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kirnet · 11 months

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Don’t Wake the Ancients - Chapter 3

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Now, Dorotea was a patient woman. With her experience, she had to be. Lab work took time and a steady hand, research had to be done thoroughly and with intent. Nothing thrilled her more than sitting on her moth-eaten chair by the open window with a thick fantasy book.

But, dear God, her patience was getting tested today. The normal bullshit, like Mitchell’s bar getting rowdy with decades old blood feuds, she could handle. But her mother? New folk storming in and questioning her competence? That was new.

Perhaps, she thought as she took the phone from Douglas, she should be grateful for this return to form. Miss Benedict’s antics always earned a chuckle from Tina and Verda when they huddled in the break room.

“Langford,” she tried not to sigh.

“Dorotea!” Miss Benedict cheered, her voice raspy from a lifetime of smoking. One of Wayhaven’s oldest residents, Miss Benedict was an only child, unmarried, and childless. That, and with her former occupation as a maid for Mayor Friedman’s grandfather and then his father, left her far too isolated from the town. People looked after her, took her for car rides and made sure she was fed, and the little library the town proudly called its own was no stranger to her (or her late fines), but her books and her window could only entertain her active imagination so much. From almost the moment Dorotea became detective she had started receiving calls. “Conspiracies,” Miss Benedict called them. Groups of burglars moving through the night that only she had noticed, or the fact that her childhood pastor actually had the gift of healing and she was sure his great-grandson had inherited it. Dorotea always nodded, dutifully said she’d look into it if an actual crime had been alleged, and then made sure to leave a record when nothing turned up.

The door opened and shut behind her. Adam strode in, pea coat dripping onto the linoleum floors. He scowled, or maybe that was just his face, and entered Dorotea’s office when she gave him a nod of approval. “Miss Benedict, now really isn’t the best time.”

“Oh, I’ll be quick, dear. I had already told little Jonathan-“

“Douglas, ma’am.”

“Oh? He sounds just like his daddy. Well, I told little Douglas that that woman was in league with the Devil, and I have proof.”

Dorotea rubbed her eyes too hard, leaving spots in her vision. “Concrete proof? An item or something of the sort?”

Miss Benedict coughed. “No. But this is just like a case that your daddy took on nigh on thirty years ago. Grisly thing, that was.”

“Yes. Grizzly. Well, technically black. They were bear maulings.”

Black bears were usually shy things, easy to shoo away with a loud “Get!” and waving your arms. The only times that they posed problems was when a stupid hiker got in between a mother and cub or when they became too dependent on human leftovers. Dorotea was lucky that the station never had need to go put one down during her employment.

But her father had been different. Everyone in the town knew about the incident, even people who weren’t alive yet to witness it, like Dorotea. Three of Wayhaven’s men had been brutally mauled in the woods one weekend, their lunch pails in shards around them. While gruesome, only one animal in these hills had claws big enough to match the deep gouges that almost left the bodies unrecognizable. Her father, detective at the time, had gone out and killed the thing. It still remained in Wayhaven, in a little room the size of a closet that the library dedicated to a local museum, almost touching either wall. Dorotea heard that Mayor Friedman had thrown a stink about not having it in his office.

Miss Benedict tutted disapprovingly. “Dear, I know that’s what everyone thinks. But I know what I saw.” Her voice dropped, trembling, and Dorotea had to push the phone harder against her ear to catch the next words. “They were blue, dear. Blue and tall and terrible. Yellow eyes like hellfire, and their teeth-“

There was a loud crack, and Dorotea looked over her shoulder. The four members of Unit Bravo stood in a semi circle around her desk, starting at a spot. Farah said something, and Dorotea swore she could feel Adam’s pulse jump from where she was. Douglas just gave her a shrug when she looked at him.

Dorotea tried to make her voice as gentle as possible. Miss Benedict was raised in an era of brimstone and snake handling. It was only natural that she feared such things. “This is Appalachia. Sometimes people are, well, blue.” She continued as Miss Benedict sucked in a breath to argue. “The Fugates are a family with methemoglobinemia, a blood disorder. It just makes their skin look blue. No Satan, just good ol’ random chance.”

“And what of the yellow eyes?” cried Miss Benedict.

“I’ve got a young lady in my office with yellow eyes right now. You know how the Rutgers’ eyes are so pale that you can barely tell that they have irises at all? Sometimes people look unique.” Dorotea shifted the phone. “Tell you what. I read a real good novel about one of the Blue Fugate family members. I can have Douglas run it over to you tomorrow, if you’d like.”

The line was silent for a long time, so Dorotea could perfectly hear Douglas’s groan. She covered the speaker with her hand and whispered, “It’s either that or cataloging evidence with me. Your choice.”

He collapsed into his chair. “Ugh. Fine.” Garret snickered.

After an uncertain pause, Miss Benedict answered. “Fine. I suppose I can make some lunch for us.”

“I’m sure he’d love that. You take care, now. Call us if you need anything.”

She hung up, Douglas scowling as he took the phone from her. Dorotea made a wide loop around the station to ruffle Garret’s drying hair before heading into her office.

“Sorry about that. There’s cookies if- What in God’s name happened here?” Dorotea slammed the door behind her. Unit Bravo stood in her office, expressions ranging from mildly guilty to pissed. Morgan played with her lighter, flicking it open and closed with rhythmic timing. Adam faced the window, his back rigid. Farah and Nate were worrying over a chunk of polished wood in Nate’s hand.

Polished wood that perfectly fit the new chunk missing from her antique desk.

Adam didn’t turn when he spoke, but a muscle feathered in his neck. “It came off when I grabbed the edge of the desk. Our agency will pay to have it replaced with a sturdier material.”

“When you grabbed it? Jesus.” Nate passed Dorotea the shard of the desk, one that had sat in this station for as long as it existed. She stared at Adam with renewed curiosity, trying to imagine the contour of his muscles through the sleeves of his coat. “What are they feeding you?”

“Nothing out of the ordinary.” Adam’s hands balled into fists, but Dorotea detected more than a hint of pride in his voice.

Dorotea ran her fingers over the splintered edge, frowning as she set it down. Maybe some wood glue would do the trick, but she suspected that the carpenter would be happy for the call. “I’ll get it fixed. Just please try to leave the rest of my belongings intact.” She walked past a stiff-as-a-corpse Adam to her whiteboard, uncapped the pen, and started to jot down a summary of this morning’s investigation. “I assume they already filled you in?”

“Yes.” He gritted his teeth. “What is your next plan of action?”

“Tina, our other officer, should be back from notifying the family soon. I’ll want to touch base with her.” Dorotea tapped the marker against her bottom lip. “I suppose the cabin by the lake needs to be investigated again. I was interrupted before I could finish.”

Adam shot her a glare, but Nate was the one who answered. “We can handle that, Detective. It’ll give us more chances to familiarize ourselves with the area.” He gave her a glimmering smile as Dorotea opened her mouth to argue. “Let us help. That’s why we’re here.”

Dorotea swore she saw Farah frown at the last part, but it disappeared so quickly that she might have imagined it. “Fine,” she reluctantly agreed, mentally chiding herself for the surge of defensiveness in her chest. “Thank you, Nate. There should be extra jackets in the locker room if you need them. And don’t forget gloves.”

The team filtered out, Farah clapping Adam on the back as she whispered something in his ear. Nate paused the door. “I can’t imagine how stressful this is for you and the whole town. Unfortunately, it’s something that we’re pretty used to.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “But I meant what I said. We want to catch this guy as much as you do.”

“I know. Thank you, Nate.” Dorotea smiled. “I’m glad to be working alongside you.”

“The feeling is mutual, Detective.”

“Please, Dorotea.” She waved a dismissive hand. “There’s no need to be so formal if I’m not extending the same courtesy to you.”

Nate let out a melodic chuckle. “Thank you, Dorotea. We’ll meet you back here when we’re done.”

“Actually, you can meet me at the bar,” she stepped out with Nate, making her way towards Garret. “I prefer to know the people I’m working alongside. My treat, of course.”

“I’m not…” Nate trailed off, glancing at his team walking into the parking lot, none of them wearing a spare station jacket. “Adam won’t approve.”

Dorotea snorted. “I doubt he approves of anything. But it’s up to you.”

“Can I come?” Garret asked, his homework abandoned as he watched the exchange.

“Hell no, kid. I enjoy my teeth. Wait until you’re twenty one.”

“But Douglas goes out all of the time!”

“Sounds like you have your hands sufficiently full,” Nate laughed as Douglas whirled around. “See you tonight.”

Garret watched him leave, his expression falling. “I’m not wasting your time, am I?”

Now looking through Garret’s binder, Dorotea stopped, the papers rustling as she slammed it shut. “Now why would you think that?”

He shrugged, disappearing into his jacket. “You’ve got a murder to solve, right? You should be, I don’t know, collecting evidence or whatever. Not helping me with useless stuff like this.”

Dorotea sighed and pulled her chair forward until her knees were almost touching Garret’s. “One, don’t you ever call anything you do useless. And two, the truth is I probably won’t be able to spare the time to help once more evidence comes in. But I can at the moment, so I will.” She put a hand on his shoulder when he looked down at the desk. “The living are just as important as the dead, kid. My job is to help you, so I will, alright?”

Garret shook his head and wordlessly reached for his binder. Math and chemistry were first, and Dorotea propped her boots up on the desk as Garret flipped through his notes. After a bit of clarifying concepts and creating example problems on spare pieces of printer paper, Dorotea grabbed warm drinks from the break room for all three of them: coffee for her and Douglas and a mug of warm cider for Garret, though she noticed that Douglas shoved a few more cookies into his grimacing mouth after taking a sip.

Thankfully, Tina returned before Dorotea had to make an attempt at his art history homework. She almost shook like a dog when she walked in, bright eyes dull and curly hair flat, though she still had a spring in her step as she came over to the desk. “Thank God, some sunshine.” She flopped into the chair that Dorotea kicked her way. “How are my two favorite people doing?”

“Musing the significance of the Bauhaus movement’s influence on postwar art,” Garret answered, his eyes drifting down to the paper in front of him.

“Not even a damn hello.” Tina scooted over and leaned on Garret’s shoulder, earning a giggle as she looked over his homework. Dorotea excused herself to write up her findings from Janet’s apartment, her cell phone always in sight in case Unit Bravo called. When she was done Tina drifted into her office, Garret packing up his belongings.

“How’d it go?” Dorotea asked softly as Tina leaned against her desk.

She sighed. “Awful. I never want to do that again. The Greenlands were sweet, though, despite everything. Told me that Janet was taking a year off from her engineering degree after a breakdown to focus on her photography.”

Tina trailed off as Dorotea grabbed her hand. “We’re gonna find the bastard who did this, alright?”

“I know,” she sniffed, squeezing back. “I know we will.”

Dorotea’s phone pinged, and she picked it up after quickly running her thumb over Tina’s knuckles. The text was from Nate, announcing that Unit Bravo had finished their investigation of the cabin. “Some government folk are here to help us. I’m about to meet them at Mitch’s if you want to join.”

With a tired smile, Tina waved her hand. “Sounds like a blast, but I should get the kid home.” And then she snorted, eyes crinkling. “God, what happened here?”

Tina was always the one dragging Dorotea out, her heels planted as she offered up every excuse to stay in, just as she was always the one pushing her friend at any single person that happened to walk in through the bar’s doors. “Trust me,” Dorotea said with a hint of a scowl, “you ain’t missing anything with them.”

“I’ll take your word for it.” Tina wrapped her arm around Garret’s shoulders, both of them waving goodbye. When Dorotea was ready to head out, her hat adjusted and jacked zipped against the chill, she did a final loop of the office, a habit to make sure Tina or Len hadn’t misplaced their keys. What she found instead was a piece of paper left on Tina’s desk, something written at the top in bold red ink.

She picked it up, eyeing the answers to each question. Only two had marks next to them, leaving Garret’s thermodynamics test with a score of 93%.

Dorotea’s cheeks stung as she smiled. “Atta boy,” she whispered, finger tracing the red smiley face next to the score.

Mitchell’s was the only bar in town, so it followed that it was usually busy, especially on the weekends when the bluegrass band took to the stage and too much whiskey put everyone in a dancing mood. But today it was downright overflowing, each booth and table and bar stool occupied. If the miners couldn’t work in the rain, then they would find other ways to warm up.

The door slammed shut behind Dorotea, and a chorus of “hellos” and cheery waves followed her as she wove her way to the bar, narrowly avoiding a pool cue to the stomach. Mitchell greeted her with a smile, already pulling an amber ale for her. “On a work day? I’m scandalized.”

“Still working, I’m afraid.” Mitchell shooed a man away from his stool so that she could sit down. “Got some people to introduce y’all to.”

“Newcomers?” Mitchell raised a brow as Dorotea took a long drink. “Alive, I hope.”

Dorotea shrugged. “You come to your own conclusions.”

They chatted for a while, a few drunks spilling out into the darkening evening, but the bar remained just as loud. Mitchell helped her secure a table, forcefully suggesting that its former occupants find another place to sit. They just laughed, pressing a kiss to Dorotea’s hand as she shoved a crumpled bill into one of their shirt pockets for the trouble.

She knew her wait was over when a hush fell over the bar, the screaming wind and creaking floorboards the only sound. Unit Bravo tensed as every pair of eyes fell on them, the silence louder than a swarm of cicadas on a humid summer night. Adam glared right back, his gaze hardening even further as he caught sight of Dorotea motioning them to come over.

“If this is what you consider work, then our killer should consider himself lucky,” Adam scoffed, looking down his nose at her. “Is this what passes for police work around here?”

“Hilarious, considering you didn’t want me involved with this case in the first place. Sit.” Mitchell brought over a bottle of whiskey and a few shot glasses when Dorotea raised her hand.

Nate and Farah complied, the former with an air of calm and the latter already curiously turning the bottle in her hands. With a scoff, Morgan pulled out a chair, snatching the bottle from Farah and pouring herself a shot, puffing on her cigarette all the while. Adam remained standing, large hands balled into fists. “This is a waste of time.”

Dorotea snapped, “For me, maybe, but it’s invaluable to you. If you have any intention of getting work done in this town, then the people will have to know who you are, and they have to know you’re with me.” She jutted her chin towards the bar, most of the people still watching the exchange with obvious interest and scrutiny. “Right now, all these people see is a bunch of elitist Feds from the city who think they’re too good to take us seriously. So, sit.”

Adam raised a brow, but after a moment he pulled out a chair. Dorotea blinked, taken aback for a moment, before filling the remaining shot glasses. “Good. Now, drink.”

Farah coughed, Nate politely took a tiny sip, and Morgan downed hers without any fuss, just removing the cigarette from her lips for only a moment. Only Adam’s remained full as Dorotea threw hers back, a comfortable burn working its way down her throat.

Someone whistled. “Best listen to her, folks. Them Langford women bite.”

“We’re aware,” Farah laughed.

The sound of pool resumed and a few people returned to their habits as Dorotea took Adam’s shot. Heat bloomed across her chest and down to her fingertips, her back slumping into the chair. Morgan watched her, eyes lidded. “If you want the town to feel secure, sweetheart, then announcing you’re working with us is plain stupid.”

Dorotea adjusted her cattleman hat. “You mean going behind their back? Reporting everything I know to you?”

Morgan shrugged. “It’s the smart thing to do.”

“And I refuse to do that. It ain’t honest. They trust me to do my job, and I won’t betray that trust.”

“Even if one of them is the murderer?”

Mitchell barked out a laugh at Morgan’s glinting question. “You got some strong accusations, ma’am. And you’d be right to think that if Dorotea wasn’t such a bloodhound.”

Suddenly the room was stifling. Dorotea fanned her flushed face with her hat. “It wasn’t nothing, Mitch.”

“Nothing?” The voice belonged to Kenny Smalls, one of the miners at the pool table. “With it raining like it is, I’m half surprised you haven’t sniffed out the culprit already.”

“I sense a story here,” Nate chuckled, resting a hand on Adam’s arm when his jaw fluttered.

Always the chatterbox, Mitchell leaned forward, the patron waiting for his next drink totally forgotten. “It must have been two years ago now,” he started, voice taking on a practiced timbre, “that it last rained like this. The cricks turned into rapids and our cellars flooded. Hell, our houses too, if our windows weren’t set correctly. One night a family was driving through these roads, coming back from a camping trip or something of the sort. They must have lost control of the car, because later we found it wrapped around a tree.”

“It was an awful thing,” Dorotea mumbled, rubbing her chin. “The parents died instantly on impact, thank God, but that poor kid…”

Mitchell nodded. “The kid took to the woods to find help, but then it started thundering and, well, three days later and no one could find him.” The bar was silent again, the memory still fresh in everyone’s minds. “Of course everyone dropped what they were doing to find him. The mines closed, and so did the school and shops, and we all split up. Tea was just in the morgue, then, but she led one of the search parties.”

Dorotea sighed, but she still filled the space Mitchell left for her. “Really, it was nothing special. If the valleys are flooding, you’re going to get to high ground. It’s just logic.” She pressed her glass against her cheek. “Though I was terrified that poor kid had found himself trapped in some mine or cave. But no, he was on one of the high ridges, hungry and freezing and mute but alive.”

“She’s just being humble.” Kenny saddled up to their table and clapped Dorotea on the shoulder. “It was like the damn forest itself opened up for her. Trails that had been impossible to pass through the day before were suddenly wide open. It was damn biblical.”

“It was lucky,” Dorotea corrected. “And based on deduction. Captain Sung offered me the job when the last detective retired.”

“And the kid?” Nate asked.

“With his grandparents in the city. Physically, he’s healed.”

Dorotea half expected Adam to scoff, to bring up the fact that one example of success did nothing to accurately judge her abilities as detective, to the fact that she had never been an actual cop. The man just reeked of military service, from his hair to his dress to his rod-straight gait. But he didn’t. He just watched her, a peculiar look settling in those spearmint eyes, saying nothing.

“Thank God,” Dorotea almost cried when Verda came into the station the next morning.

He raised a manicured brow, a day of rest returning him to his usual ways. “Is this place that chaotic without me?” He tutted as they entered the break room together, enjoying their coffee far from the basement door.

“I need my damn lab work,” she grumbled before she relaxed the knot between her brows. “How are you holding up?”

“Fine. Taking a day off was… nice,” Verda breathed as he stirred in his creamer. “We just stayed inside, cuddled up on the couch, watching whatever awful movie the girls wanted to. It was wonderful.” He cleared his throat. “I should continue where we left off.”

“Not without saying hello to me, you’re not.” Tina skipped into the room, constitution restored by the rain-splattered box of Haley’s muffins in her arms. She frowned as Dorotea and Verda both grimaced. “What? Y’all start a diet or something?”

“Dorotea can explain.” Verda dismissed himself, downing what remained of his mug before bumping Tina with his hip and heading to the lab.

So Dorotea did, Tina munching happily all the while. “I thought you already knew about this,” Dorotea said. “The captain should have called you if there was a potential for spread.”

Tina shook her head. “I got a call from him, but it only lasted for a second before he cut it off. I just thought that he was looking for some paperwork and then found it.”

Dorotea frowned, her fingers finding the brim of her hat. “Suppose that’s when the agents showed up.” She looked up. “Well, speak of the devil.”

Unit Bravo strode in together, always together, and welcomed themselves into Dorotea’s office. “So those are the agents?” Tina asked, peeking around Dorotea’s shoulder as Adam removed his useless sunglasses. “Where’d you find them, Vogue?”

“Just… keep an eye on them,” Dorotea sighed, mentally preparing herself for whatever spat she would inevitably get herself into with them. They were new and they were government, that was reason enough to track their movements as they interacted with a town who certainly did not want them here. But somewhere deep in the pit of Dorotea’s stomach, the place she shoved all of her doubt and fear and superstition, was an ache that told her to be cautious. She hadn’t been able to shake it since Adam had opened his mouth in the morgue and she’d suddenly smelled capsaicin, no matter how many times she told herself it was completely irrational.

“You don’t have to tell me twice.” Tina leaned over to get a better view through the window in Dorotea’s office. With an over exaggerated huff, Dorotea took the palm of her hand and pushed Tina’s face away, earning a squeak from the shorter woman.

“Mornin’ folks.” A chorus of greetings and grunts echoed as Dorotea entered her office, ran her finger over where her desk corner used to be, and sat down. “Find anything at the cabin?”

Morgan raised a brow. “You couldn’t ask us that last night?”

“In front of everyone? No.” Dorotea leaned forward on her elbows. “That was to get you acquainted with the town, not to spread the details of this investigation before we’re ready.”

“We found nothing but rotting wood,” Adam answered from his usual place by the window.

“No vagrants attacking each other?”

Adam narrowed his eyes. “No.”

Dorotea released a breath. “Damn. I was hoping there’d be something. Good news is that Verda’s back, so we should have more to go off of at the end of the day.”

“So much hope,” she thought she heard Adam mutter.

“Is there something special about the cabin?” Nate asked, his knee drawn up as he sat in the office’s only plush chair. “Pardon my observation, but you seem tense when you mention it.”

“Tense?” Dorotea was always tense. Hell, you had to be worried for her health when she was relaxed. She mulled over the question, wondering how to best respond. “That cabin has… history. Odd things happen around there and people-“ she paused to scoff- “see things that shouldn’t be possible.”

Miss Benedict always claimed that the veil was thin in Wayhaven, whatever that meant, but every town in Appalachia had made that same claim before. Unexplainable things happened, but that doesn’t mean they would remain unexplained in the future.

Adam grunted, and if the sound wasn’t so harsh Dorotea might have taken it for a laugh. “You don’t believe in such nonsense, do you?”

“Superstitions have their place,” she snapped in response, protectiveness surging in her veins. “These are the oldest mountains you’ll ever come across. Ain’t no telling what this soil has seen. People seeing the echoes of that seems only fitting. I don’t need to believe in it to-“ Dorotea swallowed, “-to have seen it myself”

“But that’s completely irrelevant to the case,” she added when Farah perked up.

“On that we both agree,” said Adam.

Dorotea was so taken aback by the casual admittance that they actually agreed on something, no matter how inconsequential, that she almost missed her office phone ringing. It was Verda on the other line. “You’ll want to see this.”

“I finally got around to looking at the blood sample you took from the cabin,” he started when Dorotea, Adam, and Nate came through the lab door, not even looking up from the microscope. “It’s exactly like Greenland’s.”

“You sure you’re looking at the right sample?” Dorotea leaned over Verda’s shoulder. When he finally got the hint, he scooted his chair over, allowing her to take a look.

Verda adjusted his glasses with a scoff. “Who do you think you’re talking to? Of course I am.” He sighed, his head tilted back. “It’s too small a sample for a DNA test. Not one that can be used in court, anyway.”

Adam cleared his throat, startling both Dorotea and Verda into remembering his existence. “You collected a blood sample from the cabin?”

“Yes. I thought you read my report.” Dorotea gave him a quizzical look, one that quickly shifted to Nate as he fiddled with the edge of his leather sleeve. “From the fight I witnessed? Apologies, Verda. This is Commanding Agent du Mortain and Nate, two of the agents assisting the station.”

Verda raised a brow as she said the names, but he offered nothing more than a polite “nice to meet you” and a curious glance. “Exactly how rare is this blood mutation, Commanding Agent?” What were the chances that two people in such a small population had it?

“Reasonably small,” Nate answered instead, his head almost touching the overhead light. “I’m not familiar enough with it to give you an exact statistic, but I can request that Agent Langford compile a write-up from our scientists for you.”

“Which should have already been done in the first place,” Dorotea chided, eye already glued back to the microscope. Sure enough, many of the cells were just… gone. Disappeared. She worried her bottom lip between her teeth as she straightened up, the look between her and Verda confirming that they were, in fact, still breathing safe air. “What’s the status of the hospital?”

“Hospital” was a generous term for it. The Adelaide Memorial Hospital was more a collection of rooms, outdated equipment, and a helicopter pad. Situated about an even distance from the three towns of Wayhaven, Yellow Crick, and Pike’s Haven, and much closer to Adelaide, the hospital served the entire rural area. If you were near death enough to not worry about killing yourself on the sigogglin roads then you might even get there in time for someone to treat you. But the reality was that most people in Wayhaven knew how to tend to their own wounds, and those that didn’t could usually be helped by the only fire station in town. Even still, Dr. Turner made sure his hospital was as prepared as it could be with such limited nurses, though he often made his rounds to each town to make sure that everyone had adequate care.

So it wasn’t really a surprise when Verda rolled his eyes. “I haven’t heard anything. With our luck, Mac is still driving it over.”

Knowing the way Ol’ Mac drove when it was sunny and drier than a bone, that wasn’t out of the realm of possibility. “Missing the city yet?”

“Once we have about fifty more bodies in this morgue, then I might start.” Verda turned back to his work. “I’ll contact Dr. Turner when I get a chance. Focus on your investigation.”

Dorotea figured she should feel guilty for being so relieved that Unit Bravo was not at the station.

Apparently, Rebecca needed to speak with them urgently, and before she could stutter out a polite goodbye they disappeared into the rain. Douglas bravely ventured to Miss Benedict’s with a novel tucked under his arm when Dorotea promised that he could take the rest of the day off. Verda contacted the lab and cursed whatever rookie technician they had hired over their lunch in the break room, the smell of reheated daal perfuming the air. “Damn amateurs,” he grumbled, too preoccupied in his thoughts to notice Dorotea ripping a piece from his roti.

The rest of the day had been so perfectly mundane that she almost forgot about the body in her morgue. Kenny Smalls and Paul Rutger were having some pissing match in front of Kenny’s apartment when her and Tina rolled up, his front window shattered. “That damn kid,” he accused, waving a baseball in front of Dorotea’s face, “is always breaking my shit.”

“How many years has it been since they graduated high school?” Tina whispered to her, watching as young Tim Rutger, Paul’s son, picked at his cuticles, his attention nowhere near the familiar spat in front of him.

Dorotea didn’t bother to whisper her reply back. “Thirty.” The men quieted after that.

That left her in the office after close, double checking her report of what could barely be called an incident and Verda’s autopsy analysis. While hard to determine for certain at the moment, he concluded that the most likely cause of death was shock brought on by blood loss, though the nature of Greenland’s condition meant that more rigorous testing would have to be conducted.

She rubbed her burning eyes as she leaned forward, returning her chair to its upright position. Her signature hat was abandoned in some corner, as was her jacket and belt. The only person who could judge her at the moment was Len, and he was used to the sight enough that he just continued to work on his crossword puzzle.

What else did she have to do today? Right. Evidence locker.

It was easy enough to find the chain from the Abernathy’s farmhouse, most of the items in storage relics of her father’s era and before. She examined it in her office, frowning as she took it from the bag. If a key had been used then just the lock would be open, but the chain was split in half, though the cut was jagged, almost splintered like the corner of her desk. She had never seen bolt cutters leave such an uneven mark.

She ran her fingers along the chain. It was cut in the thickest part through the entire link, cleaving it in two uneven pieces. Almost like someone had pulled it apart instead of cutting it.

After double checking that Len was occupied, Dorotea put all her weight into the thick chain, doing her damndest to break it in half. When nothing happened, she pushed against one of the unharmed corners of her desk until sweat dripped down her neck. It didn’t budge.

Flushed, Dorotea flopped back in her chair. She’d have to keep an eye out for irregular cutting tools. Maybe some kind of saw? Miss Benedict would for sure say it was the work of strange spirits, their talons sharp and-

Dorotea stood abruptly and walked back towards storage.

She supposed she would have to thank Miss Benedict for the idea that popped into her head. She herself had never encountered a murder while working as detective, but that didn’t mean her father hadn’t. All she needed was an indication of his workflow, something that would trigger any new idea while she waited for Adelaide Memorial to get back to her.

It took longer to find the dust covered boxes in the back, the cardboard eaten through by a variety of different critters. With great effort, Dorotea hauled a box down from the shelf, almost dropping it on her foot when her arms gave out. Inside were dozens of manila folders, all ripped and discolored and full of ratty papers.

Dorotea pulled the first file out.

It was nothing of use, just some alleged stealing of Margo Catskill’s wedding ring, but Dorotea read through the entire thing anyway, drinking in the words of a man she had no memory of but loved anyway. Instinctually, she reached up for her hat, forgetting that it was in her office.

She continued to flip through the old files, memorizing the cadence of her father’s voice as she read about every problem in the town, some known to her and some new. After what seemed like ages, she finally came across a suspicious death. She wasted no time opening the file.

Half of the third page was blacked out.

Dorotea frowned, flipping through the pages, finding familiar censor bars on most of them. She had read enough to know when her father was speculating or backing up his claims with hard evidence, and it seems both were blacked out equally. She threw that file to the side and picked another one, scowl deepening when she discovered the same thing.

These were internal files meant for only the station’s eyes. There should be no reason to censor anything.

Frantic now, she tore through the box, haphazardly discarding the files to either side of her. She thumbed through one, threw it away, and then snatched it up again, almost ripping the paper.

“… with aid from Agent R. Schneider…”

Schneider. Rebecca Schneider. Her mother’s maiden name.

For Dorotea’s entire life, Rebecca had been gone, too busy with a job she could never explain. “Security,” she would say. “Public sector.” Which Dorotea took to mean something like the FBI, investigating national threats. Frankly, she never cared enough to ask and risk a prolonged conversation with her mother.

But now she cursed that line of thinking. What the hell did the FBI want and Wayhaven, now and thirty years ago? And come to think of it, no one had shown her a badge…

She almost jumped out of her skin when Len knocked on the wall. She rubbed her eyes, not noticing how pale he looked. “Excuse me, Tea, but-“ his voice quivered slightly, “-there’s another body.”

Dorotea snapped to attention, now fully awake. The single word burned her throat like hellfire. “Who?”

Len sighed, pure and disgusting pity in his eyes. “Garret Hayes.”

#dont wake the ancients #dorotea langford #twc #my writing

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second-star-to-motunui · 2 years

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hiii, if it's not too much, i'd like something soft! MC making some flower crowns with Cheka, answering any questions the little cub has about their uncle's partner & giving Leona the crowns???

Gotcha! Quick note, I didn’t notice my ask inbox wasn’t on so NOW requests are open! Lol, sorry if anyone tried to send asks before and it didn’t work!

———————

Flower Crowns for a King

Feat. Leona Kingscholar and Cheka

Cheka has lots of questions about his uncles new friend! Why not discuss over flower crowns?

They/Them pronouns for reader. MC is referred to as Yuu.

Likes and reblogs are heavily appreciated

The annoying cub was visiting this weekend. Rather than give up his free time to deal with him, Leona passed on the job to Yuu. The herbivore played with Cheka in the botanical garden while he lounged in his usual nap spot.

Not too long ago, Cheka had bounded over to Yuu with his tiny arms full of flowers, excitedly asking if they knew how to make flower crowns. Now they were sitting close by as they made the crowns. Leona dozed through most of the conversation until he heard his name pop up.

“Unca Leona says you’re a profe—profeshi…” Cheka pouts as he sounds out the word to himself, “p-professional chef? Is that true? You must cook loads of yummy foods!”

“Professional is a stretch. I just enjoy cooking. I did it a lot back home for my family.” Yuu says.

“Oooh! What was your home like?”

“Definitely not as interesting as this place. We don’t have cute little beast boys like you running around!”

Yuu pet Cheka’s head, getting a laugh from the cub. Leona leaned on his hand as he gazed at them, eyes focusing intently on the way Yuu’s fingers moved as he tied chamomiles into a crown. Such small, gentle hands…

“Life back home was kind of boring actually.” They were saying. “I was always so busy taking care of my younger siblings that I never had time to do nice things like this. I didn’t even have any friends.”

A small grunt left Leona’s throat. He wasn’t aware of that fact, not that he ever asked.

“Cheka is your friend now! And Unca Leona is too and you two will get married someday, huh?”

Leona’s ears popped up at that. As Yuu burst out in laughter, he got up and marched over to snatch Cheka up in the air. The cub giggled at that, his little tail swishing around.

“Alright, enough outta you. I gotta take you back to your dad soon.”

“Here, Unca Leona!” Cheka reached up and put his messily made flower crown on the lion’s head. “I made it for you! I chose lotsa pretty colors! Do you like it?”

Leona huffed, blowing a petal out his face. “Sure…”

He glanced up at Yuu as Cheka cheered. They simply smiled and shrugged before placing their own flower crown on Cheka’s head. The cub looked up with stars in his eyes before frowning.

“Yuu Yuu didn’t get a crown though… I can make another one!”

“I’m not waiting around for that.” Leona held Cheka under one arm, the boy giggling hysterically, and bent down to pluck a large yellow flower from its bed. He then placed it in Yuu’s hair. He smirked at the blush that appeared on his herbivore’s face, tilting their chin up with two finger.

“There. You’re royalty too now.”

#twisted wonderland #twst #leona kingscholar #twst cheka #leona x reader #leona kingscholar x reader #twst imagine #twst yuu #gn reader #ren writes

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superhero--imagines · 3 years

Text

Part 1 Here! / Part 2 Here! / Part 3 Here! / Part 4 Here! / Part 5 Here! / Part 6 Here! / Part 7 Here! / Part 8 Here! / Part 9 Here! / Part 10 Here! / Part 11 Here! / Part 12 Here!

A/N: Shout out to @ideas-for-you-to-adopt for inspiring/writing a lot of the headcanons used for the “Bella Suspicion” part of this chapter!

I’m posting this a day early, because, well I’m flakey like that

* You spear another piece of pineapple, your teeth grinding together

* “I think that sounds perfect!” Lauren squeals lightly grasping Bella’s shoulder, Bella gives a small smile in return.

* You know what isn’t perfect?

* The fact that nothing is going according to plan.

* It’s already a month in and NOTHING has happened. You stab another piece of pineapple, sticking it into your mouth

* You’ve hung back in the school parking lot everyday for a MONTH, you were even late to cheer practice once, just to see if the “Tyler Van Accident” happened.

* Only it never did, and you didn’t know why until Lauren confided that she and Tyler had been hooking up lately.

* As in hooking up at her house after school before her parents came home.

* Of course it’s not going to happen when Tyler’s ditching his last period to drive to her house

* What a mess

* You chew the pineapple carefully, just like a human would. Because even though Bella knows LITERALLY NOTHING. She somehow suspects everything.

* You watch her from the corner of your eye, making polite conversation with Angela about biology next period.

* The amount of questions she has about you is ridiculous

* How did you meet Edward? How does your family know the Cullen’s? Where are you adoptive parents now? If they’re back in the states why haven’t you gone to live with them?

* It’s literally never ending. And that’s just her trying to poke holes in your story.

* You’re not even going to start with all the stuff she’s commented on your physical appearance

* “Hey don’t you think it’s weird they all have gold eyes?” You had heard Bella quietly ask Jessica when she thought you couldn’t hear

* “Not really, they’ve got like six kids, so when one kid needs something more of them do too. (Y/N) told me Alice wanted color contacts so Dr. Cullen just bought some for all of them.”

* And then the week before that, while you were doing a stunt at a basketball game Bella said:

* “Aren’t they like, too strong?” You were lifting up a girl all on your own.

* “Oh yeah- I guess you never saw the video, apparently they’re jacked.” Conner says, with a shrug.

* “Yeah they heard working out helps with stress when they were like 12 and just never stopped.” Mike adds absentmindedly

* And if that wasn’t enough she’s even said this a few weeks before that:

* “Don’t you think it’s weird how beautiful they all are?” Lauren wrinkles her nose, at the time she had gotten used to Bella but she still doesn’t seem to like her very much

* “Not really, I remember (Y/N) wasn’t all that pretty freshman year, they used to wear these really dorky glasses.”

* You had almost started to forget how good you had it, after you did all the leg work in the last two years to establish that you were normal -just kinda quirky- you had just started to enjoy the pay off. A little more lax with your appearance, wearing clothes you liked, doing more solo routines in cheer.

* Only for little Miss.Curious to show up

* Now you have to try extra hard to look human again. And not just you, the entire coven does, because when one of you falls under suspicion you all do.

* Rosalie’s been making her hair look messy every so often to give the illusion that she’s having a bad hair day, Alice wears a retainer every so often, even Emmett pretends to need the bathroom more than he usually does.

* This morning you even had Rosalie do a fake pimple on your jaw.

* If Bella wasn’t going to be your best friends’ future wife, you think you might just hate her.

* You kind of sympathize with Rosalie in the book now.

* “Hey (Y/N) are you in?” Conner asks nudging his elbow against yours.

* “In for what?” You mumble, spearing another piece of pineapple. Another downside is now you have to eat at lunch. Otherwise Bella starts asking why you never eat and everyone gets really concerned and starts force feeding you

* God, all those years of establish you have low blood sugar and acid reflux induced nausea for nothing

* “La Push beach, we’re all going this weekend.” You perk up at the mention

* Finally, something’s getting back on track

* “Can’t, cheer stuff.” You mumble, shoving your food around your plate with your fork.

* You don’t miss Bella’s meaningful glance on your mostly full plate.

* Oh great, you can practically see the question “don’t you think it’s weird how they never eat anything?” Forming in the inner corners of her mind

* “What about you Edward?” Lauren flutters her eyelashes and you have to stop yourself from rolling your eyes.

* Lauren’s still annoyed that even though they’re hooking up, Tyler hasn’t made anything official yet

* Alice told her flirting with another guy might help.

* “He’s not going either.” You say before Edward can even open his mouth. He doesn’t say anything just gives you a questioning look and a smile.

* Looks like he’s finding everyone else’s thoughts more interesting

* “Are you guys going on a date?” Jessica waggles her eyebrows and on the other side of the table Bella sputters.

* You roll your eyes

* “No Jessica, but if I can’t go have fun neither can he.” Technically you both are forbidden to go on tribal land but whatever. “Best friend code.”

* Also you’re pretty sure Edward and Emmett are going to Yellowstone to eat bears or something, like a couple of heathens

* The thought of eating straight out of bear, no idea what they’ve eaten or where they’ve been doing their business, makes you shudder.

* You did mention to them both that if they happen to find an orphaned bear cub somewhere to bring it back. You’ve been wanting to experiment with bear blood.

* “Best friend code.” Edward repeats slowly, and the look he gives you makes your stomach flutter. And it’s not because you just ate half a salad.

* You’re knocked out of the look when Conner bumps his knee against yours

* “Well that’s a shame, I was looking forward to seeing you in a swimsuit.”

* So Conner’s been flirting a lot with you lately. Kind of weird, your best guess is that he was hoping to date Lauren, but now that she’s kinda seeing Tyler, you’re starting to look good.

* “Maybe you should have a pool party at that fancy house of yours then.” The group laughs but Conner just smirks

* “Whatever you want babe but-“ the bell cuts him off and you give him a consolatory pat on the arm.

* You move to throw away the leftover food on your plate, walking with Edward

* “We’re ditching right?” You ask him as you toss the plate into the trash.

* “Yeah Mr. Barnes is doing his blood type experiment today.” Like he even needs an excuse to skip school. “Do you want to go to the bookstore or something?”

* You shake your head, that won’t do, when Bella faints Edward needs to be there so they can fall in love

* “Wanna just hang out in my car? We can listen to that new Debussy CD I got.”

* Edward gives you a small smile, like he’s not really happy

* “Whatever you want.”

* Wait what’s up with that.

* “Hey, (Y/N)!” Bella calls out for you and Edward grimaces.

* “I’ll meet you at your car” wait he’s not going to stay here? If this was a dating video game he’d be the kind of player that wasted all the capture flags and then complains when they end up all alone.

* He leaves just as Bella gets to you. She spares a fleeting glance in Edward’s direction, almost looking sad as she watches him walk away before she looks to you

* “Are you heading over to biology?” She really is cute, like a puppy. She must have been hoping to get a little closer to Edward.

* You almost feel bad for not warning her what with her issues on blood.

* “Nah I’ve got to finish my trig homework so I’m going to skip.” You fake a yawn.

* Oh, before you forget

* “I actually got you something.”

* You hand her a carefully wrapped gift bag, compliments of Rosalie of course

* “Vitamins?” Bella asks, her eyebrows threading together

* “Yeah, it’s like a vitamin powder, you just add it to water. We bought a big family pack so I thought I would share some with you.”

* Also because you’re 100% sure she’s anemic.

* Part of the reason you like the way she smells so much is because of her anemia, if it’s just the peach scent you can probably contain yourself.

* You wave goodbye and Bella looks down at the package in her hands with a goofy expression. She hugs it to her chest before her expression pinches.

* “I should have offered to let them copy my notes” Bella murmurs to herself. Smacking her forehead and walking to biology.

* When you manage to sneak out to the parking lot through the gym doors, you see Edward leaning against your car, looking bored as he looks to the tree line

* “Why didn’t you sit inside? You look like a douchebag.”

* “I would have if someone had given me the keys”

* Like that’s stopped him before

* You unlock the car, letting it start with a hum before you pull out your trig homework

* You weren’t entirely lying to Bella, you really hadn’t finished you homework

* Edward pulls out a book from his bag, you’re not ashamed to say you’ve gotten him super into “The City of Ember” series

* “Hey why did you walk away when Bella came over?” you’re only half curious, mostly just trying to make conversation. “You don’t hate her do you?” You add with a laugh.

* The mere thought of Edward Cullen hating Bella Swan is laughable.

* “Yeah I do.”

* You find yourself coughing from the sheer shock.

* “You mean she frustrates you because you can’t read her mind.” Edward has spared you a concerned glance when you started coughing, but has turned his attention back to his book

*” No I mean I don’t like her, and I don’t like being around her.” He doesn’t look up from his book as he says it.

* “But why?” Yeah she’s a little plain, and she’s still pretty shy even though you’ve been hanging out for a month and all those damn questions

* But she’s got good taste in books, and she’s pretty straightforward.

* She’s not the type of person to go behind your back, if you did something to upset her she’ll tell you straight to your face.

* Honestly she’s a lot like Angela, minus the hidden cunning nature.

* Edward eyes narrow and a heavy sigh escapes him. His head tilts back to rest against the passenger seat headrest.

* His neck is so long and white. The color of freshly fallen snow. You can’t help but think of how pretty it would look covered in hickeys.

* Like poppy’s blossoming in the snow.

* Can vampires get hickeys? Would it just be like black instead of red since none of you really have blood anymore.

* “I just don’t like-” He cuts himself off when his eyes meet yours, they seem to shine brighter for a moment, and you tilt your head. This feels like a meaningful look.

* Edward sighs and looks away.

* “I just don’t like her vibe.”

*”Vibe? Are you an Edward shaped imposter?” you see him mouth ‘Edward Shaped Imposter’ as you both laugh.

* “Where did you learn to say these things?” He asks between laughs. You mock gasp.

* “The real Edward would never ask me that because he’s too afraid to know! Who are you really? What planet are you from?” Your hands move to his face, his face is as smooth as marble, lingering warmth. You leaned in without thinking about it, only a few inches away from him.

* You’re so close you can smell him. He always smells good, like something ancient and profound. Rosemary and argon oil.

* Your hands are still on his face and he’s grinning.

* You gulp

* You’re trying to think of another ridiculous imposter joke you can make wen you catch a familiar head of blond hair through the window.

* “Is that Mike and ... Bella?”

* This is a lot sooner than you thought, it hasn’t even been ten minutes yet.

* Edward looks almost bored as he follows your gaze.

* “Yeah, looks like she made herself sick, she’s - what’s that word for when people are afraid of blood?”

* “Hemophobia?”

* “Yeah, that’s what she has.”

* You wait for a second, releasing his face from your hands, but instead of moving to open the door he slumps back into his seat, eyes focused on his book.

* “Don’t you think we should go help them?” He shrugs.

* The f*cking criminal just shrugs.

* WHAT THE F*CK IS GOING ON?!?!

* Human or not, there’s no world Edward wouldn’t at least think about helping someone who’s in trouble.

* You’re starting to think this really is an Edward imposter.

* You watch Bella lean on Mike, stumbling down the crosswalk to the nurse’s office in the next building.

* You can’t watch anymore

* ‘You know you-” You words finally get Edward’s attention as he looks up from his book. “You are wasting all the capture flags!” You shout before sliding out of your car and jogging over to Mike and Bella

* “Mike! What happened?” He’s so surprised to see you his grip on Bella goes slack and she falls out of his side hold.

* “Oh crap!”

* You rush to catch her, swinging her into a princess hold.

* What was Mike struggling with so much? She’s not very hea - oh right you’re a vampire.

* “Are you alright, I know she’s kinda heavy.” Well that’s not very nice to say about a girl, besides she’s pretty skinny. Can’t be more than 120 pounds.

* “It’s no problem, I do it for cheer are all the time.” You do a fake grunt as you pretend to get a better hold on her.

* The movement jostle her awake, her eyes fluttering open. She’s still in a dreamy state, her eyes are unfocused.

* “(Y/N)?”

* “Hey buddy, looks like ya fainted, squeamish around blood huh?”

* “How do you know we were doing the blood type experiment?” Mike asks.

* Oh crap. You were skipping, you weren’t supposed to know that. Even worse you brain can’t seem to come up with a valid excuse.

* “Alice told us about it, (Y/N) used to be squeamish around blood when we were kids, didn’t want to take any chances” You let out a sigh of relief when you see Edward walking towards you. At least he’s not completely heartless.

*”Then why were you skipping?” Mike asks scratching his head. Edward shrugs

* “They can’t go to class, then I won’t go either.” And then the criminal looks you straight in the eye and says with the cheekiest smile imaginable:

*“It’s the best friend code”

* Oh f*ck off Edward.

* You almost want to scoff when he takes Bella from your arms and into his.

* SO now he wants to care about the capture flag.

* You let him take her though, You swear you see her stiffen and frown when he holds her.

* That can’t be right, she seemed super relaxed when you were carrying her.

* “I-I’m fine I can walk.”

* “No you can’t.” Edward bluntly says.

* Even when he gets to capture event, he says all the wrong things. You sigh as you walk behind him. Only to notice another set of footsteps by you.

* “You can go back if you want Mike, Edward won’t kidnap her or anything.” He might throw her into the lake though.

* Mike shakes his head. “No it just seems wrong to not make sure she at least gets to the nurses office.”

*You smile, he really is a kind boy.

* “Also I’ll be damned if Bella gives Edward all the credit.” Well mostly kind.

* You get to the nurses office, who seems incredibly flustered with both you and Edward in such a small space.

* She seems so preoccupied keeping her wits about her as she checks out Bella and deals with your presence that she never asks why three people had to escort one person to the nurses office.

* “Well your blood pressure is a little low, since you fainted I would suggest you go home. If you want you can take a nap in here until school’s out.” Wow, where was a nurse this generous when you were in school.

* Bella, the beautiful moron, shakes her head.

* “No it’s okay I’ll go back to class, I don’t want to take a zero for the assignment” Well that’s noble and responsible and all. But what does she think is going to happen when she goes back to class?

* She’s going to see some blood again and faint. Not that you can be mad, you would probably have to go the the nurse too if Bella ever managed to prick her own finger

* “Bella you really shouldn’t,” You settle your hand on her shoulder pushing her back onto the chair. “You just fainted you should lie down, or go home or something.”

* Her eyebrows thread together, mouth pulled in protest.

* “I don’t want to impose on any-”

* “It’s not an imposition, I want to!” Her mouth parts, then closes, stretching into a fine line. You look to Edward who’s avoiding your gaze and seems very irritated.

* Enemies to lovers trope it is.(Though you’re not sure if this counts as enemies if only one person dislikes the other)

* “I’m going to drop you off home, come on.” You pull Bella up by her hand, leading her to the parking lot.

* “Wait what about my car?”

* Oh you hadn’t thought about that.

*Hmmm in the original book Alice drove her home. But Alice doesn’t really do anything unless there’s something in it for her, or if she wants to.

* Also you’re pretty sure when she ditched today when she found out that people were pricking there finger on campus. She claimed it was for Jasper, but you’re pretty sure there’s a sale in the Nordstrom in Seattle.

* Edward would rather get the flu than drive Bella’s ancient truck.

* Which leaves only one option.

* You toss your keys to Edward who catches them with one hand.

* “Edward will drive you home in my car, and I’ll drive your car behind him.”

* “What about Rosalie?” He grumbles.

*“What about Rosalie?” Why is he being so difficult right now? Doesn’t he realize you’re doing this all for him!

* “You’re driving her home since Emmett and I are leaving for Yellow Stone as soon as school lets out.” Oh right the bears. Cr*p.

* “It’s not a big deal, I’ll drive back to school after we’re done and you can go your way and I’ll go mine.”

* You can tell Edward doesn’t like it, but he just sigh’s climbing into your car and then promptly getting out of the passenger side and sitting in the driver’s side.

* The dork forgot he had to drive the car.

* You’re dying laughing as Bella leads you to her car.

* “It’s the blue one.”

* Her truck isn’t all that bad. It’s old, but in a kind of retro way. It’s powder blue, with only two doors and no backseat.

* You climb in, turning the engine and hearing it purr. Well it’s more of a roar, but it’s not terrible.

* You’re surprised when Bella climbs through the passenger side door.

* “Um, you’re not going to drive with Edward?” She looks at you like you just asked her to recite the Fibonacci sequence.

* “Why would I go with him when you’re the one driving my car?” Okay, that’s fair.

* You sigh, why does nothing ever go according to plan.

* Maybe it’s for the best, Edward doesn’t seem to be in the best mood. Not that this is good either, she’s sitting so close to you, her peachy scent fills the small space of the truck and you feel lightheaded.

* It’s less than a ten minute trip, no need to get dramatic. You’re pretty sure you won’t kill her just because she smells nice.

* “Soooooo... what do you want to talk about?” You ask as you turn out of the school, this car is super slow compared to yours, you’re pretty sure it won’t go over 50 mph.

* Bella fidgets beside you, playing with the ends of her hair.

* “So are you and Edward...dating?”

* You laugh so loud you actually start coughing. And then you laugh again.

* “No-pfff- no We’re uh- we’re not dating.” You finally manage.

* “Why is that so funny to you?” She asks, genuinely confused.

* “Well it’s just outrageous you know?” How would that even work? You can’t even picture it. Edward getting all hot and bothered because you’re wearing an oversized sweater and glasses. You flirting with him all over the house in front of Carlisle and Esme. Edward signing up for a sport just so he can see you in his letterman.

* It’s all...impossible.

* And yet, there is one thing you can picture.

* Edward by your side, he’s almost golden brown, his eyes bright green. He points to the living room, and in there are Alec and Jane, both of their eyes blue as they argue over who’s turn it is to watch TV.

* Maybe if you were human, if you had met in a different world or a different time, that would be something you could have.

* But it is what it is

* “Edward and I have been friends for a really long time, we’ve just seen too much of each other to find each other attractive like that.”

* Bella looks like she doesn’t believe you but she doesn’t say anything.

* Wait what are you doing? This is the perfect chance to talk Edward up!

* “But you know Edward is a real stand up guy!” It leaves a little too forcefully, a little inauthentic.

* “Oh is he?” She doesn’t sound too excited to be talking about this.

* “I know he’s got one of those face-”

* “Obnoxiously handsome?” She spats

* “Like he thinks existence is a curse, and the world is evil and everything is terrible -” Wait you’re getting off track. “B-but he really is a good guy!”

* You bite your lip, as Bella tells you to turn into a subdivision.

* “You know after- after I was adopted,” After your parents died. “I was really lonely, I had a family that loved me and anything I asked for but I didn’t really have anyone to talk to” Oh god, why did you choose this story to pick? “Edward was probably the only friend my age I had for years.”

* She straightens up a little bit, a curious glint in her eyes.

* “Really?” You nod.

* “Yeah he would come by every Monday and Wednesday,” You still remember the crunch of the snow under your feet as you both walked to the barn. He always asked why you didn’t just run, and you always told him because you liked the way you could see your breath hang in the air,

* “He could have been out that time, hanging out with other people,” More well adjusted vampires, who hunted instead of harvesting small amounts from animals they raised. “or chasing girls and playing sports, but he stayed with me.”

* “He always made me feel safe, and I’m sure whoever is lucky enough to end up with him will feel that way too.”

* “I think you’re giving him too much credit” Bella finally says, you smile at her

* “what do you mean?”

* “Well, who wouldn’t drop everything to hang out with you?” You can’t tell if she’s being genuine or if she’s bitter. Your eyes meet hers and there’s a twinkle in them. ”My house is the one on the left, the one with the magnolia tree.”

* You come to a stop in front of the house she mentioned, shifting it into park, and handing her the keys.

* You don’t say anything as you climb out of her car. You see Edward stopped a few dozen feet behind her truck, your jeep still on.

* “Thanks for driving me home” She smiles at you, a real smile that reaches her eyes. It’s nice.

* “No problem, it gave me an excuse to ditch school too haha.” You both stand in awkward silence. Neither of you moving.

* Well damn what are you supposed to do now?

* “Oh, hey do you want me to bring you your homework or anything?”

* She perks up at that, reaching into her pocket

* “If you don’t mind, could you text me what page he homework is on for trig today?”

* “ Oh for sure! No problem at all” You take her cell phone in your hand. It’s a white sidekick, with a picture of a cactus on the back. She must have gotten it when she moved.

* You can’t help but wonder if she has any friends she misses. She spent her entire life in one community, sure Phoenix is a pretty big place, but she must have had friends, people she sat with at lunch everyday, girls she had known since childhood, sleepovers where they whispered about boys they had crushes on.

* As you hand her phone back, your contact information saved in it, you can’t help but wonder who this person in front of you is. You know her, but at the same time, you know absolutely nothing about her.

* “See you Monday!” You wave goodbye as you get into the passenger side of your car, and Bella waits on the porch until you and Edward leave.

* Edward’s got that look on his face.

* “Edward why are you mad?”

* “I’m not mad.” He grumbles and you raise an eyebrow. He sighs.

* “You’re going out of your way an awful lot for that human.” He says as he turns back onto the highway.

* “It’s just the right thing to do Eddie.”

* He shakes his head, his mouth pinched into a frown

* “Just be careful, I don’t know what that one’s thinking, she could be planning to burn our entire coven for all I know.”

* You roll your eyes, yeah you bet Bella who weights exactly 115 pounds, and has anemia is single handedly planning to bring down the entire vampire race.

* “How about we make a deal, I’ll promise not to rock the boat while you and Emmett are gone-”

* “Why do I feel like I’m going to regret not covering my ears?”

*” If you promise to bring me back a bear cub - an orphaned one.” He gives you a look you don’t quite care for.

* “You want me to kill a mother bear so you can have a bear cub?”

* “No of course not! I’m just saying- Emmett doesn’t really look before he kills so if he kills a mother bear, just make sure you bring me the cubs.”

* “Why do you even want a bear? How are you planning to take care of it with all those deer around, they need a lot-”

* “Yes Dad I know it’s a big responsibility, don’t worry I won’t make you take it on walks or anything.”

* Edward gulps hard, one hand detaching from the steering wheel to cover his mouth.

* Wouldn’t it be positively sinful for you to be underneath him, whining ‘daddy, please’ in that breathy voice of yours and-

* Edward.exe is broken.

* “Dude you really need to get your shit together before you go on your trip, we’ve been parked for fifteen minutes and your foot is still on the brake.” You say as you get out of the car

* He hits his head against the steering wheel.

* “Yeah, I really do need to get my shit together.”

Tags: @moonlights27 @thebluetint @the100thtwilight @awesomebooklover17 @oneofthepotterheads @smileygirl08 @imdoingathingmom @iconicgguk @yrawn @alyciaswhore @little-horror-show @wicked-watering-can @lazydreamers @ xxxmuxxx @ideas-for-you-to-adopt @poisoinedhope @maryleigh8796 @moose-squirrel-asstiel @hotmessgoodness

#twilight #twilight imagines #twilight headcanons #twilight reader insert #twilight saga #edward cullen imagine #edward cullen x reader #edward cullen #bella swan #bella swan x reader #bella swan headcanon #midnight sun #superhero--imagines

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justletmeplayminecraft · 4 years

Text

Hermitcraft Great British Bake Off AU

(Or the Great British Baking Show outside the UK)

With the start of a new series, I thought I'd compile this AU I came up with a while ago. Big shout out to @skywillsometimeswrite who helped me brainstorm nearly all of this (and accidentally got into the series sorry. Time to get emotional over bakers again.)

It's Great British Bake Off, where the hermits take the place of the contestants, judges and some of the crew (with the recap boys as the hosts!) It follows the structure of the show, but to add maximum fluffiness, nobody leaves and the show works on a point system instead. The loser of each week does the washing up. (Not that the winner matters, this is all about the shenanigans.) Further explanations and what role each hermit fills with a short bio is under the cut!

The recording structure follows the usual routine. It takes place over several weeks, with the recording happening at the weekend. They stay at a hotel over the weekend. On the Saturday they record the Signature Challenge and the Technical. On the Sunday they film the Showstopper. Each week is themed, with the challenges fitting into that theme. The themes are often based around a certain kind of baking (pastry, bread, chocolate) but sometimes around time periods, places, or diets. I recommend googling or watching an episode of the show but a brief explanation of the challenges:

The Signature Challenge: They're given a certain thing (cake, pastry, biscuit, etc) to create. They've been able to practice at home. This is the opportunity to show personality and a home-cooked, rustic style with tried and tested bakes.

The Technical: The Judges take turns each week to set a recipe for an often uncommon bake. The recipe is bare-bones and the bakers have to use their intuition and knowledge about baking to create what's intended. This round is unpractised, and judged blind, with the judges outside the tent for the duration. The aim is to perfectly replicate the recipe given and that's how they're judged.

The Showstopper: A chance to bring out the big guns! They're often given a theme and a type of bake and then the contestants can go wild. The aim is to create something of professional quality, that makes the judges go 'wow' and still tastes good. Also practiced over the week, though sometimes less due to the size of the bakes.

Now onto the hermits:

The Judges are TFC and Biffa. TFC is the friendlier of the two. He does his best to find positives in bakes, although he enjoys making jokes about things that go wrong. Most of the contestants come to think of him as a grandad. Biffa gives more thorough criticism, but it helps the contestants improve a lot and is tailored towards the advice they need. They enjoy talking to the contestants about their bakes and lives outside the tent, both on and off camera. They've both had long careers in the industry.

The Hosts are our recap boys, Pixelriffs and Zloy. They're a dynamic duo in front of the camera, riffing off each other and the contestants naturally. They have a good balance of improvisation and planned skits. Zloy will doodle scenes from the tent during their downtime.

In alphabetical order, the Contestants:

1. Beef: Works as a butcher. It's often joked about, and not helped by him spilling red food colouring on his apron early in the series. He's incredibly good at piping and often creates artworks on top of his bakes for decoration. Absolutely smashes any biscuit decoration.

2. Cleo: Works as a teacher. Ironically, has to be censored at least once an episode and continuously hopes none of her students watch. It's hard to tell what she's doing until the last minute when she pulls it all together. She enjoys making little figures from fondant or rice crispy marshmallow mix.

3. Cub: Runs a sports equipment company. He likes coming up with creative solutions to the challenges and surprises the others by how focused he can become once in the zone. He has a deadpan sense of humour and a willingness to commit to bits. Often banters with Scar.

4. Etho: His job seems to change every time he mentions it. It never fails to catch the others off guard. He rarely explains his bakes, and his ability to mix flavours that shouldn't work but somehow do is infuriating. Sometimes, as he waits for things to bake, he uses the free time to play music on the baking equipment.

5. False: Works as a bodyguard. She says the details of her job are classified and never brings it up again. Nobody is sure if she's joking, but she's built. She's a very precise builder, with perfectionist tendencies that can sometimes come back to bite her if she focuses on them too much. She jumps between different themes with ease when decorating.

6. Grian: Works as an architect. He's fond of going big with his bakes, trying to push the limits of what's possible. However, he often gives himself too much to do, and ends up having to rush, disguise unfinished parts or the other contestants help him finish. He's bubbly in front of the camera and enjoys the occasional prank.

7. Impulse: Works as an electrical engineer. Also anxiety central. He's a very technical baker who's brilliant at following recipes. However, he will restart a bake if very minor things go wrong, which often leaves him pressed for time. Despite this, he's one of the most likely people to jump in and help someone who's struggling.

8. Keralis: Owns a bookstore. He loves decorating and his bakes are always some of the prettiest in the tent. Although he has a sleek, modern style, he can branch out when needed. He makes up his own pronunciation for ingredients, bakes and the other people in the tent. Gradually, everyone else starts using them too.

9. Scar: Works as a landscaper. Skilled at detailing and has out of the box thinking for his designs. Likes creating vehicles. However, sometimes he finds himself hiding bad baking with his decoration. His name proves accurate when half of his arm ends up bandaged in the first episode. Becomes good friends with Bdubs because of this.

10. Stress: Works as a personal trainer. Her bakes are always bright and colourful. It isn't a Stress bake if it doesn't make you smile. She's fairly equal on her decorating and her baking and enjoys a cartoonish style. A delight to have in the tent, loves helping other contestants and cheers them up if something doesn't go to plan.

11. xB: Medical researcher. His bakes are always creative, with fun stories behind them, if a bit dark. He's soft-spoken and doesn't raise his voice. He never quite swears but always comes close. The others can tell something's gone wrong when they hear a quiet 'dangit' or 'son of a-' and somebody jumps to find out what's happened.

12. Xisuma: Works as bee-keeper. He loves big shapes and patterns in his bakes. Often keeps things healthy(ish). He's primarily a technical baker and researches and practices his bakes extensively. However, he has a tendency to panic and makes silly mistakes (salt instead of sugar, forget to turn on the oven, etc.)

The Crew Members:

Camera Crew:

Mumbo: Sometimes mistaken for being on a work placement/internship. He enjoys his work and takes a lot of the detail shots of the bakes. Although he can keep to himself, Iskall often brings him out of his shell and encourages him to chat with the contestants.

Ren: He's an incredibly chill presence to be around. He'll do his best to chat with contestants in-between filming and try to calm them down or hype them up. Usually he films stressful sequences with a reassuring smile and kind words. He enjoys singing in their downtime.

Zed: Very bouncy. He enjoys rushing around the tent to get over the shoulder shots or focus on the detail. He's good friends with Tango, and maybe he occasionally worries he’s ‘broken’ something to get the chance to talk to him on set.

Sound:

Wels: He's calm and organised. He tests everybody's microphones are working and manages audio levels. He's good at handling distractions, but if they manage to catch him off-set they find he has a fun sense of humour and can give genuinely good advice. Enjoys singing to test the microphones when he thinks nobody's listening.

Wardrobe:

Iskall: Most of his work is done off-set, and he becomes good friends with the contestants, discussing their plans for bakes and chatting. He'll dart onto set to touch up make up when the cameras are off, offering words of encouragement as he does. Though it’s a bit concerning when he calls people’s bakes ‘of doom’.

On-site Medic:

Bdubs: Bdubs is a familiar sight with the accident prone contestants. He's always there with calm words and enthusiasm, talking the contestant down from their worry about their injury, helping them to relax. Despite his silliness, it's obvious he takes his job seriously. The contestants are glad to have him.

Set Manager:

Jevin: A bit chaotic, but he helps make sure things are set for filming. He enjoys getting the ingredients ready for the day and working out what they'll need. He also enjoys bullying Hypno. They've worked together a few times now. He enjoys a good joke when he gets the chance.

Hypno: Fairly relaxed, but he can appreciate a good joke and he appreciates Jevin. He helps organise ingredients and makes sure that things run smoothly on set. Very precise with his work, he doesn't cut corners and makes sure everyone has what they need, when they need it. A good person for the contestants to talk to.

Researcher:

Joe: He takes great pride in searching recipes, trying new things and adding them to his repertoire. Sure he might use a few too many words, but he's good at his job. He's not often on set, working mostly with Jevin and Hypno behind the scenes. But he might step in as tech if he's needed. A bit of a cryptid to the contestants.

Technicians:

Tango: A good friend of Zed. Even though he has some... Less than professional terms, he does his job well, and enjoys the opportunities he gets to socialise with the bakers. Very smiley and friendly, however if he’s in the tent, it’s likely something has gone very wrong. He's terrible at baking himself, much to the amusement of those who find out.

Doc: More serious than Tango, he's there to do a job, not make friends. Then he ends up making friends anyway. They're infectious. Grian enjoys 'breaking' things to annoy him (and have a chance to pull him on set to talk to him.) He does, secretly, enjoy the shenanigans the contestants get up to. But he'd never admit it.

Keeping in mind, I care less about the accuracy of this and more about The Shenanigans:

The first time Xisuma gets everything correct in a bake, he is convinced he’s still got something wrong. He spends the entire time until judging expecting there will be something wrong with it that they only discover during judging. A lot of memes are made out of his worrying.

At the end of filming during the heatwave, they have a lake party. Someone challenges Cub to jump in the lake and he cannonballs straight in. The others are surprised. Scar, who knows him well enough by then, is not. Doc is dragged in. Xisuma sits neatly on the edge and looks so relaxed they’d feel too guilty pulling him in. Keralis sits next to him and splashes him a little instead.

Cleo will make frequent asides to her students to try and impart good messages. Sometimes she swears during them. Then swears again upon realising. She uses her teacher voice on the other contestants a few times by accident (and on purpose.)

Someone doubts False’s strength. It’s probably Grian. She makes a beeline straight for him and hauls him onto her shoulder. And possibly into the lake. She makes it her mission to pick up most of the guys, whether they’re ready or not (with prior consent, of course.)

Stress and False work out together in the mornings. Sometimes some of the other contestants will join them and she’ll lead an impromptu work out session. She also does yoga in the evenings to calm down after filming. A fair few join her for that.

Some of Etho’s jobs include: ‘I’m a gardener so I want this cake to include edible flowers’, ‘I’m a beekeeper so I wanted to use honey.’, ‘I’m a piano tuner so music is a big part of my life’, ‘I used to hack as a part-time job’. His job subtitle changes each episode. He gets a lot of concerned looks from other contestants.

Grian and Scar become frenemies because they’re bench buddies. Grian loves bullying Mumbo off-camera. He argues with Iskall over wearing anything but a red sweater. He loves complimenting everyone’s bakes. He makes a lot of friends.

Tango and Zed often try to take jobs on the same productions. Zed likes to bother Tango with stupid ways to make broken tech work. Impulse will sit there and try to fix it in earnest. They have to remind Impulse he’s supposed to having a break before filming resumes. The three quickly become friends and can be found hanging out together.

During one of the heatwaves, Impulse near passes out from heat exhaustion. There’s eleven concerned people crowding around him, and it’s one of the only times Bdubs has to seriously raise his voice to gain control of the situation. The others are all sat outside in the shade and given water. Impulse goes back to the hotel and is ambushed by a lot of very concerned friends later that day. They take good care of him and threaten to beat him up if he doesn’t take better care of himself.

During Saturday evenings is when they’ll all lounge around the hotel and hype each other up for the show stopper. They like discussing what their plans are and sharing their ideas. A lot of dumb things happen to help work off the nervous excitement.

There’s also a lot of calming each other down when they’re stressed out and caring about each other. It’s the Found Family VibesTM.

Even though washing up is supposed to be a punishment, a group of them usually end up doing it together and singing loudly and terribly to the radio.

One of the contestants catches Wels singing as he tests his microphone and drags him outside to come and jam with the contestants. Ren joins in. Etho provides backing. It delays things a little but they agree it’s worth it.

Keralis and Beef at some point have some made up war between them that is completely stupid, entirely overdramatic, and gives all the contestants a lot to laugh about.

There is, absolutely, a prank war part way through the season. It also extends off-set. Nobody is safe.

I haven’t seen anyone doing this AU before, and I apologise if they have! I hope there’s enough unique ideas to set it apart. But yeah, this is the AU I use when I just want some Fluffy content. Thanks for reading!

#hermitcraft #grian #xisuma #mumbo jumbo #goodtimeswithscar #my writing #idk who else i should tag sjfhkd #docm77 #tangotek #zedaph #impulsesv #cause i mean they get a spotlight??#i don't like using all the hermits its scary #but yeah this is my comfort au #enjoy it sjbfhjs #falsesymmetry #zombiecleo #yeah thats it #gbbo hc au

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mirkwoodse · 3 years

Text

Amanda Rollins & Peter Stone Headcanons

AMANDA ROLLINS WEEK: day 2, ↳ favorite relationship (romantic or platonic): Amanda & Peter

characters: amanda rollins x peter stone (and a little bit of sonny)

(a/n): this is not a fic, it’s a headcanon list but I got a little carried away so it ended up being longer than I antecipated

word count: 802

When Peter leaves SVU, Amanda is the first person to go look for him.

She’s the only one who he confides to, explaining he’s confused about his own feelings and his future as a lawyer.

By the end of the night he’s drunk and crying but she managed to convince him not to quit his job nor leave New York.

They share a few more beers and never bring this up again.

They make an habit of once a week meeting for coffee after their shifts and check on each other.

Sometimes they give each other a ride home or ride the subway together.

After being turned down by Carisi countless times, Amanda asks Peter to be her partner on her early morning runs.

For her birthday, Peter got five tickets to a Braves-Mets game and while she and Carisi practically strangled each other during the game, he just had fun entertaining Jesse and Billie.

He then got tickets to a Cubs-Mets game and had the chance to experience Carisi’s fanaticism while Amanda spent the whole game recording them squabbling and forwarding to the squad’s group chat.

When Amanda and Carisi finally get together, Peter is the first person she tells to.

He is also the first person Carisi tells and has to pretend to be shocked by the brand new information.

After Noah stops playing baseball, Peter is moody for a whole week because that was the one thing he really looked forward to every week.

To cheer him up, Amanda invites him over one night so they can watch a Braves-Cubs game on TV. It’s Carisi’s time to entertain the girls — and make dinner — while they quarrel.

Peter brings a small Cubs jersey and a baby onesie just to piss off Amanda and Sonny. And to their horror, Jesse loves the gift and puts it on immediately.

But the Cubs lose and Jesse takes it off saying she prefers the Braves. Peter sulks the rest of the night.

They all go together to the park that weekend and play baseball to make up for it because, after all, that night was supposed to cheer him up and not bring him down.

Amanda tells them she used to play softball at school and then some time in college. She was a batter, so she and Peter get along well on the pitch.

Jesse loves throwing the ball and Peter beams when he realizes they might have a little pitcher there.

Amanda agrees to let him coach her as long as he promises not to turn her into a Cubs fan.

Peter makes sure to always get them all tickets for any Mets, Braves or Cubs games.

Baseball becomes their thing.

One Sunday afternoon it was raining too much so they couldn’t go to practice. Instead, Amanda rented some baseball movies for them to watch.

Peter would never say it out loud, but his favorite was Fever Pitch. Amanda could swear she saw him tearing up when Jimmy Fallon and Drew Barrymore had that fight and broke up.

Most nights Peter ends up staying late at work, but sometimes Carisi convinces him to go with him see Amanda and the girls.

Spending time with them all becomes his favorite thing and is honestly the only thing that can get him out of his office early. Especially when there's a game.

Sometimes they all go watch whatever team is playing just to have fun.

It takes all of his goodwill to not tell Amanda that Carisi has bought a ring and is planning to propose soon.

It also takes all of his goodwill to not smack Carisi in the face when he starts overthinking and questioning if Amanda will say yes.

He’s torn between wanting to give his friends some privacy or being there to watch it when it happens.

But in the end he doesn’t have to think much about it because the proposal happens during a Braves-Mets game when the kiss cam is on them, so he’s there anyway.

Amanda is almost purple in embarrassment and looks at him mouthing “did you know about this?” to which he just shrugs.

Of course she says yes and that night Jesse and Billie have their first sleepover at Uncle Peter’s place.

He’s nervous at first because he’s not sure how to take care of a four year old and a toddler. But he’s great with them and everything works out alright.

Peter is their best man. Amanda and Sonny decided not to specify who's best man he is, but he doesn’t care. He says he’s a double best man.

Obviously he cries at their wedding.

Amanda and Carisi get a new house where Peter has his own room. They say Peter is their Joey.

Peter realizes at some point that thanks to Amanda he has a family now.

#Rollins Week #Amanda Rollins #Peter Stone #Sonny Carisi #SVU #rollinstone #rollisi #*my writing #*mine

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horrorslashergirl · 4 years

Note

Chromeskull falling for the reader whose a Burlesque Dancer who wears a revealing Bride of Frankenstein costume that shows off childhood scars that have tattoos to look like stitches over them.

Chromeskull x Reader- Freakish Proposition

Authors Note: Writing again for my 6′7 tall husband....and also trying to get back into the writing game more.

Warning: None

Words: 2.1k

Jesse Cromeans was an extrovert by any means and the nature of his business got him into all type of places, especially exclusive clubs varying from classy snobby ones to stripper nightclubs to the more unusual ones, so no wonder that Halloween was to be spent into a night of fine alcohol and possibly some piggy hunting into these nightclubs.

Halloween meant that he could be more of Chromeskull and less Jesse Cromeans, wearing the chromed skull mask was giving him a boost of power and confidence, not like he really needed it, but for Jesse there was never enough, call him a greedy bastard, but that's how you get successful and respected into the world of the rich and nasty.

Humans were like animals in Jesse's opinion, even him, but here depends on what animal you are according to the food chain, and Jesse was definitely an apex predator and what does a predator do? Stalk piggies and tear them apart, limb by limb.

Nightclubs were the perfect environment for piggies, especially the exclusive ones because all piggies had to do to get a free ticket inside was flash some skin, push their chest out, and bat their eyelashes, looking for a fat walking wallet full of money to support their needs. They didn't care who it was as long as they were buying the piggy the last Gucci purse and gifted them a Porsche for their birthday.

It was the cruel reality of what relationships were like nowadays; there was no such thing as love, it was all business under the facade of sweet-talking and arms holding. Jesse didn't mind cruelty, it was one of his top characteristics, one that gained him his status in society; no wonder men wanted to be in his Oxford shoes and women to choke on his cock in an attempt to get a fancy dinner and a bottle of Moet.

He loved the dim-lit nightclubs, he was accustomed to the eerie vibe it gave, after all, the most interesting part of his life happened at night, and the fact that everyone's attention was pulled on the highlighted stage gave him the opportunity to observe more; more piggies to kill and from the audience sitting at the tables, close to the old geezers, he had plenty to choose from.

The show was about to start in 15 minutes, so he took his time, a waitress coming to deliver a bottle of Lagavulin, a whiskey glass, and a small bucket of ice. She poured Jesse the expensive liquor into the crystal glass, adding two cubs of ice, and he was more than amused when she tried to flash him a view of her cleavage; desperate piggy.

He could see from behind the mask how the other piggies observed; they were predators too in a way, but cheaper ones, their eyes always scanning what the men ordered because that showed how much money they had.

You don't just simply go to a man who orders one glass of cheap vodka over one who had a whole bottle of a 16-year-old fine whiskey.

Tattooed hands pulled the chromed mask off, and from the corner of his eyes, he could read the disgust on the piggies across the room as they took in his scarred face. He got used to such reactions, but flash a stack of money in their faces and the botoxed bimbos will be on their knees, worshipping his cock.

Jesse wondered how their lips would look cut off and showed up their loose cunts, while their eyes would be filled with tears, blood pouring out of each cut on their caked up skin, each cut deeper than the last.

He was pulled out of his sadistic daydream by a voice announcing that the show will start in 10 seconds and a chorus of applause followed as the red curtain drapes moved to each side, the slow jazz music started as did the girls on the stage started their dancing.

One girl, in particular, pulled on Jesse's attention, unlike the other females, her attire and make-up were different, declaring that she was the lead one, and his assumptions were approved as she started to sing, or better said, you started to sing, the slow beat of the music picking up speed as did the sensual moves.

Unlike the other dancers who wore white, your attire was as black as night, with lace details, a tight corset that made the bald man feel jealous. Most would say that your outfit was skimpy, but that's how the burlesque dancers were supposed to be dressed; sexy, sensual, and very appealing to the eye, and God how much you caught Mr. Cromeans brown eye.

Not only were you a vixen in black lace, but also very adorable, your smile and sparkling eyes showing that you were genuine having the time of your life. Jesse is a very observant man and couldn't ignore the tattoo sleeves down your arms; red and black roses are adorned by delicate barbed wire representing stitches.

If Jesse knew something very well, it was the ink on the skin and could identify scars under the intricate designs, and sure as hell, you were hiding quite a lot for such a delicate, little thing; well, everything was little compared to his intimidating height. It was very unusual to see scars nowadays on women; maybe you had a toxic and abusive relationship, maybe a destructive childhood?

He was getting curious and not even the depraved looks from the piggies around him got his attention, and that said something because he wasn't on to pass up the opportunity to slaughter some beef. He was more interested in the little ghoul on the stage; you finished your performance and bowed with a grin, waving around, the audience clapping and some wolf-whistling, the scarlet curtain falling down and hiding the stage.

Taking one sip of his whiskey, he saw you march up to the bar in a happy skip like you didn't have a care in the whole world. He snapped his fingers and motioned for the waitress to come to him which she happily did.

"What can I do for you, Sir?" she asked, batting her eyelashes, not at all impressing Jesse.

'Her. Tell her to come over here.' he typed on the phone then showed the waitress, who dropped her sugar-sweet attitude and rolled her eyes.

Note: Hang the waitress by her guts later.

You were ready to get a drink for yourself too after the performance, but someone tapped you on the shoulder. Turning around you saw it was Tina, who had a scowl on her face.

"That bald guy over there wants to talk with you." she told you, then just like that left. You furrowed your eyebrows and finally, your gaze landed on the said man, who motioned for you with a curled finger to come to him.

Curiosity took over you and you moved over to him.

"Yes? May I help you?" you asked and you noticed that he was typing on the phone, then an electronic voice startled you.

'Sit down. I could use some company.'

Well, that certainly took you by surprise; one that he wanted your company when he could get any waitress or glamorous trophy girl from this nightclub, and two...He was mute....That or either he was some weirdo who hated to talk.

You did as he wanted, taking a seat across from him, looking down at your hands, not knowing exactly what to discuss with him, not to mention he didn't even tell you his name, so you decided to start with that, introducing yourself.

'Jesse Cromeans, a pleasure to meet you, little ghoul.' you really needed to get used to that spooky electronic voice from his phone.

"Actually, I was supposed to be Frankensteins Bride, but it turned out to be more of a ghoul." you said with a nervous chuckle, which he returned with a smirk, one that seemed to suit him, despite the scars he had, he was...unique; not necessarily handsome or drop-dead beautiful, but he had that specific charisma that drew people in like an aphrodisiac.

'And where is your Frankenstein?' You had to stifle a laugh at his humorous question, so might as feel continue to entertain him.

"Probably in a coffin." you answered, making Jesse's smirk devilish so like you said something very appealing and familiar.

"Seriously, no. No undead husband or boyfriend." you said, licking your dry lips. You really needed a drink and like Jesse could read body language he called upon the waitress again, and you ordered your favorite.

'White Russian? I pictured you more of a Bloody Mary.'

Again, you smiled and laughed.

"Not a fan of tomato juice. If I had to choose a red drink, maybe cherry or strawberry." you responded.

Although your answers seemed all casual and not even flirty, to Jesse they triggered the killer side, because when you're a very sleek serial killer like Chromeskull, you got a dark sense of humor.

'Performing again next weekend?'

"No. This was just a one-time thing, I'm not exactly a showgirl and if I'm gonna be honest the only reason I was so relaxed was because of the make-up that made me look like a monster girl." you answered, taking a sip of your drink.

'If not a showgirl, then what?'

Jesse was simply curious; if she wasn't a performer here then with what was she filling her time, what did she worked as?

"I am studying medicine, but it's not exactly the path I've wanted." you said with a sigh, your cheerful mood dropping.

'Interesting. The medicine you say? And why did you choose it if you don't like it?'

"No, no! I like...well, liked it, but let's say it's not cheap to stay for so many years in college and I don't wanna burden my parents with the taxes that are way out of their limit."

A good-hearted piggy? That was something new.

'How did you managed to get so far if you say the taxes are way over your budget?'

He was pretty much dissecting her, he wanted to know more; and it wouldn't really surprise him if she said that she did unorthodox things for money, most girls in college do.

"Well, when I finished high-school I went to military school and went for two years in Afganistan, but you know...not the perfect environment for a small girl like me so I came back to try something else. I chose medicine, I was really curious about it, and with the money from the military years, I managed to pay my taxes until now.

Military? That would explain the scars, you don't need to be a detective to put the pieces together.

'Now?'

"Now? I work three jobs; at a library, as a waitress for a kids' restaurant, and recently here, but I think I'm gonna pass....Skimpy clothes aren't my cup of tea." you said, pulling out a pack of cigarettes, putting one between red-painted lips, only to be snatched away by Jesse.

You looked at him with a dumbfounded look.

'Talk. Smoking later.'

You sighed, not in the mood to make a scene over a cigarette, plus he seemed like the type who will have his way no matter what.

"What else do you want to know?"

'Amuse me.'

You snorted at that.

"What do you want me to juggle with knives?" you asked in a sassy tone.

Oh, piggy....That would definitely be entertaining.

'I have a proposition for you. If it's really your dream to be a surgeon and dissect people, I can help you get through with taxes.'

"I'm not a prostitute, jerk." you quickly said, probably it was a bit rude, and in other circumstances, Jesse would have bend over the said person and decapitate said piggy, but he was more amused and gave you a silent laugh.

'As much as tempting that sounds, no. I can help you pay the taxes; I can offer you a decent job that won't involve parading for old geezers...but if you want to spice things up I won't deny it.'

Was he really hitting on you?

"I didn't picture you for a philantroph." you responded, earning an arrogant smirk from Jesse, who lightened up the cigarette that he snatched from you, blowing a cloud of smoke in your direction.

'I can be many things, sugar....What do you say?'

Debating a little and looking down at your remaining drink in hand, you chose.

"I'm listening."

'Sweet. I knew you would see things my way.'

#chromeskull #laid to rest 2009 #chromeskull: laid to rest 2012 #Jesse Cromeans #chromeskull x reader #jesse cromeans x reader #slasher x reader #horror movies

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alphasmoonlit-selfships · 3 years

Note

12 + 13 for the fanchildren ask, hehe 🤍🥰

Ah @nameless-shrimp 🥺🤍 thank you for sending the ask! I truly appreciate it! 🥺🤍 the way I gasped when I saw this. I’ll go ahead and talk about both AtsuDany and DanyJay kids as per current ref. Of your recent ask 🥰

Hope you enjoy some cubs and pups! 🥺🤍

12. Tell us a cute and/or embarrassing story about your kid(s)!

For AtsuDany: Ah there is so many cute and silly moments with just Haruko alone, they are a frantic and excited little cub full of energy and no where to release it much ;;;w;;; they showed a lot of their tiger ability pretty early on much like Dany had so it made them more of a handful by the time they were like 2. They are also very clumsy, one time Haru wanted Atsushi to go with them to run around in their abilities and to show him how much they have improved! Though was a bit too excited and may have slipped and tumble rolled down a bumpy hill.

Of course, AtsuDany was ✨frantic protective parents ✨ to catch them but arrived to them laughing and giggling like “Am okay! 😃🐯 that was fun! Can I do it again?” Bless them but like no you stressed mom and dad ;;;;0;;;; Haru does kind of get away with their clumsy nature as their healing gets better, so not much scars or bruises. Doesn’t mean Dany and Atsu don’t fret over them.

Also like cute little tale of Haru and Yuki bonding over when their sister, Ezra, arrives and excitedly talking to her when Dany was expecting her. Haru mostly babbling random things, while Yuki was listening to her and mumbling things every so often. Needless to say the two only did the same thing when she was born. A cute little bundle of AtsuDany kids together brought us to tears 🥺🤍 like ah —

For DanyJay: Honestly, Isabelle is always getting herself into some sort of trouble, she finds a way to spring herself up from messy situations and make a laugh at the end of it. Despite the youngest with Kayla (Lidia/Tom Pup) and Alik (Sora/Yama pup), she is the little leader of the small pack and is the one to convince them to follow her and explore~ of course neither of the other two reject the idea, maybe Alik is a bit 🤔 “Idk” but follows behind them anyway. I feel like when Lucy is in the picture, he doesn’t follow as much lol.

Despite the trouble of wondering off, Dany and the others find them napping away and cuddled up in a small patch of bushes. Snoozing away from an adventure, Isabelle does get some scolding for it but honestly it’s not the first or last that it happens ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

13. How does the family celebrate the kid(s)’s birthday(s)?

Omg birthdays UwU well it’s always a sweet and nice time! Atsushi and Dany try to keep their birthdays relatively consistent so neither of them have a better birthday than the other. It always starts with a loving awakening by them and the other siblings before making them their favorite breakfast!

If it falls on a week day they try to arrange a small party with the Agency after schooling! Nice festivities all around especially on the roof, much like the ending of Wan! If it’s during the weekend, they try to treat them with a small family outing and visit to their favorite place for a treat with a surprise party with the Agency again UwU. At the end of it all, all of them are tired out and don’t make it to midnight 🥺🤍 but they got to feast on their favorite sweet and make their wish is what counts! Needless to say, Atsushi and Dany do cry a bit to themselves that their kids are getting a year older 😭 especially Atsushi with Ezra 🥺

As for DanyJay ✨ honestly party’s at the Forest of Dreams are always grand, magnificent even. Has Isabelle thoroughly enjoyed being cheered by the masses? Yes. But it definitely wears down after the years, so ~ and Lucy never found them enlightening and too overwhelming~ Isabelle and Lucy have definitely asked for smaller celebrations together with their parents and the close-nitness of the other warriors/family unit. Often times being taken to places in the human world they haven’t been too before. Exploring and eating new food never tried before!

So in a sense, Isabelle and Lucy have fairly grand birthdays since they technically are exploring somewhere different that isn’t the Forest of Dreams. It’s the simple moments that also matter to them, having a chance to just be together with their parents really and maybe having a chance to explore more of their powers with them such as flying and such. Every so often a nice party is thrown for them, but they enjoy just having a chance to just be with Dany and Jay more than anything. Both of them always proud of their girls being humble about it, especially Isabelle lol.

Ah! Thank you so much again for the ask dear Shrimp! I hope you enjoyed learning a bit more of my babies 🤍🥺 Atsushi and Jason love our kids very much UwU 🤍✨They all would love you and Dazai lol (Ezra is a bit iffy on the hyper bandage man tho lol, may have cried too much when he held her the first time 🥺)

#bungou stray dogs #bsd ocs #the legendary wolf warriors #self shipping community #self ship fankids #alpha’s art #alpha howls #atsudany #danyjay #tag: we are of the moon and stars my dear #tag: always and forever will never be long enough #nameless shrimp

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starsbythepocketful12 · 3 years

Text

headcanons cause i’m in flarrie hours

they are THE couple when it comes to halloween costumes

all their outfits for big events (parties, gigs where dirty candy and/or jatp perform) are coordinated

carrie my femme queen & flynn my nonbinary lesbian darling

go to protests & marches together

flynn lends carrie books by her favorite Black female authors & carrie lends her books by her favorite sapphic poets

they make playlists about each other but the other doesn’t know they do it (julie & kayla are the only ones permitted to know of the existence of these playlists & have been sworn to secrecy, though julie has a strong suspicion carrie also makes playlists about flynn and vice versa)

have a joint pinterest account for their wedding moodboard

carrie adopted a tiger cub and named it flynn for their three month anniversary

they go to the mall together every other weekend and shop, which they both love to do and when they get home they always model the new outfits they bought

flynn squeals every time they see a dog in public and always runs over and asks if they can pet it and carrie always watches her with such a fond look that the owner almost always makes a comment on what a lovely couple they are or asks how long they’ve been together (something that has actually been happening since even before they were dating, and back then you can imagine the flustered ness it caused)

flynn often comes to watch dirty candy rehearsals, cheer them on, make sure they’re staying hydrated/taking snack breaks and that carrie’s not overworking herself

carrie is the first person that flynn tells she wants to DJ professionally and carrie gets her her first gig

eventually flynn gets into producing as well and ends up making a track for carrie, who writes lyrics to it and it becomes dirty candy’s most successful song to date

carrie says i love you first one saturday afternoon while they’re watching a movie on flynn’s computer in her room. flynn laughs at a joke and carrie looks over at her, her beautiful, incredible girlfriend, and simply can’t resist the urge to say it

flynn’s shocked into silence so carrie panics and leaves and doesn’t answer flynn’s messages

that night flynn shows up at the wilson mansion and throws rocks at carrie’s window until she comes out

flynn is upset with carrie for running out and ghosting her and carrie’s trying to defend herself so they argue but then flynn interrupts carrie by kissing her and breathlessly saying, “i love you.” carrie kisses her and not another word on it is said

carrie steals flynn’s hats

they’re not really PDA-y, they just happen to engage in a lot of unconscious, casual affection, like flynn often absentmindedly intertwines their pinkies and carrie doesn’t realize her arm is around flynn’s shoulders until she’s doing it

even after months of dating will still flirt like they’re in their enemies who are secretly very attracted to e/o era

flynn really loves art, particularly murals, so she drags carrie to a lot of gallery openings and museums

at one point when flynn’s going through a hard time carrie enlists all their friends for help making a giant mural full of drawings of things that make her happy

flynn happy cries when she sees it and is pretty much always seen hugging carrie for the rest of that night

only really cuddle when one (or both) of them is sleepy, though flynn does often sit on carrie’s lap

before starting to date, carrie would tease flynn for having stuffed animals during their sleepovers at flynn’s until they started dating and flynn started spending more time at carrie’s and flynn discovers that her girlfriend’s a little hypocrite

flynn has a younger sister and brother (sister is six, brother is four) and they absolutely ADORE carrie and think she’s the coolest and carrie thinks they’re the cutest

flynn’s like no they’re little demons and carrie’s says who says demons can’t be cute? you once called me a demon right, and im cute, aren’t i? and flynn rolls her eyes and fights back a smile

flynn also has a college aged older sister who she looks up to a lot, like that’s her hero and absolute role model, so naturally carrie’s terrified to meet her, and though she tries to appear intimidating at first, she can’t keep up the act for long and starts being friendly with carrie pretty much right away

one day they’re supposed to go on a date but carrie’s sick and forgot to text flynn telling her not to come so flynn shows up at her house but stays anyway to look after her

flynn reads to her and makes her soup

trevor & flynn play video games while carrie naps

flynn makes jewelry in her free time and consults carrie for her thoughts on every piece (in junior year she starts selling them at school & turns out to be quite the entrepreneur)

they have an inside joke about cosmo and wanda

a couple of the dirty candy members sometimes jokingly flirt with flynn and are like “watch out! we’re gonna steal your girl!” and carrie gets possessive and apologizes for it pretty quickly but flynn thinks it’s hot so it works out pretty well

will watch bad rom coms to make fun of straight people and throw popcorn at the screen when they get together

pet/nick names: care, baby, babe, love, (from carrie to flynn who shuts down upon hearing it) honey, (flynn to carrie, who becomes very giddy the first time flynn says it in a text message) sweetheart

if you couldn’t tell before they ofc have an enemies to friends to lovers arc

move in together after graduating, neither planning on going to college (julie goes to berkeley and nick some other place in california where they have lacrosse cause that’s the sport he plays right) and their parents think it’ll be a disaster but it actually goes really well

the first couple of weeks they fight more, all petty arguments mostly out of the stress of moving, but they always talk it out

it doesn’t take long for them to be happy they’re living together and feel really glad they took that step

two years after graduating flynn gives her a promise ring

carrie cries her eyes out and replies “of fucking course, you dumb fuck” when flynn asks if she’ll take it

ten years later carrie’s a successful pop star/choreographer & flynn’s a record breaking producer/DJ and they’re about to buy a house when they realize they never got married

it’s just a moment where they’re relaxing together on the couch and suddenly are like. oh

and proceed to burst out laughing

it’s a small ceremony, thrown together in just three weeks

carrie wears a short, light pink dress with a heart cutout in the back that would probably be more suited for a high school sophomore’s spring fling but no one cares

flynn wears a suit, and is walked down the aisle by her older sister

they both tear up upon seeing each other and sob through the vows (the traditional pre written ones, they wrote vows for each other but they recite them to the other when they’re alone, so it’s something special only they can share)

julie & kayla are the maids of honor, nick and alex are the best men

julie & luke’s five year old hernando is the ring bearer & alex and willie’s three year old umi is the flower child

trevor, flynn’s older sister and parents cry

even flynn’s now teenage younger siblings, who as of late have often been stereotypically cynical and moody shed tears

jatp perform at the reception (they have also become a hit band at this point)

when they get back from the honeymoon the first thing they do is get a dog

they adopt a golden doodle rescue named stella

a couple years later they start talking about kids and look into getting a sperm donor

because they love being competitive they do little games to decide who will be the one to carry the baby

it’s all jokes though, they decided at the start of the process that it would be flynn for the first kid and carrie for the second

but then SURPRISE flynn has twins

a boy and a girl named tyler and ollie (who’s who i won’t tell you cause fuck gender)

they don’t even talk about carrie getting pregnant now cause they’re busy with the babies and trying to manage their careers but one night, when the kids are eight, and flynn has just flopped onto the couch with a dramatic sigh after putting them to bed, carrie puts down her kindle and quietly says that she wants another kid.

they talk for hours because while flynn wants another kid too, when you’re both celebrities with demanding jobs and people constantly trying to peer into your life, that decision involves even more factors

they decide to have another kid and carrie chooses to take a step back from her career for now-she’ll return to it eventually but for now she wants to be able to just be a parent without worrying about work and not have to deal with the guilt that comes with working when she feels like she should be being a parent

though the kids have always been their main priority and they have done quite well dividing their time between work and being with them, and have done decently shielding them from the public eye (majority of the pictures of ollie & tyler that the public has are blurry candids, and the few high quality ones are from when they were three and they no longer look like that anyway so it’s all good)

it’s a harder process for carrie to get pregnant as she’s almost 40 and flynn was 31 when she had tyler and ollie

but it happens though they’re careful about choosing the sperm donor-even briefly consider asking reggie or nick-because with this kind of thing there’s always the risk that other parent could track down where their kid ended up and want to be a part of that kid’s life later on which is uber complicated for many reasons so they get those scary possibilities out of the way by just finding someone who they know wants to be in the child’s life

preston choi, a thai & korean american mathematics professor ends up being their guy

he’s immensely genuine, sweet, respectful, polite, and gentlemanly

when he came out at fifteen his parents kicked him out of the house

it was a long and difficult journey but they’re in a decent place now

but it’s not the family he wants to have and he’s tried but has yet to find a partner

but doesn’t want to wait to have kids so here he is, more than happy to co parent with flynn and carrie

so that’s what they do! tyler and ollie become big siblings to miles wilson-choi on december 10th, 2044

miles grows up in the most multicultural home ever, being fluent in 4 languages (English, AAVE, Spanish thanks to their tia julie, Korean, and Thai) all their life

tyler & ollie welcome preston and miles into the family with open arms, as well as the addition of korean and thai cuisine to the already amazing dinner tables they had of soul and caribbean food

when miles is seven carrie goes back to work full time, with preston’s assurance that he’s got this when her and flynn are busy and tyler and ollie (who are now fifteen) promising they’ll help out as well

at that point the long awaited julie and the phantoms/carrie and flynn wilson collaboration FINALLY happens

flynn wins her 28th grammy for it, leaving her tied with beyoncé for most grammys won by any woman ever (its julie’s 14th, luke’s 6th, and carrie’s 12th, and the band’s collective 10th cause alex never did any solo projects and reggie released one country album but it didn’t win any grammys rip though it was nominated for 2 CMAs)

#whew this got away from me #im sorry idk why this ended up being so long #like i legitimately apologize #idk what happened #long post #jatp #julie and the phantoms #flynn jatp #carrie wilson #carrie jatp #flarrie #flarrie jatp #headcanons

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staceysonier · 4 years

Text

Little Red (MxF) *SFW* Part 1

*Gnoll Boyfriend!*

*Little Red Riding Hood~ish*

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I remembered playing in the woods behind my grandmother's property when I was a little girl. There was this little dog-like creature that I played with--and though my 18-year-old brain has forgotten what his name was, I assume now that he was a wolf, a pup, and I thank God that I never met his parents because I surely would've been torn to pieces.

For some reason, I remember him running with me, but on his hind legs--like that was something that wolves did.

We only played when I went to my grandmothers and that wasn't but maybe once or twice a week, and then as I got older, it turned into once or twice a month and then once or twice a year...

Until I stopped going altogether.

And as my grandmother got older and none of her children or her grandchildren went out to her small clearing in the forest, the grass grew tall again, the trees and vines and poisonous plants invaded and it had been almost impossible to get to her by car.

"You have to go, Blanchette," my mother insisted with tears in her eyes after receiving a letter from a doctor who lived around my grandmother.

I huffed because I hated that name and I also didn't want to give up a whole weekend away from my friends just to go trudge through the woods to find out that my grandmother was fine and just as crazy as she had always been.

Remembering when I used to go stay the weekend with her, I recall her telling me of all of the creatures in the woods, the guardians and the monsters alike who would either help or hinder me depending on who I came across so I should stay close to the treeline.

There had only been one time that I got too far away and needed help and that's when I met my dog-like friend.

I scoffed quietly at the rambunctious imagination I had when I was a child.

"Fine," I huffed and went back upstairs to pack.

Going through my closet, I began to pick out the things that seemed the warmest as it wasn't snowing yet but it was still rather chilly out and I could only imagine what the temperature would be like in the woods.

Once I had a small bag packed, I stomped down the stairs and into the kitchen to tell my mother goodbye and that it was nice knowing her.

"Don't be so dramatic, Blanche, I'm sure it'll be fine. The animals stay away from your grandmother's house and if you leave now, you'll be able to make it there with enough light to actually get through the woods and to her house. I love you," she ushered me out of the back door and toward the carport.

"Yeah, yeah," I grumbled but sat down in the driver's seat and turned the key in the ignition.

I was just about to pull out of the driveway when my mother came running out of the house and toward my car. I kept my foot on the brake but rolled down my window as she ran up to it with a piece of red fabric that billowed behind her and what looked to be a picnic basket.

"Here," she huffed out of breath before shoving the material and the basket through the window, "This is that red cloak your grandmother made you for Christmas a few years ago, you remember? Wear it when you see her and maybe it'll cheer her up. And that basket has cookies in it, they are her favorite so none of you!"

I threw both into my passenger seat and nodded, "Yeah, mom. I'll see you later."

"Be safe," she cried as she watched me back out of the driveway, her hand raised high in farewell.

***

I left at 2:30 and grandmother's house was a three-hour drive, plus the 20 to 30-minute walk it would take to get through the woods to her house.

It was now about 5:45 and the sun was starting to set over the treeline as I parked my car at the end of the dirt--now overgrown grass-- road that led to my grandmother's house.

I grumbled as I grabbed the red cloak and threw it on before grabbing the picnic basket and my bag out of the back and hoisting it over my shoulder.

Locking my doors and making sure--twice--I placed my keys in one of the side mesh pockets of my bag and began my trek through the woods.

It wasn't cold, per se, but when the wind picked up, it was freezing so I placed the hood of the cloak over my head and bundled the cloak around me as I walked through the almost darkened woods.

And not even ten minutes into my walk up the trail and I started hearing things past the tree line.

It was a branch breaking here and there until it turned into what sounded like a cackling laugh--reminding me of a hyena--in the distance.

I grumbled as I pulled the cloak tighter around me, trying to protect myself but a huge gust of wind sent my hood flying back and the sides of the cloak billowing open.

"Fuck," I yelled as the cold air stung my cheeks but then all at once, it settled down, allowing me to replace the hood and tighten the cloak around me once more.

"You're back," I heard whispered just off to the side, past the treeline and into the darkness.

I quickly turned to the voice and held the basket of cookies in front of me for protection.

"Who's there," I called, straining my eyes into the darkness until I saw two glowing eyes and I gasped.

"You don't remember me, Chette," the voice whispered and it was closer.

I whimpered as a big mass stepped closer but still not out of the darkness. I could make out the huge frame but nothing more.

"How am I supposed to remember something I can't even see," I asked but listened to my voice tremble.

Was I dead? Did I die in an accident and this was some sort of hell or purgatory?

Or was I hallucinating?

"I would come out but I look different from the last time we saw each other," the voice rose above a whisper, but not by much and it didn't sound like anything I remembered.

"When was the last time we saw each other," I asked curiously but was still terrified that this might be some ploy for this...thing to kill me.

I heard the thing chuckled lowly, "You were a few years younger than you are now, the last time I saw you, but the last time we spoke, you were eight--just a little thing, as I was."

Racking my brain from around the time I was eight and coming here to my grandmother's property, when I finally remembered, I gasped.

"My wolf-dog friend thing," I stumbled through my words as I felt comfort from the memories I had with him.

He cackled, reminding me of a hyena, like the ones I had heard in the distance.

"You wound me, Chette. I told you back then what I was, what my family was. Think hard, love."

I whimpered and shut my eyes to pinpoint any discernible memory and not just a vague montage of happiness.

My eyes popped open with something that was on the tip of my tongue, "You're a...a troll?"

He laughed again, "No, but close. I'm a Gnoll."

"Oh," I blushed as I remembered now, "Tazzimo, right?"

"I go by Tazz now," he said lowly and he still hadn't stepped out yet so I moved forward.

"Don't come any closer, Chette. You wouldn't like what you saw. I'm afraid I don't look like the cub you last saw."

I stopped in my tracks and looked to the path again.

"Have you seen my grandmother, Tazz," I asked quietly, "Do you know if she's doing okay?"

"Hmm," he hummed, "Why don't you go and see. It's getting late and I don't want you out here at dark."

The memory I had of him when we were younger comforted me but his deep voice and the mass of darkness I saw beyond the treeline had me breathless.

"Go," he barked, causing me to flinch but I did as he said and began walking up the trail again until I finally made it to my grandmother's little run-down house.

Stepping onto the front porch, I looked out into the trees to see if Tazz had followed but all I saw was blackness as the sun was almost fully gone now.

I turned around and took a deep breath before knocking on the wooden door.

"One moment," I heard my grandmother sing from the other side.

"Well, at least she's not dead," I muttered and listened to her unlock the deadbolt and then pull the door open.

She gasped and then pulled me into a hug, "Chetty-spaghetti, you're here! What are you doing here," she asked as she pulled back.

"Mom was worried," I answered and gave her the basket I had been holding.

"She sent these. She said they were your favorites."

"Oh, goody," she cried and ushered me inside her house and shut the door.

Her house was still how I remembered it--warm, cozy, and comforting.

Quilts and cross-stitchings were placed all over--finished and not--and it smelled like how it used to--causing my mouth to water.

"Is that--"

"--Chicken and dumplings," she asked with a sly smile, "It sure is. I was wondering why all of a sudden I got a hankering for it! I should've known you were coming... It's just been so long..."

I hung my head in shame and nodded, "I'm sorry, grandma, but I'm here now and I'm staying the weekend with you if that's okay?"

She pulled me into another hug and kissed my head, "Of course, it is, dear. Your room is how you left it, sweetheart. Make yourself at home and have as much of dinner as you can stand."

"I'll get fatter than I already am," I grumbled and tried not to think about the pounds I needed to lose in time to look great during summer.

"Oh, you hush now, Chetty! You're plump like all of the women in our family are and there's nothing wrong with that. I'll let you know when it becomes a problem," she winked and sent me down the hall to my old room.

***

We ate dinner together by the fireplace and just taking the first bite...

"Ugh," I groaned and my eyes rolled back.

"That good, huh," she asked and when I looked at her, she was smirking, "Never knew my cooking could do that to someone."

I blushed but took another bite.

"It's just that I've missed your cooking. There's just nothing like it, not even moms! And I missed it here...and I missed you too, Grandma. I'm sorry I haven't been coming around but..."

"Oh, pish-posh, my love. it's all water under the bridge now. I know you're growing up and you're now in college. I couldn't have exactly expected you to keep coming out here like you had when you were younger... Though I know I wasn't the only one who missed you..."

I gasped softly and looked at her but her eyes were down and looking into her bowl.

"Who, Grandma? Who missed me," I asked, trying to see if she would say who I thought she would.

Her eyes met mine and I saw them twinkle in the light of the fire, "You know who, Blanchette. He's asked about you here and there...and, boy, has he grown up. He's definitely not as...small...as he was when you two used to play together."

"We're talking about Tazz, aren't we," I asked softly and watched her nod.

"So, all the stories you used to tell me...all the guardians and wood spirits and monsters--good and bad--its all real," and she nodded again.

"I'm not in the business of lying, Chette," she said and smiled and then her face fell.

"Your mother used to love it out here. She had friends just like you did. She played with any and all who would play with her...but like you, she forgot as she got older and when she would hear me telling you my stories about what's really out there, she would chastise me and call me a crazy old woman, but she remembers. Deep down, she remembers."

I was quiet for a moment before speaking up again.

"Did...did mom have a 'Tazz'?"

And I watched Grandma smiled and nodded, "Bazz, Tazz's dad, but Bazz couldn't wait forever for a woman who wasn't going to come back so he...met one of his kind and had children--as your mother did."

I smiled at the thought that mom had loved Tazz's dad, just as I loved--love--Tazz. I wondered what her life would be like if she had come back to Bazz after finishing school. She had met my dad in college and bought a house with him when they graduated...

But all I could think about was what she could've had if she had just come back.

"Don't forget again, Chette," My grandma's voice cut through my thoughts and I focused on her.

"Don't forget about Tazz. Don't miss out on a love that could change your life. Because like his dad, Tazz won't be able to wait forever...he waited until now but only because I kept telling him to wait for me to find a way to get you out here."

I gasped and smiled, "Did you forge that doctor's note? How did you know mom would send me out here instead of coming herself?"

"She's scared of what she'll come back to so she won't come out here unless she necessarily has to. Some part of her remembers and is afraid to face up to the past," she shrugged and stood up but not before taking my bowl to bring to the kitchen.

"I'll be putting the food away and then going to bed. I suggest you do the same. You remember how rowdy it can get at night around here, don't you," she called out.

"Yeah, I remember," I smiled and headed to my room to get settled in before the nighttime crowd came out.

#lemon #monster boyfriend #monster x reader #exophilia #My writing #terato #gnoll #gnoll boyfriend #little red riding hood

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hrhduchessoflancaster · 3 years

Text

Chapter Ninety-Four: The New Elizabethan Era

Disclaimer: see Prologue

A/N: Almost at the end now, everyone. Just one more chapter and epilogue to go. Hope you enjoy it! Thank you. xx Bea

_____________________________________________

September, 2020

Harry and Elle had remained in Sussex for a month after Philip’s death but duties over the UK had made them return to London. Elle’s parent’s and occasionally Charles and Camilla as well were more than happy to babysit the youngsters. Charles had taken the Sussexes to Highgrove and much like he had done with Arthur when he was a baby, the proud grandfather introduced his littlest grandchild to the all the animals and plants at the estate, going into much detail about the care of each one of them. Owen, like his older brother, enjoyed seeing the animals the most and even tried to pet a few of them.

“ He’s a curious little boy, isn’t he?”, said Charles as Owen stretched out his arms trying to grab a hold of the sheep’s ear.

“ He most certainly is! Arthur was more of an observant baby. Owen is the opposite. Acts first. Think later. Something we’ll have to be more careful about in the near future.”, said Elle. They said their farewells to the animals and walked along the path towards the house.

“ Have you heard from Will and Kate? We’ve been so busy lately with engagements and meetings that we’ve barely had time to breathe.”, asked Harry.

“ I have. They’ve been visiting mama every weekend, keeping her company.”, said Charles with a sad smile.

“ And how is she?”, asked Elle, balancing Owen on her arms. Charles sighed and shook his head.

“ Hanging in there. But we fear she’s losing her will to live.”, he replied.

As Harry had predicted, the Queen quite never recovered from her husband’s death. She resumed her public activities after three months in Sandringham. While there, she had often received visits from her children and grandchildren, as well as her great grandchildren, which seemed to bring back a bit of light and laughter into her life. Her animals were also a source of joy for her. She had traveled to Balmoral for the summer and enjoyed having the family around but it also brought many memories from Prince Philip that left her shaken up.

Once the summer was over, instead of returning to London she decided to reside at Windsor and remain there, where she could continue her duties but be away from the public eye. And even though she had put on a brave façade, they all knew she was suffering. A loss such as hers leaves deep marks on the heart and soul and takes a toll on the body. And little by little the family saw the spark she once had, fade away.

**********

By mid September they returned to Sussex for an extended stay. There, they took the time to take their sons to the Ashdown Forest and played Pooh sticks with them and explored bits of the forest itself, much to the enjoyment of the children. Arthur, now three, had taken up to running while Owen, who was still tumbling on his feet at almost nine months old, tried to follow suit. While there, they also took the time to improve their vegetable garden and farming, started renovations two of the three cottages at the property into a guest houses for visitors who wished more privacy as well as the rooms at the end of the first floor and the second floor into more suitable bedroom and a playroom for the children. They had a hired a full-time staff to work at the property with a housekeep living on site in one of the cottages while the remaining workers lived in the village, which was a short distance from the house.

Elle had taken the time she had with Charles at Highgrove to get some tips into what and how to plant at the property. In addition to the herb and vegetable garden, she also wanted to grow a few fruit trees such as apple, mulberry, raspberry, peach and pomegranate as well as some strawberries in the field next to the vegetables. She also wanted to plant a few flowers and start beekeeping. In a few years, she imagined, the property would have sufficient food to stock up their pantry and sell it in the farmer’s market at the village. Arthur loved helping her out when she was planting, helping put in seeds for the flowers and some other edible plants. He’d giggle and smile when he got his hands dirty but was ever so gentle with how he handled the plants, following the gentle guidance of his mother.

On Harry’s birthday, they kept it low key and decided to have a small celebration, just the four of them. Elle had baked a caked and the boys ‘helped’ decorate it with some fruits they had picked while in the village. She had also prepared their shared favourite pudding ‘Eton Mess’ so they could have as a side dish to the cake. They gathered around Harry, laughing and cheering as they sang Happy Birthday and he blew the candles.

“ Thirty-six huh, Major? You’re getting old…”, joked Elle, kissing his cheek. He chuckled and shook his head, cutting a piece of the cake which he divided into three parts so he could give the first piece to them. Harry helped Arthur eat small pieces of the slice while Elle crumbled a bit of the cake to give Owen a taste. In a light and loving mood, the small family enjoyed their food

“ Boys! Should we give Dada his gifts?”, she asked her sons and they cheered once again. Elle then handed each of them a parcel which they handed without ceremony to their father. Opening Arthur’s first he smiled as he saw the the little card with a doodle made by his eldest son and Elle’s calligraphy written at the bottom which read: “ To Dada. You make me happy and I love you.”. Below it, a pair of grey tracksuit trousers that he’d been needing for a few months. Smiling, touched with the gift, he hugged his eldest son and kissed his cheek.

“ Thank you, little cub. I loved it.”, he said and the boy grinned at his father then sat down beside him. He then took the one Owen had practically thrown at him and unwrapped it. Inside, there was a white t-shirt with an impression of his tiny hands in forest green, with his name and age printed below it. He chuckled and put it on, smiling at his youngest son and family, once again touched by the simple yet meaningful gifts he had received.

“ Thank you, little warrior.”, he said, hugging Owen and also kissing his cheek. “ Thank you all. I loved my gifts. The boys seemed satisfied with their father’s reply but soon lost interest in him and amused themselves with the wrappers, tearing it to pieces. Elle smiled, watching her sons and quietly approached her husband.

“ You have one more, Major.”, she said, handing him a small rectangular box. He eyed her suspiciously while opening it. Inside, placed in tissue paper was a familiar bracelet design: a leather string, and a metal plate with numbers and letters in it.

“ Let’s see if you can guess this one.”, she said. Smiling, he took a closer look. 52° 49′ 47″ N, 0° 30′ 50″ E.

“ Well… assuming you’re following the same pattern, are those the coordinates to Sandringham?”, he asked.

“ Yes. Owen needed his own personal bracelet, too.”, said Elle, putting it on his wrist.

“ Thank you, love.”, he replied, kissing her softly. “ Maybe we can get someone to put them all together in a single bracelet, so I can wear them all at once.”, he said to her.

“ I think that’s a great idea! She said, playing with the infinity band encrusted with diamonds that Harry had given her after Owen’s birth.

“ And leave room for more… for I’m sure we’ll have more memorable moments to add to the collection.”, continued Harry. She smiled, nodding her head and pulled him towards her, hooking her arms around him and pressing their lips together for a more passionate kiss.

“ Easy there, love. The little ones are still up.”, whispered Harry, his lips still dangerously close to hers. Elle smirked and bit her bottom lip.

“ In an hour we’ll remedy that.”, she said, a twinkle of mischief in her eyes.

**********

On the following week, the couple travelled to Stratford-upon-Avon for Elle’s second official visit to the Royal Shakespeare Company, which she had become a patron after Arthur’s birth. She had been to a few plays and been in touch with the directors but this was the first time she’d visit them after she and Harry had stepped up their duties. The children stayed with nanny Jackie who had been hired again once they had Owen and their workload increased. That way, the children could travel with them and the nanny would come along to take care of the boys while they were at work.

They had taken the helicopter and descended on Warwick that morning which was a 15 minute drive to Shakespeare’s birthplace. This time around, they’d be shown some landmarks in the city as well as attending a performance of Henry V later that same evening. They’d be staying overnight at Warwick Castle at their own expense just so they could enjoy the visit properly. At Warwick, Lisa and Daniel took care of settling their thing in the castle and Nanny Jackie took the children with her as well while Elle, Harry, Ronald, Ingrid, Alfred and Leo drove to Stratford. The couple was met with a crowd surrounding the main street, waving little English flags on their hands. Dressed in a black, long sleeved shirt and a burgundy knee high skirt, Elle waved at the people and Harry followed beside her as they walked at the entrance of the school where Shakespeare studied.

“ Your Royal Highnesses, it’s a pleasure to have you here at Stratford.”, greeted the Mayor of the town, shaking their hands.

“ Thank very much for having us. My husband and I are very happy to be here.”, said Elle, smiling. They proceeded to be taken inside the school, where they were given a private tour, followed by other landmarks such as Shakespeare’s home, Anne Hathaway’s cottage and Trinity Church where he’s buried. After the tours, they returned to the castle to rest and change for the evening.

At the castle, they enjoyed some quality time with the boys during the afternoon by privately walking around the main building and grounds, trying to shoot a few arrows, meeting the actors and actresses dressed up as knights and ladies. Elle took upon herself to explain a few bit and pieces of medieval history to her children who seemed to enjoy being entertained by her mother as she made faces and sounds when telling particularly interesting moments of the Middle Ages.

Once the sun started to go down, they returned to their suite, took care of the children and left them in the care of nanny Jackie while they dressed up for the night. Harry put on his suit while Elle put on a black dress with soft purple flowers in a mesh fabric draped over the base, giving it a shimmer. Before they left, they kissed the boys goodnight and departed for the theatre. Upon arrival at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, they were met with a line up of photographers and a few o the board members and directors from the RSC, whom Elle had previously met.

“ Welcome, Your Royal Highnesses!”, greeted by Gregory Doran, the artistic director of the company.

“ It’s a pleasure to be here. I’ve been longing to watch of the historical productions here at Stratford for a few years now and now I finally can!”, joked Elle, and they both chuckled.

“ You cannot believe how excited she is for this.”, said Harry, grinning.

“ I hope we can meet the expectations and deliver a performance to remember.”, said the director.

“ I have no doubt it’ll be wonderful.”, said Elle.

Moving inside the theatre, they were directed to their box and received with a trumpet sound and applauses from the public. They smiled and acknowledged the audience before taking their seats. During the play Elle smiled, cheered, cried and got emotional as the story she knew — both historically and culturally — so well. At the end of the play, they were taken to the backstage, where they met and talked to the actors and actresses.

“ I actually enjoyed it!”, said Harry smiling at Elle, as they rode back to Warwick.

“ I had a feeling you would. It’d a war play after all.”, Elle replied chuckling.

“ Yes, I enjoyed that. But the speeches were also very good. Very inspiring.”, said Harry.

“ Oh absolutely! So much so that during World War Two the BBC recorded a film of Henry V to be broadcasted at home and internationally to the soldiers as a way to boost moral.”, said Elle.

“ Really? Didn’t know that. Makes sense though.”, replied Harry. The short ride to the castle was enough to bring their adrenaline down, which made them jump to bed as quick as they could and fall soundly asleep in each other’s arms.

***********

October 2020

Back in London, Elle met up with her friends for lunch and tea at Kensington Palace while Harry, Richard and Edward were out together at polo training for the match they had coming up. Melissa and Trevor had yet to meet Owen and were delighted to see him and how much Arthur had grown. Valerie and Mary were also delighted to see their friend and children.

“ Look at you! A mother of two!”, said Melissa, smiling sweetly as they watched the children play. Rose, who was a bit older than the boys, coerced them into playing her favourite games which the boys welcomed as a distraction to their own playtime games.

“ Arthur looks so much like you…”, commented Trevor, who in the past year had gotten engaged and remained his bubbly self. “ Owen, however, looks a bit more like Harry.”, he continued, earning agreements all around.

“ Hmmm… I don’t really see it but I guess I’m used to seeing the the bits that are mine and the ones that are Harry’s in both of them.”, replied Elle.

“ Speaking of children, how are Blair and Jeremy, Mel?”, Elle asked.

“ Oh, Blair started uni this term. History of Art and I’m entirely guilty and proud of her choice.”, said the older woman and they all chuckled.

“ Jeremy is having the time of his life at school ever since he started playing rugby. François thinks he has a genuine future in it.”, she continued.

“ That’s amazing! I’m really happy for them.”, said Elle. “ Oh how time passes quickly… yesterday they were little children!”, she continued and the mothers agreed.

“ They do grow up in front of our eyes, don’t they?”, said Mary.

“ They do. I’ve caught myself crying a few times while folding their clothes. Owen’s already wearing size one year old. He’s growing up too fast!”, said Elle.

“ Speaking of babies… I have something to tell you.” Said Mary smiling coyly. Elle’s and Victoria’s eyes widened.

“ No! You are? You are!”, said Victoria and Mary nodded her head, chuckling. “ I’m gonna be an aunt again!”, she said happily.

“ Congratulations! I’m so happy for you and Rick. I’m sure Rose will love having another sibling.”, said Elle, hugging her friend.

“ We’ve been trying for so long, you know? I’m only a couple of weeks along but I wanted to share the news with people I know wish me well.”, said Mary.

“ Of course we do and we’re ecstatic for you.”, said Valerie encouragingly.

That afternoon was filled with joy and laughter that Elle had missed severely int he past months after they had lost the Duke of Edinburgh. It felt good to be surrounded by people who could make her smiled and forget for a few moments, the sorrow, sadness and loss that had permeated their lives in the last couple of months. Those sad days, however, would soon return.

On the 9th of October, near 8 am, they received a phone call from Charles asking them to meet with him immediately at Clarence House. Their staff was alerted by his staff and were already set in motion to take them there. They rushed to the familiar home, barely greeting Greyson on their way to the Drawing Room. They were slightly shocked to see not only Charles and Camilla there, but also Andrew and Edward. All of them looking visibly shocked and red in the face as if they’d been crying.

“ Oh good, you’re here.”, said Camilla. “ Charles, they are here.”, said Camilla to her husband who had been talking in rushed tones to his siblings and senior advisor.

“ Harry, Eleanor.”, said Charles, hugging them both and sniffing on their shoulders.

“ Pa, you’re scaring us. What’s wrong?”, said Harry, cautiously.

“ It’s your grandmother. Anne has just called. I’m afraid… I’m afraid she’s passed away.”, said Charles, sobbing. Their eyes widened and tears began falling from their cheeks, which triggered the rest of the family to also cry in their shared grief. They hugged Charles while he cried at the same time as they held themselves amidst such tragic news.

“ How?”, asked Elle, turning to the people in the room, still in disbelief.

“ Heart failure, in her sleep. According to what Anne has told us.”, replied Edward. Gulping and sniffing, Elle nodded her head.

“ At least it was peaceful.”, she replied and they all nodded their head. Charles composed himself and dried his face with his fingers.

“ Operation London Bridge is on the way. The Private Secretary and Prime Minister have already been informed. I imagine the rest of the government will soon receive the news as well.”, said Charles, visibly shaken.

And so they did. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office were also communicated and passed down the news to the other fifteen countries of which Her Majesty was the head of state and also the governments of the Commonwealth. The news vehicles were also alerted and all schedules programmes were interrupted. Soon, the news had reached the world that this most beloved Queen had passed away, age 94. A footman pinned a dark-edged notice to the gates of Buckingham Palace, much like her own father’s death had been notified. But unlike during her father’s reign, the staff of all royal households took to social media to address the public and keep them updated about a book of condolence and other way they could share take part in the ceremonies around the the UK and abroad to celebrate Queen Elizabeth.

That morning, the Prime Minister, Mr. Christopher Simmons recalled the Parliament and it would meet within the first hours of the news being shared. There, he addressed the House of Commons. Soon after, all government building were flying their flags at half-mast and all ceremonial ornaments were placed in black purses as a sign of mourning for the past monarch.

That same day, her body was moved, and placed at St. George’s Chapel, with the royal standard draped over her coffin. The first funeral rites were given at the by the Windsor chaplain and the guards stationed at the castle mounted a guard of honour inside the building and would remain there for the next two days before he body was transported by by car to London, where it would remain at Buckingham Palace’s Throne Room for a day.

In the afternoon, the Prime Minister came around Clarence House to meet with Charles who was now the Head of State. The family’s engagements were cancelled for the rest of the month and Elle and Harry remained at Clarence House overnight, their children had been brought to them by their staff, so they could support Charles and be close as a family. On the following day, they drove with Charles and Camilla to St. James’s Palace for the Accession Council meeting.

“ Your Majesty, Your Royal highnesses, we’re very sorry for your loss.”, said a councillor as the family entered the building side by side. Inside it, members of the Privy Council, officers of the State, members of the House of Lords — which included Elle’s father and uncle, the Archbishop of Canterbury and other senior members of the Church of England, the mayor of London, high commissioners and representatives of the Commonwealth realms.

As Charles took his place at the front of the room, with the people surrounding him, Charles made his Oath of Allegiance to the Council, the Church of England and Church of Scotland. Then, Charles seated on the Sovereign’s Chair and one by one, the members of government present as well as Harry, Elle and Camilla made their oaths of allegiance which would be repeated in a more ceremonial manner during his coronation in a few months. Afterwards, they moved to the Proclamation Gallery outside the court of the palace where the proclamation was read out-loud by the Garter King of Arms.

“Whereas it has pleased Almighty God to call to His Mercy our late Sovereign Lady Queen Elizabeth II of Blessed and Glorious memory, by whose Decease the Crown is solely and rightfully come to the High and Mighty Prince Charles Philip Arthur George. We, therefore, the Lords Spiritual and Temporal of this Realm, being here assisted with these Her late Majesty's Privy Council, with representatives of other Members of the Commonwealth, with other Principal Gentlemen of Quality, with the Lord Mayor, Aldermen, and Citizens of London, do now hereby with one voice and Consent of Tongue and Heart publish and proclaim that the High and Mighty Prince Charles Philip Arthur George is now, by the death of our late Sovereign of happy memory, become King Charles the Third, by the Grace of God King of this Realm and of all His other Realms and Territories, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith, to whom His lieges do acknowledge all Faith and constant Obedience with hearty and humble Affection, beseeching God by whom Kings and Queens do reign, to bless the Royal Prince Charles the Third with long and happy Years to reign over us.”

“ The Queen is dead. Long live the King!”, he shouted.

“ Long live the King!”, was repeated by all.

#phff #Prince Harry #prince harry fanfic #prince harry fanfiction

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jaskierswolf · 3 years

Text

You Set My Heart Ablaze pt 20/25

Warnings: Wildfires, training scenarios involving mentions of smoke inhalation, and other general firefighter stuff? (probably not accurate)

_______________________

The last week since Parents’ Evening had been relatively peaceful considering.

Yennefer had stayed with them for the weekend in the spare room before heading back to Cidaris. Vesemir had even let Geralt swap his weekends shifts to an on-call one. He couldn’t switch off properly and he wouldn’t be paid as much for the time but it did mean he could stay home with Ciri and Yen unless the team got called out to an incident which was bad enough to require all of them, or there were multiple jobs called in at one time. The majority of their days were spent training and maintaining equipment after all. The calls were hard and somedays it felt like they spent more time in the fire engine than the station but if Geralt really broke down his day, most of the day was spent making sure they were on the top of their game, working as a team and at peak physical fitness.

The only sticky moment had been on Saturday lunchtime when Yen had been out with Istredd. Naturally that had been when Vesemir had called Geralt to assign him to a job. Ciri had spent an hour hanging out in Vesemir’s office whilst Geralt went with Renfri to a block of flats where a small child had locked his parents out of the flat. Luckily there was a window left open and Geralt had climbed up using the fire engine’s ladder and swung though the window. He’d managed to open the door from inside the flat and no permanent damage was done. The parents had been incredibly embarrassed, but Geralt could hardly blame them. Ciri was a handful at the age of seven. This kid’s parents had two children under the age of five, it was like a tornado had hit their house.

By time he’d returned to the fire station Ciri had been running around the yard with Lambert, practising some of the drills Vesemir liked to run. Geralt watched the pair of them run the drills a few times before yelling a few corrections in his best Vesemir voice. Lambert tripped and fell which made Ciri laugh excitably before she ran over to Geralt.

She proudly announced that she would be a firefighter when she was older.

Geralt had felt strangely content in that moment. He’d had a similar moment when he was a little bit older than Ciri with Vesemir. Ciri may not be his biological daughter but in the short few months that she had lived with him she had become his family, there was no denying it. She still had Calanthe’s fierce stubbornness, and Pavetta’s endless love for the world, but now there was something of Geralt and his family in her too.

His phone buzzed in his pocket and he pulled it out whilst stirring the pasta sauce idly. He was making a large pot load so he could freeze some to use during the week for lunch and dinner for the pair of them. Yennefer had scolded him for the lack of fresh food in Ciri’s diet, he decided that a fuck load of tomatoes in the pasta sauce counted. There was even some chopped onion and garlic in there for good luck.

He couldn’t stop himself from smiling fondly when he noticed the string of emojis that Jaskier had changed his name to in Geralt’s phone.

J — Boooooooooooored xxx

Geralt rolled his eyes.

G — I haven’t had my weekly email yet.

They weren’t due out until tomorrow but Geralt knew that Jaskier had a habit of procrastinating and not writing them until the last minute. He smirked as he watched the dots wave at the bottom of the screen.

J— That doesn’t help my boredom dearest xxx

Geralt laughed, he could just picture the adorable pout on Jaskier’s lips.

G — That’s too bad.

J — Geralt!

— You’re no fun!

— We’re breaking up.

Geralt rolled his eyes and dipped a tea spoon into the pasta sauce to taste it. He grimaced. Something wasn’t right, more salt maybe?

G — Ok.

He swiped the salt from the counter and added some to the pot whilst he waited patiently as the dots appeared and disappeared at the bottom of the screen. Eventually Jaskier must have given up because his phone started ringing. He laughed as he swiped to pick up the call.

“Geralt!!” Jaskier whined.

Geralt looked around. Ciri was still upstairs in her room, he could hear the tell tale sound of things crashing about which meant she was probably trying to spar with her soft toys.

“My heart is broken, Jask.” He said sarcastically. “I’m not sure I’ll ever recover.”

“Darling, dearest of hearts, light of my life.” Jaskier cooed.

“Hmm?”

“Will you be my boyfriend?” Jaskier asked sweetly as if they’d never had this discussion before.

Geralt smirked. “I thought you wanted to break up?”

“Bollocks to that.” Jaskier stated firmly. “I am an artist Geralt! We are prone to exaggeration.”

“Hmm.”

“So?” Jaskier asked quietly.

“For the hundredth time, yes.” Geralt chuckled.

They had agreed that they were officially dating by the middle of the first week of the Beltane Holidays. Of course, Jaskier had a tendency to fake break up with him whenever there was a minor inconvenience in his life, such as being bored.

Geralt never believed him. It was hard to believe someone was seriously breaking up with you when they were curled up in your lap and sucking hickeys into your neck.

“I’ll make it up to you!” Jaskier trilled happily.

“I’ll add it to the list of IOUs.” Geralt rolled his eyes as he turned down the heat on the sauce. It was starting to boil too ferociously.

“I miss you.” Jaskier added with a sigh.

“Yeah.” Geralt agreed.

It had been difficult since school had started back. They hadn’t been able to see each since the first week of the holidays, not properly. There had been longing glances across the playground and the occasionally brushing of fingers if Geralt bought Jaskier and Triss a coffee on the way to work. The most they had interacted in person was Parents’ Evening and even then they had been on their best behaviour.

It was hard.

After a week of learning how to be in each other’s space and enjoying the freedom of being able to love each other freely, they were suddenly playing these roles of distant friends, if that.

He’d wanted to reach under the table to take Jaskier’s hand, just to be able to hold him but they were being watched. He noticed a woman at the back of the room surveying the whole event, not to mention Yennefer had been right there. Jaskier had later told him that the woman had been one Philippa Eilhart, one of the board members and one of the prime threats to Jaskier’s job should she discover their relationship.

Luckily Yennefer had sworn not to tell anyone, not even Triss or Istredd. They couldn’t risk it, not with the way rumours spread through the staffroom.

“Not long til summer now.” Jaskier sighed wistfully.

“No.” He agreed with a sigh of his own.

“It’s already half term next week.” Jaskier’s voice audibly brightened up. “I always forget how fast the last term goes. Spring term is fucking long!”

“Longer days, shorter terms.” Geralt hummed thoughtfully.

“And then you can be my boyfriend for real!” He heard a faint clap of hands. “Oh my darling, I cannot wait!”

“DAD!” Ciri bellowed from upstairs and he heard the thundering of feet as she raced from her room.

She would fall at the bottom step running like that. She always did.

“Shit! I have to go.” Geralt hung up on Jaskier and flew from the kitchen just in time to catch Ciri in his arms. Jaskier would no doubt berate him for it later but he didn’t mind, it was just another excuse to talk to Jaskier. “Cirilla, how many times have I told you not to run on the stairs?” He chided his daughter.

She huffed and crossed her arms in front of her. “I’m hungry!”

“It’s almost ready.” He assured her. “That doesn’t matter though if you break something falling down the stairs.”

“I’ll be more careful next time!” She insisted.

She wouldn’t be more careful next time. She never was.

He placed a kiss on top of her head and placed her back on the floor. “Ok, Cub. Can you help set the table?”

She nodded.

“Ten minutes, alright? Don’t forget to wash your hands.”

“Yes, Dad.” Ciri rolled her eyes.

“Watch the attitude, Ciri.” He warned gently and ruffled her hair.

She stuck her tongue out at him so naturally he stuck his tongue out right back at her.

She giggled happily and hugged him tightly before running back into the kitchen. He followed her with a fond smile and grabbed the bag of pasta from the cupboard.

___________________________________

Jaskier had rung Geralt up later that evening just as Geralt was getting ready for bed. They’d stayed on the phone for hours, eventually they had run out of things to say but it didn’t matter, they stayed on the phone just listening to each other as they did their own things. Geralt occasionally read out passages of his book that he thought was interesting, in turn Jaskier would stop scribbling in his notebook and ask Geralt what he thought of a lyric.

Eventually Jaskier had begun to snore like a pig on the other end of the line, which Geralt knew meant he was sleeping on his back. He never snored when he slept on his side, well not in the week they’d spent together.

When Geralt’s alarm went off the next day he was not ready for it. He hit snooze three times before Ciri came bundling into his room already fully dressed. Her hair was still loose around her shoulder and falling in front of her sparkling green eyes.

“Dad! Get up!” She bounced on the bed and he groaned.

“Two minutes.” He grumbled.

“I’ll call Mum!” Ciri sang happily.

“Shit, fuck. I mean. Ciri, no. Not a word to Yen.” Geralt rolled onto his back and Ciri clambered onto his chest to hug him.

“Does that mean I can’t tell her that you swore?” Ciri teased.

“Yes!” He sighed and petted Ciri’s long hair.

“Can I have extra cake for dinner?” She bargained.

“And breakfast tomorrow.” He agreed, knowing that Eskel had offered to take her to the zoo on Saturday.

“Yes!” She cheered and leapt off the bed. “Come on! We’re going to be late!”

“Alright alright. We’re stopping for coffee though.” He muttered.

If he was exhausted then Jaskier surely would be too. The teacher wasn’t good in the mornings on an ordinary day let alone when they’d been up half the night talking.

He got ready for work in record time and then help Ciri braid her hair before they bundled into the truck ready for school. They barely had time for his coffee stop but the queue was short so Geralt took the gamble and ran in to order three drinks, one black coffee for him, Jaskier’s preferred cinnamon covered caramel latte and a chai latte for Triss. Triss didn’t question her sudden inclusion on Geralt’s coffee run, but he’d agreed with Jaskier that he needed to show he wasn’t just favouring Ciri’s teacher and Triss was the best option as a cover.

He had to run with Ciri through the schoolyard, the coffee carrier in one hand and Ciri’s hand in the other. He swore under his breath when he noticed that it wasn’t Jaskier in the playground ushering everyone inside. He hurried Ciri along with the other kids and slipped through the doors to see Triss in reception.

“Geralt?” Triss asked, her hair was loose today, tumbling down past her shoulder in tight dark caramel curls. She was wearing a soft moss green sleeveless dress, and Geralt thought she looked a little like a tree fairy. Triss was undeniably beautiful, no wonder Eskel was so taken by her.

He passed her the chai latte. “Delivery, got one for Mr Pankratz too. Would you mind?”

Triss rolled her eyes. “Thanks Geralt. You’re too sweet.”

“Thought it might help get you through the last day before half term.” He lied with a shrug.

“Thank you.” Triss smiled. “I’ll make sure he gets it. He looked exhausted this morning, you must be psychic.”

Geralt hummed nonchalantly.

“I’m late. See you around Triss.” Geralt grunted before turning back towards the playground.

“Say hi to Esk for me!” She called after him.

He laughed softly. “I will.”

Eskel blushed brighter than the sun when Geralt passed on the message which delighted the wolf pack. Eskel and Triss’s budding romance was the current hot topic of conversation in the fire station which Geralt was relieved by, it meant that there were less eyes and him and Jask, and the less attention they had the better. At least until the school broke up for summer.

Another popular topic was the way Lambert had started insisting on joining the cats whenever they were called up to help or when they came in for training days, in particular he enjoyed to pair up with Aiden, a dashing blond firefighter and one of the more experienced on-call fighters. Aiden was looking to move to a full-time position, he’d quit his day job as an engineer a few months ago and was looking for a change.

Geralt frowned.

How the fuck did he know all that?

He groaned when he realised that it was like a repeat of when Ciri had just started school and all his team mates knew everything about Jaskier.

Fuck.

He should probably buy them all a round of drinks to make up for it.

“Geralt!” Vesemir snapped. “Quit your dawdling and get up the ladder, do you want the dummy to burn to death?”

He swore and checked his breathing apparatus before clambering up the ladder double time to make up for his daydreaming. The training building was filled with fake smoke to simulate a real fire so it was hard to see. He’d wasted too much time on the ground and the building was almost completely full of smoke.

He cursed and squinted around the room until he located the dummy.

He made a dash, minding the gaps in the floor and ducking under low obstacles. If he hadn’t run through this building countless times already he probably would have hit his head due to the bad visibility. He pulled the dummy up over his shoulder and ran back for the window.

But he was too late. Vesemir’s voice crackled in his ear through the radio. “Death by smoke inhalation, White Wolf. What will you tell their family?”

He cursed and made his way back down the ladder.

When his feet touched the ground with a heavy thud he found Lambert and smirking at him. He had his helmet under his arm and braces around his knees.

“Maybe next time we should call the dummy Jaskier.” Lambert teased.

Geralt threw the dummy at Lambert and pulled off his own helmet and mask. “I’ve got a better idea, let’s call him Aiden and send Lambert in.”

“Fuck off.” Lambert growled and lowered into a fighting stance. Geralt mirrored him, they hadn’t sparred in a while and he was looking forward to showing the younger man who was boss.

“Don’t start what you can’t finish, wolf.” Geralt challenged.

“Oh I can finish it!”

Lambert lunged forward and Geralt grinned. He stepped to the side and Lambert went flying to the ground. Lambert made that mistake every time, always too eager, too aggressive. Geralt pulled off his jacket and dumped it on the ground next to his helmet. It was too heavy to spar in, especially when Lambert wasn’t equally laden.

Lambert had pulled himself off the ground ready for a second attack by the time Geralt was finished. He jumped onto Geralt’s back and wrapped his arms around his neck. Geralt growled as he felt the pressure on his throat. It wasn’t enough to cut off his air supply, this was a friendly spar after all, but it was enough to surprise him.

“Get off!” He gasped and tried to shake Lambert off. “You’ve spent too much time with the cats.” He grumbled.

“It’s effective though.” Lambert laughed but his glee was short-lived as Geralt threw him to the ground. Lambert cursed as he rolled to break his fall.

“Not as much as you think.” Geralt shot back.

They tussled back and forth for a few more minutes before Geralt managed to pin Lambert to the floor. The prick refused to yield though and Geralt rolled his eyes as he counted down in his head, waiting for the inevitable holler.

“ENOUGH!” Vesemir roared and they broke apart.

“Sorry Chief.” Geralt smirked and reached out to help pull Lambert up off the floor.

“Sorry Chief.” Lambert echoed as he dusted off his trousers.

“If you want to spar, use the gym. I don’t want any injuries because you decided to wrestle on tarmac. I thought I’d trained you better than that.” Vesemir grumbled. “Geralt you’re on the lunch run. Lambert, laundry.”

Lambert yelled. “Oi! How come he gets lunch and I get laundry!”

Vesemir raised an eyebrow at Lambert and crossed his arms. “Because, wolf, you should have yielded but you are a stubborn ass. It’s your turn up the ladder. Eskel’s finished with the reset. Get your gear on and I’ll start the clock. Hopefully Aiden will have better luck than Jaskier.”

“Vesemir.” Geralt groaned with his head in his hands.

“Should name the fucking dummy Triss and see how my idiot brother likes it.” Lambert grumbled pulling on his jacket and buckling his helmet under his chin.

“Enough of your moaning, wolf.” Vesemir snapped. “Are you ready?”

Lambert wasn’t ready.

Vesemir didn’t care.

“Go!” He clicked the stopwatch and Geralt heard the whirring of the smoke machine click on.

“Fuck!” Lambert shouted and lunged for the ladder.

_________________________

Geralt’s lunch break was cut short. The alarms began to ring out in the station and the wolf pack mobilised with a collective groan. It was always just when they started lunch. Sandwiches were thrown haphazardly back into the fridge and then ran to find out what the job was and who was going.

Vesemir was waiting for them in the few minutes it took for them to get their gear on. His face was sombre which was never a good start to briefing.

“Wild fire out on the heaths.” He grumbled passing Geralt the print out of the details. “The farmland is nearby, if that lights up then it will have devastating results for everyone. Get out fast. All of you. It’s going to be a long evening, the bears will meet you there at the end of your shift and I’ve already called the cats for back up.”

“Yes, Chief.” They chorussed.

“Renfri with me in one engine. Lambert and Eskel, take the other one.” Geralt barked and they were off.

They saw the smoke from a distant and Geralt swore. The pillars of thick black smoke billowing into the sky was never a good sign.

“That’s a lot of smoke.” Renfri murmured as they pulled into the road nearest the fire.

The police were already there, cordoning off the area to keep members of public away from the fire. It always astounded Geralt how many people ran straight to the barrier to try and catch a glimpse of the raging fire. He wondered how many of them would run into the flames if the tape wasn’t there to stop them.

It was a long and tiring shift battling the flames in the heathland. He was dripping with sweat underneath his suit by the time the bears turned up. Both teams worked together for about half an hour as they managed the handover. The cats and the wolves both limped away from the fire as dusk was settling over Posada.

He pulled his helmet off as they approached the cars that the bears had arrived in.

“Geralt!” He heard a familiar voice and he turned around so fast that he almost gave himself whiplash.

Jaskier was standing by the tape with a paper bag in one hand and Geralt’s thermos in another. Geralt had forgotten that he’d given it to the teacher way back in October during their trip to the school.

“Ger-Bear?” Renfri asked with a smirk.

“You go. I’ll be alright.” He nodded and walked over to Jaskier.

“Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do!” Lambert cackled as he slung his arm around Aiden and headed to the cars.

Geralt rolled his eyes and flipped Lambert off. He couldn’t do much else in front of the watching public and journalists.

“Jaskier.” He greeted the teacher with a weary smile. “What are you doing here?”

Jaskier passed him the paper bag and Geralt peered inside. There was a ham and cheese pastry sat at the bottom of the bag. He looked back at Jaskier in shock. The man’s eyes were sparkling blue in the moonlight, he looked beautiful like he was the spirit of the moon that had chosen to walk the Continent.

Jaskier shrugged. “I saw the news. They said you’d been on the scene since lunchtime. I thought you might be hungry, oh and here.” Jaskier passed the thermos. “I’ve been meaning to give this back.” He added sheepishly.

“Bit late for coffee.” Geralt noted.

Jaskier laughed melodically. “Which is why it’s not coffee.” He tossed his fringe out of his eyes with a flick of his head. “Go on, have a taste.”

Geralt flicked the lid and sniffed the drink. “Chamomile?” He asked.

Jaskier put his hands on his hips. “Oh I forgot about your freakish sense of smell.”

Geralt scoffed. “You didn’t have to do this.”

Jaskier squeezed his shoulder. “I wanted to. I was worried about you.”

Geralt smiled fondly at his boyfriend before reaching into the bag and splitting the pastry in half. He handed half to Jaskier who tried to protest.

“Oh no.” He waved his hands and pushed Geralt’s offering back at him. “I bought that for you.”

“You poison it?” Geralt asked with a tired laugh.

Jaskier gaped and grasped his chest with his hand. “Geralt, how dare you insinuate such a thing?”

“How long have you been waiting for me, Jask?” Geralt raised an eyebrow at the brunet who shuffled awkwardly under his gaze.

“An hour, maybe two but that’s not the point!” Jaskier pouted.

Geralt pushed half the pastry into Jaskier’s hands, enjoying the excuse to be close to him again. “Eat, Jaskier.” He insisted.

Jaskier huffed a sigh but took the pastry. “You drive a hard bargain, Geralt.” He noted around mouthfuls of pastry. The crumbs fell over his bright red coat and Geralt rolled his eyes, Jaskier was a messier eater than Ciri.

Geralt laughed. “You have a lift home?”

Jaskier shook his head and bit his lip, looking far too guilty as Geralt watched his own lift drive away behind Jaskier. “I got the bus.”

Geralt sighed heavily. “You could have said something before I let them leave without me.”

“Hey now!” Jaskier pouted. “I never offered you a lift home.”

“No, you just lured me over with food and tea.” Geralt raised an eyebrow.

“Yeah well, couldn’t exactly lure you over with kisses and cuddles now could I.” Jaskier muttered almost unintelligibly under his breath.

Geralt was barely able to resist pulling Jaskier into a hug and resting his chin on his head but there were too many people. It probably looked strange enough if anyone here recognised them from the school. Not many teachers were friends with the parents, but Geralt calmed himself in the knowledge that Jaskier’s friendship group and his were starting to overlap pretty heavily. Geralt was friends with Yennefer, Yennefer was friends with Triss and Is, Jaskier was friends with Triss, Triss was dating Eskel and Eskel obviously worked with Geralt. There was no denying that Jaskier would now be part of his life regardless of how he felt about the teacher.

“Add them to the IOU.” Geralt murmured back.

Jaskier laughed and bumped his shoulder against Geralt’s. “Wonderful plan, my dear.”

“I’ll call Vesemir. See if I can get us a lift.” Geralt suggested.

“He wouldn’t mind?” Jaskier asked with a lick of his lips.

Geralt huffed a laugh. “I never said that but I don’t think the bus runs this late.”

“I could call a taxi?” Jaskier suggested with a twinkle in his eyes and he squeezed Geralt’s arm gently. “I got you stuck here, and I was going to call one anyway so we might as well share?”

Geralt hummed in agreement and decided it was a good time to eat his half of the pastry. His stomach rumbled appreciatively at the first bite. He hadn’t realised how fucking hungry he’d been. Maybe Jaskier was right in trying to refuse his half. He scoffed down the pastry in a couple of bites. It was cold now but the cheese had definitely been melted at some point it tasted like heaven. He’d only managed to eat a couple of energy bars since breakfast after their lunch had been interrupted by the alarms.

Jaskier noticed Geralt’s delight with a smirk and pulled out a second screwed up bag from his pockets. “See I knew it!” He laughed. “Eat up, White Wolf.”

Inside the second bag was a very squished bacon and lettuce roll, homemade by the looks of it.

“Has this been in your pocket the whole time?” Geralt asked as he sniffed the roll. It didn’t smell funny which was a good sign.

“Nope!” Jaskier grinned. “I just knew you would try to be chivalrous so I hid this when I saw you coming over.”

Geralt wanted to kiss him.

Instead he munched happily on the extra food as Jaskier set about calling them a taxi back into town.

Geralt cleared his throat when he was done eating to get the teacher’s attention. They were standing side by side watching the road but not quite touching and he longed to reach across and take Jaskier’s hand. Jaskier, who had been chattering about his day at school, went silent and looked back at him.

Geralt scowled as he tried to find away to put his feelings into words that Jaskier, and only Jaskier would understand, but he didn’t have Jaskier’s poetic talent and skill with words.

He sighed. “Three things.” He mumbled. “You, Ciri, my family.”

Jaskier gasped quietly and brushed their fingers together for barely a second. “Oh dear heart, I know.”

Geralt smiled fondly as he looked up at the stars. It had been a long and exhausting shift but suddenly the world seemed to be alright. _________

#the witcher #you set my heart ablaze #geraskier #wolfie's witcher writing #I do not have energy to tag #so there we go

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sharperthewriter · 3 years

Text

Chapter 7 of Possible-y Utah

Chapter 7 - The Mission-Trip 1

(2 days later. June 4, 2006, 2pm)

The Kimmunicator beeped the familiar four-ring tone on Kim's dresser as she was trying to get ready to go to the mall to see a movie with Ron and Monique that night. Kim was wearing a striped croptop shirt, stud earrings, a gold chain necklace, a silver locket pendant Ron gave her, and her famed Club Banana dark-denim baggy cargo overalls with the left strap hooked and right strap undone and sneakers.

She grabbed the Kimmunicator from the dresser and pressed the button as Wade came on-screen.

"Hey, Wade! What's the sitch?" Kim asked in her famed phrase.

"Hey, Kim. You got a hit on the site from Buckley Air Force Base in Colorado. The lead general of the base is on the line." Wade replied, typing away on his computer.

"Put him on-screen." she insisted.

Wade pressed a button as General Hux, a two-star general, came up.

"Miss Possible, I am glad that my superiors suggested your services." Hux replied. "We have a couple of gentlemen that hold something really important and valuable from a secret lab in Montana."

"What's the big about it?" Kim asked.

Hux tugged at his collar, "With all due respect, I'd rather not talk about it over public communications, Miss Possible. There is a reason why this is considered top secret."

"We will talk more about it in-person in 1600 hours, or 4pm to you civilians." the general continued.

"I will see you then, General!" Kim replied before tapping back to Wade.

"Looks like we're needed for our first mission of the summer." she said. "Movie night will have to be postponed to next weekend. I'll get Ron!"

"When you get closer to the base, I'll provide you with more info, Kim!" Wade insisted.

"Did I ever tell you that you rock, Wade!" Kim laughed.

(15 minutes later)

"Awww...snickerdoodles." Ron complained. Both Kim and Ron were at the Stoppable house and the both of them were in their mission outfits.

"Sorry, Ron. I know you wanted to badly see Bricks of Fury V: The Brickening for this weekend..." Kim began.

"And Rufus was all ready too!" Ron added.

Rufus got out a director's chair and sat onto Ron's shoulder. He grabbed a bullhorn and squeaked 'Action'!

"But our mission work comes first." Kim replied, pointing out on what mattered the most.

"You're right, KP. I just love you so much when we save the world together!" Ron gave his heart-felt reply.

"Aww...thanks, Ron!" Kim replied sweetly before a troop transport pulled up in the driveway.

"I take it that is going to be our ride." Ron guessed.

"Mmm-hmm. Now let's get in and see what the sitch is all about!" Kim insisted as she, Ron and Rufus went inside the transport.

(75 more minutes later)

Kim and Ron were with 20 other troops there heading towards the base.

"Can you help me here?" Ron whined, squeezed inbetween two of the troops. "I can't feel my legs..."

Sargent Jones was the commanding officer of the transport.

"Thanks for the lift, Sargent Jones." Kim replied as she traditionally did on all her rides to missions.

"Are you kidding, Miss Possible?" Jones replied, "It's the least I can do after you helped us lead on that rescue mission to save one of my troops."

"Oh that mission where we had an blizzard in a landside was so no big!" Kim grinned.

"We should be coming on the base very shortly, Miss Possible." Jones said, "I already gave the base security officer the request of security clearance for both you and...uhh...what's-his-face...to give access to the facility."

"Uh...the name's Stoppable...Ron Stoppable..." Ron insisted. "I'm the heroic sidekick slash distraction here!"

"Yeah...him." Jones replied. "Anyways, the BSO just replied. The two of you have been given clearance. General Hux should meet with you shortly, along with the scientists with the 'classified object'!"

"Understood, Sargent." Kim said.

(20 more minutes later)

Once the transport gained access to the base, it came to a complete stop at the front.

General Hux came to Kim and shook his hand.

"I am glad that you came on such short notice, Miss Possible." Hux said, "My soldiers have recommended your services for this mission."

"If there's anything that I can do, General Hux, just call me and beep me!" Kim insisted. "Where are the scientists?"

"They are at the other side of the base. Why not you and your partner step in a Humvee and we'll take you to them." Hux said, pointing to the intended Humvee that they were going in.

"Come on, Ron. Let's get inside!" Kim inclined.

"Right with ya, KP!" Ron said as he and Rufus entered into the vehicle.

(2:15pm)

"And there we go!" James exclaimed, "Everything is ready!" He then heard his cell phone ring.

James picked it up.

"Hello? Possible residence! Oh hey, Ann, my sweet honey bear! How are things at the hospital?"

"Good! Good! I have just finished the final preparations! No, I haven't told Kimmie-cub or Ronald yet. She says that she has to go on some mission. OK, I'll tell her when they both come back to the house! Okay, dear, bye!"

While the Humvee took Team Possible to the other end of the base, they took this opportune time to discuss something that was on Kim's mind.

"KP, do you think that Rebecca really is on the squad?" Ron asked, "Because I didn't like the way she treated Monique and Tara at the party a few days ago."

"No, Ron. According to the Mad Dog Cheer rulebook, Rebecca is only a prospective member on the squad. She has to go through tryouts in July first before she could join." Kim explained the procedure. "And besides, if she does that stuff, she will not be welcomed onto my squad."

Hux escorted the duo and the naked mole rat to a conference room in the base. It had a long table with 40 chairs in it.

"The scientists should be with you in a few minutes, Miss Possible. Make yourselves comfortable." Hux explained.

Kim and Ron then sat in the chairs as the two scientists came into the conference room. One was a female with blonde hair in her 30s, the other was a male in his 40s. Also wheeled into the room was a black box guarded by six soldiers.

"I am so glad that you are here, Miss Possible." the male scientist said. "We have heard of your marvelous reputation on taking on the most impossible of deeds."

"To be fair, Possible is in my name!" Kim smiled.

"We need your help in this trying time." the female scientist explained. "This involves a top-secret military experiment that we need help to transfer from here to another secret back located in the Utah desert."

"Since Hux told me that you're the main scientists behind the project, can you tell me what this experiment is?" Kim asked.

"Yeah, me and KP need to know what it is that we are dealing with." Ron added.

"I do apologize, Miss Possible..." the female scientist replied, "...but it is a matter of national security. About 98% of the information has been redacted from public eyes. But what we can tell you is that it should never EVER be removed from its protective box...or else!"

"Or else what?" Ron wondered.

"That it could fall into the wrong hands." the male scientist explained.

"And we do not want that to happen." the female scientist concluded. "So we are going to trust you with the protection of this object, Miss Possible."

"So when and where does the transfer of the...mystery object...take place?" Kim asked.

The male scientist answered Kim's question.

"It will take place about two weeks from now in Utah right outside the capital, Salt Lake City. On the 18th of June. "

"It's no big! I have a titanium-steel safe in my room where I keep my most glam jewels for special events." Kim explained, "The object will be safe until then."

"Then it's settled!" the female scientist replied, "Miss Possible has earned our trust to protect the object until the transfer occurs. We thank you for your services!"

"It's so not the drama!" Kim replied.

She then turned to her boyfriend. "Come on, Ron. Let's get a ride back to Middleton."

"Right with ya, KP!" Ron exclaimed.

#kim possible #fanfiction #ron stoppable #james possible #ann possible

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akimmito · 4 years

Text

Heroes are made by the path they choose

Previous | AO3 | Next

___________________________

Chapter 3

The Paris news continues to speak of the Akuma two days after the event, Marinette is stressed coping with the disaster that remained on her catwalk. Unlike in previous years, Paris is not ready to deal with another Hawkmoth again, and the city's mood fell immediately from the moment appeared. Fashion week continues, but everything feels bad. They have not officially left the apartment since the event, although they have been going to the MT headquarters.

She looks at the cup of chamomile tea that Hugo, her butler?, was kind enough to prepare to help her relax, but she knows that a tea won't help her.

"Mother, we should get out of town. You're pale. ”Damian approaches her and analyzes her posture, obviously she didn't sleep the night before because she was checking the security cameras distributed by Paris looking for the origin of the butterfly, but they are more than five hundred and Max's algorithm barely reduced it to one hundred and twenty cameras. He's concerned about her health, he knows how she gets when she focuses too much on a task.

"Do you want to go to the country house?" She asks putting her head on her arm, dozing off from lack of sleep and the calming effect of chamomile. She just needed a distraction from her mind.

"Yes, you could use a break. Felix can take care of everything in the MT and if they need us, we are a portal away. "He maintains his neutral expression, there are days when he reproaches himself for caring for the woman who decided to adopt him knowing that he's a trained killer, but today is not one of those. She never wanted to change it, not as he thinks his father would have done if he had gone to live with him... Bruce Wayne doesn't tolerate murder, after all. The MT is curious, they dance a lot on the gray line. He was lycky to get them.

"Yeah... you're right." Mariette straightens up and rubs her eyes. If they are going to travel, she must avoid falling asleep until they are in the car on the way to the country house. "That reminds me, we can take Ringo, the vet says that its leg is already better and that he can be transferred from the shelter without problems. "

Damian is encouraged by the news, the little cub was shot in the leg by some thieves, the owner despised him taking it as lost, but he asked his mother to help it heal so that it would not die. The puppy is alive and they can take it to a place where he can be safe and be a happy dog. They made the right decision.

"Go get your bags ready. Maybe we will get to lunch time. "She gets up and picks up her phone, she must notify the employees that they will arrive earlier than planned.

Damian goes to his room being followed by Longg, he must get everything he will carry ready. Not even fifteen minutes have passed when he has everything ready, keeping comfortable clothes to be able to play with his pets in the extensive terrain, very different from his normal residence.

Marinette and Damian live on the top floor of an apartment building just four blocks from the Eiffel Tower, she likes the evening view and even has a window where she has placed a mattress. Damian also became a fan of that same location and became his favorite area within the apartment, although he prefers the Animal Shelter and the country house, both of which were bought especially for him, all because she couldn't fill the apartment with animals (despite of her own desires to do so).

The only pet in the apartment is a very demanding fluffy white cat who likes to be the center of Damian's attention, who gets angry on weekend trips to the country house, where it's forced to live with the others animals ... dirty and unworthy of be a Lenoir. The cat is very proud to be the favorite and it hates with all its might the cat of country house, which always steals the child's precious attention (with dogs it doesn't get in because they are very large, two German shepherds, a Garafiano shepherd and an Australian Shepherd, plus a Bernese Mountain puppy.)

Damian is ecstatic with the prospect of spending six days on the country house, although the cat, named Dafne, doesn't look happy and even growled at the boy when he tried to grab it the first time, now it has already relaxed and brought its bad humor to its transport box. He closes the box and takes his things, now all he has to do is wait for his mother to stop being a mess to they can leave.

"Do you have your suitcase yet?" Marinette asks going from one side to another in the rooms, Damian doesn't even answer her and he only goes out to the living room to wait until she finishes messing up the whole apartment. "Hugo, where are my sketch books?"

They're already packed, Miss Marie. Also the fabric catalog of the next collection and the general balance of the month."

Hugo is a very English man to someone who lived in France most of his life, but she's not going to question him about it (Max did a very good background check). He started working with her a year after founding her brand and somehow managed to discover the MT and is now an unofficial member, making her escapades much easier by having him cover her. She's grateful to heaven for making her cross her path, she would have gone mad without him already.

"Thanks, Hugo."

"Hugo, did you pack the Kwami and Dafne meals?" Damian asks when the man returns to the room. He's eager to leave to meet his pets, he sees them every week, but it's not enough time.

"Of course, the extra order for cheeses was also made for the country house."

"Oh, Hugo! You're the best, I hope you live a thousand years!" Plagg arrives full of joy and almost dares to hug the man, but that is not his style, on the contrary, he cheers for the excellent service. "I wish all my kittens would treat me like you. "

Marinette enters the room with her suitcase and looks at Plagg with mock annoyance, amusement seeping into her gaze. She misses Tikki, she was always the voice of reason, but Plagg has a unique way of keeping her high spirited and, with the stress of her life, very much appreciates his presence, daring to consider he more effective than encouraging words from Tikki.

"Yeah, right? It's not like I paid for all your cheese. ”Plagg flies towards her and repeats the action, causing her to finally laugh at his games. Longg lets out a small snort from his position near the boy, he had not made any noise and that causes others to be surprised by his presence sometimes. Damian rejoices when he sees the others jump off for forgetting that Longg is active too.

"Shall we go now, mother?"Damian takes out some Dior brand sunglasses and the black mask from his handbag to prevent his face from going out in magazines or social networks without his consent, he doesn't understand what is the interest in them, they are only people with a little money and a brand that becomes more famous after each show. In any case, they shouldn't be interested in him and he detests those who do.

"Yeah, we can go now."

Damian smiles with pleasure putting on his dark glasses, which are already part of his daily wardrobe because he always accompanies Marinette to all kinds of events, the least he can do is learn to combine brands and styles for each time he goes out. He usually opts for black, although lately he no longer cares about trying styles and clothes that he would never have considered wearing.

When they go out to the main entrance, where Hugo is already waiting for them with the car, he have already put on the mask and, of course, a curious spectator treats them as if they were the stars of an Oscar-winning film. At least no one can notice his annoyed expression under the mask.

They enter the car and Damian takes the opportunity to get Dafne out, it prefers to travel like this and they will not change vehicles as when they leave the country, he can carry it all the way. Everyone thinks that he’s too spoiled, but he considers that it's fair since it's the only animal that he's allowed to keep at home.

As the small Lenoir family moves towards the country house, in the MT, Kagami destroys the training dolls with a saber, under the watchful eye of Luka who, from the second level, watches her move with the fury of a hurricane. He mentally notes placing the doll replacement as part of the following month's expense.

"If she continues like this, she will come looking for us to fight with us." Luka turns to the person who has just entered, Alix stands near him, appreciating the power of the cuts and the lethality of the Japanese woman. "The little demon would have a good training match with her. "

"Mari sent a message, they will be at the country house. "

"How envious, I wish I had a place like that to escape to." She yawns, leaning on the railing. "But duty calls.”She mutters when her phone starts ringing to the rhythm of the Seven Nation Army, which means it's a call from work. Alix walks away just waving.

Luka smiles softly, it's a calm day. Perhaps everyone is a little more tense, stressed and with excitement itching their hands, but it's very calm, life continues its course regardless of the problems that may exist. The insignificance with which life itself deals with the matter gives he the certainty that they will solve it, that this time there will not be a third party that stands in their way of recovering Nooroo.

The voices are loud outside the training room and he can see the moment when Nathaniel and Kim enter arguing, Marc is a few steps behind them looking at them with an undoubtedly irritated expression, as if they had been on that same topic for a long time.

"I tell you, if we were to work with someone outside the MT, it can't be Batman. I love my privacy, thanks. ”Nathaniel says tired, he despises eternally the heartless blonde who brought up that subject only to leave saying he had job. Kim is not an official member, hei tournaments trips and constant swimming training prevent her from being one, so he doesn't fully understand why the MT remains so in the shadows (even with the irony that the Parisian media talks about they with the same frequency as Jagged, Clara and other famous faces).

"He would help a lot, you know."

"Yeah, but he would also discover the Miracoulous and that is a resounding no. Our duty is to protect them and the less people know it, the easier it'll be. "

"They mention it in the news!"

"In fact. "Marc speaks behind them, tired of hearing them repeat arguments. "Since decree No. 35 of the current French government was released, any mention of the Prodigies in the media will be sanctioned according to the provisions of the MT, that is to say, us, and of the Parisian heroes, also us. It has even been included in the Constitution as a secret of identity and provenance for the protection of heroes. Chloe was devastating when she demanded a law that protected us and the Kwami, without lying, she put all the cards on the table without mentioning personal gain. "

Kim is speechless, he really didn't know that. When was the last time he updated on the laws in his country? He might as well break some and he wouldn't know it. To take into account, just like talking to Chloe about it.

"You see? Now that we are done with this, can we train? "

Kagami destroys the last doll at that moment and turns to the newcomers, has released all her frustrations.

They are supposed to be starting the investigation into the new Hawkmoth, but the mayor's office has requested that they refrain from starting the investigation for a week, he does not understand the irrationality of that request. She's very angry at the mayor's negligence, the longer they delay the investigation, the harder it will be to track him down. Still, it annoyed her more the way Marinette and Felix so easily accepted orders… when they don't take orders from anyone, they can move around the edges of the law, but they're not below it.

"Has Mari-hime arrived?"

"She texted that she'd be at the country house with Damian, she needs the break," Marc replies before heading to the locker room to change into training clothes.

"Where's Felix?"

"Work." Nathaniel growls the answer and then follows his boyfriend, just thinking about the blonde makes him bitter. An hour arguing nonsense with Kim is enough to put anyone in a bad mood, he doesn't understand how Max can be such a good friend with him.

Kagami frowns and hands the saber to Kim before leaving the training room, she's angry again. What do Marinette and Felix intend? She rarely understands what goes through their heads.

Luka comes down from the second level to intercept Kagami, she's being overbearing on the whole miraculous butterfly issue. He knows that Marinette doesn't play with the affairs of the MT, she doesn't endanger them on purpose and they don't make hasty decisions, only one person is more cautious than she and that is Felix, if the two agreed to wait, they have something keep in mind.

"Kagami." He calls her, but she doesn't stop. "Kagami."

"I'm not listening to you, you're going to defend them."

"I ask you to think about it more deeply. Mari is very serious about retrieving the butterfly clasp, she knows what she's doing."

"Oh, Yeah. I really believe that." She looks at him annoyed, in front of him.

"You are upset, but don't let anger cloud your thoughts. We are all frustrated, eager to fight, but we will only hit a wall if we rush. You have to know when to take a break, this is a good time. "

She purses her mouth, holding back the words. He's somewhat right, their cannt just run into the unknown pretending they know where they are going. Her only answer is a nod before she resumes her journey, perhaps she should go see her mother and stay away from the MT until the break ends or another Akuma appears, whichever comes first.

_______________________________

Damian @DamianLenoir

Ringo is better and today he will meet his new brothers, he is a very happy puppy.

[Attached photo]

Alix @LostHeroBunnix

Why did I think opening an art school would be fun? I should have kept my skates.

Felix @GrahamV_Felix

Should I yell or yell at the worthless one who flooded the set? I just had to turn on a tap, not recreate the scene of the Biblical Flood.

Nath @NathanielKC_twt

@GrahamV_Felix Being nice and not giving a scare of death to the people around you could help you the other people not flood the set. Did you know?

Felix @GrahamV_Felix

@NathanielKC_twt And become Marie? Is not my style.

Marie L. @MarieLenoir

@GrahamV_Felix @NathanielKC_twt Too much style for you, it doesn't fit with you; p

Chloe B. @BourgeoisQueen

Marie take me with you! @MarieLenioir

Damian @DamianLenoir

@BourgeoisQueen NO.

______________________

Ages:

Tomoe T: 50. Bruce: 45. Dick: 28. Luka: 26. Jason: 25. Marie and her group: 24. Tim: 19. Damian: 10.

#dickinette #maribat #dick x marinette #ml x dc

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