#also i suddenly needed different sized clothes (annoying) (no money) (but also probably caused by like yknow)(going from teens to twenties)

[ploncc]

i always assumed that i had a slow metabolism since i could go a rather long time eating very little and only realize once i was Suddenly Very Fucking Hungry that i'd missed a meal, but recently i have realized that i may, in fact, actually just have adhd and a fast metabolism, and that chronically just-slightly-under-eating may, in fact, explain quite a few Weird Things my body and brain have, in fact, been up to.

#food #i can pinpoint the exact time at the end of high school when i decided i was probably overeating (despite being in a weights class) #(and despite being relatively on board with body positivity/fat neutrality) #(and despite being a *teenager*) #and to everyone's fucking surprise #that is also around the time that i suddenly stopped having the energy/will to work out and started getting minor brain fog #also i suddenly needed different sized clothes (annoying) (no money) (but also probably caused by like yknow)(going from teens to twenties) #i never thought i was *restricting* my food because certainly when i had been eating tons and working out tons i had been eating too much #not like. i dunno. the healthy reasonable necessary amount for an active teenager. #i #am so stupid #(im not)(i just made an assumption about my body that has probably been uhhhhhhh doing minor harm to it for years now lol)(woopsies!) #on that note i am going to go make some damn food and i am going to get fucking full

[annoyed-galaxy]

One Moment at Sea

Welp no shame. This is pretty old, but some nice bonding moment between Sparrow and Reaver cause why not. Posted this on AO3 so feel free to read it over there as well but I'll also post it here cause why not.

What was she doing here honestly? Out on the seas in Reaver’s stupid prototype ship. No sails, it only ran off of steam produced by coal that would turn some device propelling the ship forward. Honestly though, this could barely pass as a ship. It was barely bigger than a fishing boat. Sparrow guessed it made sense since Reaver had never tried this out before and there was no point in spending a lot of money on something that wasn’t going to work. So far, it was doing pretty good.

Sparrow was actually impressed. She didn’t take Reaver to be an inventor. But knowing him, he probably stole some of these ideas from someone else and just had the money to actually make it. Sparrow kind of didn’t care. It was pretty peaceful. She stood at the front of the boat, leaning against the railing watching the water part in front of her. There was no land around them, just the open sea. It did make her slightly nervous to be around so much water with no land.

Still, it was the most peace she had gotten ever since...well since she was born. It was kind of sad that this was the only time she had ever experienced peace within her life.

“Enjoying the view?” a voice came from behind her.

Well. Peace ruined.

Sparrow looked over her shoulder at Reaver who was wiping soot off his face. “What were you doing?” she asked.

“Oh well, turns out the coal will run out. So unfortunately I had to shovel more into the engine. Now I’m all dirty,” Reaver complained looking down at his clothes.

Sparrow rolled her eyes and motioned to the open water around them. “You have an endless source of water to clean your clothes,” she snorted.

“Ha ha, very funny,” Reaver rolled his eyes. He joined her at the front of the boat and leaned against the railing. His arm brushed against hers, but she didn’t move.

“Please tell me this thing will get us back to Albion,” Sparrow clucked looking around. “We got this far and there is no longer any sort of land in sight.”

Reaver chuckled. “Of course it will get us back. I calculated how much coal we would need to power this lovely thing and got a little extra. Besides, due to its size, it’s not going to consume much.”

“Yeah about that,” Sparrow started. She pointed behind her to where the wheel was. It was on a deck above what she had assumed was the one and only quarter on this floating hell. There was also a small trapdoor that led to the “engine”. “Why is there only one quarter?” she asked.

Reaver smirked and raised an eyebrow. “Well, to save on space obviously,” he drawled. “Besides, you don’t mind sharing a bed with me anymore do you?”

A blush spread across Sparrow’s face. They hadn’t engaged in any sexual activity, but they had slept in the same bedroll when traveling on the road when it was too cold one night. She had hated that night. Reaver had no problem snuggling up to her, but she was annoyed. Mainly annoyed because she had liked it when he held her. Liked it when had nuzzled his face into her neck. Ever since, they had shared a bed only twice due to similar reasons. Or when there was only one inn room left and it was too small for him to sleep on the floor. She had really hated being in the same bed as him because when he had held her, she didn’t push him away.

A thumb stroking her cheek pulled her out of her thoughts. She blinked a couple times and saw Reaver looking at her with a smile on his face. She frowned, but did not slap his hand away. “Can I help you?” she muttered.

Reaver didn’t say anything, he just moved in closer and brought his other arm around her back. He pulled her into him. Sparrow’s blush deepened and she froze. Part of her screamed to push him away and off overboard, but another part wanted to lean into him.

“Has anyone ever told you you are beautiful?” Reaver said suddenly, his eyes scanning her face. Sparrow had never realized how blue his eyes were before.

“Only when they were trying to get in my good graces or just wanted to throw a random compliment at me,” she grumbled.

“No one has told you sincerely?” he asked, tilting his head to the side. The hand on her cheek moved to her chin.

“N-no,” Sparrow stammered really hating how she liked him now caressing her lips.

“Well, I think despite everything you’ve been through, you are still absolutely gorgeous,” he whispered. “Stunningly breathtaking. I have never met someone as interesting as you Sparrow. You intrigue me so much that I don’t want to let you go.”

“Is that why you kept me around trying to keep me alive?” Sparrow breathed, her breath almost hitching as Reaver leaned in closer.

“Yes,” he replied plainly. “I don’t want to lose my source of entertainment.” He smirked as he said that. Sparrow had half the mind the punch him, but she was still frozen. He was so close their breaths mingled. “I find it interesting how you claim to hate me, yet I have gotten this close and you haven’t punched me or pushed me away,” Reaver chuckled. It seems he had noticed that she was paralyzed and how she liked being held by him.

“What’s the point of fighting you?” Sparrow murmured, looking away. She put her hands on his chest, but she didn’t push.

“So what would you do if I kissed you?” he whispered, gripping her chin with his thumb and forefinger and forcing her to look back at him. She was one hundred percent positive that her entire face was red, even the blue Will lines that traveled across her skin could be red with how much she was burning up.

Again, part of her screamed no, but another part of her really did want him to kiss her. He had kissed her only once and that was right after the balverines had attacked her. But that had been just a small peck on the lips that lasted only a couple seconds. It was right before he offered his proposition to her. It had been a crazy year since then, but now she was on the open sea, in his arms with him literally just centimeters away from her lips asking what she would do if he kissed her.

She looked at his eyes but they were on her lips. Only when he realized she was looking at him did he look up. Sparrow had never really looked into his eyes before. They matched the ocean around them.

Her lips parted just slightly and Reaver took notice as his eyes darted back to her lips.

He took it as an invitation.

Sparrow was overcome with so many emotions when Reaver had finally closed the gap and put his lips on hers. Sparrow closed her eyes and hated how her hands moved from his chest to the back of his neck pulling him closer to her. Reaver took that as another invitation and his tongue broke through her lips. Sparrow was lost in bliss as their tongues danced together. Reaver’s arms moved right above her bottom and he pulled her closer. Their bodies were now touching and their mouths were ravishing each other. Sparrow hated how much she loved this.

Reaver had pulled away from the kiss, but he went to her neck immediately with kisses. They had turned so that Sparrow’s back was against the railing. She tilted her head back as Reaver left delicate kisses on her neck. Then her body lit up when he dragged his tongue from the bottom of her neck to her chin. Her breathed hitched and she really hated how it did.

“I didn’t think you’d allow this, Sparrow,” Reaver breathed, his mouth by her ear now.

Sparrow groaned. “Shut up.”

Reaver chuckled, but went back to placing kisses on her throat. As he was kissing her, his hands traveled down her back and cupped her bottom. She had gasped when he pulled her against him, but by some weird instinct, she wrapped her legs around him. Reaver chuckled and pulled away from her neck just to kiss her again. Sparrow’s fingers dug into his hair, messing it up, as their kiss became more and more fiery.

She hated this so much. Hated how much she loved it. Hated the taste of him. Hated how she felt in his harms. She hated everything about this, but that’s what made it better. They broke apart and were panting. Sparrow’s hands moved to Reaver’s cheeks and she just looked at him. She hated how she was falling for such a selfish asshole.

“Tell me one thing Reaver,” she whispered, caressing the heart mole on his cheek, “did you ever care about anyone before? And I mean at all.”

Reaver raised an eyebrow. “Why do you ask?”

“Because the way I see it, there was someone you used to love,” Sparrow whispered. “And you lost them. And to make yourself never feel that pain ever again, you isolated yourself and pushed anyone who got too close away...or well just made sure no one ever got that close.”

Reaver’s mouth parted slightly and Sparrow could see genuine surprise on his face. “W-what makes you say that?” he stammered. Odd. Reaver never stumbled on his words.

Sparrow smiled and slid her thumb across his lower lip. “I found some old journals of yours. I couldn’t read them but I paid someone to read them for me. Don’t worry, I managed to erase their memory so only I know your secrets Reaver.” Sparrow’s smile widened as Reaver’s eyes went wide with shock and disbelief. “You don’t have to say anything. I’ve come to realize that you and I are not so different. We lost people close to us and went about that loss in very different ways. You didn’t want to die so you made a deal to live forever. I wanted vengeance but when I found it and lost my purpose, I didn’t want to live anymore. Somehow, I just think that makes us work well together. You don’t have to call it love cause I know you’d claim to be above such feeling, but I just think this was meant to be. At least for a time.”

The entire time she spoke, her thumb ran across Reaver’s lip and her other hand played with a strand of his hair. “Now would be the time to dump me in the ocean and leave,” Sparrow added, her tone suddenly becoming darker. “Or do you sincerely want to keep me?”

Reaver was too stunned to really say anything. Sparrow managed to say things that resurfaced old dark feelings he had refused to acknowledge ever again. She read him like an open book. It made him...nervous. But she was right. He hated to admit it, but he was actually caring for her, beyond her entertainment value. He loved seeing her yell at him, loved seeing her get feisty when people refused to back down, loved seeing her fight. Most of all, he loved it when she kissed him back. When she doesn’t push him away. They were no strangers to giving themselves away to other men and women, but he didn’t think they had ever felt so right in each other’s arms.

He knew he should stop. If he opened his heart again, he knew it would break. Sparrow already gave her life away for him. It wouldn’t be long before she started to wither away. After all, when he saw her on the beach a year later after she made the sacrifice, her hair had turned almost completely white. He knew he shouldn’t let her in, but he couldn’t stop himself. She was too intriguing for him. If he could just ignore the fact that she’d be gone in a few years, everything would be alright.

“Sparrow,” Reaver finally spoke up. “I will never let you go because you are mine. And I don’t like losing what’s mine,” he declared. It was the closest thing Sparrow would ever get to some sort of declaration of love from him, but for some reason, she liked this much better.

She smiled. “Then don’t let me go. Keep me here in this world for just a little while longer.” For once ever since defeating Lucien, she felt at peace, happy. She moved to kiss him and he met her halfway. The loss of Rose would forever haunt her, but she now knew she wasn’t alone anymore. She would stay as long as Reaver kept her here. However, she knew to keep her heart guarded. There was no telling whether or not Reaver would stay true to his word or cast her aside.

But she let herself believe that maybe he would keep her for as long as she lived. When they shared the bed this time, Sparrow let herself cuddle close to Reaver. It was going to be a rocky road from here on out, but she didn’t care. It gave her a new purpose.

#spreaver #sparrow x reaver #fable 2 #fable sparrow #fable reaver #writing #G-W76

[mestizo-efp]

TianShan Week 2018

Day 1: Vacation 

A big, FAT thanks to my beta reader and best bro: @alexc1ting grazie bruh

ao3

«Oh my, GuanShan! I’ve never seen you so tanned before» exclaimed GuanShan’s mom, looking closely at his arms and caressing his cheek «You look so different! And look at your hair! It's even brighter!» she smiled fondly «Did you have fun? I bet you did u-hu? With all your friends. I’m almost jealous!»

«Um» sighed GuanShan, looking at his luggage

His mother followed his eyes «Oh, are you tired? Was the travel long?»

GuanShan nodded «Yeah... kind of»

His mother took the luggage from his hands «Alright, I’m going to take care of this, you get some rest. You're going to tell me everything at dinner. You did take some pictures right? Student He told me that the destination was a surprise so I’m pretty curious~»

GuanShan nodded again, dragging himself lazily towards his room, which he entered: everything was exactly how he has left three weeks ago, the day when He Tian had suddenly showed up at 5 am.

He sat down at his desk, looking at his bed and inevitably remembering that morning: his mother, waking him up, saying that He Tian was waiting for him in the living room.

«Who?» asked GuanShan, half asleep

«He Tian» repeated his mom «Don't make him wait»

GuanShan sat down, confused as his mother took a luggage from nowhere, already full with clothes.

«Wha- where did you get that? What's happening?»

His mother took clothes from a bag, handing them to GuanShan «Here, go take a shower»

«Mom, it's winter, why are you giving me a tank top and shorts pants?» for a moment GuanShan thought he was still sleeping.

But then his mother pushed him out of his room towards the bathroom and in the corridor he saw He Tian, laying against the wall, smiling innocently at him. No, innocently wasn't the right word more like... victorious.

«'Morning little Mo~»

GuanShan gritted his teeth, sending He Tian a death glare «AND WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING HERE?!»

«Here’s the luggage He Tian»

«MOM!»

«Thanks Auntie»

«WHAT IN THE CHICKEN DICK IS HAPPENING RIGHT NOW??»

While He Tian was taking his luggage God only know where, his mom looked at him, shaking her head.

«GuanShan, why are you still here? Shower, now!»

Again, she was pushing him «Mom, what-»

«Also brush your teeth!»

GuanShan first looked at the closed door, then at himself in the mirror

“It has to be a dream” he thought.

Twenty minutes later he was freshly showered, dressed, and out of the bathroom, his mother waiting for him.

«Ready?» she asked

«It's freaking freezing mom! What the heck is this all about?» he frowned «Are you...kicking me out?»

«Of course not you silly! Here take this backpack. There's your phone, headphones, a camera, your wallet, I put some money there, buy some souvenirs!»

«Souvenirs?»

«Let me walk you to the car»

«I think my head is about to implode»

Outside,the sun was still low at the horizon and  he found himself shaking as the freezing morning air hit him.

A big black car was waiting for him.

He stopped a few feet away from it

«This is madness» he said

« GuanShan hurry!» His mother took him by his hand guiding him to the car; before opening the car's door he looked at her

«Mom…» he whined.

She smiled, hugging him tightly. After a moment of hesitation GuanShan hugged her back, noticing how small she has become from the last time they hugged each other.

«Don't think about anything, have fun with your friends and make a lot of good memories. You deserve it»

He heard her sniffing but before he could look at her face he heard the sound of the one of the back car’s door opening and then she literally shoved him inside.

When he recollected himself he could just look at his mother more and more far away through the car's window.

«Hey redhead»

GuanShan snapped at his side: Jian Yi was sitting beside him at the back of the car, and at the front passenger’s seat was Zheng Xi. No sign of He Tian.

A guy in a black suit was driving the car.

«What are you fuckers doing here?»

«What?» pouted Jian Yi «Don't worry we’re not going to disturb you and He Tian»

GuanShan gritted his teeth, and he felt some of his veins popping with pure rage.

«Somebody better start explaining 'cause I’m about to kill someone»

Zheng Xi shacked his head «We don't know either, He Tian said he was going to take us somewhere nice»

«WHAT THE FUCK? WHAT ABOUT ASKING?»

Jian Yi smiled «I don't care as long as I'm with XiXi~»

«Who the fuck cares!! And where the hell is He dog’s shit eating Tian, he was at my house just a few moments ago! Thinks he can do whatever he fucking wants!»

Jian Yi was covering his ears «You're so loud! Does anyone ever told you that?»

GuanShan took him by the collar «How dare YOU telling me something like that?!?!»

Jian Yi struggled pushing GuanShan's face away «XiXi!! Help!»

«'m going to sleep» answered Zheng Xi, yawning and lazily resting his head.

After some minutes of fighting they finally settled down, and GuanShan noted that Jian Yi and Zhen Xi were also wearing clothes that clearly weren't for winter, he asked about it and apparently it was part of He Tian's instructions, the other was to arrive at the airport at 6am.

After getting out of the car, they were guided by two others men through the airport and they brought them to an hangar where, beautifully shining, an airplane was waiting to leave.

«Is that…» said Jian Yi «A freaking personal jet?? One of those you see in movies??»

GuanShan and Zheng Xi were both admiring the beautiful machine, jaws dropped.

«What in the actual fuck…» whispered GuanShan.

«AWESOME! AWESOME!» was shouting Jian Yi, shaking Zheng Xi’s arm, who shoved him aside

«Where's He Tian?»

And, as summoned, He Tian showed up at the jet’s door, arms crossed... looking all satisfied and tall and cool and... GuanShan stopped his train of thought there.

«What are you dumb heads doing down there? Hurry up, we’re about to take off»

Jian Yi, hanging into Zheng Xi arm, dragged him towards the stairs «He Tian~ I’m totally re-evaluating you! XiXi! Let's go! I want to see how's inside!»

«Stop pulling me idiot!»

As Jian Yi and Zheng Xi entered the jet, GuanShan didn't move a single step, looking annoyed towards He Tian who, slightly tilting his head, crossed his legs resting his shoulder against the cold metal.

«Aren't you coming Mo?»

«Of course not you shady, conceited bastard! What the hell is this uh?»

«This?» He Tian looked over his shoulder «An airplane if I’m not wrong»

GuanShan gritted his teeth «Don't you dare fuck with me! Where are you taking us?»

He Tian smiled «Of course, that's a surprise, isn't it?»

«And what? You thought I would just follow you like that? You're just as crazy! I’m not coming with you jackasses!»

He Tian lowly chuckled «I don't think you have a choice»

«Of course I do!»

He Tian took just one step down «I could always bring you up here with force» his eyes darkened, and his voice was low.

GuanShan took one step back «Y-you wouldn't dare!»

He Tian smiled, taking a second step «Really now? Wouldn't I? I’m not sure about that...are you?»

“OF COURSE NOT!” thought GuanShan, how could he be sure about something when He Tian was involved? Look at him! He was in a freaking hangar, dressed in shorts in full winter! And he didn't even know how all of that could happen!

He Tian took a third step.

GuanShan clicked his tongue «WHATEVER!» he shouted, climbing the stairs, stomping furiously each step.

As soon as he passed next to He Tian, he felt him nudging at his shoulder, at witch GuanShan retorted with an angry snort.

The inside of the jet was simply something out of his wildest imagination: it was like the inside of a luxurious hotel. Everything was sparkling, silky seats and expensive furniture. TV, mini bar and somewhere at the back of the airplane he heard Jian Yi screaming «A freaking king size bed?!?»

He Tian chuckled behind him, pointing at the seats «Make yourself at home, I’m going to talk to the pilot»

GuanShan didn't answer, looking at He Tian disappearing into the pilot's cabin.

Then, he carefully sat down into one of the seat, caressing its soft material, that chair alone was probably worth his whole room furniture .

At that moment a hostess walked past him, perfectly dressed up and looking like a model, smiling elegantly and slightly bowing.

«Sir, would you kindly give me your luggage?»

GuanShan's mouth went ajar for a moment while his mind started to process those simple words, didn't He Tian took his luggage at his house? Then, the lady graciously lowered her eyes towards his backpack.

GuanShan felt his cheeks going on fire «O-oh» he said, hanging out the bag «Yeah, sure»

After placing it inside the compartment, she thanked him and bowed again, disappear into the other side of the airplane.

At that moment something occurred to him: it was the first time for him to fly on a airplane. And even though it burned, he had to admit that he felt kind of agitated.

What was he supposed to do? Did the take off felt weird?

He was so deep in thoughts that he almost missed He Tian calling him

«Are you alright?» he asked, noticing his slightly paler face

GuanShan gritted his teeths «What's it to you?»

He Tian shrugged «Everything's ready, I need to call those two idiots»

GuanShan eyes widened «A-already?»

He Tian tilted his head, folding his arms «Are you... afraid of flying?»

«WHO'S AFRAID YOU USELESS PIECE OF SHIT?!»

«Mmm~» smiled He Tian, taking a few steps towards him «It's your first time?»

His voice was so low that GuanShan couldn't help but feel the hidden innuendo behind those words, he fought though with all his might, pushing He Tian away and trying to retrieve his backpack, unfortunately the compartment was locked.

He Tian chuckled gripping his shoulders and turning GuanShan towards him.

«I’ll tell you what you need to do» he whispered

«Let fucking go of-»

«First» interrupted him He Tian «You sit down» and by slightly pushing him in his chest, He Tian made GuanShan fall back in his seat

«HEY!»

«Then…» both of He Tian's hands rested upon GuanShan's thighs, who horrified paralyzed himself, as those hands started moving up.

GuanShan looked at them, moving then his eyes towards He Tian's

«Wha- ?wha-?»  

He Tian grinned as his hands disappeared behind GuanShan hips; he was ready to shout his lungs out when, immediately, those hands come back out, holding the two sides of a black belt.

«...you buckle this up» continued He Tian, buckling the belt with a click and getting up straight slowly «And let the airplane do the work»

GuanShan felt so much rage that he had the impression that his heart was about to explode in his chest...wait, what? That's not how rage wor-.

«Whaa?? Redhead’s scared? Laaame~»

Jian Yi and Zheng Xi came back from their little adventure.

GuanShan's punched his seat while the other two young boy sat down too.

«What do you know asshole?»

Jian Yi buckled his belt, thinking «Well, we did went to that school trip together, didn't we XiXi?»

«Um» nodded Zheng Xi «Last year»

«Fuck you guys!»

He Tian took place beside him «Don't be afraid little Mo, here: you can take my hand»

«Fuck you! I want to get out!»

He Tian smiled devilishly «Too late for that».

With the corner of his eye, GuanShan saw the same hostess closing the airplane’s door, and with a gulp, he felt cold sweat rolling down his spine.

The flight was lightly longer than two hours, and after the shock of the take off, GuanShan spent most of the time admiring the view under their eyes. It was amazing how everything looked so small and distant. After the first hour all he could see was open sea, all the way to the distance.

“Where the fuck are we going?” thought GuanShan, admiring the beautiful shades of blue shining at the sunlight.

Then he saw it, in the distance: a little dot of pure white sand.

«Is that a freaking island??» Jian Yi had screamed.

And it seemed that yes, they were landing on an island in the middle of nowhere.

As soon as the airplane touched the ground, and the door was open GuanShan finally understood why He Tian has made them dress like that: wherever they were it was HOT.

«Hey» called him He Tian.

GuanShan looked back, blinking at the light burning his eyes.

«W-what?»

He Tian chuckled, handing him his luggage «You can be amazed later, we need to go now the car's waiting»

«SHUT UP!» answered GuanShan, throwing a punch to the air.

They all got on a car, and suddenly Jian Yi called GuanShan «You forgot this» he said, handing his backpack

«Thank- is that my camera?!»

Jian Yi hid the camera behind him «C'mon we both know you're not going to use it. Lend it to me! I'm going to capture a lot of good memories!» he winked at him.

GuanShan stared blanky at him «You're just going to take photos of Zheng Xi you fucker»

Jian Yi snapped his fingers «Correction: I'm ALSO taking photos of Zheng Xi in a swimsuit»

«What?» he said

«Forget the last part. Please Redhead?»

He sighed «Whatever. But if you break it I'm going to kill you»

«Yes!» and right after that he took the first picture of GuanShan, blinding him

«Stop you asshole!»

The car left the airport and took and old road surrounded by trees and palms.

Jian Yi was simply over the edge «Where's the beach? Where's the beach? WHERE'S THE BEACH?!?»

«SO LOUD! SHUT UP!» silenced him Zheng Xi.

GuanShan sighed, like that was the point of the whole situation. Well...not that he wasn't curious but…

«THERE!!! I SEE IT!!»

GuanShan's train of thoughts stopped there: he saw it at his left, curving lightly and following the line of the coast, water shining with so many shades of blue and sand as white as whipped cream.

He didn't even realized when he got out of the car, he just stood there, walking slowly towards the beach.

He was...not used to his eyes looking so far at the distance. Not anymore.

He had almost forgotten that outside of his room, his house, school, and his all city...the world could be so much spacious and silent. For a moment he stood there, still, taking all in that new feeling of surprise.

«Do you like it?» asked a voice somewhere behind him.

«Mn» nodded GuanShan before he could even realize it, then he turned around and saw He Tian.

He felt himself blushing from head to toe. He opened his mouth to shout with all his might but stopped as soon as he saw He Tian looking towards the sea himself and… just smiling.

«I'm glad» he said.

Words died in GuanShan's throat.

He Tian looked so different for a moment: younger and relaxed.

Then he looked back at GuanShan with the corner of his eye and patted his head once.

«Let's go»

It was like that with He Tian.

Like there was always something undone, something untold.

It was there, but GuanShan couldn't grasp it even though it looked so close to him.

From where the car stopped they walked for about two minutes from the beach towards a house immersed into the green and, like everything involved with He Tian, it was something else:

spacious and full of light, with the windows directly faced towards the sea.

He Tian had arranged two bedrooms with two twin beds each, GuanShan was ready to protest but before he could open his mouth, He Tian preceded him «Who's ready for a swim?»

And just like that GuanShan found himself swimming inside a beautiful crystal water, playing cards under the beach umbrella, playing basketball (GuanShan suspected that He Tian had build one just for them), getting sun burnings at his back because like hell he was going to let any of those fuckers touch him, eating watermelons that tasted like heaven, swimming again, playing again.

Like the sea GuanShan found himself following blindly the flow of events that were thrown at him.

And just like that came the sunset, before he could realize it they where back at He Tian's house; he had just showered and was more than ready to just fall asleep.

He laid down, hissing at the burn at his back

«Fuck» he whispered

He Tian entered the room in that moment, shaking his head and showing a bottle of after sun cream.

«Need a hand?»

GuanShan looked at He Tian, then at the bottle and then at the bed, imagining the hell of a night that he would have gone through if he wasn't going to do something about his back.

Maybe it was that thought, or maybe he was just too tired but in the end he turned around

«Don't try anything funny» he said, before grasping the edge of his shirt with the tip of his fingers and raising it enough to uncovering just his back.

He felt the mattress deepens behind him, and right after that He Tian's hand on his skin.

He accidentally flinched, feeling how cold the cream was but also He Tian's fingers.

He Tian chuckled, moving his hand in slow circles

«Sorry about that»

GuanShan grunted, and in an attempt to distract himself from He Tian's touch he said the first thing that came into his mind «When are you going to tell me where we are?»

He Tian moved his hand from his shoulders to the center of his back «Does it matter though? Just enjoy the moment would ya?»

GuanShan snorted «Like I could. I don't even know why you would do this for us»

He Tian's hand stopped «Maybe I'm just doing it for myself»

«Yeah right. You're not like that» it just came out so naturally, that his mouth just blurted it out. And it looked like that day it was happening a little too much. With the corner of his eyes he could see He Tian's eyes widened with surprise.

He gritted his teeth, taking a big breath and ready to yell, when he felt He Tian's forehead resting at the nape of his neck.

He didn't have the courage to talk, or to move.

Then, He Tian moved raising his head «Thanks»

and right after that He Tian kissed him on that same spot.

«HEY!» shouted GuanShan, almost falling down from the bed.

But He Tian was already up smiling at him «I'm going to shower now~».

And just like that he was gone.

Three weeks went by from that day, days where they just enjoyed their stay in that little corner of the world. Away from everyone, away from everything. Like there were nothing but them and the sea.

And the evening spent eating at the beach, falling asleep till the moon was high in the sky, seeing for the first time millions and millions of stars like he had never seen before. He Tian had also organized a fireworks night, GuanShan couldn't even imagine how. And it was breath taking.

Time kind of disappeared, and days blended into each other.

It was simply nice.

GuanShan was almost ready to admit that he was having fun, in spite that one day...

«GuanShan» a voice called him, waking him up from a deep sleep «Wake up, hurry»

GuanShan opened his eyes, finding He Tian fully clothed in front of him «What do you want?»

«You need to go. Prepare your stuff. Jian Yi and Zheng Xi are already up»

“Oh” thought GuanShan “We're going home. Why didn't he tell us yesterday?”.

Then he looked at his phone: it was just 3 am.

Weird.

He looked around and he noticed someone waking outside of the house, he also heard weird noises coming from the kitchen.

«What the fuck is going on?»

He Tian tossed some clothes against him «There's no time, hurry»

Trying to ignore the weirdest feeling of déjà vu, GuanShan followed He Tian's instructions, and in less than ten minutes they were out of the house, while waiting for Jian Yi and Zheng Xi to put they luggage inside of the car, GuanShan looked back at the house...he would have lied if he would have said that he wasn't kind of sorry that it was just going to end like that, but it was going to happen sooner or later. Thought... something was definitely off.

When they got into the car, Jian Yi fell asleep over Zheng Xi shoulder, GuanShan looked at him, then to He Tian sitting in the passenger seat in front of him.

«Not that I care, but what's the hurry? There's like… a storm or something?»

He Tian smiled, but something in that smile was off too.

«Kind of»

At the airport things get even weirder, at least twenty men in black clothes were patrolling the entire area, and there was a car, in a parking lot, surrounded by at least eight of those weird guys. Black windows and clearly waiting for someone.

They all got out.

Jian Yi was the first getting on the plane, followed by Zheng Xi and right after him GuanShan. But before taking the last step into the plane he turned back: He Tian was at the bottom of the stairs. His hands deep inside his pockets.

GuanShan looked around them, a strong wind rose between them.

Two men were behind He Tian, looking ready to escort him.

The car who took them had already left, everything felt cold and different from just a few hours ago.

Why wasn't He Tian telling him what was happening? Why couldn't he be for once the one to share his plan? He followed him into this place with no words, trusting him. Why couldn't he do the same?

GuanShan stared at him, tired.

«If you're not going to take this plane with us, I'm done with you. Don't ever talk to me, don't ever look for me. I'm just going to forget about you»

He Tian lowered his eyes, took a deep breath.

And when he raised his eyes, even though he was smiling...he looked so, so freaking hurt. Like he was about to fall to his feet.

«That» he said, his voice heavy «Might be for the best».

GuanShan didn't waste another second looking at him, he went inside, sitting in his seat.

Jian Yi and Zheng Xi looked at each other, confused, but GuanShan was blind and deaf to their voices. And it was like that for all the flight, till he got into the taxi that took him back home.

When he woke up and his hands caressed his sheets, if felt weird to not find little bits of sand between it, and it felt weird that the hair didn't smelt of salsedine. But most of all, that there was no bed besides him, with He Tian on it, breathing slowly, with his dark hair scattered over the white pillow.

He blinked a few times, reminding himself that he wasn't on a desert island anymore. Thinking something like that was even weirder than just dreaming about it. But it wasn't a dream, it really happened. And that ugly weight to his stomach was killing him.

Then, someone knocked at his door «GuanShan honey?»

«Mom» yawned GuanShan, sitting up «Come in»

His mother peeked out of the door, smiling softly at him «You're awake dear? Dinner's ready»

GuanShan nodded «How much did I slept?»

«Just a couple of hours. Oh and before I forget» she entered the room «Look what I got!»

She put a camera on GuanShan's desk.

The redhead looked at it, widening his eyes

«How?» he asked

«Your friend Jian Yi came here a while ago. He was in a hurry so he told me to not wake you. Also, he said that, and I quote, “you should definitely, absolutely look at this”» she smiled «Isn't he nice?»

GuanShan nodded «Yeah»

His mother smiled «Alright, come eat when you're done»

GuanShan took the camera in his hands, he had almost forgot about it. Probably because Jian Yi was so focused on taking photos of Zheng Xi only, that he had probably didn't notice him using it.

He tried to turn it on.

«Battery's dead» he said.

He took an USB cable and connect it with his computer.

At first he just wanted to let it charge, then he thought that no matter how much of an idiot Jian Yi was he wouldn't ask him to look at it if it was just to look at a bunch of Zheng Xi’s pictures.

He sat in front of his computer, searching for the camera’s fold.

He looked at it, and after a second he opened it.

There were at least five hundred photos.

Most of them (he could see without even opening them) were, as he predicted, of Zheng Xi; other were of some random objects or sea view, or some of the house. The others thought…

It started with the first, of him and He Tian walking together while reaching the house. One at the beach, again one besides the other.

While eating.

While drinking.

One even when they were sleeping at the beach.

In a video, during the fireworks night, also there, they were standing by each other.

GuanShan looked shocked at the pictures. He thought he was kind of aware of how He Tian could be clingy sometimes. But this...he just never noticed.

In every photo they were never more than three feet away from each other.

So maybe it wasn't just He Tian... could it be, could it be that he also…?

Then he noticed, a video.

On the preview he could see the date, and it was probably made a few hours before they went home.

He Tian's face was on close up.

He clicked play.

And suddenly He Tian was looking at him, smiling.

« Thank you for sharing all of this with me GuanShan. I'll never, ever forget it. Those were the happiest days of my life. Forget about this place, it would have been the same even if it was on the shittiest place on the planet. But it would have been with you, and I would be as happy as I am now. Let's have fun tomorrow too, together. I'll see you there»

GuanShan had never felt a pang so hard in his heart.

He took a deep breath and saw tears falling down from nowhere to his desk, he snarled rubbing furiously his arm over his eyes.

He looked at his phone, pouting «I hate him so fucking much»

somewhere far away 

He Tian phone's buzzed in his pocket.

He didn't want to look at it, he didn't want in fact to do anything. Every trace of force had left him.

After a few minutes he took it anyway.

A message.

He unlocked it.

“I'll be waiting”

#tianshanweek #he tian #Mo Guanshan #19 days #old xian #tianshan #my fic #vacation #fanficion #mo guan shan #angst #just a little tho #romance #beach #summer #tianshanweek2018

[loli--dolly]

A Student’s Devotion

I’m so excited for The Wolf Among Us season 2, so I decided to upload the prologue for the fic I never really finished. Sadly I actually liked this, and I’m disappointed I never finished it. Oh well, at least this part will forever be here

Most thirteen year old girls had to deal with simple problems in their lives. Boys, puberty, what clothes will make them more popular and so on. It was a totally different story for Riya, however, who at this moment was bounded and gagged by her own parents. Laying in the back of the old car, feeling every bump on the road, Riya wondered what she did to deserve this. Sure, her parents had always mistreated her but it had always been mentally. Riya squirmed slightly hoping that the rope that held her would loosen enough for her to escape, but there was no such luck.

Riya didn’t dare try to use her magic again for the ropes were cursed. Any type of rakshasi magic would only result in pain. For the first time in years the girl felt tears come to her eyes. Why was this happening? What were they going to do to her? They weren’t going to…kill her were they? Oh god no…Before she could think about her fate the car suddenly jerked to a stop, causing Riya to violently hit the back of the trunk. She could hear the muffled sound of the doors opening and slamming, her heart beating faster and harder knowing soon the trunk would open, revealing whatever horrible demise would be in store for her. Sure enough the lid opened to show her parents, only silhouettes in the moonlight. They stared at her pathetic form for a moment, then she heard her mother say,

“Should we do this? After all, she is our daughter.” There was a brief moment of silence in which Riya felt a slight sliver of hope that she would be able to sleep in her own bed tonight.

“We have no other choice, its either her or us.” Her father’s gruff voice said, devoid of any emotion. Riya felt her hope shatter. She was grabbed roughly by her long black hair and pulled out of the trunk. Giving a quick look around she saw she was in an alley she did not recognize. Its wall were made out of brick stone and were pretty barren, except for one lone metal door with a strange symbol Riya had never seen before. It appeared to be what looked like a man stuck in the spokes of a wheel.

Riya didn’t have time to analyze it since the door was opened up to a blue portal and she was being dragged towards it. She felt fear of the unknown well up inside her and begin to struggle to get away. With her hands tied however there wasn’t much she could do but twist her body around. Her father growled, annoyed by her resistance, and roughly picked her up, throwing her over his shoulder. Her mother refused to look at her. Riya closed her eyes, giving up all hope she waited for what was on the other side for her. Going through the portal she felt it prick her skin in an odd sensation, not painful but a feeling that she couldn’t describe. As quickly as it had appeared it was gone and opening her eyes she saw that she was in what looked like a Victorian house. Riya was confused on where she had been transported to and why she was even here. She felt her father adjust her on his shoulder slightly, he was shaking.

“He should be down the hall, where he was last time.” Riya had never heard the tone of voice her father was using in all her life, he almost sounded sick with worry. Her mother let out a deep sigh,

“Let’s get this over with.” They began walking down the hall, Riya watched the wall which she had come through shrink as she was carried away from her. She looked around the walls that surrounded her that were covered with expensive paintings and candelabras. Whoever lived here was very wealthy which was odd, considering how poor Fabletown really was. The more Riya though about the wealth here the more she realized what was happening. She was being sold.

It wasn’t odd for Rakshasas to give up their children if they were a burden, but there were proper ways for it to happen. A new home would be found or they would be given to the streets. Riya highly doubted that with the way she was being treated at the moment that she was being given to some loving person, and with the huge amount of debt her family was in it was likely that money was involved. What use could she be for any amount of money? Sure she had her magic, but it was barely stronger than witch magic. Although her species is becoming more rare…

The three arrived at a large wooden door and before either adult could knock it opened. Her parents gave one last look at each other before going in. It was fairly dark, the only light coming from one lamp and a fire place. Riya could sense the presence of other people in the room, but she was facing away from them and couldn’t look at them. She heard what sounded like an older man speak,

“I see you have arrived with your…payment.” Riya was dropped onto the ground with a heavy thud. It certainly didn’t help the developing headache. With free movement she was able to look at the unnamed people. Lifting her head up she saw the old man, he looked sophisticated with grey hair and blue eyes, and it appeared his right eyelid sagged down, revealing the red inside. Other than that he looked fairly normal.

“She’s a good listener, and with physical reinforcement she’ll do whatever you need.” Her father said. Riya felt sharp anger shoot through her, how dare he talk like she wasn’t even there! If she was able to get the gag off she would give him a piece of her mind. For now she laid unresponsive on the ground and observed her surroundings. There were only three other strangers in the room, two fat twins and a women. The twins eyed her carefully and Riya knew they were sizing up her worth. She gave them a cold, hard look.

“I don’t think that will be needed. I’m sure she’ll listen.” The man looked down at her, “She is very beautiful, but I suppose that is to be expected with your kind. I also expect that her magical abilities are up to par?” Her father stiffen a little,

“She knows all the magic basics and with a little extra training she can learn anything.” Riya rolled her eyes, it was like she was an item being sold online. She turned her gaze at the woman and her body turned cold. The woman was already staring her down, her smile and golden eyes psychotic. Riya was unable to look away, the woman struck her with fear, but also something else, something she couldn’t explain. It was almost like…a craving. The man spoke again,

“My associates will deliver your money by tomorrow. You are free to go.” They didn’t need to be told twice, without another look at Riya they left. Riya knew that it was likely she would never see them again, and for the second time that night she felt the stinging of tears. Did she love her parents? No, but she still felt betrayed. The young girl laid there, the ground suddenly more interesting to look at than the people in front of her.

“Dee, untie the poor girl.” The man ordered to one of the fat man. Riya heard his footsteps come closer to her and after a moment she felt of the rope around her wrists loosen, then disappear completely. She wasted no time in pushing herself up and with all the anger and sorrow she felt she threw herself forward into the man, successful knocking him now. He grunted with surprised and she jumped on top of him and using every ounce of her magic began to violently punch him. She gave a smile when she heard the sickening crunch of bone breaking and scream of pain. She would have continued her assault but she was picked up and thrown across the room, slamming against the wall. The pain shot through her body, but she hardly cared, looking up she saw that the brother was the one to blame. The man who had purchased her did nothing but look on. Riya understood this, he was testing her abilities…he wanted a show. She gave a short laugh, she’d give him one.

Without a second thought Riya released her glamour, letting the green light consume her. The once beautiful girl now looked gruesome. Her long black hair became tangled, the white of her eyes black while the iris’ turned yellow, her fingernails grew into yellow claws, her teeth into sharp fangs. Her human ears changed into ones resembling a cats. Human skin became coated in black fur. The white night gown she had been wearing remained unchanged, but on her now black body it looked more eerie. This was the true form of a Rakshasi. She watched as the two brothers became wearier of her tiny, yet frightening form, and she took great pleasure in it. She cracked her neck and for the first time since being there she spoke, her voice sounding ghostly,

“Well? What are you waiting for? I’m beyond ready.” The one with the broken nose – Dee – grunted as he stood up, motioning to Riya he said,

“Come on then, she’s just a brat. We can easily take her.” Riya grinned before charging at both of them, gaining the factor of shock as her alley. She was able to grab the other one by the neck and push him to the ground, using her magic to burn his skin. He let out a howl of pain and punched her in the side of the head. She felt slightly dizzy and slightly curse but refused to let her death grip go, if anything she tightened it. She felt bulky arms wrap around her waist and harshly pull her up. Letting go of Dee she swung her arm around and with the best of her ability dragged her long claws down the other’s face, satisfied when she felt his warm blood run down her hand. She knew it probably wouldn’t scar, and if it did it would only last for a short while.

He dropped her as he went to put his hands up to his face and Riya spun around, sweeping her leg under his feet. Both men were down, and she had a chance to kill whichever one she wanted. However, killing wasn’t in her nature and even though the men in front of her were pathetic, she couldn’t bring herself to do it. She let herself return to a normal human and sat down on the ground, burying her head in her arms she felt all the emotions of the past hour well up inside her. Pain, betrayal, rage, hate and sorrow. All these emotions were finally enough for her to start bawling. In between her sobs she heard the conversation going on around her.

“Very impressive. I feel like her talents would be wasted at the Pudding N’ Pie,”

“Send the bitch there anyway. It’s not like she’d be much good anywhere else.” Bitter loser…

“No… she’s too young for that anyhow. She can be trained, her skills can be sharpened. In a few years she’ll be able to help me with business.” Business? What kind of business could he be talking about? Riya’s sobs had died down into whimpers. She knew what the Pudding N’ Pie was and she would sooner kill herself than work there. If that’s the kind of place this geezer was associated with, than any other business he conducts could not be good.

“Well count us out on training her, she can rot for all we care. Besides, she looks as useless a kicked puppy.” Riya growled but it went unnoticed.

“Like either of you would be good at it. What could you possibly train her to do? Fire guns, eat donuts and get her ass kicked? That’s all you two are good for.” That was the woman. Riya looked up in shock, this was the first time she had heard the woman spoke. Her voice was taunting and playful, but still deadly. Like a little girl mixed in with a serial killer. She thought an argument would break out, but neither man dared to say anything, like they were afraid. In all honesty, if Riya didn’t find the strange woman so fascinating she would be frighten too. The older man spoke again,

“Since you two are acting like children I’ll leave it in Mary’s hands, she has a point anyway.” He stood up and began to walk out of the room, “Now if you will excuse me I have other business to conduct.” He stopped in front of Riya, looking down at her. “I hope we have a clear understanding of what is to be expected of you.” Riya couldn’t help but nodded numbly. Satisfied with her answer he walked out of the room shutting the door. Riya kept her eyes trained on the ground, not sure of what to do or say. It wasn’t until a pair of combat boots appeared in front of her did she look up. It was the woman. Riya could study her more closely now. She had black hair cut into a very short pixie, her bangs dyed red. Her eyes were a beautiful golden color and, as stated earlier, held the look of a psycho. Her skin was pale and freckles sprayed across her nose and cheeks.

“Well? Get up, I don’t have all day dear." Riya did what she was told without hesitation, the last thing she wanted was to anger the woman. The woman put her arms around Riya’s shoulders and none to gently lead her out of the room without another look at the idiots on the floor. The two walked down the lavishly decorated halls in silence, the only sound being the shuffling of Riya’s bare feet mixed in with the thunking of the woman’s boots. Riya wanted to say something but couldn’t find the right words to say, so she kept quiet.

“Bloody Mary,” The woman said suddenly. Riya looked at her in mild shock,

“I’m sorry?” She asked quietly.

“It’s what the mundies like to call me.” Riya’s eyes widen, of course she had heard tales of Bloody Mary and they were terrifying. Her blood ran a little colder,

“O-oh…I’m -”

“Riya Ranga. Thirteen years old, never had a boyfriend, and awkward as hell. I know who you are.” Riya blinked not only confused but impressed as well.

“How did you know that?” Mary smirked,

“Mirrors can be wonderful learning tools. The Crooked Man wanted proof that his potential profit actually existed. So I got him his proof.” Riya shivered at the thought of being watched in her own room, the one place she thought she was safe. She knew there was something creepy about that mirror. She looked down embarrassed, who knew what she had been doing when Bloody Mary had been spying on her. Just yesterday she was dancing like an idiot in her room to the song, ironically enough, Bloody Mary by Lady Gaga. Oh dear lord please don’t let that be what she saw! Riya felt heat rise up her face.

The rest of the walk was silent, to Riya’s relief, and they finally stopped in front of a full body mirror. Mary gestured for Riya to walk forward and she looked up at her uncertainly,

“It’s a mirror, it doesn’t bite, but I will if you don’t hurry up.” Riya flinched slightly and began to walk forward. Her heart pounded at the thought of what lay beyond the surface. Looking at it more closely she saw her reflection – an awkward preteen girl who’s hair hid most of her face and stood with her shoulders hunched – and Mary standing behind her smiling with full confidence in herself. The one difference in the reflection however was the background. Instead of the dark maroon hallway the reflection showed a bedroom. She didn’t recognize the bedroom, but it made her curious enough for her to slowly put her hand up to the glass. It felt almost like liquid, like she could pass right through it. She pushed her arms in and watched them disappear from her sight, and with newfound determination she closed her eyes and walked through the mirror.

When she reopened her eyes she was standing in the bedroom. The walls were painted red with multiple weapons – ranging from guns to knives – hung upon them. There was a door on the far left, Riya assumed in was a closet, and an iron posted bed with black sheets.

“Welcome to my room.” Mary said from behind her, “From now on we’ll be roommates, lucky you.” The way Mary said the last part sent a shiver through Riya’s whole body. She looked around,

“Um…there’s only one bed…” Mary looked at her with raised eyebrows,

“Is that a problem? You can always sleep in the dumpster. You know, rest in pieces.” Riya’s eyes widen and she shook her head. Mary smiled,

“Good Kitty Cat. Now,” She walked over to the door and Riya saw she was correct, it was indeed a closet. Mary pulled an outfit out and tossed it carelessly at Riya, who barely caught it.

“I stole that from one of the mundies, she won’t be needing it anymore.” Something told Riya she didn’t want the details of the situation. She looked at the outfit, red skinny jeans and a black jacket along with a pair of black converse.

“Thank you,” Riya meant it, she was sure she would be more comfortable in these than the thin gown she had went to bed in. Mary looked at her expectantly and Riya realize she wanted her to change right there. She felt the heat return to her cheeks but she didn’t want to anger the scary fable in front of her, so turning around she began to change. She ignored the feeling of being watched and put on the articles of clothing before turning back around to face Mary. Mary looked at her a little longer before saying, “I suppose that’s as good as it can look. Your body is still like a kid, everything is going to fit you oddly.” Riya bite the inside of her cheek indignantly, she did not like being insulted but she held her tongue.

“Now all that’s left is to take care of that hair.” Riya looked up shocked,

“What’s wrong with my hair?” Mary snorted and walked towards her, grabbing a long strand of her hair.

“The Tweedles were right. You look like a kicked puppy. It’s disgusting.” Mary pulled out a knife, “I’m just going to cut it all off, you’ll look a lot better and people will take you more seriously, and trust me you need that.” Riya hung her head, clenching a fist of her hair, it had never been cut before. It’s unheard of for a Rakshasi to have short hair, but looking up at Mary she knew she didn’t have a choice in the matter.

So after a half hour of cutting and trimming Riya’s hair laid all around her. The hair that had once reached her thighs now hung loosely around her chin in a bob. She didn’t look bad, but it still wasn’t what she wanted. Riya was miserable, and she looked miserable. Mary noticed this,

“Aw come on, look at it this way, at least you don’t have a boyfriend to dump you. And your parents already sold you, so you can’t possibly disappoint them anymore.” That was the last straw. With new fury Riya stood up and turned swiftly to face Bloody Mary.

“Who do you think you are? Queen Bitch? Well I have news for you, you aren’t as bad as you like to let others think! I already know I’m ugly, I know I’m useless, I know I’m undesirable to men and I know I’m a big disappointment to my family. But at least I can admit all that! Unlike you, who likes to think you’re so damn perfect while looking down on everyone else! So fuck you, fuck the Crooked Man and FUCK MY DAMN FUCKING PARENTS!” Riya stood there breathless, feeling like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. It was only short lived, however, when she felt the back of Mary’s hand collide against her left cheek. She barely had any time to react before her face was roughly grabbed and she was pulled up to Mary’s height.

“Here’s a little fyi sweetheart: I am the Queen. I will act accordingly. Secondly, get off your little pity party. No one is going to feel bad for you, and you only have two options. Make friends or enemies. I couldn’t care less which category you put me in. Either way, you will treat me with respect. If I want to hit you, you will take it. If I want to mentally abuse you, you’ll endure it without a fucking word. Because right now, I don’t care if you live, die, or become one of Georgie Porgies’ whores. Do we have an understanding?” Every part of Riya’s body shook with fear, but she managed to nod.

“Yes ma’am…” Mary smiled,

“Good,” she put Riya back down her feet, but didn’t let go of her face, “That rage is good, if you use it correctly it can become an advantage. Then after a while, you’ll lose the feeling of rage, but will keep the strength and bravery that comes with it.” She patted Riya’s head, “I think this is going to be a beautiful relationship between us.” Riya was scared shitless by this woman. One minute she’s threating your life, the next she’s kinda affectionate. Mary cracked her knuckles, stretching her arms over her head,

“Well, I suppose the sooner I teach you the basics the sooner I can start teaching actual skills. First, you never spare your opponent. Not only does it make you look weak, but it’s an embarrassment to those who have to watch.” Riya looked down knowing that she was referring to her earlier fight with the Tweedles.

“But…I don’t think I can kill innocent people…” Mary cackled at the sentence, causing Riya to shrink back a little.

“Innocent people? Honey let me tell you something, no one involved with The Crooked Man is innocent. They all the same, garbage. If anything we’re helping the world out by ridding the common trash on the streets. Kinda like your dumbass parents.” Riya raised an eyebrow, her parents? “I mean not yet, I thought that was something you could take care of. Consider it a gift, and a test from me.”

“What do you…?”

“Revenge, dear, it’s all right through that mirror.” Mary wrapped her arms around Riya’s shoulders, “It is what they deserve, right?” Riya thought a moment. Sure they were bad people, but could she really kill her own parents? She looked around to ask Mary if there was another way, but she was gone. In her own thoughts Riya hadn’t notice her sudden absence, but decided she had more important things to think about than the disappearance of the frightening Fable.

She thought back to all the years she had spent with her parents; all the times her father abused her for the littlest of slip ups, how mother would refuse her food because she had gained a pound or two, how she would spend some nights with her bedroom door locked and hiding in her closet because she refused to be offered up into a harem – even if it was part of her culture, the thought of it made her sick. Above all else, however, she thought of tonight. How they violently grabbed her sleeping form, bounded her in cursed ropes, gagged her, and sold her off to save themselves. All these memories hit her at once and her body began to shake with anger, her fists clenched so tightly that her nails broke the skin of her palms, and her breathing became erratic. She knew now what she wanted, no, needed to do.

With one final breath in she ran at the mirror as fast as she could and closed her eyes. She reopened them when she felt her body painfully collide with the floor and after a moment of recollecting herself she realized she was in her bedroom. Well…her old bedroom anyway. She stood up and looked around, nothing looked any different, meaning her parents either weren’t back yet or hadn’t been in here since her departure. She sighed knowing that after tonight she would never see her room again, it was like leaving home all over again. She then had an idea.

Opening her closet Riya grabbed the stray backpack that hung inside and began to stuff it full of clothes, then walking across the room she grabbed her two most beloved items; her deceased grandmother’s spell book, and the black cat plushy said grandmother gave her. After zipping up the backpack she knew she was ready. “Awa, forgive me, but I must do this.” Riya silently snuck out of her room and down the hallway. Peaking around the corner she saw that the lights were off- they were on when she had left- and she knew that her parents must be in bed. Soundly asleep after the deed they had committed only a few hours prior, the bastards. Riya gritted her teeth then proceeded to walked swiftly into the kitchen, opening the cabinet drawer and the items she would need. Duct tape, and a knife.

Walking back into the hallway she paused at her parent’s door, her father’s snoring could be heard inside. She thought once more if she should really do this, did they deserve it? It only took seconds before her brain, and heart, told her yes. Riya opened the door, revealing two sleeping figures in bed. She walked up to the side and peered down at the woman beneath her. Her face was ghostly pale, thin, and melancholy. Thinking back, Riya had no memory of this woman ever smiling, and didn’t care if she ever would. The woman’s hair was dark black, like Riya’s, except hers was going grey at the root. She was once a beautiful woman, but not anymore. Riya saw her for the ugly, bitter old hag she really was and didn’t have a second thought about putting the duct tape on her thin mouth.

Riya grasp the knife and took one last look at the woman’s semi peaceful face, then plunged the knife deep in her heart. The woman’s eyes shot open in surprise and pain, any noise she made had been muffled by the duct tape. Riya chuckled a little bit,

“Sorry Mommy, but this is what you signed up for.” The woman looked at her daughter in fear, hardly recognizing the girl as her daughter at all. Riya wasted no time in quickly jumping on the woman and pinning her down, trying to make as less movement as possible so she would wake the man she once called her father. She duct taped the woman’s hands together, then once more stabbed the knife into her heart. She could feel the woman under her start to move less and less, any words she wanted to say had died down into gurgles at this point, the blood leaking out of the duct tape around her mouth. Riya knew she would eventually either bleed out or choke on her own blood, so she got up and left her there without another glance.

She walked over to the man, who had slept through his wife’s attack like the asshole he was. Riya wanted him to suffer the most, so she thought of a plan and grinned at the thought of it. She grabbed her trusty duct tape and began to wrap his legs together, the action made him stir and the girl froze in panic, but he simply just rolled over and continue sleeping. She walked back around to the woman, who was making less than feeble attempts to wake the man next to her up, and dipped her fingers into the blood that had accumulated on the sheets. She began to write a message on the wall the man would see when he would get his rude awakening and after she was finished walked back to the door. Riya took one last look at both of them, the woman soaked in blood and desperately trying to get the attention of her husband, and the idiot who had no idea he was about to die. Pathetic people. The girl walked out of the room, shutting the door tightly and taped the door shut several times. No one was getting out of that room. Riya walked back into the kitchen and looked under the sink for what she knew was there. Gasoline. Perfect. Walking around the house she casually dumped the liquid in every room in the apartment, and made sure the door to her parent’s room was soaked in it. Taking out the lighter she had stolen off her father’s nightstand she looked at the apartment once last time and felt nothing. She lit the lighter and dropped it.

Riya didn’t stick around to watch the show, she hurriedly walked down the hall and stairs. When she reached the last floor she ran out the glass doors that led outside and ran to the side of the building. The flames could be seen in her parent’s bedroom window, and hearing the familiar screams of pain she smiled, knowing she had succeed.

“Not bad,” said a voice beside her, she didn’t need to look to see who it was.

“Thank you,” Riya whispered happily, her heart was racing with joy. Mary smirked,

“What about the other apartments? Surely they’ll burn too.” Riya shrugged,

“Causalities.” She said simply. Riya knew that Bloody Mary was smiling like a mad woman at this, but she didn’t care. In fact, it made her happy that she could make her smile like that. Sirens could be heard in the distance, making Mary laugh,

“Someone decided to ruin our fun. Oh well, we should go before anyone actually sees us anyway.” Riya nodded, but then with a flash of bravery did something she wouldn’t have done an hour ago, she hugged Mary. Mary was only thrown off for a few seconds before chuckling, and Riya didn’t care why. She knew what the strange feeling she had felt when she first saw Bloody Mary was. Love. Riya knew she belonged to Mary, and she would do anything for her.

~5 years later~

“Tch, what an idiot.” Riya commented as walked down the street with Mary. The older woman laughed,

“He should’ve known you can’t help whores. Especially those who blackmail The Crooked Man." Riya smiled wickedly at Mary’s harsh words.

“Georgie Porgie Pudding N’ Pie. Sold the whores and made them cry. When the Whores ran away. The Crooked Man had them slain.” Mary patted Riya’s head in praise, causing the girl to blush lightly. “Honestly though, how are they going to cover up her death?” Mary snorted,

“Dear, nobody cares about them. They live, they die, and they fade away. That’s how it is.” Riya nodded knowing it was true. People would forget about Faith. Her death would remain a mystery, if anyone even noticed she was gone. Riya sighed, it was going to be a boring week.

#the wolf among us #telltale games #twau oc #twau bloody mary #twau season 2

[mollymauk-teafleak]

The Seal Lullaby: Chapter 3

Next chapter! Long one this time.

Thanks to @minky-for-short @childofdustandashes @purearcticfire

Also a huge thanks to @brainypaperbullets who did some utterly fantastic fan art for chapter one that just completely blew my mind, excellent stuff.

For years, people in the village had tutted and shook their heads over the folly down by the beach, one of the slowly disintegrating and weathered cottages that were always found in little towns like this. In such a tight knit and curious community, often forced into close quarters in the bar or the diner or the café by the habitually bad tempered weather, such things were well thumbed conversation topics. They called it a waste, an eyesore, a pile of rubble that should have been swept off their coastline a long time ago or at the very least turned into something useful.

But of course, if it had, what would they talk about?

So, it was an expected but still odd twist of irony that when the young couple of strangers turned up and actually started rattling around in the old house, it caused more suspicion and exasperation than relief. Though the potential for grumbling conversation in the church hall was frankly delicious. Though now they muttered sullenly, chewing over who these two could possibly be, they looked like they were barely out of school, nothing more than kids really. And how on earth did they get the money to fix up that old place, the work it must be taking to make it habitable didn’t bear thinking about. The noise alone of them sawing and hammering and scraping was ghastly, must be scaring all the wild birds away. And lord above only knew what they were doing sleeping in the back of the banged up old car they’d arrived in, apparently until the cottage was complete; that was much too close of quarters for some of the older residents’ liking.

The whole situation just reeked of something suspicious and would clearly come to nothing good and someone should probably do something.

But then the two of them started coming into the village, ransacking the thrift store for furniture, obviously, nothing short of delighted with their haul of chairs, a table, a sofa, a bed and more bookshelves than could ever possibly be needed, none of it matching in size, shape or colour. They also bought food, kitchenware, some clothes more suited to the weather than the ones they’d arrived in, candles and matches because apparently, the power wasn’t working just yet. The second-hand bookstore they hit with the most savagery, buying just short of more books than could be carried. The need for the many bookshelves became quickly obvious. The couple blew through the town, building themselves a ramshackle, patchwork life of random antiques, oddities and well-loved cast offs that ended up having an undeniable charm and warmth to it, all in the space of a Saturday afternoon.

The shopkeepers who witnessed their scavenger hunt all congregated in the same corner of the bar that night and all reported the same thing to a rapt audience. Despite the general air of downright peculiarity that surrounded them, the two seemed like a genuinely sweet pair of young folk, a lovely couple.

They all described the girl as very pretty, with a sweet soft face, an easy smile and a general friendliness that led to everyone who encountered her finding themselves in a companionable chat within two moments. She asked questions and listened well, her musical laughter often making an appearance. They all told of how she consulted lists and checked things off, cooed appreciatively over homemade preserves and cakes and wall hangings, brought a light and brevity with her everywhere she went. And she’d paid for everything without a moment’s hesitation.

Eliza was how she’d introduced herself. Eliza Schuyler.

The lad who accompanied her they all agreed was …an odd one. Sweet. Funny. Animated. But most definitely strange. They passed around stories of how he became fascinated with an antique globe at the thrift store, spinning it around with seemingly infinite devotion, eyes bright as he took in the carefully painted surface. He’d nearly cried with joy when Eliza had asked if he wanted to buy it. The proprietor of the store also suspected that he was the reason the two had left with a stuffed weasel, a rocking horse and a large glass ornament as well as the essentials. The grocer was slightly concerned, claiming that she’d witnessed him put a whole floret of broccoli in his mouth, nearly keeling over and spitting it out immediately as Eliza apologised profusely. By that point, Eliza and the grocer were sharing cups of tea as she taste tested her homemade marmalades so all was forgiven quickly. His most glowing commendation came from the old bookshop owner who’d fallen in love with the pair of them over the three hours they’d spent in his store. For all his eccentricities, the boy had known Shakespeare’s sonnets like the back of his hand and had been eager to discuss them and their potential interpretations at great length. And still, he’d had a smile and an enthusiastic handshake for everyone he met, his rapid and clever talk charming almost everyone.

He’d given his name as Alexander. No last name.

What was also agreed upon was how good they seemed to go together. Their youth was troubling but they had the rapport of people who’d been married for decades, finishing each other’s thoughts and actions, moving in some kind of unspoken synchrony, keeping perfect beat with each other like it was as natural for them as breathing. They were a little shameless, kissing lightly and taking hold of each other’s hands, wrapping arms around waists and lips brushing necks, exchanging loving gestures easily and simply, just because they could. While a little disarming, it was lovely to watch.

So maybe it wouldn’t be so bad, then, them setting up in the folly, turning it into a home for themselves. They certainly seemed nice enough. There were still a lot of unanswered questions though such as where they’d come from, where their money had come from, what they were planning on doing now they had their unusual little curiosity shop of a home.

But hey. At least they would give the villagers something to talk about.

“Alex, is this straight? I can’t tell from here” Eliza had to raise her voice to call to him from the kitchen, pinned as she was to the wall, trying to wrestle one of the large posters they’d fallen in love with at the antiques store into submission. Given that it was a pretty damn sizeable copy of Nighthawks, it was proving to be easier said than done.

She heard the quiet pad of his footsteps behind her. He always moved so quietly and quickly, it had taken her quite a while to get used to it, to stop nearly hitting the ceiling in shock as she found him suddenly right at her shoulder when he’d previously been across the room. But she was getting better, settling in to sharing a life with him, adapting to his quirks and habits. Granted, given that he wasn’t exactly human, she was dealing with a little more than most would.

“Right side needs to go up a little,” Alex informed her, sounding like he had something in his mouth. Which wasn’t a surprise, his metabolism seemed to run a lot faster than hers, “No, wait, that’s too much…”

Eliza followed his careful instructions until she heard him chirp, “Okay! Perfect!”

With a sigh of contentment at a job well done, she hopped down off the sideboard and was planning on pulling him into a hug. Instead, she found herself stopping dead and giving a small yelp of laughter.

“Alex! Baby, what did I tell you about clothes?”

Alex looked unbothered, crunching on one of the chocolate chip cookies Eliza had made and regarding his decidedly naked body, “What about ‘em?”

“That generally? People wear them. At most times of day, a solid ninety nine percent, I’d say,” Eliza snorted with laughter.

“But I don’t see the point,” Alex slipped into his commonly used, playfully argumentative tone, “It’s just strange, I’m not cold so why would I cover up?”

She rolled her eyes in exasperation, coming and resting her hands on his chest, “There’s other reasons to wear them. Call it societal convention.”

“Not where I come from,” Alex correctly pointed out, gesturing at her with his half-eaten cookie, “And I get your point about when we’re in town and stuff, I’ll accept that, even if I don’t really get it. But it’s just you and me here! This is our territory! So, what’s the issue?”

Eliza opened and closed her mouth, annoyed at how he was such a good debater after only a few weeks spent being human, thrown off by the adorable little slips of the tongue he still made, “I’m just saying. It’s irregular.”

Alex’s face cracked into a lopsided grin, “I am irregular!”

“Can’t argue with that,” Eliza said fondly, pressing a kiss to his cheek, “Now come on, naked or not, you’re helping me unpack.”

They were getting along quite well under Eliza’s natural organisation. The sea of cardboard boxes had gradually dwindled to a lake, then a river until now there were just puddles that needed mopping up. It was doing wonders for her soul, building their home out of abandoned items and pre-loved junk and recycled odds and ends. She’d been happier in the last few days, sanding down the edges of the bureau and gluing the teapot back together and putting the doors back on the wardrobe and making scavenged doorknobs make peace with the wrong doors, covering every available surface in fun, bright, hand painted patterns and doodles. She hammered and sawed and replaced and matched, Alex proving himself very useful, quickly picking up the idea of aesthetics and artistry despite the fact that there was never much call for it under the waves. Eliza had always loved creating and making things, giving things new purpose and helping them fit together in new ways and now she found herself undergoing a similar transformation. As she patched up the holes in the sheets and brought the scraps of a few different materials together into a functioning set of curtains, she would run her thumb across the slightly wonky lines of stitching and feel similar marks on some deep part of herself, the signs of something broken and tattered being made whole again. Except some of the patching, most of it in fact, wasn’t her own handiwork. It was Alex’s.

Everything in the little cottage was mismatched, nothing was designed to go together, by all laws of fashion and design it was a travesty. But somehow it worked. All the scraps and patches came together in just the right way.

Eliza rested her head against Alex’s chest. She did that a lot, the sound of his heartbeat, just faster than a normal pace by enough of a margin to feel off and unusual, it soothed her. Grounded her. When the sun came down and those creeping doubts made themselves known, living in between her ribs and coming skulking out and weeping plaintively that she’d made a mistake, what had she done, running off with a psychopath who claimed to be from another world? They reminded her of how her mother had cried, the tense set of her father’s jaw as Eliza had explained that she was moving, she was leaving. Dropping out, packing up her stuff and leaving, just like that. There had been raging and yelling and pleas to her sanity that must have rocked the beach house. Alex certainly heard it from halfway down the beach, she’d been able to tell that much in the anxious tear tracks he had tried to wipe away before she saw. But through it all, Eliza had just taken deep breaths and told them the truth; she wasn’t trying to hurt them, she didn’t hate them, it wasn’t their fault. And it wasn’t. They loved her sincerely. They’d tried to give her the best life possible. It was just that their definition of what the best life was varied just a little bit too much from Eliza’s. She’d tried to explain all this as she’d outlined her plans to go back to Albany, pack up as much of her stuff as would fit into her car and just go. She promised to call and write often, she promised she was being safe and she’d find a job, she’d be okay. But whether they’d understood or even heard her over all the yelling, she didn’t know. She hoped it would eventually sink in for them, after the initial shock died down.

In all of it, Alex didn’t come up somehow.

The sour little voices whispered all this to her, forced that scene to play out in front of her eyes over and over. And when it was dark outside and cold and misty and the wind seemed to take offence at their depriving it of the chance to blow the folly right off the hills, retaliating by rattling the weakened windows and making the shutters bang and crash, it was hard to fight those thoughts off.

But then there was always Alex. There was always his unusual heartbeat thumping soothingly against her ear. There were always his wiry arms wrapping around her. There were always the escaped wisps of his long hair tickling the bridge of her nose. And in those moments, Eliza would be sure she had made the right decision.

Tonight, was no different. Eliza was wrapped up in one of the baggy University of Chicago sweatshirts she’d stolen off her sister and nothing else. Alex had been persuaded into shorts and a t shirt, mostly by Eliza commenting how cute he looked in them. The fire was going, chattering away by itself in the hearth, their cups of tea were cooling on the floor by the couch. Eliza was simply daydreaming, using Alex as a cushion while he devoured one of their latest purchases from the bookstore. The scene was so perfect, so picturesque, that Eliza was very annoyed when her phone went off, shattering the quiet expertly. That is, until she picked it up and saw that it was her sister Angelica.

She’d been fielding a lot of calls from her sisters recently as they mediated the fallout between her and her parents. She felt sorry for them, having to take on such a hard and thankless task but it had to be done. That was family. Eliza had done her fair share when a certain eldest Schuyler had eloped with her graduate student boyfriend of two months. Even that storm had eventually calmed, which gave her hope for her own.

Though, in fairness, John Church had been a twenty-nine-year-old English aristocrat wastrel with a sizeable estate and trust fund and an affable charm, generous spirit and deep love for Angelica, once you sat down and talked with the guy. Which was a far cry from a shapeshifting Selkie.

Eliza rolled her eyes at herself as she answered the phone, “Hey, Ange.”

“Eliza,” Angelica was still feigning anger at her sister, even when they both knew it was nothing more than bewilderment and exasperation, “Still hanging out in the ass crack of nowhere?”

“It’s pronounced Oregon, actually?” Eliza hummed, smiling wanly, “But yes. Still.”

“No chance you’re going to come to your senses?” she just about heard her older sister’s shoulders slump, “It’s such a shit show over here. I’d say you’re teetering on the edge of still forgivable.”

Eliza winced a little, “They will get over it. They will.”

Alex’s eyes flickered over to her face, she felt him tense underneath her.

Angelica clicked her teeth, a sure sign that she was getting frazzled, “Eliza, you were always the good one. You’ve really thrown them for a loop here, you were their golden girl.”

That made Eliza frown, “I wasn’t. I was just the quiet one that didn’t argue back. Except now I am. Ange, you always knew I wasn’t cut out for all that.”

“Is that all it is?” Angelica’s voice grew a little strained, “Are you sure you’re not in trouble? Hon, you know there’s nothing we can’t fix. If you don’t want mama and papa involved, I get that but I’m always here.”

Eliza realised what she was doing to her older sister. Angelica had always taken such pride in knowing that her siblings came to her with every problem, relied on her like a fairy godmother to soothe any ache with coffee, hugs and witty advice that held both smiles and wisdom. She’d seen them through botched exams, doomed crushes, Peggy’s hair dye disasters and Eliza’s grief for her pets.

And now Eliza had jumped ship without telling her biggest supporter. Angelica wasn’t just scared for her sister or angry at her for causing a family turmoil. She was hurt.

Eliza softened her voice considerably, “I know that, sis, I really do. And I’m really sorry but I’m still figuring out how to explain this. As soon as I know, you’ll be the first person I tell.”

“That isn’t reassuring me, Eliza!” Angelica’s pitch was skyrocketing and Eliza knew for certain that, if there was a hard surface in her sister’s vicinity, she’d be rapping her nails on it.

“I know,” Eliza felt Alex’s hand come up to stroke her hair, sensing that the conversation wasn’t going very well. It helped considerably, “Um, look…it’s a little like your situation, okay? There’s a…a guy.”

There was a long, uncomfortable pause from the other end of the line, Eliza would have feared the connection dropped if the tension wasn’t so palpable.

“Eliza…” Angelica’s tone was warning.

“It’s nothing dangerous!” she hurried to pull her sister’s thoughts back from terrible places, “He’s called Alexander, okay? He’s sweet and kind and gentle and I love him. It’s just that mama and papa wouldn’t get it.”

Alex pricked up at the sound of his name, his hand stalling on her hair.

There was another pause but this one was more relaxed, Angelica just absorbing and processing this information, “Alexander…there’s something you’re not telling me.”

Eliza cursed her apparently omniscient sister, “Yeah. But…it’s not the kind of thing I can explain over the phone. You can come down and see if you want, you and Peggy. Maybe…maybe not mama just yet.”

Alex’s hand was shaking, she could feel it.

“Believe me I will,” Angelica muttered, “And if I can even the slightest hint that you’re in any danger…”

“I know, I know,” Eliza cut her off tiredly, “You won’t. If you see, you will understand. I promise.”

Promises between Schuyler sisters were something almost tangible, something serious. They were never, ever made lightly.

“Surely you can understand, even a little?” Eliza lowered her voice, pleading a little.

“I…suppose so,” Angelica relented, if a little sourly, “But I’m going to have questions.”

“Naturally,” Eliza sighed, “Listen, you know exactly where I am, I’m not hiding. I’ve even got a job, I was talking to the nice lady who runs the tea shop, her brother is the principal of the local school? Their third-grade teacher is about to retire and they can’t get a replacement, I’m meeting with him tomorrow morning…”

Angelica couldn’t keep the wry smile out of her voice, “Who said you couldn’t network, eh?”

“I learned from the best,” Eliza was relieved by the little joke, she really was forgiven then.

“Well, I’m appeased but not satisfied. I’ll be down there soon, okay?”

“I hope so,” Eliza smiled, meaning it, “Love you, Ange.”

“Love you too, Liza. Stay safe.”

She gave a genuine sigh of relief as she put the phone down, getting to return to her peaceful little corner of the world. Angelica would forgive her. Peggy already admired her sheer balls more than she was bothered by her decision. So, there were no troubles there, she knew her sisters.

Her parents would be a different story, that outcome was still uncertain. But Eliza had known there was going to be some price to pay, the happiness she’d managed to find would have felt insincere if there hadn’t been some cost.

Still, she didn’t have to like it.

She realised then that Alex was still tense. As she craned her neck to look at his face, she felt her heart twist. He wasn’t good at hiding his emotions, not in any sense, so his fear and anxiety were sharply clear on his expression. He needed help, she knew that in an instant.

Eliza twisted out of his grasp so she could be the one holding him instead, “Baby? Alex, it’s okay, it went well.”

“She’s coming here,” Alex murmured faintly, not meeting her eyes, “Your sister.”

Eliza closed her eyes briefly. Maybe that had been stupid of her to say but there’d been no other way to shrug off Angelica. She certainly should have discussed it with him first.

“I…not any time soon, she’s busy but…yes. Eventually,” she relaxed her hold on him, anticipating him pulling away.

He didn’t but his voice grew more strained and he drew closer to one of the dark, mournful moods he was accustomed to. If Selkies had any concept of anxiety attacks, he’d have a word for it, maybe he wouldn’t be so scared of his own emotions. Eliza had been trying hard recently to help him with that.

“She’ll see what I am. She’ll know, she’ll hate it, she’ll take you away from me…”

Eliza’s heart dropped fully and she pulled away so she could look into his eyes, through the tears there.

“No, Alex, I promise. Not my sister, she’ll listen to me,” Eliza tried to soothe him, to let her certainty ground him.

Alex just whimpered, looking unconvinced, his pupils darting around, scared and agitated.

“Alexander!” Eliza pulled his focus back to her with a firm half cry to silence his panic. Once his chest stopped heaving and his shoulders relaxed a little, she stroked her thumbs across his cheeks and murmured in a much gentler tone, “You can trust me, Angelica and Peggy won’t hurt you, they won’t interfere. They…well, they’ll probably guess that something is up but once they see we’re happy together, that will be enough for them.”

“It will?” Alex’s voice was small, his eyes begging her for reassurance.

Eliza nodded, smiling gently, “It’ll all work out, Alex, I know it will. Trust me.”

He swallowed hard and nodded slightly, leaning into her touch, “I do.”

That was enough to give her no choice but to kiss him, the simple and beautiful thing that was having the trust of the person you loved. Alex kissed her back with equal enthusiasm. After a few beats, his hands rested lightly on her hips, hers slid upwards into his hair. She moved forward so her chest pressed against him, her hips met his in a simple, wordless question. He answered by gently tumbling them down, onto his back with her entangled against him.

Their first time hadn’t been in the most romantic of settings, the back seat of Eliza’s car the first night they’d rolled into town. It had been a lot of fumbling and wandering, giggling as their lips met and bumping into each other, clothes thoughtlessly pulled away. But the moonlight had shone on Alex’s back, the window was cold as Eliza’s feet had planted against it, their breaths had misted and melded into one in the air. And it had been perfect.

But now they had space and warmth and time, seemingly endless stretches of it. And Alex and Eliza made full use of it, learning so much about each other’s wants and needs in such a short space of time, falling into it every night; Alex’s appetite seemed to stretch to other areas too and Eliza felt like someone who’d never tasted pomegranates in their life but had woken up in an endless grove of the richest and juiciest. Their bodies just seemed to fit together as naturally as the rest of their lives did in such a beautiful way that they both often found themselves with tears in their eyes when it was over and done.

But there would always be another time.

Right now, Alex was inviting Eliza to take the lead. It had been him the first few times; though he shyly confided that he’d never known anyone else in that way before her, it was more openly discussed and celebrated among Selkies than it was with humans who’d picked up the concept of shame somewhere down the line. . And god, the things he could do to her. She was more than happy to surrender to him. But now Eliza was familiar and hungry and wanted to take the reins sometimes, which Alex was utterly delighted by.

She kept her lips pressed to his, delighting in the coolness of his skin, as her hands roved his body, following the curve of his narrow hips. He had such an endearing awkwardness to his shape, probably the result of having one foot in two very different species. Eliza took great joy and pride in thinking there was nothing in the world quite like her Alex.

She pushed his shorts down his legs, finding him half hard and ready, beautifully responsive as always. She grinned and swept her jersey over her head in one fluid motion, going from clothed to not in an instant. Alex’s jaw still slackened a little and those gorgeous eyes of his always got a little wider at the sight of her body, even now when he was as familiar with it as his own. She was just too beautiful, the way he felt when he looked at her and knew she was his, she wanted him, he’d only ever come close to feeling that on those rare occasions where he’d been swimming, catching the current just right, soaring, turning on his back and looking up at the night sky through the surface of the water and felt perfect freedom.

Eliza decided she wanted to have all of him too, just as he had all of her. He helped her pull off his shirt and send his shorts tumbling to the floor. Every motion that brought them closer resulted in Alex’s lips pressing against her skin, any part he could reach, with a kind of reverence but there was force behind it. Eliza’s collarbone was peppered with faint but discernible marks by the time Alex was naked.

She returned the favour, kissing him deeply as she lined up their bodies and guided him inside her so her high, wild gasp as his full length breached her was muffled against his mouth. The chill of Alex’s skin extended to parts other than his hands, their bodies joined with a clash of temperatures that drew low groans from both of them and spurred them both on to keep going. Alex’s movements were powerful and graceful not unlike someone who was underwater, perfectly fluid and well timed to some swell and pull only audible in his own head. Eliza was helpless in moments, riding him with less finesse but every bit as much drive, working to undo him and succeeding. They strung each other along and pulled back and raced forward in a jarring, powerful rhythm, drawing it out until it was almost painful. Alex unwound first, gripping her hips so hard there would be marks for her to marvel over before they went to bed, his heat flooding into her and tipping her over the edge in turn. She screamed his name, he was too seized to do anything but roar, but the result was the same.

They came down from their peak slowly, collapsing and gasping against each other, eventually laughing once they found the breath to.

“I love you,” Alex mumbled in between their lazy, blissful kisses.

Eliza purred happily, winding her arms around his neck, “I love you too, baby.”

The fire was still going strong, it would burn into the night if they let it. So Eliza made a decision; she couldn’t bear to let Alex go for a moment so they were going to sleep here tonight. Alex chuckled as she pulled the surprisingly soft tartan throw rug they’d picked up over them, catching on to what she was doing, thinking it a fantastic idea.

They fell asleep easily after a mumbled exchange of more ‘I love you’s and ‘goodnight’s, the embers imprinting their tangled shadows against the low stone walls of their home.

  Summer was fast slipping through their fingers and Alex was determined not to let it go completely without one last night on the beach.

Eliza wasn’t about to argue with him. Her new job started in two days and she wanted to spend an evening forgetting how nervous she was, she wanted the opportunity to think about nothing else but the steady rhythm of the waves and how soft the sand was underneath her.

So, Eliza made some pasta, something with a lot of vegetables in it, continuing her crusade to wean Alex off his initial diet of Oreos and cheese puffs with the occasional bowl of chicken soup. He wasn’t complaining too much, he kept telling her that whatever she made for him it would be miles better than years and years of nothing but cold, raw fish. Eliza supposed he wouldn’t be in the mood for sushi any time soon. They took their bowls out on the sand, curling up together on one of the many blankets they owned and enjoying just sitting side by side and watching the sun sink below the horizon line. After a while, Alex pulled her head into his lap so he could wind his fingers through her hair in a loving gesture that brought comfort to them both.

But, from this vantage point, Eliza could read his expression clear as day. And it unnerved some deep part of her. His eyes were fixed on the rocking, timeless rhythm of the waves with a kind of wistfulness and fascination that made her want to hold onto his hands fiercely and cling to him, just in case he started to slip away. Why she should feel like she was in danger of losing him, here in such a perfect moment of closeness, she had no idea. But still, she felt it.

“Alex?” she said quietly, hardly loud enough to be heard over the waves breaking on the shore but still, he turned to her.

“Bestey,” he replied warmly, fondly. He’d been playing around with different nicknames for her over the past few weeks, trying and testing different terms of endearment and affection to see what felt right. Some, she imagined, were rooted in his heritage; she’d never heard any human call another ‘my anchor’ or ‘my firm tide’ or ‘my current that carries me home’. She liked the sweet, playful shortening of her name that he seemed to have settled on, liked the way it sounded soft and buoyant in his voice.

“Everything okay? You look…” she struggled for the right word, eventually settling on, “Distant.”

For a moment, he looked like someone who’d been caught out. There was a flash of guilt in the depths of his eyes but it was gone before she could really pin it down, “I was just daydreaming.”

Eliza let the worry drop from her hands, he didn’t have the look in his eyes anymore and the anxiety it had given her was fading. She didn’t much fancy chasing after it, not when they were having such a lovely time.

Alex piped up, “You know how you were telling me why the café lady and the library lady wear those rings on their hands?”

“Because they’re married to each other,” Eliza nodded, Alex asked roughly a million questions a day about human life but that wasn’t one she’d been expecting to resurface.

“Yeah,” Alex nods, “I remember. And you said people got married because they loved each other and that was a way of telling everyone about it.”

“Sure,” Eliza smiled. He never forgot anything she told him, his mind was like a lake that didn’t seem to have a bottom, always more space for new facts and titbits of knowledge which he collected with the fervour that magpies collected shiny objects.

“Well, could we do that? Could we wear rings and be married and I’d be Mrs Schuyler?” he asked, a little hopefully.

“Mrs is for women,” Eliza chuckles gently, “You’d be a Mr.”

“Oh, right. Mr Schuyler,” he corrected himself, nodding, “But could we? Because it’s like mating, right, and we’ve done that? This seems like the human version. So we should, right?”

Eliza couldn’t help the laughter bubbling up in her chest, “Why, Alexander, are you proposing to me?”

“I think so?” he giggled too, always finding her laughter infectious.

Young girls were supposed to wistfully wonder about the day they were proposed to, Eliza thought, but she didn’t suppose any of them would expect something like this. Or be so delighted with it.

She sat up so she could cradle Alex’s face in her hands as she gave him the deepest and most passionate kiss she could manage. He responded in kind almost immediately, tasting lemonade on her tongue, the kind of sugary, uncomplicatedly delicious flavour he���d only ever found on dry land. It tasted like the idea that something could exist for the sake of its own beauty and pleasure, that there could be happiness and contentment without cost. It was a lot to take away from just the scent of lemons and sugar in a kiss but Alex nothing if not complicated.

“Although…” Eliza murmured, little creases taking shape as she thought intently.

“What?” Alex lifted an eyebrow, faltering slightly. He’d taken the kiss as a pretty firm yes?

“No, no,” Eliza scrambled to soothe his worry as fast as possible, “Of course I want to, I absolutely want to. It’s just that getting married needs…um, papers? And ID and stuff and records and birth certificates. You…you don’t have any of that?”

Alex’s face fell a mile, “Oh…”

This was starting to feel like yet another thing from her world Eliza would never have, all because of him. Like her parents and her old home and her old friends, a relationship she could show off proudly to other people rather than having to dodge and improvise, yet another thing she was going to have to sacrifice because of him. He loved her so very much, he just wanted to show that in every way he could, he wanted every title and trinket and honorific there was to make it clear he was devoting himself to her. Such things just didn’t exist in his old life but they did out here and he just wanted to do this properly.

Eliza sat up, shifting the sand underneath them and bringing him back to her. She looked at him with fondness and warmth, one hand still gently resting on his cheek.

“Alex,” she sighed, “Don’t worry. The only thing that matters to me about all that ceremony is the promise, y’know? And we have that! We have that in spades!”

“In what?” Alex tilted his head but his smile was slowly creeping back onto his face.

“I mean…okay, here,” Eliza reached down the front of her sundress, searching. She wasn’t wearing anything underneath; she and Alex had decided to entertain themselves as the food was cooking and finding wherever her bra and panties had been flung afterwards hadn’t been top priority. So, it was easy for her to retrieve her necklace.

It was a simple but beautiful thing, like all the jewellery Eliza wore, bought from an antique store in France on some hazy, blissful summer vacation years ago. She and her sisters had disappeared in there to escape the heat and she’d found the silvered pendant in the shape of a paper sailboat, like the kind children made to float across ponds and puddles. Finding it had been like discovering some wonderful treasure or relic and she’d worn it nearly every day of her life since then.

But now she swept it off her neck easily and fastened it around Alex’s. It rested in the valley of his chest like it had been made to lie there.

“Okay,” she met his eyes, her voice breathless and excited, “I, Elizabeth Marie Schuyler, promise to love you, Alexander, for the rest of my life and share everything I have with you and look after you when you feel ill and protect you…and hug you when you’re sad? And…and let you watch those dumb sitcoms you like and not laugh when you wear odd socks…” she broke off as she started to laugh, running out of domestic declarations of love, deciding to finish with simply, “And give my heart only to you. Forever and ever.”

Alex blinked back tears and fought against the closing of his throat, smiling deliriously back at her. He looked down for something to offer her in return, he wore no jewellery, he had no possessions that weren’t shared with her anyway. Hell, he was wearing nothing but a pair of shorts with a hole in the crotch.

But then he knew.

“I’ll be right back,” he grinned through his delighted tears, setting off back to the cottage at his usual, just a little faster than strictly human speed.

Eliza sat back on her heels to wait for him, wiping at her own eyes and grinning like she’d never stop. She felt a little naked without the weight of the necklace, even though it had never been all that noticeable. She didn’t care though, in fact, it was what she wanted, she wanted to be at least a little changed by what she’d just done. She wanted there to be some marker that distinguished who she was then with who she was now.

Alex came back after just a few moments and what he held in his arms fully changed this from what could have been a fun, silly little game between the two of them into something real. He carefully swept his sealskin around her shoulders like an old-fashioned cloak, before the shock wore off and Eliza could think of protesting. It didn’t feel at all like she’d thought a seal’s skin would, just as it didn’t look exactly like the picture she’d held in her mind after the first-time Alex mentioned it. There was barely any weight to the material, more of a prickling, tingling sensation like static. And from the second it touched her skin, it was like Eliza could feel the waves themselves in her chest, a rolling sensation and the cold patter of spray and the sharp smell of salt. She was so moved by it, she barely noticed the deep shudder that ran up Alex’s spine. But she definitely heard the groan that tore from his lips, the kind of noise she’d heard him make before as her hands and mouth and skin had brushed the most intimate parts of him. It startled both of them, Alex was suddenly blushing and his pupils were suddenly dark and wide and wanting.

The words came easily, “I, Alexander, promise to love you, Eliza Schuyler, until the end of my days and all days, swim side by side with you until I have nothing else to give. I promise to guard you from the tide that seeks to separate us and the storm that threatens to lose us and the shark that comes to tear us. I swear, with me you shall always have warmth and security and safety and love, as much as you need until your heart is full. I am yours.”

The words were designed for another cadence, another voice, a language that Eliza would never be able to know. But they worked just fine as they were.

Wiping her eyes had been a waste of time; they were back to flowing freely as she kissed him again, both of them moving to seal their new, nameless bond as the sun finally surrendered completely to the horizon and night fell.

Eliza was still wearing his skin ten minutes later as she bucked and writhed on their bed, Alex’s mouth busy between her legs, avidly working her over. After that, her necklace swung and struck his chest in a perfectly regular, bouncing rhythm as he rocked and moaned while her long fingers opened him and pressed hard on his sweet spot. And when they were both spent, they lay tangled up together in aching, exhausted contentment, looking through the forest of books they owned for their new name.

Eliza rejected ‘Shakespeare’ outright. Alex thought ‘Poe’ hit the ear wrong and, besides, his stories weren’t that scary. ‘Gaiman’ wasn’t quite right, neither was ‘Pullman’ and ‘Voltaire’ was just ridiculous. ‘Austen’ was on the table for a while until Eliza realised that the alliteration would make his name sound clunky. It was Alex who eventually found the right one, lying right there on their bedside table, from the cover of the almost offensively huge science fiction pulp he was currently enjoying. Eliza thought it was only fair to let Alex have the last word, seeing as this was his first go at it.

They ran their new names over each other’s tongues for ages, passing them back and forth with delighted, childlike grins. The skin would return to the varnished chest at the foot of their bed, despite its exchange of ownership. The little silver sailboat would stay around Alex’s neck for the rest of their time together. And, eventually, they would get traditional wedding rings for themselves, as a first anniversary present. But these surnames were always going to be the truest and realest symbol of their marriage.

Alexander Hamilton.

Eliza Hamilton.

#comments and feedback would be great #this one gets smutty so watch out #hamliza #alexander x eliza #selkie au #the seal lullaby

[jugggheadjoness]

the parent trap pt7 // archie andrews

The Parent Trap (7/12)

Words: 1.6k

Summary-Archie and (Y/N) separate, splitting their twin daughters between them. what happens when ten years later, the pair seem to be reunited in a twist of fate at summer camp?

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“Mr Andrews! HI!” Jessica exclaimed, looking over to Aria, panicked and trying to think of a reason for Aria being, well, herself. “Amelia, over here, was just doing her impression of my cabin mate from camp.”

Archie eyed the two girls suspiciously before chuckling. Aria let out the breath she was holding in. “Terrible accent, Melia. Not even remotely British.”

Aria gasped at her father’s words and her inner self scoffed at his comment. “Okay, dad, you can go now! Catch up with you at dinner!” She grinned, rushing over to her father, pushing him out of her doorway and shutting the door in his face.

“I’ve only been home for a day and he already offends me like that.” Aria joked, knowing her father was still listening in. The pair sat in silence waiting to hear footsteps that would signal Archie had left.

“He probably hasn’t heard a British accent since your mom and uncle left him but anyways back to Tom Mantle!”

Archie’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion, Amelia didn’t seem to be Amelia. She seemed to be more bubbly and he loved this new found persona of hers; he was scared to burst her bubble by telling her what he needed to. Amelia never liked change and he couldn’t possibly imagine how she’d take the change that was about to happen.

“I can’t seem to tell her, Lil.” Archie sighed, pulling himself up onto the kitchen counter “I think it’s time for me to move on.”

“I think it’s time you told your daughter about Aria. Before you add this woman, who, by the way, none of us have met yet, into her life. She grew up with only me, you and your father. I don’t think she’s willing to accept this woman, she hasn’t met, straight away. So if she reacts differently then you wanted her to, don’t get mad.”

“She needs to find out about Miranda soon, the wedding’s in three months.” Archie groaned “We’re meant to be going out to San Francisco in a week.”

“You make this seem like it’s impossible. Fine, invite Miranda to lunch here in two hours and you can tell Amelia about Aria and (Y/N) when you’re ready but for now, tell her about Miranda before it’s too late.” Lillian smiled at the man, her hands shooing him out of the kitchen towards Amelia’s room.

Amelia sat on the passenger’s side of her mom’s car. She grinned as she passed by every landmark Aria had told her about. Amelia loved the thrill of busyness within the city. She loved seeing the tourists taking pictures with Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament. She had yet to explore the city by foot but for now spending time with her mother was just what she wanted. “So I’ve been called into work today but instead of leaving you with Jughead once again, I decided to take you.”

Amelia grinned at her mother instead of responding and kept her sight on the landmarks around her. Riverdale was nothing like this. London had a constant noise of chatter and running engines, whereas Riverdale was quiet, the most noise heard would be the site her grandfather was working on.

(Y/N) bit her lip trying to keep the tears back. Nothing had hurt her more than seeing Archie cry. She knew her words were harsh and would cut like a knife but she never expected this impact on him. He held his face in his hands, not wanting to show her his moment of weakness. “God, Archie Andrews, I am so proud of you so why do I feel like this feeling isn’t mutual? Why do I feel like you aren’t proud of me? Why is this a one-sided thing?“

Archie sighed and looked at (Y/N), who was looking down at her hands. He noticed her tear stained face and the redness of her eyes that usually glimmered like the sun on a warm winter’s day. Her eyes looked so lifeless as she stared at her hands. Her face wasn’t holding her natural smiley look. She looked empty.

“If I were given a chance out in London to achieve my dreams, start my own boutique, make a name for myself, would you let me take it?” she asked him, taking his hand into hers “Would you leave this small town to help me prove you wrong?” (Y/N) sat, waiting for Archie’s answer but she was met with a thick silence. “No. No, you wouldn’t. You don’t want to leave Riverdale behind, you’re seventeen and have basically gotten what you’ve wanted. You wouldn’t give it up for me because you’re selfish. You are one of the most selfish humans I have ever met. You claim you’re not good enough for me because you’re scared to get hurt. I’m not asking you to run away with me, Arch, I’m asking you to take more pride in me. I’m asking you to believe in yourself, to believe you are good enough because we’ve basically been together since we were nine and I haven’t left just yet, I haven’t run away yet. Now, in this day and time, it’s even harder for me to run when I have a baby bump the size of Jupiter.”

Archie let out a loud snort at (Y/N)’s comment at the end, causing her to join in with his laughter. It was in that moment she realised that the reason why she hadn’t left yet was because no matter how much they argued, their love always came on top.

Aria sighed as she looked through Amelia’s draws. She desperately wished she had brought back her own bag back to her father’s house with her. Amelia’s clothes consisted of light blue jeans, that Aria despised. She made a mental note to take her sister shopping once the plan had fallen into place. A knock on her bedroom door pulled her out of her thoughts. “Come in!”

Archie looked at Aria and noticed the pile of clothes surrounding her. He noticed that she sat with a frown on her face almost as if she didn’t know what to wear, which was unlike Amelia. Amelia never planned outfits, she usually threw on whatever she picked out first. “You okay, A?”

“Yeah, dad. What’s up?”

“I want to talk about something and I don’t want you to get angry.” Archie looked at his daughter, who raised an eyebrow at him. “I don’t know how to say this so I’m just going to say it. I’m getting married in three months, Amelia!”

Aria felt a knot at the back of her throat, she had to alert Amelia immediately. She was unsure of whether to be glad for a father or angry. She preferred the latter choice. She believed that her mother would never move on and if she found out about this wedding it might ruin her forever. Aria was angry, she was angry that Amelia failed to mention her father’s girlfriend, now his fiancée. She was angry at her mother for never moving on. Of course, she had dated, and she dated quite often until recently. Her ex, Luke, never failed to make Aria laugh and her uncle Jughead loved him but their relationship stopped suddenly. She also noticed that her mother had stopped wearing the locket, her auntie Veronica gave her mum, before she left for camp. Now Aria thought about it, maybe it was a sign of her mother moving on.

“You’re probably not going to tell me you’re happy for me but I want you to know, we’re heading out to San Francisco next week.” Archie looked at his daughter once again, only to see her gaze flicker off him right to the door behind him. “I’ll take that as my cue to leave, but please think about it. I’m sure you’ll love Miranda!”

Aria rushed to her bedside table and picked the phone up, immediately dialling her number into it. The phone rang for what seemed to be forever, making Aria grow impatient. With her phone pressed against her ear, she wandered off into the back garden, noting that it was bigger than expected and that she shouldn’t wander too far in fear of getting lost.

“Hi! Sorry, I’m at mom’s shop and had to sneak off so I asked for some money for food. She gave me a loooong speech about how I should be cautious around the city but I’m here now!” Amelia rambled, causing Aria to giggle. “I have some news, uncle Jughead caught me straightaway!”

“Amelia, no! Don’t mess with me like this, you’re joking.”

“I’m not but look on the bright side, he promised not to tell mom or grandpa about it, so whenever we’re alone, he tends to let me talk normally. By the way, does your mouth ever getting tired of speaking because doing your accent in killing me!”

Aria rolled her eyes, only her sister would ramble away during the call. She could barely get a word in before Amelia started talking again. “Amelia, father is getting married soon and you’re ranting away about how tiring doing my accent, which, for your information, i don’t have, is.”

“What do you mean dad’s getting married? He doesn’t even have a girlfriend. Well, he’s certainly never mentioned having one.”

“No Amelia, he doesn’t have a girlfriend because he has a bloody fiancée.” Aria shouted, causing Amelia to burst out into laughter.

“I think that was the most British you’ve ever sounded.”

Lillian and Aria looked at each other as a ridiculously annoying squeal broke the silence and entered their hearing. Toby immediately ran over to the woman, instantly knocking her down, almost as if her high pitched squeal had hurt the dog’s ears.

“Well, aren’t you annoying?” Aria grinned, placing a hand out for Miranda to hold on to and helping the woman up. “I’m Amelia and you must be my father’s ex-fiancée.”

#this is literally such a boring part! #please tell me your opinions on it #thx me babes #archie andrews imagine #kj apa imagine #riverdale imagine #jughead jones imagine #archie andrews #kj apa #riverdale #jughead jones #the parent trap #the parent trap archie andrews

[cchie]

Wright Hook (Duke) Questionnaire

does your character have siblings or family members in their age group? which one are they closest with?      Wright has no siblings or family! He grew up in foster care.

what is/was your character’s relationship with their mother like?      He never knew her. He is not sure if he ever wants to.

what is/was your character’s relationship with their father like?      He never knew him. He is not sure if he ever wants to.

has your character ever witnessed something that fundamentally changed them? if so, does anyone else know?      Upon entering the Nonary Games, he witnessed several things that made him change. The people he was with knows. Smack Jackson apologizing for accusing him of murder helped soften him up to everyone else a bit.

on an average day, what can be found in your character’s pockets?      Bandages, his keys, his wallet, and some dog food

does your character have recurring themes in their dreams?      He has recurring nightmares of being bullied. He also has one in particular where he beats his primary bully to a pulp until he dies. And that one he wakes up screaming to.

does your character have recurring themes in their nightmares?      See above.

has your character ever fired a gun? if so, what was their first target?      No. He doesn’t really ever want to use any weapons against anybody, including his fists. 

is your character’s current socioeconomic status different than it was when they were growing up?      Not really. He grew up in poor areas and households but profited off of his ability to fight. Now he lives in a secluded apartment and has a solitary ranch nobody knows about.

does your character feel more comfortable with more clothing, or with less clothing?      It doesn’t really matter to him when he’s home. When he’s out and about, he prefers to wear more clothing. He doesn’t like catching people’s attention.

in what situation was your character the most afraid they’ve ever been?      Probably the Nonary Games and being accused of murder. He wasn’t close to anybody and everybody ganged up on him, just like the children in foster care.

in what situation was your character the most calm they’ve ever been?      When he first found Rocky and took him to his ranch. And they just layed in the grass with the sun shining.

is your character bothered by the sight of blood? if so, in what way?      It doesn’t bother him anymore since he’s so used to seeing it.

does your character remember names or faces easier?      He remembers faces easier than names. He can forget those often.

is your character preoccupied with money or material possession? why or why not?      Duke is not. Although he likes money for keeping him alive and stable, he knows he could do without. He likes hoarding animals but that’s as far as his occupation with “material possessions”. 

which does your character idealize most: happiness or success?      Happiness. He doesn’t care much about his success. As long as he is left alone and happy.

what was your character’s favorite toy as a child?      The foster care he was in gave him a stuffed dog plush that he took everywhere with him, until the kids ripped it apart and threw it away. It was a stuffed Dalmatian and he named it Pongo.

is your character more likely to admire wisdom, or ambition in others?      Ambition. If somebody is smart, that’s great. But he loves to see the drive in other people.

what is your character’s biggest relationship flaw? has this flaw destroyed relationships for them before?      Wright has major trust issues. He has paranoia and is afraid people are out to get him even if they seem to have good intentions. He doesn’t really try to have relationships, he just keeps to himself.

in what ways does your character compare themselves to others? do they do this for the sake of self-validation, or self-criticism?      He’s hard on himself for every punch he throws. Wright is aware of his ability and tries to use it to the best of his ability but doesn’t necessarily like it. He’s also hard on himself for being weak when he was younger and not being able to open up to people as easily.

if something tragic or negative happens to your character, do they believe they may have caused or deserved it, or are they quick to blame others?      Oh, it is almost always him blaming himself for it. Being abandoned at a young age and being abused really makes him blame himself for a lot of things.

what does your character like in other people?      He likes compassion and kindness towards animals. If they are kind and caring, he’ll open up only a tad bit easier than usual.

what does your character dislike in other people?      Violence, ignorance, and apathy.

how quick is your character to trust someone else?      Oh boy. Wright doesn’t really trust anybody. He trusts himself, animals, and veterinarians but that’s about it. He puts a lot of walls and defenses up.

how quick is your character to suspect someone else? does this change if they are close with that person?      He is very quick to suspect. However, he isn’t quick to take action until he’s sure or mostly sure of his suspicions. If they are close, he’s torn and would most likely snoop due to his trust issues.

how does your character behave around children?      He doesn’t like them and tries to stay away from them. However, in situations where he must be around them, he’s kind of like a Zuko. He can come off as annoyed but he treats them kindly and will play with them.

how does your character normally deal with confrontation?      He doesn’t. If he must, he will come right up to the person and threaten them or demand answers.

how quick or slow is your character to resort to physical violence in a confrontation?      Very slow. He uses his strength to break things when he must. He doesn’t like using his Ultimate Boxing ability unless he has to.

what did your character dream of being or doing as a child? did that dream come true?      He wanted to be a veterinarian but plans changed when he became the Ultimate Boxer. It didn’t come true but he did take in a lot of stray animals and that alone has helped.

what does your character find repulsive or disgusting?      Bullies.

describe a scenario in which your character feels most comfortable.      The rays of the sun beat down on his face as his bull terrier sniffs his right ear. “Rocky, what are you doing?” he says between giggles.       Rocky responds by promptly licking the redhead’s cheek and sprinting off, his tail wagging. Wright sits up and brushes the grass off his backside. “Oh, that’s it, huh? You wanna play, then?”      He takes off in a run towards the dog, almost matching him in speed. Rocky halts still, and Wright follows suit. The terrier sort of boofs ever so softly and shakes his head. Wright flashes a smile and suddenly darts towards Rocky      However, the dog knew this was coming and full on heads towards Wright, jumping up into his arms. Being taken by surprise, Wright falls back on the grass and holds tightly onto his best friend. Rocky pants heavily and nuzzes his head into Wright’s chest.       A small smile finds its way onto Wright’s face as he lies there, happy and comfortable. But not alone.

describe a scenario in which your character feels most uncomfortable.      With groceries in one hand, and his keys in another, he struggles to open his apartment door. He sighs and sets the groceries down.     “Ohmigod, you’re Wright Hook aren’t you?” a shrill voice pipes up from behind him.      Startled, he drops his keys. He turns around quickly and is face to face with a blonde girl and what appears to be her stocky boyfriend.      “Oh uh, I think you must have me confused with-” he rushes out but it’s too late.      “Oh my god selfie!” she promptly snaps a picture and drapes herself over Wright. “Oh my god you’re even stronger in person!” she gushes.      “Listen, please leave me alone. Please don’t tell anybody where I live, please-”      “What? You just tell my girl to leave you alone? Think you’re so big and famous, you can tell us what to do?” the bigger man spits. His brow is furrowed and a grimace creeps over his face.      Wright gulps. “Please. That’s not what I meant. Uh, please just go?”      The boyfriend steps up and takes a swing at Wright. Having calculated his opponent’s movements and size, Wright predicted this would happen and broke left. In one swift movement, he sent a jab to the man’s face and knocked the man out.      “Ah, oh dear. Look at what you’ve done now. I need you two to leave. Now,” Wright says, angry and uncomfortable. There is no mercy in his voice anymore.      The girl looks horrified as he rushes to open his apartment door and heads in. He watches through the peephole as the boyfriend wakes up and leaves off in a huff.      Rocky senses his discomfort and comes to his feet, cocking his head and wagging his tail. Wright looks down at him, and gives a sad smile. “God, I hate people sometimes. We might have to leave here, Rocky. But I’m glad I have you.” 

in the face of criticism, is your character defensive, self-deprecating, or willing to improve?      With criticism, he gets defensive but also self depricating.

is your character more likely to keep trying a solution/method that didn’t work the first time, or immediately move on to a different solution/method?      He actually does both depending on what it is. He gets frustrated easily so if it doesn’t work he tries to move on to another solution.

how does your character behave around people they like?      He’s nervous and kind of a goof but still awkward. He’ll try and make them smile and laugh.

how does your character behave around people they dislike?      Oh, they will know. He won’t talk to them or look at him, and depending on the situation, he’ll threaten them.

is your character more concerned with defending their honor, or protecting their status?      Defending his honor if he had to pick from the two, but he’s not very concerned about either of those things.

is your character more likely to remove a problem/threat, or remove themselves from a problem/threat?      He’s more likely to remove the threat. He knows that if it’s a threat to multiple people, he will take them out himself.

has your character ever been bitten by an animal? how were they affected (or unaffected)?      Wright has been bitten quitea few times by strays, and he’s okay with it. He expects it but endures it to get them to trust him so he can take care of them.

how does your character treat people in service jobs?      He treats them very well. He knows that they have to endure every day and leaves amazing tips.

does your character feel that they deserve to have what they want, whether it be material or abstract, or do they feel they must earn it first?      I feels he must earn it. With some things though, he does feel as if he deserves it since his life has been kind shitty up to this point.

has your character ever had a parental figure who was not related to them?      Not really.

has your character ever had a dependent figure who was not related to them?      There was this kid in the foster care named Sam who he looked after for a while.

how easy or difficult is it for your character to say “i love you?” can they say it without meaning it?      Oh my god is it so hard for him. He’s like one of those people that’s like “I....lo....l...lov...LIKE dogs.............” and just can’t do it

what does your character believe will happen to them after they die? does this belief scare them?      He would like to believe in an afterlife so that way he can still be around those he loves.

#duke #wright hook #drxze #my ocs

[consciouswhispers2929]

The Irony of Life

"Thank God it's Friday!" Shouted Maggie as she punched her left fist in the air. She had a smile of relief on her face which pronounced her beauty. She had the deepest dimples on both of her cheeks and she had maroon lipstick with lip gloss on top. her lips weren't too fat but not small either, just the right size to compliment her small dark eyes. She wasn't light skinned but she wasn't dark either. She was brown like a doughnut. Her nose was small but round. Her cheeks were red because she always had make up on. Presentation meant everything to her, it's what her mother taught her ever since she was a little girl. Looking her best was part of her obsessive compulsive personality because she was always concerned about making a lasting first impression. She had her new weave going on from the hours she sat getting it done and she always bought human hair, no synthetics. This hairdo suited her more than the last one she had. Again, presentation meant everything. She had removed her light scarf cause it was hot outside, so she was left with a stylish white top that she got from a killer sale just two weeks ago. It's amazing how much time, money and energy she would spend on buying the perfect clothes. She never really liked repeating clothes cause she could afford that level of extravagance. These are probably the reasons why she was poached to work for a leading advertising agency in Nairobi. To put her in a summary, she always knew how to present herself. She wore a grey pencil skirt with purple stripes and a small slit at the back, reaching just above the knees. She was bow legged but she didn't care. And she had flat open shoes with a distinctively African design. Of course she never had any hair under her armpits, presentation was everything, remember? Apart from looking a certain way, she was also very particular about the way she smelled. She had a collection of limited edition perfumes and was wearing one today. God forbid she'd walk the streets of Nairobi to find another woman smelling like her too.

"I don't even know where this energy of yours is coming from," Bruce sighed, "I've sat down for so long in this seat yani mpaka my ass cheeks are wet."Basically, he didn't care anymore when he was that tired and wanted to go home. And by home I don't mean an the actual house where his parents lived because he couldn't stand their energy. So he used uni as a reason for getting out of the house to "open his eyes" a bit. His accommodation was the best that money could buy cause he was in the dorms. He could use the meal though, it was a good fast food joint they were in at the moment. It just opened a couple of months ago but they were doing well for a new start up business. Pepinos usually attracted the younger generation. He was 23 and Maggie was 20. They were waiting for Halima who was coming into town from her parents pharmacy in the Westlands branch, so you can probably guess what she was studying. As they both heard the stomping of footsteps climbing up the stairs Bruce and Maggie both gave the exact reaction of surprise of glancing at the metal staircase, curious to know whether it was Halima. And as sure as day it was. As Halima was climbing up the stairs, Bruce returned his eyes to the large chicken tikka pizza they had ordered and were planning to eat together. Maggie flashed a smile at Halima and went to her bad to remove her phone to check for any messages on What's App. She was constantly preoccupied with online presence regardless of what platform she was surfing. Bruce did a quick glance at Maggie, curious to know what she was reading and then returned his eyes to Halima who was now approaching their table that was one of the three tables close to the staircase. He had a long face and pronounced cheek bones. He was one of those annoying few who could eat anything he wanted and never get fat. He always used to dress like a hippie and today was no different. You could always tell what he was feeling on whatever day just because of the way he chose to dress. He shaved a week ago but the facial hair was partially growing back. His hair was thick and he loved afros but it couldn't grow too long, he just never shaved his hair, even when it was too hot. He kept a pink comb or any bright coloured comb in the back pocket of his jeans, just in case the girls were messing with his fro again. He had a habit of always taking shots with the comb in his hair. Maybe it was his fear that he would one day go bald like his uncle, the worst kind of baldness comes from his dad's side. He takes after his dad. Bruce had an amiable appearance, you could never find anyone who hated him. As he stretched out his right hand with a welcoming gesture to Halima, Halima sighed as she dropped her bag on the table.

"If you took any longer I was gonna take your pieces walahi." Bruce joked. "I won't leave this place until you buy me a meal." she challenged, "Ati you're telling me I've walked all that way from the stage and I eat nothing when I come here. You're joking with me."Maggie laughed and returned her attention to the two. "How come you took so long? The stage isn't that far.""Some jinga got caught stealing at archives." her eyes popped, "I left them chasing him huyo jamaa ako lucky, I think he hepad. Mwanzo he looked like he doesn't shower. Eh bana that nigga looked rough, skin and bones. You're not catching that nigga." They all laughed. It's a hard knock life."Woiye.. Okay, maybe he just needed something to eat." suggested Maggie. She was always about equality. She believed that everyone deserved to have an equal chance to live a meaningful and fulfilling life even though that wasn't the reality for many.Halima tucked herself into her seat next to Maggie as Maggie and her eyes were level now. "What do you expect when there are no jobs?"Halima suddenly frowned as if she was shocked by the statement and sort of shook her head gesturing disagreement. She lifted her right hand and opened her mouth, paused and as she was tapping the table she gently remarked, "The government can't give jobs to everyone. They can appoint some people but they cannot appoint more than say 800,000 people. What the government needs to do is to give opportunities for people's businesses to thrive. That way more people will be employed in the long term because of the expansion of these businesses. The government can't give everybody jobs. I mean, does that mean that I can start stealing now and blame it on the government? That's not a valid excuse or decent source of income to sustain your livelihood.""i'm just trying to play the devil's advocate for this guy, because it seems that no one ever empathises with the situation of a thief - hear me out..." Maggie replied while raising both her hands at both Bruce and Halima because that comment clearly triggered them. Maggie placed her smartphone on the table and was playing around with it as she was trying to explain herself. She knew she had to come up with a solid defence to support that statement."Some of these people who are stealing don't know how else to make a meaningful income to feed their loved ones. Some of them aren't properly educated and if they're educated they can't be employed. They come from rough neighbourhoods where all that makes sense to them is they have to do whatever it takes to survive. I'm a marketer, Halima you're a pharmacist, you work in your parents business. Bruce is a writer. You realise the fact that we've reached uni and we're almost done is something a majority of the poor can only dream about. Even if they were willing they're not able. A majority of the working class are in jobs they never wanted but have to work in so they can bring food to the table. I guess what I'm asking is, what advice would you give the poor? Because it seems like poor people are blamed for being poor, and yet when they were born, they simply found themselves as being poor."

Halima was silent as if she was contemplating her next response. Bruce suddenly jerked in his seat and leaned in saying, "I think the problem here is that those who can do something for man like the one you just met Halima, either do nothing or cause more damage than good. The question that Maggie is asking needs a deeper reflection on our individual moral compass and current societal problem. Look... I hate politics and if you ask me we are headed to anarchy because that seems to be a system that would be best suited for the typical African but that's not  what I was driving at. I choose to be apathetic because I'm aware of my potential and limitations. My goal in life regardless of what circumstances befall me, is to make a positive change in the environment that I live in - in my own way. Shakespeare knew what he was saying when he said that there is nothing neither good or bad but thinking makes it so. But it has to start with having the conversation. And that is, do we know what is moral or immoral anymore when there are so many gray areas?" Bruce asked while his eyes were bouncing between them with a serious look of concern on his face. And he had a valid point because technically speaking, everyone thinks they have an idea of how a moral life should be lived. Everyone creates gray areas around such matter when it affects a certain area of personal individual inclinations. Halima picked up her first slice of pizza and took a small bite. Then while she was flinging it in her hand, you could tell she was trying to chew it as fast as possible to give her sentiments. She said, "You know, it's easy to empathise with a thief when it has nothing to do with you. But sympathising with one is another thing all together. You already know the guy stole because he honestly thought he had no other means of making a living." she murmured and swallowed, then took a sip of the soda she had poured from that litre of coke they bought for the three of them. "The only reason why we would sympathise with this man is because we would want remorse too if we were forced to go to those lengths to survive. But when we are the ones he would be stealing from... even if he was just trying to survive, it would be a whole other scenario in our minds. One that blocks us from feeling remorse for the very same person or even someone like him."

Bruce looked down at the table with a smile of agreement. Maggie put her right and bony elbow on the table, letting out a huge sigh. "It just sucks that the only time when human beings care about such a person is when they are directly affected yet they never do anything to help the person. Because I'm sure that when we leave this table, the guy still has the same problems and people just like him. The solution will always be elusive for as long as no one wants to have the conversation." she said while spinning her phone with her left hand. For a few seconds there was a piercing silence because the reality of that statement hit home. Then after a long pause, Halima adjusted her bright gray hijab and placed her hand on Maggie's left to stop the phone from spinning. "Have you reached out to my dad yet about the advertisements in Parklands? I haven't seen him since morning cause I was in the Lavi branch today." she asked Maggie, trying to change the subject at what appeared to be a dead end to that conversation."He just wanted to know about the rebranding?" Maggie asked while she took a sip of her coke, "I need time but I have his number."Bruce lit up and sat back in his chair, "You marketers think you have creativity but you'll never have a way with words like a true linguist.""There's a reason why writers don't make money my friend," she replied, "all that writing wouldn't be necessary if you people just learned to get straight to the point.""Yeah, you clearly don't have an appreciation for art." he laughed and noticed Halima give a sly smile to Maggie."There's nothing wrong with preferring movies over books. Saves the hassle of  reading for like a month and you know the way I'm a slow reader." she frowned."It's not a crime. Just open your mind." Halima commented, "Life is a story of loops and webs. The loops are when history repeats itself. The webs are what connects us to one another. Life is about creating the perfect story.""Exactly!" Bruce exclaimed while pointing at Halima, "You can't just put it in some 2 hour movie, sometimes it doesn't do justice."Halima shrugged. Maggie pushed the cup she was sipping aside as if to say she was full. She put her phone in her bag, stood up and added, "I don't know what you people are sniffing, but I have to hand go back to ngara and pick the key to the house. I'm going home this weekend, no way in hell I was gonna was gonna wash all that laundry.""Millenials." Bruce teased, to which both Halima and Maggie answered, "You're a millennial." and they all laughed. Maggie picked her bad and left.

After stopping by at her hostel in ngara, Maggie was just about to leave the house with her handbag and what appeared to be a bag full of laundry. She locked her gate and proceeded to walk towards the stage. It was just after seven and the sun had already set. She was strolling but cautiously scanning her surroundings in case people were up to mischief since it was getting darker and darker. The only lights near the stage were the new lights on the road and houses nearby that were slowly lighting up as every home was easing their way into the night time. A totally different time for a totally different reality in Nairobi. She was weaving through the pedestrians that were all busy going somewhere. Some were walking in her direction headed for the stage home, when she noticed a stranger bumped into her in a manner that seemed deliberate. Instinct made her check her right arm where she was carrying her bag. She forgot to zip her handbag cause she left in a hurry."Shit!" she noticed her phone was missing. "Shit!" she said more loudly this time and looked back at a guy who started walking more briskly and that turned into a jog as he rushed to cross the road. A skinny man with a simple blue shirt and black jeans. As the big buses started rushing to enter town through globe round about, at least three of them zoomed by before she could get another look, still rustling through her bag. He was gone. It was then that she remembered that the only reason we would sympathise with a thief is because we would want some remorse too if we were forced to go through those lengths to survive. Halima's words were ringing in her ears, "But when we are the ones he would be stealing from... even if he was just trying to survive, it would be a whole other scenario in our minds. One that blocks us from feeling remorse for the very same person or even someone like him."Maggie shook her head, laughed in disbelief, clicked her tongue and said, "Are you fucking serious?"

[huggpheonix]

Sad fic avatar

"Aang... Its not too late.." She whispered. She whispered it with conviction.. But fear mingled with it. As if scared to offend the boy who sat before her. "It is." He growled. He had allowed his hair to grow back out and it sat shaggy and unkempt around his face and shoulders. Stubble had erupted on his chin and the boy seemed paler than usual. A scar the size of his hands trailed down his spine and neck. He sat crosslegged and without a shirt. He seemed go be freezing. Katara gave a sigh and put a blanket over his now tall figure. It was true. Firelord Ozai had take over and killed many. Many all over the continent. Starting with zuko. "Its not your fault." She added hastily. "We were kids, Aang. Kids, and Ill be damned if we anything but." "I was the worlds only hope, Katara. I failed." "Get over yourself." Came a deeply annoyed tone from behind them. Aang hunched his shoulders and his tattoos seemed to glow. He didnt turn to face them. Katara however looked to see Toph leaning into the entrance. She had allowed her hair to take a roguish look and her features seemed to be edgier and sharp. Thick bangs covered her face but not her blank grey eyes. She wore water tribe clothing to blend in, after her family had been killed off. She was the last known beifong to be living. "Toph." Katara whispered hurriedly. She had an edge to her voice, like an icicle. "No, Twinkle toes, listen here. You failed. Okay? Quit sulking about it. The more you do, the more people get killed. We alll failed, Aang. We all did. But that doesnt mean we still cant recover. Zukos dead. Alright? As far as we know we could be next. But dont think for a second we arent going to stay here any longer waiting for you to get over it." Aang only buried his face in his hands. He didnt seem to register the tough spiel thrown at him so suddenly. Katara stood so that she and Toph were face to face. "Toph! For gods sakes! " she muttered. "Its the truth Katara. He may respond to niceness and kindess but the cold hard truth needs to be exercised." She groaned. "Its been far too long." She said and stalked out. Wether Katara would see her waiting patiently outside or practsiing in the caves, she didnt know. "Aang. Please. I know it hurts. More than you know."  Aang gave a snort and finally turned to look at her. His tattoos were a bold electric blue and they glowed on and off. His eyes looked so tired compared to her desperate ones. A grizzly scar had reached across his face. But it did not hinder his handsome deep set features. They enhanced them. "You dont know about pain, Katara. Youve a beautiful family, that hasnt been touched by the fire nation." He said coldly, Her eyes narrowed, an icy blue searched the cold grey ones. "Bullshit, Avatar. Tell that to my father and my mother. Tell that to sokka.." She broke off and looked anywhere but him. Aang widened his eyes and once again buried his face in his hands. "Everything is so fucked up, im sorry Katara. " his eyes turned white and then grey again. "Dont say shit like that. And then.. And then expect the world to hang at your fingertips. Tophs right. But theres more to it then just that. Aang. We were too young.. But.. Times have changed. Our appearances have changed. We can overtake the firelord." "H-how.." He stuttered. "We can infiltrate and change towns over to our favor. Aang.. Its been 4 years.. 4 years.. And.. And.. I can feel, that its gonna be different this time.. I know it." "Katara im so tired. Everyone hates me now." "Get over yourself. I dont hate you, Toph doesnt hate you." "Wow gee." "Get up."  Fear crossed his features. "Im.. Im not gonna try again." "We need the current avatar Aang. You cant just hand over your avatar powers." Aang groaned. He stood up and could barely. The snow hut they were in was pretty tiny compared to his height now. They both stepped outside. He grabbed his old nomad top and tucked it into his watertribe pants. Katara moaned, Toph wasnt there waiting.  "We need to go get Toph. If shes right and you havent exercised your bending, youre probably pathetic." She said this so matter of factly aang actually kind of grinned. So they set off on foot, for Appa had been taken by the firenation once again. He carried his old staff but it was dwarfed by now. As they walked he could not help but notice again how breath takingly beautiful she was. Her brown hair flowed effortlessly behind her in a braid and her features were soft and determined at the same time. Her icy blue eyes seemed dimmer now that they were in the snow storm. Time had had an effect on all of them. Not that there were many anymore. Most had fled into hiding, turned themselves over to firenation cells, been slaved, worked undercover for the cause or had died. He shivered. He had failed. And yet he wasnt dead. They arrived in an hour to see Toph had taken refuge in a cave by the southern water tribe village. She was working on her technique where she tried to earthbend by just using her fingers or eyes. It was going great. She had managed to move a rock the size of a small dog two inches off the ground using only her eyes. She was wicked happy about this.  She also seemed to have worked on strength conditioning by her torn muscle. "Ah, if it isnt Katara and the avatar. How nice of you to join us mister avatar." "Cut it out Toph. Weve all fucked up greatly lets get over that. Lets accept it."  Katara strode over to the rock pot of cold leopard penguin soup. "Im sorry Toph. Ive been a huge pile of shit. Can you forgive me?" "Forgive? For what? I was never angry with you, you big dumb airhead. Sulking pisses me off. But.. Its also human... So.. Yeah." "You both.. Ready? I mean.. For whats... To come?" "Its not like we have anywhere to turn to, that money cant buy and that isnt haunted." "My whole village is melted. Literally." Katara remarked sadly from her stool.  "Join the club." Toph sneered. "Im sorry." "Quit apologizing and eat. Eat and fill your skinny bones out. We have training after this." Even though the world was being conqured and maimed, toph had still managed to make Aang smile. "How do you know im skinny. I could be humongous for all you know." "The vibrations under your feet dumbass." He laughed and Katara kind of giggled. He ate with difficulty. Not because of its tastlessness (he was famished.) but because he really didnt intend on caring for himself too often.. Since.. Since.. "Sokka wouldve loved this soup. Full of meat." "Hes not dead." Katara's eyes watered. "Hes been put into custody and forced to haul wood for the flameymen." "We will get him back Katara its my fault hes in there." "Quit that." "What?" "Blaming yourself for every little thing." "Al-alright.. Alright.." He said. "This is depressing. Aang Katara follow me. We need to train. If we are gonna kick some firenation ass, we need to train ours off." She turned the soup into sand and took the seats out from under them both, Aang being rusty was caught offguard. "I was right. Youre pathetic. Get up." He obeyed. Later on they were very very tired and sore. Aang had a black eye and a swollen lip. "Geez Toph." He moaned. "First things first. Its master toph because even though youve had an additional four years to hone your skills, youve basically sulked it away. You even let your hair grow out." "I can still do it!" He yelled indignantly. "Do and bend are two different things." He flushed a deep scarlet. "Aang tighten up your stance you need to face the fucking rock or it will pummel you! Now!" She yelled and hurtled a rock his way. He slapped his hands together and concentrated. The rock collided with his hands and groud itself into sand and it flowed around his body before he turned it into a huge rock and sent it back again. She stopped it inches away from her face and returned it to the earth. "Not half as bad as yesterday," "Thanks!" He said excitedly. "Did i say good?!" She shouted and sixty pointed rocks pinned Aang to the wall. "Okay, now metal bending. Remember when we departed four years ago and i was captured? Well metal is just rock. Just wayyy more purified." He condensed the rock under aangs fire. It turned into metal and bent to tophs will. "Wow, okay let me try." He touched it and it immediately dented. He bended it in about 6 minutes tops. "Ha, ha beginners luck." After a week Aang had atoned for a years worth of training. But there was still kataras water bending basics again. They were both right, just because he could still manipulate the element, didnt mean he had a gritty understanding if he were to be born into them. Air was still his element, he understood air as he did his own mind, so pretty and very well. Air would not hurt him. It flowed freely into his lungs and made him light on his feet. Air was mastered. "Aang. You need to feel the water trickle through your veins." "I know.. Im just a little shaky," "Damn right your shaky. That isnt flowing its like fire." By the time a month had passed he was feeling the element very well. He could get down into the earth element by feeling all his apprehension and tension release and combine to move the earth. He could feel water by letting his fear and anxiety calm the stream and in turn it helped him. It helped him feel more than just dead. Fire and air were still his best elements by far. Fire was easily done now adays. Because he was so angry and all the pent up rage against the firenation was fused into his attacks. He felt he was ready and with alot more training. He would be fierce. "Youre actually getting good." Toph admitted one day when he had managed to lock one of her ankles down to the ground and in turn she had locked his arms down. "You really think so?" "Yeah. I do, twinkletoes." He beamed and undid both of the rocks and flew back to his original stance. He was going to get it all down by the end of the week. By the end of the week he was fighting and kicking and punching with control and firosity all in one. He felt the people in need fill him. And he strengthened because of that. They go and get sokka back. And zukos not dead just hidding out. "Im proud to say youve mastered water, avatar Aang." Katara purred with fondness in her voice. "Really?" He asked blushing. Well, the parts of his face that werent scarred turned pink. "Yeah, youve always been a natural Aang." She admitted. "Y-youre just saying that Katara. Youre the master. Im greatful to have learned so much." Katara opened her mouth to say more but then Toph walked in. "Im not deaf. You two sound like were gonna die very soon. Therll be enough time to coo about eachother. We need to get Sokka back." "Really?!" Katara yelled with tears in her eyes. "Yes, ive got the map. Hes in the boiling rock. Theyve reallly tightened up security around there. We will have to be careful." "I love you both!" She said and grabbed them in a very tight embrace. "Yeah yeah, I miss having sokka around anyways. Aang, youre awesome at earth bending but never as good as me." She conceeded with a grin. "Of course, Master." "We begin travel tomorrow." Aang's gaze hardened and he thoug back to Appa. "We'll get him back Aang." "I just wish id said i loved him alot more.." "Dont worry Twinkletoes. Its gonna be ok.. Zukos gone.. But.. Sokka isnt and i have a very good feeling Appas alive too." The next morning katara, Toph and Aang set off for the boiling rock. "Its in firenation territory. But we can obtain a fleet ship. I know it." "We dont need to. The farther we go on foot, the less cospicious we look. Theres refugees all over now that Ozai's in power." Aang avoided eye contact with anyone they passed on their way to firenation territory. "Aang you need to smarten up. We cant even tell its you. Youre so different from how you were four years ago." "Yeah for one thing, youre taller." "Skinnier, your hair is long." "You HAVE hair. It covers your tattoos." "Youre burnt." Aang only looked up occasionally from now on. They had still taken the liberty of gathering travellers clothes but Aang still kept the nomad shirt under his earth nation vest. Finally after a week they reached fire nation borders. "That wasnt as exhausting as I thought it would be." "Its only smooth sailing from here." They explored more and more of the firenation within days. Finally Katara reported back that she had discovered the boiling rock prison in a volcano. "They werent kidding, were they?" "Back when we were together.. Sokka mentioned something about this place." "Your father." "Yeah." At midnight they managed to break into it. Aang pretented to be a earth nation prisoner who had comitted treason of the highest sort. Katara and Toph were both guards. "Bleh, firenation prisons are so bleak.. Good thing im an all nation sort of guy." Katara smiled only a little and Toph snickered. "Eyy! Firemates, get over here! We're kicking some waterbenders!" Aang flinched and Katara froze. Toph gritted her teeth and she and katara moved to the other firenation guards immediately. It was then that Katara came face to face with her long lost brother Sokka. He was older mature looking and had a sunken face obviously to malnutrition. His frame was still lean and lanky. He was taking the beating but he was closing his eyes. His hair has been cut short and his neck and body had sustained war prints and tattoos and scars. He had stubble on his neck and jaw. "Watertribe scum, a guy named Sokka. Lucky we caught him. Took his little gadgets too. Aint no bender are you boy? He dont even resist." "Ah, he used to. But we broke him. We always break them." "Stop!" Katara whispered fiercely. Aang and Toph widened their eyes. They all stopped but one of the guards spit on him. "I need to take this prisoner at once. Hes been very very naughty to me." The fireguards smirked and kicked him in the ribs to where she stood. "Take 'im treat him very nicely. And by nice i mean harshly. Just a little gift, huh sokka!" Katara gave Toph the 'stay here look'. Then forgot she could not see. She finally looked Aang in the eyes and he understood. She stared at her long lost brother, whom she had not seen since four years before. She finally grabbed his shirt collar and with little help from sokka, had managed to stand up. He wobbled a bit and when taking more than a few steps, he stumbled. She noticed that he had a limp to his once stride. He closed his shadowed eyes when he walked. Head down, as if in defeat. Finally they got to an empty cell room. She unlocked the door with the chain of keys and shoved him in there. Carefully she slid the door closed and switched on the lights. "Sokka..." She whispered breathlessly. She had pronounced his name right and he glanced up. His dim blue eyes scanned her and then he shuddered, curling his legs up to his chest. "Please... Dont touch me.. all the guards like to." He muttered with fear. Katara brought a hand to her aching chest. She slid off the helmet and Sokka gasped. Her beautiful soft brown hair was tied in a ponytail and her bright blue eyes were the same as he remembered them. "Katara!" He shouted. The blue fire returned fiercely in his eyes, and finally... Finally.. She recognized him. "I thought you were dead!" He said hoarsely and fast, as if he hadnt used his voice in weeks. "No sokka, im not." She crossed the last steps and embraced her brother. "Oh.... Man... I love you Katara! Ive missed you.. Ive missed you so much.." He said it fast. "I love you too.. Ive spent four years Sokka.. Four years.. When we get you out of here we will catch up." She said with determination. Sokka nodded, he looked weaker then she remembered, fragile. But, one look at his physique proved her wrong. "A couple friends of mine, helped me out with food. I guess when youre an adult, you just need more of it. If you think ive been just sitting here... No.. Ive been waiting." Katara nodded. She reached a hand and touched his face. "They took away my tools. My cool moonsword, my boomerang, my knife.. I cant nessecaerly shave." Katara could only reply with nodding.. It was weird.. She thought he had been dead. "Okay now dont panic.. But they arent going to let us out until you look beaten up." "Katara, four years really does make you a good actor." He ruffled up his out grown hair and added several small bruises and cuts to his face lips and hands. He tussled his clothes and layed down. Katara frowned but didnt say anything. "23.you done in there? Geez, he must have been bad." 29 asked. "Teach you a lesson." Katara growled convincingly enough. Sokka smiled sadly at her and then huddled into himself. She emerged from the room breathing heavily. "Sweet sound of a water freak groaning, I love it. Nice job 23." Katara didnt answer but only nodded. "Aang! Toph! Katara! Oh man i love you guys i missed you guys! Ill never take you for granted again.." He blurted out in a fury.