#(sorry catriona I like you but I was there first) | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

thedeathlysallows · 3 years

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Summary: Smart, beloved, renowned for her beauty and intelligence, Princess Catriona of Scotland never hurts for male company. In fact, it gets quite boring from time to time. Until her father and uncle invite the cousin of the French King. Jacques Le Gris is charming and handsome, but Catriona is no fool. Anything between them could only end with blood. That doesn’t stop Catriona from wanting him.

Taglist: @gotham-city-uber-driver

A/N: Loads of historical inaccuracies and complete diversion from certain actual historical events. Semi-slow burn. Obsessive Jacques POV in this chapter.

Chapter 3: Time

Jacques doesn’t sleep much that night. He stays up far later than he should, listening for the tiniest hint his princess has returned to him. It never comes but he never loses hope. It’s simply a matter of time.

When he retired to his room earlier than any of the other men in Pierre’s company, he hadn’t anticipated Catriona coming after him. In fact, she was the very reason he had left. She was simply too tempting. Jacques couldn’t trust himself to not ruin what little progress he had made with her by staying in her presence another second. It had taken all his strength of will not to drag her back to his room and have his way with her.

She’s too precious to be ravished like a common whore.

He had known that from the moment their eyes first met.

Too precious. Too good. Too far above him.

But she had come to him. She had followed him back to his room and watched as his fantasies seized him. She watched as he stroked himself, wondering what it would be like to have her hand, her mouth, her cunt instead.

And he will have it. There is no doubt.

She came to him. She sought him out.

Jacques simply has to give it time.

It’s with that simple thought in mind that Jacques rouses himself from bed and dresses himself, methodically selecting each piece of clothing. Some gold here, a bit of blue there. He knows how the heroes dress. He knows how to look like one. He just needs Catriona to see it as well.

Jacques is so wrapped up in his thoughts that he doesn’t notice Adam in the doorway until he clears his throat and says, “the servant girl Sarah let it slip that Princess Catherine is already in the gardens.”

“Catriona,” is all Jacques says in response.

“I’m sorry?”

“Her name.” He tries not to sound exasperated with Adam as he slips on his gloves, the leather squeaking when he balls his hand into a fist. “It’s Catriona. At least in her natural tongue.”

“English.”

“Gaelic.”

Adam crosses his arms, giving his master a strange, almost concerned look. “You know a lot about the Princess, don’t you?”

Jacques gives him a bright smile, clasping his shoulders. “Adam, when you’re presented with an opportunity you learn all you can about the characters involved and make a plan from there.”

“So you knew about her before we even got here? And had your plan for seduction all mapped out before we even left Paris?”

“No, Adam, it’s not seduction. It’s love.”

“Love?” Adam is thoroughly confused, his face betraying his emotion. “I don’t understand.”

Jacques chuckles. “Of course not. I wouldn’t expect you to. Catriona herself doesn’t even remember that this is not the first time we’ve met. She wasn’t a Princess back then and I hadn’t even seen my first battle yet. We were… children.”

Adam smirks. “She certainly isn’t a child anymore.”

Jacques falls quiet, his face growing ever so slightly serious, the jovial twinkle in his eyes dimming darker. He thinks of how Catriona was then. Bold, brash, and loud to make up for a lack of confidence in herself. She was fierce and fearless. She still is, but now there is a quiet self-assurance in the way she carries herself. She’s grown more intelligent with the years as well.

“She’s perfect now,” Jacques finally says. “I always knew she would be. I simply had to wait.”

“And if she hasn’t been waiting for you?”

“She has been.” He remembers the touch of her hand as they danced, the mirth in her eyes, the curve of her body pressed to his. “She’s perfect for me, Adam. I will have her.”

“Whatever m’lord wants.”

“Hmm, yes.” Jacques pats Adam on the shoulder. “I’m off to the gardens.”

Adam bows and watches Jacques traipse down the hall, a certain bounce in his step. It’s as if Jacques is treading air as opposed to the dull grey stone of the castle.

“Good luck!”

Jacques laugh echoes back to Adam. “Who needs luck when you have destiny and God on your side?”

One thing Adam knows to be true of Jacques Le Gris: the man will always get whatever he wants. If his sights are truly set on Catriona then she will be his by the end of this trip. It would be in her best interest to submit rather than fight.

When Jacques reaches the gardens he finds Catriona immediately. She sits on a bench, all but glowing in the morning sun. Her cheeks are pink and flushed. Her lips are curved in a gentle smile. Jacques has never seen such beauty in his life and his cock hardens in his trousers knowing that it is his to possess.

“Good morning, Your Highness.” Jacques makes a show of kneeling before Catriona, pressing one hand to his chest and using his other to lay a kiss on her hand. He reaches behind her and plucks a blue thistle from the bush, tucking it behind her ear.

Catriona tries to hide the redness pooling in her cheeks from his touch. “Good morning. Did you sleep well?”

“As well as any man can knowing he’s in the presence of a beauty such as yourself.”

She laughs, the sound genuine and enticing. “No wonder you have the reputation of a scoundrel. How can any woman resist such flatteries?”

“They cannot, Princess.”

Catriona pats the empty spot beside her on the bench. “Sit. Please.”

The sun is even higher in the sky, casting a golden glow on all it touches. Jacques watches Catriona tilt her head back and bask in the warm light. Her eyes flutter shut as she sighs in contentment. He’s struck once more by how different she is from all those years ago, yet somehow, she’s still very much the same. Still very much his.

“You’re staring, Monsieur Le Gris,” she says, face still tilted towards the sun. “I can feel your eyes on me.”

“I cannot be blamed for taking advantage of the beauty placed before me, can I?”

“Careful, Le Gris. My brother has men hidden all around the gardens, the suffocating bastard.”

“Your brother is a smart man if you ask me.”

This grabs Catriona’s attention. Her head snaps over in his direction and her eyes speak of a deep ferocity. “I didn’t ask you.”

He watches as one lone curl falls into her face from all the sudden movement. He wants to reach out and tuck it back into place if only to prove to himself this moment, this sudden fight in her, is real. “Surely you see his perspective? You’re-”

“A princess,” Catriona scoffs bitterly.

“A beauty comparable to no other. A prize any man would be desperate to win. Your brother is lucky I haven’t taken you sooner.”

Catriona hums softly as she considers his words. “For a womanizer you aren’t without your charms. Tell me, how would you have taken me?”

Her flirting and innuendo isn’t lost on him. Filthy images flood Jacques mind in an instant, but he pushes them away with more than a little difficulty. “At night, when the world is asleep save for you and I, I would come to you. I would profess my love and beg you to run away with me, to marry me, to have my children.”

“I see. And in this scenario, how do I respond?”

“With a fight. You resist until you realize it’s destiny.”

Jacques, without realizing it, is so close to her now that he could brush his lips against hers if he wanted it. If she wanted it. And she does. He can see that she wants him just as badly. From the part of her lips, to the heaving of her chest, she wants him.

“Catriona-”

“Catherine!” Catriona pulls back and stands, putting as much distance between herself and Jacques as she possibly can. “You will call me by the appropriate name, sir. I advise you to not over step again.”

“I apologize, Your Highness.”

“I’m not some whore for you to have your fun with and cast to the side when you see someone prettier,” she blurts out, regretting it instantly. Before she says anything else embarrassing and indecorous, she leaves Jacques and the gardens behind. He stands quickly, taking a few steps towards her but does not follow.

“Your Highness!” Jacques calls out to her as she marches off. “Your Highness!”

It’s no good.

She’s gone and doesn’t even look back.

Jacques sighs and sits back down on the bench. She left the book she had been holding when he found her. The same book she had held in the library. The one with the peach cover. Perhaps, Jacques considers, perhaps she meant to leave it as a reason for them to meet again. She had said herself that the Prince hid men all through the garden. Perhaps her outburst and rejection was a show for them to report to their lord.

Jacques picks up the book and carries it with him in his breast pocket for the rest of the day, patting it every so often to ensure it’s still there. When he gets back to his room that night he lays it gently on the table and takes a seat. He stares at it for what feels like an eternity. It’s written in Gaelic, and while Jacques had little to no knowledge of the language, on word leaps out at him as familiar.

Scáthach.

On his first trip to Scotland, still green and untouched by war or ambition, he heard the word repeated through the castle halls. It had seemed to be a code of some sort. A reference to a person. Jacques had hunted for days, tracking down the elusive person he had finally deduced to be a member of the royal family. He searched the castle high and low only to come up empty handed each time. Then one day, as if by heavenly intervention, he overheard servants whispering to one another in the great hall.

“Scáthach is in the valley again,” one had said.

The other tsked and shook their head. “There’ll be nothing but trouble if that’s kept up.”

Jacques had seen the valley on a tour of the castle their first day in Scotland. He knew what was down there. It was a practice arena.

That, that had been the first time he saw Catriona. Armed with nothing but a nickname and desire to solve a mystery. What he hadn’t expected to find in that valley was a girl close to his own age, wielding and axe against her own brother. She had handled it as if it was an extension of her own being. Fluid, agile, strong.

“Good!” Their instructor shouted when Catriona landed and especially painful looking blow against her brother.

David, in a rage at being bested by his nuisance of a little sister, had thrown off his helmet. “Catriona shouldn’t even be here! She should be up in the castle with Mother doing women things!”

The instructor had just shaken his head and replied, “Scáthach finished her lessons for the day. There’s no reason for her to not be here. She isn’t to blame for your own ineptitude with a weapon, David.”

David had looked at his sister then with a hate only siblings could achieve. “Yes, sir.”

Jacques considers the memory to be the only thing that got him through his first campaign. Catriona’s face in the back of his mind was what led him to victory back then. Every step he took, every move he made after that was all for her. It was all to bring them back together.

And they will be together.

Jacques simply needs to wait.

#jacques le gris #jacques le gris x reader #jacques le gris x you

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cilldaracailin · 2 years

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Somebody to Love

Hello my Tumblr Lovely’s,

Here is the next part in this Robyn and Taron series :)

Suze xx

“It is often in the darkest skies that we see the brightest stars.”

The doctor left him on the chair and walked over to the counter and as she made him a cup of steaming tea, Taron pulled the white shoes back onto his feet and took Robyn’s bag from behind him. He took the ear pod case from the bag and popped the two ear phones back into their place, then put the case and her phone back into the bag, fishing his own out. The music had lulled him to sleep. It hadn’t been a deep or comforting sleep by any means. He hadn’t planned on sleeping but just closing his eyes. His body however had a different idea and he slept as he lay on the couch. He didn’t feel any more revived after his sleep, more tired if possible with a slight headache. He remembered jumping a lot as he slept, waking himself up before he lay his head back down. He looked at his phone and was so surprised to see it was just after eleven.

“Four hours?” He shook his head, trying to clear his foggy mind, rubbing his eyes. “Fuck.” He muttered. His head was a mess but one thing kept whirling around. Robyn was ok. Although he hadn’t seen her for himself, to hear she was ok and was going to be fine, the weight that was lifted from his shoulders was indescribable. Not knowing anything was so hard, having to wait was agony. He yawned and gave his body another shake. His arms were cold and he yawned again, now giving himself a stretch, hearing part of his body click and crack in protest.

“Even though a lot of us have slept on that couch, it really isn’t the most comfortable.” The doctor walked over to him carrying a very large mug, wispy steam rising from it. “Here you go. I am not too sure how strong you like it but do not complain to me about the sweetness.”

Taron took the cup thanking her, the heat from the ceramic already seeping into his hands and couldn’t help but smile as he was also handed a chocolate protein bar. “Thank you doctor.”

“Catriona.” She said as he sat beside him, a cup in her own hands. “First name.” She smiled.

Taron took his hand away from his cup so he could shake her outstretched hand. “Catriona. Thank you.”

“Once you have drank and eaten at a normal pace, I will bring you to see Robyn.”

“Thank you.” He said again taking a sip from his cup, definitely tasting how sweet the liquid was. It was too sweet for him but he didn’t say a thing and took another drink. He sat back on the couch, cupping the mug against his chest, feeling the doctor sit beside him. “You are still on shift?” He asked.

“Hmm yeah. I started at three so still a few hours to go.”

“Long hours.” Taron said after taking a long drink of his tea.

“Something I am sure you are used too.” Catriona replied, seeing him nod. “I am sorry about what happened earlier Taron.” She saw his confused look. “The girls, who asked for a photo.”

Taron turned a little so he could face her. “Don’t worry. It isn’t your fault.”

“Must be so frustrating to be in a hospital of all places and be stopped for a photograph.”

“Must say it is a first for me and they didn’t know why I was here and I am wearing doctor’s scrubs so I can understand why they thought I was filming.”

“Taron, don’t be making excuses for other people’s stupidity.” The doctor said with a slight hint of annoyance in her voice. “I don’t care why you were here. You don’t just walk up to someone and demand a photo. There should be an unspoken consideration for everyone, never mind someone with a job like yours.”

Taron’s face smiled properly for the first time in hours. “Why does everyone in this hospital sound like Robyn. She is going to be so mad when she finds out and say something so very similar to that.”

“Maybe you should wait to tell her for a few weeks.”

“Hmm I think I will but knowing Robyn she will find out.” Taron took a large gulp of the tea.

“I am glad you have someone who really cares about you and doesn’t let anyone give you shit.” Catriona could already see the five spoons of sugar she put into Taron’s tea working as he perked up a little, finally seeing him smile.

“Robyn doesn’t take shit from anyone.” He agreed. “She’s amazing.” He added a little quieter.

“After you have seen her, you should go and call her mum. Now we know she is going to be fine, it will an easier phone call to make and her mum, while will still be worried, knows her daughter will be ok.”

“Yeah I will but I need to see Robyn first.”

Catriona gave him a look. “You are persistent aren’t you?”

Taron drained the last of his drink. “All and done, and yes I can be.”

“Eat and then we will go.”

Taron picked up the protein bar he had left beside his legs. While his stomach did not feel sickly any more, it was still churning with nerves. “Can I keep it for after I see Robyn? At the moment I really can’t stomach some food. I can still see her falling and hitting her head, feeling how cold she was and just can’t eat anything at this very moment.”

The doctor nodded. “Sure. That is a deal I can make with you.”

“Thank you.”

The doctor stood up and took his cup. “Let me wash these and we will go.” When she had the cups washed and turned back to him, Taron was already standing and ready to go. She couldn’t fault him for his eagerness. “Right come on.” She held the door open for him and led the way down the corridor towards the lift, pressing the call button. When the doors opened, Taron let her in first and then followed after. She pressed the button for floor three and the doors closed. “Just to let you know Taron, Robyn is in a ward with three other patients. I have closed the curtains completely around her and they will stay that way until you or Robyn are comfortable to open them. I want to make sure you have as much privacy as possible while in the hospital.”

“That is fine. Once she is ok, that is all that matters to me.”

Taron continued to follow the doctor once they exited the lift, keeping his head down a little as they walked the long spotless corridor towards the ward Robyn was in. The door was opened and he walked in after the doctor, not even looking left or right, but now straight ahead. The closed curtains were in view and Taron could feel his heart starting to race as he took steps closer to where Robyn was. The doctor got to the green fabric first and she held it back for him. He found that his speed had slowed down and took very tentative steps in past the curtain.

His eyes were on the floor and very slowly he lifted his head and staring at the end of the bed, worked his way up, finally seeing Robyn as she lay on the bed. He could feel a horrible shake in his hands and he stayed rooted as he was, the curtain at his back as he took in his best friend’s face. Catriona had warned him about the oxygen tube around her nose, the monitor beside her and the dressing on her head but it was still so hard to take in, to see her so still. He jumped a little when he felt a hand on his back.

“Go on up to her Taron. I have to get back to my rounds, but Vicky here will be popping her head in and out to check on her. You can stay as long as you want but let’s not tell anyone that.” She gave his back a small push. “Take her hand, talk to her. I know it is very unnerving seeing your loved ones like this, but please believe me when I say, she is going to be fine Taron.” He just about gave her a nod and then walked the few footsteps to the bed.

Catriona nodded to Vicky and the two left the curtain, making sure it was closed properly. “Give him some time. Peak in after a while. When she wakes come and get me.”

“Sure Catriona.” They walked together out of the ward, both going their sperate ways at the door.

Taron dropped the bag to the floor and reached for Robyn’s right hand as he stood beside the bed and it was a touch that immediately sent a wave of calm through him. From that first moment she took his hand in the 7/11, it was a simple gesture that always soothed him and it was no different now, even as she rested. The feel of her soft skin against his was so lovely and lifting his left hand, he very lightly ran his index finger down her cheek and then down her nose. Looking behind him, he saw a chair and dragged it to the bed, so he could sit and he locked her right hand in his two, kissing her fingers before he properly encased her hand.

“I am right here Robyn and I am not going anywhere.” Glancing over her face, she really just looked like she was asleep except Robyn never slept on her back, always curling up on her side. Her colour had become more natural looking compared to when she was at the side of the pool but she still looked exhausted, dark circles that could rival his after a long shoot under her eyes. Freeing his right hand, he placed it gently on her stomach feeling it rise and fall as she breathed in and out and it was another sign that relaxed him a little bit. Her arms were outside of the blanket which covered her body and she was wearing a hospital gown and as he looked to her left arm, he could see the bruising the doctor had been taking about. The gown was a short sleeved one and under the material at her upper arm, there was a clear blue bruising on her skin. He got to his feet and leaning over her, placed a very light kiss on her forehead, closing his eyes as his lips met her skin. “Not going anywhere chicken.” He sat back on the chair, using his legs to drag it even closer to the bed so he could lean his elbows on the bed, taking Robyn’s hand in his two once again. A long shaky breathe left his body and while seeing her had eased most of his worries, he was desperate to see her blue eyes open and hear her voice. “I am sorry I didn’t look after you better. I swear Robyn, the next time I am going to pick you up and carry you to the medic myself but of course there is not going to be a next time. This time I promise to look after you the way you always look after me. I am going to be on your arse so much, you are going to hate me for it. But I will never, never let anything happen to you again.” He dipped his head to his hands. “And then you saved me again. How did you even know I was stuck.” He felt a tear drop down his cheek. “I was so scared Robyn. I couldn’t free myself and I panicked badly. But you were there and you helped me even when you felt so shit.” He moved his cheek over his knuckles to wipe the second tear away. “I love you so so so much Robyn and I will never ever not love you.”

He stayed as he was hunched over holding her hand, listening to the constant beeping of the monitor beside the bed. Every now and again, he would stroke her arm or her face, getting to his feet to place another kiss on her head, her hair, just to be close to her, risking the tiniest kiss on her lips, feeling so guilty after doing so, apologising to her immediately, but doing it again an hour later. He had moved his chair closer to her head so he could run his fingers through his hair, caught in the act of doing so as the nurse came back in, his cheeks turning bright red as he stumbled to his feet.

“Taron it is ok.” The nurse smiled at him. “No judgement here at all. Please sit back down. Please.” With a nod, Taron slowly sat back down but shuffled his chair back toward Robyn’s waist and lifted her hand again. “Honestly, please, don’t be embarrassed.” The nurse kindly said as she picked up Robyn’s chart but he stayed at her side. “I am Vicky.” She said. “I have been looking after her. She is doing really well Taron. I see an improvement since I was last here.”

“Thanks Vicky.”

“Can I get you anything?”

Taron gave his head a shake. “No I am ok.”

“Some water?”

“No honest. I am ok.”

“Ok well, if you change your mind, there is a vending machine around the corner. Bathrooms round there too.”

“Thank you Vicky.”

The nurse made sure to close the curtains after she left, leaving Taron alone again and he rested his forehead on his hands once again, taking some deep breathes to settle himself. Thinking back to the last time he felt so downhearted, Robyn was there with him, singing to him. He was tired, his voice too but there wasn’t anything going to stop him from giving Robyn something she always gave to him when he was struggling. Quietly slipping in the first verse of Tiny Dancer, he continued to hold her hand tight as he softly sang to her. His voice broke many times but he kept going, taking a whimpered breathe as he got to the chorus, struggling to hit those higher notes of the song, just going with what he could sing, not worrying about being perfect in anyway.

As he came to the second verse, his head popped up as he felt something move in his cupped hands. He had stopped singing but started again, holding Robyn’s hand a little looser now then previously and he felt it again. The slightest movement. He took his left hand away, leaving him holding her right hand with his, setting his palm up on the bed, leaving hers palm down on his. He kept singing, watching her hand and as her fingers moved a little over his skin, he exhaled loudly, feeling his hand trembling as once again her fingers moved so slightly. He got to his feet and picked up her hand with his left one, so he could use his right to lightly stroke her cheek. “Robyn?” He whispered quietly. “Darling? Can you hear me?” Looking to his hand he definitely felt a stronger movement and he took a seat on the edge of the bed beside her legs, taking her hand in his two. “Robyn?” The fourth time, Taron really felt her hand move, her fingers grip his a little stronger. “Come on chicken. I am right here.”

The beeping noise was getting annoying now and Robyn was tired of hearing it. She tried to open her eyes but it was such a struggle, such an effort to move. Trying to make sense of what was going on was hard and she was very confused, getting frustrated by the constant squeak of whatever was making the noise at her ear. Another sound soon came to her and it was so familiar, the song calming, the voice definitely of someone she knew.

“Taron.” Robyn thought to herself. She moved her hand and was sure she felt something touch her back, something on her cheek but she just wasn’t too sure. The soft singing returned and she tried to move her hand again, this time definitely feeling something lift her arm and hold her hand tight. Whatever was holding her hand was so warm and felt lovely on her skin. She moved her hand again and definitely could hear a male voice talking to her. Robyn tried to move her head but that was still difficult so knowing she could move her hand did it again, feeling a squeeze in return. The voice was becoming clearer now and she was almost sure it was Taron, his deep tones so recognisable.

Trying again, Robyn moved her head a little, her legs a bit and then found she could open her eyes. She couldn’t say how many times she blinked as the light hurt her eyes at first before she fully opened them. The bright lights above her head stung her eyes and she closed them again, but felt her hand being dropped and something warm on her cheeks now instead. Opening her eyes again, she looked left and right, and on her right was Taron. It was his hands on her cheeks.

“Taron…” She tried to speak but her throat was dry and rough and the word came out as a whisper but it was definitely him and his face was a mixture of emotions.

“Robyn.” He had seen her start to wake, to try and move her head and he moved to her face, lightly placing his hands on her cheeks, trying to keep them steady as her blue eyes slowly opened.

Robyn swallowed, feeling a little ease in her throat and went to lift her left arm to place her hand on Taron’s arm but stopped when she felt a little pain.

“Shh no no darling. Don’t move.”

Ignoring his words, Robyn lifted her arm again, the slight discomfort not too bad at all and placed her hand on his forearm. “Taron…” Her sentence was cut off as Taron leaned right into her and kissed her on her lips, a sweet gorgeous little kiss of simply just pressing his lips against hers. It lasted about three seconds and when he lifted his head, she could see tears in his eyes and lifting her left hand to him, she cupped the back of his head and with as much strength as she had, pushed his head down and guided his forehead to her lips so she could give him a gentle kiss in return.

It was the kiss to his head that broke him and while his body didn’t give into the emotion he was feeling, the tears that were in his eyes easily fell. Robyn moved her left arm to his back and tried to give him a half hug but she felt quite weak and didn’t have the strength to hug him.

Taron could feel immediately what she wanted and his desperate need for a hug overtook his senses and he slipped his two arms around her and lifted her a little into him so they could hug. Her arms were more draped around him, then hugging him but she was resting her face into his neck and he made sure he had a firm grip on her, holding her right into him.

“Taron, I got you some…” Vicky walked in through the curtain and stopped fast when she saw her patient awake and in a hug. She dropped the bottle of water on the end of the bed. She knew she should have scolded them both but she could feel the desperation around her and see the relief in Taron as he hugged Robyn to him. Had any of Robyn’s results come back differently, Vicky would have stopped the hug, but a hug wasn’t going to do any damage to her, in fact it would probably do a lot more healing then an IV drip would. She walked out of the curtains and went looking for Doctor Lee instead.

Robyn breathed Taron in, trusting in him completely to hold her because she sure as wasn’t doing anything but leaning on him. Initially she had found it hard to hug him back, but as her body got used to moving again, she was able to return his hug, maybe not quite as strong as him but she definitely was able to get her arms around him. She could feel the heavy breathes he was taking, hear how hard his heart was beating. The last time she had seen him he was in the pool coughing after being stuck under the water so feeling him breathing and feeling his heat was so reassuring that he was ok.

It wasn’t their best squishy hug by any means but Taron didn’t care at all. He didn’t think he would be getting a hug right after she woke up and it was one of the most important hugs he would ever have with her. He knew he had to keep a tight hold on her and he made very she was safe and secure in his arms, so glad to feel her arms slip around him too. He would have kept her like that for hours, even though the hunched position wasn’t a great one for his back but he knew Robyn needed to be laying back down on the bed. He carefully started to move his arms, feeling Robyn drop hers and ever so lightly laid her back down on the bed but he sat on the bed right beside her, again taking her one hand in his two.

“Robyn I…”

“Taron, you kissed me.” Distracted by the hug, by the feel of him, Robyn only then remembered what happened as soon as she woke up and saw him.

“Erm yeah, I did.” He lifted his left hand to scratch his cheek a little nervously. “Well I… Just you were… And I… Well I mean…”

Robyn could feel herself smiling as she saw his face fill with embarrassment. She reached for his left hand and brought it to her lips. “It was perfect. Thank you.”

His face lifted in a tiny half grin. “You sure?”

“We can add it to our number of kisses.” Finally feeling her body being able to move better, Robyn looked around her. The green curtains, bright lights and white ceiling clearly screamed that she was in the hospital as well as the beeping noise and IV which she only noticed then in her left arm. She then looked to Taron, tilting her head. “What on earth are you wearing?” The dark green scrubs were a wonderful colour on him, but it was so strange to see him in hospital wear.

“I was given them to wear because I was all wet.” He said simply. “After you were brought in to the hospital.”

“They suit you.” She smiled. “I like them.”

“They are dry and better then wet jeans.”

“Wet jeans? Oh yeah the pool.” Robyn turned her head to him. “Taron what happened?”

“You don’t remember?” He asked as he held her right hand in his two again.

“I remember the pool, opening your belt and swimming up. Things are very hazy after that. Actually things are hazy before that too.”

“Robyn…” He closed his eyes as flashes of being stuck under water came back to him. “Thank you. For the pool, for what you did.” Opening his eyes he looked to her. “My belt. That was what was stuck. I didn’t know what was keeping me down.”

“The leather was caught on a piece of the set and taking your belt off was the quickest way to free you. You looked so panicked.”

“I was.” He fully admitted. “Everyone was gone and I could feel everything tensing up. Thank you for the air too. I was out.”

Robyn nodded. “You’re ok?” She asked moving her left hand to encase his.

“You are asking me if I am ok and you are the one laying in a hospital bed after fainting on me!” He exclaimed.

“Oh that’s what happened?” She said ignoring his look of disapproval.

“Yes Robyn that is what happened! You fainted or blacked out and fell and smacked your head off the sun lounger. Jesus you hit the ground so hard.”

“But you are ok right?”

“Robyn!” Taron scolded, but his face softened when he saw her eyes open wide. “Yes, I am fine. I was checked over. Sorry, sorry. I didn’t mean to shout at you.” He said apologising, bring her hands to his mouth to gently kiss them. “Just you were unconscious Robyn and I couldn’t wake you up and you were bleeding and still not waking up.”

Robyn cupped his cheek with her left hand, seeing a passing look of fear fill his face. “You have anyone here with you?” She asked him, seeing him shake his head. She so desperately wanted to hug him again but she knew she didn’t have the energy to do it. “How long have I been out?”

“About eleven hours.” Doctor Lee walked in through the curtain, Vicky beside her. Robyn’s eyes went to the doctor but her hand stayed on Taron’s cheek for a moment longer before she took it away. “I am Doctor Lee and I am very glad to see you awake though not as much as Taron I would say.”

Robyn definitely agreed with the doctor’s words and could see on Taron’s face the anxiety he had been feeling for the last eleven hours. He looked dog-tired, his normally red cheeks a little pale and his eyes were so sad.

“So how are you feeling?” The doctor asked coming to stand at the left side of the bed.

“A little groggy.” Robyn answered. “My left arm is a bit sore.”

“Headache?”

It was only then that Robyn realised her head wasn’t in pain or hurting and she closed her eyes to enjoy the feeling for a few seconds. Having been hit with horrible headaches over the last week, she had nearly forgotten what it was like to be free of them. “No actually.” She finally answered opening her eyes.

“Dizzy?”

“No, not dizzy either.”

“Fantastic.” Doctor Lee came closer to her. “Mind if I do a few little tests?”

Robyn shook her head. “No not at all.”

“Taron, would you mind stepping out for me just for a quick moment?”

“Oh can he stay?” Robyn asked quickly. “I mean if they are just routine checks and tests, is it ok if he stays please?”

Taron had already lifted himself from the bed and was more than ready to leave when he was asked too, already so thankful for the doctor for letting him see and sit with Robyn and didn’t want to go against her word but when Robyn asked if he could stay, he hesitated a little waiting for the answer.

“If you are sure then I don’t mind.” The doctor said, giving Taron a tiny little grin. “They are just routine tests.”

“I would like if he could stay please.”

“Then it is ok by me.” Doctor Lee looked to Taron. “Please sit on the chair Taron. You can still hold her hand but just sit.”

“Ok.” Following the instruction’s, Taron sat down on the chair but still kept Robyn’s hand in his.

The doctor walked around the bed, behind Taron’s chair and separated their held hands. “I want to check her blood pressure but not on her left arm so you are just going to have to let me have her hand for a few moments and I promise I will give it back to you.”

Robyn found herself laughing at the doctor’s comments and Taron’s face but he willingly gave up her hand but she reached over with her left hand to hold his, their linked hands resting on her stomach, letting the doctor fit her right arm with the cuff.

“It will get a little tight Robyn.” Catriona read the glass dial, calling out numbers to Vicky. “Ok and done.” She slipped the cuff from her upper arm and moved back around to the other side of the bed. “And look at me please?” The light was horribly bright to Robyn even though it was briefly shone in her eyes. “Ok great. Looking good.” The doctor unwrapped the stethoscope from her neck. She stepped right up to Robyn and loosened the front of the hospital gown, placing the cold metal circle on her chest. “And breathe in and out for me a few times. Nice deep ones.” After Robyn gave her some good breathes, the doctor looked to Taron. “Up for another hug of sorts?” She asked with a grin, seeing him bite his lip but then nod. “I just want to get to her back.”

Getting to his feet, Taron took both of Robyn’s hands and gave her a light pull to help her sit up, then let her lean into him so the doctor could continue her exam. Robyn’s back was mostly bare, the hospital gown one of those horrible ones that full opened at the back and it made him smile a little to see her skin, bringing back such lovely memories of backless dresses and tickles.

“And done.”

Taron carefully let Robyn lay back down, sitting on the chair and taking her hand again, linking their fingers together again.

“Well I am very pleased to say all those vitals are really good Robyn. Strong heart beat and lung sounds. Your blood pressure is back to normal too. I think we can actually look at taking you off the monitor now but I am going to leave the oxygen for a few more hours. Just to be sure.”

“Ok that is great but what happened?” Robyn asked. She was getting slightly frustrated that she still had no idea what had occurred at the swimming pool. “I am still very confused as to why I am here.”

“Well I can only fill in the hospital parts.” The doctor said as she started to carefully take the little plastic circles from her patient, unhooking her from the monitor and turning it off. “Taron definitely can explain to you what happened before you got here and then I want to have my own little chat with you.”

Robyn turned her face to Taron, waiting for him to start speaking. “Taron?” It was clearly not going to be an easy story for him to replay and she could already see his body tensing up, feeling his hands tremble a little. “Ok well I will start then.” She moved to sit up, glad to finally feel her body co-operating with her at last and she felt a bit more comfortable sitting up a bit. “Taron went to set and I was in his trailer trying to get some sleep but it just wasn’t happening. I had a splitting headache, the worst one and everything was spinning.” She had been speaking directly to the doctor and gave a glance to Taron. “I got up to try and make my way to you because I knew something was wrong and for once I went looking for help. It didn’t end very well at first. I was trying to put my shoes on and next thing I knew I was on the floor.” She felt the grip on her hand tighten, heard Taron’s sharp inhale. “I don’t know what happened. I woke up on the floor and my lip was bleeding.”

“And that explains that little cut I found when I was examining you.” The doctor said.

“Robyn…” Taron pushed his chair closer to her. “You blacked out in the trailer?”

She gave him a tiny shrug. “Everything hurt so bad and all I could think of was getting to you.”

“Robyn…” His voice was sad and low. “I should have stayed with you.”

“Oh no Taron.” She held his hand with her two. “You didn’t know what going to happen, neither did I.”

“But if I had of just…”

Sitting up as best she could, Robyn shook off Taron’s hand and stretched so she could cup his face with both her hands. She wasn’t a bit bothered by the doctor and nurse’s presence. Taron’s breaking voice and sorrowful face was aching for a little touch of calm. “Neither of us knew Taron and if you had of been with me, I still would have fallen over.” She slowly took her hands from his face and took his hands. “I then managed to get my shoes on and walked to the set. I could hear people calling your name, a slight panic on set. Everyone was gathered around the pool and I noticed the ripples on the water, the bubbles coming to the surface and it just clicked into place. I didn’t even think. I just jumped in.” She looked to the doctor. “The headache and dizziness were gone once I hit the water. All I could think of was Taron.”

The Doctor gave her a small nod. “Adrenaline drives our bodies even when they are suffering. Your body pushed its own pain aside to help Taron. It is very common.”

“Once we got to the surface though, it all just flooded me again. The headaches, the dizziness. I barely remember being pulled from the pool but I do I remember your hand dropping from mine and after that not a lot. Well actually nothing at all.”

“You fell.” Taron said quietly. “Hit your head off the sun lounger, hit the concrete beside the pool. I got to… to you but you were out cold.” He had to look away from her as he spoke, his eyes focused on the blue hospital blanket. “I could feel you were breathing but just… so still and you were freezing cold and bleeding. Lucy came over to help, called the ambulance and then Catriona, I mean Doctor Lee looked after you. After another doctor gave me a check over, he brought me to the staff room and left me waiting to hear how you were and then Catriona brought me here, once we knew you were ok.” He looked to Robyn when he finished speaking. “You are ok.”

Robyn had never wanted to hug Taron more. As he spoke his voice became quieter and she could see how hard it was for him to re-tell what happened, reading his face so easily, how his eyes changed colour once he finished. Instead she could only give his hands another squeeze. “Thank you for looking after me.”

“Always.” He said his voice much stronger.

“Ok so I have finally gotten a picture of what happened. It’s pretty shit and horrible for everyone but for once I am so glad I didn’t see any of it.” Robyn saw the quick change in Taron’s face and how he tried to hide the teeniest of smiles. He definitely got the inside joke and she was glad to see his body lift a little as he sat near her. “Everyone keeps telling me I am ok but I have yet to be told what actually is wrong with me.” Robyn looked to the doctor and nurse. “Anyone want to fill me in?”

“You still happy for Taron to stay?” Doctor Lee asked. “I want to explain it all to you but may have to ask some personal questions.”

Robyn quickly nodded. “He can stay unless he wants to go.”

“I am good. I am staying.”

The doctor gave him a brief smile. She never expected him to leave at all. After speaking to Vicky and hearing they had already had a hug and watching how they supported each other, she didn’t think she was ever going to get Taron to leave her beside. “Ok.” She pulled the other chair to the bed and sat on it. “So you are anaemic. The signs have been there but as they also the signs to so many other illnesses, it isn’t so easy to diagnose. The headaches, the dizziness, severe tiredness you have been experiencing lately are also symptoms of anaemia. I know you went for some blood tests back home and were waiting on the results. We did some blood work here and it clearly showed a very low red blood cell count. You were also quite dehydrated so we have you an IV and then I also gave you some iron through the IV to get that red blood cell count back up. I can already see it working. Your colour has returned and like I said, vitals are really strong.” She stopped for a second to make sure Robyn was ok and following along with her. Seeing her alert and paying attention she continued. “That was why you fainted, twice. The red blood cells carry oxygen all around your body and with a low number, your body wasn’t getting enough oxygen and hence the fainting.” The Doctor looked to Taron. “You were in very good hands on set. Taron’s and the medics. They looked after you very well. As I explained to Taron, anaemia can be hiding in the background and you don’t even know you have it. It is what happens to most people who are diagnosed with it. Eventually it just hits you hard.” The doctor leaned in a little more to Robyn. “Did you experience any shortness of breath over the last few weeks?”

“Yeah, yeah I did. Walking up the stairs in work became a chore some days, having a conversation too.”

“I can only imagine how tough simple things became for you. I am sure the headaches were unbearable at times.”

“They were horrible.” She agreed. “I don’t get them. Well very rarely and just even blinking hurt sometimes.”

“How long did you have the dizzy spells for?”

“Not too long. The last two or three weeks. I have just been feeling so tired though, with no energy and Taron will tell you, I do not sit still. Always have to be moving, doing something.”

Doctor Lee saw Taron agreeing. “The tiredness is definitely something those who have anaemia say is the worst. Just feeling dead tired the whole time. So talk to me about your job, what do you do?” After Robyn explained her jobs and her duties, Catriona made some notes on her chart. “Ok great and also fair play. Not an easy job.”

“Says the hospital doctor.” Robyn laughed lightly.

“True, very true. Ok and diet, exercise? Daily life activities?”

“Fairly healthy diet but look everyone has a sweet tooth.”

“Much red meat?”

Robyn’s nose scrunched up a little. “Not really no. Not a huge fan of red meat.”

“Ok and exercise?”

“We have a family dog, so as best I can I try to bring her for a walk every day and then maybe once or twice a week, I try to take an easy jog around the football field beside my house. Now I am not a gym bunny and will never be but for me the walking is good to clear my head after work.”

“Sounds great Robyn.” The doctor turned fully to Taron and gave him a look. “I am giving you the warning now, you can either go or cover your ears and sing in your head while I speak to Robyn about womanly things.”

It was a gorgeous grin that filled Taron’s face and he glanced to Robyn. “Need my hands for two seconds chicken.” With his hands free, Taron placed them over his ears and started to hum to himself.

Catriona laughed a little and turned to Robyn. “Chicken?”

“Oh, it’s my nickname from him. It’s a long story.”

“It’s sweet.”

“I have grown to like it.” Robyn smiled. “So womanly things?”

“Yes.” She glanced to Taron who had his eyes closed and she could hear him humming a tune. “Another reason for the anaemia could be very heavy periods. Probably the most common symptom in women.”

“Aww I see, hence the suggestion to cover his ears.�� Robyn gave the doctor a thorough explanation about her periods, answering all the questions the doctor had for her and once the conversation was finished, Robyn reached for Taron’s hands. “You are ok to listen again, though I am sure you heard all of that.”

Taron gave her a little guilty smile. “I tried to hum loud. I will pretend I heard nothing.”

Robyn knew she should have felt somewhat uncomfortable that Taron was privy to very personal information but she trusted him and his little smiles were slowly creeping back into his face and it was a beautiful thing to see.

“Ok well I have filled in all the missing blanks I need.” Doctor Lee finished writing on Robyn’s chart. “Now let’s fill you in. First off, you have probably noticed that your left arm is quite tender. You hit the ground hard and are a little bruised. It is mostly your shoulder and you will feel it for a few days. There is a dressing on your head too. The cut on your temple is small but it still needed a little steri-strip to cover it. That will take a little longer to heal. The dressing will have to stay on for a few days and the steri-strip for a while after that but it will heal fine once you leave it alone and don’t pick at it. I don’t foresee any more headaches but if you do happen to get one at home, some normal paracetamol will be enough to clear it.”

“Sounds good. I will be glad to have no more of those.”

“Now the anaemia. I am so glad to see you smile, both of you smile and Robyn, like I said your colour is returning, your vitals are good. After an hour or so I want take a second blood sample from you to be tested. I just want to ensure we have built those iron levels back up. Then once I get those results, I am going to prescribe you some iron tablets. Now please know that this is not going to be a quick seven-day prescription and you are fixed. First off we are going to have to look at getting more iron rich food into your diet. If you are not going to eat red meat, then lots of green foods. I will make sure you get all the leaflets.” She grinned. “The iron tablets will be every day for several months if not a year or more and you will have to get blood tests done regularly too just so we can keep an eye on the iron levels.” Catriona saw a little worry fill Robyn’s face. “It is all so manageable Robyn and give it a week or so and you will feel like your old self again. It doesn’t stop you from doing things you want to do, from enjoying your life but if you don’t watch it, take care of it, it will come back and bite you in the ass. But like I said, once I get the second lot of bloods back I will know which medication to prescribe you.” She stood up and pushed the chair out of the way. “Ok that was a lot of information for you to process. What you need to take from this long chat is that you will be fine and back on your feet by tomorrow I would say and all going well back in your own home by Tuesday.” She looked to Taron, the softness from her voice turning more serious. “You may stay with her but when it hits ten o clock tonight, I will be sending someone over here to make you to go home. She needs her rest and you do too. You can come back tomorrow at a decent time that is after ten am. If you need anything please ask Vicky. She is still going to be coming in and out to check on you.”

“That sounds all good. Thank you Doctor Lee.”

“Catriona. Like I said, I know it is a lot of information but we will make sure you are so very clear on it all before we let you go. The tablets are easy to take, can be a bit hard on your stomach at first but your body will get used to them. You are going to come out of this the same old Robyn as before. It was as good thing you were with him when this happened. If you had of been at home alone, the outcome could have been a lot worse. Now rest. I want to see you resting, sleeping and taking it easy.” She saw Robyn’s eyes flicker to Taron. “He can stay but he has to behave and listen to the nurses and doctors and go home when he is told.”

“I will make sure he does.” Robyn replied.

“I have no doubt about that.” Catriona smiled. “I will leave you relax now.” She turned to go but took a step back to the bed. “Actually Taron, can I borrow you for two seconds.” Seeing Taron’s eyes widen a little she turned fully to him. “It will be two minutes max and she will be waiting for you.”

“Yeah sure of course.” He stood up and leaned in to kiss Robyn’s cheek. “I will be right back. Don’t go anywhere.”

“Funny.” Robyn replied to him watching him as he went.

Taron followed the doctor out of the curtains, making sure they were closed tight, walking out of the ward and into the corridor.

“So is your mind settled now?” She asked him as they came to stand at the wall. “You have seen her and she is awake.”

Taron shoved his hands under his arms. “Yeah I am. Sorry for being so persistent.”

“No need for apologies. You two are very close. I can easily see it and I am glad she can calm you down quickly.” She saw the faintest flush flutter through his cheeks. “Just a simple touch is all it takes?” She asked genuinely curious.

“Robyn and I met under very unusual and extreme circumstances. Let’s just say I am having a lot of de ja vu at the moment but it was me in the hospital bed. It’s amazing how a simple gesture of holding hands can send a serious jolt of tranquillity through you.”

“It’s the little things right?”

“Hmm yeah.”

“But let’s try and keep the hugs to a minimum ok?”

Taron’s eyes found the floor, his hands digging deeper under his arms. “Sorry for that too.”

“Are you?” Catriona chuckled.

Taron lifted his eyes and gave a shrug. “Absolutely not. I know I needed it and I think she did too.”

“Well, let that be the last one for a few hours ok? Give her body a bit more time to build back up before you do it again.”

“I will just hold her hand.”

“Sounds like a good plan and I mean it when I said you need to go later ok? I may be nice doctor now but if you do not leave at ten when asked, I will be back tomorrow in mean doctor form. You are probably tired of me saying this, but you need to rest too.”

“I will go, I promise. You have been so kind letting me stay with her now.”

“Good and don’t forget our deal. You need to eat that bar for me too.”

A small chuckle left his body. “Yeah of course, I will.”

“And give her mum a call now too? I think you have enough information to pass onto her so she knows what is going on but won’t worry too much.”

“I will. Thank you.”

“It is no problem at all. When you are finished your call go and sit with her and eat your bar.”

“Yes doctor.”

Catriona rolled her eyes at him and then turned and walked away, leaving him in the corridor. He definitely wanted to make the phone call to her mam but remembered his phone was in Robyn’s bag back in the ward. Turning he quickly walked back towards the curtain and slipped inside. The nurse was still with Robyn, standing with her as she drank some water.

“I just need to get my phone.” He said, picking up Robyn’s bag from the floor. “Don’t mind me. You keep drinking. I am coming back for chats in a bit.” He routed for his phone through the open zip. Finding it, he walked out into and down the corridor, finding a somewhat quiet spot to make the phone call to Robyn’s mam. He jumped when his phone rang in his hand, Lyndsey’s name coming up on his screen. He had a list in his head of people he wanted to call and Lyndsey was definitely on it, so he answered the call, glad to be able to cross off one from his list.

“Lyndsey hey.”

“Taron! Why am I reading online that you are in the hospital?” She asked her voice in a panic. “What the hell is going on?”

#Robyn and Taron #Taron Egerton #Taron Egerton Fanfiction #Taron Egerton Fanfic #Taron Fanfic #Worry #Aniexty #Stress #Love #Relief #Friendship #Cuddles and Hugs #Hospital #Results

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valhallanrose · 3 years

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High Horse

Catriona’s deal with their mother and a vow to return that would bring them back time and time again - even against their will.

3.5k words. As with most of this arc of their pre-canon, general CW for a manipulative parent. Senga’s a piece of shit club unite.

Title: High Horse by the Crane Wives

The two months that Catriona had spent in Prakra had been glorious.

It was worth the two awful sunburns to have spent that much time in the sun, freckles now spread across more of their skin that had once been unblemished alabaster for all their mother’s fretting over their appearance over the years.

Catriona had cut their hair for the first time, too - it had fallen nearly to their waist at thirteen, and the heat had made the weight and length of it unbearable in the height of a Prakran summer when back home, half the country was covered in a blanket of snow. It fell midway between their shoulder blades when they were done, and they were excited to get it up off their neck and feel the breeze above their collar. Everything before had been simple trims, enough to keep their hair healthy, but not enough to feel different.

And now, in March, with the wind pulling through their cropped hair and the collar of their linen top flapping beneath their open jacket, they sailed home to Rosinmoor, down the Strait of Seals to the small inlet that would lead up to Castle Kintyre.

Catriona sighed, shifting slightly on the rigging and propping their chin against the lines as they watched the world go by.

They weren’t looking forward to returning home.

Catriona, Edrine, and Sachairi had celebrated Hogmanay in the quiet of Myrna’s cottage - Foxhall, they’d come to learn - and after the holiday had ended and Edrine left for home, Sachairi had reluctantly returned to the castle.

Catriona didn’t - they left without a word, choosing instead to let their grandmother inform their mother that Catriona would be leaving with her on her trip to Prakra mere hours before they were due to depart. It felt cowardly, but a part of them knew that their mother never would have let them go if they’d walked back into that place.

Senga Canonach could hold a grudge, and Catriona knew they wouldn’t be exempt for what they’d done. They’d broken so many rules, leaving like that, and they couldn’t help but worry about what was to come.

But...they’d do it again. They really, really wanted to do it again, even if they were punished for it.

When they’d arrived in Prakra, Myrna had gone straight to a dig site a few miles from the base of the Bulan Mountains, evidently asked to perform a few facial reconstructions on remains that had been found in the study of and early Prakran battleground to try and determine who some of those people might have been. Approximations, Myrna had called them, of who might have been - returning faces to those lost to time.

While Myrna’s charcoal scritch-scritch-scritched away at the paper, Catriona couldn’t help but marvel at the smoothness of the bone beneath their thumbs, idly stroking the pads of their fingers along the cheekbone - the zygomatic, Myrna told them - as they tried to imagine what they might have been like in life.

For a lack of better expression, they could feel it in their bones that they were meant to be elsewhere, anywhere if it weren’t Castle Kintyre and the Canonach estate. But mother would never let them go. And as Castle Kintyre, as it came into view at the top of the cliffs with its windows glowing with warm light, Catriona couldn’t help but think of the wisps.

From Melinlaesh to Kintyre and everywhere in between, the children of Rosinmoor were warned of wisps - or ‘spunkies’, as they were often called - and Catriona had been no exception. They remembered being told to never follow a light if you didn’t know where it came from, or they’d certainly meet their doom. They were omens of death, more often than not, appearing along roads funeral processions traveled or sending ships to their watery graves after being mistaken for harbor lights by an unfortunate sailor.

Funny to think that going to the place that was supposed to be home felt like they were following the spunkies to their own demise.

They lingered on the rigging as long as they possibly could, until the sailors began their calls to bring the ship to berth and they had to climb down to stay out of their way.

When Catriona rejoined their grandmother on the deck, it was as if she knew what lingered on her grandchild’s mind - and Myrna only laid a hand on her shoulder, squeezing it once, a silent reassurance that she was there if they needed her.

“What am I going to do about my mother?” Catriona asked eventually, and Myrna let out a long breath through her nose, eyes fixed on the lights of Castle Kintyre.

“I’ll handle her in the morning. Most of the family will be in bed for the night, save for perhaps some of your cousins. Monroe is undoubtedly asleep, big bairn that he is.” Myrna playfully nudged Catriona, who smiled a little at the thought of their great uncle. “Your mother may be upset with you, but in time, it’ll pass. And perhaps she’ll realize you were overdue for your chance to leave the nest.”

“I want to leave again soon.” Catriona caught Myrna’s smile out of the corner of her eye. “Where are you going next?”

“I’m not certain. For once I didn’t have anything lined up after I finished an assignment. Perhaps we can take a more leisurely trip until I get another - is there anywhere in particular you’d like to go?”

“I’ve always liked your drawings of Venterre.” They mused, rocking back and forth on their heels. “I remember you telling me stories about your trip to Lulia with Balfour.”

Myrna smiled a little at that. “Balfour loved Lulia. Said they’d never seen stars prettier than those here in Rosinmoor, but Lulia felt like their home away from home. We used to have an apartment there, but...I sold it some time after they died. Couldn’t bring myself to go back for many years.”

Catriona frowned a little, tugging on the edge of their shirt. “I’m sorry, Granny, I didn’t mean to bring up a bad memory…”

“Oh, dinna fash, my darling.” She leaned forward, resting her elbows on the railing to gaze over the infinite dark of the sea. “To remember those I’ve lost is to keep them with me. And perhaps I’ve been a little blessed in all this time, because even though my Balfour - and my Astor, god rest them both - have left this world, they aren’t gone. I see pieces of them in you nearly every day.”

They perked a little at that, already itching for the bits of stories Myrna was willing to give. Myrna laughed at Catriona’s visible interest and nodded, closing her eyes as she spoke.

“You’ve got the same desire for knowledge as Balfour. Same taste in books, too, judging by what you pilfer from my study. You make the same face as Astor when you’re thinking, down to the wrinkles in your nose and the creases between your brows. And you’re not nearly as sneaky as you think. When you’re up to something, your mouth twitches at the corners like you’re holding back a smile. It was a dead giveaway when Balfour was planning a surprise, but I found it endearing.” Myrna’s fingers drummed against the wood, humming thoughtfully. “You look like Balfour, too. I suppose Astor as well, since he was a ringer for them. You got their nose, and you’ve got dimples - on both sides, like Astor, Balfour only had the one on their right. Same shape to your jaw, the same cheekbones…”

Myrna reached out and playfully pinched Catriona’s cheek, smiling as they groaned and swatted lightly at her hand.

“But for as much as I see them in you, I want you to remember that I love you for you. I’ve had time to heal. So when morning comes, I’ll book us passage to Lulia, and I’ll happily make new memories with you. Sound fair?”

“Sounds fair.” Catriona leaned into Myrna’s side, tucked happily under her arm - though they were quickly approaching the same height - and remained there, watching the sea go by until the ship pulled into the inlet, and the gangway finally fell on the shores of home.

* * * * *

Despite Catriona’s fears of facing their mother, they were glad to see the rest of their family.

By the time they made it up to the castle, most of the family had begun to turn in - though Myrna had sent word ahead of their return, she’d been unsure when the ship would actually make it to shore, and told them not to wait up - but those who were still awake were happy to linger and chat while they raided the kitchens for leftovers.

Sachairi, the person Catriona had wanted to see most, had just gone to bed, evidently falling asleep in his seat trying to wait for them to come back. So Catriona tucked their little gift for him away in their bag again, alongside the one for Edrine, and made their way slowly through the halls to bed. Myrna would remain, happy to pick at her siblings and laugh with them about how of course her twin was the first to go to bed among all of them, though they all knew he’d be up with the sun while they slept in.

Catriona didn’t miss the presence, or lack thereof, of their mother - who had apparently turned in quite suddenly once the scouts reported the ship at the inlet. Part of them wondered if she was avoiding their grandmother, who had been the embodiment of ‘hell hath no fury’ after the revelations Catriona had overheard all those months ago.

Still, they were happy to traipse as quietly as they could to their bedroom, looking forward to the morning and catching up with their cousin again. The day had been long, as had the journey from so far north, and they were looking forward to crawling into the comfort of their own bed.

They didn’t pause to take in the view of the Frozen Sea nor the twinkling lights of Rosafearn, heading straight for their bed and crashing into it, only taking the time to kick off their shoes and jacket before snuggling into the warmth that awaited them.

Sometime later, in the place between slumber and awareness, they heard their bedroom door squeal open. After a moment of pause it would then click shut, making them blearily look up to follow the warm glow of the candle in someone’s hand as it made its way closer to their bed.

“Granny?” Catriona whispered, rubbing at their eye with the heel of their hand to try and combat some of the blurriness that came from half-slumber - only to freeze as a soft laugh answered them instead.

“No, Catriona, not your grandmother. I heard you’d come home and wanted to say goodnight.” Senga murmured, lowering herself to sit on the edge of their bed and gently setting the candle down on the night table. Catriona heard the soft clicking of their lamp turning before the light flared to life, casting both mother and child in warm golden light.

Catriona couldn’t help but think of how cold their mother’s eyes looked in comparison to the warmth they were bathed in.

“I thought you went to bed.” They said eventually, pulling the covers a little higher as they rolled over to face Senga more fully. “I wasn’t expecting to see you until breakfast.”

“Well, you’ve been gone all this time. Can you blame me for not wanting to wait a minute more than I must?” Senga’s fingertips smoothed along their forehead, brushing back already tousled strands of hair.

They shrunk back slightly, pulling the blankets a little closer to their chin.

“I’m sorry, mother, I didn’t mean to upset you.” They said softly, scrunching the fabric between their fingers. “How are you?”

“Oh, much better now that you’re home, where you belong.” Catriona watched as Senga tugged on the single silver lock at her left temple and swept it behind her ear, twirling it loosely around her finger as she

It was a familiar gesture - one Catriona knew typically meant an expression of her displeasure would be soon to follow.

“You know, you had me worried sick. Imagine how I would have felt if something would have happened to you so far from home, Catriona, without you even properly saying goodbye.”

There it was.

“I was perfectly fine, mother, Granny wouldn’t have let anything happen to me.” They said softly, trying to keep their voice from shaking. “I just needed some time for myself, that’s all.”

“Because you snooped.” Senga frowned. “You have no one but yourself to blame, Catriona, for listening to things not meant for you to hear.”

“But I did hear it, mother, and it hurt me, and I wanted -” They tried, but Senga cut them off, tone sharp and clipped and silenced them in a heartbeat.

“Wanted what, to get back at me? Hurt me in some way? Well, you’ve done it, and I don’t know where we can go from here.” Senga huffed, crossing one leg over the other before sighing, rubbing two fingers against her temple.

“This isn’t how I wanted it to go when you got back. I don’t want to argue with you, Catriona, I want to put things back to normal. You’ve had your fun, and now it’s time to come back to the real world. Your lessons will start again next week, and we’ll talk about some new boundaries in the morning, before breakfast. I’ll walk you down the steps myself.”

Catriona’s heart squeezed painfully at that - to go from the freedom of their trip to tethered once again to someone’s hand to even traverse their home - and the words bubbled up before they could stop them, making Senga pause as she reached to turn out the light again.

“But Granny is taking me to Lulia…”

They trailed off as they noticed Senga’s brow lower, and they instantly realized the mistake they’d made as she leaned in and gently smoothed her hand across Catriona’s jaw.

“What was that, dear?” Senga crooned, grasping their chin between her fingers and forcing them to look her in the eye. “Speak up. You know I dislike it when you mumble.”

Catriona tried to turn their head away, but Senga’s grip tightened on their jaw, even if her sickly sweet tone didn’t change.

“Clearly you thought it was important if you felt the urge to contradict me. Speak up.”

They squeezed their eyes shut, forcing the words out even if their heart felt like a caged animal trying to escape their chest for how hard it pounded against their ribs.

“I said Granny is going to take me to Lulia soon.” Catriona blurted out. “She wants to go soon because she doesn’t have another project, so she thought we could spend some time together since Prakra was mostly her field work.”

The tension between them both was so thick that Catriona thought they could feel it pressing down on their shoulders.

“Did she, now?” Senga hummed, a thoughtful look on her face. “She’s always been so insistent she knows what’s best for you. Drives me absolutely batty. Mother and child we may be, but Mama forgets who holds more power in the family. Perhaps some time barred from Kintyre would remind her of that…”

The casual tone with which Senga spoke made the sinking feeling in their belly feel like a whole cliff face dropping into the sea, so quickly it made them queasy in the process.

“You’d really do that to Granny?” Catriona whispered, eyes wide and their horror seeping clearly into their tone as they sat upright. “You’d tell her she can’t come back because of me?”

“If I must. If she won’t respect me as your mother, I’ll have to find a way for her to respect my position as Baroness. Besides, she won’t stay away long.” Senga patted their leg lightly, a gesture far too light to match her words. “Between you, Balfour, and my brother…”

Terror fell over Catriona like a blanket of ice. It was one thing for them to be punished, but for their grandmother, who had only ever acted to try and do good for them...they couldn’t let her take the fall.

Their grandmother’s whole life was here. She’d been born at Kintyre, like all of her siblings, and been raised here. Her parents, Sorcha and Aonghus, were buried in the family cemetery - like their uncle, Astor, and the honorary headstone for Balfour, whose body had simply never been recovered. Myrna had lost her spouse and her son in such a short few years when they were little, and they knew how dearly she loved her home, how much she needed the places she kept so dear.

Myrna used to be...so heavy with sorrow, no matter how hard she tried to hide it. Over the years she’d healed, smiles slowly reaching her eyes, and she herself spoke of how much being with her family helped her reach a place of peace. She was always remembering, always loving, even though they were gone, and had become so bright and warm in the way that Catriona knew her despite all she’d endured.

Catriona didn’t think their grandmother could forgive them if they were the reason she lost her home, too.

And though it felt like they were making a deal with the devil, Catriona let out a slow breath, words thick in their throat as if they were trying to fight their way back to their belly.

“If you promise Granny won’t get in trouble…” They said slowly, watching with dread as Senga’s eyes lit up with something they couldn’t name, “...I’ll do what you want. I’ll stay, I’ll stop fighting. I’ll be your heir and I won’t question it. But you have to promise me you’ll leave Granny alone.”

Senga’s lips curled into a smile, not unlike a cat that got the canary, as she pulled Catriona into an embrace. Catriona did not return it, body stiff and hands clenching and relaxing into fists as they tried to figure out what to do with themself.

“Oh, dear, if you’re that concerned, then I can find those terms agreeable.” She leaned back slightly, hands falling to rest on their shoulders and give them a light squeeze. “But I would like my own assurances. You understand, after all, as your little adventure has broken the trust I have in you.”

Senga’s grip tightened slightly, and Catriona flinched, staring up at their mother with the sour taste of fear in their mouth.

“Do not misunderstand this as forgiveness. While I am still upset by your actions, it has not diminished my goodwill. In fairness, it was high time you got to see more than Castle Kintyre, for sheltering you completely will do you no favors when it comes time for you to take your place. But know this…”

Senga leaned in, eyes like blades of ice to Catriona’s wild and wet-eyed panic.

“You can run as far as you want for now. But when I call for you to come home, you will fly as fast as the winds will carry you, and you will without question or argument. Defy me again, and I will strip you of everything you hold dear. You will lose the Canonach name, all claim to your inheritance, your titles, your family, your home - all of it will be gone. Your grandmother will never be permitted to return to this place, and nor will you. You would do well to remember the privileged position you’re in, because you are nothing without all I have given you, and I can take it away just as easily. Do I make myself clear?”

Catriona let out a shaky breath, nodding slowly as their mother’s grip relaxed on their shoulders.

“Yes, ma’am.” They whispered, and Senga smiled again, perfectly serene and as if nothing had just transpired between them both.

She gestured for Catriona to lie back, which they did - though stiffly - and went through the motions of tucking them in, something Senga hadn’t done in years by that point in Catriona’s life, eyes fixed on the ceiling even as their mother leaned in and pressed a kiss to their brow.

“Goodnight, dear.” She murmured, and Catriona remained quiet, watching out of the corner of their eye as Senga made her way to the door with the candle flame flickering in each step.

“She’s your mom.” They whispered eventually, and Senga sighed, turning back to look over her shoulder to look at them again.

“Sometimes we have to make hard decisions to protect ourselves and those we love.” Senga mused, her hand lowering to fall on the doorknob. “And I am no stranger to them. You will come to find one day that the pain is a necessary evil.”

With that, the door fell shut, plunging Catriona into the darkness once again.

Sleep would not come.

The tears would, however, as Catriona turned their face into the soft down of their pillow and began to weep, feeling now more than ever that the walls of the Kintyre Estate were closing in around them.

#astoria fenharrow #don't worry we're almost done the senga hating agenda for a while #at least in fic #it's always fuck senga hours #manipulation cw

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moonlights-ordinance · 3 years

Text

Ves can die??? (Roche & Iorveth side-track)

Wow okay just found out that you can kill Ves, well let her die, in wild hunt. Like I knew you had a time crunch on her life, but I never was going to let it run out, so I just assumed it was a fixed thing, like she couldn’t die and you continue the game, like I thought it would make you replay like some other instances. But no, she can Die! that makes me so sad, and this of course ruins your relationship with Roche, so he won’t help you with the wild hunt.

Anyway So I started thinking of Vernon without Ves and now I am bigtime™ sad. Like Can you imagine those to away from each other? They are inseparable. He is a brilliant commander and yet he takes her with him to Kaer Morhen. He takes his second in command with him! and they thought it was a definite suicide mission, meaning if they were to die they would leave the blue stripes command-less and they would fall apart. Yet he takes her with him. And she would die for him without a second thought, and when you talk to them after the battle, she says something like, “I don’t know what were doing next, but I’ll follow Vernon anywhere he goes”

I don’t really care if you think they are romantically involved, A brother/sister bond, or Father/daughter bond, but we should all agree that Vernon would be shattered if she died, and the idea that you can just take her from him is awful. Like you can decide to play a version of the game where she is dead.

The second after she dies Vernon turns on Geralt angry and leaves. which of course makes sense, but after when you go to him for help, he is just broken and sad, and I think he would stay that way. Perpetually defeated.

And that got me thinking. all angsty, but Vernon without Ves, I don’t think he’d be angry or “hardened” I think he would loose his edge. The only thing left in his life would be Temeria, which you can have become a vessel state so long as you save Roche, so after that he would in a sense, have nothing. Maybe he’d loose himself in a desk job working to better Termeria and bring her back to her glory. Spending his free time drinking himself into oblivion. Or maybe he would do something akin to contract work? He would travel handling pests or small problems of people for coin, always on the move. After Ves’ death he couldn’t settle down, he always figured he’d have her with him when that came around.

Oh! maybe his path collides with Iorveth’s on accident. While off on one of his missions he just kind of pops up.

Iorveth decides to bug his former rival and tags along. Roche is not really in the mood to deal with the snarky sass that is Iorveth, but a familiar face is, well...nice. He finds out that he went to defend Kaer Morhen for Geralt and has been working on finding the Catriona cure for Nilfgaard, which explains his new uniform at least.

While walking Iorveth asks about the angry little blonde d’hoine and Roche’s expression changes to one filled with so much sadness that he felt compelled to place his hand on his shoulder as a form of comfort.

They run into some bandits, long story short, Roche breaks his leg or something. Iorveth then decides to stick with Roche, can’t leave the stupid d’hoine to get himself killed. Vernon will never get over Ves’ death but at least having a small part of his former life around makes things a bit easier.

Vernon thought he was going to lose Iorveth too, because he tells him, he must return to his work on the Catriona, and report back to Nilfgaard, a few weeks after the bandit incident, so he thought the likelihood of ever seeing him against slim.

Iorveth actually ends up asking him to return to The Capital with him. Can’t have the stupid d’hoine getting hurt again but him not be around to save his ass. Roche actually smiles for the first in a long time at that.

Maybe when they arrive Emhyr summons him along with Iorveth for updates. After Iorveth is dismissed he “offers” Roche to either join Iorveth officially under Nilfgaard or retire from field work into the position of Constable of Temeria. He doesn’t have much of a choice so he decides to joining Iorveth seems most appealing at this moment in time, he knows Emhyr will force him into Constable sooner rather than later, and he will accept with honor for the good of his country, but right now, in the moment, he can’t imagine being put in charge of a country. He’s happy knowing Thaler will be there while he’s not.

Iorveth though. Iorveth was simple. In the sense that he was familiar. Iorveth used to be his enemy, he knows a great deal about him because of it. And now that they aren’t on opposite sides, he feels like greeting an old friend. The idea of traveling with a person he knows, for the first time since Ves, makes him a little bit excited for the oncoming days.

The only question is, does Iorveth actually want to travel with him? He may have just been pitying him. And he knows shit about the Catriona plague how could he be much of a use to him? Of course if Emhyr asked him to, Iorveth would let him accompany him. but does he actually want him too?

(Whoo! Okay I did not mean to write that! This literally was just supposed to be me being upset about the fact that you can kill Ves! Because that makes me really sad. But than I started thinking about how sad Vernon would be and then that turned into how would he deal with life after her, and whenever I think of Roche I automatically think of Iorveth so then he got involved.

Anyway, I kind of like this idea? Should I do something with it? Or maybe hand it off to someone who can write better? I promise I write better than this though, I just kind of ran this out of my mouth :) Heh

Sorry this has no editing or real thought it just popped into my head, Please tell me if you like it! :)))

#ves #vernon roche #roche #Iorveth #iorweth #The Witcher 2 #the witcher 3 #iorveth x roche #angst #hurt/comfort

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owlhart · 4 years

Text

Somewhere Only We Know

It takes them almost four days to find Triss' body on the battlefield, hair matted with blood. Burns cover her chest and back, charred skin peeling and flaking into blotches of red and pink and black. The nauseating smell of burnt flesh still hangs in the air but it seemed as if Triss had enough magic to heal any major injuries before she had passed out, hidden away in the corner of the archway before the gate.

The field medics stabilise her the best that they can before Keira teleports the both of them back to the royal infirmary in Vizimir.

But that had been a fortnight ago and though Triss' body had recovered with the aid of magic, albeit with scarring on her chest, she had not woken up yet. It is not long before Philippa appears at the Royal Palace of Vizimir and Keira all but drags her to the royal infirmary without so much as a 'hello'. "Help me," the blonde half demands, half pleads, anxiety and helplessness rolling off of her in waves. "She won't wake up. There's nothing wrong with her physically and this isn't a medically induced coma, but she just won't wake up. She doesn't respond to any stimulus, she doesn't react to anything and oh gods, help her, Philippa. I don't know what to do." Philippa stares down at Triss' prone form. Dressed in a simple gown, she simply lay there, her chestnut curls spread out on the pillow like a halo, a serene expression on her face - there is no pain, only painful memories etched onto her chest in the form of scars. Philippa sits beside her and takes her hand. She sends a pulse of magic through Triss' body and the magic rebounds back full circle. Her eyebrows knit together in thought. Gingerly, she sends a continuous stream of magic into Triss' body this time, slowly probing until she hits a barrier. "What is it?" Keira asks at the serious expression on Philippa's face.

"You are correct in that physically she is fine, aside from the scarring. But there is a magical barrier around her mind - an automatic defence mechanism triggered by immense stress and trauma. It’s rare but not unheard of.”

“Alright, then how do we snap her out of it?” Philippa stills and Keira sucks in a breath at the look on her face, wringing her hands frantically. “Oh gods, what do we do? I mean, Tissaia’s still recovering from dimeritium poisoning and Yennefer’s in no shape to help. What...what about Sheala? Or...or Francesca! She must know something!”

“Keira," Philippa grabs her by the arm. “Pull yourself together and then make yourself useful and go to the library to do some research on this. I need to think.”

“Research?”

“Keira, focus please. I’m not asking you to find a cure for the Catriona plague, so stop panicking and go do as I say.”

Keira moves to rush out of the room and Philippa catches her by the shoulder.

“Look at me. Look at me, Keira.” She holds her gaze. “Take a deep breathe. Focus. Yes?”

Keira inhales deeply.

“Alright, now go.”

The younger sorceress nods and leaves swiftly. Philippa watches her disappear out the door before she herself lets out a deep sigh, the thundering of her heartbeat in her ears the only thing betraying her true feelings.

She takes a minute to compose herself, compartmentalising her emotions with practiced ease. Then, she takes Triss’ hand in her own, her other hand sweeping back the hair from her face and placing it over Triss’ forehead. The magic surges through her fingertips and she tries to channel it into Triss but the barrier holds fast, and it starts to push back against the intrusion, almost as if rejecting her. Philippa eases off, afraid that forcing her way through would cause more harm.

She tries for hours but to no avail and when she has exhausted her magic, she turns to Sheala.

“I’m sorry, Philippa, but it will take me at least a week to get to Temeria. My megascope isn’t functioning at its full capacity at the moment and I cannot teleport there.”

Philippa grimaces at the other woman’s fuzzy image as the megascope flickered violently.

“Do you have any idea how to wake her up?”

“I don’t, at least not until I’ve examined Triss.”

Philippa feels a knot form in her throat and she gives Sheala a nod of thanks. Sheala disconnects and Philippa tries but fails to contact Francesca and Ida. With a heavy heart, she helps Keira with her research, pouring over every single book, scroll and parchment she can get her hands on. They carry on for days and when Philippa is too exhausted to continue, she drags herself to Triss’ side.

She looks so peaceful lying there and Philippa sinks to her knees at her bedside. She is tired, she is drained, and her heart aches so terribly.

“Triss,” she whispers, swallowing hard, “if you can hear me, I need you to fight. I need you to be stronger and braver than you were at Sodden. I need you to be fearless.” She looks up at the ceiling, blinking quickly. “For the both of us. Triss, please.”

So tell me when you're gonna let me in. I'm getting tired and I need somewhere to begin.

Her hands are shaking as she stands up wearily. The weight in her chest swells as she places a kiss on Triss’ forehead and she closes her eyes, inhaling the familiar scent - it is warm and comforting and nostalgic and her heart sinks. She places her hands on Triss’ temples and touches foreheads. The world dissolves around her suddenly and she finds herself standing in the middle of a forest. It is dark and grey and the thick damp mist surrounds her. She can’t see past a few feet in front of her and she stills, trying to get a bearing of her current whereabouts. The sounds fade and all she can hear is the thudding of her heartbeat and her shallow breathing echoing in her head.

She takes a step forward and the mist retreats slightly. She takes another step, and another and another and something pricks at the back of her mind.

The feeling is different but she knows this place.

She cannot place it but it calls to her, stronger with each step she takes.

Is this the place we used to love? Is this the place that I've been dreaming of? Her boots crunch against the dry bed of leaves blanketing the ground and the sound of rushing water grows louder. Her fingers brush against the smooth bark of the white birch trees thoughtfully.

She knows this place.

The world reveals more of itself as she wanders towards the source of the rushing water until she finds herself with one foot in the river. She remembers this place.

Time slows down, the blood pulsing in his ears so loudly that it roars and rages and she drops down on one knee, one hand pressed to the side of her head. Gasping, Philippa blinks away the tears.

It is the small secluded grove beside the river, tucked away in a dense part of the forest - it is Triss’ favourite spot in Maribor and she had taken Philippa there when Philippa had last visited Temeria; it is the place where Triss had told Philippa she loved her for the first time, where Triss had kissed her so tenderly, so lovingly; it is the place where Philippa had broken Triss’ heart.

But this is an illusion, a bastardisation of its real counterpart in all its faded colours and suffocating eerieness, and Philippa wants to scream.

A murmur floats to her with the wind and her head snaps up. She sees the figure standing in the river near the shore on the other side and she doesn’t need to see the chestnut curls or cornflower blue eyes or that gentle, tender smile to know who it is.

She would recognise Triss in a thousand worlds, in a thousand lifetimes.

“Triss!”

There is something beckoning her, calling her, and Philippa fights against its hypnotic draw. Triss has almost crossed the river, but something tells Philippa she cannot allow her to reach the other side.

Philippa wades deeper into the river and she can see visions reflected on the surface of the water - she sees Triss conjuring vines to block the Nilfgaardian’s advances; she sees the flames engulf her; she sees the tears and the blood and the agony - and Triss needs only one more step to reach the opposite bank.

A desperate fury ignites in her chest and she surges forward against the water current.

“Triss!”

Triss turns around at her scream, eyes wide.

Philippa stops in the middle of the river. There is something blocking her and she can go no further. And so, she extends a hand, palm upwards.

And if you have a minute, why don't we go talk about it somewhere only we know?

Philippa fights to keep her voice steady.

“Do you remember what you told me before we went off to Sodden?”

Pain flashes across Triss’ eyes at the mention of Sodden but she nods wordlessly. “You told me that you would come back to me, safe and sound.” Her voice is thick with emotion but Philippa presses on. “The battle is over, Triss. And now, I need you to keep your promise. I need you to come back to me.” She is vaguely aware of the wetness on her cheeks. “Please. Come back to me.” This could be the end of everything, so why don't we go somewhere only we know?

Triss stares at her before taking a shaky step towards Philippa. She is crying too but she reaches out and takes her outstretched hand so gently that Philippa thinks it is all just a dream.

The world burns away the grey and monochrome colours. The mist dissipates instantly and blue and green and brown and gold sears back into their vision. There is warm sunlight and a cool breeze and the murky waters have cleared into a beautiful turquoise but Philippa does not see or feel any of it.

There is only Triss.

And Triss smiles through her tears, a hand reaching up to caress Philippa’s cheek.

“Always.”

Philippa gasps and they wake in the palace once again. They stay unmoving for a while before a relieved smile finally tugs at Philippa’s lips.

“Welcome back.”

#merihart #philippa eilhart #triss merigold #philippa x triss #philippa eilhart x triss merigold #the witcher #i did wanna write a small scene where once Phil enters the dream state #there's a barrier encompassing the two of them so no one else can approach them #and they have to wait for Phil to bring Triss back #but it would interrupt the flow here #the idea here was that Phil was drained in mind and spirit and in magic #and it was her at her most vulnerable #also there is such a strong emotional connection between Phil and Triss that Philippa is really the only one who can form this bond #and step into Triss' mind like that #and pull her back out #lyrics from Somewhere Only We Know by Keane

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olliepig · 4 years

Text

Waiting in the Wings ch 1

Many, many thanks to the ever patient @willow-salix for helping me with this (I hope you know what you’ve bitten off here!). It’s been a long time coming but here goes nothing - my first ever OC. It’s also available on AO3 here if you prefer.

*********

Scott surveyed the grand ballroom, still unsure as to why he was there in the first place. He had his suspicions of Gordon’s budding romance with Penelope, so the invite to one of her private parties was perhaps not unexpected for his brother but quite how and why he had been talked into going too was beyond him. While he was no stranger to socialising with Penny, it was more usual for it to be at events where their presence was required to keep up appearances rather than at a private party for some of her closest friends. Since they arrived, Gordon had perhaps inevitably attached himself to Penny’s side but Scott didn’t want to cramp his little brother’s style and, if he was honest, he wouldn’t have chosen to spend his evening off in this way if he was given the choice. Having already greeted his host and in the absence of anything else to do or anyone in attendance whom he needed to speak with, he made himself comfortable at the bar and lost himself in a glass or several of whisky. He had always enjoyed people watching so he contented himself with passing the time by trying to guess how Penelope knew everyone and perhaps more mystifyingly how she could possibly have the time to be close friends with the sheer number of people in attendance.

Scanning the room for someone she knew, Catriona was very glad for the glass of liquid courage that had been pressed into her hand upon her arrival. Having known Penny for years, she thought she’d have been used to these sorts of events by now but her heartrate would suggest otherwise although she hadn’t exactly helped herself this time by getting waylaid at work and arriving late. Seeing how dressed up everyone else was, she congratulated herself on her decision to at least curl her long hair and wear her favourite purple satin gown that always gave her a confidence boost when she needed it. Amongst the other guests there was not a hair out of place and she idly wondered how long everyone else had taken to prepare for the night. At an outside guess she thought it was probably a lot longer than her. Unable to see any familiar faces in the throng, she took a deep breath to calm her nerves and started out into the crowd, nearly colliding with the hostess for the evening as she did so.

“Catriona! It’s so good to see you, I’m so glad you could come.” Penny was the first to recover and as ever did not let anything so small as a near miss with one of her guests faze her.

“Me too, it’s been forever since we’ve seen each other. Sorry I’m a bit late – I got stuck in rehearsals.”

“That’s no trouble at all, I’m just glad you’re here now. All ready for the performances?”

“Yup, we should be good I think. There’s always more to do but we’ve got the basics down now so that’s a good start” replied Catriona, noticing for the first time the nervous looking blonde man in an incredibly expensive looking suit with a sunny yellow bow tie standing beside Penny. She felt like she’d seen him somewhere before but couldn’t quite place him.

“Excellent, I shall look forward to seeing it then.” Noticing her friends gaze drifting and sounding uncharacteristically nervous she continued. “Um, there’s someone I’d like you to meet. It’s all still very much under wraps but this is the gentleman I was telling you about. Catriona, I’d like you to meet Gordon Tracy.”

Catriona was relieved to find that there was a good reason why she recognised the young man standing in front of her, having seen him on the news less than 24 hours before rescuing the crew of a submarine after they got trapped in amongst some undersea vents. “It’s lovely to meet you finally and put a face to the name. Penny’s told me all about you - you’re with International Rescue, right?”

“Oh, has she now?” Gordon’s previously anxious face was transformed into an impish grin which lit up his hazel eyes as he glanced at a reddening Penny before focusing back on Catriona. “Yeah, I’m the one with the yellow submarine. It’s lovely to meet you too. So, if Penny’s told you about me then I’m guessing you’re Penny’s best friend then?”

“Yup, guilty as charged. We were at the Royal Ballet School together back when she wanted to be a dancer and she didn’t manage to get rid of me after she left. So here we are.”

Gordon’s eyes widened as he turned to Penny for the second time in as many minutes. “I didn’t know you wanted to be a ballerina!”

“Oh, there’s a lot you don’t know about me dearest.” said Penny with a fond smile. “But there will be be plenty of time for you to find it all out, don’t you worry.”

Gordon raised an eyebrow at that, before smiling at Catriona again. “So, are you a dancer then?”

“Yeah, I dance for the Royal Ballet now but I was out in America for a bit when I was younger too.” She thought for a second before throwing caution to the wind, smiling as she prepared to surprise her friend. “Given your identity as Penny’s mystery crush, do you want to know a funny coincidence from when I was out there?”

“Always!” Gordons ears pricked up, hoping for some gossip.

“I used to date your brother…”

“Which one –”

“You didn’t tell me that –”

“It was Scott, but don’t get too excited – it was literally years ago.”

“Really? This world is far too small. How did that happen then? I didn’t think Scott had girlfriends.” Gordon seemed to have recovered from the revelation much faster than Penny, who was still looking aghast as not knowing something.

“Yeah, we dated for about a year when he was stationed at Langley and I was dancing with the Richmond Ballet. Must have been about 7 years ago now. Do you remember Penny – I was out there for a while after I graduated before I joined the Royal? I’d already been out there for about 2 years when I met Scott and we were together til he was deployed overseas and I moved to London. It’s not much more exciting than that I’m afraid.”

“Of course!” she tried to recover herself. “I remember now that you had a boyfriend out there but I had no idea he was a mutual friend.”

“To be fair, I don’t think I ever told you his second name at the time so there’s not really any way you could have known and I didn’t know you knew any of the Tracy’s anyway or it might have come up sooner.”

“I still can’t believe you didn’t tell me it was Scott Tracy you were involved with!” Penny was aware that she was starting to sound petulant but she didn’t like being caught out, especially not in front of the man she’d spent years trying to impress and who was currently watching the unfolding back and forth between friends in a manner similar to a spectator at Wimbledon.

“Well look at it this way, why didn’t you tell me it was Gordon Tracy I was meeting tonight then?”

“Because there are expectations that come with that name…” Penny couldn’t hide the exasperation in her voice and was uncomfortably aware of the look that passed between Gordon and Catriona and the resulting grins on both their faces as she backed herself neatly into a corner.

“Uh huh. So…”

“Fine” she conceded with a smile, realising that Catriona had simply done exactly the same as she was doing in protecting the Tracy family. “You have me there.”

“That was amazing! I’ve never seen anyone manage to get Penny to admit she was wrong before. You gotta teach me how to do it?” It was safe to say that Gordon was impressed.

“I’d be happy to. Although I warn you, it’s a difficult course and takes a lot of practice – I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve managed it in 17 years.” Catriona glanced at Penny who simply smiled and rolled her eyes.

“It’ll be worth the effort! Well, seeing as you already know my brother then you should go and say hello – he’s standing over there at the bar.”

“What? Where?” Catriona was not prepared for this. She’d not seen Scott in years and had definitely not been expecting to be ambushed by him at a party that she was only attending in order to meet her friend’s new amour.

“There, wearing the black suit and looking like he’d rather be scrubbing gunk out of my ‘bird’s intakes than spending another moment here… No offence to your party Penny.”

Catriona looked over and immediately felt a familiar tug of attraction in her stomach when she spotted the tall, dark haired man standing across the room, oblivious to her presence. He was surrounded by beautiful young women, all of whom seemed to be intent on bagging themselves a Tracy for the night and all three observers could see that his body language screamed discomfort.

“He looks like he could do with being rescued” observed Penny. “I thought my guests would leave him alone but clearly I was wrong.”

“Don’t worry about it – this happens literally everywhere we go. To be fair he’s usually OK with it but I’m not so sure today.”

“Leave it to me” Catriona announced to everyone’s surprise, including her own. Before anyone had a chance to stop her, she turned on her heel and disappeared into the crowd.

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

Under normal circumstances, Scott may have been tempted by one of the ladies surrounding him but not tonight. He didn’t know why, but he was just not interested despite several being what could ordinarily be classed as his type. Looking for a way out, he spotted Gordon across the room. Catching his eye, he mouthed “help” but his brother only grinned and turned back to his conversation. Scott sighed and filed that away for future retribution. He’d not missed his brother and Penelope looking over at him in surprise a few minutes before as if he was the subject of some discussion but he hadn’t been able to see who the other member of the conversation was and frankly, he wasn’t sure he wanted to know. He was starting to get a headache from the incessant giggling that seemed to be going on around him and he gratefully grabbed another glass of champagne from the bar behind him.

“Thank god I’ve found you! I’ve been looking everywhere! Excuse me, but I need to steal Mr Tracy I’m afraid” Suddenly, a blur of copper and purple appeared out of nowhere, taking a bewildered Scott’s hand and dragging him, bemused but willing, behind a pillar hidden away from everybody on the other side of the room. On their way, Scott had a chance to appreciate the figure-hugging qualities of the dress and the long distinctive hair that he was sure he’d seen once before attached to…

“Cat?? What’s going on?” asked a very bewildered but amused Scott as they came to a halt and his saviour turned around. “And what are you even doing here?”

“You looked like you needed rescued” she explained simply, flushing an endearing red as the first doubts about her actions crept into her mind.

“So, you rescued me?”

“Yup.” Her eyes met his for the first time, their icy blue depths drawing him in and he found he couldn’t look away.

“Usually that’s my line of business…” he commented with a wry smile.

“So I’ve heard, but even the rescuers need saving sometimes…” She had the faintest of smiles on her face as she held his eyes and Scott felt something deep inside him shudder to life in a flash of recognition.

“You have no idea how right you are!” laughed Scott, smiling broadly and pushing the moment aside. “Well, you’ve rescued me. I feel very safe and have been unharmed by my ordeal. So, what were your plans for me now?”

“I have no idea” admitted Catriona with a grin. “Forward planning still isn’t one of my strong points I’m afraid.”

“Well in that case, may I get a drink for my saviour? And then you actually do have to tell me why you’re here.”

“Of course. A drink sounds lovely and honestly, it’s no big secret – I went to ballet school with Penny. Nothing more sinister than that I’m afraid.” she replied, taking the arm that Scott hadn’t even realised he had offered and falling into an easy stride with him.

“Penny used to dance?” Scott stopped in his tracks in surprise, causing Cat to stumble and glare at him.

“Yes! Why is everyone so surprised about that tonight?” Scott heard the frustration in her voice and wisely decided to keep his mouth shut and start walking again as if nothing had ever happened. “Anyway, Gordon said I should speak to you and I thought it might be a good opportunity to help you escape. You looked like you wanted to lobotomise yourself with a spoon there.”

“Oh, how I’ve missed your turn of phrase. But yes, that’s almost exactly what I was considering when you appeared. Do you want to get out of here so we can catch up properly? If I remember rightly there’s a library just down the hall.”

“Sounds perfect. Let’s grab another drink then see what we can find.”

“You read my mind” replied Scott, flashing a brilliant smile which made Cat’s heart flutter dangerously.

In the library, they settled down at a table tucked away in a corner and Scott steeled himself for the thing that he knew he had to do.

“Listen, before we get any further, I owe you a pretty big apology…” he tailed off, not sure how to explain how bad he felt for the way he’d ended their relationship.

“Agreed! I can’t believe that after a year of dating you waited a month after you got deployed and then told me I was just a distraction that you couldn’t afford to have right then!” Cat’s voice was harsh and he felt terrible.

“Oh God, it’s worse than I remember.” Scott mumbled as he dropped his head into his hands momentarily before looking back up and catching her eyes with a look that he hoped conveyed both remorse and sincerity. “I can’t believe I actually said that. I’m so sorry. You have every right to be mad at me forever for that alone.”

“I sure do. But luckily for you I’m not. Not any more anyway.”

“Really?” Scott visibly brightened and Cat had to suppress a chuckle.

“Really” she reassured. “Look, I don’t hold grudges unless it’s something really bad. Yeah, you acted like a total arse but we were young, you were in an actual real-life warzone and it was 7 years ago. Holding onto something like that is just too much effort and I can’t be bothered if I’m honest.”

“So, you’re not going to kick my ass?”

“No Scott, I’m not going to give you the ass kicking you may or may not deserve. Now that’s out the way, what do you say we move on and catch up properly. I hear you’ve turned into somewhat of a real-life hero over the past few years…?”

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

As the evening was winding down, Cat found herself temporarily alone with Penny seeing off her last few guests and the two Tracy boys helping Parker to make sure nobody was left lingering in the gardens. Reflecting on the night, she had to admit that Penny’s choice of Gordon was very well suited. She liked him very much and the feeling seemed to be mutual in the little time they had spent together. The revelation of the night had been Scott however. He had been as charming as she remembered when they had dated and she was uncomfortably aware of how attractive she still found him. The fact that he lived on the other side of the world and had a tremendously dangerous and unpredictable job was definitely more inconvenient than she’d like to admit although the demands of her job didn’t help matters. She batted those thoughts away – there was no point in even considering it.

“So… What happened?” For the second time that night, Penny had managed to take her by surprise, this time jolting her out of a rather ill-advised daydream.

“Well, he apologised for being an idiot and breaking up with me. That was a good start. Then we just spent the rest of the night catching up and he did ask for my number so we can keep in touch from now on. He says he’d like to come and see me dance at some point but if that happens I’ll be very surprised if I’m honest. He came before when we were in Virginia but I think he hated it.”

“I’m glad to hear he apologised at least and that you both had a good night. If he’s serious about wanting to see you dance, I’ve still not allocated my tickets for your show in a few weeks. I wonder if both the boys would like to come…?”

“Would like to come where?” cut in Gordon appearing as if from nowhere with his big brother following close behind.

“To the ballet. Catriona is dancing Giselle 2 weeks tonight and I happen to have spare tickets. Then maybe we could do something together afterwards?”

“Sounds good to me” grinned Gordon. “I’ve never been to the ballet before. What part are you dancing?”

“Giselle… Um, the title role.” Cat elaborated when Gordon looked blankly at her.

“Awesome. It’ll be even more fun if we know the main dancer! You in Scott?”

“Absolutely. Wouldn’t miss it. Send me the details Penny and we’ll make sure we’re there.”

“Are you sure guys? That’s so sweet of you both. It’s one of my favourites so I’m sure you’ll enjoy it.” Catriona was delighted that they had agreed to go so readily but was suddenly hit by a wave of nerves about her performance. Stifling a yawn, she decided it was on the list of things that she could worry about in the morning before admitting to her host that she would need to go and saying her goodbyes to the Tracy boys.

“Wait!” Cat turned around in surprise as Scott jogged up beside her as she waited in the cool night air for her taxi. “I didn’t want you to have to wait alone, or let you leave without telling you how much I’ve enjoyed seeing you again.”

“You already did that didn’t you? When you got my number and promised to message me in the morning?” she laughed.

“OK you caught me. I just wanted to say goodbye without an audience.” Scott admitted, holding out his arms and looking so hopeful that Cat couldn’t help but comply.

“Goodbye Scott” Cat folded herself into his embrace, closing her eyes and enjoying the sensation of his warm body pressing against hers through the thin material of her dress, familiar strong arms around her waist holding her tightly. Pulling back slightly, ice blue and sapphire locked together as their eyes met. Cat didn’t move for a long while – held there by the sheer intensity of his gaze.

“We can’t” she said at length, breaking the moment. “We’ve both had a lot to drink and we’ve only just met each other again.”

Scott lowered his eyes. “I know” he sighed. No matter how much his brain knew that it was the right thing to do, it didn’t stop his heart from sagging in disappointment anyway.

The clung to each other a moment longer, their foreheads resting against each other in a pose that had been so familiar when they were together before she pulled back a little, a grin spreading over her face which experience told him meant trouble.

“And anyway, you’d just be a distraction if we did and I can’t afford to have that right now” she managed to deadpan before collapsing into giggles as Scott raised an eyebrow and tried to desperately to maintain some kind of dignity before her infectious laughter overtook him and they collapsed into each other, holding each other up as they gasped for breath.

Watching her walk away once they had regained some composure, Scott started to realise just how big a mistake he’d made all those years ago.

#thunderbirds are go #thunderbirds fanfiction #Scott Tracy #Gordon Tracy #Penelope Creighton Ward

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iv-kplpt · 4 years

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ravnican interlude 2

a very short (~1k words) scene pertaining to a dnd campaign i have going on with my friends, written because i can’t enjoy anything casually.

“where’s interlude 1″ i only sent it to our dm, because i don’t need my co-players finding out about my character’s secret. so... it’s hidden.

Igni found his way to Krenko’s cell without much trouble.

One of the prison guards owed his friend a favor, and said friend owed Belladonna one for saving his sorry ass; and Igni always knew exactly what to say to make it look like she sent him. It’s not like anyone was brave enough to actually ask her if she’s really letting him cash in a favor someone owed her; everyone knew they’re buddies.

So, all it took for Igni to pay Krenko a visit was talking to a few people. And then waiting. And then paying them a visit, to remind them of their last conversation.

(Some people thought him to be patient. Those people never made that mistake again.)

(Unless, of course, they were his honey bee.)

“Krenko! You’ve got a visitor.” the prison guard said, opening the door to Krenko’s cell. “You have five minutes, Rakdos trash. Make it quick.”

Without a word, Igni handed the guard a coin purse; the guard cleared his throat, putting it into his pocket.

“You have ten minutes, Rakdos trash.” he said in the same exact tone. “Make it quick.”

“I will.” Igni said, taking his hood off. “Now leave us.”

“And who the blasted hell are you?” Krenko - short, ugly (even for a goblin), green skinned and covered in scars - asked. “If you’re ‘ere to intimidate me-”

“I’m not here to intimidate you, you slimy shitstain.” Igni interrupted him flatly. “I’m here to deliver a message.”

Krenko let out an ugly snicker that sounded like a sound an orcish infant would make when seated on a white-hot shattered glass.

“That’s jus’ a nice way of saying intimidate, friend.” he said. “But alright. Humor me. What message do you have to deliver?”

“A very, very simple one. Serah Beatrizia Catriona Sokolov-Petrovski sends her regards.” he said, watching the goblin closely. “And advises against any further attempts at intimidating judge Petrovski. Also… Goris is dead. Allegedly, he died screaming.”

(“I kissed him on the cheek, I whispered into his ear… And I pushed a dagger through his heart when what I said finally sank in. Oh, he was a screamer.” “You kissed him?” “Oh, Igni, you know me. I just can’t help myself around half orc men… Don’t worry though. He never had a chance with me anyway.”)

Krenko fell silent for a long while.

“I should’ve known better.” he said finally; and Igni couldn’t help but smirk at the sound of barely concealed fury in the goblin’s voice. “That fucking bitch.”

“Allegedly, Goris also made the mistake of calling her that. Didn’t end well for him.”

“So it was her.” Krenko muttered under his breath. “Fucking cunt. Oh, I’ll get her. And when I do… She’s gonna regret everything.”

“You’re not going to get her though. Remember? Your bargaining chip in the war of wits with her father, your judge, killed your second in command… And got away.” Igni pointed out. “So, to reiterate the original message… You’re fucked.”

“We’ll see.” Krenko muttered, seemingly more to himself, than to Igni. “I have money. I have men. I’ll get out… And I’ll get her. And I’ll get her good. Her and those freaks who got me into this shitpot in the first place.”

“Undoubtedly.” Igni said, pretending to be fixing his coat; but he only did so to make Krenko look at his hand - or rather the ring he was wearing.

“Well, well, well.” the goblin muttered. “I’ll be damned. You’re the Ogilvy boy. Would-be Ravnica’s best and brightest… Turned Senate’s errand boy and a piece of Rakdos trash.”

“That’s me.” Ignatius confirmed, slightly straightening his back and puffing up his chest. “Though I wouldn’t exactly call myself Senate’s errand boy. The judge’s daughter pays well for favors… And after all, I am but a piece of Rakdos trash. Can’t say no to money. Also can’t say no to the daughter of a Senate judge.”

“Heh.” Krenko muttered under his breath. “S’funny. Bet we can help each other, boy. I can give you whoever ruined your ma’ and pa’... And you, you can give me that Petrovski bitch.” Oooh, he’s getting frantic. Nice. “I’m afraid I must refuse.” Igni said with a polite nod. “You see, mister Krenko… I don’t fancy ending up same way Goris did - screaming. Stabbed right through the heart by a girl he was supposed to kidnap.”

Just when he turned around - Krenko began to scream.

Ignatius smirked, knocking at the cell door; all Krenko could do was scream - the powerful spell put on the whole prison complex completely prevented the prisoners from physically assaulting anyone. They could still talk back, or scream - but they never posed any threat.

Krenko’s piercing screams echoed through the entire max security wing, masking Igni’s footsteps; but the warlock couldn’t care less. He simply pulled the hood of his coat over his head - and vanished into the night.

(“So… How did it go?” “Splendid, honey bee, absolutely splendid. I pissed him off beyond comprehension. As soon as he gets out - because let’s be honest, honey bee, he is going to get out, not even Isperia herself can change that - he’s going to hunt me and the judge’s daughter down.” “You sound… Giddy.” “What can I say? I love a good game of cat and mouse. It’s not my fault Krenko’s a fool who doesn’t realize his prey has awfully sharp teeth.” “I love it when you get all mischievous and smart.” “What can I say? I was made to be loved. C’mere. Give me some of that well-earned adoration.” Bee giggled as he pulled her closer; they vanished into the night, without a trace, without a care.)

#dnd #oc

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the-beastslayers-queen · 5 years

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A Dangerous Game: Chapter 1

So this is my new story I’ve been working on. Tagging: @queenofthearchitect @biforbecky2belts @writtingrose @mrsambroserollinsacklesmgk and if anyone else wishes to be tagged for this beauty, hit my inbox.

“Cat,” I heard my brother call me from downstairs at the entryway to my studio loft apartment, “We’re going to be late if ye don’t hurry yer arse up!”

“You can’t rush perfection, Finn,” I shouted back, “Besides, this is my party and I can be late if I want to be, damn it.”

I smirked as I heard him groan at knowing I was right. I made sure I had everything I needed. Lipstick? Check. Hair ties? Check. Phone? Check. Ipad? Check. Side piece? Of course check.

See the thing with my life is that I am the second-in-command of my brother’s gang, Bálor Club. Brother’s real name is Fergal Devitt and I’m Catriona Devitt. But we go by Finn and Cat (And only a select few call me Catie) Bálor. We do it to keep our illicit activities from getting back to our parents. Now a key thing to note is that Finn and I aren’t blood related. I was adopted when I was just a baby, but I don’t have an Irish accent anymore since I was sent to the US for middle school through college because my birth mother’s brother, my uncle, had asked if he could be involved in my life and help get a really good education. So I went to an elite, all-girls boarding school and then went to the Michigan State University for a major in criminal psychology and a minor accounting. It was while I was at school I also dabbled in computers and coding, becoming a hacker and a computer builder as a hobby and to make some extra cash on the side. I’m like a genius.

So when I returned home to Bray, Finn had told me he was the leader of a gang and that he was heading to Orlando to get things started there, I followed him whole-heartedly. I was going to watch his back and help keep his books for him. Plus with my major I knew how to out think the cops.

Since I was put in charge of the money for our gang, I kept my iPad with me at all times. I had the program on there that I designed myself that can hack into any bank account I needed to and I could syphon funds or if I needed to make someone disappear, I could do so with a few keystrokes and I leave no digital evidence behind in the systems I crack. I designed my program to delete itself entirely from any server it gets placed into.

But with any gang, there tends to be competition. Bálor Club has two main competitors. The biggest threat to us is Clan McIntyre. They’re led by Drew McIntyre, his second-in-command Baron Corbin, and his sergeant-at-arms Dolph Ziggler. But another threat that can’t be ignored is The Authority. They were very well established when we first arrived in Orlando, but were willing to help us get started since they were at odds with the Straight-Edge Society and the Corre at the time and we helped them run those two out of town. The Authority even split the assets left behind by the two gangs as a token of peace between us.

But we’re now on shaky ground due to my soon-to-be announced engagement tonight at my party. Clan McIntyre and The Authority do not see eye-to-eye with each other and for us to be aligning with them through my marriage to McIntyre himself, it makes it very fragile with the dealings between us and The Authority. So Finn is going to be having some key members of The Authority at the party to work on a way to keep the peace between all of us. More than likely Finn is going to try to offer himself up to one of The Authority’s daughters, Bayley, in order to satisfy all parties.

All I knew is that this was too much politics for a hacker to keep track of so I left that with Finn. I just handled the money and the digital traces of our organization, maybe running a couple of the legit businesses if I was bored enough. But for the most part I left the politicking to Finn since he was so good at it. He was the one that arranged my marriage and he was going to put his silver tongue to the test tonight.

Once I was satisfied with my appearance and having all the contents in my purse accounted for, I descended down the stairs from my bedroom to my brother as he stood in the doorway waiting for me. I embraced my brother, enjoying his softer side he only showed to me when we were alone or around our parents, and led the way out of my apartment to head to our most popular business and the venue for my party, The Bullet Club.

When we arrived to Bullet Club, the party was in full swing. I saw my two closest friends and my personal bodyguards when I have to conduct Club business, Gallows and Anderson waiting for us at the club entrance. I ran up to the two men and embraced them both.

“How are my good brothers tonight,” I asked them, “Any good marks for me to con out of a couple drinks?”

“And what would your new fiancé have to say about that, Catie,” Anderson asked with a smile, “I’ll keep an eye out, like a good wingman, and find you an easy sucker to buy you all the drinks you could want.”

“Anderson,” Finn scolded him, “I would like to keep her from getting completely wasted in front of McIntyre tonight. So please, for the sake of our good friendship, don’t get her any marks tonight.”

“Kill joy,” I grumbled as I crossed my arms across my chest with a huff.

“You’ll thank me later for this, Catie,” Finn kissed my cheek, “I’m going to go find McIntyre and have him come see you in our office above the DJ booth. Then I’m going to conduct business with Hunter in the VIP section. Behave, Cat, there’s a lot riding on your first impression with Drew and his clan.”

“Alright I’ll play nice,” I threw my hands up in surrender, “But only for you, deartháir mór.”

I walked off with Gallows and Anderson in tow, making my way up to the office above the club. As I cut through the crowd, I ended up getting bumped into by a man with long dark hair and a small patch of it bleached blond. I locked eyes with him and lost my train of thought in his dark dreamy eyes. I mean he was quite a bit taller than me, maybe 6’1”, and he was fairly lean. He was just so damn attractive.

“Sorry,” he apologized as he recovered his balance, “I didn’t see you behind me. I’m Seth.”

“Catriona,” I replied as I held my hand out to him, “You can call me Cat, Seth.”

Seth smiled softly towards me and shook my hand. Once his hand touched mine I felt something like a spark of electricity. Now I was intrigued by him. But like Finn said, I had business to attend to first.

“Can I buy you a drink, Cat,” he asked as he looked to my guards.

“I actually have some business to attend to,” I replied, “But when I finish, I might have to take you up on your offer.”

I left Seth on the dance floor and continued on my way up to the office. Once I arrived, I took off my coat and hung it up on the coat rack by the door before I sauntered over to the big desk that sat in front of the large window that looked out over the dancefloor, and plopped down in the giant chair before I spun it around to look out over the dancefloor. I spotted Seth dancing with four girls and two other guys. I wished I was down on that dancefloor with him, but I had to put what I want aside for the sake of my brother and our club and get prepared to meet my fiancé tonight.

I heard the door open and turned around in the chair to find Finn walking in with a giant of a man with dark hair pulled back from his face and a thick, closely trimmed beard. He was smartly dressed, wearing a nicely tailored suit that did not end up hiding his impressive physique. I was enjoying the sight of this attractive man in front of me.

“Drew, this is my sister and right hand woman,” Finn introduced me as I kicked my feet up onto the desk, “This is Catriona Bálor.”

“It’s a pleasure to finally meet ya, lass,” Drew bowed his head to me, “Your brother hear has told me a lot about ye. But if you grew up together, where’s yer Irish accent.”

“I lost it,” I replied, “Since I spent my teenage years here in the States in a small town in the mid-west. It comes out only when I force it or if I’m speaking Gaelic. Otherwise, I blend in like I grew up here all along.”

“Anyway,” Finn stepped to stand between me and Drew, “Now that you’ve met, do you want to go arrange the wedding or going through a courtship first before we seal the deal.”

“I would like to enjoy an engagement with your sister,” Drew replied, “We can have a long engagement to let her get to know me and get familiar with my operation. I do not wish to make her marry me as a stranger and be forced to remain with me. Even if she wishes not to marry me, I’m sure we can still remain allies out of respect. If I see reason to break the whole alliance off, I will inform you first before I take you to war, Bálor.”

“Does that work for you, deirfiúr beag,” Finn asked me.

“Yeah that will work,” I agreed, “Am I free to go? I’d like to go get drinks and dance for a while.”

“Of course,” Drew answered before Finn could, “I will go out tomorrow to find the perfect ring for you, but for tonight I want to talk business with your brother.”

I booked it out of the office and ran into Gallows and Anderson. I knew they would end up following me down to the dancefloor, drawing attention to me. I wanted to go down to find Seth again and take him up on that drink. I didn’t like how cocky Drew came off with me, sure he was attractive as hell, but I did not want to marry him. He came off like a guy that would be controlling and dominate in the relationship. What I wanted was a man that could be in charge, but knew when to let off and let me be in charge. Drew did not seem like that kind of man.

“I’m going to the dancefloor,” I shared glances between Gallows and Anderson.

“And you want us to stay guard Finn over following you,” Gallows finished my sentence for me.

“Consider it done,” Anderson added, “We know you want to keep your low profile to go see that Seth guy. Just be careful. If you pursue him, you’ll be playing with fire.”

“I know what I’m doing,” I reassured him, “I did this when I was dating Pete.”

“Yeah and how did that end up working out for you,” Gallows perked his eyebrows at me.

“So Pete and I ended up splitting,” I replied, “And he got a tongue lashing from Finn for even trying to date me. I promise I’ll be careful. I’ll see you tomorrow at the Devlin pub to meet with Jordan to go over the books.”

I took my leave and made my way to the DJ booth to make a few requests and passed the DJ a $100 dollar bill tip so I got my requests first before I made my way to the dancefloor. As my first song came on, I swayed my hips to the beat of the track, letting the music take control of every fiber of my body and getting lost in the crowd for a moment.

As I danced, I felt a pair of hands grab my hips. I looked up over my shoulder to find Seth there. I smirked at the fact that he ended up finding me instead of me finding him in the crowd.

“Is your business done,” he asked as he pressed his body into my back, “Because if you’re still interested in that drink, I’m still willing to pay up.”

“A drink sounds great,” I replied, “Lead the way to the bar, handsome.”

Seth took my hand and guided me between the bodies dancing around us. Once we got to the bar, it was much easier to talk and hear each other. I love being at the club, since I loved to dance. But on the other hand, I do like intimacy and bars, like our dive bar in the rougher part of Orlando, The Coup De Grace. It was the one business I enjoyed running for my brother since the regulars were nice and the people we have working there were the best.

“Now that we can really talk,” Seth started once he had our drinks ordered with the bartender, “I have to ask, what kind of ‘business’ did you have to attend to?”

“Well the party here at the club is in my honor,” I replied, “I’m supposed to be getting engaged.”

“Oh shit,” he recoiled from me a little, “Maybe buying you a drink isn’t the best idea.”

“Hey,” I grabbed hold of his hand, “The fiancé hasn’t put a ring on my finger yet. I only just met him tonight. Let me have tonight with you and if things go south with him and this whole arranged marriage, I need a booty call.”

“Oh so I’m a booty call,” he smirked, “Sweetheart, you won’t be able to keep me as just a booty call.”

“Someone’s cocky,” I smirked as the bartender handed us our drinks.

“Confidence is more the term I prefer,” he replied with a smug smirk on his face, “Maybe after a couple drinks I could take you to my apartment and really have fun.”

“Yeah keep dreaming pretty boy,” I replied with a sarcastic laugh, “I’m letting you buy me drinks for now. If you’re lucky and I like after a couple rounds, we’ll see about going back to your place.”

“Yo Rollins,” Seth and I both perked at the sound of a man coming over to the bar. This guys was huge compared to Seth. His black hair was pulled back in a neat bun and his goatee was crisp and cleanly shaved. He wore just a simple t-shirt and jeans, the shirt exposed this intricate Samoan tattoo on his right arm, which meant this guy was Samoan. He was followed by a guy with somewhat shaggy strawberry blond hair that hung his face and he was clean shaven and wore a white t-shirt, a leather jacket, dark blue jeans, and a pair of black boots.

“Hey brother,” the blond greeted Seth, “Dad is meeting with Bálor right now to look into making arrangements between him and Bayley. He told us to get you so we can join the meeting. Oh who’s this lovely lady?”

“This is Cat,” Seth replied, “Looks like I have business to attend to. I’ll handle the tab for this round. I’ll have to get another round with you some other time.”

Before Seth left he got out a pen and wrote on a napkin and handed it to me. As he left I looked down at the napkin to find his name and phone number written on it. I smiled and looked up to watch him disappear into the crowd.

#seth rollins x oc #seth rollins fic #seth rollins fanfic #seth rollins fanfiction #wwe fic #wwe fanfic #wwe fanfiction

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thewholekeg · 4 years

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And just for funsies, I decided to write a little companion piece to cap off my Inktober as well!

-----

“... Could still be some debris, so you might have to jimmy it a little the first few times. These older locks have more wiggle room though. How long did you have those keys?”

“Hmm?” She blinked, as if just remembering the locksmith was there. “Oh... ten, maybe twelve years? Probably old than that though.”

“For sure,” the locksmith said. “Anyways, you shouldn’t have to worry about the new keys breaking any time soon unless you’re doing something stupid with them. It’s good to keep something to deal with ice when it happens, though.”

“Right,” she said. “I’ve got a spare pick I can drop in the bed. Thanks for this.”

The locksmith just laughed. “Thank my nephew,” he said. “Normally wouldn’t even be out of bed this early.”

She smiled wryly. “You and me both,” she said. “Not gonna complain about someone fixing my truck for free just because of the hours, though.” She rubbed her nose. “Nice to see the sunrise now and then too.”

“Good air for it out here,” the locksmith said, nodding to the horizon. “Anyways, I’m gonna head back. You have any problems with it, you come see me in the city, yeah?”

The locksmith reached into his coat and pulled out a card, which she took. “Sure,” she said.

The locksmith gave her one last nod before he headed back to his car, muttering something about coffee.

She breathed out slowly, leaning against the truck’s hood as she worked the new key onto her ring. The hood was cold, pebbled with ice from the freezing rain the night before, but she didn’t mind.

Well, no, that was a lie. She did mind, but the old leather seats would probably be just as bad, so getting used to it early wouldn’t kill her. She slipped her keys back into her pocket and looked up at the sunrise.

It was pretty nice, all things considered. Even when she could drag herself out of bed in time, it was hard to really see the sunrise in the city over the skyline.

“It’s good to get out of the city sometimes, even if you already live on the edge of it.”

She snapped back to reality and realized that the Locksmith’s nephew was standing beside her. “Ah, yeah,” she said. She hesitated for a moment, staring at him, and added, “...Thanks for all this. And, uh, for the ride last night.”

“Aw, it’s nothin’,” he said. “I couldn’t just leave someone sitting out in the freezing rain.”

“Seems like nobody else shared the sentiment,” she said.

He laughed. “Well, they probably just didn’t want to be the crazy who creeps you out by telling you to get in their car in the middle of the night,” he said. He ran his fingers through his hair. “I uh... tend to forget about that kind of stuff, so I get to be the nice guy.”

“Well, I wouldn’t have taken the ride if I thought you were that creepy,” she said. She pantomimed a few punches. “Or I didn’t think I could take you.”

He laughed again. “You’re probably right, I’m not as tough as I look. Still... sorry if I did. Creep you out, I mean. You looked kinda anxious and all...”

She shrugged. “I just look like that,” she said.

She paused. What was it? Something in the way he held his shoulders? Something about his jaw? Was she really so shallow that just his chest reminded her? But his eyes were different.

“At least... my first boyfriend told me I did,” she said. “He used to say I looked like I had to solve world hunger. Used to tell me I scowled like a man...

“He used to tell me I was lucky I still looked good even though I worried so much. Tell me I was lucky that he liked ‘rough’ girls. Big girls. Used to tell me I was lucky I had him, because anyone else...”

She turned away from the locksmith’s nephew, and back to the sunrise. “And then he died. Got in a car crash going home from a party. He hadn’t even been drinking or doing anything stupid, just got t-boned by a trucker who’d been on the road for forty hours.

“And you know, at the funeral everyone was saying how bad they felt for me, how awful and heartbroken I must feel... and I did feel awful, but only because... what I really felt was relieved.”

Vaguely, she was aware of how he was staring at her. Vaguely, she knew she should probably stop. Wave it off, apologize, cut and run... but she didn’t. She was too tired.

“Every moment I’d spent with him felt like a fight. Not like a screaming match, but like... a tug of war. Like I had to pull against him just to keep from getting dragged somewhere. We were only in highschool, he could never really do anything, but...”

She sighed. “Well, I guess he did more than I realized. Got his hooks in me. Every time I met a guy I’d brace myself for the inevitable. I’d push back against even the slightest comment, get mad over any little thing, or... well, sometimes I wouldn’t even wait. Sometimes I’d start swinging first, just so they couldn’t.” She shrugged. “Because that’s what I thought relationships were supposed to be. It took me almost ten years to even realize he’d just been abusive.”

The crawled more and more over the horizon. The creeping, finger-bone shadows of the birch trees gradually receded to something pleasant in the early mist. For a few moment she could have sworn she was in a postcard.

“I’m sorry,” she said. “I know I probably shouldn’t unload like that. I just...”

“I get it,” he said. “You never have to see me again if you don’t want to. I’m the person you can tell anything.”

She shook her head. “I just want to tell someone, something,” she said. “I was so convinced that everything had to be a fight that I just wound up pushing people away... I live in Grandparent City, and even if I didn’t I inherited the house. I just don’t... I guess I just wanted to make a connection with someone.” She shrugged. “Skip the part I always fuck up on, I guess.”

He was quiet for a moment. “If it helps, my first boyfriend sucked too,” he said.

She blinked. “You’re...”

“Bi,” he said. “My first boyfriend--not my first relationship--he had ideas about what a guy like me... was supposed to like.” He laughed. “I guess most people probably do? But he got upset when I wanted to, uh...”

He gestured vaguely. She laughed. “Bottom,” she said. “I’m a big girl, you know. All grown up. I know things.”

He chuckled. “Anyways, he ditched me to go and get a ‘real man’.”

“Kind of hypocritical,” she said.

He shrugged and rubbed his neck. “The heart wants what it wants?” he laughed. “Anyways, it... I know it’s not the same at all, just...”

“It’s control,” she said.

“Yeah,” he said. “You didn’t deserve it.”

“Neither did you,” she said. “Nobody does.”

The sun had risen fully, and the colour of day had taken the sky. Only the barest hint of pink still dragged its feet along the horizon.

“You wanna get lunch some time?” he asked.

She thought about it for a while. “Look,” she said. “I... know I said call me and all last night, but I don’t know if I’m ready for a ‘real’ relationship just yet...”

“It doesn’t have to be,” he said. “It could just be lunch. We could talk. Just... friends.”

“And if its something more?” she asked wryly.

“Then we talk about that, then,” he said. “But friends is fine too. I... don’t have many either.”

She stared at him for a while. He looked back patiently.

That’s what it was. patience. No matter what he was doing, he always looked patient.

“... Okay,” she said. “I think I’d like that. I’m busy today, but... Thursday?”

“Sure,” he said. “I have a furniture shop, on the same block as my uncle’s shop, you’ll know it when you see it. All wood stuff.”

“Lunch, and a new bedside table,” she laughed. “Sounds like a pretty good deal.” She hauled herself up off the hood, tearing her butt free where it had frozen. “I’ll see you then?”

“I’ll keep an eye open,” he said.

She nodded and turned to walk around the driver’s side, but remembered herself. She turned back and offered her hand. “Catriona, by the way,” she said. “Cait.”

He laughed, but he accepted the handshake just the same. “Theo,” he said.

#writing

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iamwhelmed · 5 years

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Win One, Have Two: Chapter 13

Okay, it has been 9 long months and I haven’t updated. For that, oh my god I am so, so sorry. I knew I was feeling uninspired but that’s really no excuse! It’s okay, it’s summer now, so I can focus a little more on writing. Hopefully you guys still have interest ^^’ Anyway,

Here it is on AO3

It'd taken them the better half of thirty minutes to collect what they'd need for what Miss Rose was referring to, for the moment, as a "field trip"- no parental release forms necessary because, as she'd made abundantly clear, "I am the only adult you need to be worried about". Except for Crawford, who spent the fifteen minutes it took everyone else to get ready standing outside smoking a cigar with an unbothered look on his face. Clara was the first of the three students done, and waited next to Crawford with her messenger bag full of supplies slung over her shoulders. She looked to him, and he lazily glanced at her from the side.

"You know smoking is horrible for your lungs, right?"

"If anything's gonna take me out 'for my livin' does, I'm gonna die a happy man knowin' it was my vice."

Clara's lips pursed into a straight line.

The front door creaked open; Hardy stepped out first, unzipping his backpack to slip the dagger through its army green folds. Isaac was right behind him, arching an eyebrow at the very functioning door that he, quite frankly, was surprised was still on its hinges after last night. He frowned and grabbed Hardy's wrist, twisting it around to look at his watch. Hardy remained unbothered, trapping his bag between his legs as he used his other hand to close the zipper the rest of the way, concealing the dagger safe and sound in a multitude of pockets. Isaac huffed through his nose- 5am. Correction, then; the attack happened *earlier this morning. Adrenaline and the primal need to not get his head torn clean off of his shoulders had kept his sleep-addled brain at bay, but now that it had time to process that the world had settled again, it was urging him to rest.

There was a hand at his shoulder. Isaac jumped, but he saw the streak of purple in raven hair and found the nerves of his brain settling. It was just Miss Rose. She caught his gaze and gave him a small smile, soft, though he could tell she was strung a little higher than usual. She brushed by him and turned only to lock the door behind her. "Is everyone ready to go?"

"Yeah," Isaac watched as Hardy slipped his bag onto his shoulders. "So, how exactly are we planning on finding our friendly neighborhood home invaders?"

Rose smiled, this time more like she usually did, bright and reassuring. "Same way I look for spectral artifacts! I let Magnus lead the way!"

Isaac raised an eyebrow, and god help him, he swore the top half of his face was going to get stuck that way someday. "Magnus?"

Crawford took another puff, rounding his lips so that the smoke took on a circular shape. Miss Rose waved it away and gave him a look- the kind wives give their husbands over shoes left at the front door- and he grimaced, but dropped the cigar and put it out with his heel anyway. "Well, don't keep 'em waitin', Rose." Clara moved closer to Isaac and Hardy, eager to get a look. Isaac glanced at her and Hardy, and the looks of curiosity so plainly painting their crinkled noses and furrowed brows. Must be new to them, too.

Rose rolled her shoulders in a semi-committal, but ultimately nonchalant shrug. "Yeah, yeah. I'm just not looking forward to the lecture I'm gonna get." She reached into her back pocket and procured what appeared to be a compass. Small, silver, sat perfectly in the palm of her hand, like it was sculpted especially for her. Her eyes fluttered shut, and Isaac could tell from the small rim of purple aflame under her eyelashes that she'd connected with her spirit.

"What is it this time, Mari?"

Rose opened her eyes, finding beady black staring into the abyss that was her soul- or, rather… maybe staring into the abyss that was her curious nature. It made her good at artifact hunting, maybe not the best spectral partner, though. "Okay, okay. I deserve that. But it's important this time!"

Magnus turned and flew a few feet away, back of his body (a long eel-like tail covered in fur) brushing vaguely against her nose. He looked a lot like a basset hound, one that a particularly squealing-prone Sherlock Holmes fan had dressed in a deerstalker and matching coat for a cute scrapbook. She remembered meeting him the first time, back when she was still greener to the spectral world.

Before she knew that spirits were typically averse to hugs and scritches, no matter how much they looked like a good boy.

Magnus huffed from his throat, gave her a look that only an elderly butler with far too much experience and Magnus himself could level her with. The expectant kind. The kind that dared her to make her case. "So you're admitting you were using me for fun before?"

She abided. "Well no, that stuff was important too, but this is…"

Magnus sighed, the sign he gave her, every single time, to signal he was acquiesce. "What do you need?"

Right, down to business, then. She sobered and stripped her hand of her black glove, holding it out for Magnus to sniff. "There should be a saliva sample on this glove. Can you track it for me?"

He hovered closer, inching his wet nose toward the glove. He sniffed once, then twice, and nodded. He registered the smell, compared it to the large database of scents and stenches he'd picked up on in his near-infinite lifetime. She watched him in silence, but took the moment to slip her glove back on. If she knew Magnus, which she did, then he'd give her a destination, maybe a word for warning. He took a few moments, then did something she hadn't seen him do before. He paused. "This could lead you into Consortium territory, you know…"

"What?" She would have hid the trepidation in her voice, but Magnus had known her too many years for her to play anything cool ever, not that she ever got it by him before. She had a feeling he was a little more a detective than he'd like to admit. Magnus glanced at her with droopy eyes, big ears flopping as he floated in place, like there was an undercurrent breeze that blew from below. "Why?"

"The scent you're handing me matches somebody long lost to the Consortium, I'm afraid. One Catriona Barrett." Rose glanced down at her hand, squeezed her fist around the glove that still had traces of saliva on it. "Disappeared after the Consortium eliminated her lover, which I'm sure you know was a spirit by the name of Emmerich."

"That doesn't make sense. The dagger is perfectly capable of killing humans, but it's just as capable of killing spirits. What would she want with it?"

"A conundrum not meant for me to solve, I'm afraid." Magnus hummed floated away from her, cracking only an eye open to glance at her. He must have seen her frown, because he sighed and momentarily moved closer to her, moved around her in a circle so that his tail could brush up against her cheek and make her nose wiggle. "We were lucky that the dagger was within Cousinhood territory, but you know I'll be leading you-"

"- All over god's creation. Yeah, I know." She smiled his way, gave him a scratch under his chin either to calm herself down or to annoy Magnus. She had no plans to ponder which it was. He glared at her, unamused as always, as he faded from her sight. "I'm afraid that's a risk we're going to have to take."

The compass hovered in mid-air, faintly radiating with the same purple that surrounded herself and Magnus. As the last of Magnus's spirit world faded from view, the compass itself pulsed, like a heartbeat. She held out her hand and waited for it to fall into her palm, cold detailed silver against the fabric of her glove. The pulsing became faster, a more constant stream of vibration until it was buzzing in her hand, meaning Magnus had decided precisely what direction to go in. She nodded south and said "Let's go."

Clara, Hardy, and Isaac glanced to Crawford, who only tipped his hat as confirmation before following closely behind Rose. Hardy exhaled, shoulders slouching as air deflated him like an old balloon. "This should be fun…"

He trudged after Rose and Crawford, Isaac and Clara close behind.

She walked beside Isaac, but he felt her eyes watching him as though they were on his back. He tensed up. "You know, if we pass your hometown…"

He grimaced. "I wouldn't say a word."

He hurried hurried to catch up with Hardy, ignoring the set of eyes that were now definitely watching his retreating frame.

Sewing, as any 18th century woman would tell you, is the cornerstone of femininity. Women practiced the art often, and with the persistence of anybody who had to live their entire life without video games or sports. Sewing also, as any of these 18th century woman would tell you, is a real pain.

Isabel pricked herself for the third- or fourth- time, tried once more to stitch the two pieces of cloth together, and instead decided she'd had quite enough of whatever purgatory she'd found herself stuck in. Sleeping Beauty only had to get pricked ONCE to fall asleep, she'd say that she more than earned a nap. "This is so-!" She flicked her tired wrist around, trying to find the right word. How to best describe the ludicrousness of her current task without lowballing her grievances or insulting her teacher. Ah, yes. That's the right word. "Stupid! This is so stupid! How is sitting here sewing going to save anyone?"

Dimitri glanced up from his sewing job, cool eyebrow raised. Zarei, too, glanced up from her task, reading a book which, comparatively, was a favorable task to whatever this nonsense was. Zarei herself looked bored, but not surprised. She'd most likely been anticipating Isabel's outburst, as was customary once every class. Not every period, no, every class that Isabel had to be subjected to some of the most boring, menial tasks she'd ever had to do for a grade. Zarei's class. "Isabel," Zarei started, and she could already hear the routine disinterest. "In a life or death situation, you may have to temporarily sew and dress or cauterize a wound." She adjusted her glasses and mumbled, in equal irritation, "they wouldn't let me have fire in the classroom, so this will have to do."

"This is a waste of our time!"

Dimitri, as chill as always, lifted one hand, a motion he seemed to carry out every time she had these routine outbursts, as though she was a wild spirit and needed to be tamed and reined in. "Isabel-"

"No! I'm sick of this! The traitor who released those monsters is still out there and we have no idea who they are or what they want!"

Zarei seemed unperturbed, though she shut her book with one snap and set it off to the side of her desk. "Isabel-"

"What are we sitting here sewing for? We're just wasting time-!"

"Isabel!"

She choked, instinctually stepping back as Zarei's hands slammed upon the instructor's desk. This… this was not part of the routine, but she supposed her outburst had been more emotionally-charged than her others had been. Zarei usually took her complaints in stride, even snarked about setting up a suggestions box for Isabel to leave comments in (that way she could dispose of them easier). This time, though, Zarei looked her dead in the eye, unblinking, unmoving. Isabel looked to her left where Dimitri sat at his desk, found his hand still raised cautiously, though it'd moved some to avoid her flaring aura.

Fine.

She growled to herself, sliding back down into her seat, but unwilling to continue stitching. Instead she glared at the two bits of cloth and used the needle to take small jabs at her desk. Zarei wouldn't say anything, would probably just be happy she wasn't complaining. She'd just have to deal with her restlessly squirming in her seat until class was over in another handful of minutes. God, she hoped Max was having a better time.

The gym was larger than the auditorium their Training 101 class typically monopolized. Once the bell had rung and all the class had been seated, when Spender announced that they'd all be transferring to the gym for the day, Max had almost felt the collective sigh of relief that hung like the usual unease in the atmosphere. He glanced at Collin, who had taken to walking the very thin line between the waking world and the unconscious one with his chin rested in his hand, eyes slowly inching shut before they popped open again after a restless three seconds of shut-eye. Johnny sat at his other side, practically bouncing up and down in his seat. Probably the least claustrophobic the psychopath has felt in weeks.

Spender stood at the bottom of the bleachers, raising his hands in a sad attempt to get his large, voluble class to more of a hushed whisper. Because Spender was a quiet man naturally, and passive normally, his voice was lost in the sea of early-morning chit-chat, the kind that was kept in-check by smaller class periods. Max watched with varying degrees of amusement as Spender circulated through every trick in the book to get a bunch of confused, aggravated, loquacious middle-schoolers to shut their overused traps. He first tried to clear his throat. When that didn't work, he tried to drop his teacher's guidebook on the gym floor- when that was stifled and dulled in the vastness of the gym walls, he resorted to yelling at the top of his lungs. That still didn't work, and Max could see the man struggling to figure out how else to reign in a hundred or so students. His calloused hands were clawing at his face, eyes visibly heavy with exhaustion, even behind his shades. When all hope seemed to be lost, Coach Oop set one heavy hand on Spender's shoulder, gave him a pitying look, and got the attention of every student the way only a gym coach knew how- screaming and just being louder than the normal teacher.

Chatter seemed to fade almost instantly, and Spender shot Coach Oop a grateful look.

He cleared his throat as Oop retreated to his office. "Class, today we are going to begin working the physical aspects of your new abilities, rather than your minds." Max could practically feel Johnny vibrating in the seat next to him. He shot the red-head an eye that he ignored entirely. "Now, I've always been more focused on the intellectual end of training-"

"Couldn't tell!"

Spender picked Max out in the crowd immediately, glared at him, and received nothing but a grin in response. "... So I've asked an old master of mine to stand in for me." An elderly man stepped forward, huge and terrifying for being gray in the face. "This is Master Guerra. Say hello, class."

"Hello, Master Guerra…." Roughly a quarter of the class even bothered, and those that did were unenthusiastic at best and downright resentful at worst, clearly not knowing what was ahead of them. Max swallowed hard; he'd heard stories from Ed about Isabel's grandfather, stories that Isabel had commented "didn't even graze the bottom" of just how tough Master Guerra could be. And that was on his granddaughter… what would he be like with kids he had no attachment to? Max felt his spine shiver preemptively at the possibilities. Collin leaned over, now much more awake than he had been two minutes prior, and whispered.

"Hey, is that Isabel's dad or something?"

Max cupped a hand over one side of his mouth so Collin could hear him better. "Grandpa, actually. And probably the embodiment of abuse of power…"

Master Guerra's eyes roamed the crowd, but there was something about his gaze that felt like he was simultaneously singling out every single child in the bleachers. Max had the crazy theory that it was because he was, in actuality, seeing every one of them, judging them, assessing them, what they could do. He clearly didn't like what he was seeing, because he took a step forward and his eyes were no less calculating. "Spineless, each and every one of you. Hardly spectrals, hardly able at all. If you want to be worth anything, you will do as I say, and you will do it the first time!"

The class, silent before, fell deathly mute.

Spender stepped forward, chuckling with a nervous edge as he set one unsure hand on Guerra's shoulder- er, tried to. He decided against it last moment. "Master, these children still hardly understand the concept of tools, perhaps you should tone it down just a little-?"

"You asked for my help. This is what you receive."

"Ah."

Isaac cringed. The little cabin he'd taken shelter in was just as creepy and run-down as when he'd last seen it. Creepier, in fact, now that he'd bled all over its floors.

Crawford stopped at the front door and puffed on the last bit of his cigar. Rose passed him by and reached for the handle, eyes on the compass in her hand. "Should I do it?"

Rose shook her head. "Don't waste the energy yet, Crawford. We know the story here pretty well already." She pressed the door open with a sickeningly loud creak, a sound that made Isaac shudder. "Catriona left this place in a hurry in the dead of night. If we want Magnus to keep her scent, we've gotta find something that will lead us to where she went next."

The group pushed on. Crawford went first, one arm protectively extended in front of Rose, other hand cocked with one of his guns. Rose glanced around, looking for anything that may emit a trace of Catriona's aura, careful to let Crawford open doors. The place should have been abandoned, but the odds of Consortium pawns and antagonistic spirits were a possibility she was unwilling to overlook. Clara clung to one of Hardy's sleeves. They were switching off who was looking out in which direction, leaving Isaac to keep his eyes straight ahead. More of a challenge than it may seem, with the cabin's darkness spanning well past Rose and Crawford. He tried to keep in pace with them, but his legs were shaking and he wasn't sure if it was because he was three different kinds of dead the last time he was here, or if the draft of the run-down walls was getting to him.

Clara edged closer to Isaac, willing herself to feel calmer with somebody on either side of her. "There's so much blood, everywhere…" Her breath hitched and trembled with every word, hot breath running down his neck. Miss Rose looked back and found his eyes. He frowned and glanced away. They made it to the end of the hallway, what Isaac remembered as the bedroom he'd taken residence of that night. He was right; Rose raised the compass and the light of her aura illuminated the very edge of the bedpost, rotting and covered in, what Isaac assumed was probably, more of his dried-up blood.

Hardy's foot made contact with something at his feet, and he leaned forward to pick it up. "Oh hey, a diary!" He said one second. "Ah!" He said the next.

Clara glanced over Hardy's shoulder to see the page he'd opened up to by chance, and stifled the scream she instinctually reacted with behind her interwoven fingers. The page was yellow with age and slick with dust from infrequent use, though it had clearly been handled somewhat recently, the way fingerprints edged the pages. The page Hardy had opened up to, the one Isaac now glanced over Clara's shoulder to see, was covered in nothing but pen- and a lot of it. Frantic. Some unlegible. Dark and as black as a widow drenched in the blackest of inks. Words scribbled next to sketches of spirits, of auras and eyes that seemed to watch from behind the safety of the page.

Why can't he see them

I'm not crazy

Help

Hardy screamed and accidentally tossed the book a foot in the air, only to start juggling it with unsteady hands the moment it came back down, whimpering the whole time. Isaac snorted and held out his hand so Hardy could pass it to him- and he did, by using one juggling hand to smack the book mid-air in Isaac's general direction. Isaac caught the diary by the spine in his open palm, flipping it back open with relative ease. "This is her's?"

Just as soon as he opened it, a gloved hand snatched it from him. Miss Rose grinned and raised to compass to the diary, humming at the confirming buzz of her tool. "This is the next piece in Catriona's puzzle, kiddies!"

Kid after kid lined up in parallel with the bullseyes across the gymnasium floor, each new frontrunner as confused as the last. Guerra and Spender stood to the side, eyeing individual auras as they hit or missed the targets- and they rarely hit. Guerra was grimacing, looking every bit terrifying as Spender felt. He kept switching from watching the students to watching his master, frequent enough to keep an eye on his reactions, but not frequent enough for Guerra (hopefully) to notice.

Max was third in one of the first lines. All the better, in his opinion, for getting this over with as fast as possible. He aimed at the target a few feet away, concentrated. He'd had so much on his mind lately. Isabel, Spender, Ed…. His eyes narrowed as blue crossed his vague vision- the kid next to him, but it was enough. He took one quick breath and took his shot. Black gas, perfectly rounded, perfectly paced, hit the bullseye head-on, nearly knocking it over in a clash of red and white against a crawling web of black that descended over it.

Spender's eyes widened, a small smile inching across his face. He'd been worried that all of the attention he'd had to put into training these classes had denied his original students somehow of the attention he felt was vital to truly learning to hone their new powers, but if Max's spectral shot was any indication-!

"Don't get so excited." Guerra was watching the children still, but Spender could feel the disappointment in him radiating from his drilled eyes. He pretended not to notice. "Spectral shots are child's play. That your student is capable of such a feat places him on par with Isabel at five years of age."

The next group of students stepped up. Max met Collin's eyes on his way back to the bleachers.

Collin looked panicked, gesturing to the targets, then gesturing back to the hands Max was well aware would be unable to conjure up any aura at all, let alone get a spectral shot off. Max winced and shrugged at him. Can't help ya there, man.

Collin got up to the bat and mimed for dear life, found other kids doing the same thing. Each pointed and breathed and stood there waiting for auras that never built and shots that never burned through the distance. They turned to each other, confused, some agitated, some lackadaisical about the whole thing.

Guerra turned to Spender with a glare in his eye, and all he could do was smile nervously and swallow the fear gnawing at his throat like acid.

Nature walks were run-of-the-mill for Master Hashimoto's dojo. Ed never quite got the importance of them, and when he asked for clarification the answer was always "something-something peace" or "something-something tranquility".

Aka, "Something-something Ed isn't interested."

But alas, they were required. Every student in the dojo would wake up at roughly 5am, clothe themselves, then walk a mile-long hike through the woods before they could all return home to feast upon the breakfast Hashimoto no doubt would have laid out for them when they got back. As beautiful as the scenery was this time of year, Ed was far more interested in getting back so he could settle the uncomfortable tugging and gurgling of his stomach.

The start of the day was always the hardest. He knew this. And like always, he'd get through it. That didn't mean he felt like trekking up a mountain of flowers today, though.

He sighed and carried onward, barley giving the beautiful red roses he passed a sidelong glance. Well, he almost didn't. The vibrant red caught his eye, and he fell a few steps behind admiring the way the morning dew dripped from the soft petals.

Red was supposed to be the color of aggression, of hunger and anger and danger, but it was also adventure, passion…

Love.

A laugh he knew better than his own crossed his mind's ear, and he almost hated the way he instantly drew the connections to tan skin and red, so much red. Ed shook his head clear and turned away, transitioning into a light jog to catch up to the rest of his peers. This was crazy, he was being crazy. What that girl said meant nothing. What Dimitri said meant nothing, just people being people and misunderstanding his relationship with Isabel. They were like siblings! She was his best friend! He shook his head clear with finality.

He caught up with the rest of the group with ease, not that it was difficult. It seemed like he was the only one eager to get back to food, because his peers had taken a decidedly slower pace. He'd lightly jogged like an old man who'd just watched his small weiner dog steal his slipper, and still, he'd managed to catch up in about thirty seconds. Ed huffed, shoulders slumping in the way that usually got him a fist upside the head from Guerra and a small scolding from Spender.

"Guys, look! He's letting me feed him!"

One of the other students had paused to bend down a few feet in front of him. A quick side-step confirmed that she'd palmed a nut from the ground, and that a small squirrel had taken interest in it. A few other students coo'ed and some bemoaned not having their phone to take a picture. Ed felt himself smiling despite his grouchy mood. The squirrel was, after all, pushing the boundaries of cute. Big beady eyes, tail twitching, head tilting as it tried to communicate with his fellow student in a language it didn't know she didn't understand. Part of his heart, which he found had somewhat frozen over the last few weeks, melted on the spot. She opened up her palm, and the squirrel readily sprinted for it, pausing on her fingers to test the nut and see that it was real. Chestnut brown fur, spots of darker hair that looked black in the early morning sunrise-

-- brown eyes under long lashes, squinting with mirth as he made her laugh, his favorite sound in this world and the next.

Ed froze mid-thought, eyes widening so much he thought they would fall out of the sockets. He'd done it again, the same thing he'd been doing the past- how long had it been? Too long! Too long for this to still be a problem! Ed took several deep breaths, one hand pressed to his chest as he hyper-ventilated, or something close to it. He was just tired, that's all. He was busy a lot of the day training to become a man worthy...of… his mind trailed off again, and Ed felt his hands tearing his hair straight off of his head before he even registered the deep-seeded hand that felt like it was tugging twenty different chords of his heart.

I do not like Isabel! I do not like Isabel! I do not like Isabel!

"Get out of my head!"

There was a silence around him, and he couldn't help but think that it was a little odd, considering all the cute-animal-fawning that'd been happening a few seconds ago. He opened his eyes, which had been screwed shut in his agony, to find his entire class staring at him. Even the squirrel, which had been so content with its nut before, had turned its curious eyes on him as if waiting for an explanation. Ed blinked. "I yearn for the sweet embracing heat of my gaming console."

His peers seemed to shrug it off, nod, mumble "yeah, yeah that sounds about right".

#Paranatural #Isaac O'Connor #Isabel Guerra #Maxwell Puckett #Edward Burger #Richard Spender #Pnat #Edsabel #Maxaac #Imaax #Hardy Deering #Clara Appleby #Miss Rose #Crawford #The Monster Trilogy #WOHT

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