#when nana and all might met his family was already dead so. the comment of him considering nana as his mother and watching her die for him- | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

mishy-mashy · 5 months

Note

That smile that Bruce has in his final moments really make me think he already passed OFA and already knew his successor was going to strengthen the quirk rather than fight straight away. So he knew the quirk would be safe and they had some advantage over afo

Yeah, he did pass it on before fighting AFO; every OFA wielder managed to pass it on before their death by AFO's hand. Only Banjo and En (excluding All Might and Midoriya) still held it when they fought AFO, so Bruce would've been like the others: fighting with the Ability/Quirk already passed on.

For reference, the excerpt from that volume extra with Banjo's face on it;

"All the predecessors besides the Fourth were indeed killed by All For One, but each one managed to pass on the Quirk before their death."

All For One killed them. But they passed on the Quirk before they faced him.

But also, Shinomori went into hiding to avoid society, I don't think he'd actually join the fight of the Resistance when they're fighting AFO's side—he's at the top of their chaotic land. It's a fight with the one who governs current society. The "demon lord". Most of the Resistance died with Kudo, so Bruce fighting AFO was either with whoever was left, or he was completely alone, and those are old corpses.

At Bruce's fight and eventual death with AFO, I think he might've gone back to where Kudo and the rest died. Whether he did or not, he took the last members with the Resistance for a last stand, if any remained. They probably did have some left; Kudo shouldn't have left Bruce to fight him and continue OFA, with no one on his side. Cruel, and a small platform for Bruce to stand on. The platform of the vestiges was already small compared to AFO when doing a symbolism of the power difference. Imagine Bruce on his own.

(This was when Nana and Yoichi pushed AFO+AFO/Tomura out of the vestige world)

Plus, since the Resistance started out of "our Leader [having] misgivings about the future", Kudo wouldn't have brought everyone to fight AFO. If he did, the Resistance ends right there; there has to be a chance their will and cause continues into the future, neverminding Bruce and OFA. I don't mean Yoichi's will here—I mean the Resistance's. Don't bring everyone to the death march.

But look at how we only see two others when Bruce died, and even after Bruce is clearly dead, AFO still tries getting an answer from him. He wouldn't have left any survivors in this fight, let alone Kudo's.

Since Shinomori got OFA when he was 22, I think he and Bruce had been something of colleagues before, especially since Bruce knew where to find him in the forests. Since Shinomori had run into the hermit life to escape society and its weirdos, citing it as a "horrible era"

Bruce could just trust him with it and ran back to the city. He knew where to find him, they're close in age, one decided to fight to restore society while the other ran from it for what it became...

He didn't choose a member of the Resistance. But Bruce made a smart choice for who the next successor would be. He chose fast (enough that AFO was still mad about Kudo and Yoichi to bother interrogating a corpse), and chose the guy who:

● lives off the radar

● has a will against AFO/society, driven enough that he went off to hide

● has an Ability that senses danger, so he can always escape or be warned in time

● can evade AFO and his influence repeatedly

● is cautious, if not careful

● isn't tempermental to go get himself killed, with enough fear to know to step back

● would be unknown and non-existent to AFO, because he avoids society, where the big evil lurks

Shinomori knew the instant he received the Quirk that he wasn't strong enough. Bruce would have to have been present to at least pass it on, so Bruce probably knew Shinomori's decision too, to build up the will.

Until En with his hair, each transfer was probably blood, since that was the OG method between Yoichi and Kudo that worked for sure.

When Bruce passed it to Shinomori, he chose a guy who didn't have an offensive Ability like him or Kudo (who managed to use his offensively when it was just small objects at his time). He chose a guy who could keep the wielder and Quirk safe, and would pass it on once he was done with his turn. I don't know if they knew Quirks stockpiled in OFA, but if they did, Bruce made a smart choice. If they knew or not, Bruce still chose well to ensure the will continued into the future, away from AFO's reach.

So yeah. Bruce passed One For All before fighting All For One, and likely knew Shinomori's intention. The reason he smiled could've been because he knew AFO would take another loss today, but the only details we got of his death are few. He smiled, fought, and died impaled, with dead comrades around, and AFO trying to get an answer out of him for Yoichi's whereabouts.

I'm still curious on why Bruce smiled because there are reasons we could put together, and reasons we don't know. Was it because he got one over AFO? Did he enjoy the fight? Because he was facing death in the face and couldn't help but smile? Because somewhere, One for All was growing to screw AFO over in the future? We don't know much of the fight's details itself beyond [AFO participated] and [Bruce was killed].

(Remembering how Bruce's Ability works just puts his fight against AFO as even more desperate or dire, really. He temporarily charges energy, but can only release it per limb once [ex. Midoriya still having a leg of Fa Jin]. So like when Midoriya used his individual fingers, Bruce only gets one shot for each body part he can think of. His strength with OFA isn't as much as it could be either, because he isn't the wielder anymore. All he has are the leftover fumes.)

#bruce is hot #the one and only picture we get of him smiling and its when hes fighting to the death #looks like hed be a scary smile guy #all the OFA users who fought AFO with it already passed on were basically fighting to protect the successor #kudo fought and bruce used that time to pass it on to a hermit #bruce fought and distracted a frustrated AFO who has no idea where Yoichi is now. BECAUSE BRUCE GAVE IT TO A GUY THAT AVOIDS WHERE AFO RULE #SOCIETY.#AFO is a city boy #born at a riverbank and ended up in the cities #skipping banjo and en because they didnt pass it on before facing AFO #Nana passed it to All Might and gran torino had to force All Might away so Nana died fighting AFO to let the successor live #when nana and all might met his family was already dead so. the comment of him considering nana as his mother and watching her die for him-#THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO BE ABOUT BRUCES SMILE AND I WENT OFFCOURSE.#thanks for the ask #ask #bruce #bnha #boku no hero academia #my hero academia #mha #afo #all for one #ofa #one for all #hikage shinomori #spoilers #vestiges #fa jin #danger sense #bruce is dead but i like the idea that afo was up in his face and bruce decided. nah man this isnt the last thing im seein. and LOOKED UP

17 notes · View notes

animehime94 · 3 years

Note

dfo would be such an asspull, it’s not like izuku has thought about his dad even once lmao

There is plenty of evidence supporting DFO theory.

Horikoshi's comment on a comic event. He said he will "reveal" Izuku's father in manga. Since he said "reveal" and not "introduce" this character is someone we already know.

2. In Japanese culture, Kanji are words with multiple meanings. When I looked up the ones used in Izuku's name (shutsu and hisashi) these were what I found:

They imply Izuku was born into a certain family, he belongs to a particular place, and he is involved in a story that occured long time ago. My take on this is simple: Izuku was born into AFO and OFA's family. So he belongs to the mind dimension of AFO/OFA and he's involved in their fight on a personal level.

Plus, both of them look like adult versions of Izuku :3

3. This scene right here:

AFO knows Izuku's full name, him being the current OFA holder, his physical appearance and the fact that he was "completely unqualified" aka quirkless. He can know Izuku from the sports festivals since it was aired in entire Japan, but that's not enough to explain how he knows Izuku was quirkless before he met All Might.

And it certainly doesn't explain why he criticizes All Might for being a bad teacher.

4. Izuku's doctor works for AFO. He is the right hand man.

Now that would explain how AFO knew Izuku's quirklessness. The doctor told him.

5. Last but not least, AFO is a ruthless man. He nuked an entire city to kill Nana Shimura. All Might had to change continents to escape an early death. But when it comes to Izuku, he avoids hurting him on multiple occasions. He sends his henchmen to take him alive. If he really wanted Izuku dead, he had a lot of chances but he missed them on purpose.

AFO being Izuku's father aka Hisashi Midoriya would support all of these points.

There is a lot more evidence going into it, but I can't put more than 10 photos in a post so I decided to cut it short by putting the most important ones.

As for why Izuku never mentions his father, he either doesn't know him. (AFO left home when he was a baby) Or he can't remember him due to a memory block / erasure. We'll see when DFO gets confirmed.

#i want evil dad sunshine son drama #dad for one #dad for one theory #all for one #all for one is hisashi midoriya #all for one is izuku's father #dfo theory #dfo #dad for one is coming soon #hisashi is afo #afo is hisashi midoriya #midoriya hisashi #hisashi midoriya

305 notes · View notes

vampiresuns · 3 years

Text

Something Wicked This Way Comes | Prologue, Part 1

✴︎ SOMETHING WICKED THIS WAY COMES ✴︎

As Asra gets ready to leave again, Anatole handles two unexpected guests: one will alter his future plans, and the other will give him a headache. 2.7k words. For Anatole’s apprentice timeline, compliant with all the routes.

You can read the rest of Anatole’s apprentice timeline series here.

Asra was leaving. Again.

Anatole wasn’t thrilled about it, but him and Asra had had this conversation several times and Anatole trusted his friend and teacher enough to not enquire any further — or to enquire behind his back. He said he had his reasons, and Anatole would respect that. Besides, it’s not as if he minded being alone. Maybe he had at the beginning of his recovery, when the City was still too unknown and disorienting, too much happening in it at all times, Anatole himself barely there.

He had read somewhere that all traumatic injuries which resulted in memory loss were different. Annoying as they were, he was better at handling the by-products of whatever the hell it was that had happened to him. Somewhat. He wanted to think he was, that even though the migraines still lingered, he could handle the shop, himself, his magic (magic that had begun advancing towards places and forms Asra could only guide him towards, not teach him). He just wanted to be good enough at it all, and he supposed he’d have no one he’d felt comfortable asking for help to if Asra wasn’t around.

He sighed. it didn’t matter, well, it did, but he’d be able to handle it. He was sure Antu would gladly help.

“I’ll miss you.”

“You better miss me, Asra Alnazar. Though, must you really leave tonight?

“In the dead of a moonless night. The right time for the beginning of a journey.”

Anatole frowned; Asra was full of shit. “Is that a ritual thing? Or is it a poetic licence thing?”

The magician didn’t reply, changing the topic instead like he always did when Anatole guessed too close to the truth about things Asra did not have the means to explain to his pupil. Instead he gave him his tarot deck.

Anatole can’t remember a time Asra’s separated from it. Normally, when Asra’s gone and Anatole had to a do a reading he used his own deck. It used to belong to his aunt, his connection to it jumping to his tongue before Asra could ask him if he knew, or remembered, whom it had previously belonged to. His cards were different from Asra’s — they were quiet, they gave him analytical and interpretational leeway. Asra’s were... too alive.

He took the Deck as Asra handed it to him, looking at the cards. “You trust me with your deck?”

“I do, Nana, I’d trust you with anything.”

Anatole decided to ignore the charged nature of his words. He had discovered within the last six months he was often able to call for the intention behind people’s words, how they were feeling in the moment, or if they were being dishonest. While most of the time it was useful, sometimes it was wildly disconcerting, others exhausting, or inconvenient. Like right now.

He was witness to the in-between-the-lines of communication whether he wanted or not, being too much information to handle at times. When it was too much, it could feel from invading someone's privacy to being overstimulated.

Instead of asking Asra if he had done that on purpose, he said: “You think I’m ready to use it?”

“You know I can’t answer that for you.”

“I did it again, didn’t I?”

“It’s okay to need validation, Nana.”

Anatole knew that, in theory. Though he couldn’t deny Asra was right: he knew he still needed confirmation that he was doing things correctly, that he was doing a good job, that his efforts were meriting. Even when he had something completely figured out. Out of all the things Asra had thought Anatole would carry back from the dead, his tendency to overcompensate wasn’t one he’d accounted for.

Alright, that was a lie, he hadn’t accounted for Anatole’s entire personality to barrel through death to assert itself over the blank canvas of whom he had come back as. He should’ve foreseen Anatole to manage the impossible, twice.

“Do you think you’re ready?” Now it wasn’t the time to allow his anxieties to govern over his capacities. Breathing steadily twice, he managed to give Asra the debonair smile with an inquiring, raised eyebrow the magician adored to see on his face. He hated not knowing, and the only way of knowing was to ask.

Asra found himself smiling too. “Why don’t we ask the cards?”

✴︎ ✴︎ ✴︎ ✴︎ ✴︎ ✴︎ ✴︎ ✴︎ ✴︎ ✴︎

As Asra said his last goodbyes, a knock on the door interrupting them both, Anatole thought he ought to ask where had he gotten his feathered hat. Another time.

Anatole wasn’t surprised Asra had already left when he went to the front of the shop to get the door, having slipped he High Priestess and her foreboding messages back into the deck. She’d have to wait for whomever had decided ‘after-hours’ wasn’t a real shop-keeping concept. Customers, Anatole swore. He really couldn’t blame Asra for leaving now. He himself hated being delayed or interrupted when he was focusing on something, and while Asra wasn’t quite the same (or didn’t have the same reasons) it was the same outcome.

After-hours was the time he spent on himself and tonight he wanted to tackle his Zadithi. He had only just began picking it up again.

Again? That couldn’t be right.

A second, more impatient knock pulled him out of his thoughts. Anatole lunged forward to open the door, only to be met with Countess Satrinava, out of all people. He didn’t even know their shop had reached the Palace’s radar. For some reason he couldn’t pinpoint right then, he didn’t know if he liked it.

“Countess. Welcome to Moonstone & Jasmine how may I help—”

“Please,” she said, paying him little mind, “you must read the cards for me.”

Like he had said before, customers.

However, Anatole didn’t need to pick up on her words to notice the Countess was genuinely troubled by something, her comment on sleepless nights confirming his suspicion. So he decided to give her the benefit of doubt, instead of pinpointing the hour she decided to come at as a display of nobility’s entitlement.

The talk about his reputation was what shocked him the most, however. The temptation to dismiss her words as hyperbole was strong, but she sounded too honest — a by-product of her state of necessity, Anatole thought, people tended to be worse at lying under pressure (How did he know that?).

When the Countess mentioned Anatole looked different in a dream she had, he speaks as if something had possessed him, having no idea he would speak until he did. “Do you possess any sort of clairvoyance, your Highness? I have a cousin who—”

He stopped as a throb made its way through the back of his head. As far as he knew, he didn’t have any family, he didn’t have anyone but Asra and a dead Aunt, but saying he had a cousin felt right in a way he couldn’t ignore. He had never been very good at lying to himself. Once he knew something was true, it cemented itself in his head, unshakable. He preferred it that way: falsehoods, even if lasting, crumbled. When you built with what was true, you built steady.

This felt like the truth, but was it? Was it a wish, or was it a lost piece of whomever he had been before? In the before he couldn’t remember?

Pushing his thoughts away, he said: “Excuse me, Countess. I forgot myself.”

“No matter. I come with a proposal.”

“I’m all ears.”

“Come to the Palace, and be my guest for a short while. You will be afforded every luxury, of course. I ask only that you bring your skill… and the Arcana.”

His first thought was ‘no’. His second, ‘absolutely not’. He had things! Plans! The only luxury he wanted right now was to be allowed to fill his after work hours as he saw fit. But this was a customer. They could use the money for supplies, and something told him — something he couldn’t pay any attention to right now, something inside of him he could only trust — the Countess was indeed in trouble. The kind of toruble where if he refused to help right now, he’d end up in the Palace anyway.

Sometimes it is better to cooperate with the universe; he had heard that somewhere, or perhaps from someone he couldn’t remember. Perhaps he read it. One way or another, now was not the time to mourn his plans.

“It’ll be an honour.”

“I will alert the guards to expect you tomorrow, but before that...”

Of course, she had come with a tarot inquiry, so Anatole redirected her to the backroom where readings and private consultations were held, finding himself face to face with Asra’s cards again.

He’d have to get used to their liveliness, sooner or latter. Unlike his own card, these spoke to you completely at random, compelling you to deliver their message, so you never knew if you were doing the reading or if the cards themselves were. Anatole didn’t love it, if he was honest. Nothing to do with the cards, though. It had everything to do with having asked Asra why do his cards work like they do, and Asra not giving him an answer which had fully made sense to him.

He didn’t know what to make of the Countess as she talked to him about other times she had had her fortune read. His headache had moved from the back of his head to his temples. Familiar wasn’t the word for it, but she felt trustworthy, in an inconsequential sense. Like a coworker with good intentions but not enough turn out for his liking. He saw her out, opening the door for her, after her reading was done, still having not the faintest idea where on earth did he get such an impression from the Countess. He must’ve been reading too much, that was certainly it — too much politics before bed made Anatole a very imaginative man.

As Countess Satrinava left, Anatole wondered if he should’ve told her anything about fees, at least as a joke. He wasn’t sure she’d appreciate the joke.

He decided to brew something for his headache, worrying it might grow too big to sleep. Potions and brews had never been his strongest fort. He always needed to spend extra attention on them and their instructions, coming less organically than other forms of magic. Like languages. Languages were easy, even if messy sometimes. He still remembered one day, years ago, when he could speak nothing but a gibberish mess of Balkovian, Vesuvian and a very distant variation of Nopali.

Still, it would keep his mind away from all the reputation talk the Countess had brought with her. He wanted to be convinced she must’ve been thinking about his aunt — Paris, that’s all Asra had told him — but Paris had been dead for even before his accident, so maybe... He took a breath, he was overthinking his way into a migraine again so he went back to his brew.

He was missing enough of one ingredient, which meant he had to go to the Shop’s storage quarter, accessible only from outside and through the backdoor. As if anticipating his need, Antupillán, his familiar, fetched the keys for him and climbed onto his shoulder as Anatole made his way outside, looking for the sweet relief of willow tree bark. A victory which came at the price of getting his storage key stuck, fumbling for five minutes to unstuck it so he could go back inside.

With all ingredients in front of him he could finally make himself a headache remedy.

“Strange hours for a shop to keep,” said a muffled voice coming from somewhere, interrupting him.

If he got mugged, in his own house, he swore to everything he thought mattered in this world he’d spend the rest of his life finding whomever had come into his shop and making their lives miserable. He was sure no one had been around when he went retrieve the willow bark, Antu would’ve told him if there was someone. He was sure he had locked that door the moment he came in.

The thought that someone could’ve been staying in his own house, waiting for the right moment to strike made him sick, but mostly, angry. He knew he had a dagger somewhere in one of the drawers, if magic was not enough.

“Whomever it is, come out of where you are, and tell me what you want.”

“Behind you.” Anatole jumped back, giving himself more distance between this person, levelling a look to the red glasses the mask had for eye-sockets.

“So this is the witch’s lair… and who might you be?”

“Who’s asking?” He tried to sound as surefooted as possible, but the eye sockets of the mask were so vividly red, like a halo of auburn hair under the noon sun. His headache threatened to get stronger.

“I’m asking. I’d rather not do it again.”

The person lifted their hand, Anatole’s brain springing into action as it remembered the dagger was in the third drawer to the left. He lunged forward, he was quick with his feet he could just grab the dagger and protect himself with a shield if he—

Instead of grabbing him, the stranger threw the mask to the floor.

The flash of pain between his eyes, right where his nose begins was so intense it burned, making him wince. He patted the front table of the shop to hold onto something, fearing he will lose his balance and fall. He’s— he’s— he swears there’s a name on the tip of his tongue.

“As I suspected, shock, horror—”

“What are you talking about?”

“It’s etched on your face! The gruesome reaction of facing the murderer himself. Fear not, I do not care about you, I only want information, so if you stop fooling around and tell me where is the witch.”

“The whomst?”

The man blinked, confused for a flash before he scowled again.

“Where is the witch?”

Something inside Anatole clicked. He was too tired to deal with any of this. If the intruder wanted to attack him, he would’ve done so already.

“Listen,” he said, barking back at this person who had interrupted his evening. “I have a migraine right now, so I will need you to be a little more specific. Secondly, you come into my shop, demanding things without exaplanation, manifesting behind me, and I do have to tell you, even with a migraine, I’m probably better with sharp things than you are so stand back and give me a bloody fucking second, alright?”

It wasn’t a lie. Anatole had always been good with blades. It worried Asra, for a reason he had never explained, but Anatole didn’t think it was a problem.

“You know, if you’re really feeling ill, I’m a medically trained professional—”

“Did you seriously just offer me medical help after you tried to intimidate me for information.”

“I—I, look you don’t look well… wait, did it work? Are you telling me where he is?”

“What? No, no it didn’t. There’s a lot of people who go by ‘he’ this City.”

“Not even the murderer part worked?”

Anatole shot him a death glare that made his uninvited guest look away. After finally retrieving that damn dagger, which he did just in case, he set himself to prepare his migraine remedy.

“You’re the guy who’s wanted for murdering the former Count, right?” He asked as he worked.

“Yes?”

“Wasn’t the guy a bit of an incompetent despot? Created a sanitary emergency and ran the city’s coffers dry? I’m neither of those things, nor I plan to rat you out before you try that line of intimidation, because I’m not a snitch. So please, if you could be specific.”

The intruder did not reply, instead he looked at Anatole like he was the weirdest person he had ever met. He shook himself from it. “The witch, I’m looking for him and I know he lives here...”

“Since you have no clue who I am, I will reckon you’re talking about Asra. He left. Don’t know when he’s coming back, don’t know where he went.”

“But if you don’t know, and I don’t know… why don’t you ask your magic cards?”

God, this man didn’t give up. Normally, Anatole would appreciate that, give him at least some credit as an interesting enemy to run into in the night, but right now? Right now he wanted him to go away. “Because the shop is closed.”

“That’s what the backroom there is for, right? Look, I’m already inside.”

Despite himself, Anatole couldn’t find it in himself to say no, so with a hesitant nod, he left his conoction on the counter and showed his night-time guest to the backroom, but he insisted on Anatole going first. He did, as he didn’t have time for plesantries, though he had to admit, for someone who just broke into his home, he was being very polite.

As he dropped himself into the reading chair, Antu climbed onto Anatole’s lap, sitting there, a comforting presence amid his very annoying evening. He had been his constant companion for almost two years. Antu came in one day unannounced and hadn’t left Anatole’s side since.

“Is that a Raccoon?” The stranger asked, with eyes wide open as he tried to pet him. Antu bit the air in front of him before he could come too close.

Not forgiven yet, Antu said at the stranger, though only Anatole could listen.

Anatole smiled to himself, making a mental note to give him extra grapes later. “His name is Antupillán.”

To Anatole’s surprise, the stranger pronounced the name perfectly. “What does it mean?”

“Not many people pronounce that correctly, look at you. People accent it wrong,” he paused, in all honesty Anatole didn’t know what it meant. Yet, once more, he found himself speaking without knowing what he was about to say. “A ‘pillán’ is a spirit, an embodiment. Antu means sun in Mapudungún, so Antupillán is the spirit of the sun.”

Anatole felt his stomach drop as he awaited for the migraine that would inevitably blotch his vision with black spots. However, it never came, the misplaced information settling into him like a homecoming he was not yet able to process.

As Anatole shuffled the deck, the stranger looked friendly, almost awkward in an endearing way.

“Go on. No need to be shy.”

“Says the man who refuses to give out his name. I need to know it for the ‘magic card reading’, you know?”

“Julian, you can call me Julian,” he said after some stammering and a scarlet blush on his cheeks. His eyes followed his movements as closely as they could, a nervous anticipation to them.

Anatole pulled Death. It was, in Asra’s deck, a particularly quiet card. The horse skull was quiet like someone who opened their mouth to speak, but couldn’t articulate any sound. He wondered if the card in his own Deck — Anatole’s Death major arcana was a moth person holding a mask and a scythe — could hold any answers, other than white noise. It was cheating, technically, but Julian called them ‘magic cards’, Anatole didn’t think he’d mind.

Before he could do anything, Julian laughed. “Death? That means nothing to me. Death cast her gaze upon this wretch and turned away! She has no interest in an abomination like me.”

"What? Julian this isn’t how—”

He stood up abruptly, his mouth seeming to run on automatic pilotwith fatalistic statements and Julian’s hunch that Asra would come back. Which he would, Anatole knew he would. Asra always came back.

Instead of Julian’s advice about seeking him out when Asra did come back, for ‘Anatole’s own good’, whatever that could mean from a fucking stranger, he thought he ought to have accepted the medical help. Perhaps that way, Julian would’ve left earlier and his headache would’ve been dealt with.

Later, as he laid in bed drifting to sleep, he thought Asra left that day not because it was best for a journey, but because he somehowknew all of this would happen and he didn’t want to deal with any of it.

40 notes · View notes

cakeandpi · 3 years

Text

Parker!! spoilers abound

hm, so Harry (aka Lawyer) has been fired/let go and no one gave him the memo on it. Is his old job/boss going to be this episodes mark?

oof, Harry is bad at being subtle with his ‘okay look in [place]’ comm directions

ah okay so isn’t a legal firm that’s about representing their clients to the best of their ability. it’s a firm whose about smoothing bad things over for rich clients so that there’s little to no consequences.

“I remember when you wanted to change the world.”/“World did change. We just went along for the ride.” So the world changed the boss, the boss gave up on changing the world because he saw a way to profit from it and didn’t care that he hurt others along the way.

The way that car drove up onto the curve, I thought that was Sophie in a big hurry at first. (I would have thought Parker but there wasn’t enough time for her to crack the safe, get to the relevant files, get out, and then drive there.) But no, it’s Maxwell’s thugs because the man holds a grudge apparently. So I’m going to guess he’s going to be the season big bad? Or is he just a 2-episode bad guy and we’ll find out who the real big bad is later?

Hardison: listing various problems on various international efforts he’s helping with Eliot: let’s make this a restaurant metaphor Hardison: *very much regretting ever buying Eliot that brewpub*

Nuts and bolts about bad guy details

Also that bit about Hardison being distracted by problems is definitely a distraction, there’s no way he’d pause on making sure their safehouse was secure

Eliot is not so much pissed as insulted that the world is at the point of advertising the corruption rather than him needing to beat it out of someone.

drone!!

*snort* eliot's usually the grouchy one, and he’s carrying a trashcan right now. there’s no way hardison doesn’t make some oscar the grouch joke once he sees that.

“It’s like you never stopped.”/“Yeah. Quite the act.” Sophie slows down at Hardison’s comment, then sighs and sits. She’s finding this tiring now. Is it because she’s out of practice? Or because after so many years of retirement, her hearts not in it anymore? And Hardison notices. He doesn’t say anything concrete immediately, because Sophie hasn’t really elaborated on what’s going on with her. When she does - it’s her grief, and how its affecting her grift now - there’s this concern in Hardison’s face. There’s absolutely going to be a meeting between the OT3 about how to straddle not straining Sophie too much and not babying her should she stay on for another job after this.

“But I can’t work forever, can I?” There’s a defeated tone to this, and it’s true - Sophie’s just human, one day she too will pass on. Her grief for Nate (and how being back with the team keeps reopening that wound) is coloring her view on this for sure. (Did Nate work himself to death?) It’s also, very distantly, a remark on the OT3 - they too can’t work forever. They were Sophie’s and Nate’s proteges. And it’s not that the OT3 doesn’t have anything in place if they go down - they’ve got small teams running all over the world. But they don’t have their own personal proteges. Harry’s a decent start, but they’ll need to recruit and open up their circle to at least one, maybe two more before they’re ready to retire. Before they, too, burn too hot for too long.

“You hear that? That’s a very distinctive sound.” YES

Another Basil & Brick truck! This one has.... empanadas, ropa vieja, sancocho, and I think the last one is yuca frita. Mm, yuca fries.

BREANNA!!!

Parker! Taught Breanna to tail people! (Hardison in particular?) When she was 11! Wait does that mean Parker’s met Nana?! Also Parker is so smug and satisfied that Breanna paid attention to her lessons.

“I teach every kid I meet how to do crime.” <3 be gay do crime

This is a big ‘I’m telling mom!’ argument and I love it, especially the “I think she’s napping” LMAO

“How you saved Eliot’s life all those times” Oh man Hardison is sleeping on the metaphorical couch tonight. But also I need to come back to this later because honestly and really? Hardison has - as part of a group team effort - saved Eliot’s life from himself. By giving him a way to work through his anger issues, by caring for him, by showing Eliot he’s needed and that he’s more than just a hitter. The team saved Eliot’s life. (And there’s probably a bunch of erasing digital trails/etc where Hardison did more directly save Eliot’s life but that's besides the point.)

“But hacking’s kind of old school anyway.” And as she goes on, Eliot goes from aggrieved to ‘oh, a new best friend’ because now he has someone to help him annoy Hardison.

Parker pulls Hardison into a side room (by his ear, but he’s not protesting in pain so that’s got to be just for show). And then pushes him up against the wall and Hardison is like ‘okay whatever lecture is coming can it not be like this?’ If it weren’t for the glass walls that’d be some makeout stuff right here.

LOL at Parker’s standard for a ‘normal’ person being ‘uses Uber, pays taxes, and has a birth certificate’.

“Wait is this like that time in Paris?” I... don’t remember an episode set in Paris with a robot and explosions so this must be during the time skip. And - “... but you didn’t want to hurt Eliot’s feelings so you secretly wanted us to agree.” I’m going to scream if there’s no confirmed ot3 by the end of the season. And cry. And read a whole bunch of fic.

Look at these two being honest with each and communicating and respecting each others opinions, they’ve grown so much from pretzel metaphors.

“You’re not mad. You did the Picard tug.”/“I am mad.“/“Did the tug. You know I like that.” Parker might be mad (at Hardison? Breanna? Both?) but not so much that she’s completely shutting out Hardison, giving him a nonverbal signal that she’s not pissed, just needs some time to be upset before everything’s okay.

“One. Job.” Parker says. And we the viewers know it’ll be more than one. But really what that means by now is that this is an audition. Parker may have taught Breanna some things, but now Breanna has to show that they do better with her rather than without, that she’s an asset and not a liability or dead weight.

I laughed so hard that because this shit’s illegal, there’s no cutting corners on the paperwork.

“And you didn’t get tortured.”/“Not this time.” I can’t tell if Eliot wants Harry to get a little bit tortured or if he’s just reminding Harry that this time around people were in a good mood and showing off.

Breanna stops herself before suggesting something, and Hardison, for all that he isn’t delighted at her presence and protested her being here, encourages her to speak up. If she’s going to be part of the team, even for one job, she’s part of the team and that means speaking up and throwing ideas out there for others to bounce around, even if it winds up being a football that can’t be dribbled.

OT3 TEAM JUST GOT DUBBED ‘DRILL TEAM’. (why is that also somehow a dirty joke i’m dying here)

Oh one of the baddies is a Com4r4t fan... oh wait no this is the beginning of a plan backfiring.

Aww Breanna is so proud of what she’s done! It’s very much like season 1 Hardison. So Sophie and Hardison go to do their own thing, only that means the baddies are here to talk to Breanna and she doesn’t have backup.

THE 'LET ME GET MY BOSS’ THE SPIN AROUND AND THE ‘WHY ARE YOU BOTHERING MY STAFF’ I LOVE BREANNA.

“I’m your neighbor who runs a business built on discretion.” This is going to go very badly depending on how Breanna plays this. At least she gets the earbud in to call for help!

Another Brick&Basil truck! Etoufee and jambalaya, dammit eliot stop choosing delicious food to advertise.

“I monkey-shamed the DJ” I. Love. Her. Also Sophie’s already read Breanna as having the skills to just need general guidelines for an impromptu grift rather than needing to be fed specific lines.

“Okay here’s the thing.” And there’s a pause, we’re thinking he’s about to come down real hard on Breanna, and then we get “I love Com4r4t.” he is a fanboy I guessed it right!! And then he does go through with the threat, but not as a ‘cancel it or die’ sort of threat, but a ‘if i’m disappointed you die’ way.

Breanna nails the impromptu grift though she’s understandably a bit shaken by the threat at the end. (What newcomer wouldn’t be?) But the threat is what pushes Parker into deciding Breanna should go home ASAP. This is Hardison’s family, from before the team, and Parker isn’t about to risk messing that up. If she pushes for Breanna to stay when Hardison doesn’t want Breanna to, and something goes wrong? Parker would never, ever forgive herself.

But as Sophie has pointed out, they’ve all been out of their depth at one point or another. That doesn’t mean that someone should be sent packing.

Lmao Eliot being possessive of the drill.

“Then you ain’t got no more problems ever again.” There’s a certain sense of morbid humor with the team, one that’s both necessary but also a reality. They deal with this level of danger on a semi-regular basis. Harry just hasn’t caught up to that fact yet.

I have a feeling this particular baddie is going to end up dead for managing to drive a 40% cut.

“I’m just saying dude.” I love that Eliot and Hardison don’t have to rehash their entire arguments anymore unless they’re really enjoying themselves, that they can just be all ‘you know I’ve said my piece’.

“Don’t get distracted by the side gig.”/“Is it a side gig?” For all that the team has been their main focus for so long, for all that they all have side projects and gigs, this has been eating up more and more of Hardison’s time. What I thought was him pretending to be distracted earlier may have been a real distraction. And Eliot’s noticed, and he’s noticed that Hardison hasn’t noticed, that Hardison needs to make a choice here.

“In our line of work, you’re one of the best. But in that line of work you’re the only one, man.” Eliot has a soft smile at the end of that, and it's a bit painful, even as I saw it coming, to hear Eliot suggest that Hardison begin to step away from the team’s day to day.

“It’s okay to grow up, to realize you’re not the person you used to be.” None of them are the person they used to be. Not Sophie, not Parker, not Hardison, and certainly not Eliot. They can see that in each other if not in themselves. (Eliot, being the most grounded of all of them, already knew he’d changed eight years ago.)

“You never grew up.”/“Yeah. I achieved perfection pretty early, huh?” Even as Eliot’s the most grounded, even though he’s the one saying that there’s no one else that could fill Hardison’s role in that other work, the idea that Hardison might actually choose to step away from the team is too raw to handle without turning to humor.

Harry’s a bit jumpy, but he’s learning to play it off. I like that he’s a very different character from Nate, that it’s not his anger or ego driving him so much as a desire to make restitution.

And a “Dammit Hardison”

Ooh, Eliot’s in the vents too, just in time to help Parker. (She doubtless has her beloved taser but that would take time away from getting into the vault.)

“I smell lasers” Ahahahahaha

“You’re going to compare me to Eliot right now?” (’over the comms, where others who aren’t Eliot can hear?’ Hardison did not say out loud.)

ouch, okay, Hardison hurting his back like that might be what actually makes him choose the other gig over the team, or at what makes him take a little vacation so he can heal from that. (back injuries are nothing to play around with!)

how did Maxwell get past Eliot? but it’s all good, Eliot’s right behind to disarm him. And Parker’s been doing her hitting lessons, she didn’t even need a taser or to stab anyone!

Oh Harry, the bomb will be used, it’s just not time yet.

New Orleans gumbo is its own food group.

Okay so Hardison’s done a lot of work getting this place in order... WAIT IS THAT A PUNCHING BAG? That’s a punching bag! It might not be the love-letter the brewpub was but it’s definitely a thing added specifically for Eliot.

Oh no, Eliot might realize what Hardison’s doing with this, but Parker hasn’t caught up yet that Hardison’s going to be taking a break from the team.

Parker’s blindsided by this, and she’s upset, but she’s not mad because why didn’t she see this coming she should have seen it, so she leaves to deal with her emotions alone. Hardison follows, naturally, she knew he would, but she can’t face him because then he’ll see her crying, and Parker doesn’t do emotions easily. She’s torn between wanting him to help people and wanting to be with him (and she can’t go with him, she needs to be helping people too).

And Parker doesn’t want Breanna there without Hardison. Again because it’d put Hardison’s family in danger and that’s a step too far for Parker if Hardison doesn’t okay it. And also because with Hardison leaving, Breanna’s just going to be reminders of what Parker’s missing. And Breanna doesn’t have Hardison’s skillset, can’t fill his shoes - not that she should but she can’t, and Parker, I think, is already mentally preparing herself to go it alone again. Because if this job needs Hardison so bad, then surely Eliot’s got some project that needs his specific attention, and it was just one job for Breanna, and Sophie’s been adamant that this is one last job for her, and Harry’s still new and will probably decide to do his own thing given time to think... I think that’s where her brain is at, at least for the next thirty seconds, before she catches up with herself and realizes that more like the time she busted her leg than the team dissolving around her. (This kind of went weird places but that’s stream of thought for me)

And as they come back in Parker’s already cheering up some, because that wave of despair has already blown over. Yeah, she’s not a parent, but she’s good at teaching when she tries.

“It could be a reunion tour.”/“No. I’m retired.” It’s very different from Nate’s old protestations. He was not a thief. Whereas with Sophie it’s not ready. And while they all point out that she’s been happier while doing cons, that they could use the help, it’s not forceful or overpowering. It’s still Sophie’s decision. They’re not going to make her house their new base and taunt her with it; they’re not the sort of people who’d do that anymore, and anyway that’d be cruel instead of a fun sort of goading.

And because they give Sophie space to make a decision, while she doesn’t want to make a long-term commitment, she’s willing to take on ‘just a few more’.

#leverage redemption spoilers #leverage spoilers #spoilers #redemption 1x02 #MAJOR SPOILERS

7 notes · View notes

bobasheebaby · 4 years

Text

Wildflowers- Cordonian Ruby chapter 9

Pairing: Ruby Rys x Beau Larkin; Ellie Larkin (Nana); Olivia Nevrakis

Word count: 1,372

Warnings: mention of dead parents, mention of assassins

Summary: Ruby and Beau get married

A/N: This chapter took it out of me, I seriously need to stop setting myself up to write weddings ‘cause writing them is hell. (My muse thinks them up and then digs her heels in the sand as we try to write it.) Usually I’m done a day or two early and get a head start on next weeks chapter, this week that did not happen so I may have to take a week or two hiatus for me and my muse to bounce back and get back on track.

A/N2: A major thanks @sirbeepsalot for all your graping, prereading, editing, and pushing me. This would not be done without you and some crazy surge of inspiration. I love you boo! Thank you to my snippet reader @loveellamae who screamed appropriately.

Series warnings: character death, blood, surgical procedures done by non medical personnel, may go NSFW in the future. May contain gun violence, knife violence, threats, not sure how dark this will go. By requesting to be tagged you acknowledge you are at least 18 years of age.

Let me know if you want to be added or removed from the taglist.

Disclaimer: I own Ruby, Galen, Lovett, and Beau, I’m borrowing Bastien and Olivia from PB.

Olivia gazed at Ruby, a soft smile on her lips as she took in the young woman before her. Ruby was a vision in the simple white wedding dress and braided bun with delicate blue wildflowers tucked between the twists. Even the cowboy boots that had made Olivia roll her eyes looked absolutely perfect on the young bride.

It was hard to believe that this was the same child that Bastien had rescued twenty-one years prior. Back then she had thought herself weak for fleeing the country, now she knew she had made the correct choice for everyone.

“You look stunning Ruby, as beautiful as your mother on her wedding day.”

“Thanks Mama,” Ruby gave a soft smile, “was she as nervous when she married my father?”

“She didn’t have time to feel nervous, there had been a few attacks, there was one, well two on the day your parents married.

The first one was when we were getting dressed, your mother kicked ass, got dressed and went and married your father. Then in the middle of the reception your mother and I were abducted, we managed to free ourselves from our bonds, but that wasn’t the end of our fight.

Your father came to rescue your mother and together they were a force like no other. They fought back to back and won, then we all went back to the reception.

You have the same fire in you that both your parents had, I can see it in you during every tournament.

You will be victorious in taking down Bradshaw, you and Beau have the same connection your parents had. There isn’t a doubt in my mind that together you shall prevail.”

Ruby nodded, she’d long ago gotten used to her mama knowing exactly what was bothering her without asking. While she was still concerned about the fight to come she knew better than to argue with the woman who raised her.

“Now that we have that out of the way I have a gift for you. I wish I could give you one of your mother’s pieces of jewelry but we couldn’t risk returning to the palace to retrieve them. We didn’t know how long we would have to escape before Bradshaw started to look for you.” Olivia looked at the small box in her hands, “while it’s not your mother’s I did have her favorite earrings replicated for you.” She lifted the lid of the box revealing four small round rubies clustered around a tiny pearl. “Your mother’s were gold and sapphires, I thought these would suit you better. Your father gifted your mother many pearl pieces, so it felt more fitting than gold.”

Ruby looked at the earrings in awe, tears pricking at her eyes, “they’re beautiful Mama, thank you.”

- - -

Ruby gave her appearance one final cursory glance at the sound of a soft knock at the door, “come in.”

“Oh Ruby,” Ellie said with a gentle smile. “You look absolutely beautiful. Beau won’t be able to take his eyes off of you.”

“Thanks Nana,” Ruby blushed at the older woman’s words. “for everything — hosting, allowing us to use your space.”

“Don’t even mention it dear.”

Ruby shook her head; Nana would always welcome anyone into her home and family. What if I fail, never see them again? I’m taking Beau away from them … She turned away as tears welled in her eyes.

“What’s got you down today?”

Ruby quickly wiped at her eyes, thankful for the waterproof mascara. “I just don’t want to fail. I’m taking Beau away and —”

“Hush now, none of that.” Ellie soothed, hands clasping Ruby’s as she pulled her to sit by her side. “First, you are doing no such thing, I knew Beau would be the first to marry since the day he brought you here.

The way he looked at you, and you looked at him, I knew he’d follow you to the ends of the earth.

Second, you won’t fail,” Ellie raised her hand as Ruby went to speak, “you might not succeed in regaining your country, but that doesn’t mean you failed.”

She brushed at her lavender skirt, “take it from an old woman, failing is not even trying, not losing when you’ve done everything in your power to overcome obstacles.

Crown or no crown, your birth parents will be proud of you.”

Ruby gave a grateful smile, “I needed to hear that.”

“I’m sure your mother has already told you the same.”

“She has,” Ruby nodded, “I don’t know it just seems different hearing it from someone else.”

“Oh yes, it’s harder to believe a parent.” Ellie patted her hand. “Now, I think it’s about time for your father to walk you down to my Beau.”

- - -

From the second Bastien walked Ruby down the grassy aisle to Beau time went lightning fast.

As she tried to recall the ceremony she was met with flashes of colorful wildflowers lining the aisle, and tied to the wooden arch. Beau’s vows to her were the only part of the ceremony she could remember; his heartfelt words touching her deeply.

Ruby, I never thought I would meet the love of my life when I was only seventeen. You have always surprised me and kept me on my toes from the moment we met.

You are the perfect mix of sweetness and knock you on your ass. There isn’t one thing about you that I would ever want to change.

You are strong and fierce and love with your whole heart. Anyone who is loved by you knows just how special that is.

You are selfless and kind and take every pain those close to you feel as your own without a second thought. You are amazing and you take my breath away every day.

Who knows exactly what our future will look like, but I know that together we can conquer any adversary we may face.

If there had been any remaining doubt in her mind that Beau felt forced to leave behind the life he knew, his words pushed all uncertainty away.

- - -

Ruby smiled as she finally scanned over the barn turned reception space. She could see small details that showed how hard Mama Jo had worked to blend her and Beau into the wedding in only a month's time. The quickness of the wedding felt natural, after five years together there was no reason to have a long engagement. Mama Jo really does know best.

Twinkle lights in mason jars hung from the rafters, small centerpieces of wildflowers adorned each table, the most surprising touch was the pressed wildflowers on each name card, only her mother and father knew she saved each and every flower Beau gave her in that exact way. She wasn’t usually one to be so sentimental but she couldn’t bear to watch the flowers he brought her wither and wilt, so she took to preserving each one.

She quickly looked away before tears could sting at her eyes. Today was a celebration, the last time she and Beau would be able to see most of their friends and family for the foreseeable future.

She let out a laugh as she spotted Beau dancing like a fool with her younger brothers to a pop song she couldn’t quite place. While Beau and Lovett danced like nobody was watching she noticed that Galen was a little more reserved as always.

She quickly crossed the large barn to the dance ‘floor’, her boots thumping against the wooden floor with each step. “Come on Galen, let loose a little,” she grabbed his hand lifting over her head and giving herself a twirl, “it’s a party.”

“Only for you RuRu.”

Ruby stuck out her tongue, “you don’t get to call me that … but I’ll let it slide just this once.”

“Whatever you say Ru-by.”

Ruby shook her head, allowing herself to get lost in the music she was positive Lovett must have picked. Her sapphire eyes sparkled as she danced around with her brothers and husband.

She watched as her family, both old and new, the people she always had and those she just found enjoyed themselves. She couldn’t help but think, maybe everything would be okay.

Feedback fuels me, please like, comment reblog or send an ask. Feel free to scream, I promise I can take it.

Masterlist can be found in my bio.

@speedyoperarascalparty @liamxs-world @annekebbphotography @itsstillnotwhatyouthink @ao719 @blackwidow2721 @stopforamoment @akrenich @gardeningourmet @daniv2278 @bella-ca @gibbles82 @choiceslife @blackcoffee85 @sirbeepsalot @cheeto-choices @dcbbw @alicars @desireepow-1986 @mfackenthal @bhavf @indiacater @drakesensworld @kingliam2019 @walkerswhiskeygirl @ladyangel70 @jovialyouthmusic @edgiestwinter @rainbowsinthestorm @janezillow @sleepwalkingelite @texaskitten30 @traeumerinwitzhelden @bbrandy2002 @jared2612 @blackcatkita @darley1101 @innerpostmentality @lolablackwrites @endlessflame @fullbeaumonty @hhiggs @itsalliepg @smalltalk88 @littlegreenmoo @mynameiskaylabella @bobbersb @imma-winchester-addict @cordonianroyalty @loveellamae @marshmallowsaremyfavorite @katedrakeohd @forthebrokenheartedthings @super-secret-fandom-blog @burnsoslow @queenjilian @bebepac @datynasuha @malvolari-take-my-soul @hopefulmoonobject @queen-arabella-of-cordonia

33 notes · View notes

lilacmoon83 · 5 years

Text

Dreaming Out Loud

Also on Fanfiction.net and A03

Chapter 100: Someday I'll Wish Upon a Star

"Wow…" Emma uttered, as she finished viewing the intense situation that her family had just been in. Some things about this reality were very good, but in many ways, there were also even more problems.

"Is it weird that I miss the days where I thought Cronus might be our big problem?" Emma quipped. Athena smiled thinly.

"Arawn is extremely dangerous...but Frollo is perhaps even worse," she agreed.

"Not surprising. The guy hates magic and then turns around and uses it. He can call that science all he wants, but that was magic and he used it on my Dad. I'd like to give him a punch in the face for that," she groused.

"Does this mean you are ready to make your decision?" Athena questioned.

"I...I don't know honestly. If I reverse the spell, does that mean Arawn and Frollo go away?" Emma asked.

"There is a possibility that everything could return to just as it was before Zelena cast her spell," Athena replied.

"Why do I sense a but in there?" Emma asked.

"Because time travel is so unpredictable, not to mention forbidden. It defies the laws of magic and it is the one rule that even Zeus has dared to break and believe me, Zeus has broken every other rule in the book," Athena mentioned.

"So you're saying that even if I do turn back time...there still might be changes?" Emma asked.

"There is always that possibility. The original time line would return, but elements from this time line might also become a reality," Athena answered.

"Like two worlds literally colliding," Emma muttered, as she thought for a moment and then sighed, as she put her hands to her face.

"I hate this! No matter what I do...I feel like we're damned if we do and damned if we don't!" the blonde cried.

"That's a fair assessment. What Zelena has done will cause ramifications that not even me or the oracles can foresee. It's unfair Emma...but the decision remains with you," Athena implored. The blonde sighed.

"So I still have about ten years to go...any chance I can just get the highlights?" Emma questioned. Athena chuckled and waved her hand over the viewing pool.

"That I can do, but it will also speed up the need for your decision," she warned.

"I understand…" Emma agreed, as the major events began to play out before her again.

~*~

Arawn sat in his Throne that evening, extremely displeased with the turn of events.

"Sire...I know today did not turn out as you had hoped, but the division among the Gods of Olympus will only benefit us. For the first time in history, they fear us mortals," Frollo advised.

"Which could lead to our destruction," Arawn countered.

"Or theirs. The warring between brothers Zeus and Hades could end up destroying them and their entire bloodlines. They will not take Zeus' betrayal against Persephone lightly," he warned.

"Yes...I suppose you are correct and we can seize any opportunity to expand our Empire," he said, as he rose from his Throne and gazed out the window.

"Starting with Midas' Kingdom. Once he falls...others will fold to me with little quarrel," he surmised.

"All while violating the laws of the land along the way," a new voice interjected, as the two men looked around.

"Show yourself!" Frollo demanded, as a young looking man with an olive complexion appeared. Though he looked like he was barely thirty, his eyes had a wisdom and told that he was much older than he looked.

"And what concern is it of yours?" Arawn questioned.

"I am Apollo and to say that I have a strong aversion to your evil is an understatement," he responded.

"Ah...the God Apollo. Perhaps no one has informed you...but the Gods have little sway in the mortal land these days," Frollo stated.

"Your arrogance is deeply troubling, Judge Frollo. Almost as much as your perversion," Apollo countered, which angered the other man immensely.

"I am the Royal Vizier and was a man of justice! You let magic disease this land and yet I am called out for perversion," he hissed.

"After the way you looked at my niece...I'd say I'm correct in my assessment," Apollo stated.

"So that's what this is about. Has Persephone sent you to plead for her daughter's life? Because you shouldn't waste your breath. She killed my sister," Arawn growled.

"She did not...and I have proof," Apollo claimed.

"Any proof you carry is hardly that. You are a God of immense power and ability to twist anything you want," Frollo claimed.

"My oracles do not lie or deceive, but I wouldn't expect a man like you to recognize the truth," Apollo stated, as he used his oracle to show them the vision of that night. Of Deimos conspiring with the Queen, before betraying and killing her. Of Deimos staging the crime scene and framing Princess Snow.

"As you can see...the one you have allied yourself with is the one that murdered your sister," Apollo stated.

"That's a very convenient story...but there is nothing you can show me that will stop my conquest. The Kingdoms are in disarray. Their leaders are weak. King Eli, King George, King Midas, King Stefan, King Hubert...even Prince Eric in the Maritime Kingdom. They are either weak sods or greedy tyrants. Only through conformity can there be prosperity," Arawn claimed.

"Spoken like a true dictator," Apollo said distastefully.

"Even if we were to believe these claims, Snow White would not escape our scrutiny. She is an abomination...a demon born and bred in the Underworld," Frollo responded.

"Snow is as good and pure as her name suggests...but then that's why you want to destroy her. She's fated to become a great leader and to find a true love that Athena has already etched in the stars, because it will be so profound," Apollo warned. Frollo scoffed.

"We will not be threatened by that child's rule. A woman has no place on the Throne without a man by her side. She will not ascend to her father's Throne," Frollo refuted.

"This war...it will slaughter thousands. It could be worse than the ogre war. You will not create order and justice with war!" Apollo declared.

"Your laws need mending. Mortals break them and ignore them, because they are not harsh enough, but the time of leniency has passed. This is the dawn of a new era upon us and with Zeus behind us, I'd say there is little the rest of you can do against us," Arawn replied.

"We shall see," Apollo countered, as he disappeared in a puff of smoke. Arawn noticed the pensive look on Frollo's face.

"What is it? Speak your mind, my friend," he requested.

"Well...while I do not believe their claims are anything more than bluster...I am beginning to think that Snow White may be more useful alive, rather than dead," he said.

"How so?" Arawn inquired.

"Apollo was not wrong in the fact that her mother Persephone has quite the sway over the other Gods. The same can be said of the people about Snow White. They adore her. That has been made clear by how even intimidation from our soldiers did not get anyone to reveal her whereabouts," Frollo proposed.

"But Snow White would never side with us," he reminded.

"Of course not, but you do have control of her father's Throne now. As King, you would have the power to order her to marry whomever you choose for her. Royals from all over would clamor to marry the fairest of them all," Frollo countered. Arawn smirked.

"And to do so, they would offer up their Kingdoms in a merger," he surmised. Frollo nodded.

"She'd be merely a figurehead and is obviously as unruly as they come. But with a firm hand from someone like me and a suitable husband, she could be molded into the Queen we need to sway the people," Frollo mentioned.

"Hades and Persephone are still a problem though," Arawn reminded.

"This plan if far from a complete thought. There are details I have not yet worked out, but perhaps we should change her wanted posters and instruct she be brought to us alive," Frollo proposed.

"That makes it more difficult...but not impossible. Especially since we know there is a peasant boy out there somewhere that she loves," Arawn agreed.

"Who happens to be identical to George's son. Do you think either boy knows of the other?" Frollo asked.

"Doubtful...that's not something George would want to advertise, if he even knows himself. Whatever business transaction he participated in to get his brat was likely as shady as they come," Arawn commented. Frollo nodded in agreement.

"Do we tell Prince James and King George?" he inquired.

"Not yet...it might be useful information later on. I'd like to keep that one close to the vest, so to speak," Arawn responded. Frollo nodded obediently.

"Then we proceed with the invasion?" the Vizier asked.

"Yes...for now we place our plans for Snow White on hold. I have no idea that you are correct in your assessment that she may become useful to us. For now, we seize Midas' Kingdom. Once we have overtaken them, King Stefan, King Hubert, and Prince Eric's Kingdoms will fall easily enough," Arawn replied.

"And what of Arendelle? We know so little about it," Frollo stated.

"We remain cautious with it. There are closed gates there for a reason. But soon the first born Princess Elsa will come of age and she will be forced to open the gates for her coronation. That is when I will send Hans in," Arawn responded. Frollo nodded and left his King to prepare the armies for the coming invasion…

~*~

Snow arrived in her step-father's Throne room and gently pet Cerberus with affection, before noticing the sapling that had grown just after she had met David.

"Mother...where did you get this?" she asked, as she looked at the sapling that was now under glass.

"I extracted it for safekeeping once I came upon it while we were looking for you," Persephone responded.

"I didn't have time to think about what it might mean, because we had to run. But I know magic when I see it," she mentioned. Persephone smiled.

"It was the first spark of true love, sweetheart," she revealed Snow grinned and then bit her bottom lip.

"I knew what I felt for him...but it's nice to have it confirmed. I know that Nana always said I'd find true love...but I thought that wouldn't be the case anymore when I was framed for murder. I...I almost lost hope," Snow admitted. Persephone went to her daughter and hugged her tightly.

"Oh my little snowdrop...I am so sorry all this has happened to you," Persephone said, hating that there were things that not even she could protect her from.

"It's okay Mother...I almost lost hope, but then David came along. He's wonderful," Snow swooned. Persephone smiled and hugged her daughter.

"Handsome too," she mentioned, enjoying how her daughter's cheeks colored.

"I noticed," she muttered, as they watched Hades use his oracle with what could only be described as a troubled look.

"Is Papa Hades okay?" Snow asked.

"He'll be fine, sweetie. I'm afraid he's just worried...because he's about to get very busy," Persephone replied regrettably.

"Because of me," Snow said sadly.

"Absolutely not...none of this is your fault. A very evil man saw an opportunity to create chaos and seize power," Persephone admonished.

"She's right snowdrop," he agreed, as he turned and opened his arms, so he could hug them both close.

"But a lot of people are going to die, aren't they?" Snow asked.

"I'm afraid so," he told her honestly, as they watched Arawn's army march toward Midas' Kingdom.

~*~

David arrived home on horseback and saw all three of his parents on the porch of their house, looking as worried as he had ever seen them. Which was understandable, as he was three days late getting home.

"David!" Ruth cried, in a voice that was a cross between relief and scolding. She tackled him in a hug and he almost fell over when Mama Sera joined them. He met his father's eyes over them and sighed.

"I'm sorry...I promise I'm okay and that I have a very good reason for my lateness," he said.

"You had better. Do you know how worried we were? You can't disappear like that, David," Sera said fearfully. There was something behind her voice and David wondered if it had to do with her past, though she had no idea why. Surely they could never make any connections between him and his adoptive step-mother, but then he really didn't know a lot as she never wanted to talk about it.

"I'm sorry Mama...but maybe we could go inside," he suggested. They nodded and prodded him inside, though his parents hung back for a moment. Sera's hands shook in fear and Ruth clasped her hands with her own.

"He's okay…" she promised.

"I know...I just fear that we have to tell him soon. With war upon the Kingdoms...James will be traveling more. If he runs into him out there...George would have David killed on sight," Sera whispered.

"He won't...telling him can bring no good," Robert disagreed.

"How can you say that? He should know," Sera insisted.

"Our other son is about to fight a war and I know we're all scared. But telling David? What if he foolishly decides to rush off to meet his brother anyway and we lose two sons!" Robert hissed fearfully. Ruth sighed.

"He may be right...we should discuss this later," Ruth said, mediating what would be a heated argument between them. They agreed for the moment and followed their son back inside.

~*~

Arawn's vast army, led by a savage and blood-thirsty Deimos moved on Midas' Kingdom like a hoard of hungry locusts. Midas' own army was very large as well and the once gorgeous, mountains hills where Midas' Kingdom sat became a war ravaged landscape in a matter of hours. The blood of innocent soldiers simply defending their home soon littered the battlefield and the once clear, mountain springs ran red from bloodshed.

Midas' army presented a valiant and staunch resistance, but it was barely a day, before the castle was invaded. Frederick, Midas' most trusted Knight, tried to flee with Princess Abigail to get her to safety, but they were stopped. Midas presented his own defense and managed to turn several of Arawn's soldiers into gold with a simple touch. But the King was halted when Abigail and Fredrick's lives were threatened.

"You put up a valiant defense, Your Majesty. You should be proud of that. King George folded like a weeping willow," Deimos commented, as Frollo and Arawn entered the palace with grandiose. Frollo was carrying a peculiar looking gauntlet and Arawn nodded to him. Deimos held the struggling King, as Frollo placed the hand shaped gauntlet on the King. The device turned gold upon contact with Midas' skin, but then locked his hand down.

"Test it," Frollo ordered to Deimos. The God scoffed.

"I'm not doing it," he commented, as he grabbed one of his soldiers and thrust his face against the King's golden hand. And nothing happened, much to Abigail, Frederick, and most of all Midas' shock. Frollo smirked.

"Once again, as you can see, science is far superior to magic, Your Majesty. My creation has nullified your power. A power of which you are nothing without," Frollo boasted.

"I will never surrender to you!" Midas growled.

"You will...or your daughter and her lover will be executed now," Arawn threatened, as Deimos moved toward them.

"Wait!" Midas cried, as he looked at them sadly.

"I will surrender in exchange for my daughter's and Fredrick's lives," Midas relented. Arawn smirked.

"A good choice," he stated, as he looked at the prized new golden Throne that he had now added to his collection.

"Lord Deimos...assimilate the remainder of Midas' army into our own. You will lead them to King Stefan's Kingdom tomorrow," he ordered. Deimos smirked.

"Yes, Your Majesty," Deimos responded.

~*~

Persephone had never seen her husband quite so weary than she had in the last few days. It pained her to see her husband's Throne room so busy, as it meant that Arawn was committing senseless violence and slaughtering.

"All those people…" she heard Snow say from behind her. Persephone turned and hugged her close.

"I know sweetheart, but I promise that things will get better," she told her daughter, as she pulled her into her chambers.

"But Papa Hades, your father, and I all have something for you," she said, as there was an object covered with a sheet.

"What is it?" Snow asked, as she pulled off the sheet and found a beautiful looking glass beneath it.

"A looking glass?" Snow asked.

"An enchanted looking glass. Your father and your Nana are delivering the other mirror to David right now. So even though you cannot be together in person for a while, you can still talk," Persephone replied. Snow's eyes lit up and she hugged her mother.

"Oh Mother...thank you," Snow said gratefully. Persephone hugged her baby tightly.

"I know that magical looking glasses like this aren't easy to get, even for you and Papa Hades," Snow said.

"There is nothing your mother and I will not do for you, snowdrop," Hades interjected, as he joined them in a hug.

"Go on...I'm sure David has his looking glass by now," Persephone prodded, as they left their daughter to talk to her love, while they spent a few moments together.

"You're tired, my love...the souls can wait. Time is all they have, after all," she admonished, as she made him sit down for a moment.

"I know...most of them shouldn't even be here. They died for nothing," he mentioned.

"Damn Zeus…" she growled.

"This is what he wants. He wants to break me and take away my hope, but he will never do that to me again," he promised, as he pulled her down into his lap.

"Because I have love; something that he will never have. My family will ensure I am never broken by this station again," he promised. She smiled gently at him and kissed him passionately.

~*~

To say that Ruth and Sera were overjoyed and elated to discover that their son was in love was an understatement. His whole family had been enthralled by his tale of meeting a Princess and their journey to save her father. They weren't crazy about all the danger along the way, but they had to admit that they always knew that David was meant for more than a quiet life on the farm. They knew the restlessness in his youth had been because he was missing something in his life. And now they sensed a peace in him that they had not seen before. Ruth's ring had led her son to true love, after all, ultimately renewing her faith even more.

In the backs of their minds, they knew there was a real possibility of David discovering that he had a twin. But none of them knew exactly how to tell him about it. So they stalled once again, hoping that telling him would not become necessary. They met and welcomed Snow's father when he delivered a gift to David that would allow him to communicate with Snow during their separation too.

After staying with them for an evening, Eli moved on, telling them that he was heading east to lay low for the time being.

~*~

The months passed. The war raged. And the weariness grew among the people. It was clear that they needed saving from Arawn and his tyrannical rule. And Athena was clear that it would be true love that would save all the Kingdoms. She wasn't specific as to how, but Persephone knew that Snow and David were somehow integral in that. She suspected that the Dark One knew it too, for his saving of her daughter was more than just to make them even, she was sure of it and so was her husband. She supposed that he had a vested interest in seeing someone like Arawn taken down too though. They had just learned how Frollo had managed to invent a device to nullify Midas' magic, after all. If something could be developed to seal Midas' golden touch away, then that meant it was very likely that Frollo might find a way to suppress the magic in a person. Which was very bad news for all of them. Knowing that her daughter might somehow be key in defeating Arawn gave her a lot of anxiety too. But she knew that Snow and David were special; that their love was special. Which meant they would see and face evils and adversity like some never would.

As least they would not be alone in their battle though. Between the two of them, they had six loving parents that would be with them every step of the way. She had not met David's mothers or his father yet, but she knew they were good people that loved their son and would love her daughter, just as she would come to love their son as her own as well. Their family would stand on the front lines against Arawn and despite the fear that created, she knew that love would prevail. She only hoped that there wasn't too much sacrifice along the way.

At this very moment, her anxiety was in full force. It was fall and the leaves were beginning to turn. And Snow had gone to the surface for her first secretive rendezvous with David. The pair would reunite and travel east together so Snow could visit Eli as well. Her ex was living in the eastern mountain regions at the moment, quite secluded and safe. But she was still worried that they might run into trouble. Still, she was excited that her daughter was getting to see the man she loved at last. Despite the fact that a war was keeping them apart, she still had hope that love would win out.

~*~

David worked on repairing their fence that afternoon and his father had come to help him. He was proud of his dad these days, as Robert hadn't had a drink in years. He still gambled a bit more than David liked, but he seemed to be mostly in control of his addictions and for that he was proud of his dad.

"We're making good time on the fence. We might even be done by dinner," David mentioned. Robert smirked, as he had already noticed the young woman in the distance.

"I doubt it, because you're having something else to tend to right now. But that's okay. The fence can wait," he replied. David's brow furrowed, as he looked ahead to what his father was seeing and his eyes widened in surprise.

"Snow…" he uttered. Robert chuckled in amusement, as his son cleared the fence in one easy leap and ran to the raven haired beauty, dressed in an airy white dress, as she waited for him in the meadow beside her unicorn.

"Snow...you're here…" he exclaimed, as he picked her up in his arms and spun her around. She giggled and relished being in his arms again.

"Mother and Papa Hades said it should be safe for a few days. Arawn is moving toward King Hubert's Kingdom and they're much further south now," she mentioned. He grinned at her and their lips met passionately.

"I missed you so much…" he confessed and she caressed his handsome face.

"I missed you too, my love," she whispered to him, as she clung desperately to him. They had gone months and being able to talk to each other had been a blessing. But they had parted each night wishing and longing to hold each other.

By then, David's mothers had come out of the house and joined his father at the fence.

"I think I'd like to finally meet them in person," Snow mentioned. She had talked to all of them through the enchanted looking glass and his mothers already adored Snow, just as she adored them. He took her hand and led her over to the fence, helping her over it.

"Oh Snow...it so good to finally meet you in person," Ruth gushed. Snow smiled and hugged her back.

"It's so good to meet you too...all of you," she said, as Robert and Sera both greeted her as well.

"Dinner will be ready in a couple hours. Why don't you and David enjoy a ride in the meadow on your unicorn," Sera suggested. David smiled and took her hand.

"That sounds like a great idea," he agreed. Snow smiled, as they mounted Stardust together, with David riding in front at Snow's insistence. She put her arms around him and leaned her head against his back, as Stardust galloped off into the meadow. Snow relished the thrumming of his heartbeat. David took them further into the meadow and along the outskirts of the forest until they came upon a small lagoon with a waterfall.

"Oh David...this is beautiful…" she marveled, as he dismounted and then helped her down. He knew she was perfectly capable of getting down herself, but he simply wanted her in his arms and she wanted the same.

"I know...it's kind of a hidden gem. I've been wanting to share it with you," he replied, as he held her close and they gazed at each other. But now that they were completely alone, all politeness was gone and their lips crashed together with wanton desperation.

"I love you…" David uttered, as she pressed her forehead against his.

"I love you too...my Charming," she said with a bright smile, using a name that she had coined for him after he had saved her life so many times. He looked down shyly.

"I keep telling you I'm not a prince," he reminded.

"No...but you're my prince," she purred, as she kissed him again and the way she said that, with love in her voice and a touch of possessiveness, made him feel hot all over. He smiled at her, as their lips parted.

"And I want to be with you...eternally. I know that we're young and we can't be together all the time yet, but I know this is true love," he said. Snow smiled.

"I know it is too and someday, we won't have to be separated at all," she assured.

"Until then...I want to put this on your finger. I have since the troll bridge when I realized I was in love with you," he said. She gasped, as he got down on one knee.

"Will you marry me...someday?" he asked and she bit her bottom lip.

"What do you think?" she teased, as she held out her hand and he slipped the ring on her finger, before standing up and taking her in his arms again. Their lips met passionately again and they lost themselves in each other once again...

#Snowing #SnowxCharming #Charming family #Swanfire #AU #Rumbelle #HadesXPersephone #Greek Mythology meets fairy tales #romance #adventure #family #dreaming out loud

3 notes · View notes