" but didn't follow up whatsoever. She later went out and bought simple matching engagement rings, asked Craig the big question, then as soon as he said 'yes,' she put the ring on his finger telling him "You're stuck with me now!" He was, of course, plenty happy with that arrangement.

2. What’s the wedding like? Who attends?

As fitting Zahra and Craig, they had a very small wedding, held in the most isolated place they could think of: La Huerta, the Celestial ballroom. (It also helped that Aleister and Grace didn't charge them a cent for the venue.) The Catalysts and some of the Vaanti were invited, along with a few others they had met during their adventures. It was a Catalyst party like no other, and mostly an excuse for everyone to drink a lot, but they wouldn't have had it any other way.

6. Who worries the most?

Craig worries about every possibility under the sun, including those that are completely outrageous ("what if a meteor hits the bridge today and we fall in the ocean while driving and drown?") Zahra's better at keeping him down-to-earth and prefers to stay realistic. It does annoy her a bit that the definition of "realistic" keeps getting stretched with each new adventure they and the other Catalysts find themselves wrapped up in, as Craig is fond of reminding her.

7. Who kills the bugs in the house?

Zahra always insists on taking care of it herself, since whenever Craig tries to kill a bug, he usually ends up destroying everything in the room except the bug in question.

10. Who’s the better cook?

The one thing that Craig can cook is scrambled eggs, for some reason, which is still one more food dish than Zahra can cook. Their diet largely consists of take-out and frozen meals, save the rare occasions when one of the other Catalysts (typically Quinn or Raj) decides to cook for them while visiting.

Atlas/Beckett ("Batlas? "Ackett?" never mind those are both terrible)

1. How did they first meet?

Their first meeting was in Penderghast's library, though Beckett didn't realize it at the time since Atlas was in disguise as her twin sister Fiora. Atlas was looking for information on the Dread, and encountered Beckett early in the morning.

Beckett's first time meeting Atlas not disguised was during the surprise birthday party for Fiora. He was completely taken off-guard by the reveal that Fiora had a twin sister who he had been interacting with all this time, though he tried to pretend he'd known all along (no one believed him.)

2. What was their first impression of each other?

Atlas found Beckett annoying at first, especially in her efforts to not be noticed while in disguise as Fiora. Gradually, particularly once she no longer had to disguise herself any more, she started to respect Beckett for his abilities.

Beckett, for his part, didn't realize it was Atlas he was talking to, and simply thought "Fiora" was behaving strangely on the occasions he saw her in disguise. After the reveal, things made a lot more sense to him. He was reluctantly impressed by her abilities with her Water- and Energy-Attunement, and quickly started to see her in a competitive light.

3. Did any of their friends or family want them to get together?

Zeph, from the moment he discovered Atlas existed. He even physically dragged Beckett over to ask Atlas to the gala, since he was reluctant to do it himself. Fiora was also very encouraging of the two of them, but in a less overt way than Zeph.

4. Who felt romantic feelings first?

Neither one could say when exactly their mutual competitiveness and respect for one another evolved into true friendship, and from there into romance. It sort of happened over time; they don't even have an anniversary of their first date. They use Atlas and Fiora's birthday, since that was the first time they met with Atlas out of disguise. Their feelings grew naturally, and by the end of Beckett's second year at Penderghast they were official.

5. Did either of them try to resist their feelings?

Not when it comes to romantic feelings, but in terms of friendship, Atlas was very reluctant. It took some time before she was willing to let the Pend Pals--including Beckett--truly befriend her.

6. If you had told one of them that the other would be their soulmate, what would they think?

Beckett would laugh and explain fifteen different scholarly proofs as to why the idea of a "soulmate" has been thoroughly debunked by the highest Attuned scientists.

Atlas would send you flying into the nearest body of water, or create her own if there was none nearby.

7. What would their lives be like if they had never met?

Atlas would still open up to the others as friends, but she likely would have taken a long time before she found someone equally as skilled and driven as Beckett to impress her. She probably would have ended up spending a lot more time with Fiora and Shreya, simply because they're the only family she'd have.

Beckett, likewise, would not find a romantic partner for many years, if at all, simply because of his incredibly high standards. He would live most of his life alone and would not go out of his way much to seek out the others. The other Pend Pals would end up forcing him to join in on their get-togethers.

...And, of course, Beckett III, Evie, little Zeph, and Rel would never have existed. Though the house would still be standing at least, so there's that.

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

Thanks again for the asks! This was fun!

[hoynovoy]

'This Is Us' Season 6: Release Date, Cast, Trailer, Plot, &amp; More Info

This Is Us’ first big surprise came in Season 1, Episode 1. It seemed like a show about four random characters with zero connection other than the same birthday. But by the end of the hour, the series had pulled back the curtain and revealed that all four (Kevin, Kate, Randall, and Jack) were one big family. Moreover, there was a grand plan in place to tell their story. With This Is Us Season 6 on the way for the 2021-2022 TV season, fans want to know where the plan goes next.

Since the show's inception, showrunner Dan Fogelman has said the series is on a six-season arc. He said the story's big plot points were already planned out well in advance, including twists to come in later seasons.

The first three seasons of This Is Us were renewed in the usual broadcast way, one season at a time each spring as the networks presented their upcoming slates. But something strange happened ahead of Season 4. Fans knew the show was almost certainly coming back, but NBC declined to mention its renewal at the usual time.

It took until August 2019, when the show returned to film, for the announcement to come, and then it was a bonanza reveal: This Is Us was renewed through Season 6, which Fogelman reiterated at the time was planned as the final season.

Now, with that season almost here, here's what to know about it:

'This Is Us' Season 6 Teaser

There is no teaser for This Is Us Season 6 as of yet. But fans do know a few things: Season 6 is now confirmed as the series finale. Fogelman took to Twitter on May 14 to share the news, writing that while he’s “sad” for the end, “We’ll work hard to stick the landing.”

Fogelman has been working toward the final episode for years. That includes filming future scenes with some of the show's youngest cast while still the right age to be part of the show's final episode.

'This Is Us' Season 6 Cast

The Pearson clan has been the heart of This Is Us since the show's inception, and fans can expect all three siblings, their spouses, their parents, and their children to return for the final run.

That includes:

The Pearson "Big Three" Triplets: Sterling K. Brown plays Randall, Chrissy Metz plays Kate, and Justin Hartley plays Kevin. Their teen versions are played by Niles Fitch, Hannah Zeile, and Logan Shroyer, and their tween versions are played by Lonnie Chavis, Mackenzie Hancsicsak, and Parker Bates.

The Older Pearson Generation: Mandy Moore is their mother, Rebecca, Milo Ventimiglia is her beloved late husband, Jack, and Jon Huertas is her current husband, Miguel. Also, Griffin Dunne plays Nicky, Jack's younger brother and uncle to the Big Three. He's the only character of this generation to have a "younger" version played by a different actor, Michael Angarano.

The Pearson Spouses: Susan Kelechi Watson plays Randall's wife Beth, Chris Sullivan plays Kate's husband Toby, and Caitlin Thompson plays Kevin's fiancée, Madison. Of this group, only Beth has recurring younger versions, played by Rachel Hilson and Akira Akbar.

The Pearsons: The Next Generation: The oldest kids are Randall's three children: Eris Baker as Tess, Lyric Ross as Deja, and Faithe Herman as Annie. Their adult versions (Iantha Richardson, La Trice Harper, and Iyana Halley) will also turn up in flash forwards. Kate's toddler son Jack and adopted baby daughter Hailey, and Kevin's newborn twins, Nicholas and Frances, will also be around. Fans have met Jack and Hailey's adult counterparts (Blake Stadnik and Adelaide Kane) in the future-set scenes, but not their teen versions. Conversely, fans have glimpsed Nicholas and Frances as tweens but have not seen adult versions yet.

As for recurring roles, it's a little less clear who will roll into the show's final season. Asante Blackk will probably be back as Deja's boyfriend, Malik. Phylicia Rashad will also most likely be around as Beth's mother, Carol.

Alexandra Breckenridge may be back as Kevin's ex-wife Sophie (as may her teen and kid counterparts, Amanda Leighton and Sophia Coto). Ron Cephas Jones may appear in flashbacks as Randall's biological dad William. Fans also hope Jennifer Morrison will be back as Cassidy Sharp, Nicky's friend from rehab.

'This Is Us' Season 6 Plot

Like the first five seasons, This Is Us will continue to unfold the final layers of the 100-year story of the all-American family of the Pearsons. So far, the series has covered stories from Jack's birth in 1950 to the birth of his great-granddaughter, Hope, in 2050.

Fans also hope there will be some answers and closure to how the story turns out. Does Kevin win an Oscar? Do he and Madison beat the odds and stay together? What happens to Miguel and Kate? (Neither has been seen in future flash forwards so far.) And what other last-minute ultra-satisfying twists will occur that no one even suspects yet?

'This Is Us' Season 6 Release Date

Except for the coronavirus-delayed Season 5, This Is Us has returned like clockwork every year to NBC on the last Tuesday of September. If that tradition holds, fans can expect Season 6 to arrive on Sept. 27, 2021, at 9 p.m. ET for its final 18-episode run.

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