#Twin City Brewing Company

[ciderwitch]

So like I was wondering if youde be ok with writing a self insert of Standley Pines bc I am such a simp and am in need of fluff. Please please Id love you forever.

Surprisingly, I've only recently noticed that I apparently have a debilitating attraction to DILFS and GILFs... Love me some Grunkle Stan!

You had just started working at Gravity Falls Town Hall and already it seemed like things in your life were taking a strange turn. I mean, yeah, the realtor had told you that it was a "vibrant and quirky" community, so you figured it would be a little odd. The rent was cheap and the apartment you were living in was better than anything you'd even heard of back in the city, so vibrant and quirky would have to do.

Still, it was the third time this month the Pines kids had been chased by unholy abominations, and the terror of seeing a not-deer get eaten by a werepanther was starting to become a little too familiar for your liking.

You needed to get out more, you decided. Thankfully, some of your coworkers had a monthly get together at one of the local diners to hang out and they were more than happy to invite you along. They told you new folks didn't come here often, but you found the community warm and welcoming all the same. Eldritch horrors aside, it was a great place to live.

Apparently you did not get the memo that it was cancelled tonight, so here you were pouring syrup over your solo lunch of pancakes and sausage when the door chimed.

It was Wendy Corduroy and she had a downright miserable expression on her face. You could see why. Robbie Valentino was hot on her heels, as usual. It didn't take a genius to see that he was head over heels for her — or that she was completely done with him. And, since nobody else seemed particularly interested in helping, you called out to her.

"Ms. Corduroy! Care to join me? I was just going over some paperwork your father submitted and I could use your help."

She gave you a soft smile and quickly slid into the booth across from you while Robbie grumbled to himself, shoved his hands in his pockets, and stormed away.

"He is persistent, isn't he?" You say with a roll of your eyes.

"I know!" She groaned miserably, slapping her face between her hands. "Thanks for the save, by the way. If he actually paid attention to me he'd know my dad doesn't do paperwork."

"Anytime, Wendy. That's what adults are for, you know?" you answered.

"Pfft, no way," she said, "You're the only cool adult in this town, man. I bet if you were mayor it wouldn't suck so bad around bere."

"Thanks, but no thanks. I'm not ready for that kind of responsibility," you laughed. "Besides, Mayor Cutebiker is still plenty popular. I don't think I'd have a chance."

"Whatever you say, Miss Y/N," she said with a shrug, "Mind if I eat with you? My dad and my brothers are meeting here in about 30, but I'm starving."

"Of course not, Wendy. I'd be happy for the company," you answered happily. You ate your pancakes in good company and waved her goodbye when her family arrived. You were polishing off the last of your drink and a slice of pie when the door chimed again and in came the Pines family.

You recognized the twins immediately. Where trouble brewed, the twins were at the source. Despite the threat of danger, you couldn't be angry at them. They were very kind and intelligent kids and had saved you from a gnome kidnapping earlier just this month, so you would say you were on good terms.

Then you looked up and saw the Stan brothers, Ford and Stanley. You hadn't actually met them personally yet, but you could tell by reputation alone who was who.

Ford was walking with his journal in hand, taking notes and examining the Medusa-dog's head mounted on the wall beside him while he mumbled to himself.

Stanley followed right after. Mister Mystery himself, with the usual suit and red fez you'd seem from afar and that half the town had warned you away from.

Both brothers were handsome, you realized, though Stanley was the one that stuck out to you. He had a great dad-bod, but you could tell there was some muscle under the poorly fitted suit jacket he always wore.

You blinked a few times to yourself. Man, you really had been single for too long. Your eyes met, and you offered a polite wave before looking at your mug and taking a sip. Staring probably wouldn't make a great first impression and you secretly hoped he couldn't read your thoughts.

Your reflection was interrupted the moment Mabel saw you, of course. The kid ran right over and dragged her brothers and uncles right along with her. She was sliding into the booth beside you before you even had a chance to scoot in.

"Hi, Ms. Y/n! It's me, Mabel!" she said excitedly. "Have you met my grunkles? This is Grunkle Stan, and this is Grunkle Ford!" she added, pointed to them accordingly.

"Nice to meet you both," you say, nodding at each of them. "My name is Y/n."

"Nice to meet you, Y/n. My name is Stanford Pines, and this is my brother Stanley," he added. "I don't believe I've seen you around before. Did you just move in recently?"

"Yes, a few months ago, but I've been so busy with my new job as Mayor Cutebiker's Chief Administrator that I haven't had much time to get out."

"Well, that's a shame, toots," Stan added with a sly smile and a performative wink. "You'll have to let old Stan-the-man show you the town sometime. I know this place like the back of my hand!"

"Grunkle Stan, you got lost in the mall two days ago and we had to have security come find you." Dipper added exasperatedly.

"Like the back of my hand!" Stan reiterated, using his hand to turn dip 180 degrees by his head.

"Ooh! ooh! We could give you the Pines Family Tour!" Mabel added excitedly. "We know everything, don't we Dipper."

"Well, maybe not everything, but I'm sure we could show her a couple of places," the boy added, running his nose at the praise.

"Children, Stanley, please. Let's give Ms. Y/n some peace. I believe she was finishing up as we came in, weren't you, Miss?"

"Yes, I had just finished the last of my coffee and alas, I have more work to do. But perhaps I will have to take you up on the Pines Family Tour, huh kids? And I'm sure you could show me a thing or two yourself, huh, Stan-the-man?" you laughed.

He laughed with you, but the blush burning up his cheeks as you left let you know he hadn't quite expected you to return his interest.

Man, you'd have to hang out at the diner more often.

#grunkle stan #stanley pines #mister mystery #stan pines #stan pines x reader #fluff #requests open #requests #asks #asks open

[jayhawksofficial]

Jayhawks Tour Update April 2024

Spring has sprung and we've got a bunch of shows coming up - with more announcements on the way.

We're back on the road in a few weeks with a show in St. Louis followed by two nights in Nashville. Our old pal and bandmate Stephen McCarthy will be joining us for the 2 Nashville shows, making for a very rare Jayhawks lineup.

We return to the east coast in early May with 4 shows, including a headlining slot at the Sing Us Home festival in Philly. NOTE: due to an unavoidable conflict, Karen Grotberg won't be able to make these May shows. As in recent years, Stephen McCarthy will be filling in with us again for this run.

In June, we'll be making our only Twin Cities concert appearance of the summer on 6/6 at the cool Utepils Brewing Company location, tucked away in the Bryn Mawr neighborhood. Then we're off to Spain to do some shows with our good friends at Heart of Gold.

On the Fourth of July we're doing the American Music Fest in Berwyn, IL, followed by a one off in Western Michigan. August finds us in the Ohio Valley for a couple of shows.

We're working on more 2024 shows to add to the schedule - the latest tour news can always be found on our website.

Tour dates & ticket links: bit.ly/JayhawksShows

See you soon!

TOUR SCHEDULE (as of 4/10) 4/19 - St. Louis, MO - Sheldon Concert Hall (sold out) 4/20 - Nashville, TN - City Winery (sold out) 4/21 - Nashville, TN - City Winery 5/2 - Beverly, MA - The Cabot 5/3 - Hartford, CT - Infinity Hall 5/4 - Philadelphia, PA - Sing Us Home festival 5/5 - Tarrytown, NY - Tarrytown Music Hall 6/6 - Minneapolis, MN - Utepils Brewing Company 6/13 - Barcelona, Spain - Parallel 62 6/14 - Bilbao, Spain - BBK Music Legends festival 6/15 - Vigo, Spain - Mar de Vigo Auditorium 6/16 - Madrid, Spain - Noches del Botanica 6/17 - Valencia, Spain - La Rambleta 7/4 - Berwyn, IL - American Music festival 7/5 - Three Oaks, MI - The Acorn (sold out) 8/15 - Lexington, KY - The Burl 8/17 - Cincinnati, OH - Memorial Hall 9/13 - Grass Valley, CA - Center For The Arts

#Jayhawks #tour dates

[coldshrugs]

oblivious

characters: aymeric de borel, estinien varlineau, io laithe (wol) word count: 1590 rating: general; some swearing but this is pre-estinio pining note: vague references to endwalker happenings.

Nearly a year has passed since Aymeric last visited Ala Mhigo. He finds the city as lovely as ever; beautifully laminated red stone carved into labyrinthine streets, elaborately-adorned domed roofs, and enormous granite griffins standing guard beneath the midday sun. These sights are the stark opposite of his snow-covered, gray Ishgard, yet the two nations have found enough common ground to forge bonds of allyship that, at least for his part, go beyond official accord.

As friends and allies gather to announce the recent fruits of their labors, it is with a heavy heart that he excuses himself to return home. Lucia is more than an extension of his command now. She has come into her own, and he is not the only person who needs her. Difficult as it may be, he must say farewell.

He descends the palace steps, shielding his eyes from the sun’s glare with a gloved hand. A small crowd is gathered at the landing, but it’s another flight down before he recognizes their faces. General Aldynn and Maxima, and ah, the guests of the hour.

The Scions of the Seventh Dawn are in top form. Armed for the worst, they need no uniform to feign confidence and cohesion. The eight of them are a unit, flawlessly in sync. Their presence alone should lift the spirits of those who await their arrival in the palace, even with worry lines creasing their brows.

But there is one among them who will unequivocally bolster the Contingent inside, as she always does, intentionally or not.

The Warrior of Light stands near the rear of her entourage, something that has not changed over the years. Though her escapades have won the hearts and minds of the realm, the woman behind the fame is reserved and soft-spoken, often shying away from attention if her voice isn’t needed. Oddly enough, she seems in good spirits today. A company of hundreds awaits an address from the Scions–from her–yet Io is beaming.

Most unusual...

Estinien stands by her side, arms folded across his chest. His posture is as uninviting as ever, but there is something relaxed about his stance. He looks at home among the Scions–more than he ever did with the Knights Dragoon or any military order. Relief washes over Aymeric; he’d prayed this would be a good change for his friend, that he would finally find his people and purpose after a life filled with painful memories and the near-unquenchable thirst for vengeance. The Fury has indeed smiled upon him.

From his vantage on the stairs, Aymeric watches the pair. They observe the others chatting around them, their attention split between the larger conversation and quietly-spoken words between themselves.

Is… is Estinien smiling?

Aymeric is close enough to call to them without being inappropriate. “My friends!” He says, bounding eagerly down the last of the stone steps. “Full glad am I to see you all before I take my leave of the city.”

Thancred reaches for a handshake, clapping him on the elbow, and Urianger sweeps into a bow far deeper than his station deserves. The Leveilleur twins bow as well, curt and polite. Alphinaud smiles. “Lord Commander, what a welcome surprise! Are you not staying for the meeting?”

Aymeric explains his involvement and Lucia’s deft handling of Ishgard’s hand in the Ilsabard Contingent, but his attention is on his oldest comrade. Estinien leans into Io and whispers something unintelligible, and she covers her mouth to keep from laughing and responds in kind.

Hm.

With the other pleasantries finished and the Scions continuing their business, Aymeric steps through the small crowd and toward his friend. Suddenly something far more interesting than wartime geopolitics is brewing, and Aymeric won’t find this in his pile of reports from the front. He extends a hand. “You seem to be settling in rather well, Estinien. Tis good to see you.”

Estinien clasps his wrist, and Aymeric tugs him into a tight embrace.

“Must you?” A resigned sigh ruffles Aymeric’s hair. After a few seconds, the hug is accepted, and Estinien lifts a hand to pat his back twice. Good enough.

“Yes, always,” Aymeric says, releasing the cantankerous bastard and turning to the Champion. Her eyes are alight with amusement at the sudden display of affection. “Mistress Io, how is he doing? I trust you see that he’s eating enough? Avoiding moogle-infested lands?”

She glances over at Estinien, mild surprise raising her brows, but he offers only a shrug in response.

“What did I tell you?” Estinien's voice is dripping with a lighthearted smugness that Aymeric can only describe as playful. His brows knit.

“Wonderful to see you, Ser Aymeric. But I’m afraid I’ve been instructed to tell you only that Estinien is getting on well. Offering details could come at a great personal cost–he knows where I live now.” Io’s soft laugh bubbles through her words.

Was that what he whispered as Aymeric came down the stairs?

He hums, “Instructed or coerced? So long as ‘getting on well’ is the truth of the matter, I should have no cause for concern. Perhaps I–”

“Laithe, Varlineau–” Raubahn calls, one heavy foot on the steps, ready to make the trek to the palace. The other Scions have left without them. “Shall we?”

Io’s smile is a tight line, “Right behind you, General.” She turns to Estinien and the smile softens. “But you should stay a moment and catch up. For such dear friends, you don’t spend nearly enough time together. I will live vicariously through your tardiness, and you might be spared the clumsy speech they’ll ask me to give.”

Estinien snorts a breath of laughter, and Aymeric balks, blinking in wide-eyed shock. Neither seems to notice him and if they do, they do not care.

Estinien nods as Io turns away, trailing behind the general, and Aymeric gives her a short bow.

The dragoon's gaze follows her up the steps, half-entranced, almost as if he has forgotten where he is and next to whom he's standing. Aymeric does not miss the way his eyes pass over her form–soft, protective, bordering on desperate.

Aymeric clears his throat once Io begins the second flight of stairs. “Getting on well, indeed, aren’t you?”

He drags his stare back to Aymeric, squinting against the sun gleaming off his blue and gold armor. “They pay me generously and provide lodging. Besides, someone must make sure the boy keeps himself out of trouble. All these fucking academics–rattling off endless facts and theories, frequently wanting for common sense.”

“And Mistress Io?”

“What about her?”

Of course he's oblivious. In the early days of their knighthood, Estinien was popular among the young onlookers that would gather to watch the new recruits spar. More than a few approached him with charged suggestions, but so singular was his focus, so sharp his rage, that word soon spread his affection was an impossibility. He would have some small number of short affairs over the years that followed, a need for distraction perhaps? But this… this is a shade of Estinien he has not seen in all the long years they have been acquainted.

The man is smitten.

“The two of you seem closer than I remember.” Aymeric considers his next question carefully. Estinien is as likely to hit him with his lance or walk away without a word as he is to answer. “What do you think of her? Of working with her so closely?”

He makes a low, rumbled sound Aymeric is familiar with, thinking over his reply. "Io is a force, but surely that is not news to you. The realm has no shortage of problems; big or small, she treats every last godsdamn farmer, shopkeep, and wailing child as if they were you. Too good for the lot of us."

He crosses his arms again, meeting Aymeric's eye. "Why do you ask? You still correspond with her on occasion, do you not? She is as much your friend as mine."

He cannot see it, right in front of him, plain as day.

"Mm, perhaps 'friend' is erroneous in both cases. Nevertheless, I am pleased you have someone like her," Aymeric pauses, "for support, of course, as you adjust to– what was it again?– 'all these fucking academics.' Though, I am confident they are thrilled to have you on their side."

Estinien leans back on his heels, chuckling at Aymeric’s weak-voiced swear. “Aye, they’re a hospitable group.” He glances up the stairs. Io and General Aldynn are inside now, and though his face does not betray him, there is a gravity to his pining. It pulls at him. He takes a step forward, clapping Aymeric on the shoulder. “I should go inside. It was good to see you, my friend. Give my regards to our brothers in arms, will you?”

He begins his ascent, taking the first several steps in twos.

“Estinien,” Aymeric calls, blocking the harsh light with his hand once more. “When you figure it out, I hope you reach for what you want. You deserve nothing less than happiness, brother.”

His brows knot with confusion. Then he grins, eyes narrow and spirited. “Save your tender words for the House of Lords, Aymeric. I assure you, I am fine.” He waves, continuing his climb, up and up, and Aymeric watches until he reaches the door, then heaves a sigh, unable to hide his smile as he makes for the aetheryte plaza.

There is something terribly romantic about it: with calamity looming in the distance, perhaps even heroes might find the time to fall in love.

#azia writes #io/estinien #io laithe #continuing the tradition of posting fic very late and fleeing #love that autocorrect tries to change estinio to 'destined'. yes yes they are #idk i just thought it would be really funny that no one else has noticed something brewing between these two #but aymeric sees them for five seconds and KNOWS

[razorblade180]

Twin Snowflakes part 50: Face Off!

TSF 49 <-

Another day, another blizzard, a norm at this point for many. Even Yang Xiao Long found the windsheer bearable after countless runs around the iced kingdom with her bike. Penny really had outdone herself with the snow tires and tune up. Normally Yang was scared of anyone touching her beloved but in this case it was definitely needed. Being stubborn here would’ve easily ended with her face down in snow and no bike at all of Shiva had anything to say about it. The blazing huntress rode through the heart of the city with precious cargo towed behind her; thankfully the massive crate was padded and any summoned beasts were occupied with Winter’s troops distracting them or guarding the school. All in all, it was a smooth ride to SDC company building; another safe haven for the stranded.

Yang pulled up right to the front door and carried the crate one handed past guards and inside where people rested, ate, worked, just about anything really. She had to hand it to the citizens, they truly were resilient. History books didn’t do them justice. With the guidance and reassurance of the Schnees, Marigold, and huntresses like herself, panic had dramatically stopped. Restlessness was clear, but people understood they were in good hands after the initial lockdown. If only things could’ve gone this smoothly years ago when Salem was made public. Then again, nobody commanded the authority or had the reputation they have today. Yang was pretty sure her face back then was the complete opposite of composed when she thought about it.

“Oh how times change.” She said to herself, reaching the elevator. Yang took it straight up to Whitley’s office where instead of managing profits, he balanced resources and concerns. At least he still had his secretary to buzz people in. “Hey Ciel. I got a delivery.”

“So I see.” She looked through the glass doors to see Whitley face down in exhaustion, papers around him and on the floor. “Yeah, I’d say he’s not too busy.”

“Is it something serious?”

“Mr. Schnee just had the brilliant idea he typically has; working without sleep.”

“Ah, the Schnee Classic. I’ve seen it in multiple forms.”

Ciel laughed and buzzed her in. “Have fun. There’s coffee in the corner of the room. It should be done brewing by now.”

“I’m starting to think he actually asked you not to leave when evacuations happen.”

“He’d never, but may or may not have been counting this entire experience as overtime. Four months of a time and a half pay rate is a sizable paycheck.”

Yang dared not ask how much Ciel’s normal salary was, but she knew if Ciel went on vacation after this and never came back, she’d understand how it was possible. Yang walked into the huge office and put down the crate, shaking the floor and making Whitley shoot up like a beanstalk.

“I’m up!” He said, alarmed. Seeing Yang laugh at his face wasn’t the most unpleasant way to be dragged out of sleep, but he also did not have the energy to make her stop. “Hello.” It’s all he had in him as he sat back down.

“Hey Mr. Human Resources. You okay?”

“I crashed. I’ll be okay.”

Yang walked over to the aforementioned coffee pot and poured the man a drink. She gave it to him with a few sugar packets. “Thera ya go.” She then made a second mug she put on the table. “Better?” She said watching Whitley drink it like it was a discovered oasis in the middle of Vacou.

He all but slammed the mug down. “I’m good!” He coughed, clearing his throat. He finally noticed the crate. “Ah!”

“Bout time you saw it! Darken the room please.”

Whitley ran his finger over a touchscreen that turned all the windows and glass door black to prevent unwanted eyes. Yang knocked on the crate three times and the lid popped open with Nick letting out a huge breath of freedom.

“You drive like a maniac!” He huffed. “I get there’s ice on the road but can you turn a bit slow-”

Yang handed him the coffee. Nick immediately lost any irritation and sipped the brew. Yang smiled as she rubbed the kids head. “You're welcome.”

“It’s very lucky I’m not claustrophobic.” Nick huffed again.

“It’s spacious in there! Cozy too.”

Whitley walked over to Nick to hug him. “Glad to see you. I know this plan was definitely insane even by our standards but Shiva somehow seeing you before the big day would be terrible. Better safe than sorry.”

“I get it. I just don’t like it.” Nick downed his coffee then leaned against the table. “Great to see you all the same. Everything good on your end?”

Whitley nodded, “Just about. We’ve been gradually moving the bulk of the food here along with people. Not like we don’t have the space, but still someone finds a reason to be upset or try sneaking in hopes of finding whatever ridiculous thing they want at that moment. You would think they forgot it’s dangerous outside.”

“Well nobody is attacking them. The only constant threat is freezing to death, unless they happen to get caught in the crossfire of a battle.”

Yang groaned loudly “Uuuggghh! You’d be surprised Nick. I’ve seen tons of blockheads hiding in a mall or trying to get something from home which so happens to be behind a stupid Goliath summon. I didn’t even know Summer knew how to do that!”

“I don’t remember her killing a Goliath. Then again, she’s snuck off doing things before. Still, I feel like she would’ve bragged about it given the opportunity. Weird.”

Whitley crossed his arms. “Maybe Shiva killed it in her spare time?”

Now that was a dangerous thought Yang and Nick hated, visibly showing concern. “Well that fucking sucks.” They said together.

“I’m merely throwing it out there.”

“Yeah but you’re probably right!” Nick sighed. He can’t believe he never thought about that possibility. “It’s not like it changes our plan but that’s very depressing to think about.”

“How are you feeling by the way?”

“Well it’s about five days since I got the stitches out and fighting mom doesn’t end with me praying for mercy silently, so I guess I’m fine?” Nick said, rationalizing everything he’s been through lately. “I’m healthy at least.”

Yang patted his back. “He even sparred with me once!”

“Only once.” Nick emphasized. He didn’t need to say more to gain his uncle’s sympathy.

“Hang in there champ.”

“Believe me, I am trying…” In theory, fighting a person who physically has to touch you is good practice when your real foe has a deadly touch. That being said, flaming shotgun fists are somehow more stressful to experience. Yang has no right to punch so fast! “While I’m here, I should let you know after I visit the base, we’ll probably have one more discussion of the plan. Aside from the hospital, with this spot becoming where the majority of civilians rest, people should be safe if worst comes to worst in the fight. This is the furthest spot.”

“Agreed. We unfortunately can’t move anymore for the time being. Shiva might suspect something if nearly all the body heat moved. If she hasn’t suspected it already.”

Yang frowned, “Can you stop with the doom hypotheticals? We are checking every box on the list perfectly and that’s that!”

“Oh if only I had half your certainty.”

“It’s more like cope.” Yang admitted. “As Blake’s mom would say, sometimes you gotta manifest good outcomes if you want them.”

Whitley gestured to Nick. “We’ve been doing that for months haven’t we?”

“Exactly! Now manifest a victory and decent weather.”

“I’ll do my best.” He chuckled. “Anyways, I should probably finish a few of these papers. Feel free to stay away and avoid the crate as long as possible. I’m sure there’s people around here who’d feel relieved seeing the heir after all this time.”

Ah yes, Nick had somehow forgotten that little fact. This would be his building, and he had drunk out of what would eventually be his mug. The thought made his head feel heavy, clouded even. Nick closed his eyes and took a breath.

“Yang? Can you give the room to me and my uncle for a moment?”

“Umm okay.” Whitley looked at her with eyes seeking an answer but all she could do was shrug. Yang made another cup of coffee for herself than left.

Whitley sat up straight. “So, is there something you-”

“I don’t want to be the heir!” Nick blurted out. “I really don’t! It’s no knock against you or the family but I really can’t see myself doing this. The office, paperwork, it’s just not me! I’m good at it, sure; you’ve taught me well and I feel bad about it because I think the time could’ve been better spent! Just ask Eliza how unenthusiastic I am during student council meetings. She does so much heavy lifting it’s absurd, but I sure as hell don’t want to.”

The room was still dark but Whitley couldn’t help but briefly glance in the direction of Ceil’s desk after hearing that. He looked back at his Nephew who stood as stiff as a statue. His eyes were big and despite his best attempts, Nick’s hands fidgeted.

“Got that out of your system?” Whitley said calmly.

“Y..Yes!”

“Okay. Thanks for telling me. We’ll figure it out.”

Nick blinked. “Huh?”

“Hmm? Were you expecting me to deny you; be upset perhaps? I haven’t come off as that towards you have I?” He genuinely asked. Ruby helped make him a good man in his opinion but Whitley knew he could have a pretty sharp tongue or cold demeanor at times.

“N-No, I just…I know how important this is for you; for everyone. It’s our legacy.”

“No, you and Summer are our legacy. This is a company with our name attached. It may be important but no one is disappointed if you’re reluctant to be a part of it. Our legacy is fine because both you and your sister are good people.” He stood up and walked over to Nick, setting both of them on the edge of the office meeting table. “Care for a history lesson? It’s pretty brief.”

“Okay…?”

“It’s no secret your grandfather wasn’t a good man. He stressed and gripped the bonds of our family until they broke. Truth be told, I’m the heir because Winter left and after years of fighting against Weiss, she got disowned. Nothing but the only option. By that point I really didn’t care about our name or this company.”

“Why run it then?”

“Partly out of spite.” He laughed. “I was taught so many things and resented my father so much. I knew when I inherited it that I was gonna clean up and do my best to repair the image of it. At no point will myself or anyone in this family ever force you down a path for our namesake. Family first, business second. I teached you all this stuff because unfortunately it’s the only way I know how to show you, but I don’t expect you to maintain things like I do. That would mean I’m doing a terrible job fixing things.”

“If that’s the case, then what are you expecting?”

Whitley smiled at him. “I might be responsible for fixing your grandfather’s mistakes, but you, you’re named after your great grandfather remember? He wasn’t conventional. That man led by example, saw the world, made invaluable connections with people in the name of friendship and business alike. He wasn’t stuck behind a desk. If you don’t want to be heir that’s fine. The public might be out of sorts but so what; this family hasn’t been conventional for awhile. If you change your mind, know you’ll have options and tons of experience to do things how you want. After all, it’s not like you’d be put in charge anytime soon! I’m sticking around for a while. My only hope is when you or anyone takes my position that it’s much easier.”

His voice was so gentle and casual about the entire thing. Nick felt a little dumb for not bringing this up earlier. “So…you’re not disappointed in me?” His body relaxed, finally catching the breath he had been holding. Nick was on the verge of tears. “That’s a relief.”

Whitley put his arm around his nephew and gave him a side hug. “You’re fine as you are, and that’s being yourself. Besides, who’s to say you’ll even be heir by the time I retire?”

“…Are you implying you’ll outlive me.”

“Wha-No! I meant…” Whitley gave up talking and just stood up, taking Nick’s hand as he walked out of the office. Yang and Ciel both stopped their conversation to look at the two. “We’ll be right back.” The man said.

The woman looked at Nick with confused eyes and he stared back with the same expression as he silently let himself get dragged away.

The two Schnees rode the elevator only a couple floors down before Nick was led out to see a bunch of kids, none older than thirteen by the looks of it. Several ran around unused office cubicles, younger kids were fed by the older ones and adults. There were even cots set up closer to heat sources. Quite a few little ones were actually asleep despite the noise. This was…abnormally organized. Nick looked at the adults again to see them all in humble uniforms and aprons that reminded him of nannies. He took another look at the children and slowly began to remember; he’s seen some of the kids before! Nick looked at his uncle.

“Why are kids from Mantle’s orphanage up in Atlas?! How’d they get stuck here at a time like this!?”

“Poor timing. Nobody expected any of this to happen. Several of those kids were on the way to meet potential families. Owners of the orphanage itself had to show up anyway to cash in all the money you helped raise.”

That’s right, the fundraiser. Nick had completely forgotten how little time was between the tournament and all of this. They were only days apart yet both experiences felt so distant from one another.

A small gasp came halfway across the room. “Prince?” A voice called out.

Nick turned around and let out a similar noise. It was the little girl who got the fundraiser started in the first place, Ruth. Not only was it a shock to see her, but Nicholas had forgotten that Summer gave the little girl her coat. Seeing Ruth wear it as she ran to him brought his heart a bittersweet feeling.

“It is you!” She said up close. “Oh, hi Whitley!” Ruth waved happily.

He waved back. “Hello Ruth. Are you behaving?”

“Yep! Even helping out the grownups with the little ones.” She puffed out her chest proudly.

“Hehe, last time I checked you are a little one.”

“Well… yeah, but I’m helping the littler ones!” She defended.

“Aahhh I see. Keep up the good work then and I’ll be sure to tell Ruby whenever I see her again.”

“Yes sir!” Ruth looked at Nick and pointed. “Where have you been!? People kept saying your name for a while but always frowned. Are you okay?”

“I’m perfectly fine!” He grinned. “This entire snow situation scared me for a bit but I’m better now.” He could tell Ruth wasn’t buying what he was selling. Not completely anyway.

“How could this scare you? Aren’t you like the prince of snow?”

“No, but that’s a really pretty title. I wish I was now that he said it.” He got her giggle at his dorkiness. She really was in good spirits.

“Oh! Where’s your sister, the princess pop star!? I still haven’t thanked her properly for the fundraiser. Not only was it fun, but the people at the orphanage started talking to me and became my friends. Some of them even thanked me because more adults started stopping by. I haven’t seen her around though, just like you.”

Nick knelt down and looked Ruth right in the eyes. He could lie right now. It would be so easy, yet deep down, Nick didn’t want to put on the mask again. “Summer’s scared too. She’s been doing her best to make things safe but she’s pretty tired.”

“Ohh, is there anything I could do?”

“Heh, just keep being a strong girl. Everything will be okay before you know it.”

Ruth smiled “I’m in no rush. Some adults are worried but I kinda like it. This has been the longest I’ve ever been in Atlas! Too bad lots of things are closed.”

“I’ll be sure to show you around when things get back to normal. Can you wait until then?”

Her eyes lit up like Christmas lights. “Sure thing! Better not forget.”

“It’s a promise.” Nick held out his pinky and Ruth shook it with hers before running off.

“Bye Whitley!!!”

He waved “Don’t trip, or get into trouble!”

“She’s quite the free spirit.”

“Indeed. Anytime Ruby comes around she flocks to her without a care in the world.”

“Haha, yeah I noticed that during the tournament. Auntie took it in pretty good stride though, which is good.”

Whitley nodded, “Yeah. Better keep that promise by the way. I’m sure Ruth will hound you about it after we adopt her.”

Silence; there was absolute silence between the two. Nick could feel his heart become lighter. He looked at the sheepish yet proud smile on his Uncle’s face. Nick couldn’t stop his own lips from curling upwards while his eyes watered.

“That’s…that’s wonderful.” He said with an overwhelming sense of relief. “I’m so happy for you! Does Ruth-”

“Not yet. She’ll know after all of this has settled down, but yeah, we’re adopting.” He could see the genuine joy on Nick’s face. It made Whitley feel warm, and emotional as well. “You know…not a day goes by when Ruby and I don’t think of you and your sister as one of our own.” He confessed.

Nick could feel a lump forming in his throat. The boy nodded, his smile persisting. “I know. We always felt it.”

Whitley couldn’t stop himself from tearing up. “It was difficult…seeing you in that hospital bed; facing Shiva breaks Ruby’s heart and boy those journals…” he tried to laugh through the wellspring of emotions. “Losing both of you made it painfully aware how much we want to have a family.”

“You haven’t lost us.” Nick wiped his tears away. “And you’re not going to either. We got a legacy to build. Not only that, but a life to live, right?”

“Hmm hehe, right. Now you’re getting it.” Whitley put his hand on Nicholas’s shoulder. “Live it well.”

xxxxx

“You do realize you didn’t have to personally show up?” Winter said, staring at her hunched over nephew, his body halfway out of a crate. She looked at Yang. “Motion Sickness?”

“I drove slowly.”

“Liiiieeeessss.” He groaned.

Winter grabbed Nick by the back of his collar then pulled him up and out of the crate like a claw machine. Honestly he was stunned by her strength. He wasn’t that light was he?

“Do you need another minute?” She asked.

“Nah I’ll be alright.” He heaved before raising his head to see personnel at work. Many were at desks checking what looked like radars. “What are you checking?”

“Weather patterns. It’s always cold but temperature drops in specific areas or sudden storms are potential signs of an attack, formation, movement, and so on.”

“Ah, makes sense. I guess someone as unpredictable as Shiva is still…predictable, in certain aspects. So are we strictly on defense.”

“Able bodies help set up perimeters for safe havens and move technicians between places of repair. We quickly learned pushing too far towards the school, or rather pushing at all, isn’t wise with standard men.” Winter said regrettably.

“That’s an understatement.” Yang spoke up. “If it ain’t us then it ain’t worth it, which is fine by me. People got roped into this but this is very much our problem we should be dealing with ourselves.”

“It’s not that I don’t disagree with you, but fourteen people isn’t an army. Especially when one isn’t a fighter and another four are still very much inexperienced as well as should be assigned less risky roles.”

Nick crossed his arms. “Hey now, one of those four is right here and has the most experience fighting this person in particular.”

“Be that as it may, more manpower would swing things in our favor nicely. In hindsight, devoting time to more equipment made to resist Diamond Dust should’ve been in the works.” Winter could see the look of shock in Nick’s eyes. “Resist, not harm. I would never allow that.”

“You give an inch and they take a mile. I know logically speaking you’re probably right but somehow I feel like this situation would be a million times worse if Summer ever found out things were made to stop her.”

Yang didn’t want to imagine a worse version of this. “No use thinking about the choices we didn’t make. How’s the school?”

Winter clicked a button and a massive map of Atlas showed up as a temperature map, red and blue being hot and cold respectively. Nick felt his bones ache seeing Almanac being so dark blue that it might as well have been black.

“Do I even want to know the number associated with that color?”

“It’s in the negatives, but not by much.”

Nick deflated. “Not by much is still too much.”

“Shiva’s been pretty busy. We have confirmation nearly all the Diamond Dust by the lake was pulled to make this storm and especially that stronghold. So much in fact that the air is thick with dust particles.”

“In other words…Shiva has infinite ammo; fantastic.”

“Don’t lose heart.” Winter made a glyph in her hand. “It goes both ways for us. All those swords you love making plus simple structures will serve you well. That might be the only bright side unfortunately, because inside the school itself is alarmingly dense. We can’t expect to win there. Not only would breathing be a struggle but being inside the school might as well be the same as being in the palm of Shiva’s hand.”

“Fighting a person who could attack from any direction at any distance, while knowing your location is no one of the closest things to an impossible situation.” Yang said. Her battles around pools of grimm were not happy memories; not one bit. “Nick, I still don’t know how you plan on getting her outside.”

“Oh that bridge will be easy to cross.” He waved off. “My problem is I don’t know how to keep her from running back in. If only Penny could hack ventilation and blow the dust outside.”

“She could definitely do that.” Winter said casually. Her nephew stared at her blankly. “Yes?”

“Why aren’t we doing that?”

“Nick… the fans are frozen.” Winter gestured to the entire map of the school. “I know you were dying back then but do you not remember how much ice she was making? Shiva never stopped making it!”

The conundrum was beginning to fully explain itself in Nick’s thought process. The simple solution is taking the thermal resources they had available and thawing out the fans enough to work. However, that loops back around to going inside where Shiva is more or less aware of everything and can attack. Breaking a massive hole into the school was technically and optional, but his family potentially losing the shared benefit of infinite ammunition is far too risky to give up. Nick took a slow, deep breath through his nostrils and then exhaled out his mouth.

“I see…” he brought his hands together in front of his mouth. “We already know where we want her to be. We also know in a straight up fight we have a chance because she’s been avoiding it.”

“Grabbing every advantage possible while stealing hers is the goal.” Winter emphasized.

“The first part of our plan has to be nearly perfect. Not perfect, but very close. I think…I have a solution.”

“Care to share?”

“No, you’ll reject it here. I’ll wait until we tell everyone.” Winter’s eyes turned to daggers that made Nick step slightly behind Yang. “I promise it’s no crazier than the rest of this!”

Yang chuckled. “Heh, he has a point.”

“Fine.” Winter said quickly. She hadn’t the energy nor the time to argue this. “Do you think you’re strong enough for this? I’m talking physically and mentally.”

“We are well past the point of mentality being the obstacle. It’s not like I have faced her before. Now we have to do it for the kingdom. As for physically, I don’t think I’ve ever felt stronger. It’s scary to say but the cold feels nice in a way it never has. Pretty sure I know why. I’ll be okay; especially with the strongest people I know around.”

“That’s the spirit!” Yang cheered.

Winter was concerned for obvious reasons but acknowledged his answer. “Just had to ask for myself. Have a look around the base if you want. Valerie should be near one of the gates with troops ready to leave.”

“Really? Why is she here of all places?”

“You know better than anyone Shiva is terrifying and the situation felt hopeless. Valerie likes giving them words of encouragement along with a semblance buff.”

“So that’s what she’s been up to all along. Well…I probably shouldn’t bother her. Good speaker or not, you’re always thrown off your game when someone you didn’t expect walks into the room.”

“That’s surprisingly thoughtful of you.” Winter smirked, “And here I thought you’d go running off first chance available to size her up.”

Nick didn’t notice right away, but he had actually gotten a bit taller. It was brought to his attention a few days after coming home when Veronica asked if he wanted adjustments to his clothes. It took him by surprise once he realized he wasn’t at direct eye level with her anymore. Penny rubbed a little salt into the wound by saying “See? If you would’ve slept regularly like the average boy your age then maybe you would’ve been 5 '9 a year ago. Instead it took a coma to give you three extra inches!” To add insult to energy, Valerie would still be an inch taller than him; and that’s without boots or anything of the sort!

“Like I would run all the way to her just to still look up.” He said, mildly jealous. “At least fewer people will call me tiny.”

“Small victories.” Yang said, earning a squint from Nick. “Would you believe me if I said I wasn’t trying to crack a joke?”

“Not for a second.” He said confidently. Nick walked over to a free seat. “This anyone’s work station?”

“They’re on watch, why?” Winter asked.

Nick leaned back against the chair as he took a deep breath. “I only want a moment to unwind before getting shoved back into a box.” He shut his eyes.

Winter watched his body untense. It was almost like he was sinking into the chair. She looked at Yang and asked, “He’s okay, right? You’re not driving that recklessly are you?”

“My driving is perfectly fine, considering the road conditions.” She said that last part a little more quietly than the first. “He’s fine. Your precious Nephew has been doing this ever since he woke up. Penny says he’s alright physically and Nick hasn’t brought up problems. With so much at stake, he wouldn’t jeopardize this if he felt ill. He’s probably trying not to stress out. Imagine waking up to hell freezing over.”

If it weren’t for the fact Winter was concerned for Nick, she might’ve confronted Yang comparing the kingdom to a living hell, but it did admittedly feel like that as of late. Winter looked back at Nick. Seeing him rest had always been uncommon, but a nice change. The sight put Winter at ease; as well as put a thought in her head that made the soldier smile.

“I wonder…”

Yang raised a brow curiously. “Wonder what?”

“Oh it’s nothing. Let’s put our faith in our plan; Nick as well.”

“Hey, I‘ve been the one preaching that the hardest! You better feel the same later on at the meeting.”

“If you don’t mind me asking, why have you been so positive lately? Unrelated to Nick coming back I mean.”

“Good question.” Yang crossed her arms as she thought about it for a moment. “I guess…I’m relieved. Things have been bad, incredibly bad, yet we’ve never been out of answers for long. We always tried and thought of something new, so nothing ever felt helpless to me. Even with me finally learning my own daughter’s pain, part of me couldn’t help but feel relieved that I learned it while she was still here. I feel the same about Summer’s journals. That girl is breaking and tearing down in more ways than that it breaks my heart, but you know what? She’s still alive. Things can turn around, hopefully.”

“Hmm, I’ll admit, I’m jealous. Thinking like that has never been my strongest quality.”

“Ha! Believe me, it’s not mine either. Spending time around my dad and Blake’s mom is a good way to get a dose of optimism.” Yang chuckled.

Nick opened his eyes and stood up, spirits renewed. “Alright, let’s go.”

xxxxx

The rest of the day wasn’t anything too eventful. Nick had been taken back home where decided to train some more. Sure it meant his mother throwing every kind of element at him and Yang ax kicking his shoulder more than once, but that was better than boredom. However, it would’ve been nice if they had gone a little easier on him. He was gonna walk into a fight with Shiva with bruises already on him at this rate! The rest of the night was relaxing though as he sat in his grandfather’s old office. The space apparently had a decent overhaul when his family moved back into the manor. These days only the desk and shelves remain. The contents on them however were replaced with the awards achieved by everyone in the house, including a few of Winter’s, Whitley’s, Qrow’s, and Sparrow’s. Plenty of portraits also hung proudly on the wall that showed loving moments. You could find friends and family alike in one photo or another.

Weiss and Veronica walked in as the clock struck midnight and stood beside Nick behind the desk. He tried getting up so his mother could take the seat but she immediately waved off that gesture by gently pushing him back down. Even after all these years, Weiss would sooner sit in traffic than behind this desk. The only reason it was still here was because it wasn’t actually Jacques’s. It belonged to the first Nicholas Schnee. The computer camera on the desk projected holographic video of everyone out into the open space. Winter sat in a chair with Penny, Valerie, and Eliza standing next to her, all projecting near the door. Jaune, Ren, and Nora were together at the hospital in a vacant office projected to the left of the room. To the right was Whitley, Ruby, Yang, and Blake in the man’s office by his desk. The gang's all here.

Ruby takes the floor. “Hey everyone. Man, been awhile since we did anything like this. Feels as weird as ever.”

“Weird?” Blake said, chuckling. “Ruby, you’ve done this hundreds of times. You gave a speech to an army before the final battle.”

“Like I said, weird. Today went pretty smoothly on my end. Shiva refused to come out of the school and sent Goliaths instead.”

“Underground was silent and so was near the harbor.” Blake said. “Other than the snowstorms, things have been manageable. Do you think she’s running out of ideas?”

Penny shook her head. “Highly unlikely. All of Atlas besides our strongholds are covered in snow, while the school only grows colder. Logically speaking, I believe Shiva isn’t only trying to exhaust our stamina, but render our sources of heat meaningless. If people like Yang or Eliza could no longer melt her ice, or even become inefficient at doing it…”

“We’d fall apart.” Eliza groaned. “All it would take would be her freezing critical equipment faster than I could thaw out.”

Ren stepped forward. “That would be best case scenario Eliza. The worst case…is her separating us.”

They could all see it now, barriers of ice with someone left alone inside; enduring a threat all while the person outside was forced to watch as they frantically tried to get in.

“I…I could counter that.” Veronica said, halfheartedly. “Not sure how long I’d last in that situation unfortunately.”

“Then let’s not make it a reality!” Nora huffed.

Valerie chimed in. “Yeah! We’re here right now to discuss the plan. Not an unfortunate demise! Just tell me where you want me and I’ll do it!” She punched her right fist out.

Nick could only smile. “Been awhile since I heard that kind of office from you. Glad to see it’s back.”

He stood up from the desk, tapping his foot and crossing his arms as he put his thoughts out into the open.

“Waking up to this situation has been shocking to say the least. So many new developments. Aura,semblance use, rules for beating Shiva, advancement in her sensory, as well as the wealth of knowledge Shiva’s gained from Summer’s memories. I’ll be honest, it was a little too much to take in. Hearing and seeing what Shiva was now capable of only made me more terrified of her. However, despite all the new developments, the rules of beating Shiva have remained the same. They’re only more extreme. For instance, flames.” Nick pointed at Penny to elaborate.

“Ladies and gentlemen, I’ve steadily synthesized, collected, and retrieved flame dust from everything we could spare. Bullets, cartridges, blades, vials; these will form the backbone of our success! Temperature is key, no matter how small the flame. Making our battle ground warmer will pay off in the long run.”

Eliza rubbed her chin. “In other words…not all of our attacks have to be aimed at her then? There’s worth in tactics like setting our surroundings ablaze.”

“Precisely! Which is why we’ll be facing Shiva at the track and sports field. Not only is it outside but there’s plenty of open space.”

“Vantage points too.” Ruby added. “Eliza, Valerie, Veronica; the best advice I give you is to work the ring. Use all the available as well as ranged attacks. We have to keep the pressure on Shiva at all times.”

Penny nodded. “Ruby is absolutely correct! Despite the uniqueness of Shiva, that’s Summer’s body; a normal, human body. Keeping her active is gonna raise her body heat slowly but surely. Anything you want to add, Nick?”

“As far as heat goes, no. It’s been the one thing used since this chaos began. Second rule, power. Heat isn’t the only thing that weakens her. Inflicting damage Shiva constantly has to heal from eats up her stamina gradually. Now I haven’t the foggiest clue how long that will take considering she know can use an aura like the average huntsmen. However, if we play our cards correctly, the combination of heat and power will put an end to her semblance use for good.”

Jaune rocked back and forth as he put things together in how this plan was set up. “This is more than a war of attrition. The longer we fight the more advantages available, yes; but the start of the fight is extremely difficult. It’s arguably the most dangerous.”

“Which is why I’m doing it solo.” Nick said seriously, drawing the eyes of everyone. “It was already decided that I had to go into the school in the first place. Dad is right, this is a war of attrition, but it’s also a pincer attack. Third rule, Summer. The only reason Shiva has gotten this far is because she’s had a clear mind with no resistance. The purpose of the first two rules are only to help our survival, but make it easier for Summer to fight back.”

“Not that I don’t understand your logic but isn’t it a bit too far?” Ren spoke out. “We decided you going inside was not only because you’re more accustomed to the high dust content, but because Shiva would follow you outside.”

“And I still intend to lead her to the right spot, but you all are going to need time to set things up. Shiva isn’t going to just let you start setting fire to things or get into position. If I go in first and fight her she’ll be less likely to notice you all. Also…there’s the problem of her trying to run back in the building.”

Winter’s eyes widened. So that was his reckless idea. “While you fight her, you want one of us to go around thawing out the fans, then Penny can use the ventilation system to push the excess dust out.”

“Hit the nail on the head. Preferably it should be funneled towards the field. Between the open air and our ability to ust it, we’ll be fine. Shiva is also less likely to try to run if she still thinks she can use her abilities to the fullest.”

“Hmph, interesting.” Winter looked at Weiss and Jaune. “I think we let him try. We’re already putting everything on the line.”

Weiss bit her lip. “I know I’ve been training you but…” she had to think. Veronica tugged her sleeve; the girl looked at her before turning to any others wary of the plan.

“He won’t be completely alone. I’ll thaw the fans.”

“What!?” Yang and Blake said in unison. Even Nick was stunned.

“I’m with them, what?! I was gonna ask Penny.”

“I was gonna nominate myself anyways.” Penny said. It made the most sense. “I don’t have body heat. Detecting my presence is difficult for Shiva. The air also won’t affect me.”

Veronica nodded. “True, but it’s not like you flying around with jets for feet isn’t giving off some kind of heat. She’ll definitely notice you. You’ll take forever running around the school if you run around the school without them. I’m not even counting the possibility of random ice walls and doors frozen shut. Are you planning on sounding like a car wrecking an antique shop? Give me a map of where the fans are and I’ll head straight to them.”

“But the air. It’ll be hard to-”

“I can phase through the ground, remember? If it’s too much I can leave immediately. On the chance of Shiva detecting me, I can dodge all her attacks.” Veronica pointed at Nick. “I can also listen to the fight and drag this idiot out of danger if it comes to that. Face it guys, I’m the only person here that can’t be trapped.”

No one could say she didn’t make a compelling argument, but no one wanted to sign off on it. That choice should be left to Blake and Yang after all. The women looked at their daughter pensively.

Blake sighed, “You really think you can do this?”

“I do.”

Yang huffed, “Which one of us do you get this kind of confidence from? You look as if you’ve already done it.”

Veronica smiled, playfully rolling her eyes. “Gee, it’s a real mystery isn’t it?”

Yang suddenly felt bad for all the years she scared her father half to death doing crazy plans. What goes around comes around, unfortunately. “Fine, but you’re grounded if you get hurt.”

“Heh, deal.” Veronica looked at Nick. “Congratulations, your crazy plan is a go. Better be a good distraction for both our sakes.”

“I…you..ugh, I was gonna do that anyways.” Not how he wanted things to work exactly but oh well. Veronica did make valid points. “Don’t drag your feet.”

“Do I ever?”

“Back to power, specifically attrition, Dad, Val?”

“Leave it to us!” Val cheered, cracking her knuckles.

Jaune squinted at everyone. “I am one man. Please don’t do anything crazy that requires me to amp you up back to back, Nora, Yang.” He specifically called out.

The two of them laughed sheepishly and avoided his gaze. They feigned ignorance, “When have we ever done that?”

Ren spoke up again, his mind not completely at ease. “I hate to still question the idea, but are we positive Summer will help? Shiva has said before that she couldn’t hear us. Even if we found a way to reach her…”

“Would she reach out?” Whitley finished. “We know more about her feelings now, and the contempt with it.”

Everyone went silent. It was true that there was no guarantee Summer would hear them or have the desire to fight after so long. For years she held out hope but now…

“Summer will fight back.” Veronica said with certainty. “I’ve only recently learned about how these two may be connected with the way Ma explained it. Afterwards, I couldn’t help but think. If everything Shiva does is based on warped perceptions and intense feelings Summer has, then isn’t the fact Shiva fights so hard proof Summer wants to live?” Veronica frowned. “In a way…I can relate. After I…jumped, despite all the fear, false relief and despair, there was regret; anger even. A small part of me wanted to live. Guess it won, thankfully. I don’t know if Shiva is the same thing, but her trying to be free and exist has to mean something, doesn’t it?”

That’s…huh..” Nick got back in the chair and leaned into it. “Never thought of it from that angle. You could be right. The mix of emotions and dust makes it too hard to tell. I only figured out my situation because…well, because it was my situation I guess. Only Summer could answer that. Although, if you’re asking me why I think we could reach her, then it’s a similar reasoning. I kept thinking about this since it happened. I read the journals she wrote. Countless pages of her frustration with me as a brother. I was smothering her, she thought I didn’t listen to her at times or really notice her troubles. She talked about her jealousy and frustration towards me progressing with my abilities so easily and how well I could get along with people. She mentioned how I smiled, all while the things she felt inadequate with or struggled to do all stemmed from my choices. After all, I’m the reason she has all those scars; the reason why so many hours have been lost to hospital visits and while looking into a mirror is so difficult. What’s more depressing is I’m sure those journals still don’t hold every insulting word Summer wanted to yell at me. There’s bound to be more truths to learn. However, that doesn’t erase any of the words she did share with all of us. Summer loved singing with me, cooking with dad, and dressing up with mom for events. She loves how Ruby spoils her like a daughter and Ren’s dancing skill. Nora’s encouragement, Val’s wittiness, Penny’s gentleness; there’s so many things she was genuine about. Summer prefers recording with Whitley over anyone else and the way Winter checks in. She likes when Eliza walks her home and even admires Veronica’s strength. She may have hid her displeasure from us but Summer always showed one way or another how much we meant to her. That didn’t change even after Shiva stabbed me. Despite the victory she fought for, Shiva looked at me with tears running down her as she told me goodbye. That’s why I know we can reach her. When she sees me…I know Summer will react. Things will never be the same. That’s okay though; we’ll make it something worth keeping around. Something honest.”

He wasn’t trying to lift spirits, persuade things in his favor, or even convince himself. Nick genuinely thought this to be true. He put his hand on his chest and smiled softly. It felt good to say those words aloud. The hope he had came from a place even he couldn’t explain, but Nick was glad it was there regardless.

Ren didn’t need to be in the room to know the boy was at ease. Nora placed her hand on his shoulder for comfort. The man chuckled and said, “Alright then. Who am I to argue with that?”

Ruby looked around the room to see if anyone had any further concerns or objections. She was glad to see her friends share the same look of resolve and certainty Nick held. “We all know who we’re dealing with and what we’re going to do. Val, Vee, and Nick, follow your parents’ lead. Eliza, I’ll be watching your back. All of you may have roles only you can perform, but aside from that, don’t try to be a hero. Ironic coming from me, I know, but trust me. We’ll all set you up for success. If anything becomes too much for you…”

“Ma’am?” Eliza interjected. “Not to sound arrogant, but three of us are going to school for this type of work and the other has the keenest senses here. Not to mention you probably know equally if not better than I do that those three know how to handle themselves and look out for each other.”

“Awwww” her friends said, surprised at the compliment.

“We won’t run or let you down. They know when to get serious.”

Eliza’s praise was welcomed yet also terrifying for Nick and Valerie specifically. Now if they disobeyed anything for whatever reason, she’d personally tear into them afterwards. Nick and Val gave a nod to each other. They must absolutely be on their best behavior.

Ruby smirked as she gave a nod. “I see, then I guess the only thing left to say for tonight is for everyone to get some rest.”

“Oh yeah?” Yang said. The bruiser folded her arms. “No final words befitting the women that rallied troops together?”

Even at this age, Yang’s teasing made Ruby’s face red. “You really love bringing up moments like that. Are you expecting me to say something inspiring yet serious?”

“Yes.” Everyone said to Ruby, waiting for her words.

The reaper blinked twice. “Geez you guys are so…” she sighed, conceding to their request. Ruby took a breath and fixed her face as she took a second to think. “If facing Shiva feels overwhelming, then think of it as saving Summer. If you believe you can’t reach Summer, then think only about facing Shiva. Whatever runs through your head when the fighting starts, it won’t be a question of if you can or can’t face it. Some things you just do, so keep moving forward. I’ll meet you there.”

Giving them what they want, Ruby completely left to add further effect. Yang couldn’t help but gently clap and giggle.

“There she is. That’s my hero.”

One by one,everyone signed off with those words fresh in their minds. An hour had passed before anyone realized. Weiss and Veronica had both let out yawns. They began walking towards the door before turning around to notice Nick hadn’t moved from the desk.

“You okay sweetie?” Weiss said softly. “If anyone needs rest, it’s you.”

“I know.” He smiled. Nick sunk deeper into the chair. “I wanna stay here a little longer. Only for a bit.”

“If that’s what you want. Try not to fall asleep though. Your uncle can tell you that sleeping at a desk is not as comfy as it sounds.”

Weiss walked out of the room to go to bed. Veronica stayed in place a little longer, locking eyes with Nick. The boy’s face was calm with no hair out of place. A full day gives slight bags under the eyes but he seemed fairly rested with not much sign of fatigue. She could hear his strong, steady heart beating in his chest along with the control he had on his breathing. Perhaps it was the moonlight peering through the blue curtains behind him, but Nick’s presence felt distant, yet close. The same, but also veiled in mystery.

Veronica had to ask. “You have an ace up your sleeve. Does anyone know?”

“A potential ace, hopefully. Don’t worry, the grownups know. I wouldn’t jeopardize any planning by not coming forth with it. The plan stays exactly the same with or without it.”

“Then why not share it with your friends or bring it up in the meeting?”

“In all honesty, I’m anxious. Better not to bank on a wild card that I'm not even certain that I can pull it off.” He sighed, twiddling his thumbs.

“Well…you heard Ruby. Some things you just do. Either way, don’t sweat it. Like I said, I’ll bail you out of anything crazy. Just scream and I’ll zip right over and pull you through the floor.”

“Heh, ya know that might make me scream more.”

Veronica shrugged her shoulders. “Better me than Shiva.” Seeing Nick laugh out her concerns to rest. “You’ll be fine. Have a nice night.” Veronica waved as she walked out.

“Thanks.” Left alone with his thoughts, Nick looked up at the ceiling. The boy mumbled, “some things you just do” to himself again before closing his eyes to meditate for the hundredth time. Ruby truly had a gift. Somehow that was what he needed to hear before the big day. He’d be sure to take her words to heart.

xxxxx

The final days to follow were left to quiet preparations. Resolve was steeled and emotions had already been spoken. Well…most of them anyways. Everyone kept up routines while Nick remained at the manor in hiding until finally, the seasons changed. The first winds of Spring began to blow for Remnant. The air outside being warmer than inside wasn’t much, but any advantage was useful. That being said, they made their move at dawn. Better to start early than potentially end up in the terrible situation of a battle going into nightfall.

Valerie tapped her right foot as she waited at the front door of the manor waiting for Nick, Eliza, and Veronica. The grownups all continued going through the motions of their scheduled patrols. Nick was bait after all. Nobody could move before he did. The man in question came running down the stairs before Val could go insane. The sight of him back in his tournament outfit made Valerie let out a tiny gasp as well as give her unwanted memories.

Nick was quick to notice. “Oh good. These clothes aren’t just awkward for me.” He flicked her forehead. “Get your head in the game captain.”

“Sorry, you’re right. Caught me off guard is all. Where are the other two?”

“Eliza is helping Veronica with a modified soldier uniform. Frankly I’m shocked that in all her years, Vee never designed an outfit for herself if she ever chose the huntsman’s life.”

“Apparently she’s not the biggest fan of making outfits for herself, but you probably knew that. You’d think I would know a little more about the person I constantly threw hands with.”

“Sooo, you two are like…friends now?”

“Don’t ask me. We talk more civilly than before and I don’t hate her. Pretty sure that’s mutual.”

That was about the answer he expected. Nick swore getting the people in his life to elaborate their feelings was like pulling teeth. Yeah he had his moments, but everyone knew where they stood with him in terms of fondness or hate.

He tried not to laugh. “Hmm, well I’m glad there’s less confusion.”

“Are you teasing me?” Val pouted. “Cut me a little slack would ya.”

“I wouldn’t be me if I did, sorry.” He grinned wildly.

Such cheekiness. He wasn’t sorry at all! Yet that’s who was at heart, caring but unyielding in the oddest of ways. Val’s face became flushed looking at him.

“H..Hey…?” She spoke hesitantly. “Today is about to get really crazy really soon. Can you promise me something? Come back safe.”

“Val, don’t worry. I promise to bring Summer and myself back safe and sound. The three of u-”

Valerie took his hand, holding it gently in hers as she looked right at him. “I’m telling you to come back safely.” She emphasized.

She could feel Nick’s hand tremble a little as he faced her, his eyes softened. Valerie nudged forward barely an inch to gauge his reaction. When all he did was squeeze her hand, Valerie risked their fragile relationship once again; leaning completely forward and kissing him gently. Thank goodness he kissed back. The kiss didn’t last more than a few precious seconds before Valerie slowly pulled back, removing her hand to hold her own as she did her best to appear confident instead of anxious about her feelings of decisions.

“Promise?” She said lovingly.

Nick nodded, his face bright red. He put his hand over his mouth to hide any weird faces he could be making. Both were at a loss for words. That’s when a single thunderous clap from atop the stairs gained their attention. Flustered faces shifted to embarrassment and slightly mortified as Eliza and Veronica were right there. The brazen and prideful Valkyrie completely buckled and went out the door. That was supposed to be a private moment!

Eliza couldn’t be bothered to say anything and walked straight out the door. As far as she was concerned, this was run of the mill behavior. Veronica, on the other hand, stopped beside Nick.

They had donned an outfit very similar to Marrow’s; given the fact his clothes allowed tail movement, it made sense she’d choose a similar style. The sleeves and split coattails of the double-breasted coat were golden in color. Vee’s love of dark purple went to her pants while the center of the coat was an intense black. The three buttons on each side, while usually silver in color, had been changed to gold to match the sleeves and break up the black. The traditionally blue boots were also changed to black with a gold rim. Lastly, Veronica wore what was clearly one of her mother’s purple bandannas around her neck. The lively girl stretched her wrists by moving them slowly in circles as she got used to the weight of her tekko-kagi; a pair of metal rings that slid over her hands and held three retractable claw-like blades.

“I refuse to believe this was a last minute choice of clothing.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment.” Vee flung a brown satchel over her body then put her hands on her hips. “Kay, armed and ready. Let’s do this, or are you bold enough to assume you’re getting a second good luck kiss?” She called out.

“Nope!” He said immediately and honestly. “I just knew you were gonna bring it up.”

“Taking it like a champ, respectable.” Veronica put two fingers on her lips and tapped his cheek then walked out the door. “ No more shenanigans, let’s start the beginning of the rest of the day!”

“Roger that.” He followed behind her, closing the door and ready to focus. Although this little moment made Nick realize the ambiguity Val gave him about the dynamic between her and Veronica was most definitely his fault in hindsight.

Outside waited a giant Nevermore summon, curiosity of Whitley. Valerie sat near the shoulders while Eliza reclined near the tail. Veronica jumped up to take her spot on the neck.

“Somebody looks comfy.”

Eliza rested her staff on her stomach. “I’m the only one here who can fly. Taking the dangerous seat makes sense.

Nick got on higher up on the neck where the bone mask started to separate from the head. “You make it look less dangerous and more of a luxury.

“Funny, I swear that’s what you say about all the work you try to give me.”

“You’re just mad because you’re basically doing your future job.”

Eliza sat up. “Excuse m-

“Let’s fly, Nevermore!”

The winged beast cried out before taking to the skies with a powerful flap of its wings. With his eyes facing forward and wind rushing by, Nick dared not pay attention to whatever retort Eliza was gonna throw. She’ll get over it, eventually…

As much as it snows in Atlas, you would think white covered landscapes would invoke anger or weariness, but Nick still found a strange awe in this bird’s eye view perspective. He could even find interest in the dark clouds that shrouded the school in sickly blue, creating a sight more prevalent in a tundra than a wonderland.

“Hey Vee? You ever get your inspiration for fire and ice?” He pointed out tornadoes how sunlight made snow brighter than the holiest of lights, then the dark area where shadows of buildings created cold spots. Then of course there were the faint orange and red glows of the heaters.

Veronica had noticed things for quite awhile. “It gets points for being dynamic but I don’t know. This experience has been a dire snowstorm.”

“I hope that’s you saying you’ve been busy enduring it and not you saying this unfathomable weather isn’t enough.”

“Can’t it be both?”

Nick looked back to see she wasn’t joking. How was this not impressive!? “At this point I think getting your inspiration would take Vacou having a snowstorm.”

“You joke but that sounds pretty interesting if you ask me.”

“Why am I not surprised?” He said monotoned

“Heads up!” Eliza yelled to all as the dark clouds started to looming overhead. “Temperature drop in three…two…”

The wind rushed by. Just like that, the foul scent of Diamond Dust assaulted Veronica’s senses, making her raise her bandanna up. The air itself felt frozen and their lungs began to burn as each exhale made it look as if their souls were leaving through their lips. The glow from red dust embedded in the threads of their clothes could only do so much in this situation. The biggest chill Nick has ever felt crawled up each segment of his spine and made his heart pound. Each second getting closer to his school brought full pain to his scar and an invisible thread around his body squeezing.

Veronica could hear the tension in his muscles. “Nick?”

He didn’t turn around, choosing to give a thumbs up instead. “I’m good; exhilarated actually. Hehe, kinda scared myself.” Nick stood up. “I can feel her…”

Eliza activated all their comms. “Everyone is linked.”

“Tell me where she’s at Nick.” Penny said over the line.

“Where else? The auditorium stage.”

“Okay. You know where to lead her. Veronica, you’re set?”

The girl crouched on her hands and feet ready to pounce. “Yes ma’am. Have them on my scroll, memorized, and a pouch full of thermal pouches.”

“Okay everyone!” Ruby said over comms “We move the moment their fight starts! We ready?!”

“YEAH!” The group yelled out.

“Good luck…” said Weiss, Jaune, Yang, and Blake one final time.

Veronica and Nick gave each other a nod as the Nevermore picked up speed. The moment it was directly over the school, Nick jumped off! Veronica was a second behind him, reaching out to grab his shoulder and pulling herself closer to his back as the free fall.

“You got this?” He said as the school got increasingly closer.

“Little late to ask that don’t you think? No worries. I’ve survived scarier falls. Bend your knees and brace for no impact!” Veronica gripped his shirt tighter.

Nick found the courage to not blink as the roof of the school came to meet him. Both of them fell straight through it and continued to fall a few seconds more before seeing the second floor. As it approached, Veronica used all her strength to throw him to the left, breaking some downward momentum. Her hands let him go a fraction of a second after clearing the second floor so he had as much time as possible to react while she continued falling through the ground. With bent knees and glyphs on his feet, Nicholas slid across ice covered floor and set up gravity glyphs to go through to cushion his inevitable meet up with the school wall. Fortunately for him, it felt no worse than getting shoved into it by someone the size of Max. Highly unpleasant, but not fatal.

“So much for no impact.” He said as he found his footing. Whatever pain was felt faded with a deep breath of the hazardous air. As expected, him and Diamond Dust had become more agreeable, but he wasn’t about to test for how long. Without a moment to waste, Nick took off running with Mort Froide in hand.

xxxxx

Like a single stone on frozen water, the smallest crack formed. Shiva’s space was distributed. Her eyes shot open as she awoke, quickly standing up from a throne of ice she made on stage. Two? No, four people. Two of which were already going far away while a third grew distant downwards somehow. Realistically it had to be Veronica but she had left as quickly as she was noticed. What remained was a fourth presence.

“What’s this? A vermin daring to scurry through my abode?” From speed alone she could tell it wasn’t Ruby. “Goodbye” she waved her pointer finger in a circle then pointed down…

xxxxx

Nick slid around the corner and kept running when intuition took over. He leapt backwards. Icicles shot up from the ground like spike traps. Not missing a beat, he carved them up while dashing forward to continue his approach. It was game on. Nick sheathed his blade to make a glyph in each hand. The Dust in the air fueled the pattern, making two moving walls on each side of himself as more ice shot out from the walls to skewer him. Nick weaved around a pillar placed ahead of him then slid as a thin blade of ice came for his head. He popped himself right back up to keep moving when an entire doorway froze over to block his path.

“Yeah that sounds about right…” he moved the ice wall he made to his right in front of him and crashed into the blockade. The shattered parts from both walls began floating, launching themselves at him like stars. Nick blocked with his remaining wall then sped past the debris as it began chasing him. He took out Mort Froide again, tapping the tip of the blade behind him to leave another gravity glyph that made the chasing debris hit the floor like boulders. Nick could feel power building on the lockers to his left. As more spikes began to form, Nick manipulated it to curve behind him instead of through. Even he was amazed by that. All the ice may be Diamond Dust, but warping it while Shiva actively used it was a trick he was never able to attempt until today.

“Huh…I guess I really do have this handled.”

He made it to the correct hallway. In his way was an Alpha beowulf summon. Its bone armor exterior was clad in ice along with its claws and fangs. The beast’s howl rattled the lockers and cracked the shifting landscape that moved like a breathing creature.

“Or maybe I don’t…” he made a second sword.

xxxxx

Shiva could feel her attacks missing and how. The fact they lasted this long and the distinct lack of destructive noise made guessing who it was easier. “Should’ve known this was a family visit.” Shiva sat back down, waiting. A grimm like the one she made wasn’t gonna do the job, but neither were all the other traps.

“To think I’d get a visit all the way out here?” She focused on the different sources of heat around the kingdom that gathered together. Nothing was moving quickly or in mass, so soldiers weren’t deploying? Interesting; Winter couldn’t be the one inside then. She’s way too by the book to not set formations to troops when she left.

“Mother dearest it is then.” Shiva surmised.

Growls and the sound of metal crushing glacier thick ice grew closer towards her door until they were busted open. The beowulf came flying in as it faded away from prominent gashes and a severed arm. Her eyes were fixated on its final moments.

“Wow.” Shiva clapped, admiring the work. “That was pretty brutal. Not to mention quickly handled.”

“You know me; always running at full speed.”

Her clapping stopped immediately. That wasn’t Weiss’s voice. Footsteps grew closer and Shiva stood up again with eyes glued to the doorway as the last person she expected to arrive walked in, casually at that.

He looked towards the stage to see eyes the size of dinner plates staring at him. “Hey. Long time no see.” Nick stopped walking, facing the stage head on. “You looked like you’ve seen a ghost.”

“It’s…It’s you…Nick?”

A single tear ran down her face followed by immediate sharp pain went through her brain, making her wince. What was a small crack on the ice began to spread. Nick’s eyes narrowed and teeth clenched feeling his scar ache. His pain was nothing compared to Shiva’s, who instinctively held her head in her left hand as if she had been hit in the eye. Nick felt a weight lift from his shoulders. That was all he needed to see.

“What’s wrong, headache? Didn’t scare you that bad did I?” He taunted.

“How are you here?” Shiva growled, her hate returning to her eyes as the pain faded. “You’re supposed to be dead!”

“Congratulations. You did a bad job. Though you were way closer than I’d like to admit. Now then…” he pointed his blade at her. “Let’s go home, Summer.”

“Summer? Hehehe, hahahaha! Don’t tell me even after all this you’re trying some stupid attempt to-”

“Was it a lie?” He asked sternly.

“What?”

“Your origin. Were you lying when you said you had no clue what you are; who you are?” Nick watched visible confusion and fear spread across Shiva’s face. “Guess not even you could know anything.”

“The hell are you babbling about. Has your near death experience left you insane? Summer’s gone; just like you’ll be. For real this time.” Shiva pulled out Summer’s blade.

“Call me crazy all you like. Why do I have the feeling a person as clever as you isn’t being honest with me or yourself, Summer~”

“Address me by that name one more time…and I’ll start with your tongue this time.” She hissed.

Cold vapor came from her body as she gripped her hilt tighter. It was as if her gaze was staring through him, imagining his body on the ground. Nick took a step back and kept his guard up while he brought his trembling sword in front of him.

Shiva smirked, “Aww, getting flashbacks already? Don’t be scared. I’m much stronger, and it’ll be much quicker.”

Shiva moved behind him in an instant. Her blade was pulled back already and was thrust forward, but hit nothing. Nick had moved nearly as fast, standing before her throne. Shiva thought nothing of it. Nick’s speed was always his greatest strength. She dashed at him again but the boy did not dodge. He turned around to face her with his blade clashing against her own. Shiva laughed and grabbed his wrist, but he did not scream in pain or freeze. He did however stop shaking.

“Huh? What the-” Shiva couldn’t even finish her words before receiving a punch to the stomach that made her lurch forward.

“I wasn’t trembling out of fear.” He pulled his fist away and kicked her off the stage into the rows of empty seats that quickly buried her. “It’s simpler than that.”

Shiva sent the seats flying in every direction as she got the wind back in her lungs. Pissed off, she glared at Nick. However, the anger quickly gave way to shock. “Wh..Who are you?” She said warily at a boy with purist white hair and icy blue eyes that glowed.

“That’s a silly question. I’m the person dying to put you in your place once and for all, Nicholas Schnee.” He smirked. “Who else would I be?”

Both ran at each other again and set off a shock wave that shook everything as they met in the middle. Shiva’s loud, wrathful eyes met his cold stern hatful ones as they fought for dominance.

“Alright, let’s solve the question we never dared to ask. Why don’t we find out who’s the stronger twin, eh Summer?”

#rwby #rwby au #rwby twin snowflakes #nicholas schnee #summer schnee #veronica belladonna #eliza marigold #val valkyrie #whitley schnee #winter schnee

[selfish-alice]

Exploring the Cool and Unusual Side of Minneapolis: From Urban Exploration to Unique Museums and Outdoor Adventures

Minneapolis is a vibrant city that offers a wide range of activities for visitors to enjoy. From outdoor adventures to cultural experiences, there's something for everyone in this Midwestern gem. If you're looking for something a bit off the beaten path, here are a few cool and unusual things to do in Minneapolis.

For a unique perspective on the city, take a tour with Urban Explorer Twin Cities. This company offers guided tours that focus on the history and architecture of Minneapolis' most interesting and lesser-known buildings. From abandoned factories to hidden underground tunnels, these tours will give you a glimpse into the city's past and present.

If you're a foodie, check out the Midtown Global Market. This multicultural marketplace is home to a variety of vendors selling international food, crafts, and clothing. From Mexican street tacos to Somali samosas, the market is a great place to sample a variety of flavors and cultures.

For a dose of culture, head to the Walker Art Center. This modern art museum is home to an impressive collection of contemporary art, including works by famous artists such as Warhol and Lichtenstein. The museum also features outdoor sculptures and an award-winning design for the building.

If you're in the mood for some outdoor adventure, take a kayak tour of the Mississippi River with Above the Falls Sports. The tour will give you a unique perspective on the city and its famous river, as well as an opportunity to see local wildlife such as eagles and herons.

For a more unusual experience, check out the Museum of Questionable Medical Devices. This museum is dedicated to showcasing the odd and often bizarre medical devices of the past. From electric shock therapy machines to cancer-curing magnets, the museum offers a glimpse into the history of medicine and the human quest for health.

Minneapolis is also known for its beer scene, and if you are a beer lover you should check out the Surly Brewing Co. The brewery is an industrial-chic space that offers a variety of unique beers and a great atmosphere.

In conclusion, Minneapolis is a city full of surprises. From urban exploration to international cuisine, there are plenty of cool and unusual things to do in this Midwestern metropolis. Whether you're a culture buff, an outdoor enthusiast, or just looking for a unique experience, Minneapolis has something to offer.

#MinneapolisArts #MinneapolisOutdoors #MinneapolisEvents #MinneapolisCulture #MinneapolisBoutiques #MinneapolisFarmersMarket #MinneapolisFoodScene #MinneapolisNeighborhoods

[lifeofamanhwareader]

At night in the big city of new York a group of three fingered bald some what human like creatures are jumping roof to roof. A small bakery caught their interest. The light was still open. As the creatures closed in they saw a lady who looks a little too young to be operating on their own. Mesmerized by the interior it felt as if it was pulling them in it was warm and welcoming. A loud ring of the bell on the door of this cozy place snap them back into reality as they begin to panic. Trying to find an excuse but was left with nothing. They were ready to beg for the owner to not report them to the public. But then the calmest of the bunch pointed out the fact that she wasn't screaming bloody murder. They were quite surprised to see that they were calm and asking them with a soft voice as if afraid to startle them. "Hey how can I help you?" She asked calmly as if she isn't seeing turtle mutants. They awkwardly choose something that catch their eyes one per turtle. Then they went to the counter and put them down. Expecting a expensive price just like any other bakery in this city of new York. Not that they can't afford it of course one of them own an entire tech company by himself. But the price was surprisingly cheap! They quickly pay and left hoping this person just thought they were too tried to deal with "teenagers dressed up at 1 am to prank her". Unfortunately for them she was fully awake.

That night they all retired for rest the second they got home vowing to never go back in order to avoid suspicion. But also tried from the stress of meeting another human. The next morning the orange turtle was too tried to make breakfast that morning so he just warmed up the pastry they bought for breakfast. Then slowly one by one the others came in blue red and purple in that order. They took a bit into the pastry‚ the red one pulling a little and they were shocked. It was heavenly. Donnie went to brew coffee to pair with the pastry only to be stopped by his twin. "Remember don No coffee for a week" Leo said. " But it's the last day gimme a break 💔" sharpie drawn eyebrows wiggle into a frustration emote as the author wonder how the hell did he say "💔". But the only guy with fake eyebrows drawn on his mask to look way more dramatic than should be just calmly sat down and continue eating the pastry. Only to realize that it's no longer in his hand once he tried took a bite out of it. Then his just as dramatic twin gave him a face of smug with his pastry in hand. The oldest not wanting conflict tried to reason with Leo to give it back. But then Leo just popped the rest of the piece into his mouth. Eyes widening as his twin tackled him with a look on his face that screams ' I'm not actually mad at you but you still shouldn't have done that' but for Leo the taste was heavenly "holy fuck that tasted great" he uttered softly as if he wasn't fighting. Then his twin twisted his arm making him snap into reality he then quickly yelled "I SURRENDER" and his twin let him go. Some of his pastry was still left so his brother stood up look at Leo dead in the eyes and then ate it. With a dramatic flare of tears in the eyes he yelled "noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo" quite loudly. Okay Guys how would we deal with this there's another person who knows of our existence and they aren't trying to expose us. "I mean we already are friends with April why not them too? " And totally not because their food was delicious or something. The youngest replied. The oldest seems to be the only one at odds with this however with puppy dog eyes he has soon (reluctantly) comply.

So that night the turtles snuck out and walked to the shop. And wtalked in the shop. And then disguised Raph walked to the counter and asked to talk to the lady privately. She then then press a button as a robot lookalike of her shows up. This of course intrigued the autistic homicidal Maniac also known as Donnie. They walk to a private room and was served tea by the woman. Interestingly the woman seems to have no fatigue on her face despite the fact that she probably sleeps less than ten minutes a day. So they introduce themselves to her. And they return the favor just as the shop's name suggested her name is Ivy. And she seems to accept the fact that their mutants pretty well. They were given free pastry as they left. Mikey was pretty sure he will try to get her recipe.

#rottmnt #mikey rottmnt #rottmnt april #raphael rottmnt #donatello rottmnt #leonardo rottmnt #rise of the tmnt #rise of the teenage mutant ninja turtles #rottmnt au #Ivy's bakery au

[kwmurphy]

Yet another reason to love the Twin Cities in summer: my bike route passes by three lakes and a brewery. (at Wooden Hill Brewing Company) https://www.instagram.com/p/CeouGe-lCO0/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[twincitiesgeek]

You can donate to the ninth annual Twin Cities Geek Holiday Toy & Book Drive at Boom Island Brewing Company (@boomislandbeer) in Minnetonka, MN and get $1 off your first pour! #GiveTCG 🎁 TwinCitiesGeek.com/ToyDrive

[brewyork]

Go By Train: Four Multi-Brewery Day Trips from New York City

Sand City South in Lindenhurst

It’s getting to be that time of year where all the heat and humidity and garbage smells get to you and you just have to… get away. If you’ve got a day to kill and a hankering to visit a brewery or two, here are a quick few escapes from the city for the day, all doable by commuter rail.

Lindenhurst, Long Island

From nothing just a few years ago, Lindenhurst has become a legitimate beer destination on Long Island, and it’s just an hour by LIRR from Penn Station. The town is anchored by the spacious South Shore location of the new Sand City Brewing, the second outpost of the brewery that got its start on the North Shore in Northport. Walk north on Wellwood Avenue and you’ll find two storefront nanobreweries along the town’s main drag: 27A Brewing, a reliable spot that’s the longest-running of the town’s breweries, and Breslau Brewing, whose taproom feels like a friendly little neighborhood bar. If you’re into mead, W A Meadworks is just up the street, too. If you’re not ready to go home after all that, the outstanding Root + Branch Brewing is just one stop away in Copaigue.

Asbury Park, New Jersey

The taproom at Wild Air Beerworks in Asbury Park

Head down the shore and you’ll find a stretch of breweries along NJ Transit’s North Jersey Coast Line. Wild Air Beerworks in Asbury Park is just a short walk from the Asbury Park stop, offering an Instagram-friendly taproom with fantastic beers to boot. If you need some food, the Asbury Park Festhalle has some good grub and a house beer made by Two Ton Brewing. Head down the line one stop to Bradley Beach and you’re just a stone’s throw from the bustling Bradley Brew Project on Main Street and Little Dog Brewing Co. across the tracks in Neptune City. Best of all? You’re never more than a 15-minute walk from the beach.

Poughkeepsie, Dutchess County

Mill House Brewing Company’s brewpub

It’s admittedly a bit of a trek up to Poughkeepsie on Metro-North. But on a nice day, you can stretch your legs after the two-hour train ride on the Walkway Over the Hudson before you head uphill to decide among the city’s six (!) breweries. Mill House is its oldest, serving beers from their twenty-barrel brewery down the road in its Mill Street brewpub. King’s Court was put on the map by their two Great American Beer Festival medals, which in my experience are well-deserved. Zeus Brewing is worth checking out for the view from their rooftop bar. Blue Collar has grown to become a Poughkeepsie mainstay and has a wonderful brick-lined taproom. Obscure Oscillation specializes in Belgian-style beers and has a taproom in a residential neighborhood that’s open only on Thursdays. And while not exactly easily-walkable, Plan Bee Farm Brewery is on the outskirts of town and opens to serve their outstanding 100% New York State farm beers on Saturday and Sunday afternoons.

Riverhead, Long Island

North Fork Brewing Company’s taproom

Riverhead is equally far from the city by train as Poughkeepsie (just a little over two hours away), but equally-brewery’ed. The six breweries in this town range from the Irish-themed (Long Ireland), to the little Main Street storefront (Tradewinds), to the shiny brewpub (Peconic County Brewing), to the converted firehouse-turned-taproom (North Fork), to the beer nerd’s paradise (ubergeek), to the music-themed brewery (Twin Fork). Just don’t stay out too late — the last train back to the city is just after 9:30pm every day.

[squarefeetgroup]

Properties in Thane for Sale- Investment in Thane: Unlocking Lucrative Returns

In recent years, the real estate market has demonstrated substantial growth, with Thane emerging as a prime example of a city experiencing phenomenal expansion. Once known solely as an industrial center, Thane has now transformed into a bustling real estate market, offering investors the potential for high returns on their investments.

According to economists and analytical consultants, the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), which includes Thane, is expected to witness a remarkable 40% increase in employment opportunities. This positive forecast is supported by the notable rise in average rates in prominent locations like Pokhran Road, which saw a 2.6% increase in Q1 2023. These favorable socioeconomic conditions and connectivity have contributed to the rising demand for housing facilities and subsequently, the capital growth of real estate investments in Thane West and East. Thane is quickly establishing itself as an economic powerhouse, offering lucrative investment opportunities in new projects.

Thane's strategic location and spatial advantages make it a top contender for real estate investment. Unlike other heavily populated and space-constrained areas in Mumbai, Thane has the potential for expansion into new areas. This expansion capability further solidifies Thane's position as an excellent investment destination. Additionally, Thane boasts excellent connectivity to Mumbai's Eastern and Western Suburbs, as well as Navi Mumbai, making it a desirable location for investment. The proposed development of Metro Lines and twin tunnels connecting Thane to Borivali, promising a commute time of just 15 minutes, serves as a compelling justification for investing in Thane's real estate market.

Apart from its spatial advantages, Thane offers enhanced medical care and academic institutions, adding to its appeal as an investment hub. The city is home to renowned healthcare institutions such as Hiranandani, Jupiter, Bethany, and Aayush, known for providing top-notch medical facilities. In terms of education, Thane boasts prestigious schools like Smt. Sulochanadevi Singhania School, Podar International School, C.P. Goenka International School, D.A.V. Public School, Hiranandani Foundation School, and Smt. Sunitidevi Singhania School. Additionally, Thane is host to a range of esteemed academic institutions, including the A. P. Shah Institute of Technology, Dr. V. N. Bedekar Institute of Management Studies and Law, Institute of Management and Computer Studies, KC College of Engineering, Rajiv Gandhi Medical College, Rustomjee Academy for Global Careers, and Vidya Prasarak Mandal's Polytechnic. These establishments not only contribute to the city's social infrastructure but also generate excellent opportunities for real estate investment.

Thane's exceptional social infrastructure further enhances its investment potential. The city boasts a plethora of cinemas, hotels, restaurants, and shopping centers, including popular destinations like Viviana Mall, Korum Mall, and Lake City Mall. Thane is a food lover's paradise, with a multitude of upscale restaurants and trendy cafes catering to every culinary preference. Establishments like Soda Bottle Openerwala, Hitchki, The British Brewing Company, and The Irish House are perennially packed with patrons. Living in Thane ensures an exciting and enjoyable lifestyle throughout the year. Prominent builders in Thane, offering luxury flats in prime locations like Pokhran Road No.2, present investors with the opportunity to indulge in this vibrant social scene while reaping high returns on their investment.

Investing in Thane's real estate market offers numerous benefits. The city is undergoing rapid transformation and has already established itself as a prominent financial and real estate center, often referred to as Mumbai's mirror. With the expansion of social facilities, improved connectivity, and robust economic growth, Thane's housing demand is skyrocketing. Real estate developers are focusing on creating luxury communities that provide residents with the best comforts and services, further adding to the allure of investing in Thane's real estate market.

In conclusion, Thane's real estate market presents investors with the opportunity to relish high returns. The city's rapid growth, favorable spatial advantages, exceptional social infrastructure, and robust employment prospects make it an ideal destination for real estate investment. As Thane continues to flourish, investing in this burgeoning market promises not only financial rewards but also a vibrant and fulfilling lifestyle.

Squarefeet Group

To Know About 2 BHK Residential property in Thane GB road

Visit: https://www.squarefeetgroup.in/

#Properties in Thane for Sale

[hylialeia]

I don't think the theory of Loras as the valonqar is that random. He has been mentioned as a possible future kingslayer in the books and Jaime says he recognizes in him a younger version of himself. He even has plenty of reasons to be angry at Cersei. Why is it that the repetition of what happened 15 years ago with Aerys doesn't happen this time with Loras and Cersei instead of Jaime and Cersei (as most people predict).

Not to mention that it is more likely for Loras to come back to KL than Jaime... Would Jaime go back and forth between locations in the books (deals with Lady Stoneheart, comes back to KL, and fights with The Others)? That seems like a cheap way to move from one plot to the other. Or would Cersei live long enough that she would reunite with Jaime after the fight against The Others? which i doubt.

As for thematics, isn't the whole point that Jaime is moving on and becoming more and more apathetic towards her while Cersei starts completely distrusting Jaime (especially after she finds out he left her - since there is no believable way that wouldn't happen)?

I think any parallels between Jaime and Loras serve the purpose of getting Jaime to reflect on himself--and to show how self-centered Jaime and Cersei (and perhaps the Lannisters in general) are. Margaery and Loras aren't mirror-images for Cersei and Jaime. though the twins tend to think they are; they're just siblings who care about each other.

Loras might be arrogant and attractive, as Jaime notes, but he doesn't have the long-brewing tension with authority and the abuse of power that Jaime has. His story, thus far, has been about playing his part for House Tyrell to climb the social ladder and accrue as much power as possible.

Plus, we leave off hearing this:

"Ser Loras took a quarrel through the thigh and another through the shoulder, but he fought on gallantly, though the blood was streaming from him. Later he suffered a mace blow that broke some ribs. [...] The defenders fell back to an inner keep once the curtain wall was taken. Loras led the attack there as well. He was doused with boiling oil." (Cersei VIII, AFFC)

Granted, Cersei spends too much time expecting Loras to die for me to think that GRRM will actually go through with it (a good bet when it comes to predicting the outcome is to assume things will not go Cersei's way). Even so, Loras is not in a good condition to go about kingslaying or threatening anyone. I don't see him heading to King's Landing any time soon, or wherever Cersei will flee to once Young Griff and company take the Red Keep.

Jaime, meanwhile, has just diverged from his path, and could end up almost anywhere--most likely, conveniently close to where Cersei has fled (probably Casterly Rock, where it all began). I'm not convinced he'll be alive for the fight with the Others, and even less convinced that his path is setting him up for heroism or redemption.

As for Jaime's feelings, his journey in AFFC (and his chapter in ADWD) may show the deterioration of his relationship with Cersei, but apathy is the last word I'd use to describe that.

Last night he dreamed he’d found her fucking Moon Boy. He’d killed the fool and smashed his sister’s teeth to splinters with his golden hand, just as Gregor Clegane had done to poor Pia. In his dreams Jaime always had two hands; one was made of gold, but it worked just like the other. (Jaime V, AFFC)

He would have to face her, he supposed. Assuming the High Septon had not put her to death by the time he got back to the city. "Come at once," she had written, in the letter he'd had Peck burn at Riverrun. "Help me. Save me. I need you now as I have never needed you before. I love you. I love you. I love you. Come at once." Her need was real enough, Jaime did not doubt. As for the rest … she's been fucking Lancel and Osmund Kettleblack and Moon Boy for all I know ... (Jaime I, ADWD)

That refrain that Tyrion spits at him at the end of ASOS comes up eight times afterwards (all in Jaime's memory, of course). He may not have positive feelings towards Cersei, but that's not apathy; it's devolving into hatred.

As for Cersei?

"We've had no further word of [Jaime]. The woman [he was last seen with] may have been the Evenstar's daughter, Lady Brienne."

Her. The queen remembered the Maid of Tarth, a huge, ugly, shambling thing who dressed in man's mail. Jaime would never abandon me for such a creature. My raven never reached him, elsewise he would have come. (Cersei I, ADWD)

[Men] shouted obscene proposals, others insults. Words are wind, she thought, words cannot hurt me. I am beautiful, the most beautiful woman in all Westeros, Jaime says so, Jaime would never lie to me. (Cersei II, ADWD)

Cersei's feelings can turn on a dime, but she always falls back on Jaime as her other half, an extension of herself. They're both Lannisters, after all.

And that's the intense tragedy that GRRM has been building up: the complete destruction of Tywin's legacy, of the Lannister regime entirely. The children he raised to be extensions of himself, who he schemed for and upheld as the gold standard, end up killing one another. Meanwhile, Tyrion--who he only ever despised and disillusioned--is the one who ends up making his way out of the fog and becoming the hero.

#asoiaf #asoiaf meta #asoiaf speculation #valyrianscrolls #the volonqar #we all have our theories but I'll die on this hill #the volonqar is jaime 100% #if I'm wrong I'll buy y'all a cake or something #ask #anonymous #(thank you anon for pointing out my typo in the tags <3)

[creampuffqueen]

Getaway Car - Cresswell, TLC Shipweeks 2021 (Criminal AU)

a/n: Hello!!!! TLC fandom! It's been quite a while since I did anything for y'all! But here I am, back from the dead, with an unholy amount of one single fic for the ship weeks. I was going to post this yesterday, since that was Cresswell's AU day (I think, I wasn't originally planning to post anything so I wasn't keeping track, but I listened to Taylor Swift's song Getaway Car and got a Vision) but sadly my ideas were too large to complete in one day! So take this now!

Word Count: 13142 (yes, I know)

Summary: In an alternate universe, Cress and Thorne are partners in crime, literally. They may also be in love with each other, literally.

Warnings: Contains mentions of guns, violence, underage drinking, cursing, and a lot of crime

~~~~

“Cress, you got me?” Thorne’s voice crackled over the speaker of the burner phone, right into the waiting ears of the person he needed most.

His getaway car, Cress Darnel.

“Loud and clear!” She replied, twisting the key in the ignition of the old car. The engine roared to life under her touch, and the young woman sped out of the alleyway. “Keep going, I’ll be there. You know what to do.”

“We’ve done this almost a dozen times; I know what to do!”

The blonde cracked a grin to herself, “Sure you do. You’d be lost without me.”

“You got that right! See you in two! Mwah!” With that last endearment, the line went dead, and Cress chucked the cell phone out the window with an exasperated smile. She was parked close enough that the rendezvous spot only took her one minute, sixteen seconds to reach.

Timing was of the utmost importance to this mission. Even a few seconds too late and everything would end.

This was proven approximately thirty-eight seconds later, when Carswell Thorne, renowned criminal, tore around the corner, half-zipped duffel bag slung over a shoulder. He had a gun, but both he and Cress knew it wasn’t loaded, it was just for show.

The doors were unlocked, the car had a full tank of gas, and Cress was a very good driver. “Floor it!” Thorne shouted, and Cress didn’t have to be told twice.

When the police arrived, approximately twenty-two seconds later, they, and all evidence, were long gone.

~~~~

After an hour of driving, it was getting dark. Thorne discreetly hotwired a new car in a full supermarket parking lot, and the duo was on their way.

Another hour of driving, and Thorne took over the controls from the younger woman, letting her nap in the passenger seat. She curled up in a little ball, so small she didn’t even stick out of the seat. When she was fast asleep with her cheek squished against the window, Thorne finally risked a glance over to his partner.

It was strange to think they’d only known each other for a few months. Well, six months, two weeks, and five days, to be exact.

He’d tried to stop himself from keeping count. It hadn’t worked. Six months, two weeks, and five days of Cress Darnel being in his life.

It was about nine o’clock, so the traffic was beginning to thin a bit. They were in one of the busiest parts of the city, easy to blend in with their average-looking car. Someone honked behind him, and Thorne gave a glance in his rearview mirror. Whoops.

The day had been long and exhausting. Time to start working on a place to hunker down for the night. Cress shifted a bit in her sleep, and a loud grumble cut through the car. Okay, time to find some food, too.

He drove around the city a bit more, making sure nobody was on their tail, before finally exiting to the more sparsely-populated areas. Where you paid for your room in cash and nobody asked questions.

It was eleven o’clock by the time he finally found someplace suitable enough. He drove through a fast food joint nearby, then finally parked the car. Nudging Cress awake as he exited, he wordlessly passed her the food before heading inside.

Most of the rooms were sold for the night, but they thankfully had one available with two twin beds.

He found Cress devouring her burger like she hadn’t eaten in years. And-

“Hey, fry-stealer!” He chuckled, snatching his bag, “Eat your own!”

She gave him a look with those big blue eyes and something inside him melted. “I already ate mine.”

Thorne rolled his eyes, but passed her a couple more fries anyway. “This means you have to carry your own bag, you know.”

That statement earned him another pout, but he ignored it, instead grabbing his suitcase and the duffel bag containing today’s goods.

He left Cress to her own devices, heading inside the room and grabbing the shower first. His food would be cold, sure, but at least he’d get all the hot water he wanted.

When he came out again, toweling off his hair and rubbing his freshly-shaven face, Cress was inside, passed out on top of her hotel-made bed.

Thorne sighed, but couldn’t bring himself to be annoyed. It was exhausting, having so much brainpower all the time.

He tugged off her shoes, placing them neatly by the bed, in case they needed a quick escape. Then, gently, almost reverently, he tucked her under the covers.

He couldn’t resist. Making sure she was fully asleep, he pressed a soft, tiny kiss on top of her perfect golden hair.

“‘Night, Cress.”

He was fast asleep himself before he heard her reply.

“Goodnight.”

~~~~

The pair made an early departure, before other residents rose from their slumber and possibly compromised their location. Since Thorne had driven for so long yesterday, Cress felt it was only fair that she drove. It was a bit strange, she admitted, usually she was the night owl and he the early bird. But yesterday had been hard. It took a lot of planning to pull it off that smoothly.

By the time the sun rose, the pair was at least an hour away from the motel. Cress got them both coffee at a little roadside place, then pulled off to the side so they could enjoy it.

“You always get my order right,” Thorne chuckled, leaning against her as they sat in the open trunk of the car. “I’ve got a very sensitive palette, you know.”

Cress snorted, “You sure do. That’s just pure sugar in a cup right there.” She took a big gulp of her own brew, which was almost pure espresso.

“I don’t know how you can drink literal dirt water!” Thorne protested, “It’s so nasty!”

Cress bumped his shoulder again, still smiling. He grinned right back at her, before turning his eyes back to the early-morning sun.

“You ever think you’d get to see stuff like this? Do stuff like this?”

Cress could think of a thousand different witty remarks to toss back at him, mostly along the lines of “Being a wanted criminal? Absolutely.”, but for whatever reason, she held her tongue, instead replying, “No. Back then I didn’t even know when I’d see the sun next.”

Thorne turned his blue eyes over to her, squeezing her hand in a silent comfort. This close, she noticed that he’d shaved last night. And was letting his roots grow out again. Her heart sped up, just a bit.

In the six months she’d known him, he’d changed his appearance so often she was losing count. He always did after a heist, no matter how big or small. He dyed his hair, let his beard grow out, or sometimes simply donned a pair of glasses. Cress hadn’t changed hers since the very first.

~~~~

“Hey, blondie, where are you headed?” Cress whipped her head around to the voice that sounded. Rumbling up beside her was a car, front window rolled down, to reveal a young man, only a year or so older than her.

“None of your business,” She responded warily, curling in on herself a bit.

“Are you lost?” The guy continued, “I could give you a ride.”

“Like I’d get in a car with a strange man. That’s, like, begging to be killed.”

The guy looked actually offended at that. “What? I don’t kill people!”

Cress just rolled her eyes. “Thanks for the offer, but no.”

She turned away, hitching her backpack higher. She’d chickened out again. Sybil would be home any minute and she needed to get home. Her pace quickened, and the car and the guy rolled off.

Little did she know, that certainly wasn’t the last she’d see of him.

~~~~

“Alright, let’s see what we’ve got.” Cress pulled the duffel bag of stolen material towards her, beginning to rifle through it while Thorne watched. The late afternoon sun filtered through the window, turning her golden hair into an illusion of fire.

They’d ditched the car yet again, this time nabbing one from a used car parking lot. Now they were in a small town that the highway ran through, alone in a back alley, the only company being an alley cat in the trash and a couple further down that were too caught up in each other to notice anything.

Inside the bag, Cress pulled out treasure after treasure. A lot of cash; Thorne had the employees empty all the registers, and a lot of what Cress needed: Computer parts.

She had an old, run-down laptop, one of the few things taken with her from her previous life in the quiet suburbs. She would have had Thorne steal another laptop, but those were too traceable these days, even if they were brand new.

So manual upgrades it was.

Computers were her specialty, always had been. And now that she was a part of this merry band of two, her computer and her skills were integral parts to everything they did.

As it turned out, the most recent robbery had yielded exactly what she needed, and more. She gave a squeal of delight after unearthing a certain part, hugging it close to her chest.

A little chuckle sounded behind her, and Cress whipped her head around. Thorne was grinning ear-to-ear, the kind of smile that made her face heat up. “Happy, Goldilocks?”

Her face burned, and she twisted her fingers in her shoulder-length locks of hair. But she met his eyes and nodded. “Really happy. This is exactly what I needed.”

Thorne’s smile softened. “Anything for you, Princess.”

And somehow, deep inside her, she knew he was speaking the truth.

~~~~

Cress sprinted along the side of the road, the grass scratching at her bare legs. Her whole head throbbed, and her left wrist was sprained for sure. Every step pulled at the bruising on her stomach, and it was a struggle to keep moving, keep the backpack on her shoulders, keep moving.

“I’m eighteen now, she can’t hurt me anymore. I’m eighteen now, she can’t hurt me anymore,” She murmured over and over to herself, a mantra to keep her sore legs moving. She needed to leave, needed to keep moving.

She risked a glance behind her. Her heart froze.

Car lights were coming up the road. Fast.

Cress started running faster, biting her lip to keep from sobbing, keep from just keeling over and dying right there. She could beat her. She could escape. She just had to keep moving.

It was the middle of the night, there was no way anyone else but Sybil was driving that car. There was nowhere to hide. All she could do was keep going, and hope that maybe she sped right past. It was foolish, but it was all she had.

Her foot slipped into a small dip in the earth, and her whole ankle screamed, sending her toppling into the dirt. Coughing and sputtering, she pushed herself up, stumbling forward. The tears came, fast and hard and unstoppable. The lights were nearly on top of her now.

And that’s when she saw it. Another car, coming towards her. Her last chance.

Cress nearly toppled over herself in her haste, tumbling into the middle of the road, in the path of the incoming car. As expected, it screeched to a stop, the driver slamming on the horn.

“Help!” Cress screamed, as Sybil’s car pulled up behind her, her face illuminated by the other headlights and frozen in fury. “Please help me! She’s going to hurt me!”

“Crescent Moon!” Sybil bellowed, and Cress backed up against the other car. The driver’s door opened. And out stepped the most handsome man Cress had ever seen in her life.

Okay, she was definitely dreaming. She gave herself a tiny pinch.

Maybe not.

The man… he seemed familiar, somehow. She couldn’t quite place it.

“Cress,” Sybil snarled, stomping over, “Get in the car, now.” Her tone left no room for argument. Cress curled in on herself.

“Hey,” The man replied, “Who the hell are you?”

“Her mother.”

“Foster mother,” Cress interjected softly. “And I’m eighteen. You don’t own me anymore.”

If Sybil’s face could get more furious, it did. The man glanced between them, brows creasing as he took in Cress’s limp, her black eye, the way she held her stomach.

“You heard the girl. She doesn’t belong to you, witch.”

Sybil lunged, grabbing Cress’s sprained wrist. She screamed in pain, and the man moved.

And suddenly he was pointing a gun at her foster mother. Everyone froze.

“Let her go.” He said, “Leave her alone.”

Sybil backed away. “I’ll call the police, boy. You can’t threaten me.”

The gun clicked. He armed it. He pointed it straight at Sybil.

“It doesn’t matter. She’s eighteen. And if she comes willingly, there’s nothing anyone can do about it.”

And Cress really couldn’t say why, exactly, but in that moment she knew that he was truthful. That his words made sense, and more than that, she would go with him.

“I’m going with him, Sybil.” For the first time in her life, Cress Darnel was being brave. And it wasn’t a dream.

The man turned to her, flashing a grin, and Cress recognized him then. The same one who approached her nearly a month earlier.

“Cress, right?” He asked, when Sybil had retreated to her car and driven away, “Nice name. I’m Carswell, but everyone calls me Thorne. Oh, and sorry to scare you like that. This thing isn’t loaded, never has been.”

Cress glanced down the road, at the car growing steadily smaller in the distance. “Thanks for all that, Thorne. You showed up just in time.”

He offered her a hand to shake. “My pleasure, blondie.”

Despite everything, Cress found herself cracking a smile.

~~~~

“So, where to next, milady?” Thorne beamed, spreading a roadmap before them both. They’d finally stopped for the night, and were sitting on some questionable carpet in an even more questionable motel, figuring out their next plan.

“Dunno,” Cress shrugged, “Wherever’s good, I guess.”

“I mean, where you do want to see?” Thorne elaborated. “What’s your dream destination, Cress?”

She gave him a confused look. “Why?”

“You can say Disneyworld. I won’t judge.”

That earned him a snicker and a shove against the shoulder, and he could almost feel his heart swell with affection. She really was adorable, sitting in a tank top and pajama shorts, thick socks rolled around her ankles. He’d do anything to earn that smile again.

“I’m not sure, really. I’ve never had the chance to really think about it.”

“Well surely you must at least know some places. A place you’ve heard, maybe?”

Cress sighed, leaning further against him. “I don’t know, Thorne. What about you? Where do you want to go?”

“Ladies first, Goldilocks.”

“It’s Disneyworld, isn’t it.”

“You could hack their system and get us free tickets! And fast passes for all the rides! It would be great!” He replied enthusiastically.

“I mean in theory, sure, but Disney’s kinda notorious for being fairly unhackable.”

“Damn it.”

Cress yawned, laying nearly in his lap. “Let’s think about it tomorrow, ‘kay?”

Thorne lifted her, bridal style, to her bed, amidst her soft giggles. She sounded like a fairy. “Goodnight, milady. I shall seek thee out in the morning.”

Cress laughed harder, which turned abruptly into a yawn as she tucked herself beneath the covers. “Goodnight, my knight in shining armor.”

~~~~

Over the next few weeks, they travelled to wherever they felt like. The car they had was stolen from a junkyard, so it wasn’t like anyone was looking for it. Sure, it was a piece of crap, but it moved and it did its job.

They moved intermittently between small and big towns, usually only spending a day or two before hitting the road again. Cash was hard to come by, so they mostly resorted to stealing purses and pickpocketing. Cress felt a little bad about it, but hey, they needed to eat.

Things between her and Thorne were… changing. She couldn’t exactly tell how or why, but she knew they were. The change wasn’t bad, but it was different. And strange. And a tiny bit scary.

She’d find her gaze naturally finding his at any given moment, catch herself staring when she shouldn’t. She laughed at his dumb jokes more, focused on the sound of his voice when she should be focusing on the road.

He hadn’t changed his appearance in a long time. His hair was its natural shade of golden brown again, and he kept his face clean-shaven. The dumb glasses had been broken and dumped some time ago.

And it wasn’t just her that was staring, either. She felt his eyes, sometimes saw them too, when he thought she wasn’t looking. He was doing more and more to make her laugh. And he wasn’t being as careful to make sure she was asleep before he kissed her head goodnight.

Cress didn’t really know what to make of these changes. She couldn’t tell if these were good or bad. She wasn’t used to this, these butterflies in her stomach, this heat in her face. Sybil kept her isolated her whole life, and she was just now starting to really experience the world. Was it right to fall for the first guy her age she met?

Because she realized that’s what it was. They were in a moderately sized town, and were walking around the downtown area, looking for a place to eat and also some easy targets to fund said meal.

Sadly, this wasn’t an easy crowd. They had eyes in the backs of their heads, and after nearly an hour, they only had a meager ten dollars to show for it between them.

“Hey, chin up,” Thorne grinned, “We’ll be fine. I think I saw a fast food place up there, follow me.”

He grabbed her hand, and Cress couldn’t stop the dopey grin that found a permanent residence on her face. He’s holding my hand.

Unfortunately, it was a high end fast food place. The kind that had “gourmet” food at a third of the price of a fancy restaurant. Even the cheapest item on the menu really meant one meal to split between them both.

“You should eat, Cress.”

“No,” She protested, “Let’s find somewhere else. We both need to eat.”

He shrugged. “It’s late. Just promise to give me a bite, okay?”

She would have argued more, but she was really hungry. So, begrudgingly, she made her way to the register and bought dinner.

That was when she really realized what they were. He smiled at her the whole time while she ate her fill, head resting on his hands. He took the bite she offered, and refused any more. She knew he was hungry. And yet, he let her eat.

Anything for you, princess.

~~~~

Surprisingly, the guy hadn’t killed her yet. Weird. It had been three days. And he was still being nice to her.

They’d stayed in a motel nearby. Two separate beds. He’d been a perfect gentleman the entire time. He helped her ice her sprains and bruises every day. He made sure she was comfortable.

“Are you sure you really wanna be hanging out with me, Goldilocks?” He asked on the dawn of the fourth day, “There’s nowhere else you’d rather be?”

“Are you trying to get rid of me?” She responded suspiciously. It’s not like she had anywhere to go, anyway.

“No, no, of course not!” Thorne insisted. “It’s just, weird, I guess. People don’t hang out with me willingly too much.”

“Why?”

He dramatically brushed his hair out of his eyes, “I’m just too good for them I guess.” Then he met her gaze with a serious look. “No, it’s because I’m a criminal.”

“Yeah, I kinda guessed.” Also she’d looked him up as soon as she had some time alone. It wasn’t hard to unseal his juvenile record, where she found he’d been arrested several times for theft. And once for grand larceny at seventeen, which was honestly kind of impressive. That also explained where all the money was coming from.

“Oh.”

Cress awkwardly looked away. “I mean, it’s whatever. I don’t care that much how you make money.”

“I promise I don’t steal from old ladies or hobos or anything like that.” Cress blinked at that. How had he known that was worrying her?

He seemed to also understand that, too. “You’re literally an open book, princess. You’re not good at hiding your emotions.”

That was their last interaction for the day. He left around lunchtime with an empty duffel bag, and Cress decided to look the other way, for now. She made herself comfortable the rest of the time, before finally falling asleep around nine o’clock.

She’d barely been asleep thirty minutes, according to the clock on the bedside table, when Thorne burst inside the room with a gasp.

“What’s going on?” Cress grumbled as he flicked on all the lights.

“Get up, we have to go. The police are right on my tail, I won’t lose them for long.”

Well, that was one hell of a wake up call.

Thorne was tossing his stuff haphazardly into his own backpack, shouting at Cress to do the same. The duffel bag on his shoulder was full, and Cress caught a small glimpse of green on the inside. Money.

Being inside the motel for four days, her things were strewn about. She was taking too long. With only her laptop and about half her clothes packed, Thorne decided it was time, and dragged her out of the motel room.

Cress was barely inside the car before he floored it, screeching out of the parking lot. His blue eyes were wide, but nearly as terrified as she expected.

Of course, she realized later, he’s an adrenaline junkie. He lives for these kinds of moments.

But at that moment, all her focus was on the road as Thorne sped through the streets, heading as fast as the car could go for the highway. In minutes, a police car was on their tail. Thorne pressed the pedal harder.

“How did this even happen?” Cress gasped, trying in vain to take her mind off the sirens behind them.

“Someone called 911 before I was done. I didn’t notice the phone until too late. Stupid mistake on my part.”

“You know,” She suggested, the seatbelt holding her tight against the seat as they screamed around a turn, “You could have just bought a signal blocker beforehand, that way nobody could call at all.”

“A what?”

“A signal blocker. They’re super cheap at like, any electronics store. Hell, I could have done it for you. It’s not that hard; it was one of the first hacker-y things I learned.”

Thorne turned to her with a grin. “You can do that?!”

“Yes. Eyes on the road!”

Many terrifying minutes later, they’d shaken off the police tail and made it to the freeway. Thorne’s smile was huge, and his attitude was becoming infectious.

“That was awesome! We totally knocked them off our trail!”

Cress chuckled awkwardly. “Yep. Except now we’re both wanted criminals.”

Thorne raised an eyebrow. “Both?”

Cress flushed. “Yeah, these windows aren’t tinted. They probably all saw me, and now I’m an accomplice to robbery.”

“Well then, Goldilocks, I think it might be time to show you my post-heist ritual.”

Thorne waved off her questions for another half hour, before he deemed it safe enough to get off the freeway and find a gas station. They parked and headed inside, keeping their heads down and both wearing hoodies. (This was the first of many of Thorne’s hoodies Cress stole).

In the abandoned bathroom, Thorne finally showed her what he was talking about. His hair, naturally a golden brown, was dyed black, and the stubble he’d been growing was shaved off as well.

Then it was her turn.

“Cut or dye?” Thorne asked, holding scissors in one hand and a box dye in the other.

She twisted a strand of her long, golden hair around a finger. Goldilocks. He called her Goldilocks. She liked that.

“Cut.”

“Awesome. I’m a great hairstylist. It’s my true calling.”

“So it’s not actually crime you’re called to?” Cress snickered as he began to snip.

“Well, that too. Crime and styling hair.”

“What a combo.”

When he was done, her hair littered the floor of the bathroom. Cress couldn’t stop staring, or running her hands through it.

“Does this make you my official partner, Goldilocks?” Thorne asked with a smile.

“I think it does.”

It was nice to be a part of something.

~~~~

“I’m bored.” Cress complained, splayed out on her bed.

“Uh huh,” Thorne replied, eyes flicking through a magazine he’d snatched that morning.

“I’m tired of pickpocketing.”

“I know you are, princess,” He turned a page, still not looking at her.

“Let’s go rob somewhere.”

That sure got his attention.

“I’m sorry,” Thorne started, “But did I just hallucinate? You want to rob someplace?”

Cress sat up to look him in the eye. “I mean, I don’t want to do the actual robbing. You do that. But I haven’t been your getaway car in weeks, and I’m bored.”

Thorne gave her a thoughtful look. “It has been a while. And I am tired of not being able to afford things.”

“So let’s do it!”

Her partner in crime glanced around the shitty motel room. “Not here. We need to find a better town.”

“Well, duh.” Cress fished around in Thorne’s bag and procured the road map. “It’s gotta be a bigger town than this hole-in-the-wall kind of place.”

So that was how the rest of their night went. Searching for a town nearby that was big enough to have a variety of places to choose from. A quick jog from the freeway, preferably, and with a low rate of crime to ensure police wouldn’t be super prepared for something like this.

It took another day of pickpocketing before they had enough for food and gas money, but they did it. Set out on the road, a plan in motion. Cress almost couldn’t believe it. She was the one who suggested robbery.

That beaten-down girl from the suburbs far away was long gone now. Instead, the new Cress was in her place. The Cress that was confident in her abilities.

And, of course, the Cress who was also hopelessly in love with her best (and only) friend.

They reached the town quickly enough. They’d driven for longer hours before. However, they’d set out later than they wanted, and as such reached their destination much later than they wanted. It was almost one in the morning when they finally pulled up to a motel just outside their chosen city’s limits.

“You got any rooms?” Thorne asked the night manager through a yawn.

“Yeah, just one though.”

“Whatever, we’ll take it.”

The rest of the transaction was quick and wordless. Cress was slumped against Thorne’s side, nearly asleep on her feet. He grabbed the room key and they trudged to the room, both half-asleep.

He unlocked the door. They stepped inside, just like they had dozens of motel rooms.

This one, however, was markedly different.

Instead of their regular two beds, this one only had one.

Taking in the scene, Cress woke up a bit, stiffening slightly.

“Shit,” Thorne mumbled, “This isn’t right.”

“It’s the last room available,” Cress reminded him.

“Right. Okay, I’ll take the floor. Just toss me one of those pillows and I’ll be good.”

Cress snorted. “I’m not doing that. You just drove all day. I’ll take the floor.”

“What? No way. Take the bed, Cress.”

“No, you.”

“No, you.”

“No, you.”

With a loud groan, Cress finally said, “Fine! We both take the bed! It’s not that big of a deal.”

Thorne’s eyes went a bit wider. Cress could feel her face start to warm. She looked away.

“I- no, that’s-”

“Goddamn it, shut up and sleep in the bed. We’re big kids, you take one half and I’ll take the other.”

And that was that. Neither bothered to change, as tired as they were, instead just slipping their shoes off and climbing into bed.

The first thing Cress noticed about sharing a bed was that it was warm. Really warm. This was fantastic, as she was always cold when she slept.

“Cress, what are you-”

“Shut up,” She sighed, as she curled herself closer to Thorne’s body, “You’re warm.”

“Oh.”

Not only was her whole body warm, but her face was burning. This was a bad idea. And yet, she couldn’t bring herself to pull away. Thorne was stiff in her arms, and she squirmed closer.

“Relax. I can’t sleep if you’re stiff as a board.”

“Sorry,” He whispered. He became a little less tense, which Cress decided was good enough.

In minutes, they were fast asleep.

~~~~

Cress woke up cold. Which totally sucked, because she’d gone to bed nice and warm. When she cracked open her eyes, she noticed that the bed was markedly empty.

Sitting up, she looked around for Thorne, but caught no sight of him. She sat up further, looking over the edge of the bed.

Oh.

He was sleeping on the floor, snoring very quietly. He took the scratchy blanket the motel provided, along with one of the towels and a pillow, and had made himself a place on the floor.

Cress’s face positively burned. Burying her face in her pillow, she let out a silent scream of embarrassment and frustration.

She’d thought into it too much. Of course he didn’t like her like that, why would he? She was just some random girl he’d picked up off the road, the brains of his criminal operation. He wasn’t secretly in love with her. He never was.

It was early. And she was still tired. But just to make sure she didn’t wake him up, Cress slipped into the bathroom to have the cry she so desperately needed, before tiptoeing back to bed and falling asleep once more.

She woke up many hours later, to the sun shining bright into her face. Thorne was awake, she determined by the shadow moving about the room.

“Hey there, Goldilocks,” Thorne chuckled, “Was that bed just right for you?”

“Yeah, it was fine,” She replied, not meeting his gaze. “What time is it?”

He snorted again. “Noon.”

“Damn.”

He tossed her a bag, which she caught quickly. “Lunch. Or, for you, breakfast.”

She couldn’t help the small laugh at that. “Thanks.”

The day passed slowly after that. Cress showered, thankful for the hot water to rinse off the grime and the feelings of the past few days. She and Thorne watched shitty reality TV that was on at three pm, laughing when he got way too into Say Yes to the Dress. Finally, they couldn’t ignore the rumbling of their stomachs anymore, and decided to go find dinner.

Of course, in order to get dinner, they needed money. Something they were in short supply of. Time to work the crowd again.

They had morals about who they pickpocketed. Or, really, Cress did. If she wasn’t around she was sure Thorne would definitely be an old lady purse-snatcher. But he always made sure to only steal from well-off people ever since Cress joined him.

Her gaze followed a man dresses in nice clothes from where they sat on a bench, Thorne’s arm slung over her shoulder in an effort to look casual. She nudged him, pointing at the target with her eyes.

“Nah, that Rolex is fake. He’s only pretending to be rich. But that guy over there-” He pointed out someone else, and Cress started up the act.

“Sir!” She chirped brightly, stepping directly in his path. The man started, taking in the tiny girl before him.

“Can I help you?”

“Yes, I’m trying to find my cousin, have you seen him?”

The man glanced around. “What does he look like?”

Cress stood on her tiptoes, gesturing as she spoke, “About this high, same hair and eyes as me. I just saw him, I don’t know how I got lost!”

From behind the man, Thorne gave her a conspiratorial wink as he plucked the wallet from his back pocket. The look was clear. Keep working him.

“I saw him over there last, do you see him? It’s hard to see with this crowd.” She pointed away, keeping his attention elsewhere as Thorne rifled through the wallet, stuffing bills and coins in his own pockets.

“No, I’m really sorry. Maybe try calling him.” The man gave her a smile, and began to walk away. As he retreated, Cress spotted the bulge in his back pocket, where the empty wallet had been replaced.

“Thanks for your help, mister!”

She turned to Thorne as they made their way to a more secluded corner of the street, “How’d we do?”

“Great, actually! That guy had a lot of cash on him. Let’s go eat.”

As they walked, Cress was suddenly aware of Thorne grabbing her hand, holding her close. She glanced up at him, heart pounding.

He just smiled. “Wouldn’t want to lose you for real.”

~~~~

“Drive!” Thorne shouted, slinging his whole body into the car.

“But-” Cress protested.

“DRIVE!”

“Okay, okay, geez!” Cress pressed the gas, but Thorne sat up behind her.

“Faster! Cops will be here any minute!”

Cress’s heart was in her throat as she sped up. “But I blocked the signal.”

“And you said it yourself, it only holds for as long as the satellite is in position, which it will be out of any time! We’ve gotta go! Faster!”

So Cress went faster. At Thorne’s instruction, she did her best to throw off the tail of anyone who could be following. Screaming around turns, suddenly going back the way she just came, tearing through alleyways and side streets. She ran every red light she could, narrowly avoiding accidents multiple times.

“Maybe you should drive,” She suggested after a few minutes, but Thorne shook his head with a smile.

“Nah, you’re pretty good at this. I knew you had it in you.”

Eventually, they made it out of town, a bag full of stolen cash and goods. Thorne took over driving, but only after Cress stopped the car and demanded it.

“So, you hungry?”

“Huh?”

“Are you hungry?” Thorne repeated. “You did great today. You deserve a treat.” After a glance at a sign on the road, he asked, “Does Sonic sound good?”

“I guess. I’ve never had it.”

His jaw dropped. “You’ve never had it? Jesus Christ, your life is sad.”

Cress wrapped her arms around herself, glancing down. Thorne seemed to realize his mistake. “Oh. Sorry, I didn’t mean it like that.”

“It’s fine,” Cress lied, not meeting his eyes. “Let’s get this Sonic thing or whatever.”

“You’re gonna love it, Goldilocks. Promise.”

He was right. She did love it. And as they sat, eating greasy fast food beneath the stars, the earlier argument was forgiven and soon forgotten.

Cress promised herself that night that her life would never be sad, not ever again.

~~~~

“This is literally the worst idea, idiot,” Cress groaned, standing awkwardly outside a place she really didn’t belong: The local liquor store.

“Relax, it’s fine,” Thorne assured her, hauling along a case of White Claws. “You’re eighteen, that’s old enough to have a little drink, I think.”

“You’re not even old enough to legally buy it!” She protested.

He smirked, waving a little card with his other hand. “Fake ID, blondie.”

They made their way back to their motel, still arguing.

“We’re going to be here for a while during the planning part! We can at least have a little fun! It’s not like I’m going to a bar or anything.”

“Yeah, but if the cashier knew it was a fake ID and called the police, everything could be done for!”

His eyes narrowed. “Wait. So you’re not against the principle of underage drinking itself, but rather the fact we could get caught?”

She looked away. “I mean, it’s whatever.”

When the door was locked, Thorne opened up the case and cracked one open. “I like the lime ones the best. You’ll probably like the lemonade one better. Or maybe the raspberry. They’re sweeter.”

Glancing between the curtains and the blinds shut tight, Cress assured herself that nobody was outside, nobody was watching. With a sigh, she opened up a White Claw of her own. “You’ve thoroughly corrupted me, Carswell Thorne.”

“It’s what I do best, sweetheart.”

That was a new one.

They got a little planning done as they drank, but as the night wore on, and they both indulged themselves in another drink, then another, they started caring less and less about the upcoming heist.

Cress noticed she felt different by White Claw number two, but had another, just because she wanted to try all the flavors. Lemonade so far was the best, raspberry a close second. Mango, despite being a good flavor on its own, was actually disgusting. And Thorne had claimed all the limes for himself.

Everything around her was fuzzy. It felt like she was swimming in her own head. And everything was also really funny, too. At one point Thorne burped loudly, and while normally Cress would have groaned and scolded him, this time she began to giggle hysterically.

Thorne shot her a concerned glance. “Okay there, Goldilocks?”

Cress snickered. “You’re funny.”

“Right. And you are drunk. How many-” She noticed his eyes widen at the two empty cans, and the one in her hand. “Shit, Cress, that’s enough.”

He snatched the can from her, and she flopped onto the floor, still laughing. “Everything’s so spinny, Thorne.”

“Yeah, I’m getting you some water. Stay right there.”

“Sir yes sir,” She slurred, then giggled at her own voice.

Water began to run in the little bathroom. What had Thorne said about water again? Curious, she pulled herself up, then stumbled towards the sound.

He doing something at the sink. Cress slipped behind him, then in a sudden burst of immense confidence, wrapped her arms around his waist and buried her face in his strong back.

“Cress?” His voice came out almost strangled. “What are you doing?”

“You’re warm,” She mumbled. “I like hugging you.”

Thorne sighed. “Not that I don’t like hugging you too, you need some water, maybe some Advil, and then you need to go to bed.”

He tried to pull away, but Cress held on tighter. “Noooo, don’t leave,” She whined.

Thorne managed to maneuver himself so instead of being wrapped around his back, she was facing him, chest to chest. “C’mon, Goldilocks, drink some water.”

She gave him her infamous puppy dog eyes, but he shoved the glass in her face. “Drink up.”

“You’re mean,” She muttered, but did as he said and drained the glass. She looked up again, her blue eyes meeting his own. “You didn’t wanna be my snuggle partner last night, and I got cold.”

Thorne looked away, and if she wasn’t so buzzed, Cress might have noticed the blush.

“Let’s get you to bed, okay? Can you dress yourself?”

She definitely had too much liquid courage. “You could help me, if you wanted.”

Thorne pulled away. “No thanks. You seem capable enough. He stepped out of the bathroom, and passed her a pair of pajamas from the outside. “Drink some more water while you’re at it.”

When she opened the door again, she instantly latched onto him again. “Cress,” He chuckled awkwardly, “I can’t move.”

“Then you can’t leave,” She murmured. For some reason she felt really sad now, almost to the point of tears. “Please don’t leave me.”

“Never, Goldilocks. Let’s get you to bed.”

He tried to move, but Cress held tighter. “You’re gonna have to drag me,” She warned.

“Not a problem.” In one motion, Thorne swept her off her feet, literally. Carrying her bridal style, her arms wrapped over his shoulders, he carried her effortlessly to the bed. The single bed, that they both shared.

She was laid down on the bed gently, but Cress refused to let go. “Don’t leave me,” She whispered, over and over again. With nowhere else to go, Thorne finally gave in and laid down with her, letting the smaller woman curl against him.

“Goodnight, Cress.”

Her eyes were heavy, but she looked at him anyway. “You always kiss my head goodnight.”

His face flushed harder. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

She unlatched one hand, tapping the top of her own head. “Right here. Almost every night.”

He couldn’t resist the puppy dog eyes again, she knew. With a sigh, he leaned over and pressed a chaste kiss on top of her head. Cress gave a happy sigh, and settled down on the pillow.

Neither of them moved all night.

~~~~

Everything hurt the next morning. Her stomach, her joints, her head.

“What in the fuck happened last night?” She mumbled into the shoulder of the person next to her.

The… person in the bed with her.

Cress shot up violently, instantly regretting it as her head throbbed harder. The person the shoulder belonged to groaned, opening up their eyes. Their familiar eyes.

“I feel like shit,” She sighed, as Thorne sat up next to her.”

He chuckled. “I kinda guessed that you would. You overindulged, princess.”

Things were coming back in bits and pieces, though everything was still fuzzy. “Why’d I have so much?”

“You wanted to try all the flavors.”

Right. “Mango tastes like shit,” She lamented, “I’m never drinking again.”

“Then who’s going to help me finish off the case?” Thorne chuckled.

“I would have helped you with the limes if you didn’t hog them all for yourself.”

“Princess, if I let you have a fourth you would have woken up in the hospital.”

“No, not a fourth, I mean instead of the nasty mango-”

Suddenly, as she leaned closer, Thorne winced, and backed away. “Whoa. Hangover breath. You need a shower.”

Cress’s face flushed. “Yeah. I’ll go do that.”

As she washed off the feeling of last night’s mistakes, more memories came back. But not quite everything. She was still missing a chunk: why she and Thorne had woken up in the same bed, after he’d left her alone the night before.

She got dressed, brushed her teeth, and drank some more water, before stepping out of the bathroom with the towel still wrapped around her dripping hair. Thorne stood up to take his own shower, but she stopped him with a hand on his arm.

“Hey, did… anything… happen, last night? I can’t remember everything, and if I said something weird-”

“Nah,” Thorne replied with a shrug, “You just got giggly, then suddenly weepy and clingy. You were really set on me not leaving you alone.”

She ducked her head, blushing. “Sorry about that.”

“It’s fine,” Thorne assured her. “I mean, you’ve never been drunk before, it’s not your fault you didn’t know how you’d respond.” With that, he stepped away, into the bathroom, which was soon filled with the sound of running water.

Cress sighed, glancing around the motel room. Last night’s activities had left it trashed. So while she waited, she cleaned up.

About twenty minutes later, they were both back in the car, on their way for some coffee. Thorne had even decided to get black coffee for once, in an effort to ward away the hangover.

“So…” He started awkwardly, and Cress’s heart stopped. What was he going to say? Had she really embarrassed herself last night?

“You wanna talk about why you were so obsessed with me not leaving? I mean, I know before all this your life was pretty shitty, so I get it if you don’t want to talk, but-”

“My dad left when I was seven.” She stated simply.

“Oh.”

They got their coffee, and headed back to the motel. Thorne met her eyes again with another awkward smile. “You also seemed pretty upset that I slept on the floor the other night.”

Heat rushed to her face. “It’s not that big of a deal, it doesn’t matter that much.”

“Drunk Cress had other things to say.”

She didn’t answer.

Back inside the room, Thorne spoke up. “You wanna know why I slept on the floor?”

She shrugged. “It’s whatever. It’s fine if it was too much or something. I didn’t want to make you uncomfortable.”

His blue eyes got big. “No, no, that’s not what happened. Look, Cress, have you ever slept with anybody before?”

“What?!” Her entire face went red, and Thorne’s did as well, when he realized his words.

“Shit, no, not like that. I mean have you ever shared a bed with somebody before?”

“Oh. No, I haven’t.”

“Listen, Cress.” Thorne leaned in close, and her heartbeat somehow sped up and stopped at the same time. “I liked sleeping in the same bed as you. But…”

Oh no.

“You kick. Like, a lot.”

What?

Cress nearly spat out her coffee. “That’s why you slept on the floor?!”

“Yes!” Thorne laughed. “It was all fine and dandy until you kicked me in the groin at three in the morning!”

Her face fell into her hands. “Oh my God.”

“And I mean, I had to save the boys-”

“Shut up! Stop talking!” Thorne gave a loud cackle, and Cress gave into her own hysterical laughter. “That’s what this was all about?”

Things fell back into place easily after that. In fact, they seemed to fall further into place. They plotted and they schemed, searching out their target and making their plan. They never went in blind, and they weren’t about to start now.

And when they slept, they slept in the same bed. Thorne tucked her into his chest, arms holding her steady, and she never felt cold or alone while she slept. To keep from kicking, Cress twined their legs together.

Neither mentioned the obvious shift in their relationship. But they both knew it was growing deeper by the day. They woke up in each others’ arms. Thorne came up behind her randomly during the day to wrap himself around her waist and rest his head on her shoulder. He kissed her head before they slept each night. Cress was never asleep.

The day came, the day they’d been planning for weeks. They were ready. Whatever happened today, they knew that no matter what, they’d always have each other at the end of the day.

~~~~

“Cress, you read me?”

Sitting in the car, ready and waiting for his voice, Cress replied, “I read you. How’d it go?”

“Without a hitch! Incoming in about three minutes.”

“I got you, captain.”

“Ooh,” Thorne chuckled over the speaker, “I like that.”

Cress rolled her eyes. “Focus on running, doofus. I’ll be there.”

“Mwah!” The line went dead, and Cress tossed the burner phone like she always did. She arrived at the rendezvous in two minutes, eight seconds, leaving the doors unlocked for their quick exit.

Thirty-four seconds later, and the familiar sight of Thorne running for his life arrived. With a wild grin, he threw himself and the bag inside, and Cress sped away. At this point, she was an expert at losing the police.

“How much?”

“Close to five thousand!” He beamed. “It’s gonna last us a long time!”

“You’re fantastic,” She grinned back.

“Nah, sweetheart, it’s all you. I’d totally be in jail by now if I hadn’t met you.”

“I mean,” Cress giggled as she sped out to the freeway, “Prison’s always still on the table.”

“Then don’t get us caught, blondie.”

“You wanna stop at a gas station and change your look?”

Thorne glanced in the mirror, seeing they weren’t being followed. “No, I think the ski mask was enough. Plus, I wore the lifts in my shoes just like you said, so they can’t see my real height.”

“Cool. So, where to now?”

Thorne leaned back in his seat. “Wherever your heart desires, milady.”

Cress smiled softly, finding his hand over the center console. “Okay. Let’s go.”

~~~~

They switched cars that night, then kept driving. The adrenaline was keeping Cress going, even as Thorne finally dozed off. She’d forgotten how good that rush felt. Thorne had fully turned her into an adrenaline junkie, the same as him.

During the planning phase, they plotted their escape route thoroughly. There were multiple directions to exit, and they scoped each one out to see what worked the best. In the process, she’d looked extensively at the road map. And for whatever reason, the tiny, blip-on-the-map town called Farafrah was calling to her.

So that was where she went. It wasn’t too far away, but far enough that they’d be safe from the police of the other city. They could lay low for a bit before continuing on. There were so many other places to go. Cress wanted to see it all.

This time, it was Cress who drove through and got dinner. Cress who rented the motel room for the night. And it was Cress who urged Thorne out of the car and inside. Where the single bed was waiting.

They had their routine down pat. They rinsed off, even though it was eleven o’clock, changed into pajamas, and settled down for the night. Cress curled into Thorne’s side, her safe place.

“Goodnight.” Tonight, his kiss was on her forehead. And tonight, it lingered. Cress was smiling as she fell asleep.

Many hours later, she was woken up by another gentle kiss to her head. “C’mon princess, you’ve had enough beauty sleep.”

She rolled over, a contented smile on her face, even if she had to squint at the light coming in through the curtains. “Morning,” she whispered, voice raspy from sleep.

“I’ve found a nice brunch spot. I think you deserve something nice after everything yesterday.”

Cress sat up, scrubbing the sleep from her eyes. “You spoil me.”

“You know it, Goldilocks. I bet this place is gonna be just right.”

That earned him a pillow to the face, Cress rolling her eyes. “You doofus.”

“OH! I’ve been mortally wounded by my dear lady!” Thorne groaned from the floor. Cress peered over at him, only to have the pillow chucked back at her head.

“You don’t know what you’ve just started,” She warned with a smile. Within seconds they were in a full on pillow fight, flinging pillows bath and forth as they screamed with laughter.

After a few minutes Thorne managed to get the upper hand, smacking her right across the face with a pillow. Cress was knocked down on the bed, and he pinned her down with a laugh. A moment later his fingers found purchase under her arms, and he tickled her until she squealed.

“Stop! Stop! I forfeit!” Cress giggled, squirming away. Thorne was panting with laughter, still sitting on top of her.

“Learned your lesson, princess?”

She smacked his face with another pillow and escaped to the bathroom with her clothes.

Finally, nearly half an hour after she woke up- a new low for the duo who could get up and out in three minutes- they made their way to a little brunch spot in the middle of the littler town.

Their waitress was a woman about their age with a prosthetic hand named Cinder. She had a lot of personality, and had enough sarcasm to rival each of Thorne’s witty remarks.

About halfway through the meal (which was delicious), a little idea began to form in Cress’s mind. When Cinder came back to refill their drinks, Cress decided to ask her a question.

“How’d you end up here?”

The waitress shrugged. “Car broke down. Stayed to get it fixed, ended up making some friends and decided to stay. I could ask the same of you two.”

Thorne and Cress glanced at each other, before Cress replied simply, “Travelling through.”

Later, when she came back to deliver the check, Cress asked another question: “If you could do anything with your life, what would it be?”

Both Thorne and the waitress gave her a quizzical look. Thankfully, neither asked for elaboration. Instead, Cinder donned a slightly puzzled look as she thought.

Finally, she responded, “I want to open up a mechanical repair shop. For all kinds of machines.” Her dark eyes lit up as she began to ramble a little bit, about all the kinds of things she could do, what she could learn. But after a minute, her voice took on a slightly somber tone. “But, that’s not gonna happen. I’m always worrying about rent nowadays, I don’t have enough to save for anything.”

“How much is your rent?” Cress continued. The waitress stiffened.

“Why do you want to know?” She asked suspiciously.

Cress squeaked, “Sorry! I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable or anything, but…” She scrambled for a quick lie.

Thankfully, Thorne picked it up for her. “We’re thinking of moving here. We just wanted to know how much rent was.”

Cinder relaxed. “Oh. Well, it’s about $600 a month.”

Cress smiled, taking the check from their waitress. “Thanks, Cinder. It was great. We’ll fill this out in a minute.”

Clearly dismissed, the woman offered them a smile before departing. When they were alone again, Thorne turned a questioning gaze over to her. “What was that all about?”

She shrugged. “Dunno. I just… wanted to know. She seemed nice.”

“I agree. I’ll give her a good tip.”

Cress’s smile got big. “Wait, let me run back to the car real quick. I want to give her a big tip.”

She came back just two minutes later, her pockets stuffed. Thorne’s eyes got big. “How big a tip do you mean?!”

Cress methodically smoothed the $50 bills out, keeping them out of sight below the table. She tied the stack with a hairtie she kept on her wrist, and stuck it inside the little checkbook left on the table. Just to make sure they were really clear, she scribbled out on the receipt, “The money is for the meal. The rest is for you. Good luck.”

Primly, Cress stood up, brushing her leggings off. She offered her hand to the man sitting next to her, whose jaw was pretty much on the floor. Almost in a daze, he took it, and she led him out to the car.

Finally, back in the motel, Thorne rounded on her. “What the hell, Cress?! How much money did you give her? A thousand? Two?”

“Two thousand.”

“What the fuck! Why?!”

“Because,” Cress took his hand, looking deep into his blue eyes, “She needed it. More than we do, really. Thorne, whenever we run low on money we pickpocket and we steal and we rob. That girl, she’s too good for any of that. And if something like that didn’t happen, she was going to spend the rest of her life stuck in that restaurant, in this town in the middle of nowhere where she’d never grow.”

Thorne sighed heavily, rubbing the back of her hand with her thumb. “I wish you’d at least told me before you did it.”

“Why?”

That gave him pause. “I guess… we’ve been so in sync for months now. I feel like I know you, Cress, more than I’ve ever known anyone. And yet, I had no idea you were nice enough to just give away two thousand dollars to a stranger.”

She smiled up at him. “You’re that nice too, Thorne.”

“What? No, I’m not.”

Cress gave his hand a little squeeze. “If you weren’t that nice, you’d have taken the money back. You like to pretend you’re this big bad hardened criminal, but you’re still good, deep down. You show me that every day.”

At that, he pulled her in for a hug. “It’s because of you, Cress. Blondie. Goldilocks. Princess. Every day, you remind me that there’s still good in the world. Even if it’s not us doing the good. But you… you make me want to be good.”

Cress might have been crying. Thorne was definitely crying, his tears falling into her golden hair. “You saved me. Carswell Thorne, you saved my life that night. I always dreamed when I was little that someday I’d be saved. You’re my knight in shining armor.”

Thorne pulled away, still holding her, still sniffling. “You’re the best thing that ever happened to me, Cress. I hope you know that.”

“I hope you know you’re the same to me.”

~~~~

They decided to stick around in Farafrah for a few more days. They had a bit more money to burn on fun before they got moving again and needed to get back in the swing of their criminal ways. The pair spent the day exploring the little down, taking in the sights. And at night, they cuddled in bed, watching whatever happened to be on TV until they got so tired their eyes were falling closed.

It was the morning of their second day when the objective suddenly changed.

Thorne came into the room, bringing coffee and croissants with him. As well, he’d managed to procure a local newspaper, which he handed to Cress alongside her breakfast.

The pair sat in comfortable silence for about twenty minutes, simply basking in the other’s presence as they ate. When she finished with her croissant, Cress opened up the paper.

And stopped dead in her tracks.

“Cress?” Thorne glanced over when he heard the soft gasp. “What’s wrong?”

Wordlessly, she passed him the paper, pointing out an article. It wasn’t hard to miss, in big, bold letter along the top: LOCAL ANIMAL SHELTER UNDER INVESTIGATION DUE TO CLAIMS OF ABUSE AND NEGLIGENCE.

“Shit,” Thorne muttered, “That’s awful.”

“Those poor animals,” Cress lamented with a sad sigh. “I wish we could do something about it.”

For Thorne, he thought that was the end of it. He headed out to go explore some more, but Cress opted to stay behind. He didn’t think too much of it; she was a fairly antisocial personality and had done a whole lot of talking to strangers the past few days. She probably just needed a day to herself to recharge.

What he didn’t expect, however, was to come back several hours later to find empty coffee cups and a couple RedBull cans strewn about, and Cress hunched over her laptop looking nearly frantic.

“Whoa, what’s all this?” She glanced up, and Thorne took a step back. Her eyes were wide and bloodshot.

“Thorne. I’ve got it! I know how we can do something! We can save all those animals! Come here!”

Cautiously, he took a few steps closer. Cress grabbed him by the elbow and dragged him over. She was surprising strong for someone so petite.

And what he saw pulled up on her screen…

HOW TO MAKE A HOMEMADE BOMB

“Whoa! Cress, slow down!”

“But I figured it out! Sit down, I’ll go over it with you!”

He yanked his arm away. “Cress. Look at me. Listen to me. We cannot blow people up because they might be abusing some shelter animals.”

Her blue eyes hardened. “Well, that isn’t the plan. We’re not blowing up people. Even if they deserve it.”

“When did you get so violent all of a sudden?” He took another glance around the room. “I’m never letting you have a RedBull ever again.”

“But-”

“No. No bombs. The police will take care of whatever’s going on with the shelter.”

Cress gestured around the room, almost violently. “How can we trust that?! The police haven’t caught us yet.”

Thorne sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Fine. What the hell. Tell me your plan.”

She almost squealed with delight, but he cut in- “That doesn’t mean we’ll do it though. And if you go solo and get caught, I’m not bailing you out for your own mistakes. We don’t bomb. We rob.”

“Okayokayokay, listen up. Here’s how it goes…”

~~~~

It was exactly two months since they’d met, and the new duo had just completed their third heist. They’d robbed a fast food joint after it closed. Cress was really good at finessing the alarms so they didn’t sound as they emptied the registers.

Now, they were still driving. It was late, and Thorne was beginning to doze off. He needed to find a rest stop soon, or risk running them right off the road.

As for Cress, she was quickly headed in the same direction. Her head would tilt forward as she fell asleep, just for a few seconds, then rapidly jerk back, and she’d go back to fighting sleep.

“You can sleep, you know, blondie,” Thorne offered. “I’m looking for a rest stop so we can sleep for a bit.”

“But you’re driving,” She protested through a yawn, “I don’t want you to be alone.”

He cracked a smile at that. “I’m not alone. I’ve got you now.”

“No, but-” Another yawn- “You won’t have anyone to talk to. I’ve gotta keep you awake so you don’t kill us both.”

“I’m not gonna kill us both.”

Her eyes flicked up, out the windshield. “You’re drifting.”

“Shit.” She was right. He rubbed at his eyes, wishing they’d stopped at that gas station a few miles back to grab an energy drink. The rest stop was about two miles ahead, but Thorne was really beginning to struggle.

“Can’t fall asleep…” Cress mumbled, just as her head tilted forward again. Thorne snorted when, once again, she jerked up with a groan of frustration.

“Just sleep, Cress,” Thorne urged gently. “We’re almost there, I promise.”

She gave a cursory glance out the car, seeming to check and make sure he was still driving correctly. Finally, after another long minute, her head titled. She was falling asleep again.

This time, however, she dozed off with her head against his shoulder.

Maybe it was the time of night. Maybe it was the sleep deprivation. But for whatever reason, having Cress against his shoulder, safe and sleeping, felt right. More right than anything else had in his nineteen years of life.

They made it to the rest stop ten minutes later. Thorne pulled off to the side and put the car in park before turning it off. Cress snoozed on.

Finally, he could relax. Thorne leaned back with a contented sigh, smiling a bit to himself as Cress nestled further against him.

He wrapped an arm over her shoulder, keeping her close by. And, for whatever reason, that felt right too.

Maybe it was the same reason that caused him to plant a tiny, barely-there kiss to the top of her golden head.

Yeah. It was just the sleep deprivation, for sure.

~~~~

They were doing this. They were actually doing this. Thorne was going crazy. Why had he agreed to this again, exactly? He shot a glance at the blonde woman at his side.

Right. Her. Since when had his judgement been so addled around her?

Always, idiot, his brain reminded him.

Shut up, brain.

They were inside the largely-contested Farafrah Animal Shelter. The same one that was under investigation for abuse and negligence.

Holding his hand, Cress smiled brightly at the man leading them among the cages. Her other hand gripped the straps of her purse. To everyone else, the smile was genuine, but to Thorne, who knew her best, it was as fake as could possibly be.

“And these are all of our felines we have at the moment. Do any of them possibly interest you?”

Cress shot Thorne a smile, this one a bit more real. “Let’s look around, darling, shall we?”

“Of course, my dear.” He gave her his best impression of an adoring look. Little did he know it was about as real as it could get.

“I’ll give you two a moment. I’ll be in my office if you need me.”

Cress squeezed his hand harder and dragged him to the farthest cage in the room. As they passed cage after cage, they saw the same things they had with the dogs: matted fur, frightened animals, some so scrawny their ribs were evident even from a distance. Neglect. It was bad. They reached the end of the room, and Cress took a glance inside the cage they stood next to.

Instantly, her face lit up as she took in the cat. It was a black and white thing, scrawny really, the nametag reading “Boots”.

“He’s so cute!”

“No.”

“But-”

“That’s not why we came,” Thorne sighed, making sure the man was really gone.

Cress sighed. “But he’s so cute. And wouldn’t it be nice to have a little companion?”

“A cat? As a roadtrip companion?”

“A cat is better to your criminal look, you know. So you can turn around in a chair dramatically while stroking his fur and say ‘I’ve been expecting you’.”

Thorne rolled his eyes. “Life’s not a TV drama, princess.”

“Life is its own drama! Make it your own!”

“How would we even take care of a cat on the road?”

Cress dragged him closer to the cage. “Just look at him. Look at his sad little face. He’d be the perfect roadtrip cat. I just know it.”

Thorne opened his mouth to protest again, but then the black and white furball gave a plaintive mewl and all the thoughts left his brain.

“Okay… he’s kind of cute… I guess.”

Cress nearly squealed with delight. “He is! Besides, think about it; we need a plan to get into the office. It’s the perfect ruse!”

Boots the cat meowed again. “You wanna go commit crimes with us, buddy?” Thorne asked.

“Meow!”

“He says yes,” Cress whispered conspiratorially in his ear. “Let’s get him.”

As they walked to the office, Thorne hung his head in defeat. “I can’t believe I just let you talk me into getting a crime cat.”

The blonde had a bounce in her step, swinging their joined hands delightedly. “You’re fully at my disposal.” Oh, she didn’t know how right she was.

It took a few minutes to reach the office from the kennels, but they both knew that. Cress had hacked the blueprints for the building several days ago, and they’d both memorized them from top to bottom. The offices were the furthest away from the kennels, likely to keep the noise down.

Finally, they reached their destination. Cress knocked politely on the door, bringing out her most innocent look. The one that always served the perfect distraction while Thorne expertly stole their wallet.

The man answered the door after one knock. “Have you made a decision?”

Cress and Thorne locked eyes, then turned back an nodded in unison. “We have.”

The paperwork was extensive, and Thorne was sure he had to sign his name at least a hundred times. He made sure to read carefully, though; Cress had warned him about possible legal traps. By law, animals shelters were required to vaccinate all their animals before adoption, and strongly push the idea of neutering. But in the paperwork, vaccines were of no mention. The entire time, the man simply sat silently with a small serpentine smile.

Finally, after the paperwork was signed and handed back, the man stood, offering Thorne a hand to shake, which he took reluctantly. “I’ll go pick up your new lovebug, okay?”

“May I come with you? Please?” Cress employed the puppy dog eyes. They were about eighty percent effective on Thorne, and that was after he spent months working to resist them. The man stood no chance.

“Alright. Let’s go.”

“I can’t wait! Darling, hold my purse; I want to hold the precious kitty.”

The man herded Cress out of the room, leaving Thorne to sit quietly by himself.

Or so he thought.

When he was sure they were gone, the young man sprung into action. Inside Cress’s purse was a small package, hardly bigger than his hand. A homemade bomb she’d spent days researching. It was activated by a remote control, so it could be jostled as much as he desired and still wouldn’t explode.

It was important it was planted in the office. They would detonate it after hours, so no people would be injured, and it was far enough away to keep the animals unharmed. Their only goal was to make the place unusable, which would then force the animals to be relocated to other shelters where they’d hopefully receive better care.

Thorne moved quickly and efficiently, like he always did with his missions. There was a reason he was such a successful robber; he didn’t get distracted, and he always got the job done. After a minute of rifling around the room, he settle on hiding the bomb in a bookshelf on the far wall. This office’s wall was also an outside wall, so it was nowhere near another living soul. Perfect.

Five minutes later, the pair returned, Cress carrying a new cat carrier. “Here he is, darling! The newest member of the family!”

The goodbyes were quick after that. They made it to the petshop part, where they bought some food and the most important part: a cat leash. They walked out with their new charge, both of them pretending to ignore the front desk lady’s comment of “such of cute couple!”.

“Phase one, complete!” Cress said with a smile, still holding his hand. In the cage, the cat, Boots, seemed to give them almost a grateful look. Almost like he was saying thanks for getting me out of there.

Thorne gave a glance behind him, to the retreating animal shelter. “Phase two in t-minus eleven hours.”

Cress leaned against him as she walked. “Aye aye, captain.”

~~~~

Phase two of their master plan commenced, as said, eleven hours later. The duo spent the next several hours getting acquainted with their new cat, whom they hadn’t even intended on buying. As it turned out, Boots was a fantastic cat. Affectionate and sweet, he warmed up to both of them instantly. And he didn’t seem to mind the car either, one of the most important factors.

Later in the evening, they packed up. Their motel room was paid for another whole day, but that was just a countermeasure. They already had a secondary vehicle in waiting, and would abandon their current one in the motel parking lot. As always, they had everything planned down to the last detail.

Now for the big finale, and the most difficult part, too. Sneak close enough to detonate the bomb, then get away fast enough to not get injured in the blast and not caught up in the investigation.

The sneaking part was easy enough. They’d done that plenty of times. Sure, Thorne had to boost her over a few fences, and they had to do some real super-spy action in a tree to get over a sleeping dog’s head, but they made it without a hitch.

The concrete walls of the animals shelter loomed before them. They tracked around it once, scanning for anyone who could get in their way, and came up empty. Time for the moment of truth.

Cress and Thorne met up at the point, the spot Cress had calculated earlier to give them the best chance of success based on the bomb’s location.

She took a deep breath. Now or never.

Silently, Thorne’s hand laced with her own. Cress held the detonator out in front of her.

And she pressed it.

~~~~

Smoke. Smoke and fire. Smoke and fire and haze and blood and pain-

“Thorne-” Cress gasped, throat rasping, “Something went wrong!”

There was no answer.

Cress suddenly became aware that she was alone. She was lying in the dirt, still gripping the detonator. And Thorne wasn’t with her.

A massive section of the wall was complete dust. Fire and smoke billowed out, clearly originating from the point where the bomb must have been. A few stray papers fluttered about, before they were quickly seized by the flames.

“Thorne?” Her voice was quiet.

“Thorne!” Louder.

“THORNE!” Cress shoved herself up, testing each limb. Everything was in working order. Despite that, she knew something was wrong, so wrong.

The explosion shouldn’t have been that big. She calculated it over and over again, even explained the math to Thorne so he could do it himself. They both got the same answer.

This was not their answer. The fire was spreading quickly. Alarms went off inside, but the spray of water was doing little to quell it.

Nearly robotically, Cress pulled her burner phone from her pocket. She and Thorne had gotten them in case of emergency. They hadn’t expected to use it.

“911 what is your emergency?”

“There was an explosion at the animal shelter. There’s a huge fire. Hurry. This wasn’t supposed to happen. Don’t let anyone get hurt. Please.”

She hung up before the operator could speak again. With all her might, she hurled the phone into the fire. By the time they found it, it would just be an unusable hunk of metal.

And then she ran.

All the scheming, all the plotting, all the plans went out the window. It was the dead of night, and Cress ran. She didn’t dare yell for Thorne; she had that much sense left. But with every step she felt it.

Something had gone horribly wrong, somehow. She must have forgotten something in her calculations. Maybe her information was wrong.

If both of them got out unscathed and unarrested, it would be a miracle, she knew it.

So lost in her own thoughts, she nearly ran face-first into someone who had stepped out onto the sidewalk. With a scream, Cress came to a screeching stop, standing and panting as she assessed the situation before her.

The woman was young, with dark hair and eyes and tan skin. And her hand… it was strange. A flash of recognition appeared in her eyes.

“Cinder…” Cress breathed. The other woman startled.

“Oh my God. It’s you.”

“I- it’s not what it looks like-” She followed Cinder’s gaze. Right to the detonator still in her hand.

“I swear, nobody was supposed to get hurt. I already called the fire department, if they get there in time they’ll save the animals-”

“Cress,” Cinder whispered, “Stop talking. Just go. If I see police I’ll cover for you. I promise.”

She stood still. Flabbergasted. “W-why would you do that?”

Cinder shrugged. “Because I know you’re a good person. Maybe you’ve got a convoluted way of showing it, but you’re good. Besides,” she cracked a tiny smile, “It’s thanks to you I might have a shot at my dreams.”

Then her voice took on a note of sudden seriousness. “Get out of here. The Farafrah police are no joke. Take the back alleys.”

Cress nodded numbly. “I will, I just have to find Thorne first.”

Cinder stepped closer, pulling her into a sudden hug. “Thank you. Both you and your dummy boyfriend.”

Cress found herself blushing, despite the situation. “He’s not my boyfriend.”

The other woman smirked. “He should be. He’s madly in love with you. He’d move the heavens and earth for you. Maybe consider telling him how you feel. Of course, after you’ve gotten out of here.”

“Right.” Cress chuckled. “Bye, Cinder. It was lovely meeting you.”

With that final goodbye, Cress began to sprint. Just as Cinder suggested, she took the back alleys. Thorne would be okay. He had to be. He’s okay. He has to be.

By the time she made it to the abandoned parking lot, the rendezvous point, police sirens had joined the firetrucks. The stolen red car… it was on! Idling in one place, waiting for her.

“Cress!” Thorne shouted, flinging the door open and throwing himself at her. He pulled her into his strong arms, pressing his face against her soot-stained hair. “God, I was so worried. I couldn’t see you in the dark so I headed back here. I was just about to go searching.”

Cress didn’t want to let go of him. Not now, not ever. But… “We’ve gotta go.”

“I know,” Thorne breathed, “But I was just so worried. It made me think… what if I lost you?”

She pulled back, just slightly, just enough to see his face in the dark. “What do you mean.”

“I mean, I started to think about you, Cress. How much I’d miss you. And how much I’d regret it if I lost you, and I hadn’t even done this…”

His voice trailed off, and Cress was about to ask what on earth he meant, when suddenly his lips were on hers.

Carswell Thorne is kissing me. Kissing. Me.

Her brain might have short-circuited, just a bit. But after a moment of frozen hesitation, she was kissing him back with just as much fervor, taking his face in her hands to pull them impossibly closer.

Thorne’s head tilted, and their lips fit together like they were always meant that way. His hands stroked at her golden hair, the hair he loved to much. What the hell; the girl he loved so much.

He might have told her as much when they finally came up for air, and she might have said it back. But all words were forgotten moments later, when they both spotted the flashing lights in their peripherals.

A police car, heading to the scene. If they were seen…

“Hey,” Cress whispered, beaming so wide her face hurt as she tugged on Thorne’s sleeve, “How about you be my getaway car for a change?”

“Yeah?”

She stood on her tiptoes, pressing a quick kiss to his lips. Risky, in their situation. “Yeah.”

Thorne brought her hand, so small and delicate, to his lips. “For you, Cress, you know I’d do anything. Crime for the sake of crime. Crime for the sake of justice. Whatever it is, wherever life takes us, just know that you’ll always have me. I promise I’ll never let you feel alone, ever again.”

He stroked a stray tear from her face. “C’mon, Goldilocks. It’s time to make our grand exit.”

She made herself comfortable in the passenger seat, glancing where she knew the gun lay, tucked inside the glovebox, just for show, never loaded. The gun that saved her life.

Thorne tore out of the parking lot, speeding down the streets of the tiny town at three am, just begging to be chased as they passed the animal shelter. The fire was nearly out, animals being evacuated by the second.

She caught his gaze with her own. Blue on blue. “Police chase, huh?”

He smiled, gripping her hand in his own. “You know I like to show off.”

Sirens blared behind them. Cress’s grin grew. “Then let’s give them a show.”

Thorne leaned down and kissed her over the center console. “I thought you’d never ask.”

~~~~

a/n: Oh my gosh. I cannot believe I just wrote that. All that. I haven't written in a month and this felt fantastic!!! I hope y'all enjoyed! Reblogs and comments are so appreciated! <3

#mal's fics #the lunar chronicles #tlc #marissa meyer #cress darnel #carswell thorne #cresswell #cress x thorne #tlc au #tlc ship weeks 2021 #tlc ship weeks

[blossom-hwa]

Prologue (CHAN) - |Breathe, and Live|

And so we begin the fluff :) Enjoy single dad chan!

Pairing: Chan x fem!reader

Genre: fluff, angst, slice of life, single parent!au

Triggers: allusions to sex

Word Count: 1.7k

Chan is lost, so lost, and sometimes it feels like the walls are caving in. But he’ll make it, he knows. He has to, for the two little boys cradled in his arms who he loves more than anything he has in the world.

SKZ Masterlist | Breathe, and Live | Touching Stars (TBZ teacher!au)

She tells him at precisely five fourteen in the afternoon, voice dead but panicked, on a crowded bus full of people, words crackling over the phone.

“Chan, I’m pregnant.”

The walls are silent. His laptop, too, since he paused the track to pick up the call. He can’t speak, can’t breathe. It deafens him. It squeezes at his head, pounds against his temples, fills his ears with static buzzing.

His vision blurs. Something rises in his throat.

Chan thinks he might throw up.

How? his mind screams. He’s always been careful, always used a condom. She takes birth control, takes the pill every morning after. It doesn’t make sense. It doesn’t fucking make sense.

But you can never be sure, the rational part of his brain unhelpfully supplies.

The droning voice of his old sex-ed teacher back in Australia fills his mind. “The only way to be sure is to practice abstinence.”

Back then, he’d snorted quietly in the back with his friends, elbowed them and smirked and didn’t bother paying attention to the rest of the lecture. What was the point, anyway? Chan may not be as cautious as his parents – the impulse decision to stay in Korea for university, even after his family moved back, is proof of that – but he’s tried to be careful with this. Cautious, respectful, caring.

That kind of thing would never happen to him.

Somewhere, somehow, he hears her saying his name. Between the noise in the background and the ringing in his ears, it’s muffled. Disjointed.

“Okay,” he manages to choke out. “Okay.”

What else can he say?

Her voice sounds hoarse now, even over the tinny phone speakers. She’s crying, or on the verge of it – Chan’s known her long enough recognize the catch in her words that signals the lump in her throat. “I – Chan, I don’t –” She gasps. “I don’t think I want to keep it.”

It takes a moment to understand. But the minute he does, there’s only horror. Sharp, clear, precise. It pierces his chest, breaking through the foggy cloud of his brain.

He wants to scream, yell at her, how could she think of that? How could she not want to keep the child that’s depending on her?

But his sister’s voice cuts through his swirling thoughts. “No uterus, no opinion.” Hannah’s dark eyes, quiet but challenging, flash across the restaurant table, voice cutting through the debate going on across from her. “You don’t own anyone’s body but your own.”

He’d agreed then. He still agrees now.

So he takes a deep breath and tries to understand. They’re young. Stupid. He’s in his last year of university, she’s on a gap year. They’re barely old enough to function in society on their own. It’s understandable. And more importantly, it’s her body. Her choice.

Another deep breath, a bit shakier this time. He settles his mind. “Come home first,” he says quietly, trying to sound as reassuring as possible. “Come home first. We’ll talk about it then, okay?”

There’s a sniff on the other end. “Okay,” she breathes. “Okay.”

The call ends. Chan sits still for a moment, staring at some random section of the wall, thinking but not really seeing. The paint is peeling. The lights are glaring. The university studio, the place he thinks of essentially as a second home, suddenly feels cloistering. Unwelcoming. It feels like some disgusting, warped metaphor for his life.

He buries his head in his hands and tries to breathe.

. . .

Chan can barely face her parents. It’s not that he doesn’t want to. He really wants to tell things upfront, give them his apologies and promise that he’ll do anything to help them out, but they just look at him with smoldering, narrowed eyes. There’s no endearment in her mother’s expression anymore, no quiet pride in her father’s, as though he was another son. There’s only hatred. Disgust. Disappointment.

With a thick tongue and embarrassment coloring his face, he swears up and down that they used protection. She doesn’t say anything, just looks down with a sort of hopeless expression on her face and occasionally nods or shakes her head in accordance with what he’s saying.

They blame him. That much is certain. Privately, Chan thinks that’s a little unfair, but given that the woman bears the brunt of the pregnancy much more than the man, he lets it go. It’s understandable. After all, he blames himself a lot, too.

His parents act a little better. They’ve known him for all twenty-one years of his life, known how he always tries to treat people with respect, with care. Chan can still hear the disappointment and worry in their hushed voices over the phone, but it’s okay. It’s better than hatred.

She doesn’t want the child, she makes that clear. Her parents don’t want it either. They want to adopt it out.

On the other hand, Chan, well… it’s fucking hard. He’s barely finished with university, barely gotten started with his life. And he’s in the damn music industry. Unless he makes it big, there won’t be a lot of opportunities to sort out his life.

But he wants the child. Even though it’s going to be difficult taking care of her through the pregnancy, then making a path with the baby in tow, he wants it. He doesn’t want to give this up.

So they settle. She’ll have the baby. Once it’s born, she’ll take care of some of the bills if she can. Otherwise, Chan is the guardian.

It isn’t so bad, not at first. There’s the morning sickness to contend with, but they live together. It isn’t too hard for Chan to take some time to take care of her. They make the doctor’s trips together, and seven weeks into the pregnancy, they find out they’re having twins.

(Well, Chan is having twins. Her face screws up just the slightest amount, not in disgust but not in something nice either. Chan elects to ignore it and focuses on his own happiness.)

He works like a madman, sending off tracks to companies, submitting others for homework. He performs when he can, picking up any possible extra paychecks. She works, too, so money isn’t an issue yet. Chan also thanks all the higher beings above that she’s on a gap year, so he’s the only one adding homework to the equation.

The storm starts brewing in the fifth or sixth month, maybe. They’re having two boys, and they like to remind her that they’re there. She doesn’t feel well a lot of the time and has the crankiness to prove it. Still, she helps when she doesn’t have cramps, though she does complain about the weight gain.

But the number of nights where they’re up at odd hours only increases. The boys like to kick. Their mother wants to scream. Chan doesn’t even think he has a brain at this point – any cells up in his head have just been pounded to mush.

On one bad night, when she’s almost crying of exhaustion and the babies won’t stop fucking moving, Chan brings out his laptop. His fingers fly over the keyboard, tweaking soft beats, changing notes, composing a short little melody.

It’s rough, nothing substantial, something completely opposite from the polished tracks he makes for class. No lyrics. There’s just a simple piano melody backed by some guitar chords and it’s probably not going to do anything to help but Chan’s this close to just ripping out his hair and screaming for the entire city of Seoul to hear. He has to try something.

He almost deletes the track by mistake and has a mini heart attack, but he saves it with shaking fingers and brings the laptop over to the bed. She’s lying there, hair a mess, eyes red, but there’s some relief in her gaze as he puts the device on the sheets next to her and hits play.

It works. It fucking works. The babies slowly stop kicking, and she eventually falls asleep.

For just a moment, Chan sits on the edge of the bed and takes in the calm, soaks in the silence broken only by the track playing softly in the background. He rubs his eyes once, twice, clears the fog that obscured his vision.

Maybe he can do this. Maybe he can raise these two kids, even if he’s the only parent they have. Maybe there’s the tiniest fucking chance in the world that he can really be a good father, someone for his children to look up to and love. Maybe there’s a chance that he can really have this family.

Four months later, she gives birth to two healthy baby boys. Jisung is born first at 11:58 p.m. on September 14, while Yongbok comes next at 12:11 a.m. on September 15.

Chan holds them close as soon as he’s able, in awe of their tiny faces, their tiny limbs and tiny eyes.

How did he manage to create such life?

“Give them English names,” she says tiredly, her voice barely a whisper. She looks at them too, a bit sadly, with some care, but distantly. “They’re yours.”

A tinge of bitterness spikes in his chest, but it dissolves as he looks back into the faces of his two boys. She’s right. They are his. So he decides on Peter for the baby beginning to wake on his left arm, and Felix for the boy still sleeping soundly on his right.

She’s up and out of the hospital in a matter of days. A week later, she moves back into her parents’ home, leaving Chan standing in the doorway of their apartment, two babies in his arms.

“We’ll make it together,” he whispers, watching her car disappear down the street. “Together.”

Jisung makes a little gurgling sound. Felix scrunches his nose.

The tiniest of smiles slides across Chan’s face. Yes. They’ll make it together.

He takes a breath, then heads back inside.

If you enjoyed, please don’t forget to reblog and leave a comment to tell me what you thought! Thank you for reading and have a lovely day <3

(1 reblog = 1 prayer for Chan, he’s going to need it :/)

#inkidz #starryktown #stray kids #skz #stray kids chan #chan #skz chan #stray kids scenarios #skz scenarios #stray kids oneshots #stray kids imagines #stray kids chan scenarios #skz chan scenarios #stray kids x reader #skz x reader #stray kids chan x reader #bang chan x reader #chan x reader #fluff #angst #single parent!au #breathe and live #prologue (chan) #scriptura-delirus

[beermebc]

Vancouver Island Brewing Pod Pack A COASTAL COLLABORATION THAT BENEFITS OUR RESIDENT KILLER WHALES – INTRODUCING THE POD PACK BY VANCOUVER ISLAND BREWING…

#Canada Malting #Great Little Box Company #Îsle Sauvage Brewing #Land and Sea Brewing #One Twenty Three West #Pacific Salmon Foundation #Pod Pack #Twin City Brewing #vancouver island brewing #Westkey #white sails brewing

[archadianskies]

croissant aux amandes

→ on Ao3

@dbhrarepairs​ Saturday Day 6: Meet the Family •  Reverse AU; Mob AU RK900/Simon

Ronan supposes he should be thankful his mother is keeping this particular meeting just between them. He’d rather be uncomfortable in private than openly humiliated though he thinks there’s a degree of humiliation regardless.

“We could do with a connection to the DPD,” Amanda swipes up on her tablet and the screen fills with a detailed profile. “Gavin Reed, former detective, freshly made Lieutenant as of two months ago. Negligible age gap, questionable morals but gets the job done. He likes cats, which is in your favour.”

“With all due respect, mother,” Ronan makes a face, “I’d rather be disowned.”

“Duly noted,” she nods, swiping a new profile onto the screen. “David Allen is your senior by thirteen years, Captain of SWAT Unit 32 and wields immense influence. His team is loyal to him, and he is known to be a kind, honorable man. He likes dogs which isn’t to your favour, though he is not against cats.”

Ronan studies the profile for a few moments- it wouldn’t be a bad match but it still didn’t feel right. “Perhaps in another life?”

“I will put Captain Allen as a ‘maybe’,” Amanda notes. “If not the DPD, then we could accept Carl Manfred’s offer.” The screen populates with a new profile, lengthier and more detailed. “Markus Manfred is an excellent candidate: no age gap, powerful family, powerful connections. Kind, thoughtful, charitable, and very well educated. Not sure where he stands about cats, but he’d be cordial about it I’m sure.”

“I find the older brother far more tolerable company,” Ronan scoffs, turning away.

“Leo?” Amanda says incredulously. “Leo Manfred has nothing to offer, that son squandered his inheritance and spent half a decade high on red ice, disgracing his family.”

“He’s gotten clean and is redeeming himself. He’d be a far better companion than his pretentious, insufferable -”

“Enough,” his mother commands, and Ronan cuts himself off. “There is of course Elijah Kamski, since he is unmarried and of similar age to his cousin Reed. We already have the Kamski connection through your brother, though.”

He tries again. “Are they the only options?”

“They are the best options we have researched,” Amanda turns the screen off. “There are female candidates as a backup but you said you prefer men so these are the male candidates. The gender is of course irrelevant; your fiance must be the one who brings the most to the table.”

“Mother,” Ronan sighs miserably, and Amanda sits beside him. She rests her hand over his, and knowing she is not an overly physically affectionate person only makes the gesture more meaningful. 

“You have submitted no candidates yourself, Ronan, these men are just the ones my team have found,” she reminds him carefully. “I want you to be happy with your choice, whether it be genuine affection, or an amicable arrangement like your brother.”

He knows it could be worse. He knows she could force an arrangement and there would be nothing he could do about it. The Stern family controls this city and it isn’t out of character for his mother to want an advantageous match now he’s turned thirty and declared no intentions to marry yet. It is a kindness, doing all this for him when he has been dragging his feet the past year, knowing this was to come. 

“I can postpone the luncheon, if you would like more time,” she says gently, squeezing his hand. 

“I’ll have an answer by then, I promise,” Ronan vows, because he does not want to disappoint her and delaying it will only prolong this particular brand of suffering. 

 *

Connor finds him under his favourite tree by the pond, and Ronan scoots over to make room on the blanket.

“That bad huh?” His older brother teases, though his smile is apologetic.

“It wasn’t...bad,” he concedes with a wince, “just awkward. And uncomfortable. She suggested Reed at the DPD.”

“Oh, yikes!” Connor laughs and Ronan manages a brief smile. His expression softens as he shifts to wrap an arm around Ronan’s shoulders. “Hey, it doesn’t have to be The One, you know? I don’t- I’m not... inclined romantically or sexually. Chloe is a wonderful friend, and I treasure her company. Our marriage provides her power and influence and security, and safety to nurture her relationship with North under the guise of a bodyguard.”

“You are...happy?” Ronan asks curiously, and Connor smiles.

“I’m very happy,” he nods. “It might not be romantic love, but there’s love in our friendship. You can have that too, brother, if you want.”

 *

It’s a lot to think about. It’s too much to think about, really, and so after too many hours of being stuck in his own head, Ronan escapes to his favourite spot in the whole city: Jericho. 

The cafe is somehow in the heart of town but so hidden it feels like stepping into an entirely different world, and he’s been escaping to its bare brick walls and cosy interior for years now. It’s owned by the Lambert twins, Daniel and Simon. Though the older twin is abrasive and curt, the younger is shy and gentle and always has time for Ronan.

“You look like you’ve had quite the day,” Simon laughs, already reaching for a mug and starting to make him coffee. “Take a seat, I saved an almond croissant for you.”

“You’re an angel, thank you,” Ronan takes the corner booth and watches as Simon goes through the familiar, well practiced motions. It’s close to closing and there’s only one other patron, so Simon decides to sit opposite him with his own mug of coffee.

“What’s got you looking like you’re carrying the whole world on your shoulders, hm?” The blond prods, and Ronan delays answering in favour of sipping the perfectly brewed mug of coffee in his hands. 

“My mother was being a little...overbearing this morning,” Ronan says hesitantly, leaving out the big details. “With the best of intentions, of course. She means well, but I still feel like I’m being slowly backed into a corner.” 

“I’m sorry to hear that, it must be difficult,” Simon frowns empathetically, earnestly, because he is a good and kind friend. Ronan thinks if he weren’t the son of a crime family, he would marry Simon. 

They would have a soft, quiet life full of love and be entirely uneventful and Ronan would manage the business side of things for the cafe so Simon would never have to worry. Maybe they could adopt a cat or two. He wouldn’t even mind a dog, honestly. He’s partial to german shepherds. 

But that’s never going to happen, and it’s with a sinking feeling Ronan realises once he marries he may have to cut ties with Simon completely as he takes on more and more of their family’s work in the criminal underworld. 

“I… am to be married,” he says no louder than a whisper but Simon hears it, Simon’s lovely blue eyes widen at those words. “Well, in the future I mean. My mother is trying to matchmake me with- with certain friends’ sons.”

“In 2038?” Simon asks in disbelief. “Your mother is trying to matchmake you in the year 2038?”

“She means well,” Ronan repeats, sighing tiredly. “She just wants me to marry ‘the one who brings the most to the table’.” He echoes her words with the same regal air and Simon laughs though not unkindly.

“Sounds intense.”

“I have a luncheon next weekend with all of our extended family and friends, and she expects me to announce an answer then.” He picks at the almond croissant, and it’s as perfect as always- buttery, flaky and fresh. The layers are light, the almond slivers paper thin, and the sweetness just right. It feels like a last supper, knowing he probably won’t be able to return. He’d never want to drag Simon into his world of blood. 

 *~*

Danny arrives in time to help him sweep and mop up. His brother is a warm, comforting presence in his peripheral, and Simon soaks it up like warmth from a blanket.

“Saw one of those supervillain black cars the Sterns use on the way here, was it Ronan again?” Danny asks as they’re putting the mops away. “You know he’s getting engaged next weekend, right?”

“How did you know that?” Simon blinks in surprise as he hangs up his apron.

“Leo told me,” Danny shrugs. “The old man said he’s pushing for Markus to marry him.”

“Oh,” Simon tries not to sound so disappointed, and he’s not even sure what for- that Markus is to be married, or that Ronan is the one marrying him. 

“Yeah, I know right? Ugh, gross,” his twin makes a disgusted face. “Poor Ronan, imagine having to marry Mr Perfect and run the criminal underworld.”

“They’re a respectable family!” Simon argues, feeling a twinge of indignant anger on Ronan’s behalf. “The Sterns have transformed the educational landscape of the city- Kara was able to open a kindergarten because of their philanthropy! Imagine having that influence- I’d- I’d completely revamp child services and open shelters and proper mental health centers for abused children and adolescents. I’d make sure no one ever had to go through what we went through.”

“You sweet sweet child,” Danny snorts back a laugh, though it isn’t mocking in the least. “They’re a necessary evil for this city because the senator is an incompetent but dangerous fuckwit. Don’t get me wrong, I like them- they get things done. It’s just the thought of the Manfreds joining that circle that gives me bad indigestion.”

“Markus Manfred is- he’s an amazing man, Danny. Ronan and he would be perfectly matched,” Simon chews his lip, feeling his chest ache. “He certainly would bring the most to the table.”

“What?”

“Oh, it’s just something Ronan said,” Simon flashes an apologetic smile. “He said he has to marry ‘the one who brings the most to the table’.”

“Brings the most to the table ,” Danny repeats, stressing the start and end of the sentence. Simon looks at him, eyes wide. “You don’t think-”

“Oh I do think,” his brother’s grin falters slightly, “But only if you want to, Simon. It’s a pretty crazy idea and uh, we might mysteriously disappear only for our bodies to be found in an underpass somewhere in a couple of weeks.”

It’s a ridiculously crazy idea, Simon knows this for a fact, but it’s so crazy it might just work.

* 

The Stern estate is beautiful, even from the other side of the huge wrought-iron gates. 

“You boys must be lost,” a guard drawls, sauntering over to the driver’s side. “Best you head back down the driveway and forget you ever came this way.”

“We're catering for the luncheon you dumbass,” Danny rolls his eyes. “So best you step aside and let us through so we can set up.”

The guard falters, frowning heavily. “There’s no mention of-” he looks at the side of the delivery van, “Jericho Cafe on the guest list.”

“Because we’re not guests,” Simon tries to mimic Danny’s impatient, snappy tone. “We’re catering for the guests.”

“Hey, listen, honest mistake,” Danny shakes his head. “No harm done. Let us in and we’ll do our job and you can do yours.”

“I-I’ll run it by the boss,” the guard fumbles for his phone.

“Ask Ronan,” Simon says firmly. “He’s the one who booked us, not- not the boss.”

The stretch of time as they wait for an answer feels like an eternity, like Simon is awaiting sentencing where the outcome could very well be execution. Is he signing his own hit? Is dragging his twin into this the worst mistake of his life?

“Alright, sorry about that,” the guard apologises, pocketing his phone and waving at someone up ahead. The gates part, and Simon doesn’t know whether to feel relieved or even more fear. “Go on through, the service entrance is on the right-hand side.”

“Thanks buddy,” Danny salutes lazily before driving through the now opened gates. He’s gripping the steering wheel so tightly his knuckles are white.

“Danny-”

“No, shut up, we’re doing this. He ran it by Ronan and Ronan okayed us to come through,” Danny exhales slowly as he brings the van to the service entrance. A couple of confused kitchen staff come out to see them. 

“Alright,” Simon swallows thickly. “We’re doing this.”

* 

They unload and designate whole delivery trays laden with baked goods to be carried by the staff. Simon leads the way, trying to will his hands not to shake as he carries the feast he and Danny spent all yesterday prepping for, and all this morning from the crack of dawn baking so it would be as fresh as fresh can be for this very moment. 

He enters the dining room and there is Amanda Stern, matriarch of the Stern family. There is Ronan Stern, handsome as can be in a sharp tailored suit, and beside him are a couple- his brother Connor Stern, given the resemblance, and a lovely blonde lady in a periwinkle blue dress.

“Simon-”

“Madam, I have come to ask for your son’s hand in marriage,” Simon commends his voice for not trembling as he sets down the tray on the long dining table. Behind him, Daniel places his tray down and soon the staff follow, more and more until the table is absolutely brimming with food. “This is what I bring to the table.”

Amanda looks at him, expression unreadable and Simon thinks oh, he’s absolutely about to be executed. “You’re the Lambert boy,” she looks him over as if taking him apart atom by atom. “That cafe in Capitol Park.” “Yes ma’am,” Simon nods, clasping his hands behind his back so she won’t see how badly he’s shaking now he isn’t holding anything. She turns her eyes to the spread on the table.

“What is Ronan’s favourite?”

“The almond croissants,” Simon answers immediately, gesturing at them. Amanda nods and he picks one up using a pair of tongs, serving it to her on one of the bread plates. He risks a glance at Ronan who still seems frozen in shock, and it’s as if everyone is waiting with baited breath as Amanda bites into the croissant. Chewing thoughtfully, she sets the plate down and looks over at him. 

“I prefer blueberry danishes, but I can see why he likes these,” she’s smiling now, an amused matronly smile. “Is he your chosen fiance, Ronan?”

“If he would have me,” Ronan replies softly, reaching for Simon’s hands. “If a life with me is what he wants.”

“Yes,” Simon smiles, “I do.”

~*~*~

{ Inspired by [this tumblr post] about the intricacies and formalities of the 'Bride Price'.}

#rk900 #simon pl600 #daniel pl600 #detroit: become human #amanda stern #connor rk800 #dbhrarepairsweek #simon900 #annie writes: dbh

[thr-333]

Mismatch- Part 13

Bio Dad Bruce Wayne Month 2020

The twins find out!

First< Previous > Next

------

Ladybug lands on the building across from the city hall, where Marion had asked to meet up after patrol. She stretches out, enjoying the exercise after being cooped up in the hospital keeping Marion company. She looks over the city, with clear skies that Gotham simply didn't have. Then again she didn't mind so much Gotham has is own style that didn't want or need to change. Chat Noir lands in front of her a minute later, Dupain bakery box in hand.

“I don’t know how other people deal with homesickness,” Chat Noir drops down opening the box.

“Don’t let Kaalki know you're using her miraculous to eat cookies,” Ladybug sits next to him, legs dangling over the edge.

“Don’t be ridiculous, I also use them cause I look great in glasses,” Marion poses despite not wearing them as Chat Noir.

“Sure you do,” She turns back, looking over the city hall, “Thats why your most popular identity wears a mask,”

“Well all my identities- hey!” Ladybug snorts, not needing to look to know Chat Noir was pouting, “You’re just saying that cause your jealous how loveable and popular I am, especially Chat Noir,”

Yeah right. There was a little girl walking on the street below them right now wearing a Ladybug dress MDC had designed. She internally scolds herself for smiling.

“It’s not about popularity, we must take our jobs seriously to protect pari-”

“Do you dare me to steal the Mayor’s sash?” Chat Noir interrupts her speech, talking through a mouthful of cookies.

Ladybug releases a long suffered sigh.

“Yeah, I do,” She takes a cookie from the box.

“Good because I already did it,” She looks over, Chat Noir grinning ear to ear holding the Mayor’s sash, “Let's watch,”

He points towards a window where they have a clear view of the Mayor’s office. He was looking in the mirror and had only just realised it was missing. When Marion stole it she didn’t care to find out. He starts rooting around his office pulling out the contents of draws and cupboards haphazardly. Chat Noir laughs when he starts checking under furniture.

“So how are your ribs feeling,” She asks, noticing he wasn’t cringing at the movement.

“Purrfect,” He purrs, playing with the sash he was now wearing.

“I walked right into that one,” She doesn't tell him off, taking the last cookie instead,

“Yes you did,” Chat Nori reaches for another cookie.

Frowning at her Ladybug sticks out her tongue. Disgusting, covered with mushed up chocolate chips. Chat Noir blanches and turns away.

“Look he left to get help,” Chat Noir grins, both looking towards the window, “Just a sec,”

Chat Noir jumps over to the large window they've been watching through. Slipping inside he places it on top of the desk covered in wayward papers. Ladybug smiles, feeling her yo-yo buzz. They had synced their hero phones up to their normal ones long ago. She had just received a text from Aunt Selina that they were on their way with lawyers. Chat Noir jumps back to her side, grinning as the door opens. Officer Roger steps through instantly spotting the sash on the desk. Marinette can practically feel the officers disbelief as the Mayor tries to explain.

“Aunt Selina texted, we got to go,” Marinette tells him as Chat Noir starts cackling.

“Just a sec,” Chat Noir snaps a picture with his Baton, “Purrfect,”

“Two in a row? Really?” She raises her eyebrow, as he takes out the horse miraculous.

“If it ain’t broke,” Marion shrugs, slipping the glasses over his mask.

“It’s broke, it’s really, really broke,”

Marion only grins transforming and opening a portal back to Gotham.

“Why do I need to be here?” Jason asks, leaning against the wall next to Marion.

“Because the press have several pictures of you driving them away without helmets,” Bruce scowls, standing by the lawyer's seat next to Marion's bed.

“I haven't crashed my bike yet, so what's the issue?” Jason shrugs, grin on his face revealing he knew the exact issue. Marion couldn't help but mirror it.

“You’ve crashed it many times,” Bruce corrects, scowl deepening.

“What! Are you ok?!” Marion snaps towards Jason, scanning him for injury.

“Yeah I’m fine,” There's an amused curl to Jason's lips, “What about you?”

“Oh I’m fine, I heal pretty quickly,” Marion doesn't lean back on bed, forgetting he was meant to be injured.

“You realise your ribs are broken right?” Jason smirks down at him.

“I’ve had worse,” Marion smirks right back, meeting his challenge.

“What! When!” Oh right, their Aunt is here, sitting at the foot of the bed.

“Happens all the time in Paris,” Marion hopes he can pass it off, and avoid the wrath of his sister next to him, “The cure usually heals us pretty quick,”

“The cure?” Bruce prompts, frown lines deepening.

“Yeah Ladybugs cure, she beats the Akuma then releases a whole bunch of Ladybugs like whoosh, that come and fix everything,” From Marinette's face he can tell that he sounded crazy, and she knew what he was talking about.

“... where to start?” Jason looks confused down at him, Marion tries to avoid the same looks from everyone.

“Ladybug? Akuma?” Bruce apparently does know where to start.

“Auntie, don’t you remember last time you were in Paris?” Marinette steps in to save him, “We came home early because school was canceled because of an Akuma attack,”

“I thought you were just skipping!” She exclaims, both shocked and defensive.

“And you didn’t send us back?” Marion cracks a smile.

“Did you really think we’d skip?” Marinette frowns.

“Wouldn’t blame you for it,” Aunt Selina shrugs, Marinette looks like she's about to start a one sided argument. Marion was not about to back her up.

“Who’s Ladybug?” Bruce cuts in, whether he knew of the brewing argument or not is up for debate.

“Hero of Paris?” Marinette meets Marion's glance.

“Paris has no heroes,” Bruce says, with far too much confidence for someone completely wrong.

“Well you might want to let her and Chat Noir know that,” Marion smirks, he'd make sure to deliver the message.

“Not to mention the rest of the Guardians,” Marinette adds, perhaps a little more concerned they didn't know than he was.

“There's more than one?” Jason speaks up, Marion can’t help but feel he and Bruce are having their own secret conversation through glaring.

“Of course, Paris is attacked by super villains every other day,” Marion answers flippantly, doing nothing to dissolve the tension.

“Ok, no, I’ve been to Paris plenty and it’s never been attacked,” Their Aunt says, time for them to hold their own secret conversation.

“Um…” She was definitely privy to one attack, not that people in her position usually remember what happens, “Guess you must of just missed it,”

Smooth he can practically hear Marinette scoff. A silence traps them, likely shorter than it feels.

“Moving on,” The Lawyer, who had introduced herself as Emma, frees them,“I highly recommend there be a press statement released immediately,”

“That isn’t going to stop anyone,” Marion frowns, first hand experience teaching him well.

“No, but we can start pursuing legal action,” Emma agrees, bringing documents out of her briefcase.

“Several news sources can be sued for slander and endangerment,” She hands Marinette the documents, Marion resting his chin on her shoulder to see, “They also played a part in informing villains of your whereabouts, allowing the attack and making you vulnerable to another, I’m not saying this to scare you-”

“It’s fine, we know,” Marinette gives a friendly smile, “Please be honest, it’s more efficient to just be blunt,”

“Right... so several official news sources should be taken to court,” Emma takes on a more professional air, “There are many independent sources that can receive lawsuits, however the most prudent one would be those confirming your presence at the aquarium,”

“I don’t really think we need to go after regular people,” Marion looks over the file that includes pictures of the group he had scared off at the aquarium before the attack.

“It’s your choice, but I strongly encourage you to think over at least sending them charges,” Emma urges, Bruce nodding along, “If nothing else than to discourage others from doing the same,”

“Give us some time to think it over, please,” Marinette sifts through the documents, organising them, “We’re fine with any press release that we can look over first,”

“Very well,” Emma meets Marinette's smile, “Mr Wayne if I can discuss the press release with you?”

He nods, he and Jason leave the room with Emma. Leaving the twins with their Aunt.

“When did you become so cool?” She grins, moving up the bed.

“I’ve always been the coolest twin,” Marinette shrugs, Marion rolling his eyes.

“Nope I distinctly remember you running into the same pole three times in six minutes,” His smirk meets Marinette glare.

“How did you manage that?” Aunt Selina asks, amusement dancing in her eyes.

“Clumsiness has always been a special talent of mine,” Marinette puts the papers down, not quite pulling off the overconfident air he carries, being a little too close to honesty.

“Sure has,” Marion sits back, pulling up his legs for their Aunt to move closer.

“So what do you think we should do?” Marinette questions, when she's seated just across from them.

“...I think it’s complicated,” Aunt Selina hesitates, looking towards the door, “More complicated than they realise,”

“What's wrong?” Marion follows her gaze, another hesitation thats so unlike her, “... Aunt Selina?”

“I’m not your Aunt,” They both go stiff, waiting for more in the silence that follows her not meeting their eyes.

Right now Marinette’s head is probably buzzing with ideas and theories on what that means.

Marion’s mind remains blank, waiting for an answer that she seems to be battling with.

“............ I’m your Mother,”

“Excuse me, what?” Marion’s voice is just as blank, words refusing to process.

“And Bruce is your Father,” She adds, jumpstarting them out of their shell shocked state.

“What!” They both shout, turning towards each other.

“Look, I was young when I had you, I didn’t know what to do,” Selina runs a hand through her hair, still not meeting their gazes as they snaps back towards her, “I knew I wasn’t good enough to raise you, and Bruce wasn’t exactly in the best place back then, at least not enough to raise a child, so I didn’t tell him,”

That is… that is information.

“But, there was Tom and Sabine who wanted kids so bad, I knew they would be amazing parents,” Well yes, “So I gave you up,”

Now Marion's thoughts were a storm. Whipping around his head too fast to get a hold of and actually understand.

“I’m not saying this to pressure you into anything,” Selina follows after a long silence,  “You don’t have to tell anyone, and if you like I can walk out of this room and we can never speak of this again, everything can go back to normal,”

“... do you think we can have a moment?” Marinette sounds just as blank as he had.

“Of course,” That slight fake smile clearly trying to hide the hurt allows Marion to grasp hold of one thought.

“Hey… no matter what we still love you,” The smile turns to a genuine one, Marinette agreeing.

She doesn't reply, leaving the room, door closing with a soft click.

“.... Oh my god,” Marion whispers, staring at the door.

“Oh my god,” Marinette says, Kwamis coming out of hiding, concerned looks going unnoticed.

“Oh my god!” Marion shouts, reality hitting all at once.

“OH MY GOD!” Marinette can surely be heard from outside.

“She’s our Mother!?” Marion turns to Marinette for confirmation.

“HOW is this possible!” So that's a yes.

“Why didn’t anyone tell us!” Marion feels himself getting hysterical.

“Hold on, let's think this through calmly and rationally,” Marinette takes a deep breath, hand on his shoulder.

“Screw that!” Marion pushes her hand off, standing “After something like this we’re allowed to freak out!”

“This is so weird!” Marinette groans, sliding back in bed.

“I know!” Marion starts to pace, latching onto random thoughts and memories, “And everything makes so much sense!”

“How did we not see this?!” Marinette asks the ceiling.

“It’s alright, it probably just never occurred to you to even think about it,” Tikki tries to placate.

“Did you know Tikki?!” Marinette asks, Kwami of creation.

“No I certainly didn’t,” She shakes her head, Marion turning to Plagg.

“I did think she’d make a good Black Cat,” Plagg shrugs, a little too casual compared to Marions current state, “Didn’t think it was because of this,”

“Not to worry, if you were to have any true lineage it is a privilege to be descended from a family such as the Waynes,” Kaalki declares, Marion taking a moment to dissect the sentence.

“Oh my- Bruce Wayne really is our Father!” Marion slams his hands down on the bed railing.

“Keep your voice down!” Marinette hisses, sitting up.

“That’s not important!” Marion throws his hand up, gesturing wildly to the general area, “We really are the Wayne twins!”

“The tabloids actually got it right,” Marinette muses softly, leaning back.

“That never happens!” Marion agrees, having spent plenty of time laughing at bad tabloids about themselves, “How could complete strangers be able to tell when we couldn’t!?”

“Now, now, it was a lucky guess, you had no reason to think it was true,” Tikki tries to bring order to the chaos.

“Other than the fact we’ve known her our whole lives and easily could have seen how similar she is to us,” Marinette mumbles out.

“And she’s really bad at pretending us calling her Aunt doesn't bother her,” It wasn’t until now he actually knew why.

“So I guess the first question is how do we feel about this?” Marinette tries to follow her Kwami’s lead.

“Too big a question,” Marion groans, flopping down onto the bed.

“What should we do?” Marinette asks, he turns his head to fix her with a glare.

“Way too big a question,” Marion feels Plagg curl up against his side, Kaalki also sitting near.

“What will this change?”

“Tikki! Take over!” Marion yells into the covers.

“I think you should start at the beginning,” Tikki says calmly, “How do you feel about being given up,”

“I don’t know,” Marion groans into the covers, another coming from Marinette.

“Angry, sad, betrayed?” Tikki prompts, making Marion frown.

“Not really, it’s kind of hard to,” He answers, turning away from the sheets, “It’s not like she just up and abandon us,”

“And we don’t know the full story,” Marinette adds, Kwami resting in her hands.

“Then maybe you can ask her,” Tikki suggests with a smile. “How do you feel about Bruce-”

“Nope, still processing, not touching that with a ten foot pole,” Marion refuses, causing the Kwami to giggle.

“Ok whatever you're comfortable with,” She smiles, giggles dying down.

“Tikki you have to realise I am so far outside of my comfort zone right now, that sitting in the middle of Hawk Moth's lair surrounded by every Akuma we’ve ever fought sounds more comfortable,” The sad thing is, he isn’t even exaggerating.

“Kid you do have an out,” Plagg flies into this field of vision, “You can ignore it and go back to normal, or confront it and see what happens, which do you want,”

Marion frowns, not at Plagg he’s right, for once. Neither of them speak. Every time Marion tries to think of the future, memories pull him back. Until one catches his attention. It was something he thought of often, usually when trying to avoid getting Akumatized, but sometimes just to smile. However, now it has a new meaning, he isn’t sure if it ruins the memory or improves it.

“... Hey, Nette, do you remember what happened when we found out we were adopted?” Marion breaks the silence, turning to the smartest person he knows, and that includes the person who created an AI at fourteen.

“We asked who our real Maman was?” Marinette watches as he sits up.

“Aun-she sat us down and told us off,” Marion scoots up the bed to sit next her, “Said that even if we didn’t have the same blood as Maman, no one in the world was closer to our Mother than her,”

“.... She always looks so in pain when we call her Aunt,” Marinette leans her head against his shoulder.

“.... I don’t want to ignore this,” Marion decides, enough time passing for them to relax against each other.

“... Neither,” Marinette eventually agrees.

“So what now?” Marion asks aloud, “We just change everything ?”

“I guess so,”

They share a soft smile, wouldn’t be the first time.

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

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