#but take some croissants. cherish her. (i actually have no idea what he is in this. a prototype or smth hnstly just wanted to get silly) | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

miracul0us-multishipper · 4 years

Text

Lady Wifi (part 1)

Marillion AU

“Come on...”, Marillion whispered into the glowing outline in front of her. “You can do it! You've practiced the entire morning, you've got this!”

“But they're all looking at me!”, her champion - The Magician, an amateur entertainer with stage fright from Mendeleiev's class - whispered back. After failing at a simple trick this morning her brooch had alarmed her of his distress, and since she couldn’t focus until it was resolved she had akumatized him. It was supposed to be quicker than talking to him as Marinette, but her lacking experience with a miraculous showed: she'd had to spend almost half an hour convincing him that letting out his frustration on the Eiffel Tower wouldn’t help him. Now, instead of making Paris' most famous monument disappear, he was trying to impress children at the Trocadero. Not the greatest challenge with his new magical powers, but that wasn’t the point.

“It doesn’t matter.”, she calmed him. “You can’t fail! You are using real magic now, they'll be so amazed they won’t even know you’re nervous.”

“But it won’t be forever! And then I’ll just do regular card tricks, and probably ruin it again.”

“Maybe. Maybe not. But in my experience, when you’re feeling scared you're twice as likely to make a mistake! I'm just helping you to get some experience with crowds, so that you'll feel surer next time. Some positive feedback is always good to lift a creative block.”

She always went to her parents when she couldn’t finish a design. Their genuine awe and pride of her abilities never failed to get her back on her feet. But since the Magician didn’t want to call his parents, the job to encourage him fell to her.

“Okay... I... I'll try!”

He stepped forward and took off his cylinder, ready to create a cloud of white butterflies. The kids cooed and awed, and the Magician smiled hesitantly. Marillion gave him a thumbs-up from her hiding place on the roofs.

It went flawless, after that. He made little lights and clouds of colorful smoke, more butterflies and even made himself dis- and reappear a few times. The children were utterly fascinated and their laughter and applause warmed her heart. And her champion's as well: soon the clouds of butterflies were joined by a freshly purified akuma and the Magician transformed back into a carefree, laughing boy.

“See?”, she said to no one. The link to her champion had gone vacant when he had detransformed. With a last smile towards her freed akuma she turned around and vanished with a swirl of her tailcoat.

This had been a great morning after all.

“This is a horrible morning!”, Alya complained to Tikki. Not only had she failed to identify her nemesis via a cutout of Marillion, she had even been caught by Bustier! And Marinette wasn't here to distract her!

“Well, I did tell you to focus on your lessons.”, her cherished but unbearably goody-two-shoes friend replied. “Besides, it’s impossible to recognize the wielder of a miraculous. Your masks are magical, remember?”

“It was worth a try.”, she shrugged. “And hey, its not like you’re the one who has to focus for two hours on the most boring subject there is. Oh! Rose, Juleka! Have you seen Marinette?”

Tikki hurried to hide in her bag while her classmates shook their heads and she moved on.

“Where is that girl?”

“She said she didn’t feel well. Maybe she went home?”

“But she left her bag here!”

Tikki raised an eyebrow - or at least the skin where her eyebrows would be, if she had any.

“Because your friend never forgets anything, right?”

Good point. She loved her BFF, but Marinette sure was a mess.

“I‘ll look at her locker. If she's not there I'll just bring her bag over to her home.”

Any excuse to go by the Dupain-Cheng Patisserie was fine with her. The croissants were incredible, and Tikki barely ate anything except their delicious macarons. In her mind she was already sinking her teeth in the artwork of a pastry when a ruffling sound stopped her. Was that... Chloé?

Indeed. The blonde b... beast was hurriedly packing something into that overly expensive handbag of her, and she looked very keen on not being watched. Alya's eyes narrowed and she hid behind a corner. Suspicious!

Her spying- observing turned out to be worth it. Thanks to her infallible intuition and sixth sense as superhero, she was able to witness it: Chloé Bourgeois, heiress to the mayor of Paris and his empire of hotels, meanest little brat under the sun... pulled a purple mask out of her locker. A butterfly shaped mask. And ribbons that matched Marillion's.

The bell rang and startled Alya out of her stupor. She quickly disappeared into the yard before Chloé - Marillion! - could spot her.

“Did you see that?”, she hissed to her Kwami, still not believing her luck. “Oh my god, Tikki! Did you see that?”

“I... uh, I did? But Alya-“

“This is Perfect, with a capital P!”, she cackled. “Oh, I can’t wait to tell everyone! By tomorrow I'll have thwarted my nemesis AND the school bully. Admit it, I’m the best superhero you ever had, right? It hasn’t even been a week since Stoneheart!”

Tikki struggled to keep up.

“Alya, you know I believe in you and your great potential, but I really doubt that-“

“I'll have to prepare my article for the Ladyblog! This is gonna be the scoop of the century, Tikki!”

“Maybe we shouldn’t rush-“

“This spoiled little brat really thought she'd get away with it, huh? Thought that just 'cause she's pretty in purple I’ll have mercy? Well, think again, Marillion! Now that I know who she really is, I suddenly don’t find her attractive in the slightest!”

“Wait, you think Marillion is attractive? Why didn’t you say anything-“

“I don’t! Not anymore, at least, and even if she weren’t Chloé... She isn’t that pretty. Villainy is not her color. Oh! I gotta remember that line for when I confront her. It could be my new catchphrase.”

“Alya!”, Tikki called out with more volume than should be possible for her tiny body. Immediately her chosen fell quiet. “Alya, please think this through! We don’t have any proof of Chloé being Marillion. And her suit is created by the miraculous! Why would Marillion carry her mask around if she can make it appear with a few magic words?”

Alya scoffed.

“You don’t know her. Chloé has an Ego that thwarts the Eiffel Tower, she'd totally be the type to wear her own merch. Besides, no one ever said supervillains were smart, hm?”

“But Marillion saved Chloé, don’t you remember? When Stoneheart dropped her. They can’t be the same person, we’ve seen them together!”

“Well...” This time Alya actually paused, but soon waved it off. “Don’t you think that’s weird? First Marillion causes her to fall, then she catches her... sounds a little staged to me. She totally did that to deceive us! She's got the means, her miraculous is really op.”

“But-“

“Nah-ah. You can’t apply logic where Chloé - or magic! - is involved. But if you insist on a second opinion, I'll go and tell Nino! Oh, and I'll leave a message for Marinette.”

Tikki sighed deeply as her chosen talked on. She loved Alya with all her heart, but sometimes her creativity expressed itself in ways that weren’t always... productive. This was going to be exhausting.

“Did he just... die?”, Marinette asked, baffled by that utterly random turn of events. What a ridiculous ending!

Nooroo didn’t answer, instead he desperately shoved popcorn into his little mouth.

“Hey, are you crying?”, she gasped and moved to grab the tissues. Stubborn her Kwami shook his head, despite the obvious tears that ran down his little cheek.

“Oh, honey!”, Marinette tried to comfort him. “It's just a movie. They're okay in reality, I promise!”

“'M not shad!”, he insisted, the words muffled by the sugary popcorn in his mouth. “I kno' they're oh-righ.”

He hiccuped and hurried to take the tissue she offered, blowing his nose. His voice a little clearer now, he swallowed and rubbed his eyes.

“It's just that... he wanted to be better, didn’t he? He wanted to be good! And then, when he finally did it, he... he...”

Oh. Maybe this movie had been a bad idea after all.

“He was good now.”, she assured him. “And he was happy! For... a moment.”

Admittedly, that was a weak argument. Gosh, time to distract him.

“Maybe we should watch Pride and Prejudice next? No bad endings, I swear! Plus, the dynamic is really similar and I'm sure you'll adore Keira Knightley!”

Nooroo sniffled and looked up at her.

“Are you sure? It's almost four o’clock in the morning.”

“What?!”

A panicked glance at her phone confirmed Nooroo's statement and she all but hauled herself up the ladder to her bed.

“I’ve got school tomorrow!”, she wailed and frantically tucked herself in. “That means I'll have to get up in three hours! That means I won’t get enough sleep! That means I’ll have bags under my eyes and yawn like a hippo just when Adrien looks at me! Alya is going to think I’m a freak who stays up all night like a vampire! This is a disaster!”

“Uhm... are you sure that's going to happen?”

“With my luck? Definitely.”

Contrary to her fears, she did not wake up dead tired and embarrassed herself in front of everyone. No, she didn’t wake up at all!

Until Nooroo gently nudged her shoulder, that is, to inform her that they had overslept.

“Noooo! No, no, no!”, she all but cried as she shoved her homework into her bag and got dressed. “Damn Disney for making this many movies!”

“Marinette, you lost something!”

Eagerly Nooroo caught the note that had fallen out of her bag and gave it to her.

“It's from Alya!”, she realized and her eyes widened. “What?! She found out who the real Marillion is?”

Her Kwami gasped.

“Oh no!”

“We gotta hurry! Before she tells anyone!”

“I'm telling you, she is Marillion!”, Alya insisted and pointed at Chloé. “So what if I took a measly photo of her locker? She's a supervillain! You have to search her for her miraculous!”

Monsieur Damocles cleared his throat.

“Mademoiselle Césaire, I understand if you feel embarrassed, but that’s no reason to make such accusations. Please don’t aggravate your situation.”

“Aggravate her situation? She broke into my locker!”, Chloé - that little monster - complained. “How can it get worse than that?”

M. Damocles blinked.

“She, uhm, is kind of accusing you of terrorism?”

“What, because she called me Marillion? That’s a compliment, though not one I want to her from the likes of her. But what about my locker?! Suspend her already!”

The headmaster sighed deeply. He wasn’t paid enough to deal with these kids.

“A week of suspension, and now out of my office.”

“WHAT?!”

When Marinette entered the class, she was prepared for betrayed looks and roared accusations. Instead, everything was silent as Bustier wrote something on the blackboard. And Alya was missing.

Nervously she tapped Nino on the shoulder.

“Where is she?”, she whispered and nodded to Alya's vacated seat. Nino shook his head. “She got into a fight with the Principal because she thinks Chloé is Marillion. She's even been suspended!”

“What?!”, she yelled, but she wasn’t the only one. Adrien had been surprised as well.

After Bustier rebuked her for the disruption, Adrien leaned over to Nino as well.

“What do you mean, Chloé is Marillion?”

“That’s what Alya thinks. Crazy, huh? Not that I wouldn’t suspect Chloé of being a supervillain, but... yeah, it doesn’t make any sense.”

“That's horrible!”, Marinette murmured, masking her relief that her secret was safe. Poor Alya! “We've got to do- Ah!”

With no warning a wave of hot red anger crashed into her, searing through her brooch. She barely noticed Madame Bustier sending her to the Principal, she was already on her way out and running towards the bathroom.

“Marinette!”, Nooroo worried as she gasped in air and waited for it to pass. “Oh, this is bad. The closer your bond to a person, the stronger you feel their emotions!”

“Don’t worry about me.”, she said, the pain already receding. “Worry about Alya! She must be so hurt and we've got to help-“

She fell silent all of a sudden. Nooroo paused.

“Marinette? What happened?”

She shook her head, confused.

“It... stopped.”

Her eyes widened.

“I can’t feel her anymore.”

- - -

Any guesses what movie they watched? ;)

#miramu writes #marillion au #ml marinette #ml nooroo #ml alya #ml chloe #chloe bourgeois #alya cesaire #marinette dupain cheng #butterfly!marinette #alyanette #chlonette

336 notes · View notes

shooter-nobunagun · 4 years

Text

Quarantine UST 5

//Seriously, writing for such a sustained stretch is...unprecedented...I think I haven’t done this since the beginning of my intro into this fandom. Maybe this period of time is good for something after all.

And yes, I definitely binged my way through FF7R as soon as it came out...

The days seemed to pass in a blur; yet as Sio woke up after another night of binging Netflix with Jess, it felt like nothing had changed, either. She’d adjusted to the rhythm of her new life fairly well: sleep in until 10am or so, leisurely troop downstairs for breakfast after brushing her teeth⁠—usually Adam was already up and frying some eggs, or sometimes they picked up coffee and pastries from a local cafe⁠—clean up, then she might go for a walk outside or spent some time in the yard while catching up on emails and texts from her family and Asao-san. By then, Jess and Mahesh were usually awake, and they’d all gather again for lunch (or in the other twos’ case, brunch), and afterwards Sio usually would do her training, either by herself or under Adam’s watchful guidance. Then it was free time (which usually involved another stroll outside), dinner, sometimes a group activity, and then everybody retired to their rooms for the night.

Recently, the group started venturing out a bit more; at first it was just to the local cafe for drinks and snacks, but yesterday the group’d gone for another grocery run, this time at the farmer’s market. Even with all the restrictions in place, Sio was glad to be able to spend some time outdoors again, and picking from the wide variety of fresh produce was much more fun than going to the grocery store.

Yawing, the sniper continued lounging in her bed, absentmindedly scrolling through her texts from last night. Her parents were doing okay (actually most of Japan seemed alright by comparison) though obviously they were concerned about her health and safety. Asao-san’s latest couple of messages contained the usual news and gossip, although the last one before she signed off left the sniper blushing and covering her face.

[Asao Kaoru]: By the way, how are things with Jack-san? You two seem to be getting awfully close... (ΦωΦ)~ Did you get any more peeks in during training?

“Moou, Asao-saaaan!! I-It’s not like, that!” The sniper screeched, tugging her hair. “Jeeze, why does everybody keep assuming we’re gonna...hook up or something like that...”

Admittedly, her own brain wasn’t helping matters; at this point, she’d given up on denying her attraction towards him⁠—besides her nightly little ritual, she’d already had at least one...steamy dream involving him and no clothing. “Ugh...why do I have to make things so complicated...”

‘I just want to get to know him better, not get a crush on him! Besides, knowing him, he probably has a girlfriend waiting for him back in London. Or at least, had one...unlike me...’ A cool, good-looking guy like him who was the epitome of the tall, dark and handsome type? Sio looked down at her own flat chest, unfashionable haircut and childish face, and sighed. ‘Yeah right; I’d never stand a chance. He’s probably got way more experience and prefers girls who look like Newton...’

The thought depressed her more than she expected; even though she knew her chances were slim, and that shacking up with your platoon leader probably wasn’t the best idea, the thought of not getting any closer than just friendly teammates made her heart sink straight to the ground. ‘I know I’m just a below-average high schooler, and I don’t even have anything going for me except my e-gene; but even I can still hope, right...?’

She moped about all through her morning routine, not really bothering to fix her hair or wear anything aside from putting on a pair of shorts (why bother, it wasn’t like she was cute or anything). Walking into the quiet kitchen, she pulled out a box of cereal and some milk, sullenly eating her cold breakfast.

“Good morning, Sio dear. Oh goodness, is something the matter? You’re looking awfully peaked...you don’t feel ill, do you?” Jess came down the stairs, Sio a bit surprised as it was unusual for the blonde to be up before noon. “Hmm, you don’t seem feverish...”

“Oh, good morning, Jess-san.” She heaved another sigh, not really interested in finishing the rest of her soggy bowl. “It’s, nothing...I’m not sick, I guess I just feel...”

“The quarantine blues?” The sniper nodded, and the blonde patted her shoulder sympathetically. “There there, it’s perfectly normal. Things are unprecedented, you can’t expect to keep your spirits up all the time in a situation like this.”

“Yeah, well...I guess I’m surprised I’d let it get to me. I mean, all things considered, it’s not like we’re suffering or anything. There’s a lot of people who have it way worse than us...”

‘Yeah, and here I am moping about because I have the hots for my platoon leader even though I don’t stand a chance...’

Jess nodded in sympathy. “Definitely, I can see that. But you know, that doesn’t mean you can’t feel bad, either. I can’t say the past week has been much of a vacation, despite what Mahesh likes to claim. Feeling down about everything that’s been going on is understandable, and it isn’t healthy to pretend otherwise.”

“True...thanks, Jess-san...um, I guess it does feel a little better to talk about it.” Sio stirred her cereal a bit, surprised that she was finally having a true conversation with the blonde that didn’t involve a fear of tongues and kisses (mostly).

“Of course, dear. I apologize for my earlier behaviors...but I am still serious when I say I do want to be there for you, should you ever want another ear,” the blonde smiled kindly at the younger girl. “By the way, where is Adam? Don’t tell me he’s still asleep?”

“Eh? Adam-san...uh, I dunno. He’s usually here by the time I wake up, so...” Sio shrugged. “It’s not like I checked his room, but maybe he went out for something?”

As if on cue the front door unlocked, both girls turning around as Adam walked in, bag in one hand and a tray of drinks in the other. Sio rushed out to the foyer to help him unload and disinfect the door, keys, etc.

“Speak of the devil; we were just wondering about you,” Jess commented as Adam finally took his seat at the table. “New place this time?”

“Yeh; was checking out local places online yesterday and thought this might be a nice change of pace.” He passed out the drinks; only Mahesh’s chai latte remained untouched as the trio started unwrapping pastries and other baked goods. “Ogura, you’re alright with tea, correct? They didn’t seem to have anything like sencha, but I got jasmine, if that’s okay.”

“Oh, yes please; and thank you, Adam-san. You could’ve waited for us to get up,” Sio offered as she took a sip of her beverage. “I kinda feel bad for making you go all by yourself...”

“Eh, it’s fine. Even I like taking a break from cookin’ once in a while.” Their leader shrugged as he drank his coffee (pure black, no sugar or cream). “Besides, it’s nice to get some fresh air when it’s early in the morning. Also less folks t’ dodge...swear to god, every time we go out it’s like playing a game of Frogger...”

Sio sweatdropped, but it was true; as much as she cherished her daily walks, there was a reason why she preferred running on the treadmill. Trying to avoid other passerby who were also exercising or walking their dogs and also not getting run over by traffic... It was a good thing the yard was decently sized, and the days were slowly starting to warm up. The sniper glanced out the windows, where the golden rays were starting to bathe the garden with their yellow hues.

“Actually, I’m gonna eat out in the garden. The weather’s been so pleasant lately, might be nice for a change.” She took her tea and croissant with her; to her surprise, Adam followed. “Oh? Did you...also want to eat outside?”

“Why not; like you said, today seems to be shaping up to be pretty nice...would be a shame to spend it all indoors, again,” he gave her just a the slightest hints of a smile, and Sio felt her stomach fluttering with butterflies. Maybe she wasn’t insane for thinking it would be possible? Maybe?

“U-Um, s, so, how was the rest of the city?” She was stuttering again, much to her dismay; didn’t she get over this already?

Adam didn’t seem to notice, or at least, he didn’t comment on it. “Hm, mostly the same; not that many folks about, but all the better for me. At least we can still get takeaway and drinks.” He finished the rest of his cup. “I was surprised Jess’ up so early; usually she and Mirza sleep ‘til past noon...”

“Heh, me too.” Sio grinned as she finished her croissant. “Mm, this croissant is super flakey...so good...” If it weren’t for their training and exercise, she was sure she’d have gained at least 5 pounds by now. Even in the midst of a pandemic, San Francisco’s culinary scene did not disappoint; and that wasn’t even counting their cooking nights.

“To be honest, I’m more surprised you’ve been able to stick to a decent wake-up time every morning,” Adam teased, “considering someone always had to wake you for a morning meeting back at the Logan...”

The sniper nearly spit her tea back out. “H-Hey! Well, you’re always banging on my door every other morning anyway for some thing or other...so I figured, I might as well just save us both the trouble and get up anyway,” she pouted, cheeks tinged with pink. “Besides, those meetings were way early; if there’s one thing that’s better about this, is that I can at least sleep in a little...”

Adam smirked behind his sandwich, glad the sniper couldn’t see his face. For if she could, he was sure she’d be able to notice the warm flush spreading across his features, including his ears (mercifully hidden by his hair). She was adorable, really; the innocence of a girl, yet she was surprisingly insightful and able to see a clear line from point A to B, without being bogged down by details. ‘Not to mention that wit, when she actually works up the courage to talk back,’ he noted, recalling many of their previous conversations where she’d sparred with him using nothing but words.

Cunning, intuitive, determined and sincere; it was amazing how quickly his opinion of her changed, not just since she joined but even from the beginning of this quarantine. Hardly any of her quirks seemed detrimental now; silly at most, and charming at best. Was this what poets meant by love causing you to see everything through a rose-tinted lens? Even her appearance, which most people would probably consider average at best, gave him a flurry of feelings whenever he thought about them: large, round maroons, that cute bob with uneven bangs that could probably use a trim soon, and her slender, lithe figure... Adam swallowed and tried to turn his mind away from more lustful thoughts, but it was useless. It was obvious she was probably the most flat-chested female holder next to Geronimo, but it didn’t detract his attentions at all; if anything, he felt it suited her quite well. Once he’d caught a glimpse of those salacious photos Capa had distributed, and they gave him a bit of a shock—her willowy frame saddled with two huge water balloons that seemed to defy gravity, nevermind the fake, prancing-around poses the clones took.

All-in-all, good things definitely come in small packages, he decided. In fact, the smaller the better. Sio wasn’t that short, but her slight frame made it seem so, especially compared to him. He’d never paid attention, but Adam was sure the sniper would probably be just the right size for spooning, cuddled between his arms and those petite breasts could fit just right in his palms—

‘Hoo boy, stop right there Adam; you should not be thinking of your fellow holder in such a manner...’ But even his inner consciousness sounded half-hearted, as if it were just repeating things because that’s what was expected. And maybe it was right; even now, he still quarreled with himself on whether or not he should even pursue anything beyond friendly camaraderie with the girl. Her ambiguous feelings towards him aside, what if they got in trouble? What if it ended up interfering with their duties as e-gene holders? Or worse yet, what if it didn’t work out and the subsequent fallout ended up destroying their entire platoon?

“Adam-san?” He jerked up at her voice, having been lost in his own turmoil for the past couple of minutes. “Are you okay? You seem kind of...glum.”

You’re not wrong there, he almost said, but only shook his head. “Nah; just thinking about...stuff.”

The sniper nodded. “Yeah, I get that...I’ve been, kinda thinking on a lot of stuff too...”

Now it was Adam’s turn to be surprised. “Oh? Somethin’ else botherin’ you lately?”

“Ah uh, I mean nothing really...specific,” Sio squirmed, caught off-guard by his question. There was no way she could admit her burgeoning feelings for him. “I just...guess the whole pandemic situation is kind of getting to me, even though all things considered, this isn’t that terrible. But somehow things just feel...off.”

“Yeh, I get that too, sometimes. But I mean, this isn’t exactly a normal situation; people are sick and dying, we’re stuck in this house and still have to do our best to try and maintain a ‘normal’ life—and that’s not even counting the Objects mounting another attack at any minute.” Adam cut into the remainder of his muffin with a knife. “It’s normal to feel distressed about it—hell, I think I’d be more concerned if you weren’t...”

The sniper nodded, though she didn’t seem keen on finishing the rest of her pastries now, instead fiddling around with her fork. Adam felt a bit guilty; he hadn’t meant to ruin her nice garden breakfast with something gloomy like the virus. Especially not after they’d managed to have a normal, decent conversation.

“Hey uh, squirt? Y’know, if you need some time to yourself, you can skip your training for today,” he offered, the sniper blinking in surprise.

“Oh...I-I mean, it’s fine, you don’t have to make an exception for me; it’s not like I physically feel bad or anything...”

“Don’t worry about it; I wouldn’t want you around that equipment when you’re all distracted like this, anyway. Last thing we need is an accident,” Adam muttered. To be sure, she’d definitely improved quite a bit, but sometimes he still did worry about her.

“...Are you saying you don’t trust me to handle myself?”

“...I’m just taking precautions.”

“Hnnn...” Sio didn’t say anything more, instead sullenly sipping the rest of her tea.

Adam sighed inwardly. Why were girls so fickle to deal with at times? “...By the way, not sure if you’re interested, but one of our other care packages finally arrived, and they got our request for a game console plus some of the latest games, so...”

He didn’t finish, but Adam could tell by the way her eyes gleamed the second he mentioned the word Playstation. ‘Ah, so she’s also a gamer...’ Somehow he wasn’t surprised; it seemed natural that a military otaku would also be into video games, though he was curious if she played genres other than shooters or military sims.

“...What sort of games did they send?”

“Oh, I haven’t gone through them myself yet, but I’d assume a pretty wide variety...why, was there anything in particular you’re looking forward to?” Adam replied nonchalantly, testing out the waters. Maybe this would be a good opportunity to spend some time with her in a casual setting...

“Nothing really, but I mean, if there’s something good...” Her eyes shifted a bit over the edge of her drink, meeting his for a second before they darted back down at her plate. “I’ve been hearing a lot about Apex Legends...the guys from the Fifth Platoon are always talking about it.”

“Hm; I’m not that interested in battle royale types; I was actually thinking more along the lines of action RPG or adventure...”

They surreptitiously looked at each other for a few more seconds, before Adam suddenly got up.

“...You wanna go take a look, squirt?”

“...Okay.”

The two fast-walked back into the house, rushing by Jess who looked at the two in surprise and a yawning Mahesh, whom Adam barely had time to point to his drink—“don’t blame me if it’s cold, it’s not my fault you slept in”—and straight into the living room, where the 70-inch flatscreen sat in pristine condition, having only been used as a Netflix machine thus far. The package was still unopened, Sio carefully wiping it down first as Adam sliced the box open with ease.

“Oooh, what’s this? Looks like a headset...wait, oh my god is this one of those VR things everyone’s been talking about?” Sio’s eyes glittered with excitement as she dug around. “Wow, I wanna try it out later!”

“Let’s see, here’s the PS4,” Adam carefully set the machine up, along with its cables, “and as for games...well, looks like they did include Apex Legends, so if you want to give it a shot squirt, go ahead. Other than that...Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, whatever the latest iteration of Call of Duty is, Devil May Cry 5—that might be fun—Monster Hunter: World, and...well well,” Adam let a low whistle, “what do we have here?”

Sio looked over his shoulder, eyebrow raised as she read the title. “Final Fantasy 7...wait, isn’t this game super old?”

“Look closer, squirt; it’s the remake. I don’t know how those bastards managed to pull it off with everything that’s going on, but I know what I’ll be playing tonight.” Adam tried not to sound too eager, but it was hard; Final Fantasy VII, while already dated by the time he was old enough to enjoy video games, was still considered a classic, and he’d secretly been hoping for a chance to play it as soon as it was announced.

Sio looked on in wonder as Adam diligently set the rest of the system up. He seemed much younger for a change, almost like a puppy instead of a wolf. His boyish enthusiasm was charming, and Sio felt like she was seeing a part of his true self, for once. It made her feel warm all over, but not in a horny way; rather, it was the joy of seeing him genuinely happy for once, instead of shouldering the burden of being their leader. ‘So I was right about him being a gamer...I knew that Metal Gear Rising t-shirt was more than just a coincidence.’

“Well, I guess I know what we’re playing then...” Now that everything was finally ready, she took a seat on the couch next to Adam; both sets of eyes now glued to the giant screen as the opening sequence panned over the in-game city of Midgar, the classic theme blasting from the speakers.

Though Sio didn’t know much about the Final Fantasy series (famous as it was, she preferred her games with more bullet-hell sequences and tanks), within a few minutes she could see why it was so revered, and why Adam was so excited. Movie-quality graphics aside, the action was tightly-paced and almost non-stop, Sio getting more engrossed herself as Adam deftly controlled the action on-screen. Before either of them knew it, it was past lunchtime; the only indication any time passed at all was Sio’s stomach complaining rather loudly after Adam finally got Cloud & co. past chapter 3.

“Whoa, I didn’t know it was so...cool,” Sio sat down to their late lunch (Chinese takeout), still in a bit of a daze at her mind replayed the action sequences and storyline. “No wonder it’s so popular...”

“Oh yeh; holy hell, they did a banger of a job remaking it,” Adam dug into the boxes with relish, barely paying attention to what was going into his mouth. “Shit, the graphics, characterization, soundtrack—and the overhauled ATB system is amazing—”

“I like the characters a lot! They look so realistic...well, as realistic as anime characters can get,” Sio mused, remembering the intro with one very well-rendered Cloud Strife. “So, I’m guessing you like a lot of JRPGs then...?”

Adam nodded. “I do, but I’ll play pretty much anything, honestly. I think the only genres I don’t do are racing and puzzles.” He shook his head, emptying the rest of his plate. “You? I prefer it when the action’s hot, bonus points if it’s got a great story.”

“Uh, I don’t play that many RPGs in general, but sometimes I do if it’s really good. But uh, yeah, I...prefer shooters like Ikaruga, or Biohazard—er, I think they call it Resident Evil outside of Japan? Oh, but there was that one series that came out a while ago, and I was surprised because I also liked the plot a lot...it’s called Bioshock?”

“Somehow, I’m not surprised to hear that; a military otaku like you, would be shocked if you didn’t have some type of shoot-’em-up as your top three,” Adam smirked, Sio laughing sheepishly. “Anyway, if you wanna start your own file while I’m working out, go ahead; like I said, you should take a break today, get some time in for yourself.”

“Ah—oh, uh, okay...thanks,” Sio trailed off as Adam left, presumably to change and then train. “Well...guess I’ll try playing by myself.”

The console booted up, and soon the sniper settled into a comfy pile of cushions, learning the battle system based on what Adam was doing earlier. While years of shooters—first person and otherwise—had honed her reflexes fairly well, Sio had to admit this system of ATB, materia, and character swapping was a bit of unknown territory. Luckily the game was generous with tutorials, but she still struggled a bit against her first real boss, after the beginning section was over. She groaned as the ‘game over’ screen flashed, kneading her temples.

“Man, I thought I had it! What happened...did I not use the right skills?”

“You might wanna check your materia slots, squirt. Those’ll matter a lot in the coming battles.”

A low, husky tone breathed right next to her ear, and Sio nearly jumped out of her skin. “Aaagggh! A-Adam-san, don’t do that! You scared the crap out of me...” She protested, hugging a pillow to her chest as Adam chuckled.

“Sorry squirt, but I was curious to see how you’d do. Didn’t wanna interrupt the fight, though seems like you’re gonna need to retool your party’s materia and gear first.” When he left, Adam was curious if the girl would continue playing Final Fantasy, or pop in another game. But it seemed Cloud Strife’s fabulous chocobo-locks had worked their magic, and he returned from training to find the sniper valiantly trying to defeat the motorcycle-crazy Rosche.

“Hrrm...I don’t really know what some of these descriptions mean. Magic I get, but things like MP up? Chakra?”

“Budge up a bit there, squirt, and I’ll give you some tips.” The sniper scooted to make room for the silver-haired man, as he plopped himself onto the couch and took the controller. “First off, always get HP up; more health never hurts. And then of course, healing...”

Sio nodded, but in reality she was only half paying attention. Adam was sitting right next to her, along with those chiseled muscles still glistening with sweat as his shirt clung to those washboard abs...swallowing thickly, she forced herself to listen to his advice, but even his scent was distracting; there was sweat, but it wasn’t offensive, mixed with a rather musky odor that she couldn’t quite place...

“—and this should be a pretty good setup,” Adam finished. “Uh, squirt? Ogura?” He snapped his fingers in front of her face. “Oy, snap out of it; what’s gotten into you?

“A-Ah—huh? Hai? I-I’m, fine...” Adam raised an eyebrow, but Sio snatched the controller back before anything else happened. “Th, Thanks for the advice...I think I’ll be able to get him this time...”

Adam blinked. “...Alright. Well, good luck then.”

‘Was she checking me out?’ Though he tried not to rouse suspicion as he left, he’d definitely noticed Sio staring at more than just the screen while he’d been redoing her party members. ‘And I’m pretty sure she wasn’t randomly looking around the house.’ Oh no. The sniper definitely had a long way to go if she wanted to be more discreet about her little voyeuristic habits.

The thought of their innocent little sniper actually being not-so-innocent made him hot all over again, and Adam groaned, because he knew this was the kind of heat that couldn’t be solved with simply a cold shower.

“Bloody hell...” ----- “Well, it sure seems like you two have found your quarantine activity,” Mahesh commented at dinner that night, both the sniper and the Ripper arriving long after the food arrived. “Sorry, we just went ahead and ordered some stuff we thought you’d enjoy.” He pushed their respective bentos towards the other two. “But it’s Japanese tonight, Sio, so hopefully it’s up to your standards.”

“Mmm...oh man, it’s so nice to eat Japanese food again...” Sighing with delight, Sio eagerly dug into her chicken karaage, potato salad and white rice. “A-Ah, that’s not to say the food we’ve been getting is bad or anything, it’s been really fun to try a lot of different cuisines and taste everybody’s home cooking too...”

“This is really good; I guess they weren’t kidding about San Francisco being a melting pot,” Adam nodded in approval. “Good thing DOGOO’s footin’ the bill...I wouldn’t fancy being the one having to pay for all this.”

“Just like they’re paying for all your gaming purchases?” Jess smiled knowingly at the other two, who proceeded to turn oddly pink. “What are you two playing anyway that’s got you so engrossed? It must be good, if you two are willing to skip dinner.”

“Oh, uh, it’s the latest Final Fantasy VII Remake! I’ve never played it before, but Adam has, and then I started playing it too and it’s just so good and the battles are super cool and it’s a lot of fun to play--” Sio started gesticulating wildly, chopsticks flinging rice haphazardly and Adam had to sternly remind her to not toss food everywhere.

“Oy squirt, calm down! Say it, don’t spray it.” He muttered, flicking a piece of rice off his shirt.

“And then they even sent a VR headset! Which I’m super curious about,” Sio finally finished her bento, so they could talk without the risk of food flying about. “You guys should try it out too! I-I mean, not that I’m forcing you two to play video games if you’re not interested...”

Mahesh hummed in amusement, looking at least mildly fascinated. “I’m probably a ‘casual’ gamer by yours and Adam’s standards, but I’d be willing to try out this virtual reality deal. I wonder how it compares with Capa’s illusions...”

“Ugh, don’t remind me,” Sio grimaced, still remembering all those inappropriate pictures Capa took (and then distributed, the nerve of him). “Pervy old man...”

“Well, certainly we won’t have to worry about that. Let’s all check it out, then; Jess, you in?”

The blonde nodded, though not without conceding that gaming wasn’t really her thing, but it might be fun to watch others.

“I’m more of an analogue girl; I don’t care that much for all those flashy explosions on screen, but bring me a set of Catan or Dixit and I’ll play any day.”

Now the entire squad was circled in the living room, the large windows open for some fresh, night air. After some rigging, Adam managed to figure out how to configure an output so those who weren’t wearing the headset could see what was going on, via his laptop.

“Alright, now who’s our first lucky contestant? Sio-chan, since you seem so excited, why don’t you go first?”

The sniper squeaked, not being used to put on the spot. “M, M-Me? U-Uh, I’ve been playing a lot of games today, s-so, why don’t you or Jess try it?” She laughed nervously, hoping they wouldn’t force her to take center stage.

“Yeh Mirza, you seem awfully eager to see how it works...why don’t you give it a whirl,” Adam goaded. Those dark eyes seem to meet his in a challenge, before the Indian resolutely put on the gear.

Everybody else watched eagerly as the screen loaded up. “Whoa; I’m not going to lie, the graphics aren’t photorealistic, but it sure feels like you’re somewhere else,” Mahesh gingerly stepped around, everyone suddenly giving him a wide berth as he set up the boundaries. “Please warn me if I’m about to run into something, or someone; I can’t exactly see anything in the real world...”

“I wonder if we’ll ever get to the point where it’ll feel even more like we’re inside a different world,” Sio said quietly to Adam, as Mahesh started playing a rhythm-action game called Beat Saber. “I don’t like Capa, but I have to admit his AU weapon is incredible. When I was doing those training exercises, it really felt like I was in a jungle, or in the middle of Shibuya...”

“Maybe; but I think we’ve got a ways to go,” Adam responded dryly, arching an eyebrow as the Indian flailed his arms all over the place. “...Definitely a ways to go.”

After a couple of tracks, Adam couldn’t take it anymore; seeing Mirza’s piss-poor coordination and timing destroyed any sense of fun or pleasure from the thumping EDM/techno tracks provided by the game. “Alright, you’ve had your fun. Let me give it a try.”

“More like Adam can’t stand Mahesh butchering those songs anymore,” Jess whispered, and Sio giggled. “He doesn’t like talking about his hobbies, but I know for a fact he’s into these music-type games. Who else do you think petitioned to get that dancing revolution machine installed in the Logan’s workout room...”

Before Sio could fully realize that statement, Adam took over. He selected a track that none of them had ever heard of before, and despite this being his first time playing, immediately notched the difficulty up to Hard. “Someone’s tryin’ to show off, eh?” Mahesh teased, but that didn’t seem to deter the silver-haired man one bit. If anything, Adam was laser-focused on the track before him, slicing through the colored blocks flying past with coordinated ease, as if he’d memorized the track beforehand.

“Whoa, he’s so good...how the heck does he know where to slice and stuff? I can barely keep up with what color they are, let alone what direction to hit,” Sio murmured, staring at the neon-colored action in awe. “There’s no way...he hasn’t played this before, has he?” She watched as Adam completed another combo streak, his multiplier at the max of 8x. “What the hell...”

Mahesh shrugged. “Who knows; I don’t think so, since VR is so new, but that’s Adam for you. Always full of hidden surprises...and probably some he hasn’t even revealed yet.” The trio watched in silence until Adam finished the track, with an impressive score of A, to their fervent applause.

“Well that was an ace performance! Especially for your first try.”

“No kidding; what, can you see the blocks before they appear or something? Sure you don’t have some hidden ability to see the future?” Jess jokingly suggested, though for some reason Adam flinched a bit at the statement.

“...Ha ha, real funny. If you must know, it helps a lot when you’re familiar with the song...”

“Eh? Adam-san, so you like this type of music, huh? Electronica?”

For some reason the sniper’s question made him blush, his cheeks turning even redder than they already were from the faux-workout. “Uh, yeh...I listen to a whole bunch of stuff, just so happens I recognized this track, and uh, decided to give it a go...”

“Now now, no need to be modest! Music or not, you really are good at this type of stuff. I guess we shouldn’t be surprised, given how skilled you are on the battlefield...” Mahesh praised.

“Yeh, and it’s a good thing you’re a defender-type, not an attacker; otherwise we’d be long dead already,” Adam replied sarcastically, making a jab at the Indian’s less-than-stellar hand-eye coordination. “Anyway, I’m headin’ up; that took more out of me than I expected, and I want a quick rinse before bed. G’night.”

“Oh uh, good night, Adam-san,” Sio watched curiously as he climbed up the stairs. “I wonder if he’s upset about something...it’s not that late,” she glanced at the clock, which just hit 10:30pm. “Maybe he’s tired.”

“Or, more like someone’s just bashful. Don’t worry Sio, he’s not offended. I just don’t think he’s the type who likes being the center of attention all of a sudden,” Jess mused, as Mahesh picked up the controls again. “Ironic, considering he’s our de facto platoon leader.”

“Well, you don’t have to be outgoing to be a leader, I guess.” Sio nodded, reaffirming her thoughts. Adam was not the smoothest talker, but he had a certain charisma, especially on the battlefield. While Nobunaga’s e-gene was invaluable for strategizing, she wouldn’t deny that Adam knew how to adapt and call the shots, especially in the heat of battle. It was the same type of charisma she felt now, that inexplicably drew her towards him, despite his stoicism and sometimes abrasive words.

‘Though, he’s definitely less harsh, now. Not just his words, but the way he acts, around everybody too...’

He was a kind person, she decided. Probably just not used to letting his guard down, and Sio had a feeling that was partly due to his childhood, of being alone and having to fend for himself. ‘Kinda like me, except I’m just super awkward and terrible with talking to people in general...’

“I liked that song he played...I don’t usually listen to music without lyrics, but it’s really catchy. I kinda wanna listen to it again...” Sio pondered as the rest of the group finally decided to retire for the night.

“Why don’t you go ask him?” Sio blinked in surprise as Mahesh sidled up next to her. “He said he’d heard it before, right? Maybe he can share it with you.”

“Ah, I—uh, I don’t, wanna bother him with something trivial like that...” She laughed nervously, though Mahesh simply winked at her. She stopped short of the attic staircase right before the room, and looked up. The door was already closed, and he was probably already asleep, but Mahesh’s suggestion repeated itself in her mind.

‘Actually, maybe I will...after all, why not. I’ll ask him tomorrow...what kind of music he likes...’

If she was lucky, maybe he’d even offer to let her listen to some. Flushing hotly at the thought, Sio quickly went into her room and dove underneath the covers.

‘Ah Sio...what are you getting yourself into now...’

#documentation #//herp #//yay video game #//also beat saber lol

2 notes · View notes

isitgintimeyet · 5 years

Text

The Ties That Bind

AO3

Thanks for reading. Hope you enjoy. No t many chapters to go now.

Thanks to @mo-nighean-rouge for the beta and support

Chapter 28: A Waiting Game

The more Susan waited, the more the doorbell didn't ring. Or the phone.― Douglas Adams, Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency

“Hello, Jamie. It’s Isobel. How are you? Just wondered how you and Claire are doing? We haven’t spoken since before Christmas.”

“No’ too bad, Isobel. How’s yerself? Listen, come round fer brunch this Sunday, if ye fancy it. John’s comin’ too.”

“Gosh, thanks. I’d like that. I haven’t seen John for ages… wait… you’re not planning on cooking are you? Can Claire cook?”

“Weel, she can make a bacon sandwich and fry an egg.”

“Without setting the fire alarm off? That’s an improvement on you then, Jamie. Do you remember that time at university when you…”

“Aye, so we’ll be seein’ ye on Sunday then. ‘Bout eleven? Bye Isobel.”

******

“Sassenach…”

Jamie stretched out in bed, impatient for Claire to come and join him. The sounds of her bedtime routine filtered through the closed en suite bathroom door as she applied her various wee creams and potions to her face before cleaning her teeth. She didn’t really need to bother with them but he loved how she would slide into bed next to him, her skin still moist from her ministrations, her neck smelling delicately of rose and almond. And when she lifted her hands to his face, the scent of lavender would fill his nostrils.

“Sassenach…” He called her again. “I’ve asked Isobel fer brunch on Sunday as well. That’ll be ok?”

The door opened and Claire stuck her head out, her hair tied up with a scrunchy and cheeks pink from scrubbing. “Fine with me. Just need to buy a couple more croissants… wait, you’re not trying to match John and Isobel are you? I mean you know them better than I do, but I think that would be a hopeless challenge.”

Jamie snorted with laughter as Claire’s head disappeared back into the bathroom. “Nah, jes’ thought it would be a good catch up fer us all. I’m goin’ tae have tae rely on Isobel more over the next few weeks, ye ken. Now, woman, are ye no’ finished in there wi’ all yer potions and such? Yer man is awfa lonesome in here.”

The ping of his phone distracted Jamie from his solitary status. He quickly opened his message. “Christ!” He exclaimed.

Alarmed, Claire rushed into the bedroom, settling herself beside him. “What’s the matter, love? It’s not the baby, is it? It’s too early.”

Jamie shook his head and hesitated for a moment before speaking. “I’m no’ hidin’ this from ye. Trust me...Geneva’s sent me some photos.”

Noticing the look of alarm on Claire’s face, he quickly added. “They’re of Geneva...jes’ her.”

“Can I see?”

“Do ye really want tae?” Jamie asked before passing the phone to Claire as she nodded.

The image on the screen was a studio portrait proof of Geneva - a very pregnant and very naked Geneva - her modesty only protected by an arm barely covering her nipples and a strategically bent leg. A second image, from behind showed no hint of a baby bump, just her elegant profile and shapely back descending to two perfectly placed dimples above the cleft of her buttocks. Claire’s initial reaction on seeing the pictures was a blend of jealousy and admiration mixed with a tinge of inadequacy.

“I have to say, Jamie, I think they are beautiful. Being able to have that memory of your baby must be very special to treasure. I think I would do that… if it were me…” Claire tailed off.

“Aye, I ken that, but this is Geneva. I think ye’re too generous, Sassenach. She’s no’ sent them to me fer no reason. This is another attempt of hers tae play happy families. I canna be doin’ wi’ it. Jes’ delete them, would ye? I dinna want tae even look at them.”

As requested, Claire pressed delete. Jamie pulled her closer to him, inhaling her scent and slowly unzipping her onesie, his phone discarded on the pillow. His hand snaked inside and underneath her vest, its gentle strokes making her squirm and bring her body even tighter against his.

With his mouth warm against her ear, he whispered, “When it’s ye that’s carryin’ our bairn, I will take as many photos as ye like and will cherish each and every one of them… because it’s ye and me and our love.”

Claire looked into his deep blue eyes. “Oh, Jamie, I do love you.”

********

“Sassenach, are ye sure ye dinna want me tae try ma hand at some drop scones? We have everything we need in the cupboards.”

Claire brushed past Jamie, playfully pushing him out of her way and towards the kitchen door. “Nooo!” She said laughing. “We want a stress free time. I can manage scrambled eggs with smoked salmon and make sourdough toast without burning. We have plenty of croissants and pastries. Make the coffee, you do it so well… and the washing up!”

Only pausing to fondle her arse, Jamie left the kitchen. Claire could hear him in the living room pottering around. Her guess that he was looking for some background music was proved correct as Biffy Clyro poured through the speakers set up in all the downstairs rooms. The sound of the doorbell interrupted Jamie’s tuneless singalong.

Claire ventured out of the kitchen to greet John and Isobel as Jamie gathered up coats and bottles. After the general exchange of hugs and greetings had died down, Claire excused herself to continue with the (minimal) preparations, while Jamie was left in charge of mixing up the Buck’s Fizz. Isobel followed Claire into the kitchen.

“Can I lend a hand? Anything you want me to do?” Isobel offered.

Claire shook her head. “Not much to do, just need to make the scrambled eggs and some toast. Even I can manage that.”

“Well that’s more than Jamie can do. I remember when he was at university, one evening, he…”

“Och, what’s all this then? Gossiping in here? What are ye doin’ tae me, Isobel?” Jamie handed them both a glass with a smile. “I dinna tell all yer secrets now, do I?”

******

To Claire’s relief, brunch had gone surprisingly well. By no means a natural cook, she had always worried in the kitchen and had often been made to feel inadequate when preparing food for Frank and the occasional guest. But she hadn’t burnt anything, everyone had eaten their fill and now she could relax with a large cup of coffee dutifully prepared by Jamie.

“Thanks to our hostess for this brunch.” John raised his mug in a toast to Claire. “So, is this official? Are you two living together now?”

“No…” Claire and Jamie responded in unison.

“Well,” John continued. “When were you last at your place, Claire?”

“Yesterday.” Claire said emphatically.

“Hmm. For how long?”

Claire suddenly found the contents of her coffee cup remarkably interesting. “Er, about an hour…”

“And before that?”

“I ken what ye’re gettin’ at, John, ever the lawyer. And, aye, we are together most of the time. But it’s no’ ‘official’, as ye call it. We canna rock the boat at the moment. Until Geneva’s had the bairn and ma name is on the birth certificate, we have tae be careful.”

“And you genuinely believe Jamie is the father?” John asked Isobel.

Isobel considered the question. “I really do. Once she saw Jamie again at the wedding, she told me this was her second chance. Even when he told her it wouldn’t work, she still believed he’d come back, that the split was temporary. She wouldn’t have risked that.”

“She’s no’ finished playin’ her games though, has she?” Jamie turned to Isobel.

Isobel thought for a moment before responding. “I’m not sure, Jamie. She doesn’t tell me what she’s about to do. She thinks I’ll disapprove of her ideas, or try to talk her out of them. Not that she listens to me. You saw the photos, I take it?”

John looked quizzically over to Jamie who answered his gaze with an almost imperceptible shake of the head.

“Aye, we saw the photos,” Jamie replied to Isobel. “And then we deleted them…”

“I know. I did try to tell her not to send them to you, but she went ahead anyway. You didn’t respond with a flurry of compliments and she went into a massive sulk. She found a game she can’t win, no matter what tactic she tries. It’s not like when she wanted a pony, or a skiing holiday, or a new car. This is something that Mummy can’t fix for her, though I know she’s tried.”

Jamie nodded at the recollection of Mrs. Dunsany storming into this house demanding that he “do the right thing” by her daughter.

“Aye, I think in days gone by I’d have been marched off tae the kirk wi’ a shotgun at ma back. I ken I’m no’ popular wi’ yer mother, but ye think I’m ‘doin’ the right thing’ by yer sister, do ye no’?”

“I do, Jamie. I think part of it with Geneva now is the challenge of being told no. Everything’s been given so easily to her and she wants to win so badly.”

Jamie reached across the table, covering Isobel’s hand with his own. “Ye’re a real treasure, ye ken, Isobel. Claire and I both would be lost in this situation wi’out ye.”

Smiling, Claire nodded in agreement.

“So, what’s next in this situation?” John asked. “Have you discussed the birth? Not long to go now.”

“Well, for once we’re all in agreement. Geneva doesn’t want Jamie around during the delivery… which is just as well as he doesn’t want to be there either.”

Claire laughed. “She probably doesn’t want him to see her looking less than her usual immaculate self. I’m surprised, though, that she’s not having an elective caesarean.”

“Actually that was the original plan but she wasn’t convinced that the surgeon would do a good enough job with the scar, so it’s a normal delivery if possible. I’ve agreed to be her birthing partner. So I’m going to ring Jamie when Geneva’s in labour, and then when the baby is born and he can come and visit.”

John looked across at Claire, suddenly silent, gazing into the depths of her coffee cup. Her fingers stroked the delicate necklace nestled at the base of her throat.

He knew all too well what she must be feeling - the pang of sadness and envy as someone else was about to share special experiences and memories with Jamie. Experiences that he could not be part of. He wanted to reassure her, explain that she could live with these feelings, accept them, bottle them up even, for years, until they became part of the fabric of everyday life, just like him. He was the master at that. And he also knew he could never share any of this with Claire.

“More coffee, anyone?” Claire pushed her chair back and headed to the kitchen in search of a distraction.

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

As Geneva’s due date grew closer, Claire found herself becoming more and more anxious and tense. She had to make a conscious effort not to flinch every time she heard Jamie’s phone signal the arrival of a text.

It was a nervous time for Jamie, preparing to meet his son, but to Claire it marked the end of a part of their relationship. The little insular bubble that they had been living in for the past eight months was about to burst and then there would always be other considerations, other demands on Jamie’s time.

To compensate, Claire tried to throw herself wholeheartedly into the plans Jamie was making. She spent a weekend with him carefully decorating a spare bedroom, turning it into a nursery fit for his son. She spent hours looking at cots, changing stations and nursery furniture, helping Jamie decide which to buy. She even helped him select a suitable gift for Geneva. Actually, more than helped, she created the gift, buying a large wicker hamper and filling it with carefully selected goodies for mother and baby - the softest cashmere baby blanket, the cutest teddy, vests, babygros, memory books and a huge selection of Neal’s Yard aromatherapy products for mother and baby. The kind of gift, in fact, that Claire herself would love to receive, if it were her...

Jamie’s heart filled as he saw Claire so involved in the plans for his child. He loved and admired her so much. He recognised that this was a difficult time for her and yet she was there, by his side, supporting and loving him. He tried to take time to reassure her, show her what she meant to him.

His regret was simple. He didn’t wish his son away, not now, he knew that he would love him and cherish him. No, he wished that it was Claire carrying this child, that they were making all the preparations together for their bairn.

It would be their turn, together, in the not too distant future, he hoped.

**********

Jamie watched from the doorway as Claire, seemingly unaware of his presence, opened drawers and cupboards, putting away some of their latest purchases and hand-me-downs from Wee Jamie. He crept up behind her, resting his chin on her shoulder.

“How can ye do this?” he asked.

“Well, this stuff Jenny gave for the baby needed to be put away and so…”

“Nah, I dinna mean that. I mean, being here, supporting me… loving me.”

“Say it was me.” Jamie looked confused as Claire continued. “Say I was the one who had a child when we met, would you have still wanted a relationship?”

“Aye, I get what ye're saying. But Geneva as part of the package? That would be enough tae try the patience of a saint.”

“Well, what about if Frank was part of the package, what would you do?”

“I dinna ken,” Jamie admitted. “Mebbe punch him?”

“Well, I’m sure Geneva would love that, if I hit her… she could make me out as the evil homewrecker, charge me with assault, who knows? No, she wants me to react, create a scene… so the nicer I am, the more frustrating for her.”

Claire turned around to face Jamie. “You know, for months I hated Geneva, despised her for what she is doing. But not now.”

“Ye dinna hate her?” Jamie looked surprised.

Claire shook her head. “No. Look at the little games she's playing… getting more and more desperate and obvious. It's just sad, pathetic really. So no, no I don't hate her. I pity her.”

“Ye pity Geneva. God, she'd hate that.”

“I know.” Claire said happily.

********

For Jamie and Claire, Saturday night meant a takeaway curry, samosas, bhajis and a stack of poppadoms, all washed down with a couple of bottles of Indian beer. Perched on the sofa, watching the television, they had just started eating when Jamie’s phone rang.

Nervously, he answered. Claire listened intently to his side of the conversation.

“Hi… hello… Isobel.”

“Ok… everything ok?”

“Aye… like a torrent, ye say?”

“Thanks… keep me posted.”

“Oh, and Isobel, please wish her well from me. I dinna ken what else tae say. Bye…”

Jamie turned to Claire, his food now forgotten. “Ye ken what that was, Sassenach, I take it.”

Claire nodded and took his hands, now slightly trembling, in hers.

“Isobel says her waters broke and she’s started wi’ the pains, so they rang the hospital who said tae go in. She’s only early stages yet, so a long ways tae go. Isobel’ll ring when there’s news.”

Jamie pulled Claire close and kissed her soundly on the lips. Despite his nervousness, she could see the excitement in his eyes.

“Christ, Sassenach, a baby… my son.”

#outlander fanfic #outlander fan fiction #the ties that bind #chapter 28 #Jamie Fraser #claire beauchamp

55 notes · View notes

southernxwolf · 5 years

Photo

TASK #19: THE INSTITUTE INTERVIEWS

@skyler-campbell

Qhuinn Qhuinn was excited about the project with Skyler. Even though she wasn't technically a student and didn't have to participate in things like this, she enjoyed it. As long as they didn't come with some kind of evil twist. And she assumed that this one didn't, as what could the school possibly fuck up about an interview? Maybe she was being naive, but it seemed like a perfectly safe thing. So she and Sky settled on a date and decided to meet at her house. After getting her questions together and making sure there were plenty of drinks and snacks to get them through the day, as well as new toys to amuse Remus and Luna, she settled down to wait to Sky to get there.

Skyler Skyler was always ready to spend time with Qhuinn, and this was no exception. The interview seemed like a fun thing to do, and she wasn’t at all nervous or wary. This was Qhuinn, after all she was someone that Skyler considered a best friend, and she trusted her immensely. She had slid into a comfy pair of camouflage sweats and a T-shirt she’d ordered with a picture of Doc on it, flipping his upper lip upwards. She arrived at Qhuinn’s, knocking on the door, bouncing gently on the balls of her feet.

Qhuinn Per usual, Remus's bark preceded any knock that she got to her door. Grinning, she got up and ruffled his thick white fur, the made her way to the front door. So far today had been a good day, and she hoped that things stayed that way so that she could enjoy her time with Sky. "Who is it? Huh boy? Who do you think?" She asked the Samoyed, as he bounded at her side. Opening the door, she greeted Skyler with a grin and a hug, chuckling at her shirt. "Oh my god, that's great. C'mon in!"

Skyler Skyler beamed at her friend, returning the hug, before stepping inside. “Hey!” She giggled. “And, thanks. I thought it was pretty perfect,” she teased. She of course, then had to run her fingers over the Samoyed’s fur. “Hello, to you, too, handsome,” she giggled. “I do hope you have snacks,” she teased Qhuinn. “Preferably something sweet. Maybe, some chocolate? Yes?” She giggled. “How’ve you been? And, thanks for doing this with me!”

Qhuinn "It's hysterical, makes me want to get something with my goofball's faces on it too" Qhuinn laughed, giving the blonde one more squeeze then leading her into the kitchen. Where a small but tasty little spread was laid out. "But of course! I've got chicken salad and croissants if we want sandwiches, some pretzel bites with beer cheese, and of course some cupcakes and brownies, which should take care of the chocolate thing" She teased. "I've also got some lemonade, and we can make margaritas and order pizza if this goes into the night" Qhuinn grinned. "Oh I've been good thanks! What about you, how's Dom?"

Skyler “You should!” She laughed. “We can be horse twins.” She grinned widely as Qhuinn listed off everything she had ready. “This is why we’re friends,” she teased. “You’re all kinds of prepared! I could start with a sandwich and lemonade, for sure. But, don’t doubt for a second that I’m not going to try everything,” she teased. “I’m good, too! Dom is really good. I’m so happy, and it’s nice to just feel like I’ve got a home again, you know?”

Qhuinn "And we could get one for Emilia too! The horse sisters" She giggled, of course instantly loving the idea. It would suit them all perfectly. "Well, you know nothing makes me happier than feeding everyone" Qhuinn smiled widely, taking two plates and handing one to Skyler. She put a sandwich and cookie on her own. Her appetite was actually good that day, but she didn't want to make herself sleepy by eating too much. Today she needed to alert. "That's so good to hear, I'm glad that you're safe and happy with him. He's a really good guy. But I know I don't have to tell you that" She teased.

Skyler: “That would be amazing!” She grinned. “Everyone would be jealous, I’m sure,” she giggled. She took her plate, and smiled. “Thank you,” she said, before finding a good spot to take a seat. “And, yes. He is. I feel as though I’m very lucky,” she grinned. She took a bite of her sandwich, humming happily. “This is amazing,” she giggled. “I almost forgot why I came here. Almost,” she teased, before opening her bag, and pulling out her pen and paper.

Qhuinn: "You're both lucky to have each other. I know how hard it was for you when Griff left, and if I'm not mistaken Dom lost someone too didn't he?" Qhuinn asked, taking a bite of her own sandwich. She already has a nice long tumbler of iced coffee next to her but took a lemonade as well. "It's good to see you two taking care of each other. Plus..the sex must be phenomenal" She giggled teasingly. When Sky took out her pen and paper, Qhuinn smiled brightly. "Ah yes! Gotta remember to mix work and play" She giggled, firing up the laptop that was on the table. "Do you wanna go first? We can take turns, alternate questions?" She suggested.

Skyler:“I feel the same,” she agreed, nodding. “I try real hard not to take what I have for granted. If losing Griff taught me anything, it was to cherish the good things, you know? I know he wouldn’t want me to be lonely and sad or anything like that.” She smiles softly at her friend. Then, she burst into giggles. “Oh, yes. The sex is definitely phenomenal,” she said. “There are zero complaints there,” she grinned. “Now, you better not turn this into a twenty questions, sex version,” she teased, giggling harder. She nodded, and grinned. “That sounds fair,” she said, before humming a little. “Okay, first question, then. “Do you have a song that you really relate to? If so, why?”

Qhuinn: Qhuinn's gaze lowered at that, and she nodded with a sad smile. "I know. When Clay left, I didn't know what to do. But I got through it, with friends like you. And now he's back! Maybe one day, you and Griff will cross paths again too" She mused, reaching across the table and giving Sky's hand a squeeze as they laughed. "Oh..I can only imagine. Dom looks like he would know how to show a girl a good time in bed" She grinned, before they both decided to get down to business. With she and Sky though, she was sure there would be much more laughter. "Ooooh...that's a good one!" Qhuinn tapped her lips and thought for a moment, then smiled a bit. "Shake it Out, by Florence + the Machine. I've, you know..been through a lot in the last decade. Losing my family, being bit, and..what happened to me with that. And even though I try to stay strong and positive and more forward..I have a really hard time letting go of the past. It's something that I need to work on. But we're all a work in progress, right?" Qhuinn laughed lightly, before things got too dark already.

"Okay, my turn! 'Of all your memories, which stands out most clearly?''

Skyler: Skyler nodded, obviously understanding what her friend was saying. “I firmly believe everything happens for a reason. Even the crappy stuff makes us stronger, you know?” She smiled softly. A real laugh escaped, though, at her next words. “Oh, you’ve got that right,” she teased, giggling. “Dom is a fitting name,” she smirked. At her response to the question, Skyler took down some notes, smiling (if a bit sadly) at Qhuinn. “That’s amazing,” she murmured. “And, you’re right. We are all works in progress. Our past or present are not things we should be ashamed of.” She smiled softly at her.

“Oh, gosh. This will be a surprise, I’m sure,” she laughed. “But, my first riding lesson. I’ve always loved horses, but it wasn’t until I learned to actually ride, that I realized just how freeing it could be! It’s my happy place,” she smiled.

Qhuinn: "Yeah, I like to think that too. I may not feel stronger some days, but I know that I am. I feel like I've grown a lot as a wolf and a woman in the last few years" Qhuinn nodded, then laughed as well. "Oh yeah? Now that sounds like a story there. I may have to ask you a few more questions for extra credit" She teased. When she caught the hint of sadness to Sky's smile, she reached over and gave the woman's hand another squeeze. "You're right about that. I'm not saying I'm perfect, because I'm far from it. And I have done things that I'm ashamed of. But I can at least say that I've learned from them"

Qhuinn smiled widely at Sky's answer. "Oh yeah..that is so you" She teased. "I think that's wonderful though, and I can totally relate" She giggled. "So what's my next question!"

Skyler:“Well, if it means anything, you’re one of the strongest women that I know,”

She smiled. She laughed out loud at Qhuinn’s teasing. “Naughty wolf!” She teased right back, shaking her head. “And, don’t you worry. None of us are perfect, but I like our imperfections. Makes us more interesting,” she shrugged.

“Oh, yes! I got sidetracked,” she laughed. “I blame the horse talk. Okay. Who was your best friend growing up? Do you still keep in touch? If you lost touch, what happened?”

Qhuinn: Qhuinn flushed a little at that. She never thought of herself as strong, or at least not as strong as she could have been. So it was always nice to hear when others found her that way. She blushed and giggled when Sky called her naughty, but didn’t deny it. Dom was a sexy man, and the two of them had had their share of flirtations. “Yeah, they really do. Plus I’m the last person to judge anyone for their imperfections” Qhuinn laughed when Sky said that she got sidetracked, sure that that was going to happen to them both through the day.

“Well, it was a great answer” She agreed, then tilted her head as she contemplated her next question. “I think..my younger sister Meghan was my best friend. I had other friends but no one seemed to get me the way that she did. She died when I was fifteen though but..I like to think that we’re still close. I still talk to her a lot” Qhuinn explained, her smile soft. She was quiet for a moment, then gave Sky a brighter smile. “So! When you were young, what did you dream your future would look like?”

Skyler: Skyler giggled, grinning at her friend. She knew there was a reason the two of them always got along. It seemed to her, that they had some very similar world views. It had always been easy for her to connect with Qhuinn, and she had always been glad that they had become friends. She listened to her talk about her sister, and she smiled softly. “She sounds like she was an amazing woman,” she said. “And, I guarantee you that she hears everything you say.” She wasn’t a very religious person, by any means, but she did like to think that those who passed, weren’t truly gone.

Skyler laughed a little at the next question. “Well, that may depend on how young we’re talking, but I went through a period where I thought I’d be an Olympic rider. Granted, they dream started off including a unicorn, which was before I knew about supernaturals,” she laughed. “But, I suppose it’s kind of changed throughout the years, as life has happened. But, I’ve always thought I’d end up doing something with people. I’m a social being, and I’ve always wanted to make a difference somehow.” She shrugged, smiling. “Your turn. If you could change one life changing experience, which one would it be and why?”

Qhuinn: “Thanks Sky..that really means a lot. I know some may think that it’s unhealthy that I still talk and write to her, because it’s like..I’m not letting her go or something. But I have. I know she’s gone, I know that talking to her isn’t going to bring her back. But it makes me feel at peace, like she really is hearing me” Qhuinn smiled gently at the blonde, not at all surprised that her friend understood. They always had seemed to get each other.

Qhuinn was quiet and let her friend formulate her thoughts on her next question, but she couldn’t hold back her laughter at the unicorn part. “An Olympic unicorn rider..I like it” She teased. “I think you could totally make that a thing. But you will make a difference Sky. You’re an amazing person, how could you not!” Qhuinn smiled brightly, then contemplated her next question. “I wish..that I would have fought harder to save Jackson. I know that he had gone feral but..I can’t help but wonder if I could have helped him if I had had more time. I miss him a lot, I loved him even though I know that I probably shouldn’t have. God..everything that I’ve said has been such a downer! You sure you don’t want another partner?” Qhuinn laughed softly, shaking her head. She cleared her throat and took a sip of her lemonade, giving herself a minute before she gave Sky her next question.

“Tell me about your family. Do you have siblings? If so, are you close to them? Do you have a good relationship with your parents?”

Skyler: “I really could, couldn’t I?” She giggled. “I could be the best Olympic unicorn rider, ever,” she giggled. She grinned a little at her friend’s words, nodding. “Well, thank you!” She said. “I really do try. I won’t say I’ll be the next president or something, but if I can help at least one person, I’ll be happy.”

She listened to Qhuinn’s words, and smiled softly. “If I know anything, I know this: you do everything you can for people you care about. And, I think that’s what matters most. No one can say that you don’t try,” she said softly. “And, no. I’m glad I have you,” she said matter-of-factly.

“I don’t have siblings,” she said. “As for my parents? Well, it’s my turn to be a downer,” she chucked. “I was close to my mom, but about the time my abilities hit, she took off and never looked back. And, my dad? He doesn’t get it. And his love is very conditional. He’s actually why I ended up a slave here. He cut me off, because I didn’t do what he wanted.” She shrugged a little. “I like to think my real family is the one I make,” she said.

“As for you, when was the happiest moment in your life?”

Qhuinn: “Okay, if that isn’t an actual category, it should be. With all of the unicorn stuff cropping up in the last few years? They could make a killing! Get with it, Olympics!” Qhuinn giggled too, thoroughly enjoying their time. In spite of the downs of some of their answers. Life wasn’t always sunshine and rainbows, and she was grateful to have someone like Sky to celebrate the good times and bad. “Hey, if you ever do run for President, you can count on my vote. And you’re totally right. I get hard on myself, because I’m supposed to be so ‘powerful’. But I feel like I don’t do enough. I do what I can though, always” She murmured, glad that the other understood.

Why Sky started to speak, Qhuinn could tell from the woman’s aura that it wasn’t going to be a happy answer. Reaching across the table, she took her friend’s hand a gave it a gentle squeeze, then began to type. “I..can relate to a lot of that. And I’m so sorry that it happened to you Sky, you didn’t deserve any of that. I couldn’t agree more though, I found my family here too. Like you” She grinned, then laughed lightly at the happy question. “Oh you’ll like this one! It’s the day that Meghan and I were given our horses. To this day, I still don’t know how our dad got them and why. But..I felt like it was the first time they actually saw me, and knew what I needed. Absinthe was my best friend and the best gift I could have ever been given. I miss her, and Meg’s horse too” She smiled softly.

“So! Are you more of an idealist or a cynic? An optimist or a pessimist?”

Skyler: “Well, I’m glad I got at least one vote,” she giggled, grinning widely at her friend. “And, you do plenty. I promise. You do so much more than many around here, and that counts for so much.”

Skyler smiled at her friend, and squeezed her hand back. “Thank you. I know that’s true, but it still hurts. I get envious of those whose parents love their kids unconditionally, because I feel like that’s the way it’s supposed to be. But, on the other hand. I wouldn’t trade the friendships I’ve made here for anything, so I guess I have something to thank them for.”

She grinned at Qhuinn’s answer. “That sounds absolutely amazing!” She said. “I would have been ecstatic, too,” she giggled.

“I would say I’m definitely an idealist and an optimist,” she said. “I like to think the best and that anything can happen, even with all the crappy things that go on.” She smiled.

“Do you believe in true love?”

Qhuinn: “Oh I think you’d get more than that. If I know Dom, he’d find a way to vote for you like..five hundred times or something” Qhuinn laughed, giving her friend a fond look. “Thank you, that means a lot. I’ll always wish that I could do more, but I am proud that I’ve stayed true to myself for this long”

Qhuinn sighed, nodding at Sky’s words and knowing so much how her friend felt. And not just because of her abilities. They had been given shit that no kid should have to deal with. “I know what you mean. I think..when you didn’t have that growing up, it really does make you value your friends and the family that you’ve made even more. You picked them, and they picked you. That’s a pretty strong bond, right?” She pointed out, grinning at Sky’s answer. “I had a feeling you’d say that. And that’s one of the reasons why I love you” She teased, wishing that she could share her friend’s outlook a little more often.

At her question, Qhuinn’s face softened into a gentle smile. “Yeah..I do. I really, truly do. It may be confusing, and..I may still be scared to let myself go. But I’ve felt love, and I’ve been in love. And it’s truly miraculous. I miss that feeling” She admitted in a whisper.

“Okay, be honest… are you easily influenced by others?”

Skyler: “Yeah, you’re probably right about that,” she chuckled, grinning widely at her. “And, I completely agree. If anything, I’m glad I got to pick out my little family.” She smirked a little. “Well, if you thought I’d say I was a pessimist, I’d think I was doing something wrong,” she teased right back.

Skyler nodding, smiling at her friend. “Well, I think it’s the confusing and scary part of love that makes it exciting. And, I have no doubt that you’ll feel it again,” she smiled.

“Honestly? Probably, to an extent. I mean, I like to think I’m independent,” she said. “But, I’m a people pleaser, and sometimes, I find myself doing things in order to make people happy. Things I might not normally do. You know?”

“Okay, how do you manage your anger or hurt towards someone?”

Qhuinn: “I can just see it now, horses running free along the White House lawns” Qhuinn teased, holding her hands out in front of her as if clearly picturing what she was describing. Which, of course, she was. “Oh yes, absolutely. I wouldn’t expect anything else, and it’s one of the many reasons that I love you” She told the blonde sincerely, with a warm smile.

Qhuinn gave a thoughtful hum at Sky’s words, though there was really nothing exciting about knowing that someone was going to be hurt, no matter what she did. She easily shook off those thoughts though, putting her focus into her friend’s answer.

“Oh yeah..I know for sure. I think we’re a lot alike in that respect. But I think you’re far more independent than I am. And I’m so glad that Dom doesn’t try to suppress that part of you” At her question, Qhuinn let out a small laugh. “This probably won’t be any surprise but..I have a tendency to internalize a lot. Especially hurt. I just..” She sighed a little, tucking a loose wisp from her ponytail behind her ear. “I usually think that I deserve it. That I did something wrong, and deserved to be hurt. So for that reason I’m usually much faster to forgive than I should be. Anger can be a lot of the same. I don’t want to lash out and lose control, and to hurt someone. So I just..deal with it. Push it away. Unless you’re messing with someone that I care about, then it’s on” Qhuinn explained, with a low chuckle.

“Okay!” She took a deep breath, then smiled. “When it comes to your thoughts and feelings, are you an open book or a locked vault?”

Skyler: "Oh, my god, that would be amazing," she said, giggling. "I can see it, too. See? We were destined to be besties, if you ask me," she grinned, winking at her friend playfully.

"That's honestly something I love about him," she said thoughtfully. "He is a great dominant, and I'm proud to call him my master, but he lets me just be me, and that's something I wouldn't trade for the world, really." She bit her lip a litle bit, nodding. "Yeah, that's not surprising at all," she admitted. "I think we're a lot alike in that sense, too. When it comes to protecting myself, I just keep to myself. But, when it comes to someone I love, I can be a hellbitch," she laughed.

"I think I'm a pretty open book," she said. "I mean, I won't go out and tell the world that I'm upset or whatever, but if someone asks, I don't do the I'm fine thing. And, if someone asks my opinion on something? I don't mind giving it," she laughed. "I'm not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing."

"Okay, do you have any recurring dreams, and do you think they mean anything?" she asked curiously.

Qhuinn: “It would certainly add some fun to the place. That’s it, you have to run now. You can’t get me all excited then change your mind” Qhuinn giggled, loving all of the stuff that they had in common. Even if they were qualities that she didn’t like about herself. Skyler carried them with strength and grace, and made her feel a little less alone. “That makes me so happy. You have such a spirit, and it would break my heart to see someone try to squash it. That would be one of the times when you would see my own hell bitch come out” She grinned. “There’s been times when..I’ve almost lost control. And it scared me, even though it was for someone that I loved” Qhuinn sighed, then grinned softly at Skyler.

“I think it’s a wonderful thing. You’re honest, but still like your privacy. I wish that I could stop the whole ‘I’m fine’ thing.” At her next question, Qhuinn gave another small smile. Sky was probably wishing she had a different partner by now..

“Yeah, I do have a few. Some are nice; when I see my sister, and get to talk to her. And others are..not so much. They’re the night that I was bit, and the night that Clay killed Jax. I think..that I reply them in my mind so much, even in my sleep, because I’m looking for what I could have done for things to have turned out differently. But I know that that’s no possible..because this is how things were supposed to be. I miss Jax..but he’s finally at peace” Qhuinn murmured, lifting her chin and giving Skyler a brave smile.

“So.. when you want something, do you dream about it or do you take action?”

Skyler: Skyler smiled, nodding. She honestly felt so lucky to have a friend like Qhuinn, and she knew she wouldn't trade their friendship for anything. "Well, let's hope we don't ever see the hell bitch," she laughed. "I like you just the way you are." She smiled, nodding. "I get that. "I'm glad, though. That you have what control you do have," she murmured.

As she listened to her friend talk about her dreams, she watched her curiously. "I mean, it makes sense. Those are big moments. I think it would be weird, if you didn't dream about them, or if you didn't think about how things might be different," she murmured. "OUr subconcious parts are very...interesting, I guess you could say," she said. "It doesn't like to just leave things be."

"Honestly? I try and take action, but more often than not, I dream about it. I tend to not have a lot of faith in myself, that I can do things on my own, for myself. Coming to this school and then choosing to stay was a huge thing for me, because it's not in my usual character."

"If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go and why?"

Qhuinn: “Oh I would totally smack a bitch for you though. You’re more than worth it” She giggled, her smile warm. Qhuinn would totally thrown down for any of her friends, and Sky was firmly in that category. “I’m glad too, even though it’s not all just me. I’ll be forever grateful to Clara though, for doing this for me. It’s nice to feel like I can semi-function like a sorta normal person” Qhuinn chuckled.

Even though she didn’t want to upset her friend, Qhuinn couldn’t stop the tears from shimmering in her eyes as she spoke of her recurring dreams. It really didn’t surprise her either that they continued to come up, and that Jax was the main link. He was her making, they shared a bond no matter what fate had had in store for him. “Yeah, that is very true. And Jax and I had a bond. I just wish..that I could somehow see that he’s okay. I want to know that he’s at peace now, you know?” Qhuinn supposed that she could have asked Mercy, but he’d put himself through enough for her.

As Skyler answered her question, she reached across the small table and hugged the blonde. “You should have more faith in yourself hon, because you’re amazing. But you know I get that.” She chuckled. “I think it makes sense though, you know, to do both. You don’t lose that desire to dream, but you stay grounded too” She mused, then looked thoughtful.

“Australia. It just seems so..wild, and interesting. Like..the perfect place to go when you just want to have as many adventures as you can handle. And that’s what I’d love. I’ve done the food study thing in Paris and Seoul, and it was amazing. But I want to just..hug a koala and learn to scuba dive and take more pictures than I’ll know what to do with” She laughed.

“What is the most beautiful thing you’ve ever seen?”

Skyler: "Awww, I feel so honored," she giggled, grinning at her friend. The image of her slapping anyone, something she wasn't sure she could get out of her head, now. She nodded as her friend continued on. She wished there was more she could do for her friend. She wished there was something she could tell her, to give her that closure. But, she wasn't one to say things just to make someone feel better, if she didn't know if it was true or not.

"Yeah, I certainly try," she said. "It's sometimes a tough line to walk, you know? I want to be spontaneous and dream big, but I don't want to lose control of the day to day stuff, too. You know?" she smiled. "I guess it's good to have a middle ground."

"Oh! Australia would be amazing," she grinned. "They've got all kinds of animals." She giggled. "If you go, I want all the kangaroo pictures you can muster," she teased.

At her question, she had to take a moment. "Oh, gosh..probably the mountains where I'm from," she said. "Especially in the spring, when the green is starting to show, but there's still snow on the tip tops. I love it," she said. "It's so pretty, and so serene."

"Okay, this is kind of morbid, but I thought it was an interesting question," she said, chuckling. "Are you afraid of death? Why or why not?"

Qhuinn: “As well you should. And I know, the idea of me slapping anyone is pretty funny isn’t it?” Qhuinn laughed as well, guessing that was what had her friend erupting into giggles. She gave her friend a grateful smile, squeezing her hand before going for a generous swig of coffee. “Yeah I totally get that. You’re one of those special people though Sky. You can easily do both” She assured her, then grinned widely.

“Oh I know! It would truly be a photographer’s dream, you know? That, or an African safari. I would be astoundingly lucky to do either” She nodded, giving Sky the time that she needed to answer her next question. And she had to smile softly at the answer. “That sounds so beautiful. If they’re anything like the mountains in Vancouver, then I would have to completely agree with that answer” She chuckled.

At Sky’s next question, Qhuinn had to give her a rueful smile. “I think you can probably tell by now that I don’t have a problem with the morbid” She laughed lightly, then chewed at her lip a little as she thought. Really though, it was a no-brainer for someone like her.

“Yeah..I do. Because I don’t want to leave the people that I love. I..feel that I have so much to live for. Love, a possible future and family with someone that I find myself finally opening up to. Maybe it’s selfish but..I don’t want to give that up. Now or ever” Qhuinn smiled softly, as she pictured Quinten’s face in her mind.

“Okay!” She laughed a little, shaking herself out of those thoughts. “Keeping with the same theme, if you knew you would die tomorrow, what would you do today?”

Skyler: "It really is," she said, giggling. "You're like the least violent person I know, so.." She trailed off a little, grinning even more.

"Oh, that would be amazing!" she said. "If you ever go on this grand adventure, I want to know all about it. And, I want to see all the pictures." She smirked a little, biting her lower lip. She couldn't help but think about what it would be like to just be able to travel around the world.

She listened to Qhuinn's answer, and she nodded. A little smile crept across her lips. She could understand completely where her friend was coming from, surprisingly enough to her. "I get that," she said, nodding. "Really, I do. There's a lot going for us here. I know I don't really want to give it up, either."

"I'd spend all day with Dom, Doc, and Edgar," she chuckled. "I'd pig out on bacon and Oreos. I would just want to remember it, you know?" she murmured. "I'd want to be with my little fam."

"Okay, I have one more for you. Do you have any secrets that not one person knows? Would you be willing to tell what it is?"

Qhuinn: “Yeah, sometimes I have to wonder if I really am a wolf. I think I’m more like a tame little lap dog” She giggled. Qhuinn knew that she really could use all of the vicious strength that her species gave her when the situation called. But she hoped that it never did.

“Oh you know you’ll be one of the first that I send pics too. And when you and Dom travel the world together one day, I want to hear all about it too” She smiled brightly. Qhuinn knew that it would happen, Sky and Dom were going to have an amazing life one day.

Qhuinn gave her friend a grateful smile when Sky unsurprisingly understood. “Yeah..there is. There’s bad, so much bad. But if you let yourself feel it, there’s also love and beauty and happiness. I’m so glad that you’ve opened yourself up to those, and found them” Qhuinn brought Sky’s hand to her lips and pressed a sisterly kiss there, then listened with soft eyes as the blonde answered her question.

“I think that’s the best answer for that kind of question. That’s all I would want to do too, just be around the people that I love” She agreed, then frowned softly at her own question. “I..do. I have two actually. There’s one that..I don’t really want to say right now. Because it’s something that I’m really struggling with, and need to come to terms with myself before I tell anyone” Qhuinn explained, then gave a smile that was glowing. “The other though..I want to shout it from the rooftops” She giggled. “I’m in love! With Quinten. And..it’s terrifying and wonderful and..everything else that love is” She let out another laugh, feeling a rush of relief at saying it out loud.

“Okay so..I have two more for you. Because I’m extra like that” She giggled. “First is, how would you describe yourself in one word? And the other is, what do you want to tell me or anyone else about you?”

Skyler: "You really are," she giggled, grinning widely. "I picture you as one of those soft, fluffy dogs. Like a spaniel or something," she grinned.

"And, of course! You will hear all the dirty details," she teased. "Along with all the fun adventures, too," she giggled. She honestly couldn't wait for such a day, and she knew it would happen someday.

"I think you're right," she said, nodding. "I do my best, and I try to just live every moment like it's the last. You know?" she smiled.

"Of course," she nodded, as her friend continued. "No pressure. You don't have to say anything, unless you want to." She smiled gently at her, but that smile quickly grew into a grin, when she spoke about Quinten. "Oh, my god! That's so exciting and wonderful. I'm so happy for you!" she said. "After this, I need to hear all the deets," she teased, giggling.

"If I could describe myself in one word, it'd be: equestrian," she said. "I know that may be cliche, but I feel like at the end of the day, that's who I am. If I couldn't ride, I don't know what I'd do. And, as for your other question.." she paused for a second. "I guess, I'd have to say, that despite my outwardly happy go lucky self, I've been through the ringer a time or two," she said. "And, I have a motto. When you get bucked off, you get right back up. It's a little silly, but I do apply that to my every day life. I work hard to not let the bad stuff tear me down, and that's why I put on the happy, silver linings side of myself," she smiled.

Qhuinn: “I always say that’s what drew me to Remus, he’s my wolf twin” She laughed, glancing over at the Samoyed with clear fondness, when he lifted his head at the sound of his name. “Oh you know I’ll want to hear everything. It’s gonna happen for you one day Sky. I may not be able to see into your future or anything, but I can promise you that much. You’re going to have an amazing life, because you deserve it” Qhuinn insisted, smiling warmly at her friend.

She gave Sky a grateful look when the woman didn’t pressure her. She adored the blonde and considered her a trusted friend, but even the ones closest to her, Quinten included, didn’t know how bad she really felt most days and how much it scared her. A soft blush replaced her brief look of worry when Sky got so excited over Quinten, and she couldn’t help but laugh.

“It is amazing! And..so scary. I think I’ve been in love with him for a long time now. I was just confused, and terrified of losing someone again. But then, this summer, we went to New York and..everything just seemed clear. I knew that I didn’t have to be scared with him. He’ll never let me fall. So I took the chance, and told him how I felt” Her tone was soft as she spoke, her gray eyes dreamy.

Qhuinn’s smile brightened as Sky answered her last questions, her approval obvious. “I don’t think that anything could suit you better. And really, that’s a motto that everyone could adopt. You wear it well” She grinned, leaning across the table to hug her friend. Looking at her laptop, she chuckled softly. “Hey I think we’re done! What do you say to margaritas? We deserve it!”

[[ Woooo we did it lol! We can wrap this up and move on to the ooc part if you want? ]]

Skyler: "Aww, yes! He totally is your wolf twin," she giggled, grinning a little bit at her friend. Her grin only grew, as Qhuinn continued on. "Well, in that case, I promise to take notes, so you don't miss out on a thing," she chuckled, biting her lip a little. She honestly believed her friend, but there were times she watched herself, because of how things had ended with Griff. She liked to prepare and protect herself.

As she spoke about Quinten, the blonde grinned even more. She couldn't hold back, and she leaned forward to give her friend a hug. "Ugh! I'm so happy for you," she said. "Really. You deserve this and so much more. I can't wait to see how you two grow together!"

"And, yes! I think it's definitely time for some margaritas and fun," she giggled. "We gotta swap all those dirty details, after all," she teased, winking at her. She smiled, putting her things away. "I'm glad we did this," she said. "Really."

Lecia: Yay I’m so proud of us, we’re doing awesome lol! Thank you so much for being the best :D So here’s my first ooc question: If you have multiple characters/OCs, who is your personal favorite?

Jenna: Me too! We got it done! Skyler is probably my favorite, even though I love all my babies. One of my first tumblr rp characters ever was a variation of her. I’ve tweaked and changed her up since then, but she holds a special place in my heart.

Are any of your muses based on real people in your life? If so, who?

Lecia: Ha that is very much like me with Qhuinn. And no, not really. I think that I have a little of myself in each of my muses, either my own qualities or qualities that I wished I had lol. I have to say though that Ciaran’s dad jokes and overall sense of humor is a bit inspired by my husband and youngest son!

Okay! Is there another AU or verse that you would like to explore with Skyler? If so, what?

Jenna: Haha I love Ciaran and his dad jokes.

This one was it, really. I hadn’t done a supernatural verse with her before, and I’m glad that I’ve been able to throw her in the middle of it, while still keeping her human.

What’s the most common thing that makes you lose muse?

Lecia: They have become quite infamous lmao. Aww that is really cool that you found a way to do both!

Hmm..there’s usually a few different reasons and they all affect me pretty equally lol. Time is a big one, if I don’t feel like I have time to dedicate to a muse, they can slip away from me. And also if I just feel like they’re stuck and not moving forward and I can’t think of anything new for them, or if for any reason I’ve had to deal with a lot of anon hate or getting crap for whatever reason lol. I’m pretty thick-skinned but stuff like that can really get to me sometimes if it gets my anxiety up.

Is your muse inspired by any other fictional character? If so, who, and what drew you to them?

Jenna: Ah, yes. I can definitely relate to that. I tend to worry if I feel like people are always waiting on me. I think a lot of RPers feel that way.

Most of my characters aren’t, but Dakota definitely is. I always loved Faith on Buffy, and never felt like the character got the attention she really deserved. So, I kind of took the idea of a misunderstood character who had a complex history of fighting between being good and bad, and came up with Dakota. That was part of why I have them make and female faces, too. As a bit of a symbol of they really haven’t fully found themselves.

What helps you strengthen muse?

Lecia: Yeah absolutely! That’s why I’m always understanding when someone worries about taking too long or having muse issues. We’re all there at some point and need to help and not hurt each other lol. And I love that! Dakota is a great character.

Character building tasks and questions help a lot, as do events because it always gives you a chance to do something new and a lot of times interact with new people. Looking for pictures/aesthetics and doing memes may seem like a small thing but they can help as well. And just talking to people can really help too, because you know you’re not alone, and others can have really good ideas that I may have never thought of!

What made you start writing this muse?

Jenna: That makes sense! I love all the memes and tasks too. It helps me figure out things I didn’t know about my characters lol.

I’ve always loved writing, and before RP, I’d have all these ideas, and nowhere to put them. I had a friend in highschool introduce me to the idea of rp and we did it together for years, before I got the confidence to join a group. Most of my muses get sparked from a basic idea, that I just want to put down somewhere and rp is a great place to let a character out, because you never know what could happen when they interact.

Do you have a muse that you’ve used in more than one RP/AU/etc. Who is it? And why them?

Lecia: That’s awesome! It really is a great creative outlet isn’t it?

Well, I do have Qhuinn, Daisy, and a version of Ciaran in another RP that I’ve been in for years but the verse is very similar and they’re the same species there too. I have had Abbi and another character who ended up being my inspiration for Qhuinn in another RP from when I started about..god seven or eight years ago lol. It was a mythical/supernatural creature based and also happened to take place at a school. This was when RP’s on Facebook were still a thing. That seems like a hundred years ago lol.

Is there anything character-wise or writing style-wise that you can’t stand?

Jenna: It is! And omg I love that you did the whole Facebook rp lol.

My biggest thing is definitely godmodding. I don’t mind a little here and there, but I’m not a fan where it turns into a character being basically indestructible or something. Character-wise, I can’t stand characters who seem too perfect, if that makes sense. Ones that can do no wrong or ones that never seem to go deeper than what they are portrayed as. I like complexity lol.

Have you always been a writer?

Lecia: Yesss I think it’s one of those stepping stones that everyone has taken until ‘graduating’ to Tumblr lmao. I totally understand that. I personally love flawed characters, both to play and interact with. If you’re already perfect then unless there’s a fall from grace, there’s no room for development lol.

In a way, yeah! I’ve always scribbled since I was little, I’d write little skits for me and my cousins to put on for our parents and grandparents lol. I never really pursued it all that much in terms of further education but I enjoyed writing little short stories through junior high and high school, and even dabbled in fan fiction before I got into RP lol.

When is the best time for you to sit down and write replies?

Jenna: Awww that’s adorable lol. I was kinda the same way. Lots of dabbling for fun, really.

I’m pretty flexible since I work from home, aside from a few days here and there, when I work for my neighbor. But, probably mid morning or mid afternoon are my least busy times, since all the animals have been fed, chores that need to be done are done by then.

Do you enjoy coming up with headcanons for your muses? Or do you find this to be a hard task?

Lecia: Hehe yeah you just have to take time when you have it, I totally get that.

I have to say a little bit of both. It can be a lot of fun and really help with muse, especially when there’s other characters involved. But then sometimes it can be really, really hard to come up with original things for six characters, and to try and make them all unique and interesting lol. If it’s something based on a specific question, like with a meme where I have some sort of direction, it is easier than just coming up with something out of the blue. Like those ‘tell me three interesting things’ or ‘what are five of your character’s quirks’? I cannot do those lmao. I really struggle to come up with something.

Do you listen to music while your write?

Jenna: Lol I know what you mean. A lot of times my quirks or whatnot, end up being very similar lol.

I do! Music helps me get into the mood for a character. I’ll listen to different types for each one. If I’m not listening to music, I’ll have something on Netflix or something. I can’t write in silence lol.

Is writing important to you, or just something to pass the time?

Lecia: Exactly! I’ve even Googled kinks and personality traits, when I get stuck lol. And same here. My house is of course never quiet, so when it is it’s unsettling and I actually can’t concentrate.

Again, I say a little bit of both! Hobbies can be important, if they’re something that you’re passionate about. Since I’ve scribbled since I was little, I would say that it’s certainly important to me lol, even though it’s not something I’m going to be making a career out of. Wouldn’t it be nice if we could be professional role players though huh lol?

How many drafts is a paralyzing amount?

Jenna: Oh my god, if we could get paid to RP, I’d be rich lmao. That would be absolutely amazing.

I don’t know that I have a set number. It kind of depends on what all is going on at the time. There have been times I sat down and did a whole bunch without a problem, and there’s times where that same amount just seemed to be too much, so I just did a couple at a time. The main thing is, I don’t want to spend all day filtering through them, and not get a chance to do other things.

Do you feel like you build relationships with those you write with?

Lecia: If only we could find a way lol. And same, I know how that is. I have a tendency to overload myself because I want to interact with as many people as I can.

Absolutely! There are some people here who I’ve known and written with for probably six years now. We’ve just stuck together and it’s wonderful! There are people who I interact with personally outside of the rp and some who I’ve even met, including Z! The rp’s that I did before I moved to Tumblr weren’t adult themed so I did write with some older teenagers, many of whom I still keep in touch with to this day and it’s amazing to watch them grow! Some are even married now and I just feel so old lmao.

How would you describe your muse to someone about to meet them, in person, for the first time? Would you like your muse as a person if you met them in real life?

Jenna: I love that! I know there are people I wouldn’t be friends with otherwise, if it hadn’t been for RP. It’s a great way to get to know people with similar interests.

That would depend on the muse. Most of them, I wouldn’t have a hard time describing, as they’re kind and fun to be around, etc. I would also like most of them. I’ve played a few though, that I probably wound lol. Raven, I wouldn’t want to know in real life, and I’ve played one other muse in a different RP that was horrid, but I think a lot of mine would be fun to meet in real life haha.

How do you tend to handle drama that starts IC, but then begins to feel more personal?

Lecia: It is wonderful, I’m so lucky to have met so many amazing people through this. More than I ever imagined lol. Haha! I get that. Grace would intimidate the crap out of me in real life.

Ohhhh man, that’s a really hard one lol. I am such a wimp, and try to avoid conflict as much as possible, sometimes sadly even to the point of doing something that doesn’t make me or my muse happy. And I’m a people pleaser too, so it breaks my heart when I upset someone, whether it be as a member or an admin. We’re all adults though and luckily things like that hasn’t happened often. But I of course try to talk it out as best as we can, and find a way to resolve things. And I try to keep in mind that sometimes things simply can’t be resolved no matter how hard you try and how much you want it, and when that happens, you have to take care of yourself and step away.

Do you enjoy putting your muse through angst? What do you think would break their heart the most?

Jenna: Yeah I get that. I like to think I can talk to everyone if there’s a problem and 99% of the time I can lol.

I love angst. I like pushing my characters to their limits and seeing what they can handle. Each of them has their limits. With Skyler, she’s a people pleaser so her biggest fear is disappointing those she cares about, so occasionally it’s nice to put her in that position lol. But that’s why when we do the event and stuff, I always sign my characters up for them. Because very rarely do they come out completely unscathed.

This is my last one lol. If you could have an unlimited number of muses in a game, how many do you think would be your limit?

Lecia: Haha I love that! And it’s very true for me as well, especially those where the muses are put under a spell. I love exploring something that’s completely out of character for my babies lol.

Ha! I think it’s pretty safe to say that I’m at my limit lol. When I used to do Facebook and Chatzy based rp’s, I could have up to ten or twelve characters. But there were no activity checks, replies could take a minute or less. There’s a lot of ways where it was much easier to have that many characters on that type of platform. But with Tumblr things are so much more detailed all around, and that makes it harder for me to have that many characters. I would definitely be in danger of neglecting someone, or people waiting on replies from me for longer than they already do lmao.

Omg!! I can’t believe we did this! Thank you so very much for being such an amazing partner. You made this so easy and it’s been an absolute joy to have you as a partner! I have one more question because I’m extra that way :P

Is there anything else that you want to add?

Jenna: Lol at least you know your limit!

Awww, I had a great time being your partner and I’m glad we got it done! It was a lot of fun hehe.

I guess the main thing, with this RP in particular, I’m so happy to be a part of it. I really feel like I’ve got the freedom to expand on my characters and do with them as I please. There seems to be minimal ooc drama but all the ic drama a player could ask for haha. Which unfortunately, is rare in the RP world lately, it seems.

#theinstitutetask #task 19 #head canon #woohoo we did it!!#you and Sky are the very best <3 #thank you so very much for such wonderful questions and for doing this with me!

1 note · View note

yume-x-hanabi · 5 years

Text

Fractured Lives, ch.2

four years overdue

Title: Fractured Lives Characters: Gaius, The Chimeriad, others Pairings: Gaius/Wingul Chapters: 2/? Summary: It won’t be like last time, Elle thought, looking at the king’s friends. They were already dead in the prime dimension, so why couldn’t she give them a second chance?

aka my “let’s save the Chimeriad” (well, at least one set of them) fix-fic, which until now I’d been unable to update because LIFE and MOTIVATION and, well, if you’ve followed me for long enough to even know this thing exists, you probably know why it took so long. Anyway, I haven’t forgotten about it, and am finally in a good place to start working on it again. idk if people are even interested anymore, i mean it’s been so long But anyway, here’s chapter two! I’d recommend viewing on external sites because Tumblr formatting is bad :p

→ AO3 (French here) → FFnet (French here)

Just like every afternoon at this time of the day, Triglav’s central station was crowded. Gaius was sitting on a bench, observing the comings-and-goings while eating a delicious chocolate croissant he had bought at one of the station’s food stalls. Now was the time school ended on the fifth day of the week—Elympions called it “sylphday,” he recalled—and the main hall was packed with students hurrying toward the platforms or taking the elevator down to the subway station. They were all impatient to go back home for a two-day break that Elympions called “week-end.” Students in Rieze Maxia also had a two-day break, which covered the first and last days of the week—in other words, the period of time when spirits’ influence changed. It was apparently Dr Howe who had proposed this tradition in his treatise on spirit artes education. According to Presa, the aim was to cut down on channeling at a time where spirits were weaker, to reduce the risk of accidents. Gaius had not immediately understood why, as he had never had any trouble channeling, whatever the day, but Wingul—who had listened to their conversation from a corner of the library—had explained that it was because he was always emitting too much mana, but that normal people, on the other hand, could feel the difference if they paid attention. At the time, he had thought that Wingul was simply making fun of him, but a recent remark from Musee seemed to indicate that he had been right after all. Unlike his two subordinates, Gaius had never really cared about the theory of spirit artes and had always trusted his instincts when he was casting spells. His artes may not have been as refined as Presa’s or precise as Wingul’s, but he had never had anything to complain about.

Gaius finished eating his snack with a smile. He often thought about his old companions. At first, remembering them had been painful. His castle seemed empty without them. His room, in particular, where he had enjoyed so many intimate moments with Wingul, now felt cold and lifeless. He had not slept well there ever since he came back from the Temporal Crossroads. But life was going on, and, with time, he was now able to think about them with a smile. He missed them all terribly, but these memories were now something he cherished.

He was pulled back from his thoughts by the ringing of his GHS. He took the device out of his pocket and opened it. The screen was showing a notification for a new message from Leia. Careful not to press on the wrong button, he opened the text message, and immediately frowned upon seeing its contents.

cya @ Luds apt asap !!!!!1!1 =O =O =O

At first, he thought that his GHS was broken, but then he recalled all the times Alvin had complained about Leia’s “text speak.” She must have sent him a coded message. If Wingul had been there, he would have most likely enjoyed trying to decipher it. Unfortunately, he was gone, and Gaius had no idea where to start. He considered calling her to ask her what she meant, but he realized that he had never called anyone by himself—Rowen was always dialing the number for him. His frustration must have been obvious, because the young Elympion who was sitting next to him while waiting for her train asked him if everything was all right.

“It’s just that thing…” he said, pointing to his GHS helplessly. “An acquaintance of mine sent me a message, but I cannot read it.”

“Let me guess… text speak, isn’t it?” she asked with a compassionate look. “Maybe I can help,” she proposed. Gaius felt she was kind of laughing at him, but he nevertheless showed her his GHS. After all, what mattered was understanding Leia’s message. Perhaps a girl her age was better suited to deciphering it.

“Oh, that’s not hard,” she told him, “It says ‘see you at Lud’s apartment as soon as possible.’ I guess Lud is someone’s name? It looks important, given the smileys…”

Lud… That was probably Ludger. And if it was important, it was probably about fractured dimensions. He hoped that nothing bad had happened. He got up and fished out a few candies from his pocket and offered them to the girl as a thanks, then walked out the station. Ludger’s apartment was fortunately not far from there, a mere 30-minute walk. On the way, he got a text from Rowen, repeating Leia’s message in correct spelling. He must have realized that letting Leia handle GHS communication was not the best idea if he wanted the message to be understood.

When he knocked on Ludger’s door, it was Leia who opened. But instead of letting him in, she went out and closed the door behind her.

“Hi Gaius. I mean, Erston. I mean…”

“Leia,” he nodded in greeting.

She looked worried and as though she did not know what to say. She was leaning on the door, her hands behind her back.

“You and Rowen texted me about an emergency. What happened?”

“Ah, well, actually… I think I should explain before you come in and…” She gestured toward the door and shrugged, an uncertain smile on her face. She took a deep breath and started talking. “So here’s what happened: Ludger and the others went to a fractured dimension. There, everything started like usual, looking for the catalyst and so on. But then, at the end, it was the same as with Milla. I mean, the other Milla, not our Milla. Do you follow me? Elle brought someone back again, except this time, it was… well…”

She did not finish her sentence and looked at him hesitantly, as if she was not sure whether she should go on. That was enough for him to understand. His heart racing, he pushed her aside and opened the apartment’s door. When he entered the room, all conversations died down.

He had gotten used to seeing them again in fractured dimensions. However, he knew that these moments were fleeting, and that they would not survive the destruction of their world. But now they were here, in Ludger’s apartment, in the prime dimension… He did not know what to think. The situation seemed so unlikely that he was expecting the world to shatter at any moment and to be pulled back to reality. But this was reality. He was not in a fractured dimension. They were there, alive, in his world. In a world that would not disappear.

Presa was lying on Ludger’s sofa, her leg bandaged. Agria was sitting on the armrest next to her, holding to her shoulder. Jiao was sitting on the carpet below them. And Wingul… Where was Wingul? Gaius looked around the room, but his right hand was nowhere to be seen. Had he not come with them?

Before he could ponder about it, Agria broke the silence.

“No way.” She started shaking Presa’s shoulder and continued in a small voice. “Presa, I think I’m dreaming. I’m seeing His Highness right there, in front of us.”

They were all looking at him with wide eyes, as though they could not believe it was him standing here before them. In truth, he probably had the same expression on his face. To his left, in the kitchen, Rowen, Ludger, Elise and Elle were looking at them awkwardly.

He wanted to speak. Say something. Call their names. Make sure they were real. Maybe laugh and cry too, but it would be unbecoming for a king to cry in public. But no word came out.

Eventually, it was Leia broke the weird mood. “I’m hungry!” she announced loudly. Everyone turned to look at her, and she reddened a bit under their gazes, but did not sway. “I’m hungry,” she repeated, giving her friends a meaningful look.

Rowen understood and sprang to action. “Oh my, it’s almost dinner time! But there are too many of us, and I doubt poor Ludger has enough ingredients in his fridge to feed us all. Come with us, Ludger, let’s go grocery shopping. I will help you cook us a little something, like one of those soups you excel at.”

“Ah, well…”

“Are you coming with us?” Leia asked the other girls.

“Oh course!” Elise answered a little too cheerfully. “Come, Elle. Let’s go shopping!”

Rowen turned to Gaius. “Please stay here and take care of our guests while we are gone. We probably won’t be back for a while,” he added with a wink.

Elle stopped before him for a moment and looked like she wanted to tell him something, but Ludger grabbed her hand and they went outside, the others following closely. When the door closed and the room was silent again, Gaius got a chair and sat down in front of them.

“So you’re from a fractured dimension…”

“Yes,” Jiao answered, “Well, at least, that’s what we were told. I must admit I don’t understand much about that dimension stuff.”

“They explained everything, but it’s a little hard to accept,” Presa told him. “We’ve lost all our marks.”

“Everything is different,” Jiao added.

“Which is proof that we are in another dimension. But I think we will need some time to adapt.”

“I understand. I imagine it must not be easy for you to be thrust into such a situation.”

Agria, who until then had stayed silent, suddenly spoke. “Is it true? Is it really you? You’re not a dream or an illusion from the bi—I mean, from Musee?”

Gaius smiled. She looked a bit shaken, but she was without a doubt the Agria he knew.

“It is really me. From the way you are addressing me, I suppose I was also your king in your dimension?” They nodded in response. “Good. This will make things easier.”

A tense silence fell over the room once more. He had so many questions for them, about the circumstances of their arrival, about their dimension, about the reason they were still alive… And they must have had many questions for him as well. After all, being taken from one’s world must not have been a fun experience. Should he tell them that they would not risk running into this world’s versions of themselves? How would they feel if they learned that they were dead in the prime dimension? Should he wait for them to ask? He did not dare speak, for fear of losing control of his own emotions. And they probably did not know what to say either. However, there was still one question he could not help to ask.

“Is it just you three, or…” He did not dare finish his sentence.

“Wingul is with us,” Presa replied at once. “He… There was a fight before we came, and he… He’s there, in the other room. That Ludger guy lent him his room. He’s just resting.”

Without a word, Gaius got up and crossed the room in a few strides. He hesitated one second before he opened the door, then entered Ludger’s room slowly, trying to calm down his pounding heart. He immediately recognized the blond strand in the mass of black hair, sticking out from under the covers. He felt joy fill his heart at this sight. The man laying on Ludger’s bed was definitely Wingul.

He silently walked to the bed and knelt down. Wingul’s face was gaunt. He was terribly skinny and so, so pale. With a shudder, Gaius recalled the year that had followed the implantation of his booster. “What happened to you?” he whispered, brushing a strand aside from his face.

Jiao, who had followed him, was the one to answer. “He had a rough year. Erm… You know, his booster. And then… Well, anyway, he’s seen better days.”

Gaius frowned. “Does he still use it?”

“Yes, sometimes. We try to limit it, but you know him, he never listens.”

That was bad news. The Wingul of the prime dimension had died because of his booster. If this Wingul kept pushing himself too far, he might end up meeting the same fate.

No, Gaius decided. Not twice. Not here.

The possibility broke his heart. It had been difficult for him to overcome the death of his partner, even if he had been expecting it in a way. And though tragic, destroying other Winguls in a fractured dimension was one thing. But watching one die here in his world was another, and he swore to do everything he could to prevent it. Even if this was not his Wingul, he was still precious to him, and he swore to protect him, whatever may lie in their future. Him, and the others too.

He would have to find a solution, but now was not the time. This Wingul needed rest. Besides, he admitted to himself, he did not really want to have to explain how fractured dimensions worked. It would be better to let the others do it. He went back to the living room, and Jiao followed him. Presa and Agria were looking at them with a questioning look.

“What happened to your leg?” he asked Presa to change the topic.

“Oh, that?” she said, pointing to her bandages. “It’s broken. I fell…”

“Yeah, right!” Agria exclaimed. Seeing Gaius’ curious look, she went on, “She flew through the air during the last battle.”

“You too, actually,” Presa retorted, irritated.

“Yeah. But I got back up no problem, unlike you.”

“I just hit the ground at a bad angle, that’s all. It’s not serious,” she told Gaius. “Leia’s a nurse—ex-nurse, apparently, Agria interjected—and she looked at it. She and Elise healed it with spirit artes. They said that Jude Mathis will come and have a look tomorrow to check if everything healed correctly, but it should be fine. I just need to rest a bit, that’s all.”

“I see.”

Gaius sat back down on his chair and decided to start addressing the main issue.

“I imagine that you would like to know how different this world is from yours, and I would like to learn more about it myself. Let us start with the bases: I am king in both worlds, and you are my Chimeriad. Is it correct?”

They nodded.

“Good. Let’s see how similar our circumstances are. Could you summarize what you know about how I rose to the throne of Ajur and how you came to work for me?”

One after the other, they recounted events from their pasts and told him what they knew of Wingul’s. As he thought, their stories were identical to his own experiences. They must have come from a dimension that had followed the prime closely for many years. He would have to ask Ludger more details about its coordinates and the catalyst they had fought. The divergence most likely lied in recent events, after their meeting with Milla and Jude, as they seemed to know them. History must have started changing during the battle of Fezebel, he thought while looking at Jiao. The big man had been the first of the Chimeriad to sacrifice himself, and his presence here today was proof of the difference between their dimensions.

“What happened during the battle of Fezebel?”

“Well, like we just said, a tsunami totally swept over the battlefield.”

“I think he means the most recent one, Agria,” Presa corrected, “the one against Nachtigal. Is that right, Your Highness?”

“Yes. In this world, we fought against Rashugal’s army and took control of the Lance of Kresnik, which Milla Maxwell wanted to destroy. Is it the same for you?”

“It is so far, but after the fight against Maxwell, strange things started happening.”

“Was the Lance activated?”

“It pierced a hole in the sky!”

“Then Elympion soldiers invaded and attacked our troops,” Gaius concluded. It was what had happened next that he was curious about.

“I can’t believe it. It really feels like we are talking to our Gaius. All our memories are the same,” Jiao said with emotion in his voice. Gaius did not comment on that, as he knew what he would eventually have to reveal to them.

“How did you overcome their assault?”

“You know Ivar, Maxwell’s handmaid or whatever? That moron created a diversion to allow her to flee, and we took the chance to get away too. Foolish bastard. But at least he was useful.”

“Agria, show a little more respect. He gave his life to save us.”

“Ivar sacrificed himself?”

That was unexpected. So it was Ivar who had saved them that day, instead of Jiao. That was a big difference, but it seemed that history had not really changed its course immediately afterward.

“We met with Maxwell in the Xailen Woods Temple… Ah, did Elympions take control of Khan Baliq here too?” Jiao asked.

“Yes. We cooperated with Maxwell’s group to take it back, then launched an attack against the enemy HQ.”

With Ivar, without you, he did not add.

“Then we fell into a trap.”

“And Maxwell sacrificed herself as well. Was it the same for you, Your Highness?”

“It was. We landed, and then had to face Musee’s attacks. She wanted to keep the schism’s existence a secret, even if that meant killing anyone who knew about it.”

“Wait a minute,” Presa interrupted. “Musee attacked you here too? I thought…”

They all looked surprised. And yet, both stories had seemed to match.

“What do you mean?”

“Well, Rowen and Elise seemed to consider her an ally, so I thought she was on your side in this dimension.”

“She is on my side. She eventually joined us. Is it different in your dimension?”

“Yes, completely.”

They were looking at each other meaningfully, but none of them seemed ready to talk.

Musee… Her behavior was always hard to predict, which was probably why she was often a catalyst. If she had not joined him and shared her power with him in their world, what differences could this have caused? Had he not been able to go to Elympios? What about his conflict with Maxwell? Was the schism still intact? Had Milla reincarnated anyway? His head was filled with many questions, but he could not get any answer now, for the apartment door opened and interrupted their discussion.

“We’re back!”

The group entered the room carrying many grocery bags. The kitchen soon turned into a battlefield, with young troops that Rowen was directing brilliantly, delegating the various tasks needed to make tomato soup for eight people (plus a special eggplant one for Elle). Agria and Jiao joined the fight as well, but Leia forbade Presa from moving from the sofa. Elle entrusted her with the guard of Lulu to make her feel useful and prevent the cat from stealing any food. Gaius chose to peel potatoes with Ludger, jumping on the occasion to ask him about the fractured dimension. Ludger confirmed his suspicions and explained what had happened.

“Where is Musee now?” he asked when Ludger finished recounting the events that had led them here.

“She’s resting at Leia’s place,” Rowen answered him. “Since the Chimeriad are currently viewing her as an enemy, she’d better stay on the low for a while.”

The image of Musee lying low was rather amusing, but Rowen was right, she should avoid showing herself for now.

Agria cried in surprise when Ludger turned on the stove. This was obviously the first time they’d seen a household spyrix. There would be many things to explain… They had been ripped from their world and were now lost in a country they knew next to nothing about. At least, they were not alone, and Gaius was sure that Rowen and the others would do everything they could to help them get used to their new circumstances. They would also have to think about what to do once they were more familiar with the place. But those questions were a little premature. The priority right now was to help them feel at ease. Starting with a good meal.

“Enjoy your meal!”

“Mmh, that smells good.”

“Not as good as my daddy’s soup!”

“Really?”

“But it’s still good! You’re number two, Ludger!”

“Do you like it, Agria?” Leia asked, trying to include their guests in the conversation.

“Why are you talking to me? Last time I checked, we weren’t so chummy with each other.”

“You’re as charming as ever, I see.”

“Are you looking for a fight?” Agria cried, rising up on her seat.

“Agria!” Presa immediately reacted. “Table manners!”

Agria turned to her, a mean retort ready to leave her lips, but her eyes fell on Gaius and she froze. Blushing, she sat down and apologized in a small voice, which surprised Leia, who had never seen her act so meek before. Gaius felt his heart ache. How many times had he witnessed such a scene before, when his Chimeriad were still alive? He thought of the other Milla, who had been so different from Milla Maxwell. These Agria, Presa and Jiao, however, were identical to those he had known. It almost felt as if they were never gone.

“…us? Gaius!”

Hearing his name brought him back from his thoughts. Rowen was looking at him with a slightly worried look.

“I’m sorry, I was lost in thoughts. What did you say?”

“We were wondering where the Chimeriad could stay. Our dear Ludger doesn’t mind lending them his apartment tonight, but we should probably look for another long-term solution.”

“Indeed, we should not abuse his kindness.”

“Don’t worry about us,” Presa spoke, “we’ll find a place to stay on our own. We’ll leave as soon as Wingul wakes up.”

“With what gald?” Jiao asked her. “We lost all our belongings with our world. Besides, we don’t know anything about Elympios.”

“We should go back to Ajur as soon as possible…”

“No!” Gaius interrupted, startling them. He continued more calmly: “It would be better to stay in Elympios for now.”

What would the citizens of Khan Baliq say if they saw them stroll through the city as if nothing happened? He would have to think of a way to tell the news to the population. The list of things to do was getting longer and longer. This situation was sure to give him a lot of extra work.

“Don’t worry about that,” he added. “Taking care of you is my responsibility.”

“Your Highness…”

“We don’t want to impose…”

“It’s my job,” he insisted. “I will find us an apartment nearby.”

“Us?” Rowen pointed out, his eyes twinkling. The old man had tried to convince him to acquire a permanent home in Triglav for months. He personally did not see the need, as the city and surrounding areas were full of cheap motels—they were admittedly a bit seedy, but much cheaper than having to pay rent. However, he could not impose such a life to the Chimeriad, especially since they were so disoriented. Besides, this would enable him to stay with them.

“I will start looking first thing tomorrow,” he added.

“Don’t forget your business brunch,” Rowen reminded him. “You are to meet representatives from the Skylark Exchange tomorrow morning. I will handle the apartment hunt.”

“All right. I am counting on you.” To be perfectly honest, he would have preferred to let Rowen handle the meeting instead, but he could not go back on his word. These kinds of business talks could have an impact on the relationship between the two countries.

After dinner, he went to see Wingul one more time before leaving. The man was still in a deep sleep and looked like it would be a while before he woke up. “Convalescence doesn’t suit you,” he whispered, touching his face lightly with his fingertips. “Get well, Wingul. I want to talk to you.”

He bade the others goodbye and promised he would be back as soon as he was done with his engagements. When he went out of the building, he noticed that Elle was out as well. She was sitting on one of the little park’s swings, looking down.

“Is there anything wrong, Elle?”

She looked up at the sound of his voice, and her eyes teared up. She quickly wiped her eyes and looked down again, avoiding his gaze.

“I’m sorry,” she murmured faintly.

“Why are you apologizing? You did nothing wrong.”

“Ludger told me that what I did was ‘irresponsible’ and that I caused you lots of problems. He said I should have thought about what happened to Milla before I acted…” She let her tears fall freely this time. “But I thought it would be different than with Milla. I just wanted you to meet your friends again…”

So she had deliberately brought them back. It was not an accident like had been the case for the other Milla. That was something he had wondered. She must have gotten the idea when she witnessed his painful reunions with other Chimeriads from other fractured dimensions. He had always been careful not to show any emotion, but her childish eyes must have seen through the façade and noticed his distress. He crouched down before her and delicately wiped away her tears.

“Do not blame yourself, Elle,” he told her gently. “I know you only had good intentions.”

“You don’t hate me?” she sniffled.

“Of course not! On the contrary… I would like to thank you. It’s true that there will be some problems, but we can overcome them. It’s nothing compared to the chance to see them again.”

Elle’s face brightened immediately.

“Oh, good! I was afraid you’d be mad. You’re scary when you’re mad.”

He laughed softly. It was true that his strict look was intimidating to children—and even to most adults, in fact.

“I’ll never be mad at you. Not for this.”

“Pinky swear?” she asked, presenting her little finger.

“Pinky swear!” he agreed.

She giggled, happy with her new promise.

“I must go! Ludger is going to worry. Good night, mister king.”

“Good night, Elle.”

He went back to his hotel, his mind full of doubts and hope. Whatever happened, Elle’s choice would probably have unexpected consequences. But all that mattered to him now was to make sure that these Chimeriad could find a place in their new world, at his side.

As he expected, his business brunch was extremely boring. Skylarks’ salespeople were going on endlessly about their company’s successes, and all he had to do was nod and speak a few words of acknowledgement from time to time. He would have much rather gone apartment hunting with Rowen. He wondered what his councilor would find. Nothing too grand, he hoped. The old man sometimes had very fixed ideas on how a king should show his influence. He just wanted something neither too big nor too small, where he could help the Chimeriad get used to their new world. The businessmen were now congratulating themselves on their victory against a competitor. He felt his GHS vibrate in his pocket and had to resist the urge to take it out and check what it was about. Had Rowen found something? What district would they move to? He hoped it would not be too far from the station… though the port district might be good too. They would then have easy access to the ferries bound for Marksburg, from where they could quickly reach Rieze Maxia. Although, it would be best to avoid Rieze Maxia for the moment. He really needed to come up with a way to explain the Chimeriad’s return to the population.

To his relief, the meeting finally came to an end. The Skylark executives looked very satisfied and were already promising to organize another one. In his mind, he already made the decision to send Rowen to the next one in his place. When the last man left, he sat back down and took out his GHS, curious about the message he had received earlier. Surprisingly, it was not from Rowen, but from Elise. It only contained one single sentence, but that was enough to make his heart flutter.

Wingul woke up.

#yume fanfiction #tales of xillia #king gaius #gaiwin #the chimeriad #i liiiiiiive #tales of xillia 2

7 notes · View notes

rainbowfishqueen · 6 years

Text

Picture a Christmas

MLSecretSanta for Trashhnoir

Will be reposted to Ao3 under rainstormdancer

Marinette was pretty sure that she hadn’t actually had a conversation with Chat Noir in nearly three weeks. Sure, there had been akumas, but neither of them had any time to talk afterwards. The countdown timers on their miraculous items always cut off any conversations before they could really start. He also hadn’t been stopping by her balcony to visit like he used to.

To be fair, it was Christmas order season at the Dupain-Cheng Patisserie. Cookies, yule logs, and full orders of catering for Christmas parties came in an endless stream. So much so that her parents had hired on extra help for the month.

“Tikki, I haven’t even started Chat Noir’s present yet!” Marinette moaned as she spun around in her computer chair.

“And you never even decided on one for Adrien.” Tikki chirped.

“So not helping,” Marinette poked at her kwami.

She pulled open the drawer of her vanity and grabbed out a small day planner. “Ladybug needs to make an appearance at the Mayor’s Holiday Party, Chat mentioned he couldn’t make it to that one. So I can’t work on his present Friday night. Saturday, Ladybug has the day off, but Maman and Papa are catering the Holiday party at the Eiffel Tower Hotel and I can’t get out of croissant duty.” Marinette flopped backward.

“Don’t forget about Alya’s holiday interview” Tikki glanced over Marinette’s shoulder, “that should be Sunday afternoon so she can get it uploaded before the end of Christmas Eve.” She poked at the page where there was the only blank spot.

“And the Agreste Christmas Ball will be that night!” Marinette flailed.Marinette’s forehead thunked onto her desk. “I just don’t have the energy for this,” she rolled her head to the side, a bright red circle already appearing under her bangs. “Does being Ladybug come with the power to control time?”

Tikki looked concerned at the expression on Marinette’s face.

“If you can’t handle making Chat Noir’s present you could always buy him something instead?” Tikki tried half-heartedly.

“Chat is my partner and one of my best friends. He deserves better than a last minute department store gift.” Marinette’s shoulders were slumped so low her wrists nearly brushed the floor.

“That’s right, Chat Noir is one of your best friends. He knows how busy you both get this time of year. He will certainly forgive you if you give him a New Year’s present instead of a Christmas present.” Tikki patted Marinette’s cheek and brushed her bangs away from her eyes.

“Everyone sees you working so hard. You’re amazing, Marinette. It’s easy to get burnt out during the holidays. Just try to concentrate on that blank page in your planner for the day after Christmas.”

Marinette’s cheek pulled into a little smile. “Thanks, Tikki. I hope Chat Noir is doing okay. I haven’t been the best friend or the best partner over the last month.”

MLB-MLB-MLB-MLB-MLB-MLB-MLB-MLB-MLB-MLB-MLB-MLB-MLB-MLB-MLB-MLB

“Here’s your marzipan order, Mrs. Edelwiess. It’s always good to see you.” Marinette smiled as she left the small shop. “Tikki, that’s my last delivery and I actually finished early!” Marinette squealed.

“But do you have time to do anything about Chat’s present?” Tikki questioned from the purse at Marinette’s side.

“I think I do.” Marinette nodded firmly, “there’s a secondhand store in this corner of town. I might be able to find something that Chat would like there. And hopefully it won’t be something he has already seen in stores.”

“That’s a great idea, Marinette.” Tikki smiled, secretly relieved that she might not have to stay up all night with a stressed, knitting Marinette. AGAIN.

The secondhand store was warm and smelled like dust and old books. There was a rack of clothes that looked more like costumes than everyday-wear and there were trinkets and display cases shoved into all corners.

The light came into the window dimly, the sun set early these days. The harsh white lights of the display cases glinted off of tarnished brass and shiny leather pieces. Marinette’s eyes were blown wide at the amount of things to look at. She shoved her fists into her coat pockets and set her jaw. It was time to look seriously, she didn’t have long before she was expected to be back at the bakery. “Can I help you find anything?” A pair of thick round glasses blinked at her from a smiling shop-lady. She grinned, the colorful ribbon scarves bouncing in her curly hair. “You have that new customer look. My organization doesn’t make sense to hardly anyone. Which direction can I point you to?”

Marinette exhaled, “Oh, I need a gift for a friend.”

The lady just blinked, “Could you perhaps be a bit more specific?”

“Oh, I just—” Marinette waved her hands nervously, “I just, I mean, he’s just a friend. Not that kind of friend, he just—I just...” She trailed off, tittering nervously.

The lady brightened and pushed her glasses up on her nose. “Ah! A boy who makes you nervous. Your age then? I can help with that.” She turned suddenly and pushed her way through a bead curtain, waving for Marinette to follow.

“He doesn’t make me—well not when I’m, I mean—yes?” Marinette shoved her hands back in her pockets and ducked her head through the curtain. She didn’t really have a short-and-sweet way of explaining what Chat Noir could mean to her. She wasn’t even sure she was really sure of it herself. Her cheeks felt like they were too warm.

“Ah, come this way, the display is here.” The woman pointed confidently, bracelets jangling to get her attention. “Here is the display of treasures that are considered modernly vintage by young people.”

Marinette’s eyebrows furrowed, “That’s very specific.”

“They’re in high demand, what can I say?” The woman’s eyes crinkled shut behind her glasses.

Marinette glanced at the display. She recognized the green apple of the Beatle’s Let it Be album that Alya had raved about in her mother’s collection. There were some vintage toys that she recognized from primary school and a framed, signed photo of Audrey Hepburn with a very large pricetag. She crouched down to see the bottom shelf and that’s when she saw it.

“Oh! The camera, please! Can I see the polaroid?” Marinette’s legs straightened and she shot to her feet.

The woman slid the back of the cabinet open and fished out the camera. “Yes, of course. These were very popular, instant pictures developed like magic. But I must tell you, I have no film. This is why it has not sold yet.” She shook her head sadly. “It needs a good home. If you want it I will sell it to you for half price.”

“I’ll take it.” Marinette pulled her wallet out quickly and waved a couple of bills, “Papa has the film, but his camera broke a long time ago.”

The woman smiled at the camera lovingly, “A good home then, finally. This boy of yours will take care of it?”

“Definitely,” Marinette smiled brightly.

MLB-MLB-MLB-MLB-MLB-MLB-MLB-MLB-MLB-MLB-MLB-MLB-MLB-MLB-MLB-MLB

The rest of the weekend flew by in a whirl of peppermint frosting and the smell of almond cookies. Marinette swore she never wanted to see another sugar cookie for at least the next ten or so months. When her papa’s back was turned, her mother nodded her agreement with a tired smile and a conspiratory wink. And for the record, at the Agreste's party, that Christmas-tree shaped stack of croissants fell over of their own accord. Marinette had nothing to do with it. Before she was rightly sure of where the time had gone, Christmas Eve was almost over and Marinette was nearly napping on a rooftop as Ladybug, waiting for Chat Noir to show his face.

“What a beautiful evening it is, m’lady.” Chat’s heavy boots thunked behind her before he had even finished speaking. “Even more so now that I get to spend it with you.” He swept a bow and glanced up at her cheekily.

She smiled and stifled a yawn, “Get over here, kitty. I could use a space heater.” Before she could blink, she looked down to see Chat’s green eyes staring up at her from where his head was propped up in her lap.

“Better, bugaboo?”

She flicked his nose, “I hope you know you’re ridiculous.”

“Ridiculously handsome,” he waggled his eyebrows.

“Quick, I need a distraction before his head gets too big.” She commented dryly. Chat’s eyes slammed shut as he puckered his lips and leaned in.

She pressed the gift-wrapped box to his lips. At his bewildered expression, she threw her head back and laughed. “Merry Christmas, Chat.”

His face lit up and he clasped his hands under his chin, “For me? My lady, really?” His eyes sparkled, almost literally from the Eiffel Tower lit up behind her.

“Of course, really.” She scoffed and shoved the present towards his chest, “don’t think I would ignore my favorite alley cat on Christmas. Just read the card first, okay?”

“Dear Chat Noir, for the cat that has everything. Our memories with you are what we cherish most about this year. Use this to keep those memories for the future. From, Ladybug and Marinette.” Chat glanced up in surprise. “From both of you? I didn’t know you were that close with her.”

“We’re closer than you think we are,” Marinette barely kept herself from laughing. Chat worked his claw under the paper and slowly opened the top. “Where in the world did you find one of these?!” He pulled the camera out gently, holding it out with awe etched across his features.

“A Lady never tells,” she smiled, “let me show you how to load it.” After a few moments of pointing and explaining, Ladybug finally agreed to pose.

“Just one picture of me, then we have to take a selfie together, okay?” She crossed her arms over her chest.

“As you wish, my lady.” Chat smiled, holding the camera up to his eye, “put your left arm down, yes like that. Now set your right hand on your knee. Other knee.” Ladybug tilted her head, “Are you a photographer? You sound like you’ve done this before.”

“Stop! Keep your head right there.” Chat snapped the picture and it spat out the front like the camera was sticking out its tongue. “I sort of know what I’m doing, I’ve never owned a camera though, just the one on my phone.” Chat shrugged his shoulders.

“You sounded like a professional.” Ladybug stood up and took the camera gently.

“Time for our selfie while the first one develops.” She grinned and snapped the picture without any warning.

“What? I wasn’t ready, do it again!” Chat protested, waving the photo and trying to get a good look at it in the light of the nearby street light.

“Nope! You already got two pictures of me, that’s enough for one night.” Ladybug grinned and moved backwards, yo-yo spinning at her side.

“Leaving so soon, bug?” Chat pouted.

“Of course! It’s Christmas Eve. If I patrol tonight that means that I don’t have to do it tomorrow.” She teased.

“I was going to take tomorrow anyway, my lady. But can I ask you something before you go?”

“Sure, what’s up?” Ladybug’s yo-yo spun with a little less force.

“Since you’re so close with Marinette, what do you think I should get her for Christmas? I have something picked out for you, sorry I hadn’t wrapped it yet, but I need ideas for her.” Chat set the camera back in the box and tucked it under his arm.

Ladybug ducked her head sideways “…something Adrien…” she mumbled.

“What--?” Chat started to say.

“I said come up with something yourself,” Ladybug declared, “I’m sure she’ll love it more if it’s your own idea. Goodnight, Chat. And Merry Christmas!” Her yo-yo flew and she was gone before he could respond.

“Something…Adrien?” Chat took off toward his own house.

MLB-MLB-MLB-MLB-MLB-MLB-MLB-MLB-MLB-MLB-MLB-MLB-MLB-MLB And in the early hours of the morning, after she had finished a long and very cold patrol; if Marinette came home to a polaroid snapshot on her pillow of Adrien blowing a kiss with messy hair and flushed cheeks, well…she certainly wasn’t complaining.

Best. Christmas present. EVER.

#mlsecretsanta #trashhnoir #marichat #ladynoir #adrinette #ladrien #miraculous ladybug #gift fic

42 notes · View notes

wildflowerhowell · 7 years

Text

I Found, chapter 2

Dan Howell and Phil Lester hate each other, and everyone at the Ida Gatley school of dance knows it. So what happens when the two are paired together to choreograph and perform a duet at England's most renowned contemporary dance competition?

word count (in total): 22,139

chapters: 12

genre: fluff and angst

tw: none

read on ao3

all chapters

“I’m home!” Dan slung his bag off his shoulders and onto one of the hooks next to his front door, alerting whoever was home that he was back from school. As he started towards the kitchen to get some food, he heard the voice of his older brother, Charlie, coming from the lounge.

“How was school?” Dan could see that his brother was laying on the grey suede couch, watching TV. Dan gave a vague noise that suggested his distaste. “Caldwell can’t be treating you that poorly, can it?” Charlie laughed as Dan sat next to him, taking a bite from a leftover slice of pizza from last night’s dinner.

Dan could tell his brother was laughing at the thought of Caldwell Prep, the school Dan was currently attending. Charlie had graduated last year. Caldwell was referred to by the students that attended it as Cald-Hell, due to its rude and incompetent teachers, jocks that pretty much ran the place, and tendency to make the students want to drop out after their first week there. Dan used to have a fairly consistent sleep schedule, but it was completely tossed out the window and replaced with countless projects, essays, and reports that he’d work on for hours into the night. Most of the kids there were snobby rich kids who managed to keep up amazing grades, partake in at least three different extracurriculars each, and have a social life all at once. Dan didn’t know how they did it.

“Yeah, school’s been pretty shit lately. I’m pretty sure all my teachers planned on giving major projects all at the same time just because they’re evil and they can.”

“That sucks, dude.”

“But it could be worse,” Dan said with a mouth full of pizza, “I could be completely friendless or something.”

“Oh yeah, isn’t Liam coming over later?” Charlie referred to Dan’s best friend. He looked over at his little brother, who nodded. “You don’t have dance?” He inquired, a bit confused. Dan always had dance on Fridays.

“Nah, my tap instructor is supposed to have her baby this week and she said we all deserved a day off.”

“I see. What are you two gonna do? I need to know if I should get out of the house. Are you aware that the last time he came over, you two couldn’t stop screaming at the TV? You two were literally screaming. My poor fucking ears,” he whined.

“Hey, the Vine compilations we watched were really funny. You’d be laughing as loud as we were if you saw them. And to answer your question, we’re gonna go into town. There’s this bakery that Liam has been talking about wanting to go to for ages. “

“But is he staying the night?”

Dan chuckled. “Yeah.”

Charlie threw his head back in exasperation and let out an overdramatic sigh. “Fuck! I was planning on getting some sleep, you know!”

“Calm down, we’ll try to keep quiet.”

“You say that,” Charlie whined, ”But I know I’ll be kept up by your shouting over a video game or TV show or whatever.”

“That sounds like a personal problem.” Dan laughed as he stood up, having finished his slice of cold pepperoni pizza. “Liam’s gonna be here in about 30 minutes.”

“I guess I’d better cherish this next half-hour before my peace and quiet is ruined.” Charlie frowned at Dan, who was now back in the kitchen, grabbing a glass of water.

“Oh shut up,” Dan scoffed, “Even if he can be loud, you like him.” The younger brother caught the older one roll his eyes, although he was grinning at the same time.

“You got me there. I can admit that Liam is pretty cool.”

As Dan started towards the hallway that his bedroom was connected to, he pointed knowingly at his brother. “I’ll be in my room if you need me. See you later.”

“See you.”

“Dude, I’m so fucking excited.” Liam stared out of the passenger seat window of Dan’s car, taking in London’s skyline with his dark brown eyes.

“Liam, chill. They’re only donuts.”

Liam looked over at his best friend with wide eyes. “Yeah, Only donuts with a five star rating on my favorite blog. Do you know how hard it is to get five stars on that blog?” The boy shook his head disapprovingly and went back to staring out the window.

After a few more minutes of delving into downtown London, they arrived at Mad Batter, the bakery that Liam had been raving about since he read that blog post about it. After ducking out of the car, Dan looked around for Liam but quickly realized his friend was already inside, probably drooling over the menu. He had to give it to him, Liam really liked good food.

The bakery was really cute, with fake tree branches hanging from the ceiling and marble tabletops and cases full of macarons, croissants, and (to Liam’s excitement) rows and rows of donuts. Seriously, there were so many different donuts, Dan had no idea how he’d be able to choose which one to get. After a few minutes of looking over the selection, he settled on a simple custard filled donut, while Liam chose to go for the peanut butter and dark chocolate flavored donut. After paying for their desserts, the two best friends sat down at a table for two that was tucked away in one of the bakery’s corners. Dan watched as Liam bit into his pastry and he could have sworn he saw the other boy roll his eyes back with delight.

“This is so fucking good, I think I just came.”

“Oh fuck off! I’m about to eat, you can’t say that.” Dan reached over the table to slap Liam’s arm.

“Once you try yours, you’ll see what I mean.”

Dan rolled his eyes and lifted his donut off the plate, making sure to get some of the custard when he took a bite. He started to chew, and suddenly understood why this place has five stars. “Damn, that’s the best thing I’ve ever eaten.”

“Right?” Liam said in between bites.

The two boys ate their desserts in silence, not wanting any distractions from the glorious donuts they were eating. Once they were done, they began talking again.

“Coming here was a really good idea.” Dan looked gratefully at his best friend.

“No shit, Sherlock.” Liam’s freckled face broke into a grin, his eyes crinkling at the edges. “What do you wanna do now?”

Dan gestured vaguely, unsure. “How about we just walk around and see what we find?”

“Sounds good to me,” Liam said while standing up from his seat in the turquoise chair, “Let’s go.”

The boys walked around aimlessly for a while. When they found themselves in Hyde Park, they decided to visit the rose gardens. Dan insisted on it. The sky was turning a beautiful shade of gold, and it cast a lovely filter over every flower. The friends ambled around, smelling all the different types of roses and taking in the scenery. Being here made Dan very glad that he didn’t have to go to tap class that night. He sat down on a bench in the middle of the garden, patting the seat next to him so that Liam would follow suit.

“Why don’t we do this more often?” Liam asked, still looking out at all the flowers.

“Because we spend all our time watching dumb YouTube videos and playing horror games.”

“Well I guess that’s pretty fun. But we should try to actually go outside more than just stepping out to get a pizza we’ve ordered.” Liam snickered. He went back into silence, and Dan could see that something had caught his friend’s eye. “Hey isn’t that...”

“What?” Dan questioned, not seeing anything at first. But then, as he adjusted his gaze to look further away, he caught sight of a group of about five boys. One of which was a tall figure with straight black hair. “You’re fucking kidding me,” Dan said, all life drained from his voice, “This actually has to be a joke.” Getting away from Phil was one of the reasons he was so excited to get the day off from dancing, so it was only fitting that his rival had to show up and ruin his night. He looked over at his companion, who was trying to keep himself from letting out a laugh. “This isn’t funny!”

“Yeah, but you do have to admit, this is the biggest coincidence to happen in the history of like, ever.”

“Well,” Dan said while standing up from the bench, “We should go before they come over here.”

“Agreed.” Liam had only seen Phil for very brief periods of time at Dan’s shows, but he’d heard enough ranting about the boy to memorize who he was when seen in a group of dancers onstage. The absence of colourful lights and costumes made Liam unsure of whether it really was Phil in the group, but once he neared the two best friends, his suspicion was turned into assurance.

As the two boys tried to discreetly escape the garden, Dan heard the voice that he feared he would hear. “Dan? Is that you? What a coincidence!” The disembodied voice exclaimed with false excitement. Dan pivoted around despite Liam’s suggestion to keep walking forward.

“What do you want, you prick?” The brown haired boy crossed his arms over his chest as the other four boys that were accompanying Phil laughed and playfully punched their friend’s arms.

“Yeah, prick.”

“What do you want, prick?”

“C’mon Phil, what do you want?”

“Ha!”

“Shut up, guys,” Phil commanded.

“Ooooh, he’s mad now, isn’t he!”

“All I want is to enjoy this nice evening with my friends, I can assume you feel the same?” Phil gave Dan a condescending smile. Dan wanted to punch him in the throat.

“Yeah, I do. So I’d appreciate it if you left.”

“Oh, I wasn’t aware you had to have a reservation to be here, were you guys aware of this?” He briefly turned his head to look at his friends with feigned confusion, then turned back to look at the other dancer.

“Fuck off, Phil.” Dan started to lower his arms from their placement near his chest, balling up his fists. Liam, noticing this, touched his friend’s shoulder lightly, shaking his head.

“Oh, I’ve been meaning to ask you, aren’t you just so excited to hear who’ll be competing at Grasp with me?”

“You and I both know that I’ll be the one going to Grasp,” Dan hissed, “Thank you very much.” He watched as one of Phil’s friends tapped his shoulder, pouting. Dan guessed that this was to show they were bored of this quarrel and were ready to move on to something new.

“Well, I guess we’ll just have to see about that, now won’t we? See you soon!” And with that, Phil and his friends walked past Dan and Liam, clearly making sure to bump into Dan’s shoulder while doing so.

Liam waited a few seconds after the group of boys was out of earshot until he spoke. “We should probably just head back to your place now, right?”

Dan sighed and looked over at his friend gratefully. “Where would I be without you?”

“Jail, most likely. I saw the way you balled up your fists just now.”

Dan laughed. “You’re probably right.”

“Oh honey,” Liam said as they started walking away from the rose garden, “I am right.”

“That’s not true! I have more self-control than you think I do.”

“So you’re telling me you wouldn’t have punched Phil just then?”

“Well, maybe…. Okay, yeah, I’d be in jail without you.” Dan burst into a fit of laughter as they continued down the path, their voices fading into the sounds of the city.

#phanfiction #phan #phandom #enemies to lovers #phanfic #enemies to friends to lovers #wildflowerhowell

13 notes · View notes