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cutegirlmayra · 4 years

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Kingdom Hearts Prompt

Gotta get my fingers back into the swing of things for my Birthday Week Prompt Spectacular!

Prompts are still open! We have 137 currently, and if you’ve already submitted 3, please hold off sending in anymore! Thank you so much! :Db

This is so exciting!!!

This is a bit of an AU, I’m torn between them being kids or more their ages from Kingdom Hearts 2, so take the time placing... loosely, lol.

Prompt:

It hadn’t been long since their adventures, and finally resting back on their island wasn’t exactly helping their now anxious desires to continue exploring and learning about the world beyond their own.

Sora and Riku still would hone their keyblade skills, but Riku was more hesitant to take any real fighting seriously, and opted out to call it quits before it had really become even an workout for Sora.

“Ah, man. Again, Riku?” Sora put his hands behind his head, having the keyblade disappear into sparkles of light. “Come on, you’re still worried about darkness?”

Riku looked down and away, then smiled almost half-heartedly to Sora, as though not wanting to worry or trouble him anymore about it. “I’ll be fine. Good work today.” He waved him off and began to return—to what Sora assumed—was his home.

He sighed, wanting a bit more of a sporting chance than that before looking over to Kairi by the shoreline. “Huh?” he lowered his hands from behind his now tilted head. “What’s she doing way over there?” he asked himself innocently and began to walk over to her.

As though feeling the need to not break the moment though, Sora stopped just a few feet away from her. “Ohh...” he felt a sorrowful feeling, seeing her just stand at the water’s edge and look over the horizon.

He was used to this scene, but it had been a while since he’d last seen it.

“So many worlds...”

She turned after hearing his voice, and watched him approach her side, also gazing off into the horizon that was just beginning to set.

“And you weren’t able to see any of them.” He lowered his head, “That doesn’t seem fair to me... You were the one who deserved to see them the most!” he gestured an empathetic and energetic hand out as he spoke, and it made Kairi just crinkle her nose a bit and laugh.

He always had something cute to say, and something sweet to compliment it with.

“Emm, I don’t mind.” Kairi shook her head gently, and placed her hands behind her back. “I felt it.”

“Huh?” Sora turned back to her. “Felt what, Kairi?”

“...Your heart. The adventures it went on... I felt everything.” She closed her eyes, “It makes me wonder... if maybe there’s still something on these islands left to explore.” She grinned widely to him, “I found this really cool underwater cave! But it has a keyhole... so I’m kinda not sure whether to ask you or Riku to open it or not...”

“Wha! A keyhole?!” Sora’s spirits skyrocketed, forming a fist and stomping a confident foot forward, “Why didn’t you say so?! Let’s get Riku and check it out!”

Kairi nodded sweetly, “But maybe after you guys rest. I wouldn’t want to call you to adventure only to have both your eyes drooping in exhaustion!” Kairi waved her hands a moment in front of her, calming his excitement before placing them boldly on her hips and leaning towards him. “You and Riku have been through a lot, remember?” she tilted her head, but he just smiled, a bit disappointed they couldn’t go now.

“Aww... Come on, Kairi...” he slightly whined, but in a comical way.

“No buts! Except to get yours to bed, that is.” She leaned back up, having some spunk from her previous reflective mood and began to walk back to the path towards town. “I’ll talk to Riku, you just meet me here bright and early tomorrow, got it?”

“Got it!” he cheered.

“And make sure not to doze off, you lazy bum!” she teased and waved him off, heading up the path as Sora looked defeated by her statement.

“Ohhh... I know! I’ll sleep out here!” He flopped onto the sand, but the wind blew and it was quite chilly... “Brrr, okay! I’ll just set my alarm then!” he rubbed his arms and took off towards his home.

As expected,...

“Oh nooo!!!” Sora had blinked his eyes open, looked around, and realized he had used his keyblade in his sleep to thwack the alarm clock clear off his nightstand. “Why does this always happen to me!” he quickly got up and raced to get ready.

Dashing off to the shoreline, he saw Riku and Kairi already there, staring at the rising sun.

As they turned around, Riku placed a hand on his hip. “You’re late.” he remarked.

“What’d you expect? Typical Sora.” Kairi giggled, rocking on her heels as he made his way to them.

Sora scampered in his stride and clutched his knees to remain upright, trying to get some wind back in his lungs. “Hey... both of you give me a break.”

They chuckled at him a moment before Riku looked to Kairi, “A secret door, huh?”

“There’s apparently more than the door in the cave, yeah.” She nodded to his question and looked to Sora, extending her hand to him. “You sure you’re up for another adventure, Sora?”

It was so soon after their last... but without much hesitation, Sora reeled his hand back and clasped her own, a good smacking sound was heard as he rose up from his bent position. “Emm.” He nodded, determined. “I want to share one with you... and Riku!” he nodded excitedly over to him as well, but he just folded his arms, nodding with a smile.

“It would be nice... kinda reminds me of the old days.” Riku moved towards the water, getting deeper into the sea. “Come on, you slowpokes!” He didn’t bother to look behind him, but Kairi rushed to join him in the water.

“Sora!” she called, encouraging him to follow after her.

“Ohh...” The memory of the waves rising over Riku made him pause to watch a second... so much had changed, but at the same time, nothing really ever did...

He shook his head, “That’s not true.” He told himself, “I’ve changed.” and rushed through the water to get to them.

The two waited for him again to catch up, before they all checked with one another that they were ready, and Kairi dived in first.

The water was crystal clear, and it didn’t really sting the eyes either. Sora and Riku dived in after her, waiting to see which direction she swam too.

Pointing, she gestured to a far distance beyond where they usually hung out on the lone, small island—where their favorite arching tree was. They nodded that they understood, looking back to her before beginning to swim ahead.

Sora couldn’t help but think of Ariel’s world, and easily moved passed Riku and Kairi, wiggling his body as though he had his dolphin tail again.

Surprised, but in a pleasant way, Kairi mimicked him but Riku seemed less than willing to follow suit, so he began to power-through the water and easily catch up to the two dorks.

Sora gestured for Kairi to move her arms like his, just by his sides, but Kairi seemed to not understand before Riku hit the surface of the water, treading it quickly and sparking an old rivalry in Sora.

Motivated to win, Sora also made his way to the surface and started pushing himself faster towards the cave.

Kairi then gasped upon breaching the surface and pouted, “Not again... Go for it, Sora! Riku! First one there gets to open the door!” she called out, laughing as she swam leisurely behind the two dueling boys.

It truly was like old times... except Riku was surprised to see Sora get beside him so quickly. He had improved in his strength and endurance so much... and Riku felt that darkness had limited himself from having that same fortitude and understanding that Sora had gained.

He slowed down... letting Sora pass him.

But to his amazement, Sora also stopped and grabbed his hand, pulling him forward again, “Ah!”

“Come on, Riku! We’re almost there!” Sora cried out, his sights still dead set on reaching the cliff’s base.

Riku was touched that he wasn’t so focused on winning, as he was more so wanting to do something together...

“We did it!” Sora threw his hand forward with Riku’s to touch the edge, and for a moment, Riku also threw in all his might.

They touched the rocky cliff together... panting and having open smiles as the water licked at their chins and splashed against the land wall.

They turned around to see Kairi enjoying the long trek to them, giggling at their antics. “You both never change.” She took a deep breath and went below the water again.

Sora grinned to Riku, closing his eyes before gulping some air in and charging down too.

Riku just shook his head, “Maybe... more has changed than we think.” and he went down as well.

The two were shocked to see Kairi kicking her legs into a gap below the surface, and their first instinct was to help her out, but she wedged herself in and soon disappeared into the gap.

Not sure if that was safe for her to be doing alone, the two looked at each other, realizing they really didn’t know where Kairi went off to while alone by herself.

They took turns, but Sora felt like Winnie the Pooh and worried he’d get stuck more easily, but sucked in his gut and was able to push through.

Riku twisted his body gracefully through the gap, and didn’t seem to have that much of a problem getting in.

Sora gestured to his air bubbles, as though asking Kairi where a pocket of air was down this far...

She shook her head.

No air.

Both Riku and Sora looked concerned.

Without addressing their worry for her safety, she spun back to follow the path forward through the rocks, and revealed a sunken door with musical notes upon it.

Sora summoned his keyblade, and looked to Riku in hopes that he would join him.

He shrugged, they did technically win the race together, and summoned his own.

They swished their keyblades expertly through the water and then pointed it with fashionable poise towards the keyhole.

Their lines hit the target, creating an aura of white that pulsated before the door faded into light and glowing balls began to engulf the area from it.

Riku shielded his eyes but Sora just stared deep into it... and then... they were in a strange ballroom.

Coughing, the three wobbly got back up to their feet.

“W-where are we..?” Sora looked around, seeing an almost Beast’s Castle looking place, but with white and gold lining covering the massively baroque designs and a empty orchestra filled with musical instruments.

“...This world... doesn’t have heartless, does it?” Kairi looked around, holding her arm a moment before noticing she didn’t feel wet from just getting out of the sea. “My clothes..! They’re...” she looked herself over.

“Huh?” Sora tapped his spiky hair too, “Hey! We’re dry!” he patted his chest and then looked around for a window... but all the windows were blazing a heavenly light.

Riku felt strangely uncomfortable, choosing to remain seated a moment longer before slowly rising up with his friends. “No... I don’t sense any here.”

“That’s not a bad thing, right?” Sora smiled, but his voice had a ring to it, and suddenly...

Musical notes carved into the walls suddenly lit up with the exact pitch and note that Sora’s natural speaking voice had produced.

“Woah!” Everyone moved to face their backs to each other, forming a circle as Riku and Sora summoned back their keyblades.

“Was that... Music?” Sora looked around, seeing the notes shimmer in yellow light before fading...

A drum beat spooked the three as they turned to the empty orchestra.

“There’s no keyhole on the door.” Riku gestured to the only doubled-door this ballroom had, but once again, he was right.

“We’re trapped? That doesn’t make any sense.” Kairi made a face, and with no fear, walked towards the walls.

“Ah-!” Riku held a hand out to her as Sora cried out--”Kairi! W-wait!”

She touched the notes on the wall, “It looks like... sheet music.” she placed her hand on one of the notes, and then pointed to her throat. “Ahhh~” she tried to mimic the note.

The sound carried and a musical note responded, under her hand, the note lit up to her.

“Destiny Island sure has a lot of surprises.” Riku lowered his keyblade. “But a musical room?”

“That’s awesome!” Sora released his keyblade, letting it sparkle away as he held his bundled hands cheerfully up by his face. “Let me try!” he raced over to Kairi, touching a note. “How do I make this sound?”

“Laa~” Kairi sang, and it glowed.

“LaaAAAAaa~” Sora tried, but the note seemed to dim a little on his try. “Huh?”

“Hehe, everyone’s a critic. I thought that was a good try, Sora.” Kairi giggled into her hand.

“Ohh... A try? Hmph.” He placed his hands on his hips, frowning to the wall. “I’ve sang before...”

Riku decided to look at the instruments... lightly going to touch a violin when it suddenly jumped to life and twirled around, getting caught by its stick that began to play it.

As it played, the notes and melody lit up parts of the wall.

“Ah... it’s a song!” Sora seemed enchanted by the place, and looked to Kairi, “Come on!” he pulled her towards the dance floor’s center.

“S-Sora!” Kairi smiled, not sure what he was getting at here.

“Maestro!” He flicked his wrist to the empty orchestra, and three flutes flew into the air and began to play. “Percussion!” he mimicked Sebastian’s voice, “Strings, winds!”

“Sora... how are you doing this?” Riku looked around at the many different instruments, only the classical music began to play.

“I think we have to play along!” Sora took Kairi’s hands and began to hop and circle around with her. It was a long shot to anything that looked even remotely like dancing...

She laughed though, before noticing that foot steps were lighting up in blue and pink beneath his feet. “Sora, wait!” she placed her hands on his chest, “Look! I think they’re instructions...”

“Uh... judging me again?” Sora teased, and Kairi turned to Riku.

“Do you play?” she asked, curiously.

“Not really...” He looked around him at the magical instruments.

“Can you read music?” She batted her eyes, “Pllleeeassse?”

“Ugh.” he picked up the conductor’s stick, “Alright... but this is silly.”

She moved her foot against one of the glowing pink footsteps, and it shined and sprayed sparkling dust into the air, as if that was correct.

“Ready?” She looked enthusiastically to Sora.

“H-huh?” Sora felt red on his cheeks as she took his hand properly this time, and then moved his other to her waist. “This is how you waltz, you goofball.”

It took him some time to adjust, but as Riku flicked the conductor’s stick, the musical instruments played the corresponding melody, and the wall lit up with the pacing.

When the footprints disappeared from pink, Kairi gasped and grabbed his shoulders, pushing up as Sora held her a second, not sure what to do.

“W-wait! Kairi! I thought we were supposed to keep turning!” he nervously was finding his footing, and while bringing her back down on the pink footsteps when they reappeared, noticed her eyes were happily watching him the entire time he was looking down at his footwork,.. “Ah...” He closed his mouth from his amazement and mentally told himself not to duck his head anymore.

Kairi wondered what made him look at her suddenly, but she was more than happy to see his footwork improve, or at least... his confident rise just a little.

“You’re doing great, Sora!” she cheered, and his face lit up with the encouragement.

He pulled her away from him and she twirled, and it was that moment that something clicked for Sora.

Riku found some peace in leading the magical instruments, but turning around to see his friends dancing, he felt something more arise...

While Sora was just beginning to get really good at it, he grabbed Kairi’s hand.

“Mind if I cut in?”

“H-hey! No fair!” Sora stomped a foot down a moment, “Who’s doing the-?” He moved a hand over to the orchestra before looking himself and seeing the conductor’s stick was moving on it’s own now. “Hmph...” He pouted, tapping his foot.

Seeing Riku and Kairi dance together... that competitive feeling from before suddenly sparked.

“Ah, I should let him have a turn.” He put his hands behind his head again, watching as Riku seemed much more precise in his steps, and barely looked down as he danced with Kairi.

Sora’s eyes couldn’t help it, they scanned every movement, and soon... his nature got the better of him.

He took off towards the music and held up his hands, the music stopped and he pointed to the drums. “Time to change the beat!”

Rushing over to Kairi after the footsteps on the floor changed and the music on the wall seemed to instantly rewrite itself in a blaze of white, Sora slipped in and pulled Kairi to him, dancing a new type of tune.

“Heh, is that how you want to play this?” Riku smirked, knowing more than Sora seemed to understand about his feelings. “I’m game...” He moved over to the wall, seeing the new notes, and moved to the instruments.

“If you want to dance so much,... try this!” the melody quickened to a higher difficulty for the novice Sora, who tried desperately to keep up but bonked heads with Kairi on accident.

“Ow!”

“S-sorry!”

“My turn~” Riku slid in as the music changed, and he took Kairi again.

“Ohhh... If that’s how you’re gonna play, then fine! Game on!” Sora ran back to the music.

After this happened for a few more turns, Kairi began to get light-headed and frustrated by their constant dueling.

“Enough!” she took her hands out of both of theirs, and then pushed them to each other, “You two want to dance, then dance with yourselves! Hahaha!” she laughed as the two fell into position as they stumbled backwards, but quickly jumped away from the other.

“Not so fun when its the girl’s part you have to learn, now is it?” She put her hands on her hips, then pointed to the music. “Now, let’s go home.”

The music switched out and so did the sheet music, and the door’s keyhole suddenly showed a queen and king’s silhouettes, dancing the original waltz.

“If you two weren’t so focused on one-up’ing the other, you’d have noticed that every time we got something right, the keyhole would begin to shine.” Taking control, Kairi moved back to the pink footsteps, stepping on them one at a time as the lights shone up around her. “If we focus on getting the pattern right, I think we can leave. Riku, you watch the door, open it when it fully shines the keyhole.” She nodded with new found confidence and authority over the playful, but quarreling, boys. “Since Riku can read music, he’ll know when the converging notes begin to center towards the door.”

Riku then remembered that as the notes matched the music, and their footwork matched the floor, that the notes on the wall did almost converge at the door, but he or Sora would interrupt before they ever could reach it.

“She has a point, we’re acting childish.” Riku looked to Sora, “You take care of the steps, I’ll man the door this time.” He seemed to be referring to the two sides of the door they were on last time, and Sora stared at him with the same image in his mind.

“Oh...”

“Sora?”

His attention was immediately turned to Kairi, as she placed her hand out towards him. “Shall we?”

“Y-yeah.” He took it gently.

This time, they weren’t interrupted. As the lights from beneath them sprayed up like fairy dust, it circled the two, creating a dress for Kairi and a handsome suit for Sora.

When the music rose to its height, Riku was distracted, watching the two.

But as the light swirled to reveal the keyhole, he looked back and shot it open.

The door burst into light, “Come on! We’ve gotta go!”

Sora and Kairi were too lost in the moment, however, and when the song finished, the transformation did as well.

Their breaths were light, their eyes shining in the light of the room, which only Riku noticed was starting to evaporate into the glowing balls that brought them here.

“Grr... Sora! Kairi!” he ran towards them, and as they shook off the feeling, the warmth of that moment faded with the new outfits.

They were tackled into by Riku, and the world once again burned white.

The three awoke softly on the shore of the ocean... and shaking their heads, suddenly burst into laughter and stayed on the shoreline for a while longer.

There was more magic in this world than they had supposed... and Riku and Sora both paused a moment to look to Kairi...

Smiling bigger and happier than they had seen her in a long... long time.

#kingdom hearts #sora kairi riku #destiny island #sokai #kingdom hearts au #kingdom hearts prompt #cutegirlmayra #sokai prompt #soraxkairixriku

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olyollyoxenfree · 4 years

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10 preguntas y respuestas, Pt 2

Thanks for the 10 Questions tag-back, @averysiriuschromie! These were fun!

Your Questions

1. If you get to start over your teenage years, would you change anything, or are you happy with the way things were?

I wish I could've expressed certain things better and could've asked questions to certain people, but I'm satisfied enough with how things were.

2. Do you separate your real life from your Tumblr life?

Mostly, but I do vent on here sometimes.

3. Have you ever shown any of your fanfic/fanart to person you know in real life? How did they react to it?

I don't really show my sketches, which mostly consist of fanart, to people outside of my friend group. One friend spams me with variations of "nerd", and it's great lol

The few times I have shown someone outside my friend group were to kids I tutored; they really like my art and praise it (I nearly die on the spot when they do). There was one kid whose voice was the embodiment of an eyeroll, but that was more about memories stirred up from the content rather than the drawing itself (Miraculous Ladybug; she told me her sibling would not shut up about the show and it got on her nerves. Preteens are such drama queens, I swear :P )

4. State 2 unlikely facts about yourself.

I used to have a bowl cut because my mom would cut my hair. It was bad and I refused to cut my hair for a while because I was "traumatized" 🤣 (Shows how long that "trauma" stuck, because now I keep getting my hair cut short lol)

I was kind of a tomboy growing up and a little terror to the other children around my age in the neighborhood, who were mostly boys. I'm not exploring ditches as much anymore, but my inquisitive nature hasn't changed; I just don't act on impulse if I don't have a partner in crime.

5. Ketchup on your fries or ketchup on the side of your fries?

On the side. I'm not a [completely] greedy animal like my little brother. (But most of the time, I eat them as is or sprinkle them with pepper)

6. If you were trying to convince your non-anime watcher friend to start watching it, what anime would it be?

Depends on their interests. But most of my friends already watch anime to some degree, so I don't really have that issue lol (I only have to coax Sheena with boobs :3c)

7. Since you came from Florida, what do you think your Florida Man headline would be? :p

My brand of weird is normal for me, so I had to call on my friends for answers:

Me: Really stupid question, but I'll ask anyway: What would my Florida Man headline be?

Turtle:

"Florida Woman found with millions of dollars worth of shoplifted manga".

Alternatively, if it was an online article:

"Man found dead after groping Florida Woman: 10 Reasons You Don't Mess With Lolitas"

Rebekah:

I’m gonna go with my first thought even though it might be dumb: "Gay woman from Florida runs for president, is popular candidate".

Either that or "Florida woman built so many bookshelves she can’t get out of her room"

Sheena and Ro:

Sheena: This just in: local Floridian steals a human skull from the cemetery at 11 PM.

Sheena: Authorities still don't understand why this happened

Ro: The only piece of evidence was some art pen

Me: Sadly, that really would be how I get caught

Me: I tend to drop them ;-;

Sheena: I can see the police walk around with your art pen in a plastic bag and ask "Do you know who this belongs to?"

Me: Yup. And I'd just hold up my index finger to the police to hold up, then walk back inside for a minute to apologize to my brother for assuming he took it (because they always end up in his piles somehow)

Emily:

"LOCAL NERD DISAPPEARS IN CEMETERY ONLY TO RETURN AS CHAMPION OF THE FAE"

"[Redacted] GIRL ACCUSED OF SUMMONING THE DEAD"

"FLORIDA GIRL CHARGED WITH CAUSING HEART ATTACKS, CLAIMS ALL SHE DID WAS WALK INTO THE ROOM QUIETLY"

"FLORIDA GIRL TRIPS ON THE SIDEWALK, FALLS STRAIGHT INTO HELL AND RETURNS TO TELL THE TALE"

I have been scalped ��🤣🤣

8. Unsolved crimes or aliens?

Unsolved crimes!

9. Name one book you can read over and over again without feeling bored.

Hmm.. I guess any of the short story collections I have:

"The Cabinet of Curiosities: 36 Tales Brief & Sinister" by Stefan Bachmann, Katherine Catmull, Claire Legrand, Emma Trvayne: off the top of my head, my favorite story from this one is "The Cake Made Out of Teeth" by Claire L. (mentions of violence, and verbal abuse, kind of cannibalism and gore, vomiting).

"More Bones: Scary Stories From Around the World" collected and retold by Arielle North Olson and Howard Schwartz (I wrote my name in this book and it has the most wear of all the books in my small collection because I read it so many times over! I kinda want a hardcover copy if it's available): my favorites are "The Gruesome Test" (warning for cannibalism and mentions of death) and "The Haunted Violin" (warning for death).

"Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark" collected and retold by Alvin Schwartz, even though it contains some words that are antiquated and derogatory: a few short stories that never fail to send chills down my spine are "Me Tie Dough-ty Walker" (warning for gore and animal death), "Wonderful Sausage" (warning for death and cannibalism), and "Oh, Susannah!" (warning for death and gore).

...I just realized one-third of these have to do with some sort of cannibalism, which I'm not sure what that says about me, other than I'm probably hungry lol

10. An OTP you’re currently obsessed with!

I'm finding it difficult to pinpoint which ship I'm obsessed with right now because all the fanart I've seen is so cute ;-;

My 10 Questions:

(See "I tag")

I tag:

No one. While I am curious to peep into people's lives, that would require coming up with more questions, and that means work :P

#olyollyoxenspeaks #quizzes and tag games #tagged #oh hey it's me

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the-smartest-mallard · 4 years

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One Last Night || Huriel

SUMMARY: Huey & Ariel take Kimberly for one last prom, and meet a few people along the way NOTES/TWs: TW for death, but it’s not explicit rlly; kinda sad but also super sweet <3

@ariel-the-rebel

ARIEL/KIMBERLY:

Ariel was still a passenger in her own body. And it was miserable! She couldn’t believe this was happening. This ghost - Kimberly - had basically tricked her into drinking with her - ghost powers or whatever! All she could do now was watch and rage at the new driver.

Kimberly, for the record, wasn’t loving this either. Ariel lacked not only her long hair and legs from another life - but also her sense of style. She had to really try and pull a suitable look together for prom considering this closet barely had anything.

But, she tried. And she thinks she did okay - especially after raiding another sister or two’s room. Honestly, how big was this Ariel girl’s family?

And when the doorbell rang, she dashed down the stairs to answer it. Taking only a moment just before to adjust anything that might have moved out of place then carefully answered with a big smile. “Huey?”

HUEY:

Huey had rushed across town, the Holy Grail still wrapped in a blanket in his backpack, and he had gotten changed as quickly as he could. He hadn’t thought about prom that much because he hadn’t thought he was going, so all that was left to do was grab a black suit from the back of his wardrobe, tame his hair, and then contemplate what on Earth he was going to do with the Holy Grail.

He couldn’t leave it at home. What if someone had been after them and was watching him right now? Taking it to prom seemed like a horrible idea too, too much scope for someone to pick it up and grab it, but he would definitely feel better if it was within his eyeline at all times.

He was going to have to take it to prom.

He checked his watch; he needed to get going. There was time to pin a swan feather from his collection (of feathers in general, not just swan feathers— that would be weird), and nab another before he left, backpack and Holy Grail in tow.

He pressed the doorbell at Ariel’s and then stepped back, waiting for the door to open. He was not at all expecting the sight he was met with — the dress, the heels, the makeup. He blinked, and then he smiled, “Hey. You look nice. Very nice. Are any of those from Ariel’s wardrobe?” He was just teasing… mostly. “I brought you something, but— well. I don’t want to ruin your outfit.” He produced a black swan feather, twirling it between finger and thumb. “It’s Swan Lake theme, tonight.”

ARIEL/KIMBERLY:

“Thanks. I did what I could with...this,” Kimberly groaned, gesturing to herself. Well, Ariel. “I had to raid two other sisters’ closets for some of this - the dress though, you’ll be pleased to know, was in her’s. In the way back though like a dirty secret.”

She giggled at herself, stepping out of the house now and closing the door behind her before walking over to Huey. What she was expecting next was flowers. Or a corsage. Instead, a black feather. Which she made a face at first.

Oh. Yes. The theme. She hadn’t even thought of that.

“I wish you’d told me about the theme before I got ready,” She huffed, taking the feather and after a moment just tucking it into her hair. It’d have to do for now. She then looked him up and down. “You clean up very nice yourself, though.”

HUEY:

“Yeah — Sorry.” Huey cringed a little, but in his own defence, he had forgotten there was a theme at all until he had gotten home and remembered his brothers talking about their outfits and prom and themes, in particular. And he also had a lot on his mind right now — being on-theme for the prom was the least of his worries.

The blush that coloured his cheeks when she looked him up and down was not unexpected, but still a little strange. It felt almost wrong, in a way, because even though the girl in front of him was technically his girlfriend, she also definitely wasn’t. He gave a weak smile, tried for a slightly better one, and then said, “Um, thanks. Might’ve done better with a little more time, but…” he shrugged, and then gestured to the street behind him. “Shall we get going?”

They were going to have to walk, but it wasn’t like it was far. With all the one way roads and tourist traffic it would probably take longer in a car than on foot. “Did anyone see you inside the house?”

ARIEL/KIMBERLY:

“Uh, are we walking? Really?” Kimberly whined, looking between Huey and the road. But the look he gave her said they indeed were, so she huffed and followed him down the steps of the Triton home. Which was not the home she expected Ariel to come from. “Fine. Let’s just go already.”

She lifted up her dress, being careful to not ruin it. She didn’t think it looked expensive or anything, but she did not want to be caught dead in a ruined dress by the time she got to prom. Even if it wasn’t her. And she was dead.

The thought only made her angrier, and she reached out, forcefully looping her arm with his. “Of course not. I’m very sneaky.” She wasn’t, but no one was home, thankfully. It seemed they’d all already gone off to enjoy the festivities.

HUEY:

Huey simply arched his eyebrows in answer; he could’ve been sarcastic, or he could’ve given her a genuine answer, but he figured that that look was enough. It wasn’t like it was far away, though he did make a mental note to keep an eye on her dress - he didn’t want anything happening to it.

“The queen of sneaky, apparently. I’m impressed you got that dress with no one noticing.” He meant that, too; there were only 4 in his house and he could barely get away with anything. He couldn’t imagine having 8 knocking about the place.

He didn’t mind her arm looped with his. He would’ve offered, if he hadn’t been worried that she would take his head off for it. Kimberly was kinda scary. “So who was your date meant to be? Anyone nice?” He paused, and then cleared his throat. “Or I can stop asking, if you want. We don’t have to talk about it.”

ARIEL/KIMBERLY:

Kimberly’s - Ariel’s? This was so confusing - lips came together in a thin line at that. Part of her wanted to order him to stop talking. Just take her to prom so she can have a good time.

But another part…

“His name was David,” She started, careful. She wondered what had happened to him. Had he been upset? Angry, even, that she hadn’t shown up to prom? Did he wonder about what happened to her? “He was...very nice. A real gentleman. He went all out asking me to prom.” The thought made her smile.

HUEY:

Huey nodded as he listened, wondering who the mysterious David might have been. Was he still in Swynlake? Did he remember her? He must do. Huey would remember Ariel forever, he thought, if she went missing… yeah, no, he didn’t want to think about that at all actually.

“He sounds great.” He told her, offering Kimberly a gentle smile. He hadn’t even really asked Ariel to prom; at first he had just sort of assumed they were going, and then they weren’t going at all. The smile on her face was enough to make Huey feel a little pit of guilt deep in his stomach — he really needed to make more of an effort.

“Fair warning, tonight might be… something. I don’t know if it’s always been a thing, but secondary school prom tends to be… dramatic.”

ARIEL/KIMBERLY:

“He was,” Kimberly said, nodding a little. Her eyes slipped closed for just a moment...perhaps caught up in memories of David. Or just her life before...well, this.

Death. A cold reminder slipping up her back and sending chills.

A bit of a buzzkill, aren’t you…

If she could hiss at the voice in her - Ariel’s - head - which was Ariel… Still! She’d do it! Do you know how hard it is to get ready when someone is telling you to stop in your head? Like they were screaming bloody murder? If anything, Ariel should thank her! She looked absolutely cute - and that took some effort.

She snapped out of the small argument she felt coming on with Ariel, then looked to Huey. “Define dramatic? Because I feel like when you say dramatic, you mean more than just crying in the bathroom.”

HUEY:

“Well… a few years ago someone set the gym on fire. I think that’s the worst it’s ever been, to be honest, but still. I wasn’t even there and I have PTSD.”

It was most of the reason why Huey dreaded this time of year, honestly. He loved a party (he really loved planning parties too, but being on committee meant working with one or many Ashleys, and he wasn’t about to volunteer for that), and he would love prom if he could just go and hang out with his friends and dance a little awkwardly and then go home after a night well spent. Unfortunately though… it seemed it was never destined to be just a simple night.

(For the record: the other reason he didn’t get too excited for prom was the theme. Dressing to a theme was hard…)

“Hopefully tonight won’t be too bad, though?” He tried for a smile, but he knew it was a little lacklustre “it’ll be fun. We’ll make the best of it, I promise.”

ARIEL/KIMBERLY:

Kimberly jerked slightly, turning her whole body to look at him. “I’m sorry - what? What kind of animals is that school raising?” She hissed.

Wait until you meet the Ashleys.

“And what’s an Ashley?” She sneered. “Ariel did not sound happy about them.”

But then she stopped, and listened to Huey. She knows she’s normally bad at that. Her father even told her that a lot. Maybe if she listened more, she wouldn’t be in this situation. Dead and lost to time.

“...I’m sorry. You’re right. Let’s - yeah, let’s try to have a good time.”

HUEY:

Ashleys. Huey immediately grimaced, looking down at his shoes. “An Ashley is one of several Ashleys who are all mean for no reason, each in their own special way. The move in a pack and think they run the place.” He paused, looking at Kimberly and shrugging. “They shouldn’t bother us, though. I get the feeling they’re gonna have more on their plate at prom. They take prom queen very seriously.”

He would just make sure they steered clear of the Ashleys as best they could tonight; it should be easy enough, cause like he said - the Ashleys generally had more to worry about than the two of them. Although, with Ariel dressed like that…

They were coming up on the school now, and Huey gave her a smile, a proper one. A good time. They could manage that. “Okay — get ready for the most magical night of your life,” he led her inside the building, casting a glance at the decorations. “...or something.”

ARIEL/KIMBERLY

Kimberly nodded, understanding completely. So they were the ones in charge. Looking at Huey, she knew why’d they single him out. He was very nerdy, after all. She wanted to bring up how she had been somewhat like that with her friends. Before the Grail consumed her life. But her words died in her mouth.

Huey was nice. And she didn’t want to make this more awkward. Despite her attitude.

As they came upon the school, she had a sick sense of deja vu and her stomach turned. It had been so long...and it looked so much the same. Yet so different. But he spoke again, trying to be cheery and they entered the building.

She laughed a little, the decorations coming into view and some poppy song she’d never heard assaulted her eardrums. “Afterlife, maybe,” She joked, then looked around. “Whoa...what do you guys think fashion is nowadays?”

HUEY:

Afterlife, of course. Huey actually laughed, which kind of startled him; it felt almost bad to joke about it. It was a sad, sombre sort of thing. But if she was the one making the jokes, well… maybe he was allowed to laugh?

Huey wasn’t surprised by anything he saw as he looked around the room of assembled teenagers. Every event was like some kind of costume competition, with the objective of being the biggest, most glamorous, most outrageous person in the room, and tonight was absolutely no exception. Still. He dreaded to think what an 80s prom might look like.

“Well… I mean, we used to think that about you guys. No offense. But why was everything neon?” Questionable, and Huey didn’t even know anything about fashion. He took a breath, looking again at Kimberly. “So… what do you want to do first?”

ARIEL/KIMBERLY:

Kimberly looked to Huey, and smiled a little at the laugh. It really lifted her spirits to hear it. Maybe tonight would be good. Maybe this was the prom she was meant to go to. Sure, she’d love to have gone to her own. Be among her own peers, but…

“Excuse you!” She gasped, swatting at him playfully. “My original dress was AMAZING, I’ll have you know!” She giggled though, still holding onto his arm as he continued to speak. Then hummed as she looked around. “Gosh, there’s so much - Oh! Lets go get a picture taken!” She said this, shoving him towards the little picture area. “So we can never forget and - oof!”

“Uh! Triton, what the hell, you clumsy little - what are you wearing?” Ashlé started as they ran into her, ready to tear them apart before taking a small step back to look at them. “Did one of your sisters pick this out?”

Kimberly’s nose scrunched up. Oh, she knew girls like her. Already five seconds in, and she knew. “Do I know you?” She asked, going to flip her long blonde hair but remembering it wasn’t there. “You and your train are in the way.”

Ashlé’s face soured more. “Mallard, what drugs is your girlfriend on?”

“Why - I’d never!” Kimberly chirped up, looking to Huey now.

HUEY:

A picture sounded good, actually. He didn’t want to mention the fact that it would be he who held onto it, not her, because she seemed to picking up a bit, and he knew better than to ruin that mood. So instead he gave a laugh, tugging her by the arm over to the backdrop they had set up—

Straight into the path of an Ashley.

Or Ashlé, to be specific. Huey sighed, about to just apologise and skirt around her… but apparently, that wasn’t to be.

“Kim— Ariel.” He hissed, giving her a warning look before he looked to Ashlé. It was absolutely not like Huey to talk back to an Ashley, especially not after that run in with Ashley A a while back, but maybe it was the fact that his girlfriend was possessed and he had the Holy Grail in his backpack - he was feeling bold.

(And maybe, on some level, he was sort of, just a little, trying to impress Kimberly. Maybe. Which was exactly why he said:)

“Well, y’know, it’s hard to recognise you under all that dress, Ashlé. Plus, with the lackeys back there, we thought it might be someone important.” Instant regret. He was dead. Time to leave. “C’mon, Ariel,” He tried to tug her out of the way, back towards the other wall.

ARIEL/KIMBERLY:

Get her, Huey!

Ariel’s cheers ran through the head Kimberly found herself possessing, and she was in agreement. Even impressed, her eyes widening a little in surprise as she looked to Huey. Now she understood why the little spitfire seemed to like him so much. Maybe there was more to him than book smarts.

“Real mature, Mallard. Going after a girls’ looks,” Ashlé twisted, taking a step closer, lackeys moving with her. In her heels, she came eye to eye with him, unlike most girls. Her hand reached out to grip the back of his tux, keeping him in place. “Just because I’m graduating doesn’t mean you’ll escape my wrath.” Her nails dug into him. “Don’t think you’re safe.”

“Oh, come off it!” Kimberly erupted, causing a couple heads to turn and glance curiously their way. She stepped forward and yanked the clawed hand off her date. “I don’t have time for bitches ruining my night! I’ve waited too long for whoever you think you are to come and ruin it!”

“Triton, don’t forget who you’re talking to!”

“I don’t even know who I’m talking to!”

HUEY:

Huey had explained to enough people by now that it was not just fight or flight, but fight or flight or freeze, a hidden third option chosen by most rodents. Right now he felt like just that, a mouse caught in the paws of a sadistic cat. So that was just what did — he froze, but he couldn’t help but look right back at her, meeting her gaze so maybe it looked at least kind of like he wasn’t sure he was about to die?

When Kimberly swooped in to save the day, he was more than a little relieved. He looked over at her, not at all surprised that she was something of a spitfire. She would have to be, looking for the Grail on her own, holding onto it like she had…

“I think we would all be having a better night if we were on opposite sides of the room.” He concluded, stepping back to make sure he was out of Ashlé’s grasp and reaching for Ariel at the same time, taking her hand before it could be used to slap Ashlé. “I’m sure if you start walking your minions will follow.” He added, looking between the two who were still just holding onto her dress. Did they know how to do anything else?

“C’mon,” he urged Kimberly, tugging on her hand. “Photo time.”

ARIEL/KIMBERLY:

Kimberly was very much thinking of Ashlé. And Ariel’s screams of anarchy inside her skull were definitely all the encouragement she needed.

But then Huey grabbed her hand, and she remembered where they were. Who she was with. And who she was. This was all beneath her. Even though she wanted to tear out every feather in this girl’s dress, she let Huey hold her back before silently nodding in agreement with him and turning away.

All Ashlé got out before they walked off was a huff and a, “Typical.”

“And there are more of them?” Kimberly harshly whispered to him as they made their way to the photo area.

HUEY:

“Unfortunately.” He muttered, shooting a look at Ashlé out of the corner of his eye. No doubt she would regroup with the rest of her coven, though whether Huey and (not) Ariel were big enough news to be passed on to the rest of the group was debatable. “I’m pretty sure they multiply every other day.”

Enough of that, though. Hopefully they wouldn’t have any more run-ins with Ashleys for the rest of the night.

He led her over to the backdrop — he didn’t know who had painted it, but it was actually kind of good, with the lake in the background and the scenery and stuff. Not a half bad job. The last group was just vacating the photo area when they got there, so before anyone else could swoop in, Huey pulled Kimberly forward. “Okay — this is your perfect prom, you get to pick the pose. Whatever you want.”

ARIEL/KIMBERLY:

Uh, Kimberly wanted to tear out those dumb feathers from that stupid dress. But Huey guiding her away was able to calm her down enough for her attention to switch to something more improtant. Pictures!

“Oh! We have to go classic, of course!” She said, now grabbing him and yanking him in place. “You know, you behind me. Hands around my waist, my hands on your’s. You know!” As she spoke, she tried to pull him into the position, no matter how awkward his long limbs moved in comparison to her.

She wondered for a moment how someone so small as Ariel kissed him. Which got an angry rant from Ariel herself - which went ignored. She’d gotten quite good at ignoring her.

“Okay, ready? Okay! Smile!”

HUEY:

“Right, right,” Huey nodded, his mind casting back to all those vintage photos of people at their proms. Did people even still do that? He wasn’t surprised to find that he didn’t care. It’d be a nice photo, something that would be funny in hindsight, and if it made Kimberly happy, he wasn’t going to complain. He just let her drag him into the right position, trying not to accidentally elbow her in the ribs or step on her toes or something as he wrapped his arms around her middle.

For a moment, he thought about how it was still so strange, looking at his girlfriend and seeing someone else. Because sure, her eyes were a different colour now, and she was wearing clothes that Ariel was probably really mad about, deep down in there, but it was more than just that. She seemed totally different, her expressions, her mannerisms — he didn’t know how no one else had noticed it.

The flash went off on the camera, momentarily blinding him, and Huey used the time spent blinking stars out of his eyes to stow that thought away. A few more hours and Kimberly could be at peace, and Ariel would be back. In the meantime, they just had to try and navigate prom.

“Let’s go look at it,” he urged her, pulling her towards the photographer as he showed off the photo he’d taken. “Well?” He looked at Kimberly. “Do I make a good enough model or do you want a redo?”

ARIEL/KIMBERLY:

Kimberly couldn't help but giggle at Huey’s reaction. “Good job,” She said, before letting him pull her away and over to the camera to take a look. And she had been right. “We look great!”

Well, him and Ariel. But still her, but - it wasn’t. It was weird to imagine if he or her would keep that photo after she had...whatever. Another thing that was weird to think about. This whole thing was. Ner in her wildest dreams would she think she’d be here. Even in Swynlake.

“You did really good. Come on! Lets hit the floor!” She said, bouncing a little with excitement as she pulled him off in another direction. “I don’t know this song, but I get the vibe it’s going for.”

HUEY:

He wasn’t sure why he was so uplifted by her approval, but he was. When he’d first picked her up from Ariel’s house, he’d wondered if the entire night would be him making the wrong move and her taking a swipe at him for it, which he could’ve put up with, but… well, neither of them would’ve enjoyed the night, would they? This was much better. Apparently all it took was some boppy pop music and a half-decent photo backdrop for them to warm up a bit.

Huey laughed as he was pulled towards the dance floor. Dancing was not in any way his strength, but he had the spirit. “It’s a good song.” He agreed, trying his best to move to the rhythm and not take someone’s eye out.

Before they had been there too long, though, someone bumped into him, and then stumbled past, just managing to stand on the back of Kimberly’s dress.

“Woah!” JJ cried, looking at the pair. “Sorry!”

ARIEL/KIMBERLY:

Kimberly yelped in surprise, causing a couple heads to turn, and she whipped around to face the culprit. Of course, she had no idea who this was. But she was already fired up from their earlier interaction and wouldn’t think twice about tearing into this new victim.

“Watch where you’re going next time!” She huffed, looking down to her dress with pity. Then back up at the teen again. Then back at Huey, as if catching herself just in time to ask if she was going too far.

And by his expression - and Ariel’s continued raging inside - she realized she had.

So, she pursed her lips, tensed up, then sighed and looked back to him. “I mean - sorry. It’s my sister’s...You know? Don’t want it ruined.”

You are terrible at this.

HUEY:

Huey could only blink, surprised, as apparently could Jack Jack, who looked at the would-be Ariel with wide eyes and increasingly red cheeks. Huey didn’t really know the youngest Parr that well, but that was probably a good thing — it probably meant he kept out of trouble, unlike his siblings.

Luckily for them, though, JJ wasn’t wasn’t totally unused to girls shouting at him — the perks of having a sister. If it could be called a perk. He recovered quickly, with a small shake of his head that tousled his curls and brought a small, kinda nervous smile back to his face.

“Right, yeah - lemme make it up to you! Uh…. there’s pizza?” JJ offered. “I will definitely fight the hordes of hungry teenagers to get you a slice. A good slice.”

ARIEL/KIMBERLY:

At that, Kimberly seemed to perk up. It had been so long since she’d had - well, any type of food. And just at the mention of it, Ariel’s tiny body seemed to growl in hunger as well. Perfect timing.

“Actually, that’d be perfect,” She said, smiling sweetly and grabbing his arm. “If you need a weapon, you can take this purse with you as well. I chose it because it seems good to smack people around with.”

Old habits did die hard, she supposed. Plus, she was gettign tired of carrying. Win - win for everyone.

HUEY:

The offer seemed to have gone down well, which was enough to make JJ stop sweating, but not enough for him to feel fully at ease. His impression of Ariel had always been that she was kinda chill, not… whatever was going on here. But hey, he didn’t know her, maybe she contained multitudes. He wasn’t gonna judge. He just took her purse, tucked it under her arm, gave a mock salute, and was on his way.

Huey, however, was absolutely judging, and he glanced around to make sure that most heads had turned back to whatever it was they were doing before her little outburst. He couldn’t blame Kimberly for reacting — that wasn’t her dress, and it was a nice dress, so someone stepping on it was definitely cause for concern — but still. Ariel wouldn’t have reacted like that. Ashlé suspecting was one thing (she had probably already forgotten about them both by now, seeing as to her they were ants, and she was a sadistic kid with a magnifying glass), but others might not. They needed to keep on the down low as much as possible.

And he had been so busy thinking, and worrying, he didn’t notice the other two had started moving through the crowd. “Hey, wait up!”

It was easy enough to follow them. JJ carved a path through the crowd with his free elbow and the purse, the two of which seemed like a pretty solid combination. Huey managed to get past just as people started mingling together again, trailing them all the way to the pizza table.

“Look out, coming through, hungry lady here, c’mon,” JJ battered his way to the front, earning a few disgruntled mutterings as he went, and gestured to the cardboard pizza boxes littering the table. “M’lady.”

ARIEL/KIMBERLY:

Kimberly found it hard not to giggle at this newcomier’s antics. Was he a little sloppy and clumsy? Yes, but at least he had good intentions. Unlike the girl. So, she held up the end of her dress and followed along, smiling all the while.

She threw that smile back at Huey before turning back to the pizza.”Thank you, good sir. I think we’re even now,” She said as she carefully grabbed her and Huey a slice on a paper plate.

“Uh, JJ?” A voice came, and Kimberly turned to see a small Chinese girl looking at them all curiously. Blinking, Su looked between them, but kept looking back at her suspiciously. “Hey...you guys in a rush or something?”

HUEY:

Jack Jack gave a miniature bow, making sure to nab a piece of pizza for himself before the crowds descended on them once again. Honestly, he thought he was gonna have to get himself a one of those purses, cause Ariel was right: it was very good for whacking people with. He’d never have to wait in line for anything ever again with one of those things.

To save from being jostled away from the table, Huey stepped up behind Kimberly, looking over her shoulder. He didn’t know why seeing a slice there for him too made him smile; it was just the polite thing to do. Although, Kimberly had proven if there was one thing she wasn’t, it was polite. So. Huey was gonna choose to take this one as another sign that she was warming up to him.

He was so distracted by that slice of pizza that he didn’t notice Su until he saw Kimberly’s head move. He only really knew Su as Mei’s sister, ot as her own person, which sure was a little weird, but he assumed, if she was anything like Mei, that she was nice. She certainly seemed it.

“For pizza,” JJ answered, and Huey reached around Kimberly, grabbing a box with a few slices left inside. He handed it to the younger boy, who held it out to Su. “Payback for standing on Ariel’s dress. I got her, and now you, the best pizza Swynlake Secondary has to offer.”

ARIEL/KIMBERLY:

Kimberly eyed the young girl back, then looked to Huey and JJ. “Yeah - he’s lucky I’m so merciful tonight,” She joked, laughing and waving off the odd air that came over them. “Anyway - JJ, you and Su can go dance or eat pizza. I think me and Huey are going to have some time alone, you know?”

She wrapped an arm around Huey’s thin waist, smiling sweetly at the two then up at her not but Ariel’s boyfriend. Still, Su stood there, hesitant for a moment, then looked back to JJ. “Okay...what kind do they have?”

And with that, Kimberly took the distraction to usher Huey away, giggling a little as she did so.

HUEY:

Huey wasn’t sure entirely why, but he blushed at that.

Maybe it was the arm around his waist, which was technically Ariel’s but also very much not Ariel’s right now, or maybe it was the little look Jack Jack gave them, the glance between the two of them and the small nod before he turned around to Su to play waiter (literally, he was doing a little mock bow again). But either way, Huey was glad it was kind of dark in there as he was pushed back towards the crowd, leaving the pizza table behind.

The night after that seemed to go in kind of a blur. People getting thrown into punch bowls, prom king and queen, and the drama that had followed (there was always some kind of drama; prom was just like that), all of which Huey was very glad to not be a part of. When the dancing had resumed after Nemo had… yeah. Huey wasn’t thinking about it. He had just been grateful to get back to what had otherwise been a pretty good night — Kimberly was definitely a better dancer than him, but he didn’t even care.

With the night wearing on, the music was starting to slow down a little. Huey didn’t even know what the song was, to be honest, but he put his hands on Kimberly’s waist and swayed along to it, just a little off beat.

“Y’know,” He paused, wondering if he should tell this story. It wasn’t like Ariel wasn’t there. But still. It was a nice story. “This is actually how me and Ariel got together. It was a wedding, not a prom. But we were dancing, and then the song went all slow, and it seemed kinda awkward to stop dancing… and then she kissed me.” He paused, and then added, his tone a little softer. “She’s a lot braver than me. Which is good, ‘cause you could’ve been in my body, and I don’t think that’d work for anyone.”

ARIEL/KIMBERLY:

Despite the circumstances, Kimberly was having a nice time. Especially once she settled into the festivities. She would dare say Ariel was also having a good time, deep down. Literally, wherever she was and how possession worked.

And Huey wasn’t a bad partner for the evening either. He was kind. And went out of the way to make sure she was okay. And comfortable. She appreciated that.

With her arms looped around his shoulders, swaying comfortably with the music, she smiled up at him at that. “That sounds about how I’d see it going,” She chuckled, patting at his chest. “Oh really? I was about your height, you know? But I would have definitely made you wear heels to this, whether you liked it or not.”

Another little laugh, shaking her head. This was - nice. On the verge of perfect. But the faces were all wrong. But she could pretend...if not just for a moment…

“This has been really nice...actually.”

HUEY:

Kimberly really hadn't been bad company either. He might’ve had a better time with Ariel, cause there wouldn’t have been that weird awkward period right at the start there, but it had been good. Nice. And he could do it all again with Ariel next year, if they wanted to.

“Ah, and you would’ve ruined my cool guy reputation.” His nose scrunched as his laughed, ‘cause the idea of him really was laughable. He could barely walk in a straight line as it was, he couldn’t imagine trying to walk in heels. Though that would have been her problem, not his.

He was glad that she was having a nice time, though. That she’d enjoyed it. Being trusted with someone’s prom, when they were… she only had the one night, is what he was saying, and he had worried about it being his responsibility. It was nice that he could give her that.

“I’ll try not to be offended by the actually.” He teased, before glancing around the room. “We could call it a night, if you want? Before anymore calamities.”

ARIEL/KIMBERLY:

“Pfft - whatever,” Kimberly chuckled.

At his suggestion, she looked around. After the crowing ceremony drama, about half of the attendees seemed to clear out, so there was so much more room for them on the dance floor. But, if that was only a taste of what Swynlake’s modern secondary could offer her for drama, getting out sounded like a good option while she still could. They’d managed to stay out of trouble so far, may as well not push it

“Yeah...it’s probably best that we go now before a second wave of drama comes,” She hums, pulling away for a moment then grabbing his hand and leading him out the gym doors and into the hall of lockers. “What now, lover boy?”

Though, she knew. It was time for her to go. Even though a part of her didn’t want to go. Was still in denial that she had long since passed. And this wasn’t her body.

“One more walk though, for old time sake?”

HUEY:

He didn’t really want to say it, but he saw the recognition flash in her eyes. He didn’t know how any of this worked, but… he knew it was time for her to go. Into the light, to the other side, whatever it actually was. Her soul had been tied to the Grail, and now to Ariel, when she had drank from it. Maybe if anyone else had found it, Kimberly really would have achieved eternal life. Or at least, she would’ve passed on to the next person, and the next person after that, hopping bodies for eternity.

But they’d given her what she wanted. One last night, one last prom. That would be enough for her to move on, wouldn’t it?

“Sure.” He nodded, giving her hand a squeeze. “I know a spot.”

Town was almost eerily quiet, what with most people either being at the secondary school or the adult prom, but it was nice. It made Huey feel a little better about hauling the Grail around with him; it was just the two of them.

Well. The three of them.

It was equally quiet by the lake. It might’ve been creepy on any other night, the full moon reflecting on the deep, dark water, but it felt sort of on theme for prom, actually.

“Well… was prom everything you expected it to be?”

ARIEL/KIMBERLY:

The lake was still as beautiful as she remembered. Almost like it hadn’t changed since her time alive and young and free. The full moon looming over them - it was perfect. It made tears sting at her eyes. Her town....she loved it.

In life, she wasn’t too big on Magicks. She’d thought them dangerous. Scary. David had taught her differently. And because of him, she wanted to do better. Which is how she got mixed up with the Grail - and here she was now.

“It...it was something else,” She admitted, but smiled sadly at him. “I had a great time, Huey.” Taking a breath though, putting back on a firm face, she nodded and wiped at her eyes. “Listen to me - you need to get that Grail somewhere safe. It can’t - this can’t happen to anyone again, alright?”

HUEY:

Huey nodded earnestly, knowing that they were going to do their best. Turning it in to Town Hall would be so simple, but what then? What if someone got their hands on it, someone who decided to use it for evil? He knew they were in danger by holding on to it, but he also knew that it was better that they did, that it was safe with them, for now. It needed to be taken back to the forest, to be buried deep down somewhere, somewhere where no one would ever find it again.

“We will.” He assured her, taking her hand and squeezing it gently. “Ariel and I, we’ll make sure that it gets into the right hands. We won’t let it go until we’re positive. And we’ll make sure, wherever it goes, it’s far away from anyone else.”

Huey could only imagine how the Grail could be used to hurt someone. To ensnare them like Kimberly had been, or to threaten, or… well, he could imagine a lot of things, and none of them pleasant. “I promise. We’ll take care of it.”

ARIEL/KIMBERLY:

Huey took her hand, and Kimberly felt a sudden calm come over her with the squeeze of her hand. She took a breath, sharp and deep then looked him in the eye and smiled. “I trust that you will. Good luck,” She said, her voice shaking a little. “And thank you.”

And with that, Ariel’s bright blues came back. A silence overtaken her and she blinked once. Twice. Then looked to Huey. “She’s...gone.” Her hand, now once fully her own again, squeezed his tightly and smiled just the slightest. “She’s okay though…”

HUEY:

Huey was sad to see Kimberly go, but he had to admit — he was glad to see Ariel return, brown melting away into blue again. He didn’t know what to say, at first. He didn’t know if she was upset at having someone else control her body, or angry, maybe. She really did have the right to be either of those, given the circumstances. All Huey did was wait for her to say something, smiling back at her when she smiled at him, even if it was barely there.

“And you?” He asked, browns furrowing a little. He was glad to know Kimberly was okay, wherever she was now, but Ariel had been a passenger for a while now. Who knew what that could do to a person? Would it have any side effects? “How do you feel?”

ARIEL:

Ariel laughed awkwardly at that. Honestly, she didn’t know. It was weird now having control. Suddenly the weight of life crashing down on her. Was it...weird to feel a little sad she was back in control? All the responsibilities of her life coming back to her?

Probably. And she really didn’t want to voice it. If anything, she was tired.

So she nodded, leaning forward until she was fully leaning against him, head resting on his shoulder and wrapping her arm that wasn’t holding his hand around him. “Yeah...I’m fine just...super tired. It’s been a long night.” She turned her head up to look at him though. “I missed you though…”

HUEY:

Huey wasn’t surprised that she was tired. He could imagine that being possessed was pretty stressful, even if the ghost you were possessed by was just a girl from the 80s who wanted to go to prom.

He leaned his head against Ariel’s, face smushed into her hair, and wrapped his free arm around her in turn. He didn’t know if Ariel was telling the truth about Kimberly being at peace, and he still had the Holy Grail in his backpack, and yet this moment was the most calm he’d felt all night. The quiet and the chill to the night air… it was calming. Comforting. And Ariel was back — that was a lot of it, too.

He straightened up when she tilted her head, dipping his chin so he could look at her. “I missed you too.” He told her, and he meant it, too. He wished they could’ve had prom, but there was always next year, he supposed. “I’m really glad you’re back.”

ARIEL:

Ariel smiled up at him. Why were her eyes all wet? Uh, she felt so dumb and sappy but also didn’t care. She slowly reached up, pulling her hand from his and set it on his cheek before leaning up just a little more to press a kiss to his lips.

“Sorry I...pulled an Ariel,” She tried to joke. “I don’t know what happened there…”

Aside from the odd pull of the Grail. She wondered if that’s what happened to Kimberly. She figured though she’d never know that. And with luck, they never would. Because while she wanted to just live in this soft, rose tinted moment against Huey, the weight of what just happened clung to her tired body as well.

“But we have to get rid of that thing...get it somewhere safe,” She said. “No one should have to go through what Kimberly did again…”

HUEY:

The kiss was soft, and sweet, and enough to distract him from the many, many reasons he had to worry right now. He kind of just wanted to stay like that, in the cloud of her perfume, with the warmth of her body against his, not worrying.

But she was right. They needed to do something.

“You’re right.” He agreed, pulling back just a little, enough to meet her eyes properly. “I’ll keep hold of it, tonight.” He assured her. It was still in his backpack, as it had been all night, and it would stay there. He’d take it home, and hide the bag somewhere safe for the time being. At least they were out in the farmlands, where it was quiet, where he or his Uncle or on of his brothers would notice the footfall of strangers.

“And I’ll think about who we can give it to. I’ll do some research.” That wouldn’t be difficult; he loved doing research. “There has to be someone who can take it back out to the forest and hide it.”

#( t; one last night )#huriel #i miss kimberly already #huey be like: i cant help but notice that i sTILL HAVE THIS GRAIL #anyhow #sad sweet teens

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uncloseted · 4 years

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I’m responding to your posting nudes/underwear pics response, ‘cause I think it’s a cool discussion to have. In my opinion, I agree that a lot of the sexy pics women post due tend to pander to the male gaze like you said. However, I think oftentimes it just sorta happens to appeal to what straight guys like instead of every woman out there thinking stuff like “I want guys to think I’m sexy, yet easily attainable and submissive!” or something like that (1/7)

and posting something sexy while actively trying to seek out men’s approval. I’m not saying the latter never happens, just that it’s not always the case. In my experience, I’ve seen women who are even in loving relationships post sexy photos, but it never seems to come off (at least to me) as “Look at my body! I’m so hot!” as much as (2/7)

it comes off as just feeling confident and wanting to share it, and if you get compliments from guys on the way, that’s just a bonus. Female sexuality is really cool to me, and the cool thing about feminism is that it’s giving women the choice to be anything they wanna be. I don’t think women have some weird instinctual primal nature to be seen as sexy and receive validation for that, (3/7)

but I also think the desire to feel liked and validated is just human nature and it manifests in different ways. Sometimes it manifests in academics, sometimes in sports, and sometimes as a promiscuous e-girl on Instagram (as in being seen as smart, or strong, or attractive, etc). So when women express their sexuality on the internet, there’s always gonna be a response from straight (4/7)

guys who find her attractive, whether she’s posing in some weird sex position or just posing confidently in front of the ocean in a bikini, and they’re gonna say stuff ranging from “Wow you look hot” to “I wanna have you in 60 different positions”, and the woman posting it is either going to feel validated or not really care because she’s posting them (5/7)

because she thinks she looks good, and that’s enough. Maybe there is some psychological evidence out there to prove me wrong and say that people never post pictures like that just for themselves, and they will always have a subconscious need for men to like them. But for now, I’m gonna believe that it can be for validation or for oneself. (6/7)

I also agree with you on people trying to act like posting racy pictures is a feminist movement; I think it’s awesome that women can express themselves however they want, but there’s still way larger issues out there that deserve way more attention. Sorry for the essay! (7/7) (Hope these last two come through!)

Thanks for sending these in and for putting up with Tumblr’s technical difficulties! I’m happy someone wants to continue this discussion with me. I think you’re correct in saying that a lot of people aren’t posting naked pictures of themselves specifically with the male gaze in mind or with the conscious goal of seeking out male attention. But I think we need to dig into where those “felt cute/confident, might delete later” naked picture type posts are coming from, what people are hoping to get out of posting them, and whether that can truly be an empowering act. I also want to note here that I’m not talking about all pictures where women are naked. I’m talking about a specific type of image where women are naked and intentionally posing “sexily”.

I also think you’re right in saying that a desire for validation is normal for all humans. I would even go so far as to say that we very rarely do things that aren’t for validation, whether directly (posting a picture of yourself on social media or talking about how great you are so that people will agree with you) or indirectly (getting good grades so that you’ll be valedictorian and the school will recognize you, continuing with a hobby you don’t really like because it’s important to your parents and you want them to be proud of you). But I think it’s also important to consider whose validation we seek out most (or are getting most) and what kinds of actions we take to get that validation from others. Validation is not created equal; striving for excellence is a very different type of validation-seeking behavior than, for example, joining a gang or sleeping with someone who you know doesn’t respect you. I think it’s important that people get the right kind of validation from the right people.

In general, girls are socialized from a young age to seek social validation in a way that young boys are not. We’re taught to seek validation from our friends, our teachers, our parents. Many of us are told that it’s important to be nice, to be polite, to be liked above all else. We’re also told, either directly or through our consumption of media, that the way to get people to like you is by being pretty. Disney princesses are pretty; the villains are ugly. Nobody likes Ursula, but they sure like Ariel. As we get a bit older, that messaging morphs into something new- we’re told that it’s important to be “hot”. Hot is an extension of pretty, and so it’s easy messaging to absorb. The protagonists of our favorite movies and TV shows are hot (and often, in their 20s); they’re our model for who we should aspire to be like. And that’s complicated, because women are not the arbiters of hotness. In order to be validated as “hot”, we (largely) rely on our male peers’ approval. In some ways, I think this is also natural. It makes sense that you would want to be attractive for the people that you’re attracted to. That’s evolutionary psychology at work. But the flip side is that more and more of our self-worth and self-esteem is mitigated by how men view us, and our ideas of what we “should” be are mitigated by that messaging and desire as well.

There’s this bit in Peggy Orenstein’s book “Girls & Sex” where she talks about a teenager she interviewed. They were talking about what this girl feels like she gets out of dressing provocatively. This is Peggy’s take on it: “[when I asked her why] she would say, I’m proud of my body. And then a few minutes later she would say but if she gained a few pounds she would no longer want to dress like that because she’d be afraid that if she went to a party that some boys would called her what she said was, you know, the fat girl. And I started thinking, well, proud of your body but who gets to be proud of which body under what circumstances? And how liberating is it if humiliation lurks right around the corner? And that idea of hot, that idea that we [are] our bodies and that how our bodies look to other people is more important than how they feel to ourselves is something that an earlier generation might have protested against. But today’s generation is sold that as a form of personal empowerment and confidence”

And so when we post sexy naked pictures of ourselves in a “felt hot, might delete later” type of way, all of that cultural baggage that we’re so used to carrying around that we don’t even notice it’s there is manifesting in our choices. Okay, you feel confident in your body, but why? What influences shaped your idea of what kind of body is worthy of being confident in? What influences determined what you think of as, “hot”? Would you still be proud of your body if it changed? And if it changed and you no longer felt proud of it, why? Where did you pick up the idea that those changes are bad and shameful? Who’s approval are you seeking when posting those images, and whose approval are you afraid you’re going to lose?

We can tell ourselves that we post on social media “for ourselves”, but it’s not true. When we do things for ourselves, we keep it to ourselves. When we post on social media, we’re seeking validation. I would contend that more than any other technology, social media exists to allow people to seek validation, whether that’s from their friends, their peers, or strangers. Social interaction is, at its core, about validation. We want the people around us to like us, to care about us, to validate our ideas about ourselves, to think of us in a certain way. Social media only exacerbates that. I don’t think anyone on social media is intentionally shouting into the void. I think everyone is hoping their posts will be seen, be appreciated, that someone will interact with them. Instagram is no different.

So then we have to consider whose validation these posts are really seeking out, whether it’s conscious or subconscious on the poster’s part. In my original response, I posited that if someone is trying to gain validation from their female peers, they wouldn’t pose naked in a sexy way, and I believe that. I think most people seeking validation from other women post aspirational photos- OOTDs or pictures of their latest trip or their perfect matcha latte from the cafe down the street. Sometimes those pictures are body pictures, but I would argue that it’s very rare those pictures are overtly sexy, naked pictures. I think they tend to be more like, “having fun in a bikini with my friends” or “lounging in my house in my underwear”.

So then, who are the sexy naked photos really for? Whose validation do we want when we post them? I think if you asked people, they would say that they want a confidence boost or that it’s “just for fun” or it’s because they “felt hot”. I don’t think many people would say, “I’m posting this picture because I know it will get a lot of attention, and I don’t care who that attention is from.” But I think that’s the truth. We know sexy naked pictures will get a lot of attention, and, if pressed, I think people would admit that they know a lot of that attention will be from creepy guys. But validation is validation, and you won’t get nearly as much validation for your picture of your matcha latte as you will for your naked boobs. I don’t think people are necessarily seeking out male validation in particular. But I do think they’re seeking validation, and pandering to the male gaze is the quickest way to do that. Again, I don’t think that’s necessarily a conscious process. I think for a lot of people it’s more like, “I look hot, I should take a picture of myself and post it because it will get a ton of likes.” But that skips the question of, “who determines whether or not you’re hot”, “who’s consuming these pictures”, and “whose validation are you actually seeking out when you’re fishing for likes this way?” And I think that’s a self-perpetuating cycle, as well. If you post a picture where you’re less sexy/more clothed and it doesn’t do as well as your sexy, naked pictures, that’s indirect feedback that people like you better, that you’re easier to validate, when you’re being sexy. And so you post another naked picture, because it will get the most likes and you want the validation of likes. And so on.

Our actions don’t exist in a vacuum. Someone thinking that they look good one day is predicated on a whole host of arguably problematic beliefs, and so is the desire to post that picture to get validation from others. Like I said before, the ability to choose whether to post the picture or not is feminist; the choice to post itself, maybe not. I personally don’t think these types of pictures can be empowering, even if they feel good in the moment or come from a place of confidence, because they’re seeking external validation from the largest common denominator, in this case, men. The idea that when we’re confident about ourselves, we just “sort of happen to appeal to what straight white guys like” is inherently problematic because it speaks to just how formed by their opinions our own views of ourselves are. I think it’s telling that you don’t see, like, “feel sexy and powerful in my business suit I’m wearing for the big meeting I have today, might delete later”.

I hope I answered your question and wasn’t too long-winded or off topic in my response. It’s such a hard issue to parse out and something that people spend their entire lives thinking about, so I only hope that I can do their work a little bit of justice here.

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myaekingheart · 5 years

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Top 5 accessories for cosplaying? (Like, Favorite wig, necklace, dress, etc and if you have photos I’d love to see them. 😂)

OH MAN THIS IS ANOTHER GOOD ONE, THANK YOU JESSIE xD

1. HANDS DOWN, my Rapunzel wig. This little baby is truly my labor of love and the pinnacle of my Rapunzel cosplaying experience. I’ve actually always felt kind of competitive about my Rapunzel cosplay? Like I was never a good enough Rapunzel cosplayer, and it took a lot of work and money hrmmm for me to feel this confident and proud of how far I’ve come, and this wig is like the end-all, be-all for that. The dress is gorgeous, don’t get me wrong, but the wig just really pulls it all together. Ever since I saw usagi-kirov’s amazing Rapunzel cosplays, I knew I needed to have a super long wig. It took a lot of trial and error to finally get where I am now with it, and I couldn’t be more in love with it. It tops out at 13ft long, and as much as I hate having to clean out all that hair, a part of me wants to expand on it EVEN MORE in the future, until it reaches maybe 30ft!

I’d like to say I’m a very detail-oriented person and this is especially true of things I’m passionate about, like cosplaying Rapunzel. As such, I felt extremely compelled to go the extra mile with my wig and add in a special little detail to it that I think makes the whole thing even better: Rapunzel’s brunette strand.

In the movie, as a quick refresher, Mother Gothel tries to snip a lock of baby Rapunzel’s hair when she breaks into the castle in the very beginning of the movie. She finds, however, that when the hair is cut, it “turns brown and loses it’s power.” That little strand of hair that Gothel cut never grew back, and Rapunzel displays it to Eugene after they escape death in the cave after the dam breaks and she heals his injured hand with her hair. Adding this to my own cosplay was probably the best impulsive decision I ever made. The strand itself is a clip in that was originally long and white and bought for a now-defunct Anna cosplay. I got really inspired one night, so I grabbed a pair of scissors and a brown sharpie and voila-- Rapunzel’s brunette strand! Even if you can’t always see it when I’m cosplaying, I always love the fact that it’s there and that I can always pull my blonde hair back and show it off whenever the timing is appropriate. I just feel like it adds an extra little dose of magic, you know?

2. Pascal Now this little guy has been with me since 2012 and is honestly one of the best purchases I’ve ever made. I found him for $7 on Ebay by a company named Bullyland, and while he’s tiny he’s super screen accurate in design and just the cutest damn thing. I’ve brought him lots of places with me over the years, including Oktoberfest at my grandparent’s church and Bok Tower in Florida! As well as pretty much every con I’ve attended as Rapunzel, too <3

3. Satchel (Wow this is really becoming all Tangled props, isn’t it? Whoops!) Now this one I have yet to break out at a convention but I will tomorrow and I am so excited to! I’ve been itching for a replica of Eugene’s satchel from the film for ages, but I didn’t think I was skilled enough to make one on my own, and the internet is a wonderland for people of all different styles and skill levels to sell their own renditions. I put off getting an actual one for so long, and ended up even settling for a slightly-similar brown cross-body bag instead for the longest time, but then came my lord and savior mothership supreme HOT TOPIC. As part of a recent Disney collection, they released a replica of the satchel and I knew my time had come. My parents were gracious enough to buy one for me and bring it up on one of their trips to my college town and I can honestly say, I am absolutely in love with it. It’s so screen accurate and beautifully made, and the inside lining is purple with the Corona sun emblem! It’s honestly just one of my absolute favorite things and I am so grateful to have been able to get my hands on one.

4. Rapunzel’s Crown I don’t really wear this one out just because she’s delicate, but this is another beauty I couldn’t be happier to get my hands on. I had wanted a replica of Rapunzel’s beautiful crown for so long, and even more than the satchel, but had the hardest time getting one for years. Disney had released an official replica in 2010 when the movie was released, and it was available until late 2011/early 2012 I believe? But it was so gorgeous, and I wanted one so badly, but I was never able to actually get one, they had sold out way too quickly-- go figure. Disney has never released another crown quite like this one since, so I was heartbroken when I was completely unable to get one. This was really before “princessing” took a huge boom back when Angel-Secret, Fairytale Wigs, and Secret Honey’s Halloween line were really household princess cosplay names (or at least for me). Much like the satchel, there were sellers online creating Rapunzel tiara’s but they were always either not quite what I wanted or way out of my price range. I felt like the only way I’d be able to really get what I wanted was to try and make it which my then-fifteen year old self really did not master. I had first tried sculpting one...we don’t talk about the results of that. I nicknamed that attempt “The Sand Mound” because that is exactly what it looked like: a mound of sand. Then I tried using a cheap plastic tiara that I got in a Barnegat, NJ Target one summer as a base and that worked for a while but it still wasn’t really what I wanted, was super top heavy, and really poorly made to the point where it was just falling apart. It wasn’t until 2015 when I finally found a reasonably priced, screen accurate Rapunzel tiara, the crown of my dreams. It was made by an indie company named Moonfire charms, who has since stopped making the crown, and is one of my most prized possessions, honestly. It’s just so beautiful and detailed and well-made, even if it is a little top-heavy, too, and I’m too scared to wear it to a convention for fear of it breaking on me (which I have good reason to fear because it actually came damaged when I ordered it and they were gracious enough to send me a new one free of charge). Looking back, this one is actually even more screen accurate than the Disney Store one was, so I guess things worked out for the best in the end, anyways!

5. Dinglehopper I know what you’re thinking: how can a fork be one of your favorite cosplay accessories? Well, listen, this dinglehopper thank-you-very-much is just super magical, okay? When I was putting together my Ariel cosplay, I thought it would be cute to have a dinglehopper as a prop but I wasn’t too concerned about buying one. It was something that I was just kind of “whatever, I’ll just grab a fork” about. But then I came across this vintage serving fork that my mom had, I think it may have belonged to her grandmother, and I instantly knew this was the fork.

“It’s her! She’s the one I’ve been looking for!” Seriously, though, this fork just has a certain je ne sais quois about it that makes it feel like it was ripped straight from a fairytale. Maybe because it’s antique. Maybe because it has some rose detailing on the handle. Maybe I’m just a sap. Who knows? But this fork is definitely a precious keepsake that I just love incorpoating into my Ariel cosplay.

#rapunzel #tangled #ariel #the little mermaid #disney #cosplay #my face #myaekingart #myaekingheart #ramblings #answered asks #lasaraleen

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darkpoisonouslove · 5 years

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You sent me so many! Which I'm so thankful for! I'm gonna send you more xD! 3, 13, 14, 20 and 26 :D?

Of course, send away! :D

3. What is the best fandom you’ve ever been involved in?

Now, “involved in” is probably too strong a word, but since I have fanfic ideas for it (even though I still haven’t written them), I’m counting it. I was very impressed during my short lurking in the “Death Parade” fandom. It seemed like such a friendly and calm space. There was literally no hate at all, which is great since the fandom is really small, and everyone seemed to respect other people’s opinions. There were no ship wars and hate and every time I think about it, I always feel better because I associate it with acceptance and support.

13. Any NoTPs?

Eh, not really. I can’t think of a pairing that I hate that much. Sure, there are pairings that I’m not a fan of but I don’t outright hate any of them. At least those I can think of right now.

14. Go on, who are your BroTPs?

I have like 3000. Let me get the list (yeah, I keep a list).

Regina & Tink, Regina & Kathryn, Regina & Drizella, Regina & Lily, Regina & Ella (2.0), Regina & Will Scarlet (this one is entirely in my head but I have my reasons for it), Emma & Elsa, Emma & Lily, Emma & Ashley (Ella 1.0), Emma & August, Emma & Aurora, Belle & Ariel, Belle & Killian, Belle & Regina, Ariel & Jasmine, Snow & Ruby, Snow & Aurora, Snow & Regina, Mulan & Ruby, Wish Hook & Rumplestiltskin, Robin Jr & Henry, Robin Sr & Will Scarlet

And those are just from OUAT. Btw I also ship some of these.

20. Any ships which you surprised yourself by liking?

I am a hardcore shipper so I ship more or less everything. But there were few ships that I didn’t think I’d like.

In the beginning of season 7 I was so anti Henvy (Henry x Ivy). I remember watching episode 4 and just getting so scared by the last two lines (”It’s complicated” “To keeping things uncomplicated”). I honestly expected that they would somehow end up sleeping together and then we’d have another painful and dreadful love triangle on our hands. It left such a bad taste in my mouth. But as the season progressed, I liked their friendship and at one point I found myself wondering what could’ve happened if Henry had met Drizella first. That doesn’t mean that I’m not totally in love with Glass Believer or that I’m crazy about Henvy, but I have fun entertaining the idea of Henry and Drizella together sometimes. Still, I think that keeping them friends was the best way the writers could've gone and I enjoyed seeing their friendship progress. Henry is just someone who can get to the good parts of Drizella and I love that.

Now the other ship I initially didn’t think I’d ever like was Captain Swan. The reason for that is that when I first started watching OUAT and joined the fandom, I stumbled into Swan Queen-oriented spaces and there was so much hate for Captain Swan that it took my indifference towards the ship and molded it into intolerance. It wasn’t before I removed myself from these negative circles that I finally managed to stop letting other people’s opinions shape my views. And later I found myself into more Captain Swan-friendly spaces that helped me see the cute sides of the ship that I’d overlooked before. That’s how I started shipping them. I’m not a die-hard fan but I find the relationship interesting.

26. How do you come up with your fanfic titles?

I look for motives or some phrase that encompasses the whole mood of the piece. A lot of times I just use song lyrics that fit the tone of the particular fic. It’s a very bumpy and annoying process and sometimes I’m not very happy with what I get but I do the best I can. I’ve asked Jenna (theonceoverthinker) for help once or twice when I’ve found myself stuck.

#ask #intothewickedwood #death parade #once upon a time #ouat #brotps #so many brotps #henvy #captain swan #fic titles #the pain is real

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deluxedolans · 6 years

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So I’ve read and reread all of your writing and it’s so so good! I was curious if you had any recommendations to tide us over?

OMG first of all, thanks for reading my stuff, I’m so glad you like it! That’s so nice! Second of all, thank you so much for sending this…that is so thoughtful of you that you literally sent me an ask to tell me that you like my writing and you want hear my fave fics!

bruuuuuuh I hope u ready because I got a BUNCH:

Grayson Dolan:

Shared Covers – by @heathendolan Paige is first of all such an incredible writer that will have you feeling emotions you didn’t even know existed. second of all, this is a fic about y/n and gray not knowing they love each other and it HITS ME RIGHT IN THE HEART EVERY TIME.

Juke Jam – by @heathendolan Sorry, I’m Paige’s #1 stan, and this is about gray falling in love with a hockey player and struggling to express his emotions & I love love love IT.

Webcam Duology (Webcam Girl, Part 1) (Webcam Boy, Part 2) – by @rockstardolan Luna is the queen of smut, THERE IS SAID IT IT’S OUT THERE. And this plot is so sweet and believable and realistic and so many more things! It’s about Y/N the shyest girl in Grayson’s grade helps him to release his sexual fantasies over the internet.

Cool With You – by @rockstardolan The queen of smut strikes again with gray taking you on a date and it’s so cute and just so…grayson.

Let It Go – by @ethxndolan Y/N and grayson break up, but are they really over each other??? You’ll feel all of these feelings and be on a roller coaster ride of EMOTIONS. The dialogue is excellent and the characterization of both boys is so realistic.

No Excuses Series – by @dolantreehisser I binged this in maybe an hour and a half, it’s something that I come back to time and time again because it’s SO GOOD. Y/N and Grayson have a lowkey secret relationship and that’s all I’m saying!!! (I linked Rae’s masterlist, because all her stuff is good, but it’s easiest to access the series that way.

Ethan Dolan:

Lemon Boy – by @heathendolan Like I said…I’m Paige’s #1 stan. High school Ethan and Y/N crushing from afar. Her ability to characterize both of the twins is insane. This story will always be one of my favorite.

Forget Me Nots – by @heathendolan Ethan and Y/N go through some stuff that I literally can’t say without giving the story away. Please read this if you haven’t (to anyone reading this ask)

Roxanne – by @dildolans This girl has the best fic ideas. I stan Arielle, EMPRESS OF BOMB FIC

In the Shadows – by @dolandrabbles ANOTHER SMUT QUEEN. Ethan watches Gray and his gf from his closet. This literally had me shooooketh.

Pomegranates – by @wordsonearth SHE IS INCREDIBLE. I just discovered her and I fucking love her writing (her Gray fic Electric Blue is so awesome as well) Soft!Ethan goes on a ski trip with Y/N.

Lab Partners – by @charmingdolans She SNAPPED on this. I love her blog and keep checking back to see if she wrote more stuff! You’re lab partners with Ethan and there’s a lot of sexual tension.

No one asked for this many recommendations but I had to include all of them (and these were just the ones at the top of my head rn, I have so many more!!! I love sharing my fic recs so hmu if you ever need some! Thank you for asking, you sweet, sweet anon

#fic rec

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sgtduckybucky · 6 years

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Disney World

Anon said: So I saw your request are open so.....Can you write something cute about Dad!Chris Evans. Maybe a trip to Disney Land? Or Dad!Sebastian Stan taking the kids to the zoo. You can choose which to write. Btw: your Chris Evans head cannon was so cute ❤️

A/N: Thank you so much for sending a request! And I’m glad that you liked my head canon! So, I decided that I wanted to do both the chris and sebastian request because I’m a sucker for dad’s who take their children to these kinds of places.

Hope you enjoy ~

Today was a special day because it was your son’s birthday.

Your son Michael turns 6 (pronounced thicks, please) and for his big day, You and Chris decided to take the earliest flight (9 am) from Boston to Orlando, Florida to spend the weekend at Disney World.

“Aiwplane, aiwplane!” Michael kept chanting as he bounced in his seat.

It was his first time being on a plane and he was very excited. He wanted to sit by the window but the both of you thought it would be wiser for him to sit in the middle, between the both of you. Whenever he wanted to look out the window, he would just climb into Chris’ lap and press his face against the cold plastic.

You chuckled while Chris ruffled your son’s brunette hair, “That’s right, buddy. And after that,”

“DISNEY WORLD!” Your son Michael shrieked.

You laughed at your son while Chris tried to make sure no one got bothered by the loud yelling.

Once you landed in Orland, you went straight to the hotel to check in, freshen up and then head to the amusement park.

The both of you were holding your son’s tan hands. And with every count of 3, you would lift your son for a couple of steps before placing him back on the ground again, repeating this action until you arrived at the gates and got your hands stamped.

If you thought that Michael was energetic and excited for being at Disney World, he was nothing compared to your husband Chris.

The minute you walked through that gate, you bought one of those cute and sparkly headbands.

You got a pink and white polka dot Daisy headband, Chris got Donald’s and Michael got Mickey Mouse because Mickey had the letter M in his name and so did he.

The first ride you went on was The Magic Kingdom’s It’s A Small World.

It was a tradition in your family to always go on this ride first whenever you traveled to the U.S and went to any of the Disney theme parks.

Chris kissed your tanned hand, the same shade as Michael, once he saw you tearing up in the middle of the ride, remembering your childhood and family.

Once that ride was over, you went onto several ones. Luckily, Michael was allowed into some of the faster ones otherwise you know your son would be very upset.

Around mid-day, you deiced you wanted to have lunch to restore your energy. On your way there, Michael shouted at the top of his lungs, “Look, daddy, it’s Awiel,” and pointing his finger at the redheaded princess.

You snorted at the childlike behavior of your husband who was currently giving you the puppy eyes with pouty lips, asking if he could take a picture pleeeeaassseee.

You nodded and Chris dashed to Ariel.

“Ok, ready? 1…2…3” You counted before taking a couple of pictures on your iphone.

“Me, me, me!!” Michael yelled.

You smiled down at the ball of energy and walked up to Ariel, standing between her and Eric and Michael standing in front of you.

“Alright, smile!” Chris said before taking a couple of pictures.

“Bye, Awiel.” Michael waved his hand as he walked away.

Ariel pouted her lips at the child’s adorable behavior and waved back.

After you had lunch, your son wanted to go on more rides but the both of you were honestly tired and had something planned for the big day.

“In a minute, Michael.” You responded to your child’s plea.

“But whyyyy?” He whined.

“Because there’s one more thing we’ve got to do.” Chris responded as he watched the waiters come towards your table with a small cake and sparklers.

“HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU,” they all sang in unison to your son, who looked like he won the biggest prize, with his hands on his cheeks.

“TO YOOOOOU.” They ended the song and cheered for Michael as he blew out the candle.

When it was around the evening, close to the sun setting, you sat on a clear spot on the ground near the castle to watch the parade later on. The three of you were currently snacking on some fruits and nuts while waiting for the parade to start. When the show began, Michael reached his hands upwards to his father to pick him up. Chris pecked his son’s forehead before picking him up and letting him sit on his shoulders, both legs between his neck.

Michael screamed the loudest out of every child in the audience, especially when he saw his favorites, Tinkerbell and Peter Pan. And whenever the three of you sang, Michael would pat Chris’ head as if it were the drums.

When the parade was over, you headed to the gift shop for some souvenirs and headed back to the hotel, Michael was on your shoulders this time.

“Did you have fun today, Michael?” You asked your son after tucking him in bed.

He nodded his head, “I did!”

“What do we say?” Chris, who was leaning on the door frame, reminded his son.

“Thank you, mommy! Thank you, daddy!” He grinned at the both of you.

“You’re welcome, angel.” You pecked his lips and were about to leave before Michael stopped you.

“What about Mickey?” he pouted.

“Whoops, how could I forget the new member of the family?” You leaned down and pecked the plushie in Michael’s hands.

“Goodnight.”

And as Michael closed his eyes and turned to face the other side of the bed, Chris switched the lights off and laid with you in bed in the next room.

“That was fun.” Chris whispered with you in his arms.

“Mmm.” Your eyes were already closed and your head rested on Chris’ chest, ready to sleep.

Your husband chuckled, “I love you.”

“Mmm…M’too.”

#chris evans imagine #chris evans x reader #chris evans x you #dad!chris evans

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fandomwritingsgalore · 6 years

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Heads Up for a Fairytale (Chris Evans x Reader)

Pairing: Chris Evans x Female!Reader

Warnings: Cavity inducing fluff, slight cursing, bit more angst in this chapter

Part: 3/??, Read more here

Description: Reader and her friend take a trip to Walt Disney World and happen to run into one Chris Evans while waiting in line to board Space Mountain. To pass the time you decide to play the game “Head’s Up.” From pop culture references, flirty looks and Chris being his silly flirty self, you never thought waiting in a line could be so much fun. But the Disney magic has to end eventually…doesn’t it?

Author’s Note: This chapter tends to lean a little more heartwarming than previous, but I want reader and Chris to explore their connection. But, also Star Lord is a favorite of mine so I had to play with his character. Y/N = Your Name, Y/F/N = Your Friend’s Name

Word Count: 5.9k

“So what did he say when you told him?” Y/F/N and you were browsing the mug wall in Mickeys of Hollywood while Chris took a phone call outside the store. Fantasmic was in two hours and you were killing time until the show.

You set down a coffee mug with an intricate Ariel sketching you’d been holding and side eyed her. “It wasn’t so much what he said, but how he said it. This is going to be so much more difficult than I planned. He’s just so,” you paused searching for the right word to describe the pull you felt for him, “so magnetic.” You shook your head to clear it. “That’s cliche, right?”

You chuckled and reached for the red and blue patterned Mushu mug within your grasp that you’d been eyeing all day to give your hands something to fiddle with.

Y/F/N shrugged as she scanned the wall, “Probably, but he does have a certain magnetism about him. It’s part of what makes him a great actor, I guess. And the fact that he comes off very genuine. He’s willing to do the whole friendship test thing, though?”

“Friendship trial. And yes. Although, he seemed a bit disappointed when I pitched it.”

“Well, I’m gonna go out on a limb and say he probably hasn’t heard the word ‘no’ from women to often.” She laughed looking over at you. “It’s just you who’s crazy enough to make him work for it.”

You blushed and hurriedly turned to another section of the wall. “It’s not like that. I just don’t want to rush things.”

“Why though?” she prodded you, knowing all to well you were trying to hide the truth again.

You sighed and absentmindedly ran your hands along the row of mugs. “I know I’ve just met him but, I- I have this feeling, crazy as it is, or as I may be, that this could be something great. But, if I’m just a fling or a-” you shuddered at the thought, “or, God forbid, a pity distraction that he’ll forget about once he’s back in Hollywood, then I don’t want to get attached.” You swallowed the lump that grew in your throat while you spoke. “It’ll only hurt more when he leaves.” You took a deep cleansing breath. It was quite freeing finally telling her your real worries about this madness.

Y/F/N touched your shoulder softly and gave a sympathetic smile. “I saw the way he looked at you this morning, you’re not a fling and you are no one’s distraction. I think the fact that he’s willing to do things your way means he genuinely cares about you. Plus, it’s good to put him through his paces a little. Makes sure that Boston boy knows you’re not someone to mess with.” She smirked and went look through the trading pin racks.

You smiled at her words and followed along. She always knew how to ease your fears. You didn’t know what you’d do without her. “Oh, I think he’s already seen I can handle my own, but he doesn’t make it easy. I about turned into a puddle at his feet earlier.” You laughed and hugged the Mushu cup closer in embarrassment at the memory.

She grinned devilishly, “It’s definitely going to be fun to see you try to hold back from him all week. You’ve wanted to jump his bones for years.”

 You swatted her arm as you tried and failed to hide your grin.

“It’s true!” She said loudly, “You don’t expect me to believe you’ll be able to hold out from taking full advantage of that superhero body, do you? I give it three days, tops.”

“Stop it!” You shushed her while trying to hold back laughter. “I don’t know why I’m friends with you sometimes.”

“Because you love me.” You stuck your tongue out at her and she giggled, “And he did say he does all his own fingering…”

Your mouth dropped, “Oh my God, I can’t with you!” You ducked your head in embarrassment as you started walking to the t-shirts on the other side of the store to get away from her teasing.

“And that he could do it all day!” she shouted after you. A few heads turned towards her as you walked past.

“Done!” You yelled back.

“Done with what?”

You turned to see a charmingly confused Chris sliding his phone into his pocket by the side doorway.

You blushed, “Done shopping, I meant.”

He smiled and motioned to the mug in your hand, “You going to buy that or are you trying to make a quick getaway?”

“Quick getaway, but apparently I’m not quick enough.”

“Oh, I wouldn’t say that, you stole my heart pretty quickly,” his eyes widened in amusement and his mouth opened in a ta-da grin. That was possibly the cheesiest line you’d ever heard, but coming from him it was a little endearing.

“Wowww,” you drew out with a disbelieving laugh, “Proud of that one are you?”

“I’d say so, yeah,” he beamed, clearly pleased with himself.

You patted his bicep with a sympathetic nod, “Don’t quit your day job, sweetie.”

He threw his head back as though wounded and grabbed his chest in mock hurt, “Ouch, what a way to cut a man, Y/N.”

“You’ll live,” you chuckled as you made your way to the register. You asked the cast member to send the mug back to the hotel for pick up tomorrow and as she went wrap it, Chris leaned his tall frame against the counter next to you.

“And I thought you said no cute couple names. So eager to break the rules already, babe?” he taunted with a dark glint in his eyes. You gulped at the intensity of his gaze. He wasn’t touching you, but if you moved a few centimeters to the left you would be pressed flush against him. If he’d only move a little closer…

Suddenly, the realization of his precise placement hit you. He was respecting the rules of the friendship trial, but making it clear you could break them any time you wanted. The idea was more than tempting. Your knees got weak at the memory of his words from earlier, ’you don’t have to kiss to be intimate.’ Jesus, the way he could go from a goofy meatball one minute to a fucking sex god the next was frustrating as hell.

 Before you could respond, the worker returned and you finished paying. Chris coughed and pushed off the counter, tugging his hat down to hide his face. He was still centimeters away, but he made no move to close the distance. You thanked the cast member and accepted the receipt before turning the opposite direction of Chris to find Y/F/N. You thought back to your earlier worries and quickly got control of your hormones. The friendship trial was a good idea.

You spotted her still checking out the pins and started weaving through the racks towards her.

“So, what’s our next stop?” Chris asked, following behind you.

“We could go grab a bite to eat?” You suggested reaching Y/F/N.

She shrugged with a frown, “I’m still kind of full from lunch right now. What about Star Lord and Baby Groot? We haven’t met them or any of the Star Wars characters yet. And Quill was your number one meet on this trip during planning.” She hid her smirk as you started walking out of the store and into the busy street.

You spluttered as Chris raised an eyebrow appraisingly, “I was- he was not- for Baby Groot not-Captain America s’my favorite.” You clamped your mouth shut and felt your cheeks blazing red, and not from the sun.

He chuckled quietly as you made your way past the Chinese Theater.

“Aw I’m going to miss Great Movie Ride,” you lamented, effectively changing the subject.

“Yeah, it was a classic, if a little outdated.” He looked wistfully at the tall red pillars that flanked the entrance to the now closed ride.

“Indiana Jones was my favorite set on it.”

“Mine too!” He said excitedly. “Snakes. Why’d it have to be snakes?” He quoted, dropping his voice into a gruff scratchy tone that did oddly sound like Harrison Ford.

“Fortune and glory, kid. Fortune and glory.” You quoted back doing your own best Indy impression, which only made him laugh harder.

“It’s not the years, honey. It’s the mileage.” And although he affectionately chucked you on the chin, you had to admit that line sent shivers down your spine with the way he drawled out the words.

The moment was quickly squashed as he pointed dramatically at a random trashcan and shouted, “That belongs in a museum!”

“You guys are such nerds,” Y/F/N sighed, rolling her eyes. She gripped her bag and skipped down the steps of Animation Courtyard.

“You there! Halt!” a robotic voice shouted from behind you. Your heart pounded as you froze in fear wondering what the hell you all did to be shouted at. Chris had both his hands up in surrender near his face and you met his eyes in worry before he peeked over his shoulder.

He let out a loud laugh of relief and dropped his hands. You hesitated for a second before quickly turning your head to see why he was no longer in defense mode.

The sight that met your eyes had you internally cringing in embarrassment at the fact that you very much thought you were about to be banned from Disney World forever. The only thing you were in danger of though was pissing off the first order.

Two stormtroopers were your assailants.

“Don’t be alarmed!” one said as they neared you. They wore the full white and black stormtrooper armor along with the voice masking modulator.

“Too late for that dude,” Y/F/N said, taking a step back nervously.

“Careful citizen, there are resistance fighters in the area,” one walked up extremely close to Chris and eyed him up and down.

A crowd was beginning to form as they watched the troopers. It wasn’t like they were hard to miss. You saw Chris reflexively tense and his chest began to rise and fall rapidly at the close proximity of both the stormtrooper and the encroaching crowd. He glanced at you with a complete look of helplessness. You felt a sudden surge of protectiveness flood through your body. You knew his fear was more from the crowd than the cast member, but you had to get him out of there. You glanced around to Y/F/N as an idea struck.

She was watching the interaction and frowned as she saw Chris’s impending anxiety attack. She looked to you for guidance as you motioned your head from her to Chris and over to the entrance of The Little Mermaid show, aka ‘get Chris and get him out of here.’ She nodded in understanding.

“The resistance is closer than you think,” you said fiercely, playing along so the attention would shift to you so Chris and Y/F/N could move a little more out of sight of the crowd. The trooper turned to you and moved into your personal space. They towered over you, but up close they weren’t very intimidating. This could be fun.

“Let me see your identification,” the robotic voice commanded.

“Best damn pilot in the galaxy ring any bells?” You cocked an eyebrow and crossed your arms smoothly. The crowd whooped at the reference and you saw Y/F/N and Chris slip safely into the shade of the building.

The trooper stepped back in shock as he tapped his friend on the shoulder and pointed at you, “Captain Phasma will hear about this.” They were very good at conveying emotions even though their faces were covered.

“Be sure to tell her Finn says hello,” you smiled knowingly. A small girl in a Rey costume clapped and gave a loud “ohh.”

“The first order will be victorious!”

“Never tell me the odds.” The small crowd cheered as you stared down the duo. The surge of adrenaline in you veins was intoxicating as you faced down the first order.

As they began to move away to continue their patrol, the Stormtrooper who originally confronted Chris pointed his index and middle finger first at his eyes and then towards you as he said, “I’m watching you.”

You tilted your chin defiantly, “Your eyes can deceive you. Don’t trust them.”

The crowd began to disperse as you watched them interact with the small Rey from earlier who was shooting daggers with a venomous glare their way. You grinned and turned to find Chris and Hayleigh walking back towards you.

“That was awesome!” she squealed grabbing your upper arms and shaking you in excitement. You giggled at her overzealousness. You felt Chris’s eyes on you and the familiar blush started rising on your neck. “I’ve never seen you like that before. The way you just stood up to them as they came at Chris. You were incredible!”

  “We should probably hurry before the Star Lord meet closes,” you mumbled sheepishly shrugging off her compliments in embarrassment.

You resumed the walk down Pixar Place towards the “One Man’s Dream” building where the Star-Lord and Baby Groot meet and greet were held and as you finally reached the building Y/F/N wandered off to check out the displays further in.

You and Chris fell into step and slowly took in the exhibit. Standing in front of an old sketch of the Disneyland castle in California, you could feel the warmth from Chris’ tall frame next to you even though you weren’t touching him. You turned slightly to see him examining the artwork with a small frown on his forehead from concentration. You watched him fondly as he mouthed the words while reading the plaque next to the picture.

You smiled. You liked it when he was close. It felt comforting in a way that was hard to describe. For all the puppy like energy and flirty remarks you knew he had in him, he also possessed a very calming presence that was nice to have nearby.

“You know, I’ve always thought Steve Rogers has some Indiana Jones tendencies,” you mused, interrupting his train of thought. He raised his eyebrows questioningly as you began to ramble your reasoning, “Well, both fight for the little guys. Both put theirselves in unnecessary dangers. And they’re both good men who don’t hesitate to fight for what’s right when the time comes. Growing up watching Indiana Jones is why I think I immediately loved Steve Rogers so much. They’re a lot alike.”

“…And both hate Nazis.” Chris bit his plump bottom lip as he thought over the theory before nodding in agreement, “I’ve never thought about Cap that way, but you’re right. That’s so cool. I love how passionate you are about things like that. It’s really beautiful.”

“Wow, uh, thanks,” you said stunned. “That’s the first time anyone’s ever told me something like that.” You ducked your head in embarrassment.

He nudged your shoulder as you continued walking “You deserve to hear it.” He eyed you over with a calculating look, “Because it’s true. You’re a very honest person who says what’s on your mind. I try to be like that but, with my job…” He trailed off lost in thought and sighed. He nervously tugged his hat again, “Most people are always pretending to be someone they’re not to impress others. It’s hard to know when someone is being genuine with me because of my job. It’s refreshing to meet someone who isn’t afraid to let others see their truth.”

“Trust me, I sometimes wish my mouth would listen to my brain before blurting out whatever passes through it. I’m usually more truthful when I’m nervous, or tipsy.” You giggled as he let out a loud laugh.

“Thanks for that earlier,” Chris whispered quietly enough for only you to hear, passing through a group. You looked over to him in confusion. His long fingers grazed your arm affectionately, “I know you stood up to that Stormtrooper for me. To let me get away from the crowd. And I’m grateful you did.” He clasped your hand tightly trying to convey the words he couldn’t say. “You’re very brave.”

“I’m not brave,” You scoffed, shrugging off his words. He was probably just being nice. “You. You’re brave. You have criticism and hate thrown at you on a daily basis from complete strangers who feel they have a right to your life and still stay kind and down to earth and do what you do. That’s bravery.”

He shook his head turning to fully stare at you. His eyes seemed to have a sadness to them in this moment that you’d never seen in them before, “Being brave isn’t just about the face you show to the world, you know. Someone who saves the world isn’t any braver than a kid who choses to enter a talent show that they think they’ll lose or asking the person you like out for the first time. Bravery is about choosing to do the thing you fear. No matter how small. Being brave is living.”

You cast your eyes down, intimated by the intensity in his gaze. You’d never thought of it that way. You supposed when you grow up thinking that bravery is something reserved for superheroes and firefighters you forget that the small things make us brave, too. Even you. Without letting you talk yourself out of it, you looped your arm through Chris’. He looked down in shock, but didn’t pull away.   

“Just trying to be a little braver,” you said with a small smile. His eyes sparkled and he mirrored your smile as he tucked your hand into the crook of his arm and placed his other hand over it.

You continued through the exhibit until you reached the entrance for the meet and greet. The room was designed to look like space. The walls had moving galaxies projected onto them that looked like you were entering from the outside of a spaceship to the inside. The floor had silver arrows doing weird zigzags to direct people the way the line was supposed to flow. Y/F/N waved you over near the front and you both hurriedly made your way over to her, apologizing to the others you had to squeeze through.

“You know, today, I feel like Indiana Jones.” He said holding his hands up into the shape of a heart with a cheesy smile. “Because you are the treasure I’m looking for.”

“How many of those do you have?” You laughed.

“Follow me,” the cast member said motioning to your group.

“I guess you’re going to have to find out,” he winked as you made your way into what looked like a spaceship’s workshop. You were all ushered into the corner of the room to wait your turn behind two families.

“Thanks for holding our spot,” you quickly whispered to Y/F/N.

 “You’re lucky you showed up when you did or else I was going to get Quill all to myself,” she grinned.

As one family finished up and the next moved forward, you gasped. Baby Groot was quite possibly the cutest thing you had ever seen in your life. And, you had to admit, Star Lord wasn’t bad himself.

“You know if this thing doesn’t work out with Chris, Star Lord seems like a good alternative,” Y/F/N whispered, echoing your thoughts. You heard Chris huff in annoyance behind you both.

“You can put your bags down here,” the attendant motioned over to the wall on the left. Y/F/N and you hurriedly took off your bags and set them down on the floor. She adjusted her ears as you turned around to see Star Lord walking over.

“Well, hey there!” His loud voice singsonged. He held out his arms for a hug, which you eagerly obliged to. He wrapped you in his leather clad embrace in a tight bear hug that made you giggle. He even smelled good. He slung an arm around your waist and walked you over to the work station where Baby Groot was standing. He jokingly made a ‘stay’ motion with both hands before returning for Y/F/N. You beamed. You could already tell this was going to be a great character interaction.

You noticed Chris had followed and was not so subtly glaring after the actor with his arms tightly crossed. He wasn’t jealous, was he? You nudged his side playfully, “Be cool, Evans.” He glanced down at you with a frown. “He’s not Hemsworth, remember.” You gave a teasing smile.

He took another moment to pout before giving in and chuckling. “Hemsworth is much prettier,” he stated as Y/F/N and Star Lord made their way over, chatting amicably.

“I am Groot!” You heard a tiny voice on the left say, and Chris and you both turned to stare down at Baby Groot, who looked extremely life like.

“Hi Groot!” You said excitedly, “How are you?”

“I am Groot. I am Groot!” the little tree said with a smile moving his small head back and forth in a conversational manner.

“Ah, do you speak tree, too?” Star Lord asked you, coming up beside you.

“Only a few phrases,” you joked.

“I would have though those large ears on your heads would be translators.” He pointed to you and Y/F/N’s Mickey ears.

You laughed and reached up to touch the Captain America ears. “No these just help me track superheroes,” you said as Chris chuckled.

“So that must be how you found me!” Star Lord said with a smug smile. “Either that or Rocket’s been messing with the ship’s navigation again. Because I am way to good to be caught.”

“I am Groot!” Groot shouted in a offended voice.

“I don’t want to hear it Groot, you know Rocket’s taken the ship apart for less,” he fussed back at the tiny tree.

You beamed. This guy was fantastic!

“By the way,” Peter said suddenly, clapping a hand on Chris’s shoulder, startling him, “has anyone ever told you, you look like a buddy of mine who goes by the name of Captain America?”

Your eyes widened in surprise as Chris exploded in laughter. He gripped Peter’s shoulder leaning into him and grabbed at his chest as though this was the funniest joke he’d ever heard. You saw the cast members giggling knowingly in your direction as they watched the interaction while the photographer snapped away with pic after pic. Your mouth matched Y/F/N’s amused grin as your eyes flicked back and forth between the two of them waiting to see what Chris would do.

“You know, I have heard that a time or two. He and I are really close though, you could almost say we’re the same person,” Chris wiped a tear from his eye, “but he’s totally more handsome than me.”

Peter narrowed his eyes appraisingly before clasping Chris on both arms and squeezing his biceps as though sizing him up. He was Chris’s height, which made the situation that much funnier.

He nodded his head in agreement, “Yeah, you’re definitely smaller.”

You snorted and quickly covered your mouth as Chris stuck his tongue out at you. You lifted your hands in a ‘it was funny, what do you want me to do’ manner.

“Hopefully not where it counts, am I right,” Peter nudged you suggestively.

Oh my God. Did he just? Your brain short circuited for a hot second before you leaned on Y/F/N in support as you both doubled over, unable to hold back your roaring laughter. This was now officially the best character interaction you’d ever had. This actor is definitely channeling his inner Chris Pratt and you were living for it. Chris’s jaw dropped in amused outrage.

“That’s cold!” He shook his head with a huff. “And here I thought we were friends Quill!” He crossed his well defined arms with a pointed look in your direction, “I’ll have you know, there’s nothing about me that’s small, muscles or otherwise.”

“That’s what they all say,” Peter loudly whispered in you and Y/F/N’s direction.

“I am Groot!” Groot pronounced.

“Yes, you’re right Groot, I’m being mean.” He gave a sorrowful nod to Chris, “I’m sorry Cap clone. You’re the perfect super soldier size just the way you are. But if you do see the real Stevie can you ask him if I can still be an Avenger? I even have a few mixtapes all ready for our battle intro. Although I’m torn between Danger Zone and Eye of the Tiger.”

You smiled, “But Fight For Your Right would make an epic montage.”

He nodded enthusiastically, “Oh, that is going on the list!” He motioned to the cast members, “Please write Fight For Your Right down for Gamora to add to my music rectangle. But don’t let Drax know, or else he’ll want to add those wailing gorilla sounds again he called galaxy instrumentals.”

“I am Groot,” Groot said sadly and Peter shuddered.

“Yeah, they were pretty bad.” He clapped his hands and beamed, “So I guess you guys want a photo with the one and only Star Lord?”

“Yes, please!” Y/F/N said excitedly.

She rushed to stand under his right arm as you moved over to his left. You all shifted so Groot would be in the shot. He smiled as Chris’s hand slid across your back to your hip where he lightly held onto you. You could feel its weight and were suddenly struck by just how large his hands were on your body. You forced yourself to breath and give a relaxed smile for the camera as a clicking sound went off a few times.

“Oh, could we do one where we’re ‘in love’ with you while Chris crosses his arms pouting?” You recalled a similar convention photo like this with Chris and Sebastian and always thought it was cute. Considering the interaction you’d had with Star Lord, you thought it would be a fun photo.

“Absolutely!” Peter enthused as Chris chuckled but got willingly into position for the photo.

Y/F/N and you both lightly grabbed onto Peter’s jacket in over exaggerated awe as he cocked an eyebrow with a smug smile in Chris’s direction.

“Thank you so much,” you gushed.

“Aww, anything for my fans,” Peter said giving you another tight bear hug, before doing the same to Y/F/N as you and Chris walked over to scan your magic bands to claim the photos.

“You guys were really cute,” the cast member held out the scanner. “Thank you for coming!”

Peter saluted as you waved goodbye and made your way into the makeshift Guardians of the Galaxy gift shop that was set up outside the exit.

“That. Was. Amazing!” You squealed grabbing Chris’s bicep in excitement. “By far my favorite character meet ever!”

“He was so freaking hot,” Y/F/N all but moaned trying to peek back into the room before you pulled her unwillingly away.

“He was alright,” Chris muttered clearly annoyed.

“Don’t be jealous, Evans, it doesn’t suit you,” she teased as you started back through the exhibit hall.

“I am not jealous.” Chris pouted angrily, but you could see a faint redness cover his ears. You smirked. He was totally jealous and it was adorable.

You checked the time on your phone and gasped. “Oh shit, we have to go guys. The show is going to start in 45 minutes. We need to make sure we get good seats.”

You quickly made your way towards the entrance for the long walk to Fantasmic. It seemed the rest of the park was heading there, too. The crowd pressed the three of you together as you got closer in a semi-shuffle. Out of habit, you reflexively grabbed Y/F/N and Chris’s hands so no one would get separated in the onslaught of humanity. He raised an eyebrow amused at your parental move. 

“Sorry, I just didn’t want you to disappear,” you laughed nervously.

He shifted his hand to lace his fingers in yours and rubbed small circles on the back of your hand with the pad of his thumb, “Never.”

You made your way into the arena and your breath caught as you stared at the tall cliffs and lights where the show would take place. It was stunning and it wasn’t even lit up yet. Everyone was ushered to the mid left of the stadium style seating and in a row about half way up the bottom of the section. Y/F/N dropped your hand as you all sat down. Chris unlaced your fingers in a silent ‘this isn’t part of the rules’ gesture. You sighed and pulled away but could still feel the ghost of his thumb on the back of your hand. You missed its warmth.

As though the Disney overlords heard your plea, a cast member called out to your section, “Would everyone please stand up and move to the left. Please move down to the end of the row and fill all available space.”

As one, everyone scooted over as much as possible until your thighs and the upper half of your body was pressed tightly between your best friend and Chris freaking Evans.

You leaned forward from your cramped position to see if there was a bit of room by Chris for him to move over a little. There was a person size gap on Chris’s right that his neighbor hadn’t filled, but he’d purposely gotten as close as physically possible. You could already hear his excuse, ‘they said all the way to the left’ and blushed. He wanted to be close to you.

You sat back as giddiness threatened to overtake your senses. He had to though, you logically argued with yourself. They specifically said ‘fill all available space,’ that’s all there is to it. It would be very rude of you to have him move over to take up more space when that could very well be needed by other people. It was the right thing to do. Totally not self-serving in the least…

You noticed Y/F/N scoot a few more centimeters over into the tiny empty space she’d left herself to give you more room. She motioned with her head that you could stretch out a bit more if you wanted, but you gave a curt shake of your head ‘no.’ She looked down to where you were pressed against Chris’s side and gave a cheshire cat worthy grin before turning back to the stage as the lights dimmed and the show started.

...

“So, where should we meet up tomorrow morning?” Chris asked, munching on a pretzel as you all sat on the ground eating your snacks in front of the Chinese theater, waiting for the crowds to ease up after Fantasmic. The show was just as incredible as you remembered.

“We have a breakfast reservation at Chef Mickey’s at 8:30 a.m., if you’d like to come?” You ventured hopefully, swallowing a large gulp of your drink. “I’m sure it’s ok if we add one person to the reservation.”

“That’ll work. Plus, then I can get the rundown on what the plans for the week are,” he said taking another bite.

“When are your meetings?” Y/F/N asked from his other side. “This way we can try to plan around them.” She dusted the churro sugar off of her hands as Chris chewed slowly contemplating his answer.

“Uh, well, they’re, uh,” his fingers fidgeted with the paper his pretzel was wrapped in. “They’re mostly early morning, like before 6 a.m., timezones and stuff you know, and they, uh, shouldn’t last more than a half hour.”

Your face scrunched up in confusion, “Why would they make you stay for half hour meetings? That seems kind of inconvenient and unnecessary.”

He shrugged, “Dunno. I just go where Marvel tells me.”

“Oh Marvel, huh?” Y/F/N questioned mischievously. “Anything to do with Infinity War, perhaps?”

“Now you know if I tell you, I’ll have to kill you,” he sneakily looked around, “they have snipers everywhere.”

“I’ll take that as a yes, then,” she said, smiling smugly. “But we should probably leave. We have an early morning tomorrow and it’s getting late.”

You nodded in agreement. It was late. But after the show, you’d gotten a bite to eat and had a good time chatting as the park died down. It was nice.

You all stood and threw the trash. You looked around at all of the lit neon signs. “Disney parks at closing are always so nostalgic, don’t you think?”

“Yeah, they have this vibe of leaving and coming home at the same time, like-” Chris mused as you strolled under the bright signs.

“Like, they’ll always be here to welcome you back,” you finished knowing how he felt.

“Exactly,” he smiled.

You walked through the closed turnstiles and bid the cast members good night.

“You guys staying at Grand Floridian, too?” Chris asked as you approached the bus board to find your number. 

Y/F/N and you burst out laughing as you started walking again.

“What?” Chris asked bemused.

“We’re at Port Orleans Riverside, which was enough of a splurge,” you laughed. “Not everyone has superhero dollars, ya know.” You joked as Chris looked down embarrassed.

“I didn’t mean-“

“I know,” you smiled saving him from further humiliation. “Grand Floridian is a bucket list goal, but not one I’ll be pursuing anytime soon.”

He nodded appraisingly, “I’d like to know what else is on your bucket list.”

“You were one,” Y/F/N mumbled quietly, as you elbowed her in the side. She groaned and rubbed the spot glaring back. You hoped Chris hadn’t heard her, but he didn’t even try to hide his beaming smile as your resort bus pulled up.

“The bus AC calls me like a siren song and I must go to her,” Y/F/N called over her shoulder with a wave. “Later Chris!”

Chris and you laughed.

“Well, I’ll see you tomorrow morning then,” he said walking you to the door.

“Tomorrow,” you echoed, not wanting the first day to end.

Chris moved forward to run his fingers down your face before catching himself and pulling back with a sad smile, “Goodbye Y/N.”

“Bye Chris.”

You made your way down the relatively empty bus as it began to move. You sat in the seat across from Y/F/N and stretched out for the ride back to the resort as your phone dinged. You tiredly pulled it out to see a text from Chris. As you read his message, you couldn’t wipe the smile from your face.

I’m glad I’m on your list…

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maiden-of-wolves · 6 years

Text

Fox & Ariel - Persistence

“Meeting” Scene Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Battle of Haven Part 6

Finally some sweet fluff! And tenseness, but still. They’re actually getting along!! It’s a goddamn miracle.

At first Ariel didn’t think that seeking out Fox was something she should do, since he was perfectly capable of taking care of himself, but as several days past and she never saw him around she got worried. She felt like she’d asked most of the population of Skyhold where Fox was by the time she finally figured it out. Even when she wandered halfway down the dusty staircase to the cellar just to be sure he was there, she went back up when she realized she would be coming empty handed. She had no idea if he’d eaten or where he slept now so at the very least she could bring him some food and tea.

When she finally returned, a basket was hanging from her arm with some bread and apples that she managed to snag from the kitchens and a hot cup of tea she made under the critical eye of one of the elves working the in the kitchen was carefully held by both hands in front of her. She almost ended up stepping on a cat that had made an entire step its perch, but thankfully it meowed softly at her and she looked down. “Can you please move, kitty?” she asked her, the feline apparenting having decided to lay upside down along the step. “I don’t want to step on you or catch your tail…”

Getting only a cute little wiggle in response, Ariel sighed and carefully stepped over the cat and did her best to place her feet down on the opposite side of the stair from the swishing tail. She was deliberate for the next couple steps too but eventually got to the bottom without incident. She heard another, louder meow from behind her which told Ariel that she was being followed. “This isn’t for you,” she said, glancing back at the cat with a chuckle before returning her attention to her actual task.

She approached Fox but stopped a ways behind him and moved to the side so he could just turn his head if he wanted. The fact that he was all but swaddling himself in a blanket made her feel guilty about allowing the use of magebane on him. Not that there really was a lot she could have done besides protest. At least the initial suggestion of chains with spell bindings on them was quickly shouted down. “I thought you might want something to eat,” she offered, trying not to sound timid about it. They just hadn’t really talked since he forced her to stay behind. “Oh, and I brought some tea, too, if you want it. It’s still hot...”

Fox looked over and smiled at her. “Thank you. I was just thinking of getting up. And don't trouble yourself. I am healed. I simply don't like the cold.” His hand snaked out of his cocoon of a blanket and cleared space on the table in front of him.

For some reason she couldn’t help smiling when he did, though she cut herself off from thinking about why. Ariel brought over her gifts, setting the tea down only after she’d found a stable spot for the basket. Her eyes lingered on his hands and the scarring there before pulling back to give him space. “Well, I wasn’t sure what you liked, so I just snagged some bread and apples. And the tea, of course. Hopefully that’ll be okay,” she admitted, reaching up to fiddle with the necklace that had become a worry token for her.

“It's fine, thank you.” Fox pulled an apple to himself first and sliced it somewhat clumsily with a knife. “You never really realize how much you use magic for some things until you can't.”

At least it’s going okay so far, she thought to herself. She watched as he moved to slice an apple, having to stop herself from reaching out to help. That would be too much and would almost certainly be unwelcome. Still, she gestured to the apple. “I worked in the kitchens for years, do you want me to cut them for you?” she offered. Ariel really didn’t want to baby him, but it felt like the least she could do. “The magebane…” Ariel started, unsure how to phrase the question. “It doesn’t hurt, does it?”

“It doesn't hurt, no. I feel significantly slower - of mind and body, but as I said, magic for everything. And I appreciate the offer, but I can handle it. Just don't tell Ivan how sloppy I've gotten with a knife.”

Ariel found herself chuckling at the request. “I won’t tell him,” she said with a small nod. Relaxing a little, she wandered over to the bookshelves to look around. “I guess we feel the same in that regard, just for different reasons,” she began offhand, wiping away some dust from a spine to see what it said. “The meds you got me make me feel like that too.” There were other things, headaches after focusing for too long and occasionally sensitivity to light but it helped enough that she was willing to deal with the side effects.

Fox slowly ate a piece of apple before responding. “There are other mixtures, if those aren't working well. I was told that despite the symptoms being the same, sometimes a different potion is required. What I'm feeling is punishment, not treatment, and you should not be subjected to such.”

She laughed at his insistence that she shouldn’t be punished, though she knew she probably shouldn’t have. “My meds at home kind of made me feel like this too,” she admitted. “It’s either put on the chains or my brain races wildly in a thousand directions.” Ariel scrunched up her nose as she brushed the dust from another spine, trying her best not to sneeze. “I’m honestly just glad,” she started, pausing to hold a hand up to her nose to prevent the involuntary reaction from following through. When it finally passed, she sighed in relief before finishing her prior thought. “That there was something that could help here.” Truth be told she’d been feeling useless with them, even though she’d been able to concentrate without lyrium and took care of herself, because in comparison to her manic productive periods she could barely get anything done. Still, she needed them and was grateful to Fox for providing them with apparently no additional strings.

He continued to eat, taking glances between her and basket of food. “If you're certain. I'll send for them regardless. Maker knows it's unlikely you're the only one suffering. I tried to consult with de Fer, but she started on about how she'd never consult with demons and how dare I suggest as much.” He paused and tugged on the end of his braid. “I suspect she suffers and blames demons, but believes admitting it would be a sign of weakness. I'd not tell her if your condition myself, but given the lack of demons in your home and the frequency of the condition, perhaps it could allay her concerns.”

He lowered the bread from his mouth and blinked. “That's not where I meant to take that. I mean, I doubt the South is well versed on treating this, so surely someone will need it.”

As much as she should have been comforted by the idea that she wasn’t the only one with these issues, her mind couldn’t focus on that. Instead, it turned to the member of the inner circle he had mentioned. Vivienne? The idea that she was suffering with depression or anxiety wasn’t something that Ariel had ever considered. “Well, her lover is dying and she’s trying her damndest to figure out any way to save him, so I’d say that’d definitely stress someone out,” Ariel admitted, feeling a tightness in her own chest at the thought but it wasn’t from empathizing with Vivienne. She pushed aside the realization. “But she also valued the Circles and they were torn apart by infighting. Sometimes this… illness… is situational and will pass when the world feels steady under your feet again.” She probably shouldn’t be sharing people’s personal problems with Fox, but it felt like it was necessary to explain her point.

Fox just nodded along. “Yes, but that does not mean they need suffer in the interim. And my consult with her was to see if she knew more than I did, given her rank within the Circle, not to offer her help. I'm no fool — that I knew she wouldn't accept.”

Here it was again. Already. Ariel sighed, closing her mouth tightly afterwards as she bid herself think and not speak. He’s not saying you called him a fool, she reminded herself. Don’t get offended at nothing… Still, it didn’t feel like nothing. It felt like he’d twisted her words until they said something she never did and that was entirely unfair. Regardless, she managed to refocus herself and hopefully not reply with anything that would start an argument. “I wasn’t suggesting anyone should suffer, just that the reasons for the symptoms vary and they aren’t always so entrenched,” she said simply, offering a small shrug before turning around to look at him. “Did you consult her simply because you were curious about how Southern mages handled these kinds of things? Or did you encounter someone else who needed assistance and wanted help?”

“Somewhere in between,” Fox said with a shrug. “I did not come across it - it’s hardly something easy to see - but I speculated it would be an issue. I wanted to know how it was handled in the South. I am not surprised that the answer is “It’s not,” but I am disappointed.”

At that, Ariel laughed again, though it was more nervous laughter than anything. “Well it always has been easier to deny that it’s a problem, self medicate or shut ill people away. Or all three. Not that any of them are the right thing to do.” She paused to offer a small shrug before continuing. “It’s quite a different set of priorities in the South, since magic isn’t seen as the first solution to problems but the last and medical research is put behind military research by a fair bit.”

“Not that we don’t have our focus on military research, but when you have so many blood mages, said blood mages want to be sure they have as much control of the demons as possible and, well, from what I’ve been told, this condition manifests similarly.” He laughed with no mirth. “We have more than our share of problems. I suppose I’d hoped that combining the best parts of both would create a good middle ground, but North and South are both messes.”

“What, out of control demons manifest in the person they’re bound to like depression or anxiety?” Ariel asked, suddenly terribly concerned as she pulled up her well-marked hands and stared at them. “While I can barely interact with demons in the Fade, not that I’d ever want to, I may as well be a blood mage with how I use my…” she paused, brows furrowing for a few moments as she searched her mind for the right wording, “cursed version of magic? I don’t know what to call it.”

“My theoretical expertise isn’t in the area of blood magic and demons, so I can’t comment on your magic, but as for the depression and anxiety… Yes, making a demon pact can most certainly have strong effects on the mage’s personality. There is one I met in the Circle of Minrathous - Sokolov. His pact is with a Hunger demon that calls itself Avarice. Not that Sokolov wasn’t a hedonist before the pact, but he is markedly moreso than his twin now.”

Ariel listened, silent, to his answer with thrumming anxiety combing her memories for some kind of assurance that she hadn’t somehow talked to and made a pact with a demon. The effort screeched to a halt as Fox informed her that the demon had made the man far more interested in pursuing pleasure in life. “That’s an interesting side effect of a hunger demon gone awry…” She hummed to herself as she wracked her mind. “But I suppose nothing ever goes according to what you expect when it comes to demons.”

“George - that’s the demon, not Sokolov - likes to own and possess things. It - he - is hungry for wealth and objects. I would not be surprised to learn Sokolov has rolled around on a pile of coins just to appease him.” Fox snickered.

Ariel tilted her head in curiosity as she listened. The idea he presented was certainly a funny one and she laughed again, though it was a far softer thing than normal as if she were worried about being too enthusiastic. “So he must appease George, then, to retain sanity? Perhaps now he sleeps on a bed of gold like a hoarding dragon.”

Fox snorted. “It wouldn’t surprise me. I don’t know the exact terms of their pact - he just liked to brag and show off at parties. Accidentally poisoned everyone at a party my partner and I attended. We were particularly popular that night.” He laughed, but sadness cooled his expression.

“Accidentally?” Ariel asked, quirking a brow with a small chuckle. Her mind registered that he said ‘partner’ and filed that away for now. It wasn’t her business who he slept with unless he wanted to talk about it. She would have mentioned that it’d be hard for a man that looked and was as talented as Fox would be hard to miss, but the commentary about the poisoning was far more interesting than stroking his ego. “Just how do you accidentally poison a whole fancy noble mage soirée?”

“He and the demon had a lot of poisoned wine for some purpose that eludes me to this day and his twin decided to give it to all of the guests.” Fox smirked. “Morathis was a Dalish, non-magical healer with the best emetics in Asariel, thankfully for everyone.”

“I’ll bet that was particularly interesting,” Ariel mused, a short chuckle muffled in her throat at the thought. “Tevinter nobility being grateful for a Dalish elf.”

“He was more than chuffed. He would have been First of his clan, had he magic and that was the first time since leaving that he had the kind of respect he’d grown up with.” Fox smiled, though it wavered a few times and he quickly turned back to his book.

“And the kind of respect he deserved, by the sound of it,” Ariel noted, echoing his smile. When his faltered, however, her expression quickly turned to concern. She had to keep herself from approaching him. “Are you okay? I’m... sorry if I dug into something painful…”

“It’s alright. It was years ago, now.” He didn’t look up from the text. “But yes, he was terribly talented and aware of it.”

Even though it wasn’t really something she felt she should do, Ariel approached Fox and leaned over the desk enough to gently touch his knuckles. Her gaze was locked on his face even though he wouldn’t look at her. “If you ever want to talk, I can actually shut up and listen sometimes,” she offered, chuckling at her own self-deprecation to try and add a little levity.

“I appreciate it, but, truly, it’s fine. His death is what let me realize where Ivan’s loyalties laid. Things are better now.”

While she didn’t want to, Ariel removed her touch just to be polite. “Okay,” she managed. After a few moments of heavy silence, she spoke up again. “Oh, and I wanted to be sure I told you: thank you for the lamp. It’s been very helpful.”

She could see the edges of his mouth turn up, though he didn’t his head. “I’m glad to hear it. I’ve always thought so. Dagna’s requested ten. She’s delightful.”

Ariel’s laugh at that was full throated and genuine. “I’m sure she did! She is certainly quite the character. Wanted to study me almost as much as Venna, oddly enough. She’s helped me refine by wingsuit design after I promised to let her fiddle with my phone. And I think soon we’ll have a working prototype for my assassin bracers and boots. It’s been a joy working with her.”

“Your… phone?”

“Oh. I didn’t realize I hadn’t told everyone in the inner circle about it. Hold on…” She twisted slightly, moving one of the small shoulder straps from her little backpack so she could zip open the bag while holding it up with the other strap. Fishing in there didn’t take long as she’d recently organized it and she pulled out her smartphone. She shuffled the backpack into its proper place without bothering to re-zip it for the moment. A soft click came from the power button on the side as she pushed it and the screen lit up. “Fifty-five percent,” she sighed to herself. “I’ll have to set it out later.” When that was settled, she tapped the screen six times to input her passcode and it switched over to the main screen. “This is my phone,” she said, turning the backlit piece of metal, glass, plastic and circuitry to him so he could see the screen. “Dunno if you’ve heard me talk about technology, but this is one of the main things we use. It’s uses are far too long to list, but I’ve usually used it here to tell me what time it is and play music from home to help destress. Sometimes take pictures or video.”

Fox frowned at it. “Is this the device that gave you the prophecy?”

Ariel quirked a brow at him. Venna and Dagna had been interested in all its uses so the almost deadpan reception it got from Fox was surprising. She pulled it back, tapping the power button again so it went back into low-power mode. “No. That’s a different thing called a computer. Or a console, I guess, it was ported there too. But neither would fit in a pocket or a backpack.”

“Hmm.” Fox leaned back in his seat and tightened the blanket around his shoulders since he was done eating. “Does it have weaker prophecies, then? Smaller ones? Like what someone will have for breakfast?”

She couldn’t stop herself from laughing at that idea but pushed it down as quickly as possible before shaking her head. “I’m afraid not,” Ariel answered. “But it’s been helpful, at least for me.” She paused, gaze shifting away from him but to nowhere in particular as she mulled an idea over. With a practiced move she clicked the phone back into working mode and re-entered the passcode. Another tap and she opened her camera app, holding the phone with one hand she framed him against the hallway behind him before tapping the screen to take a shot. Thankfully she didn’t have the flash on but it did give off the soft sound of a camera shutter closing. “Here, see! It’s you!” she showed him with a happy grin, turning the phone around after tapping the photo into full screen.

“Oh, so it’s some kind music-box cameo fusion. That’s nice, I suppose.” Fox looked nothing so much as put out that it wasn’t prophetic.

Ariel blinked, stock still for a few seconds. That was not the reaction she was expecting, but she supposed she didn’t really know what to expect. “Hm,” she hummed, pulling it back to her and tapping off that app. “I think I’ll keep that picture. Haven’t gotten the chance to take one of you before,” she mused to herself, clicking the power off again after closing down the apps she’d opened. A quick shift and she’d put it back into her bag, the zipper pulled back in place right after.

She glanced down, and quickly realized that the basket she’d brought was empty. “Ah, well, I guess I should take this,” she noted, reaching out and carefully pulling the handle up and shuffling it until it was hanging by the crook of her arm. “Are you still working on the tea?”

“No, but thank you again for bringing it.” He rubbed his hands together, as if to warm them, though the room didn’t feel particularly cold. He nodded to her. “I’m glad that phone brings you joy.”

Ariel nodded back to him, reaching out and grabbing the cup to put it in the basket. Before she could excuse herself properly, her attention was drawn to his hands as he rubbed them together, her mind conjuring up an idea. For a moment she considered ignoring it and just leaving, but he pushed through the bundle of nerves that pulled to life in her to reach back out and place her palms over his fingers. Her hands were tiny in comparison to his and she offered him a sheepish smile as she held them against his. “I’m always hot, so I thought maybe that would help,” she explained. “Maybe next time I’ll figure out how to get a small portable furnace down here for you. At least until the magebane is out of your system.”

Fox smiled at her. “Thank you, but I will be fine. Venna believes that by the end of the week I’ll either be suitably contrite or a hopeless case.”

She removed her touch with a light blush from his smile, the laugh that came from her was nervous but genuine. “You? Contrite?” she echoed. “I think I’ll have to talk with Venna about her expectations…”

“I rather thought she was resigned to me being a hopeless case.”

“Oh good, she hasn’t gone all ‘everything is sunshine and rainbows’ on me just yet,” Ariel mused, chuckling again.

Fox tilted his head down again. “I was told how you reacted in the wake of the attack.”

Any sense of levity was suddenly sucked out of the conversation. “What do you mean?” she asked, brows furrowing in confusion.

“We know now that the prophecy can be changed… There is no guarantee Venna will survive any particular task that is to come.”

Ariel had to mull over what he was saying. What was he trying to get at? That she was assuming things would end well for Venna? That she didn’t care about her friend’s well being? None of the answers she came up with made Fox seem anything less than an ass, so she put them away for the time being. “You were the one who was hovering just around death, not Venna. I think my concern was warranted and correctly placed.”

Fox’s voice was pointedly kind as he continued. “Be sure it stays that way. It is easy to think your heroes immortal.”

“If I’m to be making promises of putting Venna’s life above yours, it’d best be the same for you. Put Venna’s above mine and let me walk into the maw next time if that is what the ‘prophecy’ changes make us do.” That said, she made one last check that she had the cup in the basket at her arm before walking around the desk and to the hallway so she could leave. She didn’t miss his lack of agreement as she left, mind spinning about why he hadn’t as she wandered back into Skyhold proper. Despite the conclusions it kept coming to, that made sense, she pushed them away even as some part of her prayed she was right.

About a week and a half later, a pair of August Ram leather gloves with snow hare fur lining the wrists awaited Fox on his desk, set aside with a note in meticulous but somehow still messy handwriting.

The leather has a second coat, so they should keep your hands warm as you work. I am sorry about the stitching. It was not something I practiced back home.

Let me know if you ever need help with all that paperwork!

The note only had a little circle with eyes and a smile in the bottom corner as if doodled in as an afterthought.

#my writing #co-authored #co-writing #tk-duveraun #Fox #OC: Ariel Grace

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