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akariarda · 8 months

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Sensei Garmadon's birthday

"Tomorrow is Dad's birthday," Lloyd said to Misako.

"I know. I've been thinking for a long time about what to get him, but I just can't think of anything."Misako answered.

"I was thinking of throwing him a surprise party." Lloyd said.

"Just something small; you know he's not a fan of celebrations and surprises."

"I know, Mom. But it would be just me, you, Uncle Wu, and the team."

"Okay, should I make the cake or do you want to?"

"Kai, Zane, Cole, Jay, Nya, and I were thinking of making it. Can you take him somewhere as a gift? You don't have much time for yourselves because of work and training. And it would give us time to prepare everything."

"I like the idea!" Misako said.

"Do you think he'll suspect anything?"Lloyd asked.

"No, he won't." Misako smiled. "He wouldn't even remember if we didn't remind him." They both laughed.

GARMADON'S BIRTHDAY:

"Garm."Misako gently shook Garmadon to wake him up. "Come on, dear, wake up."

"What's going on?It's not even dawn," Garmadon mumbled.

"I wanted to take you somewhere," she said, rubbing his neck gently.

He smiled sincerely. ""You know I would love to, but the training..."

"I arranged with Wu that today only he teaches." He smiled at her.

"Well, you're a real genius," he said, kissing her forehead. "Only now will the ninjas be deprived of a good lesson." She nudged him playfully.

"I have no doubt." She kissed his cheek, and then they went to get ready.

~~~~~~~~~

"So, what kind of cake are we going to make for him?" Cole asked the other ninjas gathered in the kitchen.

"I don't know, what kind of cakes does he like?" Nya asked.

"Well, I don't really know; you know him, the whole thing with the diet pill that doesn't work, so watching calories." Lloyd said.

"So, he won't eat cake?" Kai asked.

"If he won't, I will!" Cole interjected.

"He will." Lloyd said "Whenever mom makes some cakes, she criticizes the calories. And then later she eats half of the pan, and guess what his apology is?"

"Hmm, so Misako doesn't get angry?" Jay asked.

"Yeah," Lloyd said, and he started laughing.

"So what about making a diet cake?" Kai asked.

"No! That can't exist!" Jay yelled.

"A cake is a cake,!"Cole said.

"I found a recipe for a diet cake. It looks like it actually exists," Zane said.

"I don't think that's the best idea." Nya added.

"I totally agree." Lloyd said.

"fruitcake?" Kai suggested.

"Yes,that sounds good." Lloyd says.

"Let's get to work then; I found the recipe!" Zan said, and everyone started pushing each others.and working.

~~~~~~

"Where were you planning to go?" Garmadon asked Misako as he rubbed her back with his hand as they walked.

"You'll see." Misako opened her eyes and took his hand. "We're close."

They walked for a while until they reached a small street in the suburbs of the city.

They passed it and came out on a beautiful beach.

"Wow," Garmadon said as they exited the street onto a deserted pier. "It's really beautiful here."

"It's really special," Misako said, resting her head on his shoulder.

"I wouldn't want to be anywhere else or with anyone else. It's really special."

"I agree," Misako said. "It's really special. Special places for special occasions."

"S-special occasion?" Garmadon's face suddenly became serious.

"Did you forget?" Misako said, trying to keep a stern expression while suppressing a laugh.

"It's not our anniversary, is it?"

Misako shook her head.

"It's not your, Lloyd's, or Wu's birthday... I know! Valentine's Day?"

"Valentine's Day is in six months. "

"One of the Ninja's birthday?" Garmadon started to panic.

"You got the birthday wrong." Misako said, unable to hold back her laughter. "Yours," she said after the laughter subsided.

"Happy birthday, dear!" She said that and kissed him on the cheek.

"How could I forget..." Garmadon said. "And you scared me so much..." He said that and started tickling her.

"GARMADON!" Misako yelled as she uncontrollably giggled while he tickled her and planted ticklish kisses on her neck.

"STOP! We're not kids!"

"I would take you seriously if you didn't say that with while laughting." Garmadon said, enjoying himself as he playfully tortured her.

"I'll throw you in the water!" Misako jokingly said when she wriggled out of his grasp.

"You can't, love; it's my birthday today, remember," he said confidently, teasing her.

"You're right," she said, pressing a kiss on his lips. "Then I'll kill you tomorrow."

"I have no doubt," Garmadon said, pulling her into his lap. "No doubt, my love." He gave her another kiss on the mouth and stroked her in his arms.

~~~~~~

"Okay, guys, we've put the first layer of cake in the oven. Now we need to make the cream, spread it on the cake, and bake the second layer. It's not that difficult," Nya said.

"Not for you," Kai said. "You're a woman, and we all know that women can do anything."

"I agree with that," Lloyd said.

"Our Zane is the exception, though," Jay noticed.

"And where is the cream for the second layer?" Zane said, changing the subject.

"What second layer?" Cole asked, licking the last remnants of something from the bowl.

"This is second layer!" Kai exclaimed.

"I thought they were leftovera!" Cole defended himself.

"Cole!" Jay and Lloyd shouted.

"You know you'll have a stomachache and probably feel nauseous after eating so much of that." Nya noticed.

"It contains raw flour and eggs, which are really bad for the stomach," Zane added.

"I don't feel anything." Cole said.

"Just wait." Lloyd sadly said, "My mom told me I did something similar when I was little. At first, I felt nothing, but later I had serious cramps."

"Ouch!" Cole exclaimed.

"But guys, what are we going to do with the cake?" Kai asked.

"Obviously, we don't have a second layer." Nya said. "We'll just have to add more cream and whipped cream for decoration."

"What if we try making the cake again?" Kai suggested.

"We won't have time," Lloyd sadly said, shaking his head. "I told my mom to come back at noon."

"Great," Jay said gloomily.

"Wait!" Cole said. "Who's watching the cake?"

"Oh no!" Everyone shouted and ran to the oven.

"It's okay," Kai sighed. "It didn't burn."

"It's right on the edge of burning," Lloyd said.

"I'll add the cream, and you, Zane, make the whipped cream for decoration," Nya said.

"Here," she said when she and Zane finished the cake. "It's not the best, but it's something."

The cake looked good, despite being tilted to the right.

"There's still whipped cream left," Cole said excitedly.

"You know what that means?" Jay exclaimed happily.

"No," Kai said.

"FOOD FIGHT!" Jay grabbed and threw a handful of whipped cream at Kai, who looked confused. He quickly retaliated. Soon, it turned into a big food fight.

"KHM!" A voice said something at the entrance of the kitchen, and everyone turned around. Sensei Garmadon stood at the door.

"You have five seconds to explain this," he said, looking at the kitchen, which was now covered in remnants of whipped cream and cream.

~~~~~

"Happy birthday!" All the ninjas shouted in unison, not knowing how to get out of this situation.

"We made you cake, dad," Lloyd said, and he brought him the cake.

"Thank you," Sensei Garmadon cautiously said, skeptically looking at the cake.

"It's not the best, but we tried." Jay noticed.

"I know," Garmadon smiled. "Thank you. It means a lot to me."

"Happy birthday, brother," Sensei Wu came and hugged Garmadon. "I assume you didn't come up with this yourself but that they or Misako reminded you."

"You assume correctly," Garmadon smiled.

"And now, the cake." Cole happily said

"Wait," Misako said, and she brought a candle. "I thought you should blow this." She put a question-mark-shaped candle on the cake.

"Very funny, Misako," Garmadon said.

"We thought about buying a hat too, but we didn't have time," Kai sarcastically said, and everyone started laughing, even Garmadon.

"And now let's finally eat the cake," Cole said, taking a step towards them.

"Ugh!" He was hit by a sudden cramp and fell over the whipped cream on the floor, hitting his head on the cake and scattering it all over.

"COLE!" Everyone yelled.

"I'm sorry!" He quickly said "I think I need to go to the bathroom." He said that and ran off.

"And now what?" Zane asked.

"Now you guys clean up all this." Garmadon said pointimg into the mess they made.

"And then we go to the evening training." Wu added. Everyone grumbled, but no one said anything.

~~~~~~~~~

"How is Cole?" Sensei Garmadon asked his son when he returned from evening training.

"Not good. He's been on the toilet the whole time." Lloyd replied.

"What happened to him?" Garmadon asked.

"He ate a whole bowl of raw cake batter."

"Ouch! And you did that once too," Garmadon said, smiling.

"I know; mom told me," Lloyd added.

"Yes, the three of us made some cake; she left for a second, and I turned to do something else. When she came back, she found you eating the whole batter. She went crazy on me."

"I wouldn't want to be in your shoes," Lloyd said, and they both laughed.

"Well, I'm sorry I didn't get to taste your cake," Garmadon said.

"Me too," Lloyd said. "Although maybe it's a good thing since we didn't heat the cream like we were supposed to because of some ingredients..." Garmadon laughed.

"You guys are truly masters."

"I know. Happy birthday again, dad," Lloyd said, hugging Garmadon.

"Thank you, son. And now let's not be late for the evening games."

~~~~~~~~~

The evening's games went well, with only a minor argument. Garmadon was happy to be surrounded by the people he loved.

~~~~~~~

"And how was your day?" Misako asked Garmadon as they both sat on the bed.

"Great." He said and grabbed her waist. "You know what can make it even better?" He asked her.

"What?" She aske challenging.

"You." He said and pulled her on top of him as he connected their lips

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victorluvsalice · 10 months

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Happy Birthday SlyCooperAndCarlosFox!

@slycooperandcarlosfox Here’s a ficlet based on the old Lovecraft Jazz gang meeting this universe’s version of Phillianne Tropy, as per your list of potential fic ideas:

---

“So...who is it we’re meeting again?”

“Phillianne Tropy,” Victor said, studying the card they’d received.

Alice raised an eyebrow. “That’s not a name, that’s a bad pun.”

“Well, it’s what’s written on here, anyway,” Victor told her with a shrug.

“And considering she’s already made it clear she’s willing to pay us well for investigating whatever it is that’s stalking the mayor of this fine city and seeing if it’s eldritch in nature, I don’t think we should argue the point with her,” Lizzie added, running her fingers through her bangs. “Especially since, half the time, we don’t get paid at all for risking our lives...how did we get into this line of work again?”

“We all survived a few days in Innsmouth without getting ripped to pieces by the Deep Ones or sacrificed by the ordinary asshole townsfolk,” Sam reminded her.

“And then we ended up helping that librarian in Arkham with his little ‘tome’ problem,” Alice added.

“And then there was that whole ‘time travel’ thing over in New York,” Emily piped up.

“Does that one really count? We didn’t do anything about the time travel – we just found out that a young lady from the 1890s had been thrown forward in time and was having a bit of trouble adapting,” Alice pointed out.

“Yeah, but Maud didn’t want anything done about the time travel in the end,” Emily countered. “She just wanted to fit in a little better so she could stay with Gladys. And now we know that’s a thing to watch out for, so...”

“Fair enough.”

“We have had our share of adventures,” Victoria said, adjusting her hat. “Though – you’d think Ms. Tropy would want someone with more experience? Surely we can’t be the only ones who do this kind of thing.”

“We haven’t met anyone else,” Victor said with a frown. “The librarian seemed to know what he was doing, but he also didn’t seem interested in making a living out of it...and it’s rather hard to advertise these sorts of services, isn’t it? Given we deal so often with things that ordinary people just can’t understand...”

“I mean, we don’t advertise either,” Alice said. “In all honesty, what happens with us is that we roam around and bizarre shit happens to us.”

“I’m trying not to worry about it,” Sam declared, leaning back in his chair. “Like Liz said, the lady promised us a decent payday, so I’m not about to look a gift horse in the mouth.”

“Good, because in my experience horses don’t like you doing that.”

Everyone turned around as a striking blonde in a surprisingly pink skirt-suit entered the room, hitting them all with a winning smile. “It’s nice to meet you all at last,” she said, offering a hand to whoever wished to take it. “Phillianne Tropy.”

“Elizabeth Liddell,” Lizzie said, taking the lead and the hand. “That’s my sister Alice, and our friends Victor Van Dort, Emily Cartwell, Victoria Everglot, and Sam Thatcher.”

“Nice to meet you,” Sam said, tipping his hat.

“Indeed,” Victor agreed. “Though I do wish it was under different circumstances.”

“Me too,” Ms. Tropy said with a sigh. “I’m so hoping you can help Zan. Whatever’s been following her at night – well, it’s got her really on edge.”

“I don’t blame her – even if it’s just some ordinary human creep, that’s still something I wouldn’t want happening to me,” Lizzie said, shuddering as she recalled a certain doctor following her into the Waterloo station toilet.

“And if it’s something worse, we’ll stop it,” Alice promised. “Whatever it takes.”

“Thank you – my resources are yours,” Tropy said. “In fact. . .” She reached into her bag, and pulled out the largest stack of cash any of them had ever seen, depositing it on the table in front of them. “I know this sort of work is dangerous, so – here. Your down payment. That should at least cover initial expenses.”

The group stared at the money. “Uh – yes,” Emily finally squeaked. “That should be – more than sufficient.”

“Really,” Victoria whispered. “That’s – more than generous of you.”

“I’m not going to make you walk into this without proper compensation,” Tropy said with another smile. “It’s only right.”

“Well, thank you,” Alice said, picking up the pile and giving it to Sam to count. “So – now that you’ve officially bought our services, how about you tell us more about what’s been troubling the mayor?”

---

#slycooperandcarlosfox #Happy Birthday #lovecraft jazz au #phillianne tropy #I couldn't resist referencing the old 'gladys and maud' fics :p #felt appropriate given their situation #and I figured that if something potentially horribly eldritch was threatening her girlfriend #that Phillianne would want all the help she could get #thus hiring this lot #and of course as usual giving away her money like candy #she lives up to the punny name Alice :p #hope you enjoy!#queued

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kurowrites · 4 years

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“I hit you with my car and was the only one to visit you in the hospital” AU Prompt for Wangxian, if you like?

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

---

When Wei Ying woke up, he had to blink a few times to adjust his vision to the bright glare of the lights overhead, momentarily blinding him. Something was weird. This definitely wasn’t his own bedroom, whose lighting was rather dim and most definitely off when he was sleeping.

He blinked a few times more and then turned his head to examine the room he was in.

It took him far too long to understand what he was seeing, but once his brain actually started processing it, there was no doubt. He was in a hospital room, complete with barren walls and the strong smell of disinfectant. But he had no memory that could explain why he would be waking up in a hospital bed. In fact, now that he thought about it, he had no idea what he’d been doing before he’d woken up here, or even what day of the week it was.

Impatient to have his questions answered, he tried to wriggle around and slip out of bed, but his body felt oppressively heavy, and his vision started to swim as soon as he lifted his head off the pillow.

Exhausted and distressed, he fell back into bed. What the hell had happened to him? Why was he feeling so terrible?

Just that moment, the door of the hospital room opened, and a nurse stepped in.

“Oh, you are awake,” she said. “Good.”

She moved up to the bed and started to check his vitals – or harass him, Wei Ying couldn’t really tell which one it was. She was probably around fifty and had a distinct aunt-y vibe that made Wei Ying lay still on danger of getting stabbed with a needle.

“Do you know why you’re here?” she asked, after she had apparently determined that he was conscious and held it together enough for conversation.

“No,” Wei Ying croaked, and immediately started coughing. His throat felt terribly dry.

The nurse went to his bedside table, where a cup and a pitcher of water had been placed, and filled the cup for him. Then she made him drink.

“You’ve been in a traffic accident,” she told him without ceremony. “You got hit by a car and had to be brought here in an ambulance.”

Shit. Could that be true?

He didn’t remember any of that.

“I don’t remember,” he told the nurse.

“Honey, it’s probably better if you don’t,” she said, patting him on the arm absent-mindedly. “That’s your brain protecting you. You’re also on painkillers right now,” here, she pointed at one of the drips that went into his arm, “and they tend to make your brain a little foggy. You only need to focus on getting better right now.”

That wasn’t particularly comforting to Wei Ying. He’d been lying here, doing–

“My work!” he suddenly remembered.

“Oh, don’t you worry about that!” the nurse said, shaking her head. “I think that nice Mr. Lan has taken care of all that.”

She checked her watch.

“It’s almost time for him to visit, too. Such a nice young man, if only youngsters nowadays were a little more like him.”

She sighed, patted Wei Ying’s arm again, and then left, hopefully to tell someone else that he had gained consciousness again.

Wei Ying sighed and stared at the ceiling. He wasn’t sure what the nurse had meant with “that nice Mr. Lan,” because he didn’t know anyone with the last name Lan. Certainly no one who would visit him at the hospital. Had she gotten his visitor’s name wrong? He tried to think of a different possibility, but couldn’t think of anyone. Wen Ning was away. And Jiang Cheng still wasn’t speaking to him, not to mention that no one in their right mind would ever call Jiang Cheng a ‘nice young man’ if they had spent more than 30 seconds in his presence.

He wasn’t kept in suspense about the identity of his visitor for very long, though. Only minutes after the nurse had left, the door opened again, and through came a man that Wei Ying had never seen in his life. He would have definitely remembered meeting him, Wei Ying was sure, because the man was a devastating combination of tall, handsome and well-dressed. Very memorable. Even in his current drugged-up state.

The man hesitated for one small moment when he saw Wei Ying looking at him, but then continued his progress through the room with a measured pace, finally arriving at Wei Ying’s bedside. He did not speak, but silently placed several items onto Wei Ying’s bedside table. Wei Ying saw a book, what looked to be some healthy snacks, as well as… his phone? It looked terribly beaten up, but a traffic accident might do that to a phone. He should probably be glad if it still worked.

The stranger must have noticed the direction of his gaze, for he finally opened his mouth.

“I have taken the liberty of contacting you place of work.”

“Thank you,” Wei Ying said, sending the stranger an ironic smile. “What I’d rather like to know, though… who are you?”

The stranger bowed slightly, as if to apologise for his rudeness.

“Lan Zhan,” he said. “I was the one… who hit you with my car.”

“Oh, I see,” Wei Ying said, several things suddenly becoming clear to him. “This is a ‘I’m feeling guilty’ visit. Don’t worry about that. It’s fine. I’ll be out of here in no time.”

The stranger, Lan Zan, frowned at Wei Ying’s words.

“It is not guilt that has made me come here,” he said.

Then he was silent again. Wei Ying waited for a moment, but when nothing else happened, he raised his eyebrows at Lan Zhan, encouraging him to go on. Lan Zhan looked as if he’d rather do anything else than open his mouth again, but eventually, thanks to Wei Ying’s pathetic wheedling, he conceded.

“The one responsible for your accident was the driver who suddenly came out of a side street and nearly ran you over,” Lan Zhan explained. “You ended up in front of my car because you were trying to escape his path of collision. He also crashed into my car, nearly hitting you a second time. I have no guilt to speak of, but I am grateful that you survived. I was worried, however, when your family could not be contacted.”

“Oh, uh, well,” Wei Ying stuttered. “Honestly, that shouldn’t be any concern to you. I’ll be fine. My family… well, it doesn’t matter.”

“Your family should care for you if you are injured.”

There was a stubborn set around Lan Zhan’s mouth, and Wei Ying suddenly found himself smiling. He wasn’t sure if he should call it fortune or misfortune, but this Lan Zhan was clearly an incredibly stiff man with very strict notions of propriety, to the point where he involved himself into the affairs of others.

“Ah, Lan-gege,” Wei Ying sighed. “Not to say I’m not very grateful for your help, which I am, but let me assure you that you have officially fulfilled your obligations and are free to leave. You have already done more than I can ask for. If it is as you say, I have no ill feelings towards you. Feel free to go on with your life, and sorry about the car. I think I need to sleep again, I feel very tired.”

He was, in fact, feeling very tired, and it was getting harder to keep his eyes open by the minute.

Lan Zhan seemed to realise that that was the case. He said his goodbyes, but before he left the room, he announced, “I will come again.”

Wei Ying wanted to object, but Lan Zhan was already gone, and Wei Ying’s eyes were closing.

---

The next few days passed in the monotony of sleeping, check-ups by doctors and nurses, terrible hospital meals, and occasional visits from Lan Zhan.

As handsome as he might have been, at first Wei Ying really didn’t want Lan Zhan to come back again. He quickly learned to be grateful for his frequent visits, however. Staying in the hospital was extremely boring, even with the books that Lan Zhan brought him, and everything was much better once he trained Lan Zhan to bring him spicy snacks.

After a few excessively boring days in bed (more than he cared for, certainly), he was finally allowed to walk around a little in order to regain his strength, and Lan Zhan would take him outside into the garden whenever he visited. Wei Ying was extremely grateful for that, since the nurses didn’t allow him to go alone.

Wei Ying quickly learned on their little excursions that Lan Zhan rarely spoke, but was an extremely attentive listener who would prove said attention in the most unexpected moments. It was almost shocking sometimes; Wei Ying would ramble on about something, and Lan Zhan would suddenly say one thing or another that made clear he had been paying attention when most people would have tuned out already. It was… flattering, to say the least. To have someone pay attention to him so much. Definitely something Wei Ying could get used to.

Lan Zhan was also very attentive to Wei Ying’s physical state. More than once, when Wei Ying felt his own strength lagging, he suddenly found Lan Zhan’s hand at his elbow, steadily and unobtrusively making sure that he didn’t fall over his own clumsy feet. Lan Zhan seemed to know that he needed support almost before Wei Ying himself realised it.

Normally, he would complain about being thought a weakling, but if Wei Ying were honest, he would admit that sometimes, he really needed the support. And well… he couldn’t really bring himself to mind being spoiled by a handsome man. If he were really honest, he would confess that he simply liked Lan Zhan’s hands on him, and any excuse that provided him with an opportunity was good enough, even if he had to play up his weakness.

“Lan Zhan,” Wei Ying said when they were on one of their garden excursions one day, eating little cups of mango panna cotta that Lan Zhan had brought with him today on a bench. “I will be released tomorrow. You don’t have to visit me here any longer after today.”

“Hn,” Lan Zhan agreed. “What time?”

“Around ten, I think? Why do you ask?”

“I will pick you up.”

Wei Ying sighed deeply and swallowed the last spoonful of dessert.

“Lan Zhan, ah, Lan Zhan. I can ask a friend to pick me up. You shouldn’t do so many things for me. If you are too nice, people will end up misunderstanding. Well, I will end up misunderstanding. You wouldn’t want that to happen, now would you?”

He directed his best salacious grin at Lan Zhan.

“Nn,” Lan Zhan replied noncommittally. “I will pick you up.”

Wei Ying stared at Lan Zhan for a moment. Could it be that Lan Zhan was that thick? That he didn’t realise what Wei Ying was getting at? Did he have to spell it out for Lan Zhan? That he meant misunderstanding in the sense of kissing and possibly getting naked with each other?

“Lan Zhan, I’m serious,” Wei Ying complained, tugging at Lan Zhan’s sleeve to make him look at him properly. “I will misunderstand.”

Lan Zhan looked at him, and it struck Wei Ying again how beautiful Lan Zhan’s eyes were. He had thought that Lan Zhan was pretty much expressionless when they first got to know each other, but that had been patently untrue. His perpetually serious eyes were the source of so much deeply felt emotion. Everything Lan Zhan felt, he felt with his entire heart. So when Lan Zhan looked at him, Wei Ying automatically felt his pulse speed up and his cheeks start to grow hot. That was the effect Lan Zhan had on anyone he really directed his attention towards.

“I will pick you up,” Lan Zhan repeated once again. Stubbornly, insistently. Mulishly.

Without breaking their line of sight even once. Just serious. And steady.

“Oh,” Wei Ying whispered.

Oh. Lan Zhan didn’t want him to misunderstand. Lan Zhan wanted him to understand.

Wei Ying shot up from the bench they had been sitting on and walked over to the trash can close by, to throw away his empty cup of panna cotta. Lan Zhan followed him, throwing his own cup into the trash. As he did it, he looked about as disquieted as Lan Zhan ever did, but right now, Wei Ying was unable to handle anything.

Could he be right? Did Lan Zhan – that Lan Zhan –

As he stood there, he slightly tilted to the side – and there he was, Lan Zhan was right at his side, steadying him. But right now, Wei Ying didn’t want to be steadied. He leaned further into Lan Zhan’s side, putting most of his weight on Lan Zhan right until his head a found a home in the crook of Lan Zhan’s neck.

“Ah, Lan Zhan,” he sighed. “Taking advantage of the weak and injured, I see. Do you always flirt like that? Picking people up at the hospital?”

He looked up at Lan Zhan and smiled.

Lan Zhan didn’t answer, but one of his arms most definitely found its way around Wei Ying’s waist, holding him securely to Lan Zhan’s side. It was… intimate.

It was answer enough.

“This is the part where you’re supposed to say ‘No, Wei Ying is the only one for me,’” Wei Ying pouted.

“Wei Ying is the only one for me,” Lan Zhan intoned seriously.

Wei Ying had to bury his face in his hands and scream a little.

“You can’t say things like that out of the blue!” he complained. “My poor, beaten body won’t be able to take it!”

Then he peeked out between the gaps between his fingers, up at Lan Zhan.

“Say it again.”

(When Lan Zhan picked him up the next day, he received a kiss for his efforts.)

(One kiss, or many.)

(Who was going to count.)

#kuro writes #the untamed #wei wuxian #lan wangji #wangxian #mdzs #mdzs headcanons #well not really #sweat #enter21

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guqin-and-flute · 4 years

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3zun dads au hc where there's a perpetual game of "ask your dad." Jingyi quickly figures out that the best way to get a clear answer is to ask an uncle or aunt.

(Oh, I love this idea and a scene popped into my head--there may not be many times where they are all in the same place not paying attention to each other, but the times where they are would be highly annoying to Jingyi.)

A-Fu thought that it was pretty ridiculous that he was told all the time that he had to stop trying to do everything by himself, but when he actually asked for help, no one wanted to do anything about it! He was 6 and a half years old and the grown ups wouldn’t let him do things like chop his own vegetables or fly his own sword but when his headband--that he had been told for so long was so very important to keep on and clean and everything--fell off his head in the play room at Koi Tower, he couldn’t get anyone to help him tie it back on!

The Jin nanny said she couldn’t touch it, even after he assured her that he wouldn’t tell anyone if she didn’t. Jin Ling and his younger brother A-Qiang didn’t know how to tie knots any better than A-Fu did and he wasn’t going to ask stupid bully Jin Chan and his friends to help. It was annoying to hold it and his palm kept getting all sweaty and creasing it and he was jumping around too much to tuck it into his sash. So when the nanny went to go comfort A-Qiang after he started crying over something dumb like not liking the melon they had for snack, A-Fu snuck out the door and trotted down to where he knew Yellow-Father’s office was.

Plastering himself against the door, he pushed it open and slid down dramatically like he was dead, making sure to keep his headband off the floor. When Yellow-Father didn’t say anything, just kept staring at the papers he was sorting through and marking, he took a huge breath and whined, “Dieeeee.”

Yellow-Father blinked like he had been startled and glanced over at him. “Where is your nanny?”

“She wouldn’t help me tie my headband back on and she said it wasn’t that important and that I should wait and I didn’t wanna so I came here cause she wouldn’t help.”

“You can’t--” Yellow-Father gave a blustery sigh and shook his head, rubbing his temples. “I can’t focus right now, Fufu. Please go ask your die. And you’re making your robes all dirty, please get up.”

Grumpily, A-Fu rolled to his tummy and clambered up. “Which one?”

Yellow-Father closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath, letting it out slowly before he picked the papers back up. “Gray.”

And so A-Fu did. He had to wander a bit and he kept switching his headband between his hands, wiping the other palm on his robes to dry the sweat but he eventually found his gray father in a room with other grownups, talking over a table full of cups--it had taken him poking his head into a lot of other rooms of startled people first, though. His Gray-Father saw him, blinked, and pressed his lips together like he was biting back a half-annoyed smile before saying, “Excuse me a moment,” to the other men there.

Then, he came over and shooed A-Fu out the door, saying, “You can’t be in here, boy-child. Go back to your nanny, we can play later.”

“But--!”

“A-Fu,” his voice was telling him it was Pay Attention Time, but if he would just listen for actually just one single second, he could just do it for him!

He thrust his headband up at Gray-Father, all indignant and his gray father shook his head and jerked his head down the hall, slowly sliding the door between their faces. “You’ll have to go ask one of your other dies.”

“Which one?!”

He opened the door just a little bit to let out his face to whisper back, “Child, I don’t know! Pick one!” like he sort of thought it was secretly funny but wasn’t really going to budge at all before he closed it all the way.

A-Fu stamped his foot and growled back in annoyance like he knew he wasn’t allowed to, but Gray-Father still didn’t come back out. Stomping down the hall, he went in search of Blue-Father. Luckily, he heard someone say, “Zewu-jun” from inside the big banquet hall after a while, which felt like a lucky clue. He sidled up to the doorway with his back pressed to the wall and slowly peeked around it like he was a spy. After a bit of searching, he spotted Blue-Father across the hall, listening with a polite face to a man in black and gold robes talk about something that had to do with dead people or something. Sticking his headband out, A-Fu waggled his arm around until he saw father’s eyes flicker over and widen just a little, though his face didn’t really move.

Blue-Father met his eyes around the side of the boring guy talking and slowly shook his head just a little with a small smile. Then, when his gaze went back to the man speaking, he pointed his chin at the door. When A-Fu smushed both hands to his cheeks and pulled his whole face down into an ugly face of frustration, Blue-Father raised his eyebrows, still looking at the man talking, and tilted his head like he did when he was asking if A-Fu thought he was doing the right thing. Another jerk of his chin said, without words, Go ask your other fathers. A-Fu wanted to scream, But I’m all out of those! He didn’t, though.

Instead, he gave a loud, huffy breath and ran down the hall and out the door just to break a rule because he was so annoyed at all the grownups for being unhelpful and not listening, so it would serve them right if he tripped on something and knocked out a tooth or was rude or whatever was so bad about running that they made it a rule to not break in the first place. At top speed, he weaved around the legs of a few servants on the walkways and skidded right through the doorway into Uncle Zixuan and Aunt Yanli’s rooms, where Uncle Zixuan was playing with the twins. They were rolling over already, which was apparently a big deal for babies but didn’t really make them much more interesting, in A-Fu’s eyes, ‘cause they still couldn’t even talk or throw a ball. Uncle Zixuan looked up with surprise as he nearly tripped over the edge of the carpet slowing down from his run.

“Oh, A-Fu. Aren’t you supposed to be with Zi Tian?”

A-Fu heaved a huge sigh and slumped his shoulders because he was so tired of having to explain. Grownups could ask the same questions again and again. “She wouldn’t help me so I snuck out. Will you help me?”

Frowning, Uncle Zixuan tucked A-Mei back into her little pillow fort that helped her sit up and picked up A-Zan, tucking him against his shoulder as he stood up. “With what? Is something wrong?”

Finally! Someone who understood how important this was. Holding up his headband he said, “It fell off. I don’t know knots.”

Uncle Zixuan froze, staring down at it, hand patting A-Zan’s back. “Uh...I...can’t help with that.”

A-Fu stared at him. What was it about grownups that made them follow every single rule all the time. “But it’s annoying. I won’t tell anyone.”

“A-Fu...your father is the Clan Leader. I’m...that’s a very important rule to the Lan.”

“Die wouldn’t start a war over a headband. He’s very nice,” A-Fu assured him, reasonably, and Uncle Zixuan did that thing people did when they bit their lips to hide a smile.

“I’m so glad. But that’s...not what I meant.”

A-Fu was about to start some serious whining--grownups hated whining and he knew that Uncle Zixuan got kind of flustered if you acted like you were going to cry--but Aunt Yanli’s voice came from their bedroom, calling him in. So he hmphed and shot Uncle Zixuan his best ‘you didn’t do what you were supposed to’ look that Uncle Wangji was best at and went to poke his head in. “Hi, bo-mu.”

She was lying in bed with a book in her lap, hair tied up in a plain bun, but she smiled and held out her hands, so he bounced up onto the bed and crawled up next to her, laying his head down on her squishy chest as she wrapped her arms around him. “What’s the trouble I hear?”

He held his headband up above his head near where he thought her face was. “My headband fell off and everyone is too busy being stupid and following rules and being in meetings to help me.” He knew stupid was a bad word, but that’s how he felt and he never got in trouble with Aunt Yanli, so he let himself grump, scowling down at the splotches in the book on the covers.

“Mmm, that is tricky,” she agreed and stroked his hair a few times before she wiggled her shoulders a little. “Here, I have an idea. Sit up for me?”

Obediently, he did and climbed onto her lap when she patted the covers. She held her arms out on both sides so he could see her hands and made a pinch with them. “Hold it like this.

A-Fu spread out his headband between his hands like what she was doing, holding the fabric between his first 2 fingers and thumb. Then, she put her fingers over the backs of his hands and moved them around until the little stiff piece was in the middle of his forehead. Very patiently, she gave him instructions one at a time on where to hold the bits and with what finger and helped guide his elbows around behind his head where he couldn’t see. She sometimes pinched her own fingers over his on the fabric to keep it in place while she moved his other hand and it took forever and his arms started to ache from being held up so long, but she never touched the headband herself and, eventually, it was back on his head. “I think there’s a bit of hair in the knot,” she said with a laugh in her voice. “But that should be alright until your dies aren’t busy anymore, hm?”

Turning around, he squished her cheeks in his hands and said, very seriously into her face, “You’re the best.”

She grinned and poked his nose. “No, you. Now why don’t you go back to Zi Tian. I think A-Ling and A-Qiang miss you.”

“A-Qiang is too busy crying over melons to miss me.”

With a small chuckle, she shook her head. “I’m sure he can do both at the same time. Go on. Tell your dies I said hello.”

As he hopped down off the bed, he hmphed one more time, for good measure. “I’m gonna tell them they all get lines. Headbands are serious business.”

Uncle Zixuan snorted from the other room. “You tell them, A-Fu.”

#I guess you all get an A-Fu before you get PtL #oh well #3zun raise JIngyi au #my fic #my stuff #ask #Anonymous #3zun raise jingyi content

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beaute-epoustouflante · 3 years

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War Time AU║Bill & Fleur 1997

“I am going to start dinner, but keep going wizout me.” Fleur whispered against Bills ear before she stood, using Bills leg to push herself up onto her feet from the sofa that she had been squeezed in between Bill and Tonks as order business was discussed.

She felt the blood drain from her head as she moved from the sitting room full of order members and into the kitchen where the voices began to fade. She grabbed the bench for support, catching herself while she swayed with dizziness before lowering herself into the kitchen floor. Fleur pulled her legs up to her chest letting her head rest against her knees, her breathing had become shallow and quick as her body fought to pump oxygen to her brain. She took long deep breaths in and out endeavouring to control her drumming heart and spinning head.

“Fleur?” A voice filled the kitchen sending a jolt though Fleurs body. Her head shot up and collided with the cabinet behind her. “Uh.” She winced before responding to the voice. “Yes?” She massaged the back of her head.

“What are you doing down there?” Molly rounded the end of the counter and peered down at a very pale looking Fleur. “I was feeling a little dizzy but I am better now.” Fleur spoke using the counter top to pull herself back up onto her feet. Her face flushed red, embarrassment driving her to her feet long before her body was ready to be vertical again.

“You don’t look well Fleur.” Molly diagnosed, “Sit down.” Molly pulled out one of the seats from the kitchen table and guided Fleur into it.

“I am fine, only tired and I ‘ave not eaten as much as I should ‘ave today, eets been so busy around ‘ere today wiz ze guests staying and ze order meeting. And wiz Beel being away at work all night I ‘ave not been sleeping well.” Fleur tried to explain as Molly moved through the kitchen. The fear grew each evening as Fleur watched Bill disappear into the night for his evening shifts at Gringotts. She worried each and every time that he left out that door, worried for his safety, worried if he would return to her. The dark and eerie nights brought fear that consumed her, it filled her with terror and unrest. The darkness outside shell cottage brought the shadows that moved, the noises that sparked her imagination and the nightmares that plagued her sleep. There was no Bill to calm those fears, just an empty bed and an empty house. Most nights they sheltered wizards and witches that sought refuge and a place to hide in the spare bedrooms of Shell Cottage, she wasn't completely alone on those nights but they couldn't give Fleur the comfort and peace that her husband did by just being there by her side.

“Eat.” Molly instructed placing a piece of chocolate cake in front of Fleur. “If you haven’t been eating your blood sugar will be low.”

Fleur followed her mother-in-laws instruction, using the fork to shovelled the sweet brown dessert into her mouth, the icing staining her lips. “Thank you Molly.”

“Why don’t you go upstairs and rest?”

“Thank you but I am fine, I will finish preparing dinner.”

Fleur tried to stand but Molly pushed her back down. “I can do that.”

“I am fine, I will rest once Beel ‘as gone off to work.”

“Is this the first time you’ve felt dizzy?” Molly questioned.

“I felt a little dizzy zis morning and I vomited but I zeenk eet eez something I ate zat my body did not like, I did not ‘ave an appetite since zen, but zere was no time to eat if I was ‘ungry.”

Molly looked at Fleur up and down.

“Are you pregnant?” She questioned.

“Pregnant? Do not be silly No.” she shook her head with a laugh.

“I cannot be pregnant. My avoir ses règles...menstruations? ‘ave been regular. Ze last one was lighter zan normal i zeenk eet must be all ze stress. Ze same zing ‘appen during ze triwizard tournament.”

Molly looked at Fleur in unbelief and wandered out of the kitchen leaving Fleur alone while she lifted another piece of cake into her mouth feeling her dizziness easing with the sugar her body was beginning to digest.

“Try this.” Molly returned to the kitchen with a vial of translucent liquid. “If you pee in a cup and then add this potion, about a teaspoon, if it turns pink your pregnant.” She explained handing it over to Fleur.

“Thank you, but eet eez impossible, we ‘ave been doing everyzing we can not to.” Fleur desired to be a mother, to share a baby with Bill but she had agreed with Bill it was too dangerous with the war raging throughout England. Bill had explained how strongly he felt about bringing a child into the world with fighting and persecution and fear. She too feared that scenario, her baby, her love and joy hurt and killed by the death eaters turned her stomach.

“Just try it.” Molly replied turning to the fridge.

Fleur studied the vial briefly, her heart wandering off with her mind imagining creating a family with Bill, a little boy with ginger hair smiling up at her while he was snuggled safely in her arms. Quickly the daydream turned dark, death eaters swirling around her, fighting to take her baby. She forced her way back to reality, to her kitchen, pocketing the vial and moving to help Molly.

...

Fleurs eyes snapped open, her body trembling in fear, her heart pounding, she sat up looking around the room suspicious and paranoid that the death eaters from her dreams had followed her into her home. She pushes herself up off the sofa where she had fallen asleep, her camomile tea sat half drunk on the end table. Fleur hadn’t been sleeping well while Bill was away working nights, it always took her hours to fall asleep and she never stayed asleep very long before she woke up startled by dark nightmares. She rubbed her heavy eyes before checking the time, there was still three whole hours before Bill was expected home. She reached down for her mug, the tea now cold as she carried it back to the kitchen. Fleur dropped the mug into the sink turning, raising her wand “nox.” She whispered, the kitchen collapsing into darkness. She began to climb the stairs when she heard a knock at the door. Fleur froze in place, she slowly turned on the second step and eyed the door, listening for any sound. The knock sounded again. She quietly moved towards the front door, raising her wand. “Who’s there.” She spoke loudly, emitting confidence ans power through her voice.

“It’s me Reg Catermole.”

“What song was playing when you, Mary and ze kids arrived?” Fleur questioned

“Flighty Aphrodite by Celestina Warbeck.” The voice answered from behind the door.”

Fleur sighed in relief as she unlocked the door and pulled it open finding a very tired and filthy Reg who stumbled over the threshold.

“You are ‘ome early. Eez everyzing ok? Where eez Beel?.” She poked her head out the door searching for her husband in the darkness but it was still and empty.

“Bill sent me home, he’s covering my shift. It’s hard work, I work at the ministry I am not use to hard physical labour.” Reg spoke exhaustion lining his voice. “You have a very kind husband.”

“Thank you.” Fleurs eyes shining with pride. “E eez one of the kindest wizards I know.” Fleurs heart swelled with love for Bill, his kindness, his selflessness and willingness to help others was just a few of the reasons she loved him dearly. Her chest ached, missing him even more than usual in that moment, wishing he was there with her.

“Go up and rest you look tired.” Fleur sent him up to bed, before checking the locks and spells protecting the door before she followed up to her own room.

Fleur shifted against the sheets, rousing from a heavy slumber, slowly and reluctantly she opened her eyes finding a brightness behind her eye lids. She rocketed up pulling her wrist up to her eyes squinting at the round face, reading 5:40. Her bounding heart slowed as she realised she hadn’t slept through Bill’s return home. She lifted her head and surveyed the room, the lightbulbs were still glowing, illuminating the bedroom from the night before it had been the light fixtures not the sun that she had first concluded. The book that she had been reading the earlier was still open beside her. She must have fallen asleep reading. She had been wide awake after being woken by a nightmare earlier that morning, she had started reading to keep her mind of the fear that bubbled inside her and in a hope to try send her back to sleep.

Fleur pulled back the covers and swung her feet over the side of the bed, her feet searching for her slippers. A wave of nausea washed over her, her head spinning. Her fingers clutched at the sheets below, wishing away the feeling, but it didn’t improve, it only built. Fleur flung herself up onto her feet, using all of her energy and speed to transport herself to the bathroom, just in time for the little of last nights dinner she had consumed to fly from between her lips and into the toilet bowl. She knelt on the cool tile floor as she heaved over the toilet, her heart racing as she tried to force air into her lungs between each hurl. She came to rest against the bathroom wall, trying to catch her breath once the heaving had subsided.

She forced herself up knowing Bill would be home soon. She splashed cold water against her face and set her toothbrush to work washing away the foul taste that lingered in her mouth before emerging from the bathroom looking washed out and exhausted.

Fleur stood at the window overlooking the back garden of Shell Cottage, the sun hadn’t yet peaked above the horizon but the darkness was surrendering and the stars had disappeared. The rising sun sent shimmering rays across the hills behind their house, the sky painted with gold and pink flecks. Her eyes scoured the space beyond the window for movement, her ears listening for the sound of an arrival over the chirping of the birds waking.

With a crack her eyes bolted to where the sound had come from and found a tall shadow crossing the lawn.

She flung open the door, stepping out onto the porch, pulling her robe tighter as the crisp cool morning air bit at her exposed skin. “My Sweet Ginger Pie.” She exclaimed, her eyes twinkling with excitement and relief, wasting no time she wrapped her arms around his neck, holding him tightly against her body. She could feel a dampness press through her thin pyjamas from Bills wet and mucky work clothes but it held no interest to Fleur, all that was important to her now was having her husband back home and in her arms.

“Ow was your night?” She questioned stepping back, her arms releasing him from her hug but weaving her fingers around his as she pulled him inside, closing the cool morning air behind them.

“I will start on breakfast if you want to shower?” She rose up on her tiptoes and placed a gentle kiss against his cheek, sending him upstairs before turning back into the kitchen.

Fleur was slow in preparing breakfast, pulling items out of the fridge was a battle this morning as she listened to the running water of the shower upstairs. With the pan heating up on the stove top she opened a bag of bacon, reaching in and placing the rashers in the pan, it didn’t take long before the meaty smell wafted into her nose and turned her stomach. Fleur felt her belly lurch, her torso contracted as she gagged, the temporary colour from her face from Bills return now draining. She forced her legs to move towards the sink where her body heaved choking on the last of what was left in her gut. Her fingers blanched white as she clutched the side of the counter.

When there was nothing left, she lent over to open the window letting the fresh morning air leak into the kitchen and rid the house of the nauseating smell of bacon. She wiped the green bile smeared against her chin with the backside of her hand. I only bought that bacon last week, she thought to herself, covering her mouth and nose with her hand as she turned off the stove with the almost burnt bacon and threw the cooked meat into the rubbish bin along with the bag of raw rashes concluding that it must have gone bad for it to smell that terrible.

Fleur had collected herself enough to throw a few eggs in the pan and toast some bread by the time Bill had returned back down to the kitchen. “Tea?” She questioned from the kitchen table placing her cup of ginger scented tea on the table so she could reach the teapot.

#War time AU #Bill and Fleur #alternative universe #bill weasley #Fleur Weasley #sweetgingerpie #beaute-epoustouflante #1997 #starter

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misiwrites · 3 years

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Beyblade Week Day 3

for the third @beybladeweek2021 oneshot set in the 4kingdoms-verse, i have a silly little story from the west. takes place at some random point before the beginning of the main fic.

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

Fashion / Flowers / Autumn

“Underplates… napkins… saucers… and the cup handles to the right.”

Mathilda places each piece of the set with meticulous care. After the cups and cutlery are in place, she arranges the jam and cream dish on the tray, and then, of course, the centrepiece of the table, the golden cake stand for the treats.

“Handmade by Sir Olivier!”

She giddily sets the macarons and finger sandwiches on the stand. Then a freshly brewed pot of black tea from the kitchen, and everything is ready to go. Her butterfly heart flutters with nervous excitement as she carefully lifts the heavy tray and slowly makes her way out of the servants’ quarters. She has to focus on each and every step to avoid making any silly mistakes that could end up in a tea-stained catastrophe.

It’s a lovely day in early Harvestmoon. Pleasant and still, perfect for having tea outside – not something that could be said about most days in the Country of West, usually so drizzly and grey.

Whatever the weather, Mathilda never grows tired of the beauty of the Tiger Maple Palace, and although acting as a maid isn’t exactly part of the royal page’s routine and the tray is so heavy that it leaves her arms sore, it’s an honour to be asked to serve afternoon tea to her favourite guests at the palace, Lady Chen Mao and her handmaid Julia from the mansion on Kuí.

She finds them under a canopy of branches of blazing orange and yellow, hunched over some papers and magazines on the patio floor. Mao’s holy beast companion, Galux, is having a nap on its designated cushion a few feet away.

“But there are so many different types of zan zi… Oh, look, the tea has arrived!”

Mao is stunning as always. The wide sleeves of her blue-and-orange ruqun dress billow along as she jumps to her feet; she wears her rose colour hair on two long braids today, their shape resembles chains of traditional Western paper lanterns, and Mathilda has no doubt that the style is in accordance with the latest trends of high fashion in this kingdom. The handmaid, Julia, is more composed than Mao and rises to her feet with more dignity, politely nodding at Mathilda who approaches them with the tray.

“Good afternoon, Lady Mao, Miss Fernández,” Mathilda greets them, her cheeks slightly flushed. Relief washes over her as she successfully lands the tray on the garden table. No casualties this time, and the tea is still hot.

“Hi, Matty! Is it okay if I call you Matty? It was Julia’s idea.” Like a robin, Mao soars over to the table, then quickly turns to face her handmaid. “Jules, bring the papers here so we can keep planning while eating.”

When Mao is distracted instructing Julia, Mathilda hurries over to pull a chair out for her. “Um, um, feel free to call me as you wish, milady.”

“Aren’t you one considerate sweetheart, Matty! And how lovely the tea looks! Are these macarons by Olivier again? He’s such a weirdo – I’ve never heard of a knight who’s also a cook before, not to mention a damn pastry chef! Sword in one hand, a rolling pin in the other, how reassuring.”

Mathilda says nothing; hearing Mao talk about her master in such a manner always makes her ears burn, but she can’t not admire her audacious nature all the same. That boyish edge in Mao’s behaviour must have rubbed off on her from her older brother, the Duke of Kuí, whom Mathilda has always found nothing short of intimidating.

As Julia joins Mao, Mathilda can see that the papers she has brought along include several volumes of fashion-related magazines and what look like blueprints for a fashion design project of some sort. She tries not to snoop too much, not wanting to cross her boundaries as an outsider, but she hasn’t even finished pouring the two cups full when Mao is already deliberately pulling her into the conversation.

“So about the zan zi – I was thinking I’d want it to follow the flower theme, but I don’t really want there to be too much gold… you know… and a chai would be a bit meh… Matty, what kind of hair ornaments do you like?”

“Me? Oh…” Mathilda, who always wears her hair short and simple, racks her brain for an answer of any substance. “Well, um… um... Oh, I went to the Tianguan market square earlier this week, and there was a stall with wonderful flower zan zi from the East… made of fabric… The vendor said that they were created to commemorate the Seiryuu-ou’s late mother… They looked very lovely.”

“From the East? That’s an amazing idea!” Mao darts a triumphant look at Julia across the table. “That’s really unique! You should go check them out with Matty.”

“Of course, milady.”

“But tea comes first, obviously.”

Mathilda ends up spending a long while with the other girls in the garden, leafing through the magazines and following along in curious silence as they (mainly Mao, although she clearly holds Julia’s opinions about fashion in high regard) build their design piece by piece, element by element, carefully considering each detail to complement the big picture. Mao is sketching the design on paper herself as they go, and it’s obvious to Mathilda that she’s quite used to doing this kind of thing.

“Lady Mao,” she asks after a while, “are you perhaps planning to launch your own fashion line? A whole catalogue? You are very good at design.”

“Wow, thank you! You know, that’s actually an amazing idea!” Mao claps her hands together in excitement, her golden eyes positively sparkling at Mathilda. “Let’s make a whole line! This lotus daxiushan can be the first one. Oh, oh, Jules, we need to do the hair next!”

“Glad you brought that up, milady, I actually have several styles bookmarked that I thought you might like.” Julia whips out a HoloPad, and soon the mid-air above the tea set is filled with an array of images of the most intricate braidwork that Mathilda has ever seen, so fantastical that it’s hard to believe that these are photos of real people’s hair. (Perhaps they are not.)

“Oh my cats. Jules, you are the best.”

Mathilda chuckles in content and delight, her hands nested in her lap. These two girls are so entertaining and so eccentric, she never knew the nobles could be this fun. She enjoys their company so much – perhaps a bit too much, even, for someone in her position...

But, for now, she decides to simply go with the flow and worry about it later.

* * * * * *

“Mao, what is this?”

“Shhh! Stop talking, you’re ruining the image! Stay totally still. Be like... what was the word again? Esoteric! You need to look esoteric, Rei-nii.”

Rei has no idea how a person is supposed to look esoteric, especially when he’s forced to stand still while posing in whatever unnatural stances Mao keeps coming up with, currently holding what he thinks is some sort of traditional brass instrument but the name of which he has no idea about.

The only reason he even agreed to a fashion photoshoot was that it’s Mao’s birthday and he wanted to please his childhood friend – but he wasn’t aware that in doing so, he agreed to a day-long session of acting as a doll designed by Mao and her handmaid, in a studio that they have somehow managed to build inside one of the pavilions of Tiger Maple, complete with several landscape backdrops.

It’s not that the clothes Mao is making him wear are bad; in fact, this outfit of a burgundy yichang dress and a dark blue daxiushang robe with a serpent-like lotus pattern adorning the broad yet lightweight sleeves feel rather comfortable in comparison to his usual formal robes that have an unnecessary abundance of coating, thanks to whoever in the past decided that the number of layers was a status symbol and therefore imposing a life sentence of drowning in a sea of layered silk upon the Byakko-ou... but the uncomfortably tight lace braids winding around his skull to form an enormous rosette of hair in the back of his head are a bit too much, as are the flower hairpins that nest above his temples and create a drooping curtain of red and white petals to frame his face; and, after several hours have already gone by, his arms and feet are beginning to hurt from standing still while holding whatever prop items the girls are sticking in his hands, from parasols to flutes and swords and whatever this newest addition is. He’s not used to standing around this much in his monotonous everyday life.

And even worse, Rei has already seen that Mao has an entire catalogue of self-made fashion concepts waiting that she wants to take pictures of him in.

The smallest of sighs escapes Rei’s lips. This doesn’t feel appropriate for his status. Incredible but true, he wishes he was instead having tea with Olivier right now.

“Stay still!” Mao immediately condemns him, “And stop looking so bored! You need to look more dramatic. You’re the king, Rei-nii, act more like it.”

What a long, long day this would end up being.

#my writing #4kingdoms stuff #LetItRip2021

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moonlighting-stellarts · 3 years

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✩THE BLUE ANGELS✩ ❤SOME STORIES TO TELL❤

Title:🎁🎄Special Solstice🎄🎁(Christmas parody)

Moon:Hello everyone,welcome to the special solstice (Christmas parody) this story that I decided to do with creativity and madness hehe,on this day December 24, also this day I decided to publish it on this special day,it is a special day to start this story¿Don't you think it's fantastic, dear reader? With nothing more to say,get ready to dive into a long story but with humor and fun so ... let's start the story!

Today was a happy day for the inhabitants of new mushroontown, today is solstice is very similar to Christmas, there were people playing in the snow making snow angels, snowmen, skating, fortresses, sleigh rides, ah I almost forgot about the snowball war.

While with the boys, Lan was with ian they were very huddled with many blankets watching TV, the two nerds did not like the cold, they did not want to catch a cold because of the cold blanket outside it looked like a refrigerator, instead Han, yan, zan and Barley saw a lot of people having fun in the snow from the window, at that moment Han told the others to go have fun, the others agreed with that, but Lan and ian didn't want to go to the snow with them.

Han: Because you don't want to go with us, come on, it will be fun, we will do a lot of crazy and fun for us and for you, why don't you want to take this opportunity with us?

Lan: First of all, it's very cold out there, it's obvious that I'm going to die from the tremendous cold I'll have there when I get out. Also, I don't want to catch a cold, I don't like to get sick.

ian: and secondly we would prefer that you were all with us, being well seated, watching TV and having hot chocolate with cookies, do you want to join?

ian turns around with a plate of cookies to give to the others, but the boys were not there, Lan and ian decided to look for them, han, yan, zan and barley were about to go out the door and they gave when Lan e Ian were behind them. The Others wore snow clothing such as jackets, scarves, hats or ear muffs to cover the cold and snow boots.

Han: Oh yeah we were so bored to hear why you didn't want to have fun with us, but trust me I'll be a little rude to you * winking at barley, zan yan *

Lan: What are they plotting and hiding doing? * Looking at both *

Zan: Gentlemen, if you'll excuse us, yan and me will go get something in the kitchen * grabbing yan by the arm quickly straight into the kitchen *

Lan: Could you at least tell us what you are hiding?

Han: Oh brother forgive me for doing this, I hope you will excuse me.

Lan, ian: ???

¡☆P O M☆!

Lan and ian were knocked out by zan and yan by two cooking pans, handore decided to dress them in snow clothes and take them to fun with them, it was all part of her plan.

Han: Alright guys, you'll have a lot of fun with us soon.

Zan: I think so

Yan: He will be excited when we arrive!

Barley: I'll carry the two nerds on my back like two sacks of potatoes

❤ After❤

Lan woke up little by little opening his eyes and saw that he was in the snow, he thought it was a dream but it was not a dream, then he looked everywhere in surprise and saw that Lan was wearing a snowsuit and ian was also wearing a snow suit. ian was still unconscious, Barley was carrying Ian and Ian like two sacks of potatoes, then Barley turned around and realized that Ian had woken up.

Barley: Oh apparently Lan woke up guys, maybe he's in a good mood to be with us!

Lan: Oh no… I want to go home right now!

Zan: Calm down, Party Pooper, much later we will go to your bat cave, we are almost in the fun zone.

Han: There are great friends waiting for us, we will do a lot of crazy things!

ian: Landore * waking up * where are we?

Lan: Welcome to the nightmare, it's good that you wake up.

Barley: Good thing the little wizard woke up!

ian: Oh no, don't tell me we got knocked out by them

Lan: Sure, but accept it, we give up, we'll have to ...

ian: Please don't say it ..

Lan: Playing in the snow.

ian: ¡¿WHY IS LIFE SO CRUEL TO US?!* Screaming desperately *

Then ian began to complain begging the others to take him home, but they said no, after a while the others reached their final destination, there were some nice friendly people waiting for them in a bridge.

ike: wow they came just in time!

ian: Wait a minute that voice sounds familiar to me, ikeshia?

ike: Oh ian I thought you weren't coming, plus I think you're in the mood for fun!

Ikeshia did not come alone, she brought company, along with her sister Nixine and with other relatives of the Swiftmoon family, of that family, there were 3 male elves with purple hair and mint green skin, there was one with purple eyes called Ruven Swiftmoon, there was another who with green eyes called Kindroth Swiftmoon, there was another with brown eyes called Adelion Swiftmoon, behind them another member of the family appeared, it was a girl with 7 years a little shy, she had coral colored hair like ikeshia and nixine, her eyes are yellow And she had two pigtails with pink bows. They all brought their clothes for the snow, also Ikeshia had two rabbit-shaped earmuffs to cover herself from the cold.

Ruven,Adelion,Kindroth: Wow,the lightfoots arrived just in time

Han: we came to break your skull!

Ruven: We'll see about it Handore, plus how he convinced the two nerds to join us. * Looking at the two nerds carrying like two sacks of potatoes *

Adelion: Barley you can get the two nerds off your back, I hate seeing them carry these two.

Barley lowers Lan and ian from his back delicately, also Lan was a little nervous he thought that the 3 brothers of ikeshia were going to kill them, but on the other hand ian knows how to play in the snow since he was little, but Lan was his first time in playing in the snow.

Barley: Lan are you shivering, are you cold or are you ... scared?

Lan: Scared no no no, I am too cold, because I should be scared I was never hmm ... scared never ever!* Shaking from fright or maybe from cold *

Barley: Guess this is your first time playing in the snow on solstice, come on Lan is that true?

Zan: Seriously Lan you don't know how to play in the snow,?!

Han: Come on Lan you don't have to be afraid, even if it's your first time playing in the snow.

Yan: We can teach you how to play in the snow, for example: Han, Zan, Barley and ian and me can teach you how to have fun!

ian: We can help you beat the 3 brothers of ikeshia, so you will be invincible and you will be a champion.

Lan: Well that's fine .. what do I have to do to learn?

ian collects snow on the ground and turns it into a snowball, then gives the snowball to Lan, ian explains how he throws snowballs.

* In this scene he has a little reference, let's see if he understands this reference guys, stay tuned *

Lan: throw it like that? * throws the ball boringly *

ian: Not like that, it's not done, do it with force.

Lan: Oh I understand.

While the swiftmoons were talking, then a snowball hit ruven and the ball was thrown by lan, causing ruven to throw a ball towards lan very hard, that's where the fun begins.

Lan: BALL! * Throws another ball towards ikeshia *

ike: Wow good aim Landore * brushing the snow off his face *

Lan: SNOWBALL! * Throws two balls at kindroth *

Kindroth: Snowball War!

The swiftmoons vs The lightfoots started a battle, snowball war, The lightfoota started creating lots of snowballs to attack them, both families started throwing snowballs, until Han stopped them.

Han: Wait guys we are missing something, is ... STRENGTHS! * Screaming *

Lan, Yan, Zan, Barley, ian: STRENGTHS!

Ruven: STRENGTHS!

Kindroth, Adelion, Ike, Nixine,Symania(Symania is the name of the little girl): STRENGTHS!

Ruven: Let's see who makes the best fortress in the world!

Han: We'll see about that Ruven, our strength will be better than yours!

Han: Get together guys we have to make the best fortress very best and big!

Lan,Yan,ian,Barley: Understood Handore!

Zan: WAIT BEFORE YOU START WITH, YOU MUST CHOOSE THE BATTLEFIELD!

Ruven: How about there!* Points to Ruven towards a field of snow *

The guys were running fast towards the snowy field, the field is ideal for a great duel of snowballs.

Lan: Han don't you think there is something missing? We need something for the swiftmoons not cross our territory.

Han: Oh sure, but first we will make a line for none of you to cross!

Han grabbed a stick on the ground and put the stick in the snow and started running like a flash, making a big line until he reached a tree.

Lan: Woah what speed you have han!

Han: Thanks Lan, now let's start preparing for battle!

The lightfoots and The swiftmoons: Let's battle it!

The lightfoots began to build their fortress quickly and making it much better and bigger, Han saw Lan and ian having fun building the fortress, Han liked that both nerds had fun with them.

While with the swiftmoons, he was not going to do it with his hands he had a very fast way to make a better and great fortress, they did it very fast, Ruven whistled at the lightfoots to show them his snow fortress.

Ruven: Look and cry friends The best supreme snow fortress of the swiftmoons

The lightfoots:

The others had no words to describe how big the SwiftMoons fortress was, it was the best fortress, it was very big, the others had questions about how they could finish so fast, until ian spoke

ian: HOW DID YOU DO IT SO FAST ?!

Ruven: One word: Magic

Han: WITH HELP FROM WHOM ?!

The 3 brothers looked and pointed at ikeshia, ikeshia shows them her magic necklace, she helped them with a bit of magic, she also had her necklace on, the lightfoots were shocked and surprised.

Han: So if she can do magic, so can we, Lan and ian his staffs! * Han snaps his fingers and two staffs fall from the sky *

Lan: Bro, how did you do that?

Han: Spell to teleport things, think of something you want it to be and it will appear falling from the sky, just snaps the fingers and that's it.

Han: Now prepare the fortress and make it a thousand times cooler than me!

Lan, ian: Ok understood!

Lan and ian along with their staffs did their best to finish the fortress and fast, while the swiftmoon fortress prepared the snowballs to attack the lightfoot territory, but this time with magic.

Lan,ian: Done!

Han: Hey swiftmoon fortress!,admire the great supreme lightfoot fortress!

(imagine that those people are zan,yan,ian,Lan and barley)

ike: woah what a beautiful fortress, look great 👍!

ian: oh hehe thanks ike *blush*

Ruven:

Kindroth: It looks better but our fortress has statues, you are not within our reach.

Lan: Oh sure thank you kindroth, statues have been said!

Kindroth:Not proble-....wait why?!

Ruven: You really dumb, did you have to spit that out ?!

Kindroth:Sorry Brother :c

Lan made with his staff a lot of snow sculptures but,in owl shapes and wolves, unicorns

(I wanted to add those snow sculptures, they seemed really wonderful)

In addition, Lan made a snowman with his staff in the shape of an ian.

(Guys I dare you to make a snowman, but ian lightfoot version, also you don't have to make the nose, just give it a big carrot (like its big nose) then put it on and voila, an ian lightfoot snowman)

ian: Wow he looks like me, I like him he's my twin now, oh and the other sculptures look great.

Lan: We are welcome to come up with a plan, to attack the swiftmoon territory?

Han: Obviously yes and our plan to attack them will be very brilliant, but this time with magic!

ian: You don't think it's enough magic to make them hurt, I mean I don't want to be a spoilsport ruining the plan, it's more I prefer to stay with my snow twin, watching how you throw snowballs into enemy territory.

Han: Ok, you will be the secret weapon, when we run out of opportunities to attack enemy territory, that's where you come in ¿okay?

ian: Ok han :)

(Now a music to put this very interesting story)

youtube

(I love this song it fits perfectly for the story)

The lightfoots entered his fortress to start creating snowballs that Barley brought with Zan and Yan, on the other hand they have brought binoculars to see the enemy territory up close, Lan prepared some spells to join them with the snowballs, while the 3 brothers from ikeshia were preparing to attack them with magic, ike was also with his little sister symania, making snowmen before starting the battle.

Han: I see you as a loser this time I will defeat you when I am the best, you will fall to shame, HAHAHA! * Evil laugh while watching ruven with his binoculars *

☆Meanwhile in swiftmoon territory☆

Ruven: Useless he won't know what awaits him, I bet I'll win and he'll lose, don't you think so nixine?

Nixine was not paying attention to his brother, Ruven, Nixine called him something, the attention was Han, she began to feel feelings towards him, however, she was like in love, but suddenly Ruven interrupted him from his fantasies.

Ruven: Nixine!,Nixine!,earth calling nixine!,Stop thinking about your crush!

Nixine: Yeah yeah whatever I'm just looking at the enemy

Ruven: You only look at him as in love,

Nixine: I hate that you dislike my first love, you are such a killjoy, every time I meet new people you always appear saying they are bad people.

Ruven: Sister I'm only doing it for your good, after that incident that happened a few years ago ...

Nixine: Please I don't want to remember it, it makes me feel weak every time you say it.

Ruven: We better not talk about it, let's just enjoy this.

✩Meanwhile in the lightfoot territory✩

ian: Rock paper or scissors!

ian was next to the rock-paper or scissors snowman, the others saw him strangely playing, with a snowman of himself.

Lan: The guy is weird apparently, but let's let him have fun while we are ready for battle.

Barley: It always happens every solstice, sometimes my little brother, he always played and chatted with snowmen that he always did, others thought him weird talking snowmen.

ian: Very well I will name you ian 2 twin!

Yan,Zan,Barley: This is too weird

Han: Lan could you tell me what time it is to start the battle?

Lan: It's barely noon at this time they are slow.

Han: It'll give us time to make more snowballs, how many snowballs do we have right now?

Lan: Since we started throwing snowballs we had few or more snowballs, but unfortunately we have 34 snowballs.

Zan: 34 snowballs left ?!

Yan: Impossible that we have spent so many snowballs!

Barley: Plus the enemy territory is doing it fast!

ian: it's because they do it with magic, don't you see?

ian pointed out where Ikeshia is multiplying snowballs, with her magic necklace, Symania linked the snowballs like a pyramid with Kindroth and Adelion helping her, Ikeshia said a spell called Multiply-Magnora, this spell made things multiply by two or three or more objects, ikeshia I learned it about 2 weeks, Han managed to hear the spell that said ikeshia.Handore looked for his binoculars as something caught his attention and it was Ikeshia doing magic.

ike: Multiply-Magnora!

Handore saw how ikeshia's eyes changed from purple to pink, then his magic hands were activated to later create a light, and that light was moving from one place to another, (an example my dear readers):

Then ikeshia enclosed the light in both of his hands, then ikeshia opened his hands and the light turned into a small bright yellow star, Han was shocked when he saw the magical act that ike did, Han began to memorize the details and movements that ikeshia did with the light, then ikeshia approached symania along with its luminous star, symania had a single snowball then ike released the star and the star floated towards the snowball and entered towards the ball, then the snowball moved creating lots of snowballs everywhere.

Ruven: How did sister come out?

Symania: The result was excellent!

Ruven: Great with that I can beat my enemy Han!

Han: Haha, do you think Ruven? I already found out about your magic secret that you have, I have to tell the others!

While with others

ian: Since then I was always so cowardly to face unicorns.

Zan: Wait apparently ian 2 wants to tell me something * Approaches the doll * Aha oh what an interesting fact.

Yan: What did him tell you?

Zan: He said that when the action starte

Barley: It will start when Handore says the orders to attack.

Han: Gentlemen, I have something to tell you that will surprise you!

Lan: Let's see, tell me today's gossip.

Zan: Did you see the disturber *Just kidding*

Han: It's more than that!

Yan: Bro already tell us what you say kills me with doubts!

This story will continue ...

Moon:What did you think of the first part ?,I got tired of writing so much until my poor hands have cramps oof,but I wanted to leave it up to here so that my hands do not suffer any more anyway,give a like or say something about this story or reblog!

°.✩┈┈∘*┈🌙┈*∘┈┈✩.°

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Moon:Also be patient while my hands rest after suffering from so much writing,when I have taken my break I will do the second part long or short...

9 notes · View notes

rootbeergoddess · 3 years

Text

Owlson for Mayor

Owlson runs for mayor of St. Canard. Does she have what it takes? Commission for @weirdkev27

Owlson couldn’t believe where her career had taken her. She had thought she would end up as a pencil pusher for some big company. She became CEO of a multitrillion-dollar company, and now, she was running for mayor of St. Canard. Working with Glomglod had proven to be too taxing, mentally and psychically. Owlson also wasn’t an adventurer, and it seemed like working with Glomglod meant adventure would usually follow.

Hopefully, being a mayor would be less stressful.

“Roxanne Featherly here and today, I have a special interview for you all,” Roxanne said. “Zan Owlson, former head of Glomgold Industries, has decided to run for mayor of St. Canard. Today, we will be asking her some questions about her campaign. Thank you for coming today, Zan.”

“Thanks for having me,” Zan said. “I’ve been looking forward to this. I have a lot I’d like to talk about.”

“Really? Like what?” Roxanne asked.

“Well, first, I wanted to talk about my billionaire adventure protection plan,” Zan said. “I know you and many others have experienced destruction at the hands of two famous Scottish billionaires.”

“Oh yes,” Roxanne said. “And what is this plan you have?”

Zan launched into her plan about protecting people from adventuring Scottish billionaires and then went into her plan for schools. The interview went well, with Roxanne being rather polite and listening intently to everything she had to say. When they had finished the interview, Roxanne shook her hand.

“You know, I wasn’t sure you had the chops to run for mayor,” Roxanne said. “But honestly, if you can handle Glomgold, I think you can handle anything.”

Zan took Roxanne’s hand and smiled. So far, so good. Next up was a public forum where voters could ask Zan questions. This was something Zan knew she could handle with ease. Talking to people and understanding them was her specialty. Even though she had trouble with Glomgold, she still had managed to handle him. Speaking to ordinary people was child’s play compared to what she used to do. “Alright, the first question,” The moderator said. “Let’s start with you, young lady.”

“Miss Owlson, I know you’ve experienced some supernatural beings in your life. How do you plan to keep St. Canard safe from magical threats?”

“Oh, that’s easy,” Zan said with a smile. “I was concerned about this matter, so I asked Scrooge McDuck for help seeing as how he’s one of the leading experts in magical defense. I will be doing everything in my power to make sure St. Canard has the perfect defenses against the black arts.”

People in the audience started to murmur and nod their heads. The young woman sat down, and a man stood up.

“What about crime? What if the Beagle Boys try to move to St. Canard?”

“I have a plan for that too,” Zan said. “I will not just strengthen the police department, but I will give them the proper tools to handle villains like the Beagle Boys. St. Canard will be a safe place.”

More people started to murmur and nod, filling Zan with a sense of accomplishment. She really couldn’t believe how well this entire thing was going. The rest of the forum went very well. There were no schemes or capers, just people asking questions. Zan wished she had done this sooner. “So what do you think?” Phillianne held up the poster.

The poster was bigger than Owlson had thought. Phillianne was helping her with advertising herself. Zan preferred to focus on what her campaign would be and how she’d change St. Canard. She was more business than creative. Phillianne decided she would be in control of advertisements. The only stipulation was that Zan didn’t want to do any commercials bad-mouthing her opponents. That was something Glomgold would do, and she was not him. “Does it have to be so big?” Zan asked. “And are you sure yellow is the best color for the background?”

“Darling, you have to trust me on this,” Phillianne rolled up the poster. “However, it seems like something is on your mind.”

“How could you tell?” Zan asked.

“Let me make you some nutmeg tea, and we’ll talk it over,” Phillianne kissed Owlson’s forehead.

Zan wished she was better at being open with her feelings. She was lucky that Phillanne was so understanding and patient. Sighing, Zan stood up and headed to the living room. She felt exhausted; her joints hurt, her feet were sore, and she was surprised she hadn’t passed out yet. She closed her eyes, listening to the kettle whistle.

“Here you are, dear,” Philliane handed her a cup. “So, what’s worrying you.”

“I guess I’m just letting my mind get the better of me,” Zan admitted.

“Let me guess you’re thinking about Glomgold, aren’t you?” Philliane asked.

“I can’t help it,” Zan sighed. “That man has given me so many headaches and breakdowns. I’m terrified he’ll ruin this somehow.”

“He’s all the way in Duckburg. You’ll be fine,” Philliane kissed Zan’s cheek. “You need to focus on yourself and what you want to do.”

“I know, it’s just hard sometimes,” Zan said. “I have a meeting with that school tomorrow. I’m hoping I do well.”

“I think you will,” Phillianne said. “You’re doing really well. I looked at your polls. You’re up ten percent.”

“That’s good,” Zan said. “I hope it’ll go up.”

“It will,” Philliane squeezed Zan’s hand. “You’ve got this. I know you can do this.”

Zan smiled and leaned against Phillianne. At least someone was here to be her rock. Going to the school had been the right choice.

Zan liked being around kids. They were the future, after all. They were also curious, and she always loved listening to their ideas. “Miss Owlson,” A girl raised her hand. “My name is Molly. One day, can I run for mayor just like you?”

“Of course you can, Molly,” Zan smiled at her. “Anyone can run for mayor.”

“Even though I’m a girl?” Molly asked.

“Anyone can run for mayor,” Zan repeated. “It doesn’t matter if you’re a girl, a boy, or non-binary. All that matters is that you want to do well for your city.”

“Ha, in your face Bobby!” Molly turned around and stuck her tongue at the boy behind her. “Girls can be the mayor!”

“But how?” Bobby asked. “My dad said only men should be politicians.”

“I’m sorry to say this, Bobby, but your father is wrong,” Owlson said. “Think of this. You have female teachers, male teachers, and some teachers who are neither. Does that change how they teach you? No, of course not. They’re all doing their jobs. They may do a few different things, but they’re still all teachers. The same goes for politicians. What matters is how we do our job.”

“I guess that makes sense,” Bobby said.

After a few pictures, Owlson was ready to head out to another debate. She grabbed her purse when little Molly ran up to her. Owlson was shocked when the young girl gave her a huge hug. She smiled as Molly looked up at her with huge, round eyes.

“When I grow up, I wanna be just like you!” Molly said.

Owlson felt like she would melt. Smiling, she got down on her knees and placed a hand on Molly’s shoulder.

“Well then, I hope to see you at one of the debates one day,” She said. Owlson felt like she was on cloud 9. That one small interaction with Molly had renewed her self-confidence. When she got home, Philliane was sitting on the couch, looking at her tablet. Owlson snuck up behind her and gave her a kiss on the cheek. Phillianne chuckled as Owlson sat down next to her. “You’re in a good mood,” Phillianne grinned.

“Phillianne, those kids really helped me realize that I’m doing the right thing,” She said. “I keep thinking I’m not cut out for this, that I can’t do this. But those kids gave me the push I needed.”

“That’s my girl,” Philliannesaid. “If you liked that, wait until you see this.”

Phillianne held up her pink tablet. It was a video of Scrooge McDuck. Phillianne pressed play on the video.

“Hello, Owlson,” Scrooge said. “So I heard you were running for Mayor of St. Canard. While we haven’t always seen eye to eye, I respect you greatly. Anyone who can manage Glomgold Industries, pull it out of the muck, make it a real company, and manage to make Flinty behave is okay in my book. So, I’ll be endorsing your campaign and, to help you out, sending you $500 million. Good luck and----DEWEY, STOP MESSING WITH THAT!”

The video cut off at that moment.

“$500 million? To me?” Owlson gasped. “But---why?”

“You heard him,” Phillianne said. “He believes you. He’s also right. If someone can handle Flintheart Glomgold, the world’s worst immature rich person, you could handle anything.”

“You know, I think we should celebrate,” Owlson said. “How about we go to dinner tomorrow?”

“Oh, you are in a good mood,” Phillianne said. “Where should we go? That nice little Chinese buffet?”

“I have a better idea,” Owlson said with a grin. “Two hotdogs with all the fixings,” Pedro handed the food to Owlson. “And a side of my famous cheese fries.”

“Pedro, the fanciest restaurant in town has nothing on your food,” Phillianne slipped a few five-dollar bills into his tip jar. “Agreed,” Owlson said. “Thanks, Pedro.”

“How can I say no to my two favorite customers and the future mayor?” Pedro said. “I can tell everyone that the Mayoreats at my humble, little establishment. You’ll never forget me, right?”

“Pedro, where would I get my mango ice cream?” Owlson asked. “You’re irreplaceable.”

Pedro waved them off as Zan and Phillianne found a table. The beach was almost empty, with only a few stragglers. They sat at a table that gave them the perfect view of the sunset over the ocean. Owlson took a bite of her hotdog, glancing at the gorgeous sky. She couldn’t believe how well things were going for her. She had been waiting for something to blow up in her face like they usually did when she worked for Glomgold. But here she was, getting close to achieving her dream.

“You know I’m proud of you, right, dear?” Phillianne said suddenly.

“Really? Why?” Zan asked.

Phillianne wiped away some chili from her girlfriend’s beak.

“That’s a silly question,” Phillianne said. “You’ve worked hard. You’re also not being intimidated. There are so many people who think a woman has no place in politics.”

Zan thought about little Molly and her question. Zan knew that sexism existed everywhere, but she had never focused on it. It wasn’t that it wasn’t an important issue. She just felt it was better to push forward and show those who doubted you wrong. That is what she was doing. Thinking about this made her feel proud of herself.

“I never thought about it that way until today, honestly,” Zan said. “That little girl looked at me like I had just helped her figure out the meaning of life. I don’t know if I’m a hero or anything, but I am happy that me just being mayor will inspire little girls.”

“Look at you, being a hero to millions,” Phillianne teased, nudging Zan. “Of course, you were my hero first.”

“Now you’re just being mushy.”

“Hush, you love it,” The news had hit Zan like a truck.

There was always the fear in her mind that there could be a miscount or someone stole the votes. What if some monsters from ancient times wanted to duel her for the right to be mayor? No, nothing like that happened. A few days after the election and all the votes were tallied, Phillianne shook her awake.

“Zan, the news!” She said.

She pulled Zan along to the television, where a vast picture of Zan was being displayed with the words ‘New Mayor: Zan Owlson.’

All her work had paid off, and she had gotten what she had wanted. It didn’t seem real for a second. It felt like a dream. Phillianne kissed her repeatedly, gushing about how proud she was. Zan was silent for a full minute before she was able to speak.

“I won?” She asked.

“Yes, you did!” Phillianne squeezed her. “Oh, darling, you did! You’re the new mayor of St. Canard! I knew it, I knew you were going to win. I’m so proud of you.”

“I won?” Zan repeated.

“Oh dear, I think the news has broken you,” Phillianne said. “Come along, I’ll make you some breakfast, Madame Mayor.”

Zan let herself be led to the kitchen, and she sat down. This was so surreal to her. Yes, this was what she had wanted, but she just couldn’t believe it. She was now mayor. A smile appeared on Zan’s face as realization started settling in. Phillianne hummed as she worked on a breakfast for Zan.

“I won!” Zan shot up, laughing. “Phillianne, I won!”

“That’s right, dear, you did,” Phillianne smiled at her. “Amazing, isn’t it?”

“I can’t believe it,” Zan said. “There was a chance that I’d lose. I just can’t believe it. This is like a dream.” “It’s real, dearest,” Phillianne brought over a plate. “Sit down and enjoy your first breakfast as the mayor.”

“You know I couldn’t have done this without you,” Zan said. “Oh, and I need to thank Scrooge.”

“You know who else you should possibly thank?” Phillianne poured some coffee. “Glomgold.”

Zan was about to say Phillianne was crazy, but she paused. As much as she had hated working under Glomgold, she had learned a lot. She learned to be resourceful, to be patient, and when to put her foot down. While she never wanted to work with him again, Zan realized that her short time at his company had made her who she was today.

“Maybe I’ll send him a fruit basket,” Zan mused. “As much as I despise the man, you are right.”

“I’m not saying you have to adore the man,” Phillianne said. “I’ve met him several times, and I honestly don’t understand how he’s still alive.”

Zan chuckled. It was surprising how Glomgold had managed to survive this long. Maybe spite was his motivator, and it added to his long life. Zan didn’t know, but she did have to admit that working with Glomgold had helped her.

“I still can’t believe it,” Zan smiled. “I’m Mayor.”

Phillianne kissed Zan’s cheek as she sat down.

“I’m so proud of your sweetie,” Phillianne smiled warmly at Zan. “You’ve worked so hard. Those long hard nights paid off.”

“Yeah,” Zan leaned against Phillianne. “Thanks for everything. I don’t think I could have done this without you.”

“Oh, I don’t believe that.” “No, I’m serious,” Zan looked at her. “Ever since I’ve met you, your confidence has rubbed off on me. I can’t thank you enough for all you do.”

“You can thank me with a kiss.”

And that is precisely what Zan did.

#Rootbeer Writes #Ducktales #Zan Owlson #Disney

9 notes · View notes

trekkiehood · 4 years

Note

How about one, nine, ten, and eleven?

I just answered 1 and it should be in the post before this one if you want to look lol.

9. Most disliked character(s)? Why?

CALLIOPE

I cant rewatch episodes with her. She annoys me too much. Far too much. Like there's a healthy dose of annoying and then there is Calliope.

I'm a terrible person and kinda wished that Raps would just let Cass kill her.

That's how much she annoys me.

10. Most disliked arc? Why?

Cassandra's villain arc was garbage.

At the begining I wasn't a fan of Varain's redemption but it makes more sense now that I've had time to think about it.

Cassandra on the other hand...

The more I think about it the less it makes sense.

Like... I get that Gothel was her mom... but... what does that have to do with her villain arc? Why was that her mainf focus? And why was she so destructive and yet so unsure? Why is she on a murder spree one day and the next wanting to make amends anyway possible only to want to kill everyone again within 24hs!? Like... I get shes "conflicted" but... but... but why? I know Zan Tiri manipulated her but mind control or possession would have made much more sense.

Not to mention as soon as she lost the Moonstone she was sorry? But I thought we decided it wasn't controlling her? Is she really this unstable?! What is this arc????

I actually don't hate the 3rd season and am much more gracious to it than most. I enjoyed the episodes if not the arc. And everyone else had great s3 arcs but they just got Cass wrong.

11. Is there an unpopular character you like that the fandom doesn’t? Why?

Idk the fandoms feelings towards Stalyan but I adore. Like I hate her but adore her.

I hate her redemption arc (episode) almost as much as Cass's villain arc bc she's such a great character.

She's a villain and just because she's selfish. It's not some big plot, she's just a manipulative little... jerk. She's so bad and I love that. I love that they gave Eugene an abusive partner. And abusive FEMALE partner. Just... Beyond the Corona Wall might be my fave episode of the whole show just bc of Stalyan.

The rest of the fandom might love her too but idk. I agree with the majority of the fandom on most things tho so idk lol.

Thanks for asking!

Feel free to send more ❤

#answer #tangled negativity #negativity #anti cassandra #tangled #wind at her heals #calliope #stalyan #cassandra

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devilsrecreation · 4 years

Text

So I was watching a clip of the movie “Storks” where the wolves were about to eat the baby, but found her so cute that they decided to keep her...and then I thought about the same scenario with pirates and Janice....

(The Mayhem all pop out of their hiding places and see the pirates surrounding Janice, who is tied to a wooden pole in the middle of the ship)

Blind Pew: Listen, I am ze most threatening pirate! I will torture her first!

Black Dog: Hey! I’m the scariest around here! I should do it!

Pew: Zhere is no need! I shall do it! I’m scarier zan you! You’re just a leetle doggie!

Black Dog: That’s it!

(The two start fighting)

Janice: Oh wow! Like, is this really the best way to solve your problems? You guys shouldn’t be fighting. I’m sure you’re BOTH rully scary pirates!

(Pew and Black Dog stop. All the pirates “awww!”)

Pew: What just happened?...

Black Dog: Whaaat....

Pew: What did she just do?

Black Dog: Was that?....

Janice: (smiles)

Pew: Where were we?

Black Dog: Oh yeah...

(Pew and BD go on opposite sides to where Janice is)

Pew: I am going to be ze one to show her Davy Jones’ locker!

Black Dog: I’m gonna bite her arm clean off! (He charges towards Janice. Janice looks away. The rest of the band are about to jump out when they see Black Dog licking her cheek. Janice giggles)

Pew: You did not bite her arm clean off

Black Dog: She tastes like flowers~

Pew: Stand aside! ARGH! (is about to attack, then starts to touch Janice’s hair)

Black Dog: Look. Look what you did

Pew: I did somezing similar to what you did

Pew and BD: .....(both start gently touching Janice’s hair)

Janice: Aww! You boys are just too sweet! I knew you had good in you!

BD: I’m in love. Are you in love?

Pew: Oui. I am in love! Are you in love?

BD: I’m in love too

Pew: I agree! We should keep her, no?

BD: Hey guys!

Pew: (cutting the rope) Zis woman is now a pirate everybody!

Janice: Awww! Thank you!

(The pirates start murmuring)

Polly Lobster: What’d he say?

Angel Marie: What?

Clueless Morgan: Wait, what’s happening?

Pew: Morgan, we are keeping her!

Morgan: Okay, thank you.

Zoot: Wha-what’s happening?

Teeth: It seems that these buccaneers have taken a certain fondness of our lead guitarrest

Floyd: Why am I not surprised?

Animal: Pirates like Janice?

Lips: Who would have known?

Pew: I am going to teach her how to fight with a sword!

BD: Yes.

Pew: And teach her to threaten landlubbers.

BD: Uh huh

Pew: Zat eez my favorite thing to teach

BD: Yup...she looks so pretty

Pew: Do not come close you fool, you are going to scare her! (hits Black Dog)

Janice: Woah! Boys! It’s okay! How about teaching me some pirate songs instead? You must be great singers, fer sure!

Pirates: (clutch their hearts) Awwww!

Pretty much how it would go down...Who doesn’t love Janice? Am I right?

#muppets treasure island #electric mayhem #clueless morgan #blind pew #black dog #polly lobster #angel marie #the muppets

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jenesislabariel · 4 years

Text

Day 18: Panglossian (Makeup Day)

Panglossian adjective marked by the view that all is for the best excessively optimistic

------------------------------------------

Jenesis knew that real life was rarely so neat and tidy.

Although she often tried to allow the optimism of her friends to fuel her, her views were rarely so panglossian. She had experienced too much in her thirty-some years to believe so fervently that things would always somehow work themselves out in the end.

From a certain perspective, perhaps things had worked out for the best in her circumstances. Estrangement from her brother aside, Jenesis had fought, faced, and conquered much in her lifetime, although Exodus’ wrath still haunted her daily. Still, she had made some true friends and their company frequently overrode much of the pain.

They all believed so fervently in the work they did that Jenesis often found it difficult not to become wrapped up in their passion. Whenever Mirazu assured them that everything would be fine, she believed that, whole-heartedly.

Of course, he was occasionally wrong, like when Zan broke his femur a year or so back. Mirazu had waved it off as a fluke. Zan did not so much agree.

She was unsurprised, then, to find Mirazu’s usual placid exterior already in place as she and Kyrn rejoined them on the other side of the chamber. Jenesis glanced toward Iva, inclining her head in acknolwedgement.

“I see you know how to carry yourself in a fight,” she said. Iva nodded, sheathing her sword and tucking the crystal that had been floating above her left hand into a leather holster hanging from her belt.

“I’ve picked up a thing or two over the years,” she said with a shrug. “All those Garleans picking fights all the time, well, it was either learn how to fight back or accept the alternative, which is something I wasn’t particularly keen to do.” A small smile curled Jenesis’ lips.

“Then you’re in like company,” she said, gesturing at the group. “Feelings of loathing toward Garleans aside, I suppose we should find out way out of here.”

“There’s likely a hidden passageway,” Mirazu said, moving toward the wall and tapping. “Spread out and look. They wouldn’t go through all the trouble to build a tunnel and chamber like this only for it to lead to nowhere.”

“You mean like that hidden passageway?” Kyrn said, pointing. They all followed the line of his hand, starting in stunned silence as part of the wall shifted and gave way to form a new door.

“Must have triggered something when we beat that thing up,” Zan said with a shrug. “Well, what’s the word, Mirazu? Do we keep going?” Mirazu brushed some dust from his robes and began walking toward the new doorway.

“As always, yes. We keep going.”

#ffxivwrite2020

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bestillmyslashyheart · 5 years

Text

The alien, the Antarian, gasped his last breaths and fell silent. Around him, Max, Isobel, and Michael stared in shock, unable to react.

“What just happened?” Isobel finally asked.

Michael and Max turned to gape at her, Michael shrugging helplessly while Max opened his mouth to try and offer an explanation. Nothing came out.

“No really,” Isobel insisted. “What the hell?”

Five minutes prior, the three of them had been enjoying a drink on Max’s back porch, soaking in the rare opportunity to sit back and relax for a spell. In the blink of an eye, the man, the Antarian, had appeared before them, bleeding heavily from a stomach wound. Without bothering to introduce himself he’d gone straight into a monologue about their collective and individual destinies and how the three of them were meant to save Antar and return their planet to its former glory. He’d called them Zan and Vilandra and Rath and stepped through their minds as he showed them his memories and his hopes for what they would achieve.

And then he’d died, mid-sentence, leaving so many questions in his wake.

“Where did he come from?” Max asked, snapping out of his stupor and looking around as if hoping to spot a vehicle they all knew wasn’t there.

“We’re supposed to save a planet we’ve never even seen?” Isobel asked, incredulous. “What if we don’t want to?”

“Isobel!” Michael chided.

“What?” Isobel shrugged defensively. “I’ve had enough of other aliens screwing up my life lately. I just want everything to get back to normal, not be sent off on a predestined quest to another planet to save it from itself!”

“It’s not another planet, Iz, it’s our planet,” Michael argued.

“No it’s not,” Isobel argued. “Earth is. We’ve lived our whole lives here. This is our home.”

“So you want to leave our people to suffer?” Michael stood up.

Isobel sighed and rose to her feet too. “I’m not saying that. I’m just saying I don’t think it’s our responsibility just because some guy showed up and told us it was. We don’t even know who he was or where he came from.”

Michael didn’t have an answer for that.

“Let’s worry about what he said later and try to figure out who he was first.” Max stepped back onto the patio as he spoke. “Also, who he was talking about.”

“Us, Max, he was talking about us.” Isobel rolled her eyes.

Max glared at her. “He mentioned that Zan is supposed to be king and Rath a general. Iz, I’m assuming you’re Vilandra but I don’t know which one of us is who, Michael.”

“I’m Rath,” Michael stated confidently, without hesitation.

Max eyed him with surprise. “You’re sure? You don’t think you’re the king?”

Michael shook his head, his eyes fixed on something Max and Isobel couldn’t see. “I’m Rath.” He stated again.

“Ok,” Max said slowly.

“So that makes you our king,” Isobel told him. “Your Majesty.” She gave an elaborate mock bow. Michael snorted and followed suit.

Max glared at both of them until they straightened. “I’m not a king, whatever that man said. And Michael, you’re not a general. That guy could have just been saying nonsense. Just because he was an alien like us doesn’t mean he was telling the truth.”

“I don’t know about all of it, but my name is Rath.” Michael worried his lip but his voice never wavered.

“Why are you so sure?” Isobel asked, exchanging glances with Max.

Michael shrugged. “I just am.”

“Ok then,” Isobel agreed uneasily. “How do we verify everything else he said? If we’re sure he was telling the truth about our real names, I mean.”

“We need to do something with the body,” Michael interjected. Isobel and Max looked down at the corpse almost in surprise. They’d been so wrapped up in processing what the man had said, they’d almost forgotten his body was still at their feet. “We should call Kyle or Liz. Maybe they can do an autopsy and figure out what killed him.”

Max nodded and pulled out his phone.

---

“You really could have just dropped me off, you know. I didn’t need to come with,” Alex protested as Kyle pulled up to Max’s house and shut the car off.

Kyle shot him a look but didn’t bother to answer as he threw open his door and stepped out. He paused to wait for Alex and the two entered the house together, not bothering with knocking. They followed the sounds of raised voices to Max’s office at the back of the house.

“It’s a little funny,” Liz was saying as they walked in. She was standing close to where Max sat at his desk, a hand pressed to her mouth to try and suppress a laugh. Alex followed her gaze to find Michael perched on the edge of the couch, glaring at her. Oddly enough, Maria was on the other side of the room, her head turned towards the window as she appeared to ignore what was going on. Alex eyed the distance between Michael and Maria and tried not to read anything into it. Just because it was the furthest apart he’d seen them in months didn’t mean anything was wrong between them.

“Oh good, you’re here,” Isobel greeted as she walked past them into the room, a bottle of wine and a bottle of acetone clutched in her hands. She tossed the acetone to Michael as she settled on the couch next to him and took a long swallow of the wine. “Body’s out there,” she gestured with her head to the patio as the room fell quiet around them.

Kyle nodded slowly. “Right. And I’m not supposed to ask why you have a body on your patio?”

Max shrugged. “He showed up out of nowhere. Literally. One second there was nothing and the next he was standing in front of us bleeding out from a wound on his stomach.”

Kyle furrowed his brow as Alex glanced among the three aliens. The call for them to come over was nonspecific on the details so this was the first they were hearing about any of this. “He’s an alien?” Alex asked. “Where did he come from?”

“We were hoping you could tell us,” Max answered. “So far the only aliens on Earth have been in Roswell or locked up as part of Project Shepherd. Can you find out if there are any other sites?”

Alex weighed his answer carefully. “I can try,” he told them. “But I’ve been going through Project Shepherd files for months now and I haven’t seen anything. I’ll keep looking but I wouldn’t hold out hope.”

Max nodded. “Thanks. While you’re working on where he came from, Kyle we were hoping you could tell us more about how died.”

“How did he get here?” Kyle asked as he crossed to the door.

“They don’t know,” Liz chimed in. “Obviously there’s another alien power they don’t know about. I’m going to take a blood sample and see if there is anything in his DNA or his blood that would indicate other gifts. As gruesome and horrible as this is, I can run tests on my new serum without risking any of you.” She directed that last bit to Max, Isobel, and Michael before turning back to Kyle. “I’m not sure how much help I will be but if you need another pair of hands for the autopsy, I’m here to help.”

Kyle nodded at her in thanks as he pushed the door open and walked outside to examine the body.

“Did he say anything?” Alex asked. “While he was dying?”

Isobel hummed in response as she took a big sip of her wine. “Apparently, my name is really Vilandra while Max is really named Zan and is destined to be the King of our home planet and Michael over here,” she nudged him with her elbow, “is really Rath, the general who will lead Zan’s forces. And together, the three of us will rule the planet and restore peace and prosperity.” Her voice took on a distinctly mocking tone towards the end but Alex didn’t hear it.

Kyle came back into the room and the conversation turned back to what to do with the body outside. Alex heard none of it. His blood was rushing in his ears and deafened everything else. He honestly wasn’t even sure he saw anything really. It was like he was walking around in a daze. He heard his own voice at one point but he had no idea what he was saying. The only thing he was aware of outside of himself was Michael’s gaze boring into the side of his face.

“You ready to go?” Alex’s head snapped to the side at Kyle’s words. The man gazed at him worriedly but didn’t say anything as Alex nodded and stood to leave (and when had he even sat down?).

“Alex!” The pair stopped just inside the front door at Liz’s voice. Alex turned to see her following them, her body betraying her apparent nerves.

“Yeah?” Alex asked. “Something wrong?”

Liz glanced at Kyle before speaking. “Look, I know this isn’t my place and it’s not my business and I should really butt out...”

“But?” Alex urged her on.

Liz took a deep breath. “I don’t know if you had anything to do with it, but I think it would be best if you stayed away from Maria for a little while.”

Alex stared at her in confusion. When she didn’t offer anything more he looked to Kyle for clarification but the other man was obviously as confused as he was.

“What-why?” Alex asked.

Liz sighed. “I know you and Michael are close and I think it would really bother Maria if she saw you two together now that Michael’s broken up with her.”

Alex opened and closed his mouth a few times but nothing came out.

“What?” Kyle asked from beside him. “What the hell are you talking about, Liz?”

“Michael broke up with Maria earlier,” Liz explained. “And your name came up, Alex. I’m just saying it might be kinder to Maria to give her some space and not be around her for a while, especially if there’s anything going on between you and Michael. Not that I’m saying there is!” Liz hurried to add. “Just- I don’t know, just try to be considerate of how she’s feeling?”

Alex had to laugh. It was cold and humorless but it was most definitely a laugh. “You want me to be considerate of Maria’s feelings and give her space so she doesn’t have to see me with Michael? Are you fucking kidding me? That’s-” Alex laughed again. Behind Liz, Michael stepped into the hallway but didn’t move to join them. Alex met his eyes for a beat before looking back at Liz. “I have barely spoken to Michael. And I definitely did not have anything to do with him breaking up with her. I’d like to say I’m sorry for her but I’m not that nice of a person. Now, I have some research to do. I’ll keep you all posted on what I find.”

Alex spun and walked out with a final glance at Michael, leaving a confused Liz in his wake as Kyle hurried after him.

“Are you okay?” Kyle asked as they got into the car.

Alex ran a hand over his face. “No. And no, I don’t want to talk about it.”

Kyle shot him a worried look but didn’t say a word the whole drive back to Alex’s cabin. He stayed silent as he got out and followed Alex into the house.

“What?” Alex asked when it became apparent Kyle wasn’t going to leave.

“Does anyone know about you and Michael?” Kyle asked.

Alex chuckled humorlessly. “Everyone knows, haven’t you heard?”

Kyle shook his head. “Everyone thinks they know. But does anyone know the truth? Because the myth that’s going around is that you two had a brief little thing in high school and that’s it. Which I think is total bullshit even though you won’t tell me anything. So I’m asking, does anything know the truth?”

Alex sighed as he sat down heavily on the couch. “No. Not really. Or at least, not that I know of. He could’ve told people but from what I’ve seen and heard, he hasn’t.”

“It was more than just a little high school fling wasn’t it?” Kyle asked softly. “You loved him.”

Alex huffed and rolled his eyes. “I’ve been in love with him since I was 17.” He finally admitted and Kyle’s eyes widened in surprise.

“Woah,” Kyle let out softly. “I- I’m not sure what I was expecting but-”

“Yeah,” Alex agreed.

“That was a shitty thing Liz said,” Kyle told him. “Maria never gave you space or kept her relationship with Michael away from you. Even if you were with Guerin, you wouldn’t owe her that courtesy.”

“They don’t know, Kyle. Well, Maria knows I was in love with him but I think she thinks it was one sided or all in the past or whatever. But I never told Liz a damn thing about me and him so whatever she knows or thinks she knows she got from Maria.”

The front door swung open and cut off Kyle’s reply. He spun in surprise to see Michael walking in and shucking his boots. Kyle turned to stare at Alex but Alex only rolled his eyes.

“Thanks for the ride, Kyle. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Kyle glanced between him and Michael and back a few times before nodding and leaving without another word.

Michael shoved his hands into his pockets and rocked back on his heels as silence fell over the cabin in Kyle’s wake.

Alex grabbed a pillow and hugged it to his chest as he stared at Michael, willing him to go first.

“I broke up with Maria.”

Alex scoffed. “Yeah, I heard.”

“Yeah, I know. I’m not sure what Liz was thinking.”

“She was trying to be a good friend to Maria. And it’s not her fault she has no idea how hard it’s been for me to see you two together.”

Michael flinched. “I’m sorry.”

“No you’re not.” Alex countered.

“I never meant to hurt you. That wasn’t the point.”

“Just because you didn’t mean to hurt me, doesn’t me you didn’t.” Alex pointed out. “I mean, for fuck’s sake Michael, Maria?”

“She was easy. Simple. She was someone who wasn’t all tied up in the whole alien thing.”

“And Caulfield.”

“And Caulfield.” Michael agreed quietly. “I needed something easy, Alex. I love you so much but sometimes it just hurts. And I wanted to stop hurting. Just for a little while.”

Alex hugged the pillow tighter and nodded slowly. “And now?”

“Now....” Michael trailed off. “Now I know my name is Rath.”

Alex closed his eyes. “You’re absolutely sure the alien was being truthful about that?”

“Well he spoke about our destinies, about Zan, Vilandra, and Rath’s destinies that is, but he was nonspecific as to who was who. I suppose it’s possible that Max is actually Rath but...” he trailed off again at Alex’s glare. “He was in our heads, Alex. I know he spoke the truth.”

Alex nodded again. “Ok.”

“Ok?” Michael asked, his eyebrows narrowing.

Alex shrugged one shoulder. “What do you want me to say, Michael? Your name is Rath.”

“Alex-”

“It doesn’t change anything.” Alex cut him off. “We still have a decade of issues and serious communication problems. And that’s just us. That’s not even factoring in the fact that my family held yours locked up for decades and then killed your mother.”

Michael flinched. “That’s not on you, Alex.”

“I know,” Alex agreed calmly. “But you can’t tell me that’s not an issue for you. That seeing me doesn’t remind you of my father and what he did.”

Michael shook his head. “You are not your father, Alex. Yeah, maybe I needed to take time to get my head on straight, but I have never thought you were your father. He is a monster who deserves to pay for everything he’s done to you and to me. You are nothing like him.” Michael’s voice was earnest but Alex couldn’t let himself believe him.

“Michael-”

“I take it back.” Alex’s eyes shot over to Michael’s in surprise.

“What?” Alex asked.

Michael shook his head as he perched on the coffee table in front of Alex. “What I said that day outside the Airstream, I take it back.”

Alex closed his eyes as he remembered. It had been the last time they spoke, really talked. The day after Noah died, after Max died, after everything went to shit.

“I wasn’t lying, Alex.” Michael’s voice was hard.

Alex stared at him, his brain too busy taking in the smell of Maria’s perfume to really listen to Michael’s words.

“In the prison, when I said I didn’t love you,” Michael continued. “You know as well as I do that I can’t love you. Not really. Not like you deserve. You’ve got someone out there waiting for you. Someone who is going to love you like you deserve. But that’s not me. It was never me and it was never going to be me.”

“Stop,” Alex finally choked out. “Just stop.”

Michael looked away. “Maria’s safe. She’s not going to be constantly waiting for someone else.”

“You know I never cared about that!” Alex yelled at him. “I couldn’t give a shit about some pre-destined bullshit. I just-” He couldn’t finish the sentence. He couldn’t tell Michael that all he wanted was him. Was to love him forever. That he was already in too deep to ever come out in one piece. Not when Michael was finally ending things for good.

“Which part?” Alex asked. “The part where you could never love me? Or the part where I was always waiting for someone better than you?” He glared at Michael.

Michael hung his head. “I love you, Alex. I’ve loved you since I was 17 and you made me feel safe for the first time in my life. Ever since you calmed the chaos inside me by just being with me. I wanted so much to believe that it didn’t matter that I wasn’t marked by destiny. I just wanted you. But I can’t deny that the thought never occurred to me, that you were always waiting for someone else. That that was why you kept walking away from me.” Michael’s voice got quieter as he spoke. “I shouldn’t have said any of it. No matter how true or untrue it was, it was cruel to throw that in your face.”

“Yes it was.” Alex agreed readily. “You know I’ve never told anyone else. That I only ever trusted you with it and for you to just-” he shook his head and looked away. “It hurt, Michael. Maybe more than Maria.”

“I’m so sorry.” Michael’s voice was honest and sincere and Alex had no trouble believing him. He hadn’t lied when he said Michael was a miserable liar. Alex could always tell when Michael was being honest.

Taking a deep breath, Alex tossed aside the pillow and leaned forward until he could reach Michael. Without saying a word, Alex cupped Michael’s face gently and tilted his head forward until their foreheads collided gently.

“I was always so scared of it.” Alex admitted softly. “The idea that it might be possible to love someone more than I love you terrified me because how could that even be possible?”

“It’s not,” Michael said just as quiet. Slowly, he walked a hand up Alex’s leg from where it had been perched on his knee. Alex shifted to give him space and Michael’s fingers slipped inside his jeans and his boxers in a practiced move, his fingers searching only briefly until they found what they were looking for.

In ten years, Michael had carefully avoided ever touching Alex in one place, a small patch on right side of his pelvis.

It was where Alex’s Mark was. According to some it was a mark of God, though others said it was destiny. Either way, it was agreed that to have a M ark was a miracle. Most people spent their lives searching for their true love, their better half. But the very lucky ones knew. From the day they’re born, the Marked have the name of their other half imprinted on their bodies. Not everyone finds their Named, but every once in a while, they do.

Alex had always been careful to keep his Mark secret and hidden. He wore skin colored patches whenever he might have to take his clothes off and thanked whatever higher power had created it that it was hidden by his clothes most of the time. In his life, he’d only ever told one person about it.

Michael’s finger brushed over it and every nerve ending in Alex’s body alighted. It was a rush like no other and Alex was pretty sure he came on the spot.

When he came back down to Earth, who knows how many minutes later, Michael had gotten his pants unbuttoned and shoved out of the way so he could see the Mark clearly, his finger running over it reverently. Alex sighed and dug his hand in Michael’s curls as he gazed down at his Mark.

Rath

#malex fic #malex #my fic #rnm

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planetsam · 5 years

Note

A sequel for the Alex & Rath story, please?

“So,” Isobel says, “you never told me what Alex said when you asked him to come with us.”

Michael fights the urge to swear and settles instead for looking hard at her. She twists the end of her ponytail around her fingers and cocks her head to the side, waiting for his reply.

“Can we not talk about this?” He attempts to ask.

“He said nothing,” Isobel states, “because you didn’t ask him. Michael.”

“I told you it’s Rath,” he says.

Isobel makes a noise of disgust and walks away. Michael doesn’t even want to think about what she’s up to. Instead he gets up from the desk where he’s attempting to be a responsible general and goes out onto the balcony. He’s not cut out for this, he knows it. Michael is a survivor, not a General. He knows the only reason they’ve gotten this far is because of that. But peace? Negotiating? All of his old scars ache with the reasons why he’s not good with that. And all of the new ones do as well. He doesn’t know how Isobel found out about him not asking Alex, but he can feel her meddling even in a different wing of the palace.

“General Rath,” the man who has the hapless task of being his assistant appears at the doorway. Michael turns to him, “I apologize for the interruption but King Zan would like your input on the candidates for Ambassador—“

“God damn it,” Michael grips the bannister and then takes off down the hallway, “Isobel!” If any of the Antarians are alarmed they know to get the hell out of his way. It’s a miracle that he doesn’t trip over his robes and faceplate, “Isobel!” He gets to the communications center and shoves open the door, “Isobel do not do it.”

“Don’t do what?” Isobel asks, looking far more doe eyed and innocent than she has any right to, as far as he’s concerned.

“You know what,” he says, “I veto Alex Manes from that list.”

Isobel arches an eyebrow.

“He’s not on the list,” she says.

Michael becomes aware he’s fallen into a trap. He grits his teeth as Isobel goes full Princess. The woman out-manipulated high schoolers, their foreign and domestic occupiers, Michael knows he doesn’t stand a chance.

“I’m serious, Iz, leave it alone,” he pleads.

“What’s Isobel leaving alone?” Their esteemed king asks when he comes slouching into the room.

“Me,” Michael says.

“Him and Alex,” Isobel corrects.

“Oh, is he here yet?” Max asks and Michael feels the floor metaphorically give out.

Alex stares at the pink port, his mind listing all the reasons he should turn heel and get the hell out of here. Logically he’s got all of them but his feet move forward, towards the port and Antar. And Michael. Or General Rath as he keeps telling himself. He steps in and finds himself facing the way he came in, looking out at the world through pink warp. Then he’s being shot across time and space and back in a pink warped world. On a very different world. He gets his feet under him and steps onto Antar soil. Or palace floor more accurately.

“General Manes, welcome to Antar,” the woman who greets him says, “if you would like to sit—“

“No thank you,” Alex says, if he sits he’s never getting up, “can you take me to General Rath?”

“Of course,” she says with a smile, leading him out into the hallway.

“—no right to do that!”

“I have every right. I’m King.”

“Screw you!”

Alex smiles best he can. The Antarian returns the gesture. Apparently some thing are true no matter what planet you are on. She leads him to the room where Max, Michael and Isobel are. It feels like re-entering high school. Max and Michael look two seconds from blows and Isobel looks like she cannot believe this is her lot in life. And once again he finds himself staring at a world he knows he can never really be a part of. The Antarian lightly clears her throat and it’s Isobel who slides off the desk and comes over.

“General Manes,” she greets in a way that makes him wonder if he’s about to be devoured, “welcome to Antar. We weren’t expecting you so soon. Max!” She snaps her tone at her brother, “lets go.”

“But—“ Max begins as Michael goes from mad to desperate, “Iz—“

“Now!”

They’re alone again.

It doesn’t feel like it though. The ghost of everything from before seems to be in the room as well. Alex doesn’t know how a non tangible thing can have a ghost but it takes up the entire room. It doesn’t seem to leave any room for them. Michael’s robes are the same but they hang open over jeans and a t-shirt that make Alex’s heart ache with nostalgia. But not as much as they make his heart ache when he reaches up and closes his robe over the reminder of where he grew up.

“General Manes,” he says.

There’s no-one around to hear the formality.

Alex knows he deserves worse. But that stings plenty. He remembers Michael as a mop haired teenager and the one time he met his father. He’s glad he outranks him. And not for the first time. Michael keeps his eyes on his face but Alex can feel him throwing up every defense. They’re probably long past Michael’s sarcasm and deflection. Now they’re in silence territory, by Alex’s best guess. But if Michael wants to play this game, despite everything he swore when he agreed to escort the new ambassador, some awful competitive part of Alex agrees.

“General Rath,” he says, “it’s good to see you again.”

“You as well,” Michael says, “I wasn’t aware you were coming.”

“I’m sorry if we caught you off guard,” Alex says

Michael acknowledges with a dip of his head and Alex fights the scream in the back of his throat. Antar has advanced tech, maybe there is a chance there’s time travel and he can go back and shake his younger self. He can tell him the cost of his choices and whatever he’s afraid of it’s nothing compared to what will follow. Not seeing Michael on a regular basis except on the news is painful, Alex has no other word for it. It’s alarming how quickly he adjusted to interacting with him regularly, how nice it was to once again see each other and just scratch the surface of the things they missed. Michael shifts his weight and motions.

“I’ll take you to your room,” he says but his voice seems to come from a great distance away.

Michael’s hand is normal.

The ache snaps to a much, much more painful sensation. Michael’s hand is normal. Alex realizes he took comfort in the injury and immediately feels lower than dirt. It was a sign that there had been something between them. Evidence. Michael’s pain should never have had that role and Alex knows it but the lack of the scars sends him reeling for several heartbeats. Michael knows too. His emotions flash across his features as he looks at Alex and the next moment, he lowers his wrist so the fabric of his robes slides over. Alex remembers mocking the robes, saying that must be where the Anatarian’s hid their secrets.

“I’m sure someone else can do that,” he says, “you must have better things to do with your time.”

Michael looks at him for a moment and then moves to the door. Someone is waiting because Michael is General Rath of Antar, he’s got people for this.

“Escort General Manes to his rooms,” he says. The man nods, “that will be all.”

Then he’s gone.

It’s been years since Alex’s prosthetic felt so heavy.

The look on Alex’s face is there every time he closes his eyes.

He never realized how often he blinks until he doesn’t want to. God, he knew Alex would see it. He’d regretted sticking his hand in the machine the moment he did it. When the scars were gone it had taken everything in him not to smash his hand again. The scars had been his reminder but the look on Alex’s face made it clear he wasn’t the only one who thought that. He wants to know what they reminded Alex of, why he looked just as devastated as Michael felt when his hand went smooth. Michael knows he was a coward in not speaking to Alex, not actually working the nerve up to ask him to come with them. But that’s not the whole story either. No-one else was around to see Alex’s face when he walked off. Michael knows what his answer would be. What was the point in picking at the open wound?

Of course now Alex is on Antar and Michael is forced to question every lie he told himself about the situation.

His life on Antar is so different, he’s still not sure about Alex seeing it. Everything on earth felt like a lie anyway, everything except Max, Isobel and Alex. He doesn’t have the luxury of that here. Michael has made peace with the fact that even in the palace, with a bed that’s more comfortable than anything, there will be times when he wishes he was in that shed. As he stands in his rooms, he looks at them with new eyes. Alex is nearby. What would he think? Then he remembers Alex’s face as he looked at his hand and remembers Alex doesn’t think anything of his life now. General or runaway punk, they wind up in the same position. Michael goes to the balcony and looks up at the moons in the sky. He should find it stranger than he does. Alex certainly is spellbound by it.

Alex is—

He’s going to kill his siblings.

Alex is across the courtyard.

He’s opened mouthed and staring up at the moons. He hasn’t noticed Michael yet, so Michael takes a second to just admire him. He has shed none of his uniform while Michael cannot get the thing off fast enough. Antar’s more colorful than earth, the tones are impossibly rich and they paint Alex perfectly. Michael is good at adjusting to whatever situation he finds himself in. He’s very adaptable. Looking at Alex, a wave of want crashes of Michael. Alex looks like he belongs here in a way that Michael is completely unprepared for. They’ve been at war for most of their adult lives but there’s only wonder on Alex’s face as he looks around. Michael slips inside. He knows that if Alex sees him the look on his face is going to go away and Michael would give anything to keep that from happening. For as long as he can anyway. They will have to see each other again at some point, probably within the next few hours. But for now he can let Alex stare in wonder at the moons.

The food is a strange blend of the fanciest versions of more earthly fare and the Antarian diet, which as far as anyone can tell is like Paleo. Some days Michael wants to establish trade routes so he can get hot pockets when he wants. Antarian food is not great on a good day and this is terrible. It’s almost funny to watch them try to keep a straight face. Finally he gives up and stands up.

“Apologies. General Manes and I have some unfinished business,” he says.

“Excuse us,” Alex tells the others. The moment they’re around the corner and out of earshot he stops, “what are you doing.”

“Not letting your first impression of the food here be whatever that was,” he says, “come on, we’re not going far and no one is gonna say anything,” Alex hesitates, “lose the jacket if it makes you feel better.”

Not in his uniform, Alex follows him as Michael leads him to the marketplace that happens outside the palace. The market is always full of people and bustles with vendors of all different sorts. It was Michael’s idea to organize it by sections so you had a hope of finding what you needed and it’s gotten a great result. He leads Alex through the various stalls until he gets him to the food. Alex looks a little lost so Michael picks out the things that are the most earth like and the things he thinks are the best on any planet. He and Alex balance everything and make their way past the long tables that people crowd in to the handful of empty smaller ones where Michael knows Alex can relax.

“Smells better right?” He says, “dig in.”

Alex takes his cues from him and follows how he eats. To his credit, he keeps it cool and collected and silent for as long as he can until he gets to the spicy stuff. Then he digs in a little bit more. Michael watches him relax before he nudges him under the table.

“How long are you gonna give me the silent treatment for?”

Alex sighs but he doesn’t go cold and silent like Michael’s dreading.

“You caught me off guard,” he says.

“I could say the same thing,” Michael points out, “I didn’t even know you were coming!”

“I meant with your hand,” Alex says quietly.

Michael is honestly surprised Alex brings up the hand at all. Direct confrontation isn’t usually Alex’s style. He was kind of expecting them to go around in circles for a while until they had some kind of blow up or never talked about it. Michael has always carried the scars with pride. For a while he used them as evidence of humanity’s evil, even though the truth is none of them really wanted to destroy earth. Michael chews the meat he’s eating before looking at Alex.

“I don’t know what you want me to say,” he said finally.

“I don’t either,” Alex admits. Neither of them accuses or says anything with what’s left over. But then again, that’s always been their problem hasn’t it? “I’ll tell you when I figure it out,” he pauses and looks down at the meat, “can you tell me what I’m eating?” He asks.

“Antarian delicacy,” Michael says, “you know those parasites that replace your tongue?” Alex pales, because of course he does, “I’m kidding. This is a think that looks like a boar. It’s pork,” he grins, “but you should have seen your face.”

Alex rolls his eyes but he’s still smiling. When they’re finished, Michael grabs them dessert in the form of a pastry that’s cone shaped and filled with Antarian ice cream. He’s always had a wicked sweet tooth and from what he remembers, dessert was not big on Jesse Manes’ list of things to feed your kids. Still he can’t resist getting Alex’s covered in black sprinkles. He hands it over and Alex shakes his head.

“Come on, I dare you to tell me black isn’t your favorite color still.”

“Shut up,” Alex mutters, taking the dessert.

They pick their way through the rest of the market, winding in and out of stalls. Alex still has his fashion eye somewhere in all the military regalia and can’t pass up stalls that have big bolts of the fabric they use to make the robes most wear. Michael knows that Alex’s favorite color is black and he should hate him in blue, but all he can think Is how good Alex would look in the midnight blue fabric he inspects. Alex catches his eyes and Michael smiles in what he hopes is a casual way. He nods at the stall keeper when Alex turns, signaling he should deliver the fabric. They weave their way back to the palace palace.

“I was tired of the pain,” he says, “I was trying to let go of the past. That’s why I fixed my hand,” he explains. Alex looks at him curiously.

“Did you?”

“Did I what? Let go of the past?” He asks. Alex nods. Michael shrugs as they make their way to Alex’s room, “not really. My hand just hurts less.”

“I’m glad,” Alex says as they arrive at his door.

“Glad that my hand doesn’t hurt or glad I can’t let go of the past?” Michael asks.

“Both,” Alex says.

Alex has dreamed of the night everything happened more times than he can count.

He thinks he’ll run the first moment after his father turns his back, but the tv says that they are being invaded by aliens and everything goes quiet. Mostly because he recognizes the footage they show of three figures silhouetted against the bright lights of the ship. He definitely recognizes his torn sheet wrapped around Michael’s hand. Just like he remembers the way Michael pushed his father. Did Michael call the ships here? Alex has always thought humanity was a cesspool but destroying them? In his dream, Alex looks at his father and they both go to the office so he can give his life to his country.

In real life, Alex wakes to the bright lights and grabs the nearest object while he puts on his prosthetic.

“Are you trying to blind us?! We have guests here!”

Michael’s angry shout makes him feel instantly better. Not better enough to put his makeshift weapon down but better enough to get dresses and find his actual weapon.

“Sorry sir—“

“Turn the lights off! Haven’t you heard about PTSD triggers?”

Alex steps out to see Michael stepping down from a staircase that was not there before. It’s the rail of his balcony, he realizes. A balcony that is across from his own. Michael is in a pair of sweatpants and nothing else, completely ignoring any rules of protocol. He gets in the ship and a few minutes later it rises. Alex wonders if Michael is flying it. The last thing he expects is within the hour Michael is at his door, wearing distinctly more Antarian clothing. He takes one look at Alex’s face and turns to the guards.

“You’re dismissed,” he says.

They leave him without question.

“Are you okay?” He asks.

“Of course,” Alex replies, “are the people on that ship okay?”

“They’re fine, minor mechanical failure,” Michael dismisses.

Alex thinks back to the Michael of his dreams and the Michael in front of him. It’s not easy to reconcile then general who commands with the kid who slept in his car, but this might be the closest intersection. All Alex can do is stare at him. It feels so much like being back in that tool shed. Michael seems to be following along the same lines, or Alex hopes he is. Alex holds the door open wider. Michael traces the sight with his eyes before they lock on Alex. He can see him pause but then something tightens in his jaw and he steps forward.

Their lips are on each other before the door is even fully closed, but the second it is Alex wastes no time in pinning Michael against it. Maybe it’s being on Antar, maybe it’s being woken by the lights, he doesn’t know. Whatever it is, he needs Michael closer than he is. Michael responds with equal enthusiasm. Some morbidly curious part of Alex wonders as they push at each other who would win in a fight. But then Michael grabs his face with both his hands and Alex can’t think of much else.

“Stuff’s in my bag,” he says in between kisses down Michael’s throat. Michael slips his hand into his robe and pulls out supplies. Alex opens his mouth but Michael rocks his hand against the juncture of his thighs and he forgets what he was about to say, “that is way hotter than it should be.”

“I’m like a magician,” Michael smirks.

“Do they have those here?”

“Yes. Me.”

Alex pushes him back onto the bed and follows, finding the fastenings at the collar of his robes. They fall away like silk and underneath are the grey pants he saw him in earlier, pants Alex recognizes from back in high school, though they were longer and looser then. He presses his forehead against Michael’s collar bone, refusing to give in to the emotion that hits him that somewhere underneath everything maybe they are still there. Hope is a foreign and thing. Michael cants his hips up with a sound of impatience and Alex laughs.

“I can’t believe you still have these,” he says.

“Talking later,” Michael retorts and Alex’s belt opens of its own accord.

Later comes when they are tangled under the sheets, The thin fabric thrown over their heads. Michael has Alex’s leg dragged over his hips and thumbs his way across the seam. It’s an intimate touch, more intimate possibly than the fact they’ve just had sex. The fragile peace has meant trade and Alex’s civil duty has been to help support it. Antar took his leg but gave him this. Just like Antar took Michael and gave him back Rath. He loves and hates the planet with the same breath.

“I hoped this went to you,” Michael says, “I tried to push for our medical technology to go first but I didn’t think you would take it.”

“I wasn’t sure either,” Alex admits, “but peace—“

“Was it just peace?” Michael cuts in. Alex shakes his head finally. Confusion is adorable on Michael when his curls are falling into his eyes, but the pain in them is not, “why did you walk away?” He asks.

“I was afraid,” Alex says, “I thought you would stop me if you wanted me.”

“I was trying,” Michael says and instead of anger it comes out earnestly, “I was going to ask you to come with me.”

“What?” Alex is surprised at that. Michael flushes and his hand grips Alex’s leg, “Why?”

“Because interplanetary travel for a booty call seemed kind of excessive,” Michael deadpans.

Alex shoves his shoulder and Michael catches his hand, rolling them so he pins Alex beneath him. Alex stares up at him as Michael takes his weight onto his forearms and tugs so he’s on his back. Alex has spent most of his life fighting Antar. But he’s spent most of his life vulnerable under Michael in a different way. Hips pressed together, Michael skims the back of his hand down his belly until he catches it and brings it to his lips, kissing the smooth skin.

“I wanted you to come with me,” Michael reiterates.

“I’m here now,” Alex says, tangling their fingers together.

“Here,” Michael hands him a package as Alex puts the last of his things in a bag. Alex takes it from him. Michael finds something interesting to look at as Alex opens it to see the robes, “just a souvenir ,” He says.

“Thank you,” Alex tells him, laying a hand on his shoulder, “I’m going to come back, as soon as I can.”

Michael nods but Alex can tell he doesn’t fully believe him.

He supposes he deserves that.

“I hope you do,” He says finally, determined to make a different mistake this time.

The portal crackling back to life just after Michael has accepted it will be a while before he sees Alex again is not what he’s expecting.

The trips back and forth are not the easiest and Alex does two in the span of a few hours. Michael scrambles forward to help him and thanks every God for his sister who ushers everyone out of the room. The other thing he’s not expecting is for Alex to be in his gift. But he staggers out in the blue robes and practically falls into Michael’s arms.

“What the hell are you doing?!” Michael can barely recognize his own voice, “are you insane?”

“Coming back,” Alex says, “and yes.”

“We gotta you checked out,” Michael says, aware that he’s doing some strange laugh, cry hybrid as Alex sags gratefully against him. The blue robes are beautiful against his skin but Michael tries not to be distracted as he hauls Alex up, “don’t be so dramatic next time.”

“Says the alien,” Alex mumbles. Michael stops and looks down at him as the same thought occurs, “wait—“

“You’re the alien now,” Michael says with a grin.

Alex rolls his eyes and regrets the decision immediately. But Michael is there, warm and steady to keep him from toppling over. The blue of his own robes hits the green that Michael wears and they seem to blend together like the oceans back on earth. He got permission to remote in the rest of his report. He doesn’t know how they are going to figure any of this out but tangled up with Michael again, he’s willing to try. Michael presses his lips to the crown of his head and he gets the feeling that for once they are on the same page.

“Are you here for some diplomatic thing?” Michael asks and Alex looks at him.

“I’m here for you,” he says honestly. Michael smiles almost bashfully, “What?”

“I was thinking about coming to earth in the next few weeks for you,” he admits, “you beat me to it.”

“Next time lets go together,” Alex suggests, “with longer intervals in between. Do Antarians have ginger ale?”

Michael grabs someone as they stagger to what he assumes is the medical part. Alex has as much dignity as he is able to, wearing the robe and leaning on Michael but the person Michael grabs acknowledges them both with an equal level of respect.

“Could you get the healer and some of that root soda sent to my room?” He asks, “Thanks.”

Alex smiles, Michael’s room sounds like exactly where he wants to be on any world.

#michael guerin #alex manes #malex fic #malex #roswell new mexico #Roswell nm fanfic #max evans #isobel evans #michael x alex #prompts

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requiem-wra · 4 years

Text

Unstuck in Time - Part 2

This is an event summary write up for RP partners and guildies to look back on if needed. Short Summary: Basteala, Mielle and Irothel are swept up in a time-traveling adventure to capture or kill an alternate reality version of their good friend Raelenin. Many paradoxical shenanigans and moral deliberations ensued

(Part 1) - (Part 2)

The Precipice of Disaster

For their own reasons, all three were hit hard by the sight of the fallen city, renewed and bustling. The temple grounds buzzed with all the trappings of a festival, only slowly winding down at the end of the night. Night elven children ran hither and yon, delivering messages for candy payments or small amounts of coin. Priestesses chattered outside, braiding bracelets to give away for protection and gossiping about the war.

Iro told Mielle and Bast to sort this out on their own, desperate to meet with someone lost to the fire. She bolted for the market stalls despite Bast's carful warnings. She rushed through the diminishing crowd and spotted her father, back at his stall selling his hand-made wares.

Iro's conversation with her father gutted her emotions and seemed to make time itself uneasy. Still, she managed to still her heart's urges and obey the whims of fate. She was able to have a conversation with him and purchase one of his moonkin carvings without raising his suspicious or saying too much for time to allow. However, the interaction took much of her energy and left her wilted.

Meanwhile, Bast and Mielle began to understand that this version of Darnassus was just on the eve of its end, before the fall of the whisp wall. Basteala decided to focus on her amulet and try to use her newly awakened awareness of time to search for any strange signals. She found three where she expected only two. Bewildered, she convinced Mielle to split up and help search for them.

Bast's wandering search took her to the North, toward the bank at the center of the city. She followed the signal and just managed to catch sight of a Raelenin escorting two unknown women into a portal. Bast watched, mind racing as this version of Rael stepped through alongside the unknown ladies and left a horrible wound in time behind. She considered chasing after him, but correctly concluded any Rael stepping out of the timeline must not be the alternate.

Mielle found a version of Rael, exhausted and drifting off to sleep where he stood, tucked into a an alcove formed by the temple's exterior wall. She decided this must be the past Raelenin and decided to leave him be. Unable to watch the tragedy of Iro's interaction with her father or Rael's clear exhaustion any longer, she began to wander away, only to realize that one of the messenger children was headed straight for the younger Rael…

Suspicious, Mielle tripped the child and intercepted the message. The message read only, ominously, "Fix the first mistake. Give me the name of the branch." Mielle correctly assumed that the alternate Rael must be attempting to find his double and set out to hunt him down.

She turned toward the Illidari team camping by the lake on the eve of battle. Through a series of deceptions and her innate understanding of the Illidari organization, she convinced Vitaria and her squad to help her hunt down a "dangerous arcane fugitive." Wary of a sudden burst of arcane magic, Vitaria split her team and sent Mielle ahead with fellhunter and observer-bound teammates to sniff out the arcane scent.

While moving to intercept the final anomaly, Bast found a completely new timewalker. She introduced herself to the dragon Cherinormi, quickly learning that the bronze dragon in Dwarf form had a serious bone to pick with Raelenin. Cheri explained that the timeline had suddenly sprouted a new branch here, an event that shouldn't have been possible without a chronomage there to stabilize it. Bast mentioned Rael's name, and Cheri leapt at the sound, automatically assuming the new branch must somehow be his fault. She conscripted Bast to help her arrest him.

Irothel fled the emotional upheaval of interacting with her father, only to run right into the Rael of the past. She caught Zan's eye, hidden in Raelenin's bag. Recognizing that she hadn't caused any paradoxes yet, she called out to him in draconic. "It's Cake-Bearer!" she hissed, and time clicked into place as Iro accidentally created her own draconic nickname.

She shook off the discomfort of time threatening to reset or loop into paradox and did her best to distract Rael with small talk and rest. Irothel managed to keep him ignorant of the situation and halt the delivery of yet another note, much to the alternate Rael's chagrin.

Though Bast couldn't conscience Cheri's constant insults and the level of mistrust aimed at her friend, she begrudgingly recognized the dragon's use as an ally. She and Cheri both caught sight of the final, alternate Rael mid-argument, both dropping the subject to rush to his side. Bast used her necklace's power to blink to his side, Cheri rushing on foot behind her. She caught him by the throat, flooding him with enough Light to paralyze him.

Mielle fell into an easy comradery with the Illidari squad, arising zero suspicion as they guided her to the suspicious arcane source. They found it quickly, and Mielle stepped through time to reach the very place where some version of Rael broke reality and created a new branch. From there, she was finally able to see the alternate Raelenin she had meant to target all along. Instead of rushing to him immediately she trusted in her teammates and took the moment to try to heal the temporal damage her friend had wrought, successfully easing it with her deputized abilities.

Bast and Mielle converged on the trapped Raelenin as he began to chafe under the sealing. A sense of impending doom gripped them all, and Iro had to double down to keep the Rael of the past from interfering. Stymied at every turn and swiftly losing his mind and his patience both, the alternate Rael decided to abandon this timeline utterly. He threw himself into the infinite, corrosive temporal magic eating at Bast's light. Only Bast's anchor and a last minute effort from Cherinormi kept alternate Rael from stepping sideways into a new timeline. Still, his attempt to leave tore a portal in the center of the lake, and the trio's necklaces warmed with enough magic for one more jump to follow.

The Caverns of the End

The deputy time-walkers stepped through time in a way that had started to become familiar. They blinked, and opened their eyes to a sand-strewn cavern littered with debris reminiscent of Darnassus.

"You're his friends, aren't you?" The alternate Rael spat, his form twisted through with infinite energy. Darkness poured off him, eyes lit with a blazing electric blue that seemed to crack through his very skin. "Why are you stopping me? I've been looking for a timeline stable enough to make this work for So. Long. and you've made it utterly pointless!"

Iro reached out for Mielle, already crying. She'd put the pieces together. She understood what he wanted to do. Eyes puffy, she called, "She's gone, Raelenin! Let her rest!"

In the Caverns of Time, as the alternate Rael slowly unravels in mind and body, the truth of what the alternate tried to do slowly makes itself clear. That first mistake, the death of his twin, had haunted the alternate and driven him to madness. He'd wanted to reach Rael's original timeline and change it--exchange Rael for his twin sister, fix the mistake. "What does it matter if just one version of Raelenin has to disappear?" He begged them, eyes wild, but to no avail. The Dawn trio tried to understand--tried to find a peaceful way forward, but the path was closed. Blinded by his tainted magic, the alternate Rael became an Infinite beast and attacked those who should have been his friends.

The approach of the bronze flight from elsewhere in the cavern wore at the Dawn's newfound sense for all things temporal as they sought to restrain their alternate reality friend. Bast threw herself into combat with the beast, bringing the full fury of her light to bear. Mielle matched the metamorphosis with her own half-state, leaping into battle. While the alternate was able to score a few heavy blows, the tag-teaming duo kept him too distracted and pinned down to truly deal damage. Irothel's light protected her teammates from the harshest of blows, lessening the scorch of unstable magic and shadowed claws.

Even as they battled, the team tried to remind Raelenin of his better senses. However, their battle prowess won out before their logical arguments. Rael was knocked unconscious and bound by vines sent by Elune, helpless on the ground as the wave of bronze flight members slowly grew ever closer.

Sensing that these flight members would see the alternate Rael meet a fate they didn't intend, the trio takes their captive and activates their necklaces for the final burst of magic they need to return to their proper, linear time. As they slid into the all-too familiar embrace of infinite time, they saw Cheri's angry visage whip into the corridor in their wake. The last thing they saw before blinking back to their own present was her transformation to an enraged, enormous adult dragon…

On the other side of time, the trio found themselves once again upon the sands of Uldum, sun setting, glinting wounded red on the horizon. As they corporealized, they glimpsed their own backs disappearing into the first portal, those versions of them beginning the journey in Theramore. The bronze mask turned away from where he'd seen them off and met them arriving with a knowing smile.

"Okay, I have terms," Mielle called, and the Bronze Mask encouraged the trio to start their negotiations for the fate of their selves and both versions of Rael. Immediately they made demands for Rael's sentence the Mask couldn’t conscience, but he assured them that they'd done well enough to merit an appearance at the next council meeting.

Agreeing that the Dawn should keep their memories, the Mask suggested they would have to remain as deputies in his command if they wished to keep the amulets. He asked the trio to consider staying on as timewalkers, in whatever limited capacity that might require of them. Bast refused, citing her duty to the Dawn over her duty to time. Mielle and Irothel had a harder time finding an answer, and asked for more time to decide.

The alternate Rael was restored to his usual form, and the Bronze Mask asked the Dawnsmen what they thought should be done with him. Unanimously, the trio decided he should be magically bound and sent to another timeline--one where the original didn't survive, that he might have some solace and a chance at finding his own way apart from grief. Perhaps he might even find some version of his companion Zan there.

With little fanfare, the Mask agreed to this plan, explaining that he was happy to hear the Dawnsmen come to such a merciful decision. He sent the alternate away, and his immense temporal magic lit up the timestream like a beacon… He moved to release the original Rael from his frozen state, only to pause himself. His magic had done what he thought it might, and Cheridormi had found them.

The Mask laughed, and quickly explained how the Dawnsmen might free their friend and flee the dragon's wrath. They sprung into motion, uniting their amulets in purpose to un-pause Rael in time as if they had always known how. Mielle took flight toward Ratchet with a very confused but un-frozen Rael in tow as Bast and Iro raced behind on foot.

Event success!

Major NPCs to remember:

Bronze Mask (Barros)

Recruited the Dawnsmen for help, seems to be in a semi-antagonistic relationship with other Bronze flight members

Cherinormi

Bronze Flight member in charge of monitoring timeline branching activity. Has a serious vendetta against Rael.

Commander Vitaria and squad

Illidari squad stationed on Darnassus at the eve of its burning. Are they still alive?

Outstanding Issues:

The wrath of Cherinormi

The Council Meeting

"One week Later" Recruitment drive

#roleplay #rp summary #timeboi

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