#year 1-2 is when Emmet is glad to have other's help him

[sa1808fi]

I have a soft spot for aus where Emmet is found before he gets out of Undar and goes on his whole villain arc.

But I do think that the way he reacts after being rescued will heavily depend on when during those 5 years he ends up being found.

Around 1 year, he's probably going to bounce back pretty quickly. Sure it still hurts to think about how long he was in Undar, and all the things he saw, but his friends still found him! They didn't abandon him! He just won't think about any of the horrifying discoveries he made there.

Year 2 is similar to 1, it's just that now, the knowledge of the world of the man upstairs will weigh more heavily on him.

So along with the longer sad and depressive episodes he has, he's also going to be spilling a lot of out-of-pocket facts about the real world that'll confuse everyone around him.

Year 3 is when he's starting to lose hope at being found, so when his doubts at being found are destroyed, he's going to start off ecstatic. Emmet is going to run around Syspocalypstar as soon as he can, trying to absorb all of the new information with the same enthusiasm the 'old' Emmet would have.

And then a week later all of his trauma from Undar is going to hit him out of nowhere, and because he's scared Lucy and the others will leave him because now he's 'damaged', Emmet is going to try and push all of it down.

Of course that doesn't end well, and then he just ends up spending a lot of the time quiet and miserable, fearing that one wrong move will leave him abandoned and isolated again.

Year 4- oh ho- yeah this is where the rage at how his friends treated him starts. He's had 4 years now to look back on his life, so all of the mistreatment is going to stand out very clearly.

Being saved after 4 years is going to feel like a dream to Emmet, so he will spend around a week to so getting used to just existing out of Undar.

Once he fully processes that the people who treated him like he was replaceable actually did come back for him,he's going to avoid the heck out of all of them.

The memories of how easily they seemed to move on with their lives is still fresh in his mind, so coming back to reality and seeing how easily they expect him to go back to 'normal' is... infuriating to say the least.

And then we have Year 5. Where he is a mix of angry and sad, and constantly about to have a meltdown of some kind. I think even after being saved, this is when he's going to resemble Rex the closest.

Emmet has now had 5 years to stew in all of the knowledge of how his world really works, and 2 years to let that anger take root. No one's gonna have a good time.

He's going to spend a lot of time just staring at everyone, more or less sizing them up and trying to figure out why it took 5 years to find him. Any attempts to make him feel better is just met with blank stares or calculating gazes.

Emmet is not used to all of the comfort his friends are giving him, he was the one that would provide the comfort, but having them do it feels wrong. So what does he do? He blocks them out and spends time by himself, trying to gain his footing after all that has happened.

Though- regardless of when he is saved, the boy is going to have so. much. trauma.

It's the later years where he clashes with his friend the most, because that's when the betrayal and results of his isolation really hit him like a train.

On one hand, you have a man who's been put through hell and back, and is expected to act the same way he was before his whole worldview crumbled.

On the other hand, you have a group of friends who really want their friend back and want to treat him better than they used to, because they had to experience life with him gone and found it awful.

It's not a good combonation.

[simmerstories720]

The Decades Challenge ~ 1928-end of 1929 (Part 1)

A HUGE UPDATE. As much as it pains me, I need to wrap up some individual stories (at least until I can find a way for them to return). As the heir, Edward needs to be the focus for the next chapter of this story. Florence will return one day, but for now she is incognito. Edward is now the patriarch of this family as we enter the 1930s. This is why I never do challenges like this often, I get so attached to these sims.

I am going to take a small 1-2 week break from the Decades Challenge, since I want to tell Breena's story in full before the end of October. She will get her family, but with Occult sims.

Warning: elder death

It is now 1928, and Donald and Teddy the collie are inseparable. Teddy is constantly by his little mater's side.

Teddy is even present during bath time. Hazel has adapted to Donald's limited hearing/deafness, and it has become easier to understand his needs and wants even if he cannot verbalize them well. With Mabel off the school most of the time, these three have grown close in the last year.

This is not to say Teddy has not been beneficial to Mabel as well. A dog is a good listener, but it has helped Mabel's ADHD tendencies to never stop talking about this or that. Mabel has learned to have fun without constantly needing to speak to someone by playing with Teddy when she gets home from school.

In late 1928, a few weeks before Christmas time, Breena is surprised to get an unexpected visit from her young niece. She warmly invites her inside the house and asks what she wanted to discuss.

Mabel tells Breena that her parents are hosting Christmas this year, and wanted to ask Breena if she would come. Edward and Breena have not spoken much since his outburst last year, and wants to make amends. Mabel has overheard her parents discuss this, and took it upon herself to personally invite her aunt to Christmas.

Truthfully, Breena had forgiven her brother for months, but was still unsure if any lingering feelings were shared between her brother. Breena tells Mabel that she would be happy to accompany her parents to Christmas.

Emmet and Ida have continued life as they always have in their quiet little cottage. Emmet tends his crops during the day, and Ida maintains the house.

Without little children, they have enjoyed much more intimate time together over these past years. Emmet still asks Ida if she will kiss him under the mistletoe, as if they were newlyweds.

Emmet has actually become much more romantic towards his wife in his elder years. He initiates a lot of physical affection, which always makes Ida giggle like a school girl.

Ida has become an avid painter in her golden years. She has become an Art Lover, and loves the creative outlet that she had little time for in her younger years.

It is hours away from Christmas dinner 1928, and Edward lays down the law for Teddy. No jumping, no begging for food, and no playing rough. He is hoping this last minute training session pays off with company coming over soon!

Emmet watches his grandson play like any other child his age, and he knows deep in his heart that Donald will accomplish great things in life no matter who or what tries to hold him back.

While Emmet has never been as warm to Hazel as his wife, Emmet lets her know that he is proud of her family and he is glad that Donnie met her. Hazel does not expect this admission from her father-in-law, but tells him she is glad she feel in love with his sons too.

Mabel and Caterina explaining, in depth, how to properly decorate the tree to Florence. Florence looks unimpressed, but this might be because her husband Albert has been dealing with more dangerous work assignments as of late.

Emmet and Ida sharing a nice moment, overlooking their family during this special time of year.

Hazel cooked a grand meal of Ham, mashed potatoes and stuffing. Family members are in and out of the kitchen during the evening, especially the toddlers who can't seem to sit still.

Breena is enchanted by her nephew. She senses something special behind his eyes, and knows he has a touch of magic in him, like she does. This unawaken 6th sense will be useful to him in his life. Breena keeps this information to herself, as his parents have enough to worry about with their son at the moment.

Ida and Florence crack jokes in the kitchen as Alice listens in, acting like a grown up even if some of the adult subject matter goes over her head. Everyone says their goodbyes, and trickles out of the house around midnight.

Teddy regularly sleeps in Donald's room, and this night is no different.

Except, something is different to Teddy. He wakes up at an odd hour when everyone is fast asleep, always as if he sense someone.

Teddy goes to the window overlooking the backyard in his owner's room, and just sits there....waiting.

Teddy glances at his owners to see if they are awake, but they are fast asleep, tired from the festivities. Teddy stays vigilant the entire night, never leaving his masters' sides.

Something is indeed wrong about tonight, as Grim is back. He is overdue for someone in the Kennedy house, and he is counting down the remaining hours.

[madd-nix]

Lost and Found

Chapter 1

About two years after returning from Hisui, Ingo finds a little girl lost in the subway. He and Emmet do everything they can to find her parents, but when it starts to look like a case of abandonment, Ingo realizes he might need to step in for this girl.

Aka this is a highly self indulgent story of Ingo adopting a daughter. This also includes little snippets of Emmet x Piers because it's my story and I say they're cute.

Words: 3,751

Rating: PG (ask to tag)

Ingo stood at the platform, directing passengers and announcing the arrival of the trains. He checked the time. 1:45 on the dot. Things were going just as scheduled. The lunch rush was thankfully calming down now as people returned to work or school, which meant there were now fewer crowds and less noise in the subway. After being in Hisui for five years, Ingo had gotten used to the quiet outside. He was glad to be home, of course, but he now required soft foam earbuds to drown out the noises of Nimbasa City.

Another train came and went, leaving the platform mostly empty. A few people still milled about, but they all seemed to be in no hurry. However, with the clearer view of the platform, Ingo was now able to see a very small and very upset little girl. And she was making her way right towards him.

Ingo bent down on one knee to be more at eye level with the girl as she approached. She was sniffling and crying, so Ingo quickly pulled a tissue out of one of the pockets in his jacket.

"Young lady, what seems to be troubling you?" he asked gently.

"I-I can't find my... p-parents..." the girl responded in a shaky, teary voice.

"I see. Do you know how long it's been since you were separated? And where did you become uncoupled from them?"

The little girl rubbed at her eyes and blew her nose with the tissue Ingo handed her before answering.

".....It was a little while ago... when the crowds were here... and I got separated from them here. I didn't get on any trains or leave this room."

Ingo nodded along. "Well, that was very smart of you to stay where you were. This should help us track down your parents. I am Subway Boss Ingo, and I will make sure you are reunited with them soon." The little girl smiled at that.

"Thanks Mr. Ingo. And my name is Rosie."

"Rosie. That's a lovely name. And how old are you, Miss Rosie?"

"I'm six years old. Almost seven."

"And you were here with both your parents?"

"Yes, Mommy and Daddy. We came here to go to the amusement park."

Ingo nodded as he mentally took note of all this. A six year old girl has been separated from her parents while on their way to the amusement park. This happened most likely during the lunch rush between 11:30 am and 1:30 pm, leaning more towards a later time considering the parents haven't returned yet.

"Alright. I'm going to let the other depot agents know about this and to be on the look out for your parents." Rosie nodded and Ingo stood up. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the radio that every subway employee used to communicate.

"Attention, this is Subway Boss Ingo. I am currently on platform number 2 for the A train. I have a missing girl with me named Rosie. She is six years old, has freckles, brown hair tied into pigtails, and she is currently wearing a pink vest over a white shirt with a brown skirt. She is missing her mother and father, so if any couples approach you looking for a child of that description, please contact me immediately. Thank you." There was a chorus of affirmations from the depot agents along with a clear "Understood!" from his brother Emmet. Ingo then turned back to Rosie.

"Everyone in the subway now knows that you're looking for your parents. I will stay with you to make sure you are safe. Passenger safety is one of my top priorities, so you have no need to worry with me."

"Thanks Mr. Ingo!" Rosie wrapped her arms around his waist in a hug. Ingo gently patted her head and smiled faintly.

"How about we find a bench to sit at while we wait." Rosie nodded and Ingo took her hand as he guided them both over to a nearby bench.

Together they sat silently, and Ingo tried to think of some sort of conversation to help distract the young girl. As another train pulled up to the station and let more passengers off, he noticed Rosie covering her ears. The trains could be fairly loud at times, especially to anyone that wasn't already used to them, and the crowd was pretty loud as well.

"Rosie, is it too loud here?" he asked as he tried to keep his voice down to not add to the cacophony.

"Yeah, a little," she admitted. Ingo pulled the box of black foam earbuds out of pocket from his jacket. He then pointed to the pair already in his own ears.

"It gets a little too loud for me here as well. You can have a pair of earbuds to soften the volume." Rosie smiled and took a pair of earbuds. After placing them in her ears, she tilted her head to listen for a moment, testing them out.

"Hey, they work! It isn't as bad now and I can still hear stuff! Thanks Mr. Ingo!"

"You're welcome, Miss Rosie."

They lapsed back into silence as they waited. Rosie kicked her legs back and forth as she looked around for any sign of her parents.

"What do your parents look like?" Ingo asked, hoping to help spot them.

"Well, Mommy has long brown hair kinda like mine," Rosie began explaining. "She has brown eyes too, and today she's wearing a blue dress and a black jacket. Daddy has short black hair, and he has freckles like I do. He's wearing a gray shirt with buttons and black pants." Ingo nodded as he took note of this. As he scanned the room, he couldn't immediately see anyone that fit those descriptions. He quickly typed that all out in his phone and sent the message along to the depot agents and Emmet in hopes that that will help them.

"Thank you, Miss Rosie. I just sent those descriptions to my coworkers so that they'll be on the look out for your parents as well." Rosie nodded, then continued looking around.

Some more time passed, and Rosie looked like she was starting to get tired and more uncomfortable.

"...Mr. Ingo?" Rosie said quietly. "I'm hungry."

"Ah, yes! Have you had lunch yet?" he asked.

"I had a pretzel before I got separated," Rosie replied. Oh Arceus, this child hasn't eaten in at least an hour!

"I can take you to the break room! We have many different foods there that I'm sure you'll like. We can refuel there! All aboard!" He stood, doing his usual pointing pose, which luckily got Rosie to smile. He then held her hand and guided her to the nearest break room. As he walked, he made another short message over the radio, announcing their change in location while asking for any updates. Unfortunately, there were none, but he didn't let this drag him down.

Once in the break room, Ingo started looking through the cabinets and the fridge for anything a child might like to eat. There were instant ramen packets, a few bagged lunches marked with employees' names (those were off limits), and some lunch meats, cheeses, and bread for sandwiches, along with chips and cookies for snacks. But for now, Rosie needed something more substantial.

"Well, it appears we need to restock soon, but we have ramen and supplies for sandwiches," he said. "We have sliced turkey and ham, along with cheese slices."

"Can I have a ham sandwich with cheese? Please?" Rosie asked politely.

"Of course. Have a seat at the table and I can make one for you," Ingo replied as he took off his white gloves. "And we do have some water and apple juice to drink. Which would you prefer?"

"Apple juice please!" Rosie said excitedly. Ingo handed her a juice box and she sat down to drink it.

Ingo then pulled up his sleeves to wash his hands at the sink. Safety first. It was then that Rosie noticed the bracelet on his arm.

"What's that?" she asked, pointing at it. Ingo looked to where she was pointing. It was the warden bracelet from the Pearl Clan with the image of Lady Sneasler carved into the wood. He insisted that he return it to Lady Irida before returning home with Emmet, but she had simply told him to keep it as a memento. Besides, they could always make another when they found a new warden for Lady Sneasler. And this way, Ingo felt like he would always be Lady Sneasler's warden.

"Ah, this is a bracelet I had received from a previous... adventure," he replied. "I was in charge of taking care of a powerful and strange Pokemon named Lady Sneasler. This bracelet showed that I was her warden."

"Wow, I've never heard of that kind of Pokemon!" Rosie exclaimed. "What was she like? What type was she?"

"She was a fighting and poison type. She was the evolution of a regional variant of Sneasel," Ingo explained. "However, this was a long time ago. Sadly, Sneaslers have... gone extinct." It was a sad fact that tore him apart after he returned home. He has since accepted this fact, but it still kept him awake at night sometimes. Could he have done anything to ensure that her species continued? Did he not do enough for her and her children? Or was this a predetermined fate that he had no hope of changing? He usually tried not to think about it too much.

"Oh... I'm sorry," Rosie said quietly.

"There's no need to apologize. Sometimes that's just how nature works." Ingo put on a small smile to try and ease Rosie's worries. He quickly dried his hands and got to work making them both a sandwich. He was starting to get hungry too after all.

It didn't take long for the sandwiches to be made. It actually took longer for Ingo's coffee to brew. But soon, they were both sitting and eating quietly. He had also loaded up Rosie's plate with a few chips, and he promised her that she would receive a cookie after she ate her sandwich.

Soon, Emmet came into the room. Rosie looked up at him, then she looked at Ingo as she seemed to realize they were twins. They no longer looked exactly alike, but Emmet had been determined to fix that by growing his own beard. It was still rather short, and it looked like more of an inverse of Ingo's beard with Emmet's growing more to point up towards his mouth with Ingo's pointed down, but it sort of fit their "opposite yet matching" aesthetic.

"Emmet, any news on Rosie's parents?" Ingo asked.

"No, not yet. But we are still looking. I've also contacted the local police to see if maybe they're lost in the city somewhere," Emmet replied. "But I came to meet Rosie myself. I was curious."

Ingo nodded and watched as Emmet walked over and held out a hand to Rosie.

"I am Subway Boss Emmet! Ingo and I are twins. It is nice to meet you!" Rosie shook his hand and smiled shyly.

"I'm Rosie. It's nice to meet you too," she said.

"I promise we will find your parents," Emmet assured her. "Ingo was missing once too. For five years. And yet I still found him and brought him home!" Rosie turned to look at Ingo in shock.

"Five years?" she asked. Ingo nodded.

"Yes. A legendary Pokemon took me and sent me through time and space for some unknown reason. We suspect it was during a confused frenzy. That's where I got this bracelet," Ingo said as he motioned to his warden's bracelet. "But yes, if anyone can find your parents, it will be my brother and I."

"Thank you! Thank you Mr. Ingo and Mr. Emmet!" Both brothers tipped their caps and smiled as a "you're welcome".

"So, Ingo, I assume you will not be manning the Singles line until Rosie's parents are found, right?" Emmet asked.

"Correct. I will be staying with her to ensure her safety until then," Ingo confirmed. "Which also means I will not be there for any battles on the Multi line either."

"That's disappointing but understandable," Emmet said flatly. "I will continue to run the Doubles line for now and I'll make an announcement to any possible challengers about the Singles and Multi lines."

"Understood." With that, Emmet bowed slightly to Rosie.

"It was a pleasure meeting you, Rosie. You are in safe hands with my brother. I will continue to keep an eye out for your parents now."

"Thank you, Mr. Emmet. And it was nice meeting you too," Rosie said. With a smile and a tip of his hat, Emmet walked off.

"So, you're both Subway Bosses?" Rosie asked.

"Yes. Emmet and I were luckily both chosen for the position years ago because of how well we work together," Ingo replied. It also gave us the chance to create the Multi Battle train line as part of the Battle Subway. In a multi battle, both Emmet and I face against two opponents. It's a 2 vs 2 battle where everyone each has one Pokemon out at a time. It's challenging because you not only need to know how to work with your Pokemon to fight against an opponent, but you also need to know how to work with your partner against a pair of opponents. If you're not in sync with your partner, you will fail. And Emmet and I are very much in sync with each other. We rarely lose."

"Woah, that's so cool!" Rosie was practically bouncing in her seat. "I can't wait until I can get my first Pokemon! I'll have to come back and battle you when I'm older!"

"I look forward to that battle," Ingo said with chuckle. "So, do you have a certain type of Pokemon in mind for your starter?"

"I don't know. Hmm..." Rosie held a hand up to her chin in thought.

"Would you like to meet my first Pokemon? Maybe that will give you an idea of what you want from your starter." Rosie gasped and her face lit up.

"Yes please! Yes, yes, yes!" She bounced eagerly in her chair.

Ingo chuckled and took out a pokeball from a jacket pocket. He released Chandelure, who trilled happily, then turned to Rosie. She stared in shock and awe.

"This is Chandelure," Ingo said, a hint of pride in his voice. "My first Pokemon. I got her when she was just a Litwick. She's a ghost and fire type. Chandelure, this is Rosie. I'm keeping her company for the time being." Chandelure trilled and floated over to Rosie.

"Hi there. Um, I'm Rosie." Ingo could see that Rosie was a little nervous, so he gently took one of her hands and held it out towards Chandelure.

"It's alright, Miss Rosie. Just hold your hand out like this. When approaching any new Pokemon, you want to let them come to you. But holding your hand out like this can show them you mean no harm."

Rosie nodded and Chandelure floated closer to her. Gently, Rosie started to pet Chandelure's head. She smiled and Chandelure trilled contently.

"It's nice to meet you, Chandelure," Rosie said quietly. Chandelure nuzzled against Rosie's hand in response. Ingo smiled faintly.

"It seems like Chandelure likes you," Ingo said. Chandelure proved this by floating even closer to nuzzle against Rosie's chest. Rosie slowly wrapped her arms around Chandelure and softly pet the Pokemon.

For a while, they sat there quietly. Rosie just continued to pet Chandelure and Ingo sat beside them with a small smile. Soon, Chandelure started to fall asleep, so Ingo returned her to her pokeball.

"Bye Chandelure," Rosie whispered to the pokeball. "And thank you for showing me your Pokemon, Mr. Ingo."

"You're welcome, Miss Rosie," he said with a slight tip of his hat. "I'm always happy to show off my team, and to teach others more about any Pokemon they are unfamiliar with." Rosie nodded, then after a moment, she looked to the cabinet.

"Also, I ate my sandwich and my chips. Can I have a cookie now please?"

Ingo let out a small chuckle, then stood up to get out the cookie jar.

Hours passed, and still nothing. They spent most of their time in the break room, since it was quiet and away from any crowds. Towards dinnertime, Ingo prepared some ramen in the microwave for both of them. Depot agents came and went as the time went on, and none of them had any updates about Rosie's parents. Ingo was starting to worry. And poor little Rosie was starting to get tired.

Eventually, Ingo carried Rosie out of the break room. She was starting to doze off and there was no way she could spend the night in the subway. So he called Emmet to meet him at the platform where he first found Rosie.

It was close to 8:00 at night. The platform was nearly empty, except for a few depot agents, janitors, the few remaining passengers preparing to go home for the night, and Emmet.

"Still nothing?" Ingo asked as he approached his brother while carrying the dozing child. Emmet shook his head.

"No, nothing. The police are still searching the city, but they said tomorrow they'll expand their search past Nimbasa," Emmet explained.

"So, where do we take her? She needs a place to stay for the night," Ingo mused. "Would it be alright if I took her home?"

"I'll let Piers know about this," Emmet said as he pulled out his Xtransceiver. "I'll let him know about the situation, and maybe he can have the couch prepared for her by the time you get there."

"I have him prepare the couch for me," Ingo told him. "She can take my bed tonight. I don't mind a night on the couch."

"Hmm, fair enough." Emmet then started to type away on his Xtrans. "I'll stay here and finish the last of the night's safety checks. Go ahead and get Rosie home. I'll be there later tonight."

"Understood." The two brothers nodded to each other, then Ingo turned to leave as Emmet resumed typing.

As he walked, Rosie shifted a little in his arms. She clung tighter to him, most likely due to the chilly night air. Ingo picked up his pace.

"...Mr. Ingo? Where are we going?" Rosie asked sleepily.

"I am sorry to say that we have not found your parents yet, and it is getting very late. We are going to continue our search, but for tonight, you can stay with me. Is that alright?" She nodded and curled up closer to him. He tried to wrap his coat more around her as he walked.

They soon got home. Ingo didn't exactly have the time or the hands available to dig through his pockets for his keys to unlock the door, so he simply knocked. Piers, his brother-in-law, answered the door. As soon as he saw Rosie, he ushered Ingo inside.

"Emmet told me everything. Poor girl," Piers said quietly.

Marnie, Piers' sister, was setting up the couch with Ingo's pillow and a blanket.

"I have a spare nightgown that she can borrow," Marnie spoke up.

"Oh, thank you, Marnie." Ingo then turned to Rosie. "Miss Rosie, I hate to wake up, but we've arrived at our station. This is Piers and Marnie. We're all here to help you."

Rosie looked up and rubbed at her eyes. Piers waved and smiled to her. Marnie waved as well.

"Would you like to borrow one of my nightgowns?" Marnie asked. "I doubt sleeping in your regular clothes will be very comfortable." Rosie nodded and Ingo carefully set her down. Marnie then led Rosie to her bedroom to help her change.

"...She's been with you all day?" Piers asked once the girls were out of the room. Ingo nodded as he cracked his back.

"Since just after the lunch rush. Just before 2:00," Ingo replied. "We've searched the subway and the police have searched all of Nimbasa. Emmet made sure to have the police start to expand their search tomorrow."

"What kind of parents leave their child and don't think to come back for her," Piers mumbled bitterly. "I don't like the look of this one bit, mate."

"I know. I'm starting to worry. But we have to remain hopeful for Rosie's sake." Piers just nodded in response.

Soon enough, Marnie and Rosie came back out of Marnie's room. Rosie was now wearing a plain light pink nightgown, that was just a little too big for her. The one shoulder was dropping and it was awfully long on her, but it did the job as a pair of loaned pajamas.

"Miss Rosie, we have made arrangements for you to stay in my room for the night. I will sleep on the couch. Come, I'll show you where my room is." Rosie just nodded as she took Ingo's hand and waved to Marnie and Piers.

Ingo led her to his room and he flicked on the light. Rosie made a beeline for the bed as soon as she saw it. She laid down and almost immediately closed her eyes. She looked exhausted.

"Good night, Miss Rosie," Ingo said quietly. "And if you need anything at all, please don't hesitate to come get me."

"...Mm'kay...... night night, Mr. Ingo..." Rosie mumbled. Ingo smiled a little, then quickly grabbed his own pajamas, turned out the light, and left the room. He closed the door, leaving it open just a crack so some light could seep in from the hallway, then he went to the bathroom to change clothes and brush his teeth.

Once that was done, he walked back downstairs to the living room where Piers and Marnie were sitting.

"How's she doing?" Piers asked.

"She seems to be holding up well enough," Ingo replied tiredly. "I've been able to distract her and keep her entertained today, and as soon as she laid down in my bed, she was already starting to fall asleep. But I am worried about how she'll feel tomorrow, especially if we can't find her parents soon."

"How old is she?" Marnie asked.

"Only six years old," Ingo said with a sigh.

"I wonder how far her parents got before realizing she was missing," Piers mused.

"I don't know. I can only hope we find them soon."

[wasalwaysagreatpickle]

Sunday 28 August 1831

5 55/..

10 50/..

Out at 7 at which hour Fahrenheit 67˚ and fine morning – sauntered along my walk and the new Lower Brea road to Mr Samuel Washington’s – waited 10 minutes till he was ready – then walked down to look at the slopes of the Lower Brea road which I named my intention of planting – he thought the commissioners would [want] something paying for them – no! when they had walled off the road the slopes would be mine, and I was not therefore inclined to pay anything for them – he at last acknowledged they would be mine – and there being hope of the road being opened in spring, I said I would put off the planting till afterwards – next year –

Then overtook George Robinson on the road – the footpath through Well Royde wood to be set out by Washington tomorrow morning at 8 – then along the Brighouse road till turned down to Yew Trees wood – examined the quarry and went all along the bottom of the wood – the wall on both sides the lane explained as agreed upon with Thomas Pearson junior – then from our own gates went into the Cunnery wood sent 2 men out of it – home at 10 1/2 – found 4 letters on my desk – From Mr Lawton of York with bill of charges for my will £13.13.8 – 

Long kind letter 3pp. and ends and top of page 1 written across from Mrs Norcliffe, Langton dated Friday 26th instant – she and Charlotte going a little ‘tour to Rokeby, Penrith by Keswick to Cockermouth, and Whitehaven, and must be back by the 19th’ - … ‘write to me if before September 6, Post office, Whitehaven’ – my boots from Rutter to be sent off as this evening – Isabella Norcliffe has paid for them – she to be off for Croft on her way to Scotland on Thursday – Hurried letter 2 widely written pp. from Mariana Lawton Friday 26th August – Charles better than she expected ‘though sadly cut up’ – .. ‘John has literally died a beggar…. the money given for Spurfield debts is gone, and the bills yet unpaid, the entire support of widow and 6 children must devolve on Charles – but the greatest of all the disappointments is that Mr Wood has lost the living, my being absent at the time has been a most unfortunate business, and I shall for the sake of others deeply and long lament it’ – thinks advantage has been taken of Charles’s state of depressed spirits to hurry him to a conclusion – William Ford has got the living for his son - … ‘we go to Leamington on Tuesday to the Royal hotel, and remain there I know not how long or how short a time’ – 

Letter too 2 half sheets full, with 1 page and 2 ends of envelope from Lady Gordon, 34 Hertford Street, Friday 26th August franked by her brother-in-law Mr Frankland Lewis – ‘this letter is just like yourself, sensible, agreeable and to the purpose my affairs are still under discussion and till Monday or Tuesday next I can say nothing decidedly’! her own feeling is that she ‘must go – but not in such haste – could you be in London about the 10th or 12th September and be ready to start by land for Spain on the 14th or 15th – If I go my idea is – to take Georgiana’ ….. and leave Alice with one of her (Lady Gordon’s) sisters – ‘to remain in Spain till next spring or summer – when once I had completed my Cadiz business I should be entirely yours as to where to go, or what to do – the blessing you would be to me is not to be told etc. etc. would like me to get in London a thorough understanding of the business she is [going] that I may better know how to help her to decide – Lady Stuart de Rothesay at the lodge – has written to her to know if Miss Hobart will go abroad or not this winter, and telling Lady Stuart de Rothesay her (Lady Gordon’s) ‘possible plans’ – the reason she seemed in such a hurry to be off in her last letter was because the man going out to buy or bid for her property at Cadiz was thought to be going by the 6th of September packet – but it seems is not going till October and this gives her a month longer – the voyage will be 8 or 10 days – no preparations required but ‘mosquito nets, and a case with a few knives and forks, sheets and towels, and a glass or 2 – a black mantilla and a few yards of black silk or fine bombazeen’ – To leave all about carriages and servants till next week when she hopes ‘to write without a doubt’ ….. ‘Should you prefer going by sea and returning by land? Taking one carriage only out in the steamer? – has let her house to Mr Vaughan from the 17th September – 

I must think of all this – the one carriage taken out would be mine, which would cost £30 I should suppose i.e. one half more than my own passage – say £30 and £20 and Cameron £20 and a man servant £15 and ten days living at £10.10.0 that would = £95.10.10 Take the distance from Calais by Paris and  Bayonne to Cadiz at 300 postes, at 6 1/2 from per poste, and therefore suppose postage 2000 francs, suppose 30 days for the journey at 25 francs per day self and 2 servants for living = 750 francs – then I should look after things in Paris, Travel in comfort, and see a great deal of the country for 2750 francs and £10? from London to Calais = £120 or for 20, or 25 £ more than by sea – So far, good – But the chances are 10 to one we should be robbed near Madrid or before or after or both! Il faut y purser – then I must have a passport exprès, to allow me to carry about as much and whatever money I like, to make written notes, to be armed, have an escort if I demand it, and let my carriage pass the frontiers duty free – 

Breakfast at 11 – Read my aunt all my letters except Lady Gordon’s, and read extracts from that 

Saying Lady Gordon had business in Spain but not saying what – 

Thought of staying a day or 2 longer here – Read the whole of the morning service and 1 of Mr James Knight’s [discussion] on the parables – then slept 1/2 hour and came upstairs at 1 20/.. – looking at maps and writing the above of today till 3 1/2 – then till 5 wrote 3pp. to Mariana (rather a good deal in them) and 1 page of 1/2 sheet paper to Cameron to say circumstances had occurred which would delay my leaving here for four or five days – if she had taken her place, must lose the 1/2 fare – shall hear from me again the day before I wish her to be off, but to hold herself in readiness – glad to hear from Langton very good accounts of all the family in the minster court – to apologize for my directing to her there – do not know how to direct to her at Miss Pearson’s – Tell Mariana to tell Watson to get me the stockings ordered for Madame Galvani or I must go without them – grieved more than I can tell that Mariana has so much reason to lament our tour – ‘But, Mary, who could foresee what was in the womb of time, and coming thus speedily to the birth? nor you, nor I, dreamed of what awaited us, or both had hurried home’ – 

Letter from Lady Gordon this morning who cannot fix decidedly till tomorrow or Tuesday ‘that it will still be 4 or 5 days before we can make our final arrangements’ Shall be off however as soon as I can – ‘To prolong my stay much, would now be peculiarly uncomfortable to myself as well as to Marian; and at all rates, I shall make all the haste I can’ – If they stay a week at Leamington shall hope to catch them – now think of being off from here tomorrow week, but want time [cut]. Mariana to go to Liverpool and back by steam – ‘I suppose I could do this, and still be at Leamington on Tuesday week by nine or 10 at night, at latest’ – mention Mrs Norcliffe’s having heard I was going to Paris with Lady Stuart – Charles would surely not have given the living to Mr Ford’s son, had he preferred giving it to Mr Wood – ‘as there was no Lawton for it, what strikes me as most to be regretted is, that any very young man should have it – I fear I should have thought, the next incumbent ought to be 60 at least’ – 

A little at my accounts – Dinner at 6 5/.. in 25 minutes for Mr Briggs waiting with my father and the rest – then had him in for 1 1/4 hour till I had thoroughly talked over all I had to say to him – about [Kerton’s] lease – not signed – desired the man to be told that if he did not sign before the 2nd of August next, he should have notice to quit – gave Mr Briggs the estimate for cellar and 2 chambers over it at Hardcastle’s £20 and £5 already paid by Mallinson and still owing to him for the drain that is made – spoke about Lower Brea mill, and the notice to Emmet about spoiling the black brook with the [canker] water from the colliery he is making – and about Benjamin Bottomley’s farm letting and the pew at Saint James’s for Whitley – and about planting the Lower Brea slopes and Godley Road ditto and about filling up Cunnery wood with 2000 oaks, and filling up Freeman’s quarry entirely with oaks and about the willow stakes to keep up the Tilley Holm and Dolt railing -

(Came to my room at 8 5/.. – Mr Briggs went at 7 55/..) Sent off at 8 10/60 by George my letter to ‘Mrs Lawton, Lawton Hall, Lawton, Cheshire’ and to ‘Mrs Cameron, Mrs Belcombe’s, Minster-Court, York’ – wrote the last 7 lines – then a little at my accounts again and went down at 10 1/4 – came back to my room at 10 1/4 – fine day – rainy evening after about 7 1/2 and windy – Fahrenheit 68˚ now at 10 1/4 p.m. -

[briangroth27]

The Exorcist Season 2 Review

I came into Season 2 wary of the show’s direction—in Season 1, I loved the Rance family plotline but found the papal conspiracy boring—so I was glad the show shifted focus almost completely to the “possession of the season.” Not only is a family in peril easier for me to relate to and invest in, but the conspiracy element has never felt very “Exorcist” to me and I’m glad it all but disappeared by the end of the season (even if the homage to Exorcist III’s famous hospital hallway scene was well done). In Season 2, a family was once again under siege by a demon and only Fathers Ortega (Alfonso Herrera) and Keane (Ben Daniels) could help them. This time, the family consisted of Andy Kim (John Cho) and the several foster children under his care (Brianna Hildebrand, Cyrus Arnold, Hunter Dillon, Alex Barmia, Amelie Eve, and eventually Beatrice Kitsos). I liked that the kids’ diversities—be they blindness, homosexuality, developmental issues, etc.—were utilized for characterization, but those were never the kids’ sole defining characteristics. I really hope fans didn’t take issue with the kids, Andy, and Rose (Li Jun Li) all representing some facet of diversity; this is what the world looks like and I’m glad the show fully embraced it. It’s also cool that a foster home run by a single dad was treated as just as viable a family as a traditional nuclear family.

Full spoilers…

I liked what all the kids brought to the family, particularly when their differences collided with each other, like Shelby’s religious beliefs and Verity’s torture at the hands of “pray out the gay” conditioning. However, it did seem like there might’ve been one too many children to fully dig into in terms of screentime. It felt like they all had solid, distinct personalities; they just didn’t have much to do. Early on it seemed like Caleb might have a bigger role to play, but outside of his initial adventure on the old well and a few moments of his blindness being used to create tension when he couldn’t see the possessed Andy, it felt like his story was a little thinner than it could’ve been. Ditto for Truck, who was sent away midway through the season. I definitely expected Shelby to become something of a junior exorcist when Marcus and Tomas arrived at the Kim household, but not doing so didn’t feel unfinished (particularly when you take into account what we learned of Marcus’ past with eager exorcists). I liked that he was identifying the unholy signs early on, though, and perhaps they could’ve nodded at him wanting to become an exorcist one day in the future. Harper didn’t get much time at the Kim house before things went crazy, but I did like that we got to see how the family adjusted to a new kid through her introduction. Verity got the most mileage out of the writing and Hildebrand crafted a compelling teen who didn’t always get along with her new family, but clearly loved them despite the front she sometimes put up. Going back for a book Andy had given her was a touching moment and I was happy she was the one to stick by Andy longest. I totally fell for the trick that “agoraphobic” Grace wasn’t real, though her “brave face”—the creepiest pillow case-turned-mask ever—should’ve been a major clue.

John Cho brilliantly balanced Andy’s grief over his wife Nicole’s (Alicia Witt) suicide, guilt for not seeing the signs of her depression, care for the kids, affection for Rose, and the demonic side that overtook him as the series progressed. I loved the layers of hallucinations the demon inflicted on him as it attempted to bond with him permanently by enticing him with a “fairy tale” life with his wife. Witt did a great job playing both the caring and troubled Nicole and the maliciously tempting demon trying to entrap him. I’m a fan of puns, so “the kids are in the garden” was a particularly fun bit of dark and ominous humor from her. The battle for Andy’s soul was intense and I liked that Andy had moments of lucidity where he was able to keep the demon from harming Verity, despite the demon’s attempts to convince him the kids distracted him from seeing Nicole’s depression and that Verity might’ve had a hand in driving Nicole to suicide by mocking her issues. Andy’s final act—keeping the demon tethered to his soul so it couldn’t possess anyone else, even if killing it meant dying with it—was tragically perfect. I wanted him to survive, but Verity was right: once he started killing people, no one would believe him. It wouldn’t have been much of a life for him to be arrested for murders he didn’t commit, but maybe he could’ve gone on the run with the priests or something. As things turned out, Andy’s sacrifice worked on an emotional level and the final battle with the demon was tense, touching, and scary in all the right ways; Andy’s goodbye to his kids almost made me cry. I liked that the kids got to start a new family with Rose, who Li Jun Li had made into a solid, supportive, and strong presence the entire season. I also liked that Rose was so open to inviting exorcists into the home to examine Andy; usually there’s a lot more skepticism to break through before the people around the possessed open themselves up to that possibility.

The tests of Tomas’ resolve when it came to saving Andy this season worked very well. I had a hard time knowing when he was in reality and when he wasn’t, making for some great twists and putting me in his confused mindset perfectly, particularly when the demon turned the exorcism around on Tomas. The demon dangling a vision of Tomas as a bishop was great, especially when it included Casey Rance (Hannah Kasulka) to try and guilt him for leaving his parishioners in Chicago to become an exorcist. I was a little surprised they didn’t have the demon play up Tomas’ temptation to stray from the strict celibacy commanded by the church, as we saw in Season 1, but I suppose we’ve already seen that and Tomas has grown. His apology on behalf of the church officials who tried to force Verity to be straight was a great moment and a nice recognition that not everyone in the church—even priests—is opposed to homosexuality. It was good getting to know Ben Marcus’ past more this year. Both his tragic family history and his past with Mouse (Zuleikha Robinson) worked well to illuminate him. I was surprised he left Mouse behind after her possession and I liked that his inaction then was juxtaposed with his resolution to stay and kill the demon possessing Andy in the present. Not wanting to repeat that mistake has probably driven much of his dedication to exorcising demons, even after falling from grace within the church. Marcus’ father killing his mother was also a clever tie to the island’s history of parents killing their families. Finding a bit of romance with Peter (Christopher Cousins) rather than continuing to drown in sadness was another nice touch. I wonder if Marcus actually did get a message from God at the end. If so—and if they can do something different than what Supernatural and Constantine have done—bringing in angels and God could be an interesting, fresh spin on The Exorcist mythos. Mouse joining Tomas as his new partner should make for a cool change in the exorcist dynamic, given she’s much quicker to jump to killing whoever needs to be killed as long as the demons are vanquished. That should play off Tomas’ relative pacifistic nature very well, unless he’s been changed by the experience with Andy. Mouse having been possessed herself and Tomas’ mental link with the demon here—opening him up to being possessed as well—should also give them a unique background to bond over. Since Tomas’ true desire was to see the demon die moreso than an eventual shot at the papacy, I wonder if Mouse will propel him along a more violent path or if she’ll recognize her own past eagerness to be an exorcist in him and council him against it. Either way, the two of them are going to have some very interesting discussions about a lot of things, including being mentored by Ben! And if Marcus has a new directive that’s different from anything we’ve seen from exorcists or the church, it should throw the three of them into an even more interesting dynamic. What if he shows up saying that demons possessing people is somehow part of God’s plan and they should stop exorcising demons altogether?

I really enjoyed the evil history of the island and the season’s shift to a self-contained demon after revisiting Captain Howdy (Robert Emmet Lunney) and Reagan MacNeil (Geena Davis) in Season 1 proved the series doesn’t need to rely on direct connections to The Exorcist to create compelling monsters. The demon forcing multiple parents to kill their children was scary, particularly played against a found family like this one, where the foster kids depended on Andy to keep them together. The series once again found a polished yet creepy aesthetic that didn’t avoid gore, but also never reveled in it. That worked very well to set the tone and setting things on a remote island gave the season a totally different feel than Season 1’s Chicago. Making everything more remote worked to establish classic horror tropes, but the season never felt derivative. If the show gets another season, I wonder where they’ll take it to create an entirely different feel this fall.

Like last season, I'm content with where the story ended with the priests and the Kim family, so if they end up not getting a third season, I would accept it. I like that it's mostly contained each year; focusing on a single family in danger makes for smart insurance against cancellation. It would be a shame to lose characters like Tomas, Marcus, and Mouse, though. Even if I’m not a fan of the papal conspiracy, seeing them grow with each new case and the threat of each new demon makes for a strong series arc for them. A message from God does seem like it holds more promise than whatever the demons are planning with the papacy, so it would be a shame to see this always solid show end here.

[jiyel]

happy holidays to @mer-birdman​! what’s up ira i’m your secret santa for the @7kppsecretsanta thing! hope u enjoy even though I’m posting barely in time for christmas! prompt: delegates & april fool’s day (this doesn’t fit into the canon timeline i have no idea what’s happening) (this doesn’t even have a bunch of the delegates i’m so sorry)

The Day of Fools, the Day of Tricksters

1.

Lyon checks the calendar, a fluttering sense of panic and a sour tang rising up in the back of his throat. He runs a finger across the numbers as he counts the days, muttering under his breath, and—

“Oh no,” he says softly, horrified. Oh no. He has even less time than he thought he did. Today’s the last day he has before every bit of order within this castle breaks down, before chaos and anarchy deck the halls and shrieking peals of laughter echo through the air.

He gathers up his things, shoving books and scrolls and notes in his bag with a brisk, hurried pace, rushing past the table where he’d spent most of his time at the Summit, rushing towards his one refuge, the one place he knows will remain untouched in the coming day of madness that he has neither the energy nor the desire to brave.

Lyon makes his way into the very heart of the library to the fort that he’d been carefully constructing for the past few days. Here, no one will find him.

No one will drag him out to socialize and converse with people whose minds are always a few steps behind, with people whose thoughts are always caught up in gossip and intrigue and secrets. No one will play tricks on him and turn him into the fool that he feels like he is at court. No one will dump glitter in his hair or salt in his tea or, or do anything to him.

Lyon nestles into the space he’d carved out for himself and closes his eyes, glad to be away from it all. He has enough to hold out here for a week, definitely enough to outlast the twenty-four hours of pranks and suffering that he knows is coming.

He’s certain that some among the delegates will enjoy the Day of Fools. And he’s okay with that, mostly. They can have their fun. They can have all the fun they want, just as long it’s far away from him, his books, and the quiet of the library.

2.

Avalie drops a pair of sugar cubes into her already sickly sweet tea, a delicate smile tilting up the corners of her mouth, and she thinks: Oh, I am going to have fun with this.

She had thought the Summit would be amusing, a diversion, something that would keep her on her toes, but no. What she had been expecting was drama, politics, the best of the best of the best competing against each other for love and reputation and alliances. What she got, for the most part, were sweaty-handed, fumbling men who couldn’t take their eyes off her mouth, her neck, her hands and waist.

But the next day promises much more: opportunities to toy with her fellow delegates, an evershifting landscape of chaos, and chances to observe the true creativity and cleverness of those at the Summit, all with a minimal risk of permanent maiming or death!

“Lady Avalie?” Gisette asks as she butters a muffin with a small, sharp blade and surgical precision.

“Yes, Princess Gisette?” Avalie says, her mind a million miles away and whirling with plans and ideas. She could, oh she could move all the furniture just a bit to the left— she’s done that before, it’s fairly effective. Or… something else?

“I was just wondering if you were feeling alright,” says Gisette, perfectly pleasant and perfectly nasty. “You look a little out of sorts. Is the stress and the pressures of the Summit getting to you, Lady Avalie?”

“I’m perfectly alright, thank you for asking,” Avalie responds, smiling sweetly. She could always resort to something basic like the classic salt and sugar switch, but that required no finesse at all. No grace! No elegance! She sips her tea, and says, “I’m just thinking. It’s quite a common look on most people, although considering the company you tend to keep, I’d understand if you didn’t recognize it immediately.”

Gisette raises her eyebrows at that and takes a sip of her tea. “Then I suppose I’ll have to remedy that. I wouldn’t suppose you would be available tomorrow, Lady Avalie?”

Avalie dips her head apologetically. “I’m afraid I’ll be rather occupied all day. A shame, since your company is always such a pleasure, Princess. Although my schedule is a little less busy for the rest of the week, so perhaps then?”

She could fake a murder! The planning and coordination it would take… the materials and the knowledge… And in such a tight timeframe as well. What a challenge! Avalie hides a catlike smile behind her cup of tea.

“I can’t wait.”

3.

Hamin hums as he surveys the rings and necklaces he’s got all laid out on the vanity. It’s a big day, a Big Day, and he’s got to be all appropriately dolled up for it.

He holds up a shiny gold ring embedded with dozens of tiny rubies. Or maybe it was paste? He shrugs and throws it over his shoulder. “Boring.”

It’s the Day of Tricksters, which is objectively the funnest and funniest day out of the whole year, and as the Prince of Pirates, Hamin has to live it up and be just as flashy. No, flashier. More’s always better.

But fashion aside, Hamin’s been looking forward to today for ages. Well, more like a couple of weeks, but with all the damn etiquette lessons his stuffy butler’d been hammering into his head, it had felt like years.

He’s honestly so excited he can’t see straight, not that he ever could, in the first place, really, but yeah. It’ll all be like a breath of fresh air, like that first gasping gulp of good, beautiful air you get just when you think you’re going to drown to death under an unforgiving sea of uptight nobles and salad forks, and what a poor death that would be.

Hamin slips on his rings and necklaces, admiring his tacky jewelry and flashy, colorful scarves in the mirror before sliding out the door with his supplies and into the hall. He whistles as he walks, and he’s whistling up until he crashes into someone else.

“Oh, oof,” the person mutters, sounding just a bit like a kicked puppy. He looks up and Hamin recognizes him. It’s the Arlish earl, Emmet or something. Emmet or something blinks wide blue eyes up at Hamin and says, stumbling over his words a bit, “I’m so sorry! Are you alright, Prince Hamin? Or, uh, Hamin? If that’s what you prefer?”

“Hamin is fine.” He grins and rocks back on his heels, subtly kicking his bag of glitter, gunpowder, and various other things behind him. “I’m not much of a prince by your countries standards anyway, Sunshine.” Ah, yes, the tried-and-true tactic of giving someone a nickname to avoid admitting that you have no idea what they’re called. Classic.

“Well then, Hamin, I’m glad!” Sunshine smiles at him before glancing downwards in confusion. “What’s that behind your back, if you don’t mind me asking?”

Hamin feels his casual smirk tighten in panic. “It’s, uh, it’s nothing. Just some stuff I’m bringing to my cousin, who I should be seeing now, so I’m going to get going.”

He’s preparing to dash away, one foot already sliding out with exaggerated slowness when Sunshine stops and says, “Oh! Are you planning a prank?”

Hamin turns back and says, slow, “That depends.” He can see a glint of mischief, of interest in those pretty, blue eyes, and he’s bored. Hamin’s willing to let someone in on his game if Sunshine is interested. He’s got nothing to lose and a partner-in-crime to gain, and he’s played worse odds before.

“Depends on whether I would be interested in helping out?” Sunshine says hopefully, cocking his head. “Because I, uh, would. I really would be interesting in lending you a hand.” He gives Hamin a thumbs up and beams.

“Okay, yeah, sure.” Hamin shrugs, beckoning the other guy to come closer.

“Wait, really?” Sunshine’s eyes widen.

“Yeah, really,” Hamin says, “So come closer so I can tell you what I’m planning.”

Sunshine nods and leans in as Hamin, in a low, conspiratorial voice, whispers, “So I’ve been messing around in the days leading up to this. Little things. Glitter in hair, salt in tea, little firecrackers in corners you wouldn’t expect, you know, the basics. But that was all just preparing for my grand finale, which is like, a combination of all those, but more.”

“The more the merrier!” Sunshine chimes in.

“Exactly.” Hamin nods approvingly and slings an arm around the other man’s shoulders. “C’mon. Walk with me.”

7.

Penelope watches Cordelia knot the rope with strong, sure fingers, and feels her heart flutter in her chest.

Cordelia was always so strong and capable, so smart and polite. Penelope wishes so much that her heart aches that she could be like her, or something like that. Probably. Maybe?

“-And you pull it through this loop here and tighten it to finish,” finishes Cordelia, her hands following through with a smooth kind of grace that Penelope can’t take her eyes away from.

“Um, yeah!” Penelope says as she tries to pretend that she was totally paying attention to Cordelia’s lesson on ‘How to Set Up a Snare Trap Prank for Dummies,’ and not, well, you know, Cordelia herself. “It’s very impressive how you know all this, Cordelia! How did you learn how to do this?” She beams nervously at her friend.

Thankfully, Cordelia smiles back. “I learned back… back home, in Hise. We all learn how to tie knots as children, for the nets and the rigging. And the traps,” she pauses and her eyes flit downwards, avoiding Penelope’s. “I learned how to rig traps when I took up embroidery.”

Embroidery…? Snares…? Penelope’s confusion must’ve shown on her face since Cordelia winces and carries on her explanation.

“In Hise, sewing is a common skill. But for a family so tied up in piracy rather than trading or craftsmanship, using that skill for something other than repairing clothes or sails is, well it’s a bit embarrassing and shameful. So when I took up an interest in embroidery, there were quite a few people around my age who took offense to that. They followed me around, pestering me about it, until I decided enough was enough and caught them all in traps and left them hanging to teach them a lesson.”

Penelope feels her jaw drop a little. Cordelia really was an amazing person. Penelope never knew that she had such a side to her, but instead of scaring off Penelope, it just made Cordelia all the more interesting and clever. “Cordelia, that was very brave of you!” Penelope says, her cheeks flushing as she babbles. “I could never have done something like that.”

Cordelia flushes and says with faltering composure, “Thanks. I mean, thank you, Penelope, but it really wasn’t much.”

“Oh, but it seems like quite a lot to me,” says Penelope. “What happened to those people afterwards? You let them down right after, right?”

Cordelia stops and nods slowly. She smiles, her eyes flicking away. “Yes. I definitely did.”

Penelope beams, and pauses. She and Cordelia whip their heads around in unison to the distant sound of an explosion.

Penelope gasps, pressing a hand to her chest. “Oh my God! What was that?” She turns to see Cordelia groan and press a hand to her forehead.

“Don’t let it worry you, Penelope,” Cordelia says, her hand still pressed to her face. “It’s just my cousin.”

[thisspaceintentionallyleftblank]

Try, Try Again (pt. 8)

(Cpt 1) | (Cpt 2) | (Cpt 3) | (Cpt 4) | (Cpt 5) | (Cpt 6) | (Cpt 7) ||  (AO3) Thanks to everyone that left such lovely comments on the last chapter! You guys made my whole week :D

Also, I forgot to mention this last time, but Bonus Points to anyone that can guess why the ship is named the Gemini.... Chapter 8 (3314 words)

ABOUT THREE YEARS AGO

Bianca opened the door with one hand, carefully balancing her newest spaceship in the other. Finn would like this one, she was super sure.

Dad had helped her with the really tricky bits, since some Legos were still too small and finicky for a seven year-old to use, but she had built most of it herself. Plus, she had done all the stickers and decorating as well. 

Looking down the stairs, she couldn’t see any sign of her brother. Tentatively, she set the Gemini aside, placing it on top of one of the many shelves lining the side of the staircase. 

“Finn?” She called out his name as she flounced downstairs, running a careful hand along the banister. The basement was silent in response, aside from the low rumble of the dryer. 

In her brother’s absence, Bianca’s attention turned to the large table where his Legos were set out. The city of Bricksburg looked pretty much the same as when she’d last seen it, which was to say that it looked pretty rough. The last time that they’d “played” together, they had ended up arguing over a particularly cool minifigure and Bianca had accidentally smashed her elbow into one of the taller skyscrapers, totally destroying it. And then, when Finn tried to swoop in and catch the top of the building, he had only succeeded in toppling its neighbor as well. 

Bianca frowned at the memory. She hadn’t meant to break the tower, and she hadn’t meant to make Finn so grumpy either. It seemed like everything she did made him mad though, and he never wanted to play the same games as her either. 

She looked over towards where Finn kept his favorite minifigures. He almost always played with the same ones, and he never let her play with any of them, even though he had so many. 

Bianca reached over, plucking Batman’s figure from where he’d been positioned behind some kind of turret gun. 

Batman was the coolest of all Finn’s superheros, Bianca thought. Her brother had given her some other ones, like Wonder Woman and the green guy, a while back so that she’d stop bothering him about it. And then, he hid Batman for a while. She didn’t know how long, but it seemed like approximately the amount of time it takes to produce a feature length animated film... or something. 

Regardless, he was back now. 

Bianca liked Batman because he seemed lonely, like he needed a friend to give him hugs or throw him a party. Sometimes she felt lonely like that, but she had her mom and dad, and from what she’d heard, Batman didn’t. 

Holding him in her hand, Bianca wondered if Batman missed his superhero friends. They were all up in her room, maybe she ought to take-

The door to the stairs opened with a bang.

“Bianca?” Finn called out as he raced down the stairs. “You better not have broken anything. That new tank took me hours to build.”

He pulled up next to her, inspecting the area for damage. 

“I didn’t break your dumb tank.” Bianca stuck her tongue out at his back. “I just came down here to show you something.” She turned to go retrieve the Gemini when Finn suddenly whipped around. 

“Where’s Batman?” He exclaimed. “He’s supposed to be piloting the whole thing.”

“He’s right here!” Bianca extended her arm, the plastic figure still clenched in her hand. 

“Give him back!” Finn grabbed her wrist with one hand and began to pull at Batman with the other.

“Hey!” Bianca yelped. “Let go!”

Finn released her arm and pressed the fist holding Batman against his chest, as if to shield it from her. “You’ve got to stop taking my guys, Bianca,” he muttered darkly.

“I wasn’t taking him,” Bianca bristled. “I was just looking!”

“Uh huh,” Finn scowled. “The same way you were ‘just looking’ at the Justice League?”

“You gave me those guys!”

“Did not!” Finn rebutted. “And I want them back.”

“You can’t do that,” Bianca wailed.

“Can so.”

“Argh!” Bianca tugged at her hair and screamed just a little bit. “You’re the worst!”

Angrily, she stomped up the stairs as loudly as she could, and slammed the door behind her.

Finn’s expression sagged. Quietly, he turned back to his worktable and placed Batman into his seat. As he did so, his attention fell on the little vehicle nearly obscured by Batman’s tank. Gently, he picked the little car up, opened the door, and removed Emmet’s figurine. 

Holding the construction worker tenderly in his palm, Finn couldn’t help but remember all the cool adventures he had made up for his little buddy. About a month ago, when they were shopping for new school supplies, his mom had bought him a big notebook just for writing down some of his stories. He had already filled out a good handful of the pages and had even let Bianca draw in some illustrations. 

He had taken the notebook with him when he went to middle school orientation last week. When the teacher had made his small group go around and share, he had told them that his name was Finn and he liked to play with his Legos and write stories. 

Afterwards, a couple of the kids had asked to see his notebook, and he’d nervously complied. They read through the first few pages, and then most of them seemed to get kind of bored. One kid flipped through the whole book really fast, stopping abruptly on a picture of Unikitty that sprawled messily across both pages. 

The kid laughed, and Finn felt his stomach churn. He suddenly felt like the whole world was ending and the only thing that would stop it would be to snatch his notebook back and hide it somewhere far away. But, the other kids were still holding it and so he’d probably just rip it if he tried. 

“Um, actually,” he stammered, “that one is my sister’s character. Mine, uh, mine has huge fangs and huge claws and uh, can shoot missiles.”

The kids tittered appreciatively at the thought of missiles and cool explosions, but it didn’t make Finn feel as good as he thought it would have. 

Looking down at Emmet, all Finn could see now were the things he couldn’t do. He couldn’t shoot missiles, or do backflips, or take out bad guys, or impress anyone. He wasn’t cool or tough or important or interesting or special. He was embarrassing. 

The sharp plastic edges of the figurine started to jab into Finn’s clammy fingers uncomfortably, causing him to realize how tight his grip had become. Dimly, Finn knew that he wasn’t really upset at Emmet, that it was silly to be upset at a toy. But given that he was a ten year-old boy, the idea of disliking a thinly veiled self-insert was a much more palatable concept than the alternative. 

Setting Emmet back down, Finn turned away, walking up the stairs and out of the basement. As he did so, he failed to notice the newest addition to the downstairs’ collection, and so the Gemini was left to collect dust. 

*******************

“Wow, Nova,” Emmet grinned. “That was a really great story. And so well told, too. I’m really glad I heard it and not like, some kind of fourth-wall breaking, real world analog instead.”

“Pssh,” Nova scoffed, an embarrassed flush rising on her ears. “It was whatever.”

Suddenly, her comm blipped loudly. Nova reached down, pressing a button on her belt to accept the call, and Catastrophe’s voice blasted out. 

“HELLO? NOBLE?” 

She sighed. “Literally who else would it be, Major?”

“GOOD POINT.” Catastrophe coughed awkwardly, causing a jolt of feedback. “ANYWAYS, I HAVE RETRIEVED THE REST OF GROMMET’S CREW AND WE’RE WAITING FOR YOU DOWN BY THE MAIN ENGINE.”

 “Oh!” Nova’s expression brightened. “Alright, we’ll be down in a minute.”

“ALSO PLEASE BRING SOME BAND-AIDS.”

Nova said something in response, but Emmet didn’t hear it. 

The main engine, he thought. That’s what I’m supposed to destroy. Nova’s story still echoed in his mind however, and he couldn’t help but feel ashamed for thinking about destroying a lost and unarmed ship. 

His guide turned toward him, oblivious to his current thoughts. “Come on, dude,” she smiled gently. “You’re gonna love this.”

Quietly, Emmet followed.

*******************

The engine was big. 

Logically, Emmet had known this. He’d seen it on the map earlier, and he remembered thinking to himself wow, that’s pretty big. 

However, seeing it in person, he was utterly struck with the realization that the engine was BIG. 

It was at least two, if not three, stories tall, and it seemed to stretch back infinitely into the ship. The fact that it was constructed out of millions of intricate interlocking pieces only added to the illusion, giving it complexity and depth. 

Even though it was completely off, the way that his eyes couldn’t help but trace the convoluted gears and tracks and tubing of the machine gave it the illusion of movement.

Beside him, Nova nudged his shoulder. “It’s pretty, isn’t it.”

Still bewildered, Emmet couldn’t do much more than nod in mute agreement.

“When it’s on,” she pointed up towards an array of delicate shapes and figures littering the engine, “those all dance and twirl and spin around.” Half turned towards her, Emmet could see how her amber eyes seemed to glow with raw adoration. She was smiling, really smiling, and in the light of the engine room, he suddenly noticed that she had a spattering of light freckles that sprawled across her dimpled cheeks like constellations. 

“ATTENTION EVERYBODY.” Catastrophe addressed him and the five raptors that were standing morosely in the corner of the room. 

“I UNFORTUNATELY CANNOT TURN ON THE ENGINE FOR YOUR DELIGHT AND AMUSEMENT. AS SUCH, I WOULD LIKE TO ASK YOU TO PLEASE IMAGINE THAT IT IS WHOOSHING AROUND AND BEING REALLY SUPER COOL.”

They gave a stiff bow. “THANK YOU FOR YOUR COOPERATION.”

For a few minutes, they all stood quietly in front of the engine. Emmet tried his hardest to imagine it in motion, like the Major had requested, and frankly it did seem super cool. Eventually though, Catastrophe spoke up again.

“ATTENTION AGAIN, PLEASE.” They rasped. “IT IS NOW BEDTIME. NOEL, PLEASE ACCOMPANY THE BITEY ONES BACK TO THEIR ROOMS, AND I WILL ESCORT EMILY-”

“Emmet.”

“YES, OF COURSE. I WILL ESCORT HELMET BACK TO HIS ROOM.”  

“Ugh,” Nova grumbled. “Yeah, yeah, alright.” She grabbed the first aid satchel back from the Major and started to herd the raptors out of the room.

“SO,” the Major took Emmet by the elbow and started to lead him down the opposite corridor. “WHAT DID YOU THINK OF THE ENGINE?” 

“It’s awesome,” Emmet beamed. “I kinda wish I could see it in action.”

Catastrophe stared at him for a moment, just long enough to make it awkward. “I SEE,” they eventually wheezed before leading him towards his bedroom in relative silence.

When they reached the room, the door hissed open automatically. Emmet stepped into the doorway and couldn’t stop himself from gasping. It was like a luxury hotel room, spacious and well-furnished. He turned back to ask the Major if they’d gotten the right room, but they were gone.   

Alone now, Emmet wandered over to sit on the bed. It was absurdly soft and he couldn’t resist the urge to lie down, pausing only to brush off a few of the decorative pillows and stuffed animals that were taking up the majority of the bed’s surface. In a flash, all his exhaustion caught up to him, and he realized that he probably wasn’t going to get back up until morning.

Absent-mindedly, he picked up one of the stuffed toys that was digging into his side. It was a blue bear, like the one he’d had as a child, long before the world had ended twice-over. 

He frowned. Everything had been so simple this morning, when the Gemini was just a vague threat and there was a straightforward plan to follow. But now, he couldn’t be sure what to do. If he didn’t destroy the engine, then he would fail the seminar and let all his friends down. But if he did destroy it, then Nova and Catastrophe could be stuck here forever. 

Laying on his back, Emmet let his worried thoughts roll through his mind again and again until he slipped into a vague sort of sleep. 

*******************

Apocalypseburg was crumbling. The buildings, the vehicles, even the ground itself was fracturing into a thousand tiny shards. The world was ripping itself apart, accompanied by a symphony of distorted screaming voic-

Lucy fell to the ground, hard. A yelp escaped her lips before she could help it. She looked up, her face twisted in pain, a trace of blood trickling past her brow. There was fear in her ey-

The Rexcelsior streaked through space, its engines gleaming, clearly working at full power. Suddenly, something unseen struck its side, exploding against the hull in a brilliant blast of light. The ship shuddered, rocked by the force of the explosion, sending small sections of ship careening into the void. Its attacker swerved around, avoiding the debris, their guns shimmering as they prepared another volley.

It was the Gemini.

Fully operational.

Its rear engines were spinning, smearing a shimmering golden trail against the backdrop of spa-

Emmet jerked awake. His heart was pounding in his chest, threatening to leap past his ribs altogether. 

It was just a dream, he thought. A- a nightmare maybe. Either way, it wasn’t real. 

But… it had felt real. 

Suddenly, Emmet realized that he was incredibly uncomfortable. His bed was too warm, despite the thinness of the blanket. He needed to get out.

He stood up, feeling the chill of the night air in the sweat on his back. For a moment, he considered calling Rex, telling him about the dream. It usually helped to talk about these things, but… Emmet couldn’t impose. 

It hadn’t been that bad of a dream, he told himself. He could deal with it himself. He’d just go for a quick walk, just to get his mind off things. That was all. 

He stepped out into the hall. The overhead lights were off, but a thin strip of LEDs near the floor emitted a faint blue glow that allowed him to see well enough. He tried to walk gently, so as not to disturb anyone that might still be sleeping. As he was pacing past the bridge, he stopped to look out the vast window. 

It was so quiet and still. Outside the window, glastroids floated by, slowly spinning past one another. The stars in the distance glimmered, and Emmet felt a little better just watching them. He leaned against the dashboard, cupping his cheek in one hand as he stared dreamily out of the window. 

Suddenly, a light on the dash illuminated. Startled, Emmet pulled back, looking frantically to see what he had accidently touched. But, as he searched, he couldn’t see anything that had been disturbed. 

The light blinked again. Beneath it was a label reading “Engine Status”, and beneath that was a readout displaying the word “ACTIVE”.

Emmet stared at the light in confusion. The cold sensation of dread percolated in the back of his mind. Abruptly, he turned on his heel, stalking out of the door and down the corridor towards the engine room. 

As he approached, he crept quieter and quieter, sticking as low to the ground as he could. He could tell he was getting closer, as the ambient light and noise was steadily increasing. Stopping at the entrance, Emmet peered carefully around the doorway.    

Inside the room, he could see Major Catastrophe pacing in front of the vast engine, which had begun to slowly but steadily turn in an intricate motion. Behind them, Nova was bent over, kneeling in front of the machine, performing some kind of maintenance on it. 

As Emmet watched, she grunted and stood up. The engine started to accelerate, and the metallic hum filling the air increased in both frequency and volume. She walked over to the Major’s side, and Emmet suddenly recognized the piece she had been working on - the fuelcell of the Rexplorer. 

“FINALLY,” Catastrophe rubbed their hands together. “WE WILL MAKE IT TO APOC-LICKS-BURG. FINALLY WE CAN SHOW THEM WHAT WE’RE CAPABLE OF!” 

They begin to laugh, a maniacal and distorted sound. 

“Yeah,” Nova agreed, excitement clear in her voice, “I can’t wait!”

The engine twirled faster now, and the activation lights started blinking from red to green. For a long moment, all three characters simply watched the lightshow.

“Do you think,” Nova asked hesitantly. “That Emmet will be upset?”

“MAYBE.” Catastrophe’s mask was illuminated starkly by the glow of the engine, which continued to grow brighter. “BUT HE WON’T BE FOR VERY LONG.”

In his hiding place, Emmet felt utterly betrayed. He turned away from the upsetting scene, pressing his face into his hands. He had trusted them. He had trusted them, and they had stolen his crew and his fuelcell, and they really were planning on attacking his friends just like he’d seen in his dream.

He pressed his palms into his eyelids, trying in vain to stop the tears that were welling up behind them. 

The things that he’d seen… Apocalypseburg being destroyed, Lucy being hurt… he had to stop it. He had to stop the Gemini. 

With a burst of determination, Emmet wiped his face and rose to his feet. Glancing over his shoulder, he could see that Nova and the Major were still preoccupied with restarting the engine. He would show them that he wasn’t as naive as they thought. 

Setting his expression into something hard, Emmet strode into the engine room.

“You stole our fuelcell?” His voice rang out over the drone of the engine, clear and accusatory.

“Emmet?” Both aliens turned to face him, their shock clear on their faces. 

“EVAN,” Catastrophe started, “YOU DON’T UNDERST-” 

“No!” Emmet shouted, ignoring the heat of tears that had somehow snuck past his anger. “No, I understand PERFECTLY. You thought you could trick me, because I’m… because I’m not tough.”

His voice caught in his throat. “B- But, you’re wrong! I am tough. And I’ll prove it to you!”

Buoyed by his rage, Emmet ran towards the engine, easily slipping past the others. 

WHAT MAKES YOU MAD, EMMET?

Trinity’s voice rang in his ears, louder than the engine, louder than his pounding heart.

WHAT MAKES YOU MAD?

That people doubt me, Emmet thought. That people don’t accept me. That people pity me.

W H A T   M A K E S   Y O U   M A D ?

That people don’t think I’m worth anything.

His fist hit the center of the engine. Under his knuckles, the metal screeched. Instantly, the lights flickered, growing to a blinding intensity before dying completely in the blink of an eye. The clockwork pieces and elaborate decorations that had only begun to move seemed to leap from their perches to the unforgiving floor below. There was the sound of things shattering and breaking, the sound of the huge machine grinding to a halt, the sound of its gears chewing themselves to death. 

And then there was silence.  

Panting, Emmet rose to his feet, brushing dust and debris off his suit. Without looking at the others, he moved towards the fuelcell, pulling it effortlessly out of the wreckage. 

“We’ll be leaving now,” he said, his voice cold and flat.

“You… ” Nova fell to her knees, her eyes wide with disbelief. “It can’t be gone.”

Beside her, the Major turned to stare at him with pleading eyes. “BUT,” they wheezed. “WHY?”

Emmet walked past them, trying to remember where they’d placed his crewmates. He looked back, just for a second, at the wreckage. 

“You shouldn’t have taken my stuff.”