#variego

[marmolady]

Never Had A Friend Like Me: Part One

Hey, @mauvecatfic... some Diego for you!

Summary: Endless Ending timeline. Elderly Diego and Taylor reflect on a lifelong friendship. Part one of two.

Word Count: 3741

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

Thanks for reading!

__________________________

La Huerta, 2090

“Hey--” Taylor said as she settled down amongst the soft cushions of her favourite chair, knowing full well she’d be needing to call in assistance when the time came to haul her old body up from them, “I came up with the perfect idea for our next marathon.”

“’Marathon’? Between the two of us, we’re lucky to get through one movie without someone dozing off.” Diego grinned at his friend. His best friend of seventy years.

“That’s what makes it a marathon, because it takes so damn long. We take our time, savouring the laughs, the tears, and appreciating the artform.” A glass of wine, some cheeses, to break it up. And the two of them would reminisce, and Diego would point out his favourites of the crew’s filmmaking choices… or those that were notably bad.

“How about ‘the Zac Efron trifecta’?” Taylor suggested, showing her age. “High School Musical, followed by Hairspray, followed by The Greatest Showman.”

“Let’s just see if we can get through ‘Julie Andrews Fest’ first, okay?”

They did this fairly often. Just chilling out to the tune of films meeting their assigned theme. At the age they were, ‘just chilling out’ was pretty much requisite. Taylor’s arthritis had worsened considerably in the last year, and Diego’s respiratory issues were easily triggered by any amount of exertion. They were reasonably healthy nonogenerians… but they were nonogenerians.

You got to an age where you didn’t know when your best-friend-movie-weekend would be your last one. Naturally, a lot of the choices were deeply nostalgic old comforts. Created from nothing into a white American woman with a built-in noughties childhood and adolescence, the lyrics to all the songs in High School Musical-- and some of the dance routines too-- were something innate to Taylor. She’d been born with it. Later, she’d discovered that Quinn had been obsessed with the series as a kid and had found it a comfort as she shared it with her mom during long months housebound. When Vaanu was piecing together what ‘human’ looked like, something from Quinn’s consciousness must have been picked up. So many of those little things made up Taylor, and now that so many of her friends had passed on, they meant all the more.

There weren’t many of them left now. Quinn, who’d fought so valiantly to even survive adolescence, was still hanging on, the youngest of the group at coming up to ninety-four. Estela was still there, rather more mobile than the others, but then she was stubborn, gritting her teeth through the aches and pains and soldiering on. Aleister was… struggling. Taking one day at a time since the loss of his beloved Grace some months before. But he got up in the morning, and found his inner strength when needed to chide his sister for being a pig-headed idiot pushing her shrinking limits too far. Zahra had long been a respected figure among the Vaanti, and she was still the go-to person for technological know-how, even though anyone seeking her help was advised to do so only with an armoured layer of thick skin. She did ‘cantankerous and acerbic old woman’ to perfection, and her mind remained just as sharp as her tongue.

Taylor leaned back in her chair, feet up on an ottoman and wearing a well-worn pair of slippers.

“We’re going to have to become more selective,” she admitted. “And I know we traditionally do movies, but one last Doctor Who binge?”

Everything was getting to be ‘the last time’. Diego had put off their re-watch of The Lord of the Rings trilogy time and time again for that very reason; saying goodbye needed to be given the weight it deserved. Soon, he’d brave it, but for that one, Varyyn would need to join them.

“You couldn’t have picked a longer running series, Tay?” Diego teased. “We’ve got decades of life left in us to watch this stuff, you know….”

“Oh, ha-ha. You know I’m a David Tennant era girl. The rest I’ll take or leave. Like I said, we should be selective.”

Diego grunted a chuckle, and readied the next movie in their Julie-Andrews-a-thon, The Sound of Music, pausing before pressing ‘play’.

“Hey, I said ‘selective’, not that we couldn’t watch this-- you know I love--”

“Yeah, but think of the big old family sing-along we could make out of this,” he said, eyes twinkling. “We could even drag Zahra up here, keep her heckling muscles strong.”

Taylor’s grin broadened. Her family and Diego’s family were one and the same. Liv and her spouse, Jeimy, had lived on La Huerta a few years now-- and Rosa had lived there for a few decades. Their family was human, and Vaanti, with grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, and nephews and nieces, and in-laws. It was their weird little family they’d made at the end of the world, and then everything that had grown from there.

“All right, I’ll share my bestie… this time. But we’re telling the hordes to bring their own snacks.”

“You’re on.”

They waited together in companiable quiet for the others to arrive. Taylor found herself studying the peaceful profile of her old friend as he began to doze. No doubt, he still felt a young twenty-something on the inside, just as she did. She could almost still see that young man, somewhere beneath the grey hair and the wrinkles that told a lifetime of stories.

Their stories.

___________________________

La Huerta, 2078

“Here you go,” Taylor said, a smile in her voice as she pushed the door open with her hip. “Breakfast in bed. You can’t say we don’t treat our guests right!”

With a soft moan, Diego propped himself higher against his pillow. “Pancakes? Who’d have thought recovering from heart surgery could be so sweet? I’ll never want to leave this bed if you keep this up. The usual pain aside, I feel pretty lucky.”

It was fortunate indeed that he’d had somewhere to go to for help just a short hop from La Huerta. And it was fortunate indeed that Taylor and Estela’s old home had enough room for them to care for him there-- and enough space that Varyyn could exist there comfortably in secret for the necessary recovery period. It was Liv’s home now, shared with her spouse and elder daughter, though the latter had temporarily moved in with her brother at the old Montoya place to make room. Still, with six people and three bedrooms, it was a very full house.

Diego met his old friend’s eye. “Thank you. Really.”

The reply was quiet and sincere. “It’s no problem.”

Taylor helped Diego with his breakfast tray. “It looked like Varyyn was enjoying his morning stroll around the big yard. I worried about him feeling trapped here, but I guess at our pace it takes a good while even to do one lap of it all.”

“He quite likes it,” Diego said. “Which is a relief-- I feel guilty enough taking him from his home. Varyyn doesn’t like the invisibility suit much anyway, but even if he did, I don’t think he’d so much as leave the property while I’m like this.”

“You’re very loved, you know.”

“I feel it right now,” he said softly. “Sore, and scared at being faced with my own mortality, and definitely very loved.”

The company was good. Liv was something between a niece and a daughter to him, and he loved her dearly. He never saw as much of her as Taylor’s other daughter, Rosa, who now lived on La Huerta, so the opportunity to catch up was welcome. Liv’s spouse, Jeimy, was a gentle presence, quietly seeing to it that their recuperating guest could want for nothing. Like Taylor, Estela had remained close to Diego’s bedside during the frightening days in hospital, and now put her considerable will-power into ensuring he took care of himself through the next phase and offering a shoulder to Varyyn should he need it. She didn’t tend to say a whole lot, but never left it unsaid that she cared. Even those few words weren’t really needed though… Diego knew.  

Taylor’s voice cracked as she spoke again. “I’m just relieved to have home from hospital. God, actually, I’m just relieved to have you out the other side of going under,” she said. “We’ve lost too much… I’ve lost too much, and I couldn’t bear it if you….”

Diego put a bony hand on hers. He felt his own eyes welling as those dark days, not so far in the back-view mirror, came flooding back. Of Jake and Craig, and the gaping holes they’d torn with their departures, one after the other. Everyone must have been bricking it, as he’d have been if any of them had been taken into hospital for heart valve replacement surgery, a vulnerable old man of eighty-two, whose body could so easily have given up the ghost.

Taylor sniffed. “But with your ticker sorted, you’ve no excuse to bail out on me anytime soon.”

“I’m not going anywhere. Except home to La Huerta-- and maybe one last go round Disney World. I still can’t believe we got kicked out that time��.”

“Ha. I blame that crowd of people wanting a picture with Varyyn-- way to get us unwanted attention!” Taylor chuckled, heartened by her friend’s ability to see beyond the recovery period. Maybe they should go and do something fun, a last hurrah. “It’s not far to Florida. I’m sure we can pull that one off… but we’ll get you healed up and recovered first. Deal? I need you to be okay.”

Diego met her eye and nodded. He’d never not take her fears for him seriously.

“No more scares. I don’t think Varyyn could take it either.”

It was strange to be in this place. Less and less he’d leave La Huerta… less and less there’d been a need to. There was no blood family left. He was contentedly retired, living the life of a revered old storyteller in Elyys’tel. And much of his chosen family-- Taylor and Estela, Grace and Aleister, and more recently Zahra, Sean and Raj-- had taken up residence back on La Huerta, choosing to spend their twilight years, well, home. The younger generation did most of the running around, visiting frequently, while the bulk of the ageing Catalyst gang remained settled in the place that had changed everything. More accustomed to life in a Vaanti village than he was the world he’d been born into, Diego had long lost the desire to go back, even to visit.

“No,” Taylor said quietly. “He’s been worried sick.”

This would probably be the last time Diego and Varyyn would visit the extended Montoya family in San Trobida. Diego had been a frequent guest at old Tio Nicolas’ place whenever Taylor and Estela were staying with him, and later was a frequent guest in this house as his friends put down their own roots. All the photographs on the dresser he’d looked at a thousand times before; Taylor and Estela on their second wedding day, young Liv with a broad grin and a gymnastics medal, a middle-aged couple he knew to be Estela’s grandparents, and one of the many, many group photos taken on a Catalyst reunion-- he’d guess the date to be sometime in the 2040s. And there was one of him and Taylor, arms around one another and grinning; he was pretty sure it had been taken at a party to celebrate the launch of his second book. It had been a pretty tipsy night, so neither remembered it being taken, but he’d always loved how damn happy he looked in that picture. Taylor had once told Diego he ‘represented her side of the family’. He felt it. This room was more home than any other off La Huerta had ever been.

“Hey?” Taylor broke the long silence. “I’m gonna go grab a slice or two of toast, but I’ll come back. If you don’t mind, can I sit up on the bed with you? I think… I’m having a clingy day.”

There was no question at all.

____________________________

La Huerta, 2070

Taylor took a deep breath as she stepped off the plane. This was it. They were home for good.

“Grandma!” came the holler of little Aurora, nine years old, soon to be wrapped in a cuddle.

“We’re here! All in one piece, thanks to Captain Georgie,” Taylor announced. It had been a few years since Georgiana and Benny took over from their father as La Huerta’s go-to pilots, and she’d been tasked the very important job of bringing two of the Catalysts back to the island.

“Can we go on the plane?” twelve-year-old Leo clamoured, peering past his grandmother.

“Why, you’re going somewhere?” Estela asked, stepping down onto the dirt and taking in the familiar scents of La Huerta.

Leo shook his head. “I’ve just never checked out the cockpit,” he said. “But I swear I’m happy to see you too!”

They all did the rounds of hugs; Taylor and Estela’s younger daughter, Rosa, lived on the island with her Vaanti husband, and the reunion was always emotional. Sean and Jake’s youngest, Georgie, also lived here-- like Diego, she was almost as culturally Vaanti as she was anything else-- and her little family had also come down to the airstrip to greet the newcomers.

Diego held back patiently, dying though he was to throw his arms around his old friend and welcome her to the rest of their lives. He wasn’t about to get between those kids and their grandmas-- both Leo and Aurora had been talking about little else for weeks.

With tears in her eyes, Taylor squeezed little Aurora as she came in for hug after hug, only letting anyone else get a look in when she latched on to Estela for a few seconds before switching again. Of Taylor and Estela’s five grandchilren, Aurora was the youngest, the only blonde of the bunch, and the one who most resembled Grandma Tay-- and not just physically. Their bond was especially tight; Aurora had been in floods of tears last time they’d said goodbye. There’d be less of that now. Of course, the trade-off was that Liv’s clan in San Trobida would become the family they’d have to fly to visit…. There was really no winning once one’s children spread their wings and put down roots away from the maternal nest; she and Estela could not be with all of them all of the time, however much they wanted to be.

“Hey, G’ma!” Leo took an opportunity to get a look in, putting an arm around his grandmother. He was as tall as her now-- how and when did that happen?

“How are you doing, sweetheart?” Taylor asked, and she had to crane her neck to kiss his head. Goddamnit, kid, stop growing so fast! “Have you been up to much while we were gone?”

“Mostly just school and stuff,” he said with a shrug. “Dad’s been giving me some guitar lessons, though.”

“You’re giving the drums a rest?”

Leo grinned, his dark eyes alight with the mischief of a kid with a penchant for making a lot of noise. “For now.”

With Leo soon back to the important business of kicking a ball up and down the beach with Georgie’s children, Niraea and Rauan, and Estela being shown the jewellery Aurora had made, Taylor exchanged hugs and greetings with Rosa and Homori. She found herself choking up as she looked over her daughter’s shoulder and into the world that had been the making of her… where she was truly home.

There was nowhere else I was ever going to wind up in the end, was there?

And there, meeting her eye, was Diego. What she didn’t owe that man…. Her smile broadened to match his, and with a kiss to Rosa’s hair, she stepped away.

“Where’s my hug, Diego? You finally got your way-- we’re here, and we’re here to stay!”

Diego laughed. “It was only ever a matter of time. I know you… and this is your happy place.”

She embraced him, then took his hand and squeezed, before raising their joined fingers to her face to wipe away those pesky tears.

“It’s really good to be home, you know? It’s really good to be home.”

________________________

La Huerta, 2060

With a grunt, Diego sat down upon the sand. They hadn’t walked far from Elyys’tel. He was tired, the toll of the past few days being felt all over.

“I’m sorry,” Taylor said heavily. “I really am sorry. For your loss, and for being a pushy jerk when you plainly told me to give you space.”

Diego gave her a soft nudge with his shoulder. He’d needed to hear it, that apology. Things had been hard, as though every part of him was in conflict, and he’d been helpless but to let it all blow up inside him. He’d needed his best friend, but mostly he’d needed her to leave him the hell alone to work out his own head.

 “Hey, you got the message eventually. Took you long enough, but… I think I can forgive you. I know Varyyn has too.”

 A fall-out with Taylor had been the last thing he’d needed, but it was just that kind of a week. Of course, his father dying had to coincide with the most vital phase of Varyyn’s handing over the title of Elyyshar to Taari, and of course Taylor in full ‘fix everyone’s problems’ mode would come in all overbearing just when he needed to be left to process. Looking back, he could see how Taylor needed to feel as though she could help, to overcompensate for the helplessness she’d been battling over her daughter’s struggles back home.

Things had been rocky between them for a few days, but space had done its job. Sitting out there in the place where they each felt most themselves, feelings and fears could come tumbling out, for he was ready for it now.

“So, now it’s just Mama,” Diego was saying. “I have even less reason to go back-- I know she wouldn’t recognise me anyway. What would I say if she did? There’s nothing more I’m willing to apologise for; I’m not apologising for being me.”

“And you shouldn’t. Not ever.”

Diego looked into his friend’s face, desperately seeking comfort as he’d done countless times before. Any anger over how she’d behaved was gone; now he was ready to talk, and he just wanted that same old honest and loving support he trusted her to give… even when the conversation itself scared him half to death. What it could say about himself… the very man he was…. When he spoke again, the words came out rushed and fearful.

“My cousins will keep visiting… I know they will. But Mama’s going to be one of those tragic dementia patients sitting abandoned in a nursing home, her only kid having wiped his hands of her. It makes me feel just sick with guilt.”

“Hey,” Taylor said gently. She  tenderly brushed a lock of her behind Diego’s ear. Her heart ached for him. It was so damn unfair, but that, it seemed, was life sometimes. All she could do was listen. And actually listen this time. “You’re getting eaten up over someone who’s betrayed your trust, who’s had every chance to put the work in and heal things but chose not to. You still love your mom, but you love yourself more. That’s not abandonment by my reckoning.”

A tear rolled down Diego’s cheek. “Just… just feels different now. The roles are reversed, and she’s the one who needs looking after.”

Taylor frowned thoughtfully. “I wish I had the answers. I really do. A big part of me wants to tell you ‘screw that asshole, she made her bed and has to lie in it’, but you’re the one who’s going to have to be able to live with yourself. If living with yourself means spending some time with her, even just one visit to get closure, it doesn’t mean you’re just bowing down to the pressure she put on you all those years. Whatever you decide, do it for you.”

They quietly watched the waves roll in.

Diego found himself envying his friend. Taylor didn’t have a family, so they couldn’t hurt her. She’d never felt rejection-- certainly not from anyone who’d promised a lifetime of love. He always came back to Taylor, it just came naturally, but the flickerings of resentment reared their heads, even as the two of them stood shoulder to shoulder on the beach. How could she possibly have a clue?

He brushed away his tears. Of all the times he’d wished he was in Taylor’s shoes instead, it always came back to truth that he was proud of the man he’d become… and that man had been shaped by the life he’d lived and the people he’d loved-- whether they returned it or not.

And Taylor… cared for him. She loved him. So, he’d take her as the wonderful, flawed person she was and appreciate her presence in his corner, even when she botched the execution. At least she screwed up and then made amends, she wasn’t too proud to be wrong. In contrast, he didn’t think he could recall an instance of his mother owning up and apologising even once in his life….

Diego sighed loudly. No one else could decide this one for him. His decision… well, he’d already decided. He just had to find a way to forgive himself.

Getting to his feet, he held out a hand to pull Taylor to hers. Then, they continued their walk. They walked the well-trodden and yet constantly-changing strip between Elyys’tel and Catalyst’tel, bare feet in the shallows, the water pleasantly cool as the sun neared the horizon.

“I know who I am,” Diego said, after another long stretch of comfortable, if emotional, hush. I’m not a cruel person.”

“Cruel is the last thing you are,” Taylor said, soft but full of conviction.

Diego’s chin trembled. Sorry, Mama. This is me knowing what I’m worth.  “My head knows I can’t give Mama any more. My heart’s just going to need to learn to let go.”

They fell quiet once more.

“Sunset’s really pretty tonight….” Diego said quietly after a while. “Guess it’s not all doom and gloom.”

And in the morning… the sun would rise again.

_______________________

La Huerta, 2042

“I wanted to put something to you,” Taylor said nervously. “It’ll need you and Varyyn to sit with it a bit, so don’t worry about giving me an answer now.”

“That sounds… pretty ominous to be honest.”

This was supposed to be just a relaxing stroll along the beach before dinner, but Diego was immediately on alert for something big. Admittedly, Taylor had dropped some pretty gargantuan bombs on him in the past.

Taylor chuckled and shook her head. “Before you freak out-- we’d like you to be Rosa’s godfather. Or the agnostic equivalent anyway. Basically, if anything were to happen to ‘Stel and me, you and Liv would share custody of Rosa and take care of her together-- whether it’s here or back in San Trobida.”

Diego took it in with a nod, turning it over in his head. She was asking the world and giving the world… but was it her heart talking over her head?

“You don’t think-- I mean, I’m sure you’ve thought of this-- that in a worst-case scenario she’d do better with some of the guys in San Trobida who she’s got to know a bit more?”

Diego watched as his friend’s face crumpled before him. “I’m sorry-- I didn’t mean--”

Taylor turned away, wrestling with herself as emotion overcame her. “God, you don’t have to be sorry. It’s… it’s what Estela said initially too.” She looked back to Diego, her eyes rimmed with red. “It’s just different with you. What we have is special; I’ll never have a connection like that with another person. You’re my other home.”

“Is one not enough for you? Greedy cow,” Diego teased gently, but he wrapped Taylor in his arms as he did so, bringing her in so they were forehead-to-forehead. He got it. His deep sense of belonging with Varyyn didn’t take away the warmth and security he gleaned from the tight bond he had with Taylor. It was more like… a familial bond. They’d each grown and gone their separate ways, but a piece of their hearts resided with one another and always would.

“I would always, always be there for your girls,” he said.

“I know….” Taylor said shakily. “You’ve just been such an amazing ‘special uncle’ to Liv; it would be wonderful for Rosa, you know? She needs all the support systems we can give her.” She sighed, and gave a weak laugh. “It goes without saying, doesn’t it. I guess… I guess….”

As she trailed off, Diego considered her quietly. Taylor’s past year had been intense, and the distance between them had made it difficult for him to be the shoulder he wanted to be her. The bags under her eyes were telling, and the way she so clearly longed for closeness with him.

“It’s hardly a surprise… mortality being on your mind. What with the anniversary just been,” he said quietly.

Twelve months prior, Estela had been grievously injured in an attack by a young and brash admirer of the late General Salazar. Vastly more experienced in fighting as she was, Estela had managed to stave off mortal harm, but it had been far too close a shave for comfort. Miles and miles away, Diego had been there with Taylor, talking her through the terror and despair down a phone line. Of course, Jake flew a plane to bring him back to San Trobida as soon as he could, but he felt his isolation from the rest of the world in a way he rarely had before or since. His best friend had him now, though.

Taylor nodded, sniffing. “I thought I’d moved on from it. ‘Stel’s going strong. We actually needed a jolt to make us stop and really consider how we wanted the rest of our lives to look-- maybe we wouldn’t even have Rosi now if it wasn’t for the wake-up call. But it scared the absolute shit out of me.

“Obviously, I don’t think either of us are going anywhere, or we wouldn’t have even thought about adopting. It just sneaks up on me with how close we came. Life’s pretty fragile.”

“How are things going with Rosa?” Diego ventured gently. “Smooth sailing since we last talked?”

“She seems pretty happy, doesn’t she?” Taylor replied, fully aware of just how obvious her deflection was. But this was Diego, so she relented and shared. “I think security will come in time for her. Right now the threshold for meltdowns is really low-- the slightest hint of either of us using a stern tone with her or being disapproving in any way, and she goes to pieces.” She gave a dry little laugh. “Obviously I feel a complete asshole for ragging on Estela that first time it happened. Rosa barely gives us a reason to reprimand her in any way, she’s so desperate to please, but we’re human beings and we get frustrated.”

“Bet it makes you feel like absolute shit, though! Only human or not.”

Taylor met his eye and nodded again. “It’s a lot. I’m with her all day-- though we’re confident she’ll be ready to go to a real school next year-- and I’m hyper-aware of how she’s perceiving me. I’m pretty sure she is happy for the most part; her speaking’s come on in leaps and bounds, and there’s so much affection between us.” She gave a sad shrug. “I just wish so badly that she didn’t have that fear, that she knew with total certainty that she’s ours unconditionally. She doesn’t deserve to be scared like she is.”

“It’s just time, you know?” Diego said gently. “You did a pretty good job of convincing me you were unconditional, and I had even more years of baggage collected than Rosi does. Just… time.”

“Yeah….” Taylor’s shoulders slumped. There was no magic shortcut.

“I’ll come and pay you another visit-- soon. I want to stay with you a while; if what’s holding me back from saying yes is that Rosa doesn’t know me well enough, then we fix that. She’s basically my niece, and I already love her; we’re on catch-up compared to Liv at that age, but I’ll work on it ‘til we get there.”

A smile came to Taylor’s face, growing ever-broader.

“What?” said Diego, “I take it you’re on board with that? I don’t need to Airbnb it?”

Taylor couldn’t help but laugh. “Buddy, how long have you been out here? Airbnb went down the tubes years ago! And you know full well, if you come to San Trobida and stay anywhere other than the Casa Montoya, I will be mortally wounded.”

“Heh, well, I can’t have that.”

[normal-thoughts-official]

ok so when diego says that ximaedra got him a job as varyyn's tutor i know we all assumed he was teaching him english, because that's the only thing that makes sense. however, we neglected to consider that literally anything else would be funnier

our possibilities are basically:

something else that humans and vaanti share, like math or something. so diego's normal not a math expert or a teacher ass has to try and teach varyyn math, and he's gotta teach him VAANTI math, which is bound to be different from modern western human math. so basically diego is like "yeah idk how to do this" and varyyn is like "me neither" and then they stare at each other and lie to ximaedra

he is teaching him something particular to vaanti society that he doesn't know the first thing about. like flying a glider or vaanti politics or, idk, something. which would be weird and inexplicable were it not for the fact that varyyn is a known little shit, and it is entirely plausible that every previous tutor quit because he is impossible. so ximaedra just saw this human weirdo who was kinda standing there with nothing else to do and went "perfect, he literally can't say no"

the second one also explains why he was tutoring varyyn specifically, and not the vaanti in general, which is weird considering that there is no reason varyyn in particular would need to know more english than the others. also please imagine diego asking why in the fresh hell he's being asked to teach varyyn to build a house, someone he doesn't know how to do, when they don't even have a shared language anyway, and how is he even supposed to do that and ximaedra being like "figure it out human boy". then within minutes varyyn escapes to go surf. and diego is now having to surreptiously hunt him down. while trying to figure out how to build a house. this is his life now. and no one here has even seen the jungle book

[migueldelaguila]

🎶 Today Miguel del Aguila’s  #PacificSerenade performance by #DominoEnsemble. Concert begins soon. 🎶

📅 **Date:** 9/26/2024 

🕕 **Time:** 6:30 PM 

📍 **Venue:** Bijou Theater, Knoxville, TN 

Featuring clarinetist  Jorge Variego.

[bytedykes]

[ID: a drawing of diego and varyyn from endless summer. they're shown in profile, varyyn standing behind diego, braiding his hair. he looks focused, and smiles slightly. diego looks back at him out of the corner of his eye. the drawing is done in simple lines and uncolored. /end ID]

when varyyn braids diego's hair at the beginning of book two 😩 i think about it a lot

[sceptilemasterr]

Endless Winter (ES Book 2) Act 1, Scene 8 - High Council of the Vaanti

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: The Catalysts are escorted through the city of Elyys'tel, where their fates will be decided.

Previous Scene: Lord of the Waves

Masterlist: Link

CONTENT WARNING: This chapter contains a scene involving a character's struggles after being outed as gay. If such content is triggering or otherwise discomforting for you, please feel free to skip over this chapter; a link to the next one has been provided here for your convenience:

Next Chapter: Trial by Water

EXT. ELYYS’TEL - DAY

Escorted by a troop of warriors, Estela helps a still half-conscious Ian along as they and the others are brought to the base of the great tree that was seen earlier. Kele is notably absent from the group as they approach the tree. From up close, its true scale becomes apparent: the trunk alone is wider than a skyscraper, and countless branches strewn with walkways and staircases crisscross the area, making it seem even more massive. Seraxa signals to someone up above, and a wooden elevator descends, allowing the group to enter the city itself.

RAJ: Duuuuude... this is so dope--

One of the warriors pokes him in the back with a spear, and he yelps in surprise.

RAJ: Okay, okay! I’m going!

The remainder of their journey continues in silence as they are escorted along the winding walkways. Countless Vaanti civilians stare at them, a myriad of emotions evident on their faces: fear, awe, surprise, reverence, curiosity. As they continue walking, Varyyn starts to stir.

VARYYN (groggily): Marr sahn...

The two warriors carrying him immediately stop, setting him gently on his feet. Varyyn looks around, confused, and then spots Diego.

VARYYN: Diego! I do not-- What has happened?

DIEGO (shrugs): It’s... a long story.

As they continue through the city, Diego fills Varyyn in on what he missed. Finally, the group arrives at the entrance of an ornate set of double doors, carved into the trunk of the great tree itself. Seraxa turns to face Alyssa and the others, a prideful smirk upon her face.

SERAXA: Prepare yourselves, Catalysts. The Tribunal awaits.

_______________________

INT. ELYYS’TEL THRONE ROOM - DAY

The great double doors swing open, revealing a vast chamber into which the Hartfeld students and Jake are quickly shepherded inside. The Vaanti warriors file in behind them. At the far end of the room is an ornate wooden throne that appears to grow directly into the wall of the tree itself. Seated in the throne is an older Vaanti woman, her clothing significantly more ornate than anything seen previously. She wears an elaborate red headdress and gazes down at the new arrivals with a stern expression mixed with curiosity. This is XIMAEDRA.

XIMAEDRA: War-Chief Seraxa. Keeper Uqzhaal. What is the meaning of this?

SERAXA: These outsiders attacked our prince! They attempted to destroy the Temple of Canis, and--

MICHELLE: What? No we didn’t--

TUPAAN, a Vaanti wearing a ram’s head mask, hits Michelle sharply in the leg with the blunt end of his spear.

TUPAAN: Quiet!

XIMAEDRA (dismissively): And why bring them here? Exile them to Sharktooth Isle and be done with it.

Seraxa nods, her expression triumphant, but before she can give any orders to her warriors, Uqzhaal hobbles forward. He declares, surprisingly loudly:

UQZHAAL: I would invoke the Rule of Tribunal!

Seraxa glares at him as Varyyn’s jaw drops. Diego looks over at him, confused, as the other Vaanti all begin talking excitedly amongst themselves in the Vaant’igua language. Seraxa and two other Vaanti warriors, a man named VILOKO and a woman named CALVIA, take up positions on either side of Ximaedra’s throne.

ALEISTER: What on Earth is a “Rule of Tribunal?”

VARYYN: A process by which they shall judge your fate. Three will speak against you, and three in your defense...

SEAN: All right, that’s not so bad. I’ll do it--

Sean approaches the throne, but another warrior pushes him back. Varyyn shakes his head and frowns.

VARYYN: The speakers must be citizens of Elyys'tel. Outsiders are not permitted to speak for the Tribunal--

ZAHRA: What? That’s bullshit! How the hell are we supposed to--

Uqzhaal hobbles back toward the group, turning to face Seraxa, Calvia, and Viloko.

UQZHAAL: I shall speak for the accused.

Varyyn and Diego exchange a glance. Varyyn then nods and steps forward to stand beside Uqzhaal.

VARYYN: As shall I.

XIMAEDRA: Varyyn, what is the meaning of--

VARYYN: I know Diego’s heart. He is no destroyer.

Ximaedra sighs.

XIMAEDRA: ...Very well. And the third?

Uqzhaal and Varyyn exchange a glance. Jake nudges Diego.

JAKE: Any chance you’re close enough with these guys to step up?

Diego shakes his head.

DIEGO (apologetically): Sure, I know them well enough, but I’m still an outsider. Sorry.

XIMAEDRA: ...Does a third citizen of Elyys’tel deign to speak in defense of the accused?

There is an awkward silence. Seraxa crosses her arms and gazes triumphantly down at Uqzhaal and Varyyn. Varyyn looks back at the other warriors in the room, hoping for assistance, but no one volunteers.

SERAXA: As we are all well aware, without a third citizen willing to stand in defense of the accused, the Tribunal is forfeit. It would seem--

A thick mist suddenly fills the entire chamber, making it impossible to see anything.

VILOKO: Saneha?! Anco jest--

XIMAEDRA (calmly): It would seem they have their third defender, War-Chief.

The mist dissipates as abruptly as it had appeared, swirling out the windows and doors. Kele is now standing beside Varyyn and Uqzhaal, facing the throne.

RAJ: Wait a sec... who the...

KELE: That’s right, Elyyshar. I will speak for the accused.

SERAXA: You would interfere again, Wave-Lord?

KELE: I’m a citizen, aren’t I? I have that right.

Seraxa sighs and crosses her arms, but says nothing more. Kele nods back at the Hartfeld group.

KELE: Looks like I’m saving you all again, aren’t I?

JAKE: Listen, Mr. Waterbender, you owe us a lot of explanation after all this--

XIMAEDRA: Silence. The defenders may speak first. Varyyn?

Varyyn takes a step forward, addressing Ximaedra directly.

VARYYN: Mother. Members of the Tribunal. You know that I have never given any of you reason to distrust me. And neither has the one we call Canis.

He turns, gesturing toward Diego.

VARYYN: For five sheaves of days now, I have spent more time with Diego than has any other citizen of Elyys’tel. I have worked alongside him, traveled with him, stood by him. I have taught him of our ways, and in turn he has taught all of us his language. And I wish to point out that in all this time, he did not once attempt to harm us or flee from us. In truth, as you all have witnessed, he has made every effort to try to understand us.

Diego gives Varyyn a grateful smile. The Vaanti warrior turns back to face the crowd.

VARYYN: And so I ask all of you, citizens of Elyys’tel: do we not owe him that same courtesy? Should we not make the effort to try and understand Diego’s people, just as he was willing to understand us? I believe we should. “For Time’s great cycle ever repeats, and that which is given, in Time one shall receive.”

There is a brief muttering among the Vaanti warriors. Varyyn gives a short bow and steps backward. Ximaedra smiles proudly for a moment, then turns serious.

XIMAEDRA: Well said, Varyyn. And now for the opposition. War-Chief Seraxa?

Seraxa nods and steps forward, glaring angrily at Varyyn before turning to face the rest of the crowd.

SERAXA: Hydra. Lyra.

Fear and anger ripple through the room in equal measure. Estela frowns in confusion as she leans in to whisper to Ian:

ESTELA: That’s the second time now she’s mentioned “Hydra.” What’s that about?

IAN (whispering): No idea.

SERAXA: We trusted outsiders once before, and we all remember how that story ended. They betrayed us. Tried to destroy us! Kidnapped the children of Vaanu from this very city! And now you would repeat that very same mistake? I refuse to risk another betrayal. Exile them and be done with it.

Seraxa stops talking and takes a step back, gazing out at the assembled Vaanti warriors around the chamber. Ximaedra nods.

XIMAEDRA: You are finished, War-Chief?

SERAXA: I am.

XIMAEDRA: Very well. Keeper Uqzhaal, you may speak.

Uqzhaal takes a few slow steps forward.

GRACE (quietly): I don’t like this.

ALYSSA: Yeah, the war-chief really hates us. I hope the old guy’s got a good argument...

UQZHAAL: War-Chief, you speak of the one we call Hydra, and the betrayal that he committed. Yet you would treat these outsiders the same, despite Hydra being their enemy as well! You forget that I was with them when the Temple of Canis was set alight. I witnessed with my own eyes as Hydra attempted to burn them alive within it! They are no friends of his, I can assure you that much.

SERAXA (angrily): They are still outsiders! This--

XIMAEDRA: Silence, War-Chief. You speak out of turn.

Seraxa bows her head, embarrassed at her sudden outburst. After a moment, Uqzhaal continues:

UQZHAAL: You mentioned as well the betrayal that Lyra inflicted upon us. How she took the children of Vaanu from our people, depriving us of such a blessing, and then sent her warriors to attack us, nearly burning Elyys’tel to the ground.

JAKE (whispering): Hey, ain’t he supposed to be on our side? That doesn’t sound like a defense.

SEAN (whispering): Yeah, I really hope he knows what he’s doing...

UQZHAAL: Yet none of you have recognized what is plain to see! That betrayal--that tragedy--has been corrected!

Uqzhaal suddenly turns and approaches the Hartfeld group, walking straight toward Alyssa and Ian. He uses his staff to reach out and pull the two of them forward, out of the group and into the space directly in front of Ximaedra’s throne. The Czasa twins look around in confusion as Uqzhaal declares:

UQZHAAL (proudly): At long last, the children of Vaanu are returned to us!

The entire chamber erupts in an uproar. Excitement, anger, and confusion can be felt in equal measure despite most of the words spoken being in the Vaant’igua language. Alyssa and Ian exchange confused glances, clearly bewildered.

SERAXA: Uqzhaal, how can you know that? Your gluptala fantasies have blinded you--

UQZHAAL (exasperated): Hydra vezm, War-Chief! I was there! I saw that one summon the Vaanulux with my own eyes!

He points to Ian.

IAN: What’s a ‘Vaan...’ uh, thing?

SERAXA: You see?! They do not even know our ways! They cannot be--

XIMAEDRA (booming): ENOUGH!

The entire room immediately goes silent. Ximaedra rises from her throne, stepping forward to stand between Seraxa and Uqzhaal. She takes a moment to allow her analytical gaze to sweep over first Ian, then Alyssa.

XIMAEDRA: If what you say is true, Keeper Uqzhaal... then we have not only the children of Vaanu, but truly the Thirteen Catalysts of legend standing in our midst. It may be a grave mistake to punish them.

Seraxa flinches, looking as though she desperately wants to object, but she holds her tongue. Ximaedra turns back to face Uqzhaal.

XIMAEDRA: If what you say is true. In order to know for certain, we shall need proof of this matter before proceeding. Tupaan? Sixal?

Tupaan and SIXAL, a female warrior wearing a golden mask, step forward.

XIMAEDRA: Go to the Temple of... hmm, Cygnus should do. Retrieve the vaalta there and bring it to us. We shall know the truth of Keeper Uqzhaal’s claim soon enough.

SIXAL: Yes, my elyyshar.

She and Tupaan move to leave the throne room, but Uqzhaal stops them with his staff.

UQZHAAL: Wait! There is no need. I have the vaalta of Canis right here.

He reaches into his satchel and withdraws the dog-headed statue he had taken from the temple earlier, holding it out before Ximaedra.

XIMAEDRA: Ah! Yes, this will work nicely. Keeper Uqzhaal, you have said nothing to the outsiders of the vaalta?

UQZHAAL: That is correct. They know nothing of our stories.

XIMAEDRA: Excellent. Will this suffice, War-Chief?

SERAXA: Yes. We shall witness their ignorance soon enough.

Uqzhaal turns and gestures to Diego, who steps nervously forward. Uqzhaal hands him the statue.

UQZHAAL: Canis. Take the vaalta.

DIEGO (hesitantly): Uh... okay.

He takes it, but nothing happens. Uqzhaal gestures toward the twins.

UQZHAAL: Let them touch it.

Diego approaches the twins and holds out the idol. Realization dawns on both Alyssa and Ian as they understand what the Vaanti are trying to do.

ALYSSA: Oh! They want us to--

IAN (simultaneously): Is this about the--

They reach out to touch the statue. The moment all three of them are touching it, a familiar blinding flash of light envelops the twins. When it clears, they are standing in the living room of a small house, near the front door. Ian and Alyssa stumble back in shock when they see it.

ALYSSA (emotionally): I... this is...

IAN (shocked): Home.

The two of them look almost on the verge of tears at the familiar sight. Before they can react further, the door swings open to reveal YOUNG IAN and YOUNG ALYSSA, about 12 years old, their backpacks slung over their shoulders. Behind them, looking terrified and so nervous that he seems to wish he could disappear on the spot, is an equally YOUNG DIEGO. He is disheveled, his hair messy and his clothes wrinkled. His own backpack is stuffed to bursting, and he holds a wrinkled bedsheet in his hands.

YOUNG IAN: It’ll be okay. I promise! They love you.

YOUNG DIEGO (shakily): I thought m-my parents did, too. And then--

YOUNG ALYSSA: Well, they’re stupid! None of that should matter. Want me to go yell at them for you? I could totally do that!

The adult Ian and Alyssa exchange a glance.

ALYSSA: This is... It’s another memory.

IAN: Yeah. Wait--you’ve seen this, too?

ALYSSA: Not this one, but... same concept. Wait, hang on--!

IAN (sighs): Yeah, I’ve seen one too. Gotta say, it’s really weird seeing ourselves like this.

ALYSSA: No kidding--

She stops talking as footsteps can be heard from upstairs. The younger Alyssa, Ian, and Diego enter the living room and shut the door. A woman in her late 40’s, her black hair pulled back into a loose ponytail, walks down the stairs as the adult twins’ gazes are immediately drawn to her. This is BECKY CZASA, Alyssa and Ian’s adoptive mother.

IAN: Mom!

ALYSSA (simultaneously): Mom!

Without thinking, the two of them approach their mother, only to be interrupted as the younger Ian runs up to Becky, sprinting right through his older self in the process. The older Ian glances down and sighs, shaking his head.

IAN: Right. Memory.

BECKY: Hi, Ian! How was schoo--

She abruptly stops talking mid-sentence as she catches sight of Diego, taking in his disheveled appearance.

BECKY (concerned): Diego! Oh my Lord, what happened? You look like a mess! What’s wrong--

Diego flinches and attempts to hide behind Alyssa. Ian takes a deep breath and looks back at his sister and his best friend. Alyssa gives him a nod.

YOUNG IAN (nervously): Mom... uh... something did happen. It’s kind of a big deal. I... um... I don’t really know where to start. How to explain... um... it’s...

YOUNG ALYSSA (shouting): Diego’s gay, Mom!

Diego looks even more terrified. Ian fixes his sister with an angry glare.

YOUNG IAN: ‘Lyss!

YOUNG ALYSSA: What? You were taking too long. (furiously) Mom, if you think you’re about to kick Diego out like his mom did, then I’m kicking myself out, too! Nobody deserves to be treated like this for somethin’ they don’t choose! You don’t--

BECKY: What? Alyssa, please, I am not--

YOUNG ALYSSA: --and it's such a big bunch of crap, too! He’s so scared, and everyone keeps bullying him, and now even his own family won’t--

BECKY: Alyssa, listen to me--

YOUNG ALYSSA: --so if you and Dad think you can keep treating him like this, like everyone else does, than me and Ian are runnin’ away with him, you got that? You kick him out, you kick all of us out! I'm not gonna--

BECKY (suddenly shouting): Alyssa Meghan Agbayani Czasa!

Alyssa abruptly stops talking. Becky shakes her head, an amused smile on her face.

BECKY: I know you care about your friend. But your father and I would never dream of treating him any different because of who he loves! Diego, you have always been welcome in our home, and that has not changed. That will never change, do you understand?

The younger Alyssa blushes heavily at the realization that her whole rant was for nothing. The adult Alyssa, watching the vision, blushes heavily as well, from secondhand embarrassment. Ian gives her an amused smile.

ALYSSA: God, was I really that quick to start yelling all the time back then?

IAN: And I could barely work up the nerve to say anything at all. Wow...

ALYSSA (playfully): Not much has changed on that front.

IAN: That goes for both of us, y’know.

They share an amused grin before turning their attention back to the memory. Becky approaches Diego and bends down to pull him into a tight hug as Diego starts sobbing into her shoulder.

BECKY: Shh. It’s okay. You’re safe here.

YOUNG DIEGO (sobbing): I thought... I thought you’d--

YOUNG IAN: Mom? That’s why... I wanted to ask if he can stay with us. His parents kicked him out. He had to sleep on a couch in the library last night! And he barely had anything to eat besides my lunch from today! He needs--

BECKY: Of course he can stay. As long as he needs to, he can stay.

Becky stands up and gives young Ian a smile.

BECKY: He’s no stranger to that guest room of ours, after all! Come on, you three. Let’s get you all some food.

YOUNG DIEGO (tearfully): Thank you, Mrs. Czasa. Thank you. I-- thank you!

As the older Ian and Alyssa move to follow their younger selves into the kitchen, the blinding flash of light returns once again and the twins are yanked backward. Within the light, they hear a familiar voice:

VOICE (V.O.): Canis. Always quick to cast his own needs aside for fear of rejection. He must accept himself for who he is, in order to find the true strength he carries within. All of you must, if you wish to find the sole path forward.

In a flash, they are back in the throne room of Elyys’tel. The twins stare at Diego in shock.

DIEGO (confused): Uh... did something happen? Are you two okay?

IAN: We, er... we saw...

XIMAEDRA: Describe your experience upon touching the vaalta.

IAN: I... uh... it was kinda...

ALYSSA: We saw a vision. A memory. Diego’s memory.

DIEGO: Wait, what?

UQZHAAL (triumphantly): Oho! You see?

ALYSSA: We could, like, walk around and stuff. But we couldn’t interact with anything. We saw it as clear as day!

DIEGO: Wait, what memory?

IAN: From when we were little. The day you--

SERAXA: They lie!

XIMAEDRA: And how could they lie about this, War-Chief? They have no way of knowing what the correct answer could be--

Uqzhaal takes the statue from Diego’s hand and holds it aloft.

UQZHAAL: It is a proven truth! They are indeed the long-lost children of Vaanu, returned to us at last! Which means... before us stand the Thirteen Catalysts of legend!

Gasps of astonishment come from the surrounding crowd of Vaanti. The Hartfeld group simply look even more confused.

SERAXA: Claq shen zarvii, Uqzhaal. It is said that they will bring about great change, yes? And change itself can be good... or very, very bad. The Catalysts may prove to be our enemies yet.

Uqzhaal scowls in annoyance.

UQZHAAL: And you would make enemies out of them in the process? That is not--

XIMAEDRA: Keeper Uqzhaal. Tell me, is it not true that the Endless Ones once spoke of the Catalysts’ capacity for salvation and destruction?

UQZHAAL: It... it is true, my elyyshar.

XIMAEDRA: Then we may in fact be enemies, after all. Even the Catalysts--indeed, even the children of Vaanu--are not without the ability to choose. Even to choose evil, should they wish.

VARYYN: Diego is not--

Ximaedra holds out a hand for silence as she settles back into her throne.

XIMAEDRA: The Tribunal continues. Keeper Uqzhaal, you have said your peace. Warrior Viloko, step forward.

The male Vaanti warrior standing beside Seraxa takes a step forward and nods at the assembled crowd.

VILOKO: Our War-Chief speaks the truth! Even if they are the Catalysts, it changes nothing. We all know of what happened when our warriors went to retrieve them from the Torehydra! They attacked us without cause!

He points accusingly at Varyyn.

VILOKO: Varyyn, you should know full well that the Catalysts are our enemies! You were with us in that battle that should not have been a battle! We have no need to wonder. It has already been made clear: the Catalysts are our enemies!

He draws a ceremonial knife from its sheath at his waist and holds it aloft.

VILOKO: Why are we talking? We should be acting!

SERAXA: Heed my warrior’s words! He speaks the truth!

Piercing war cries erupt from the crowd. Ximaedra raises both hands in an attempt to quiet the crowd as Uqzhaal pounds his staff on the ground. The Vaanti warriors press closer toward the Catalysts, who huddle in more tightly together. As the din crescendoes, Kele stomps a foot on the ground and makes a few quick gestures. A thin surge of water whips in through a window to impact with a resounding CRACK! against the opposite wall. Immediately, the room goes quiet.

KELE: HEY! Tribunal’s not over.

He bows quickly to Ximaedra before stepping back to his original position.

KELE (respectfully): Elyyshar. Proceed.

Ximaedra nods gratefully in his direction before returning her gaze to Viloko and Seraxa.

XIMAEDRA: There is a time for war-frenzy, and a time for order. You would do well to remember this.

VILOKO (ashamed): Yes, my elyyshar.

XIMAEDRA: Have you any more to say, Warrior Viloko?

VILOKO: Only that I stand by my words. We must treat the Catalysts as our enemies, lest we wish to be--

He stops talking as a deep, shuddering rumble echoes throughout the chamber. The other Vaanti all look up in fear, as do the Catalysts.

SERAXA: Wave-Lord! What trick of yours is this?!

KELE: This isn’t me. I’m not--

An impossibly tall wave crashes into the side of the chamber, water dripping through the windows. Kele quickly runs toward the water, doing his best to keep the torrent from drowning everyone inside the chamber. He visibly strains to send the water pouring harmlessly out another window.

SERAXA: Go! Tell us what happened!

Calvia nods to her War-Chief and dashes out of the chamber. Not fifteen seconds later, she comes sprinting back inside, wide-eyed with terror.

CALVIA (quaking with fear): Elyyshar. War-Chief.

She swallows hard, then looks back up at Ximaedra nervously.

CALVIA: Cetus has returned.

_______________________

Scene Notes: Yes, we're skipping Yvonne's entrance for now. Don't worry, I'd never miss including her in the story! She'll show up eventually. Next up: the battle with Cetus!

also I can finally start referring to them as 'Catalysts,' that was getting annoying

_______________________

Next: Trial by Water

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

[choices-binglebonkus]

Of all the things in Endless Summer, I have to say this one fucked me up the most

[syphax]

Ok but can we all agree that varyyn and diego are one of the absolute best couples among all choices books? Like, when diego explains modern stuff to varyyn and tells him the stories of his favorite movies/series and varyyn listens to him the whole time?? They're the most underrated couple and AND THEY DESERVE MORE ATTENTION.

[endlessflame]

Diego and Varyyn - realistic art style

For Pride Month 🏳️‍🌈

[thedamnedlight]

Romeo-and-Juliet-Across-Time-and-Space

[yukkimons]

Love me or hate me but this is fucking gay

I adore them sm theyre my babies and i must protect them at all costs

[franzkafkagf]

Top 10 non LI choices characters

Disclaimer: These are all my opinion, but then again i‘m absolutely right. Alsooooo these are not a particular order anything

1. Corgi, The royal romance

A real friend to MC, the only one there for her.... skinny legend also his extra scene in the kitchen in the last chapter? God bless better than any drake scene ever

2. Whitlock, The crown and the flame

THIS BOY!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I LOVE HIM WITH ALL MY HEART..... also his lil robodog......... i‘m dead a,, very good character

3. Diego, Endless summer

My main man Diego... I’m just saying you’re so cool I’d be glad to be your sidekick any day of the week. The only best friend my broke ass made in endless summer. Every choice I made was to please you and Michelle

4. Michelle, Endless Summer

And on this note, I LOVE HER! Whew thank god i complimented her make-up in the first chapter. But she‘s just such a genuine and good character!!!! PB you did greattttt! And now i‘d like to shoutout all ES gang characters. Y‘all deserve to be on here but I had to give other series a shot at this too

5. Poppy, Hero

Fashion icon, hype woman, mom friend...... whew queen but tbh i‘d like her to be an LI lol

6. Zack, TF/TS/TJ

The real one!!!!!!!! Always chill, except in TF4 but oh well... also he needs a make-over by the fab five but I still love my son, his friendship is too good for MC by the way

7. Olivia Nevarkis, The royal romance

I‘d let her stab me any day of the week. I was hyping her up more than my husband. I would run away with her, if she asked me to. The BEST TRR character don‘t try to change my mind.

8. Varyyn, Endless Summer

I know I said no more ES but a shoutout to Varyyn,, soft boy with his pop culture references and bad disguises. Mans so gay left the village he is leader to spend time with his boo and make him feel better about himself. Variego 4ever

9. Cow, Big sky country

*bitch i‘m a cow playing softly in the distance* True mvp, showing snobby city kids what‘s like in the Wild West. Legend.

10. Margaret, The crown and the flame

SKINNY LEGEND!!!!!!! SAVING THE FIVE KINGDOMS BY HER SELF!!!!! we decided to stan forever

[marmolady]

Diego and Jake

+Varyyn. Of course.

[normal-thoughts-official]

You know, I've been mad this whole time that the Vaanti speak such fancy/specific English when they are just learning the language and also their teacher was Diego and it would have been so much funnier if they just, like, thought that movie references are words and speak slang and a touch of spanglish. But now I finally figured out why. Diego gets nervous and talks fancy in front of his crush, send tweet

[ellariouss]

HOLY SHIT

HOLY SHIT

HOLY SHIT

[chyeahboy]

my babies

[sceptilemasterr]

“I, uh... I love you.” (Part 9: Like A Phoenix From The Ashes)

Main Pairing: Estela x Taylor (gender not stated)

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

Genre: Drama

Warnings: Swearing (mostly from Jake), angst

Summary: Taylor comforts a grieving and shocked Estela after the group returns from the Lernaean Gate.

Previous Chapter: Link

Masterlist: Link

"Quick! Go, go, go!" Sean yells frantically as you and your friends sprint as fast as you can toward the newly reactivated portal. Behind you, the roar of the advancing wave of lava grows louder and louder in your ears until you can barely hear your friends, or even your own thoughts. The heat is more unbearable than ever, and you struggle just to breathe.

Estela grips your hand tightly and puts on a burst of speed as up ahead, Grace and Aleister are the first to leap through the portal. Your aching legs strain to keep up. You see her turn around and say something, but her words are swallowed up by the sounds of the lava all around you. You hear an ominous creaking noise from up ahead, but you ignore it. The others, one by one, dive through the portal, and you and Estela are the last… and then you realize what the creaking sound was as a twisted, melted girder collapses between the two of you! You let go of her hand and fall backward, out of the way, but you aren’t fast enough and the heavy metal falls onto your ankle. You cry out in pain!

Just before reaching the portal, Estela whirls at your shout, and her eyes go wide. “Taylor! NO!” she shouts, rushing back toward you… and straight toward the oncoming lava tsunami. “No, no, NO!”

The heat is unbearable. You gesture frantically for her to run, to leave you, to go to the portal… But she ignores it. You’re still yelling frantically as she strains to lift the chunk of steel pinning you to the superheated floor. You can see her wincing as she touches the steel, burning her hands, but she refuses to let go. “Estela!” you try to say, but all that comes out of your mouth is a weak croak. “Forget it! Just go!”

The lava rushes closer… closer...

Out of the corner of your eye, you see something large and blue emerge from the portal and rush toward you. The blur resolves into Varyyn, who pushes Estela aside and grips the heavy steel with both hands. Straining his powerful arms, he lifts the girder and shoves it aside, yanking you onto your one good leg as you throw your arms around his neck for support. Stumbling, coughing, limping, the three of you rush as fast as you can toward the portal, diving through it just seconds before the wave of lava would have engulfed you all.

There’s a familiar flash of white light, and then you’re back in the Theoretical Prismatics room of the MASADA complex, the cold, rusted steel beneath your feet feeling like sweet relief after the overwhelming heat you’d just escaped. Varyyn gently sets you down on the floor and turns to pull Diego into a tight embrace. “Varyyn! I don’t believe it… you did it… you actually saved them…” Diego says.

“Of course, Diego. You said ‘somebody, save them,’ so I did. Was that not what you wanted?”

“What? No, of course I wanted-- I-- I love you, Varyyn! Thank you!” You watch as Diego grabs Varyyn and pulls him down into a kiss.

Then the pain hits. You grit your teeth and grab your injured leg. Michelle rushes over to you. “Taylor? Taylor!” she shouts, already kneeling down to examine your injury.

“It’s… it’s not bad,” you stammer out.

“Bullshit. Hang on… let me…” she mutters to herself as she works, producing a metal rod, a strip of cloth, and a roll of duct tape from somewhere and making a makeshift splint around your leg.

You look around the room, trying to distract yourself from the pain that shoots through your leg every time Michelle touches it or tugs a little too tightly on the bandages. Craig is kissing the floor while Zahra lays on her back beside him, already sound asleep. Quinn is gazing at the room as if she doesn’t want to believe it’s real, as Furball copies her movements from his spot in her arms. Sean sits with his head in his hands as Raj rubs his back awkwardly, presumably saying something comforting. Jake paces restlessly while cursing up a storm, glancing up every few seconds to stare at the room’s entrance as though expecting Lundgren and a squad of Arachnids to burst through at any moment. Aleister and Grace stand near the dusty computer consoles at the center of the room, conversing in complicated words about the properties of volcanic eruptions. But Estela… Estela is… where is she?

“Estela?” you call out, pushing yourself suddenly upright and sending another sharp pain shooting down your injured leg. Everyone stares at you.

“Taylor! Geez, I can’t fix you up if you don’t stay still!” complains Michelle. “Just give me another minute or so!”

You lay back down slowly. “Sorry, Michelle,” you say. “I was just… worried. Where’s Estela?”

Diego leaves Varyyn for the moment and kneels down beside you. “Your ankle gets crushed and burned, and you’re more worried about Estela. Sounds about right!” He laughs halfheartedly at his own attempt at humor, but you can tell it’s forced. “You… you okay?”

You shake your head. “I just want to know she’s safe, Diego.”

“She definitely came through the portal, if that’s what you’re asking. She’s not back in… uh… you know.” He swallows and averts his gaze, obviously still unwilling to admit that the volcanic hell you’d just escaped from had been a vibrant, thriving college campus just six months ago. “She must be around here somewhere.”

“And… done,” announces Michelle. “Here, Taylor, try and stand.”

She pulls herself to her feet and extends an arm, which you take gratefully. She pulls you to your feet, and you wobble a bit, but manage to support yourself well enough on the makeshift splint. “Thanks, Michelle,” you say.

“Anytime,” she replies. She glances back toward the now-dormant Lernaean Gate, a devastated, forlorn expression crossing her face. “Guess all we have now is… each other.”

The room goes silent as she says this, and everyone around you nods. After a long pause, Sean, finally, is the one to speak up. “Michelle’s right. Whatever… whatever we saw back there, it happened, and we gotta deal with it. Let’s take a few more moments to regroup, and then focus on getting out of here. We can figure out our next moves from there.” A chorus of agreements follow this statement.

Hesitantly, you take a few experimental steps toward Jake, standing near the exit. Diego catches you as you stumble, but you wave him aside. “It’s okay, Diego. I’ve got this.”

“You sure?”

“Positive. There’s… something I need to do.”

Diego gives you a knowing look. “Estela.”

You nod. “I think I know where she went… and I want to be sure she’s okay. I’ll be back, promise.”

Diego opens his mouth as if to say something else, but then changes his mind and nods at you before heading back to where Varyyn is standing, staring at the Island’s Heart in his hands. You continue on toward Jake, who turns when he spots you. “Hey, Top Gun,” you call out to him.

“Taylor! Damn, that leg looks… wow. Shit. Fuck.”

You smile halfheartedly to reassure him. “It’s not as bad as it looks. Michelle knows what she’s doing.”

He gazes at something behind you, and you turn and follow his gaze toward the Gate. “Hell of a thing. What the goddamned fucking shit just happened?!” Unlike the others, he sounds less sad and more… angry.

You shrug. “Dunno,” you tell him honestly. “Maybe Uqzhaal or somebody will know what to do.”

“Yeah… yeah, he’s old, he’s gotta know some shit, right?” mutters Jake, trying to reassure himself more than anything. “All I know is I’m fuckin’ sick and tired of this stupid-ass place. This whole island is some kinda goddamn twisted jackass, throwin’ this much bullshit at us.”

“I’m thinking you’re not wrong,” you respond, and he smirks in spite of himself. “You seen Estela, by the way? Did she come through?”

Jake’s face falls when you mention Estela’s name. “Sure she did. Didn’t wanna talk to me or anybody. Just powered through that door, and then… dunno.” He sighs and looks down at his feet. “I think she took all that shit a lot harder than the rest of us.”

“I was afraid of that,” you say. “Hope the Arachnids haven’t found her. I’m going after her.”

He nods. “If anyone can snap her out of it, it’ll be you, Taylor. That’s for sure.”

“What, is it that obvious?”

Jake nods. “Go after her, Taylor. She needs you.”

You creep through the deserted corridors of the MASADA complex, expecting to encounter an Arachnid patrol at every turn. Strangely, the longer you go without any encounters, the more frightened and nervous you get. The abandoned complex feels eerie and unsettling. You find yourself half-hoping to encounter an Arachnid patrol, or a security camera, or something other than endless stretches of empty hallway when you open a door into another lab to see…

“Estela?”

She kneels on the cold steel floor, her back to you. You step into the lab, closing and locking the door behind you for fear of Arachnid patrols. She doesn’t turn or otherwise acknowledge your entrance. Hesitantly at first, you approach, and as you move closer, you can hear her sobbing quietly into her hands. “Estela?” you ask again, softer this time. “Hey. It’s just me.”

Finally she looks up, wiping her eyes as you kneel down beside her. “Taylor… it’s…” She shakes her head and looks away, blinking back more tears. When she looks back toward you, she is back to her usual stoic expression. “It’s nothing. I’m fine. What’s our next move?”

You give her a knowing look. “Estela. You don’t have to pretend. Not with me.”

She holds your gaze for a long moment, and then her face falls and her eyes fill once more with tears. “I’m sorry, Taylor. I hate that you have to see me like this-”

“Like what? It’s okay to be upset, Estela. It’s okay to grieve. I’m not… I’m not judging you for it. You’re human. We’re all human. You think I’m not upset too?!” Though you haven’t been able to see your reflection in a while, you are sure that your face is as red and puffy from crying as hers is right now.

She shakes her head. “But that’s just it, Taylor. I’m not supposed to be like this. I’m the strong one. The tough one. The one who keeps on fighting, because that’s what I do; that’s what I’ve always done. But this…” Her voice trails off and she averts her gaze again.

You reach out, pulling her into a gentle hug, and she accepts the embrace, burying her face in your shoulder. “Estela… you’re still strong. It’s okay to be upset. This… what happened out there… it’s not something you or anyone else can fight. We all lost out there. Hell, we all lost the day we landed on this goddamn island, even if we didn’t know it yet. All of us are upset. We’re all grieving.”

“I just want an enemy to fight. I want to be able to march up to, I don’t know, Rourke or Lundgren or Lila or someone and punish them for what happened out there. Because that’s what I’ve always done when tragedies happen. Find the one responsible and make them pay.”

You nod in understanding. “That would make it easier, wouldn’t it. To have somebody to point the finger at and say, ‘Your fault!’ But stuff like this… I guess there just isn’t someone to blame this time. You know as well as I do that even Rourke can’t conjure a volcano.”

You hold each other tightly as the tears flow, the both of you unleashing your grief together as you hold each other on the floor of the MASADA laboratory. Several minutes pass, and finally you break apart, looking into each other’s eyes. “Taylor,” Estela whispers. “Do you… think I’m…” You wait for her to finish, but she doesn’t.

“You know what I think?” you respond after a moment. “I think you’re the same tough, strong, badass warrior queen I met the day we landed. The same one who fought off that raptor pack that attacked us as we stepped off the plane; who dragged me kicking-and-screaming onto that mountain zipline to escape from the Arachnids; who dueled Varyyn in one-on-one combat for the title of elyyshar; and who was strong enough to hand him back the crown after her victory. That’s who I think you are.”

She smiles weakly. “Even though I’m… a crying, sobbing mess?”

“Estela. If you weren’t upset right now, you wouldn’t be tough, you’d be a robot. No, wait, make that a statue-- even a robot would probably feel upset about this. You think everyone back there isn’t grieving in their own way?”

She chuckles halfheartedly. “I wouldn’t know.”

You sigh and sit back against a cabinet. “Jake is swearing like a sailor, Diego’s refusing to talk about it, Michelle’s throwing herself into her work of healing everyone, Craig is… kissing the floor for some reason…” Estela giggles in spite of herself. “Yeah, I can’t explain that one either. Zahra’s passed out, Sean’s crying and trying not to show it, Raj is comforting the others so he doesn’t have to deal with his own feelings, Aleister and Grace are talking about… well, honestly, I have no idea, but they’re using a lot of big words, and I think Quinn doesn’t really want to believe this is real. The point is, we’re all upset. And I guarantee you, nobody will judge you any more than you would judge any of them for their feelings.”

She nods. “I know. I just… I just want to do something. Not sit here crying like some kind of--”

“--Human?” you say, finishing her sentence.

“I guess you’re not exactly wrong.” Estela sighs, looking over at the corner of the room, where you see her spear propped up against the wall. “How do I fight something that already happened? How do I take revenge on a volcano?”

You shrug. “Maybe you don’t. Maybe sometimes… sometimes you can’t. What happened out there… well, it already happened. The world’s ashes. All we can do now… is just keep moving. Rise from the ashes.”

“Rise from the ashes,” she echoes.

“We’re here. We’re alive. We’ve got each other.”

“We do, don’t we? And to think I… Dios, Taylor, I almost lost you, too--”

“But you didn’t.” You smile at her warmly. “Thanks to Varyyn. I’m here. I’m alive. And we’re together.”

She smiles back for a moment, but then shakes her head and looks away. “You’re right. Thanks to Varyyn. But imagine if Diego hadn’t sent him back through! If that lava had been just one second faster… it could have been any of us! And there wasn’t a single thing I could have done--”

You interrupt her with a kiss, warm and deep. She sighs, leaning into you, and the two of you hold each other tightly. There, alone on the cold, steel floor of the MASADA lab, you and Estela find solace and comfort in one another; slowly but surely, you can feel her relax, her shock and grief giving way to calm resignation. Finally, after what feels like too short a time, the two of you pull away from one another. She gazes into your eyes, and after a brief hesitation, she nods. “Taylor… thanks. You know I-- well…”

“‘Well’ what?” you ask.

She looks at you, her eyes full of gratitude and warmth. “I don’t know what I’d do without you. I, uh… I love you.”

You kiss her again at her words, hugging her tightly. “And I love you, Estela. I’m here. Always.”

“God, I… I was a mess.”

You laugh. “I still love you anyway.”

“I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

“The same thing you’ve always done, I’d imagine,” you reply with a shrug. “By the way, you’re right.”

“About what?”

“It could have been any of us. It could’ve been you back there, and me standing where you are, terrified and unsure. It could have been Diego who fell, or Craig, or Grace… and then it would be Varyyn, Zahra, or Aleister where you are now. And what would you be saying to them?”

Estela looks at you for a moment, considering your words. Then she smiles. “You’re right, Taylor. I’d tell them there’s only one thing we can do.”

Her face resolves into an expression of hardened determination, and this time, you can tell it’s genuine.

“We rise from the ashes.”

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