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nubnubblr · 4 years

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If You Do. 24 Thea’s Birthday {Part.3}

CHARLIE

"I thought you said you were almost done?" I heard Thea talking to someone from the kitchen.

"Everyone was still asleep," Doobin replied nonchalantly.

"Are you feeding an army? Do we even have any food left in here?" She joked.

"Do you know how many people are currently asleep in your house?" he retorted.

"Do you know how much they eat? Especially after a night of drinking?" Austin added.

"Honestly I have no idea,"

"What is that? Are you making soup for breakfast?"

"Kind of," Doobin said as the same time Austin commented;

"He made bacon and eggs," with what sounded like a mouthful.

"Wait, s that hangover soup?" Thea asked clearly ignoring Austin.

"Your pantry looks like a Korean grocery store, what did you expect me to do?"

"Okay, you're cool,"

I stretched getting out of bed, Yuri was still fast asleep which wasn't a surprise. Sora was curled up between our heads, she glared at me when I turned the light on to find my pants. She wasn't a fan of the light in the morning.

I walked out of my room and Shawn was coming out of Thea's, he wasn't wearing a shirt, he looked like he was still half asleep, he half smiled and gestured for me to go first, I wasn't so sure I wanted to if Doobin was in the kitchen, I was a little worried that Doobin would pull a face and Shawn would see it.

I tried to avoid looking at him as I walked through into the dining room, Austin was sitting at the table with a plate with eggs, bacon, tomato, mushrooms, what looked like a sausage, and baked beans, all piled on top of two pieces of toast. Thea was leaning over the counter watching Doobin move freely through our kitchen cooking away.

I frowned at her, she never lets anyone in 'her' kitchen, I swear half the time she barely lets me in there and now she has Doobin cooking awake like it's his kitchen. Ignoring the fact that sometimes she kicks other people out of their own kitchen.

"Morning," Thea greeted.

Doobin looked over and gave me a vaguely irritated look, I was assuming it had something to do with last night. Shawn and Austin had taken Thea to bed after a struggle and some tantrums from THea, anyone who hadn't left ended up sleeping in the lounge room, also due to Thea, she didn't want the party to end and insisted that those who weren't drinking because they had to drive home could just stay here. It didn't take a lot of convincing.

Doobin had taken the opportunity of his brother being distracted with Thea to head to my room, he wasn't so impressed with the fact that it was already occupied by Yuri, he was even less impressed by Yuri's offer of a threesome. Instead, he slept in the lounge room with everyone else.

"Were you hungover this morning?" I frowned.

"When am I ever hungover?" she frowned.

"Then why is someone else in your kitchen? And why are they cooking?"

"He cooks right, he's making Asian food," she shrugged.

"And why is he naked?" I added.

"He has pants and an apron on," she said after a slight pause, clearly not realising he wasn't wearing a shirt before now.

"It's summertime, it's hot. Why would they be wearing a shirt? Did you wear clothes to bed?" she defended.

"That doesn't count, she got laid," Yuri came up behind me, winking at Doobin who frowned and turned his attention back to cooking.

"Are you both just going to sulk around here?" Jae frowned at us.

"I have no reason to go over there," I shrugged.

"I don't feel like going out,"

"Liar, you're mad Charlie is sleeping with Yuri," he frowned at Sam.

"We both know it would have been you if you weren't injured, so you only have yourself and BM to blame," he added.

"And you're being a child about something that happened years ago,"

"She slept with my friend," I defended.

"Charlie slept with my friend, you don't see me getting my panties in a knot," he rolled his eyes.

"She kept it a secret,"

"Because no one wants to admit that they slept with Drew,"

"Just take my keys and drive yourself over there," I frowned.

"Fine be bitches," he huffed leaving.

I looked over at same who had slouched himself into the couch, his head resting on the back of it facing the ceiling, his eyes were closed. He'd been like this since we left last night, maybe before then. If I was to guess he has probably been like this since Charlie slept with Jae's bass player, which meant he was already too far along in the Charlie coaster to actually stop the rid. But that didn't mean he couldn't be distracted from it.

"What?" he asked without opening his eyes.

"How are you doing?" I asked casually.

"My shoulder hurts,"

"Uhuh, so you're not actually annoyed that Charlie slept with Yuri, or Jae's bass player, instead of you?"

"WHo she sleeps with is her business,"

"You know, if she's sleeping with other people, there isn't anything stopping you from doing the same,"

"I know you're trying to help, but I don't need you to so can you please stop," he sighed.

"I'm just saying, it's not healthy to be stuck in a one-sided relationship your whole life,"

"If you keep judging all of our choices and feelings you're going to have no friends left," he gave me a look before getting up.

THEA

"Thea," Charlie raised an eyebrow at me.

"Huh?" I looked at her.

"What are you doing?" she smirked already knowing exactly what I had been doing.

I hadn't realised that Doobin wasn't wearing a shirt until she had said something about it, not I kept getting distracted by his back. Seriously, dancer bodies were so unfair.

"Making sure he doesn't screw up," I shrugged.

Doobin turned around frowning at me, I had to bit my tongue so I didn't tell him to turn back around because I was looking at his back. I didn't quite understand why it was so difficult for Charlie to not sleep with him until right now, I don't really think I should be keeping her from that body. Even if that's what she wanted me to do, she was clearly getting too stuck on his age and it's not like he wasn't old enough to consent.

"Turn around, you're the exact same and you know it. He throws a tantrum when you've cooked in his kitchen. He refused to cook in it all day because he claims you screwed with his Feng Shui,"

"And then I have to starve," Koosung came wandering up the hallway fully clothed which was disappointing.

"Why are you all half-naked?" he raised an eyebrow at Yuri, Austin and Shawn, who were sitting at the kitchen table eating shirtless. There were absolutely no complaints from me.

"Because it was hot and suits aren't comfortable to sleep in," Austin answered.

"Your shirt was sleeveless and he was the only one wearing a suit,"

"Koosung, shut up and have some breakfast," I stated.

"Perve," he retorted.

"No one is stopping you from taking your shirt off, that outfit would be really attractive with no shirt and the sleeves of your jumpsuit tied around your waist," I commented.

"Morning," Jinwoo wandered through wearing exactly that, no shirt and the top half of his jumpsuit tied around his waist to stop the bottom half from falling off.

"Like that," I nodded.

"Is this why you are friends with just guys? So you can check them out?" Austin asked.

"It doesn't hurt," I shrugged.

"Sup homies," Jae walked through the back door.

"Why aren't you cooking?" he frowned at me.

"Doobin is cooking," I shrugged.

"No, I did not drive myself over here for some kid to easy bake oven my breakfast," he shook his head.

There was a chorus of 'Hey' and 'he can cook'. Doobin looked less than impress being referred to as a kid and annoyed at the insult to his cooking ability. Not that Jae cared if he insulted someone, it was his favourite pastime.

"If you don't want his cooking then get back in the car and drive yourself home," I retorted, he just pulled a face at me sitting down at the table.

"Can you lower your voice?" Junsun grumbled walking through the house, unfortunately, he was wearing a shirt, but even more tragically he wasn't wearing pants.

"Can you put on pants before you sit down on our dining chairs," Charlie frowned at him.

"Shhh," he frowned at her waving his hand sitting down across from her.

"Hangover first aid is on the table," I laughed.

"Hangover first aid is anywhere you aren't" he frowned.

"Rude," I retorted.

"It's your fault we're hungover," Koosung reentered the room after using the bathroom. he was shielding his eyes and rubbing his temples at the same time.

"You're grown-ass adults, you can make your own decisions," I picked up my phone to message Jackson. He didn't seem to stay long last night, I only saw him when he arrived and then at some point he must have just slipped out without saying goodbye.

Thea: Hey, sorry about last night I wasn't trying to be rude there were just a lot of people. Why did you leave without saying goodbye?

"You're a grown-ass adult, you should know when to stop drinking," Koosung retorted joining the other boys at the table, each one varying in the severity of their hangover.

CHARLIE

Jae opened his mouth to speak, I was assuming it was something about Thea's height, but Junsun seemed to beat him too it.

"I wouldn't say she's grown exactly, she's like two feet tall," he mumbled.

Jae frowned, I don't think he was okay with someone else attacking his nemesis, especially with an insult that was probably about to come out of his own mouth.

"How about you shut up?" she stated.

"I thought you were supposed to be the kitchen troll? Why is Doobin doing your job?"

"Is your hangover making you grumpy?" she patronised.

"How can someone so small drink so much and be completely fine in the morning?" Koosung shook his head.

"It's because she's so little, clearly it takes less time to metabolise,"

"Where did you learn such a big word?" she retorted.

"Play nice," Shawn gave her a look.

"Why are you on his side?" she frowned.

"Bros before hoes," Junsun muttered.

"I'm not taking sides, but he is hungover because you convinced us all to keep drinking with you even after everyone else went home," Shawn stated. He didn't really have a hangover, but he had also babysat Thea all night.

"You should probably stop drinking, you turn into way more of a mess than normal," Junsun advised.

"Says the guy who is sitting at a kitchen table hungover, not wearing pants," Jae stated. He had continued to frown the whole time Thea and Junsun had bantered back and forth.

"It's hot,"

"Most guys take off their shirt, as shown by everyone else here, you decided to take off your pants, normally that's what the girls do, what with them having boobs,"

"Jeans make me uncomfortable,"

"Your legs make me uncomfortable," he retorted.

THEA

The two continued to bicker back and forth, I sat down next to Charlie.

"How early did Jackson leave last night?" I frowned checking my phone.

"Do you really want to know?" she gave me a face.

"I really don't like it when you pull that face," I sighed.

"Is it that time already?" Jae's face lit up.

"Crap," I sighed again closing my eyes.

"Is it what time?" Austin asked.

"My favourite part of the morning after a night of drunk Thea. I like to call it 'Thea's Entertainingly Embarrassing Drunken Event Recap' or TEEDER for short," Jae was like a kid n a candy shop.

"Can we just skip over the TEEDER?"

"No, no we can not. I got out of my bed for two things this morning, breakfast, and TEEDER. As you can see, my plate is full of breakfast," he smirked.

"I hate you," I sighed.

"We were all there though, we seen it all," Austin shrugged.

"That's true, except when Thea gets drunk, she might not get an actual hangover but me telling her everything from the night before is basically as painful and as nauseating as having a real hangover, because she doesn't remember a single thing,"

"Seriously? You don't remember a thing?" Austin seemed surprised.

"I remember Haka showing up, and the orange-haired guy, vaguely Yuri arriving but after that nothing," I shook my hair.

"Did you actually sleep with the orange-haired guy?" I turned to Charlie.

"His name is Brian," Jae stated.

"What am I missing?"

"Brian is Jae's new bass player," Charlie mumbled.

"Did he play your bass?" I smirked.

"So who wants to fill her in on what happened between Yuri's arrival and mine?" Jae frowned.

"There was literally ten minutes between You and Yuri," Shawn stated.

"It's drunk Thea, there is a lot that can happen in ten minutes," he stated seriously.

"She tried to tell me off for being late then cried when I told her I was late because my cat was sick, that's all that happened," Yuri stated.

"Lyolik was sick?" I frowned.

"Yeah, kind of like that but with tears," Yuri nodded pointing at me.

"He's fine now," Charlie stated, I relaxed.

"Okay then," Jae smirked and began to list of the things that I had done, including trying to sleep with Benji. My drunken apology to BM for lying to him about sleeping with Drew, Jae felt it necessary to add that BM didn't apologise to me for being an ass.

"That's all?" I was a little surprised.

"No, I saved the best part for last," he beamed.

"Once you realised Jackson was there, you called him over. Shawn needed to go to the bathroom so Jackson said he would watch you. In those five minutes that Shawn was gone, you painfully flirted with him, tried to kiss him, which he was grossly polite and gentlemanly about, not taking advantage of you at all. Then you felt like you were going to be sick, he tried to help you to for feet, you got difficult arguing because you didn't want to move, you ended up elbowing him in the face, then you threw up all over him,"

I could feel the blood drain from my face.

JACKSON

My phone buzzed on the nightstand. I ignored it and tried to go back to sleep, we hadn't gotten home until early hours this morning and then I had to shower which only woke me up so I hadn't actually gotten into bed until about 5 am, and then I don't even know what time I actually got to sleep.

I had almost asleep when my phone buzzed again, I let out a sigh, I wasn't sure what the time was so it could have been anyone, I decided that I should just check it in case it was my parents. I also figured that it would probably just go off again if I tried to go back to sleep.

It wasn't my parents, it was Thea. Even after last night, I couldn't bring myself to be mad at her, I couldn't really bring myself to be anything but concerned about how she was feeling. The first message brought a frown to my face. The second message made me laugh at how cute she was.

Thea: Hey, sorry about last night I wasn't trying to be rude there were just a lot of people. Why did you leave without saying goodbye?

Thea: So please ignore the last message, I've just been reminded of what I did last night. I'm so sorry, this is so embarrassing, I can't believe that I did that, you must have been completely horrified. I'm sorry that you came out to a party just to be ignored and thrown upon. I'm so mortified. Uh, message me later? You know, if you're not too grossed out by me.... again, I'm so sorry...

I wasn't sure how to respond, I thought it was cute that she managed to ramble even through text message. I could only imagine how embarrassed she was, and it wasn't entirely her fault that she had thrown upon me, she had basically force-fed food to soak up some of the alcohol and Shawn had warned me not to get too close, especially when her face contorted. I just thought that he had meant to stay out of the way of her tantrums.

She had gotten a little worked up when Shawn had tried to help her when she got up to go to the bathroom, she had insisted that she hadn't needed help, now that I think about it I think that she knew she was going to be sick. I tried to help him with her, she had started swinging her arms around, I ended up with an elbow to the face, seconds before she emptied her stomach all over my suit. She was kind of cute up until that point.

CHARLIE

She looked completely pale, kind of like she was going to throw up again.

"Do you see? This is what I live for," Jae smirked getting comfortable in his chair stuffing his face with breakfast.

"Please tell me he's exaggerated," she turned to Shawn with a hopeful look. Shawn pulled a face looking down at his own breakfast.

"It really wasn't a pretty sight," Austin commented.

"I did warn him not to get too close," Shawn stated.

"I should really stop drinking," she dropped her head to the table.

There was a mixture of agreements and laughing. This was the usual reaction when she did something stupid, she would get the complete and detailed recap from Jae, hates herself, says she should stop drinking, but never actually sticks to it. It's kind of like when people regret drinking when they wake up with a hangover but they don't really think twice about drinking at the next gathering.

I never understood it, the choice to drink, I hate the feeling, I hate the taste and it's not worth the hangover in the morning. Not to mention the cost of alcohol is ridiculous.

"Why do you always ruin my day?"

"It's fun for me,"

"I think he's just jealous that you're sleeping with everyone but him," I shrugged,

"I think I'm going to be sick," Thea groaned.

"Don't you think you did enough of that last night?"

"He's never going to want to see me again," she sighed.

"It wasn't that bad," Shawn patted her shoulder.

"Are you kidding me? She projectile vomited all over the guy she likes, how exactly is that not that bad?" Junsun stated.

"Shut up," Austin stated.

"I'm just saying,"

"Look at her face, you don't need to be saying anything," Austin frowned.

"How about you all just shut up and eat your breakfast?" I suggested.

"Here," Doobin placed a bowl of soup in front of me.

"Uh, what is this?" I frowned.

"Soup," he turned around and walked back to the kitchen.

"Why?"

"Thea said you don't eat breakfast, I figured you could drink it," he stated.

"Oh my god," I heard her mutter.

"That kid, I swear," Shawn sighed shaking his head.

"Why does she get soup?" Jae frowned.

"Because shut up," Thea stated.

"What? I like soup," Jae rolled his eyes at her.

"So, do you still want to sleep with Nice Back?" Thea changed the subject. I stared at her wide-eyed.

"What? No one know's who I'm talking about,"

"Who is Nice Back?" Jae frowned.

"A guy we saw while we were shopping yesterday," I answered slowly, I could see Doobin smirking in my peripheral.

"He had a nice back," Thea nodded.

"You two are weird," Austin frowned.

"So?" Thea ignored him.

"Let's have this conversation later," I stated.

"I'll take that as a yes," she muttered.

"Stop," I stared at her.

"I'm just saying, maybe you should go and find him and just sleep with him," she shrugged.

"Seriously?"

"Yeah, just get it out of your system,"

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blankdblank · 7 years

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X-men Crossover - Pt 4 - Convincing Thorin

… Pt 4 - Convincing Thorin

For months you have been traveling with the Dwarves, bonding with them and earning their trust and even bridging the distance between them and Bilbo. As you made camp that night you took your chance to do something you have been building the courage to since you joined the Journey. You found Thorin after his bath, sitting on a large boulder looking off into the distance, like he usually does, a good distance fro the rest of the Company. You walked up behind him quietly, clearing your throat to get his attention. He turned and nodded his head to you, whispering, “Jaqi.” You climbed up and sat next to him asking, “I was wondering if I could talk to you about something.”

Thorin nodded again as he caught your gaze, “Of course. What is on your mind?” You gave him a small smile, “I was wondering about our path to Erebor, something has been troubling me.” He shifted so he could face you completely, knowing that you would never joke about something like this, “Go on.” “Balin explained about your last time dealing with Thranduil, I was wondering about us possibly going around Mirkwood.” He squinted his eyes, “That would increase the distance we would have to travel, possibly triple it.” You let out a slow breath before continuing, “Alright, Pretend I'm a King, and you enter my Kingdom, your plan is to break into a Mountain, where a Dragon is living, if you fail, thousands could die. If I am a King, why would I allow you to pass freely through if my people could die.” His eyes dropped to the boulder below you, as he drew a few deep breaths, then looking back up to you, as you rested your hand on his forearm and continued, “Thorin, I’d face a 1000 Dragons to get you home. I’m Just asking you to give it a moment’s thought. You have the only right to the throne, and I don’t want to see you have to barter to get back home. If you still choose to go through Mirkwood, I’ll roll up my pants and sleeves and you all can carry me and watch their faces as we pass right through them.” He nodded, fighting a smirk at your words, and you saw the deep admiring gaze he was giving you, speaking to you in his low gravely voice, “I will think on it.” His eyes looking off into the distance as you pulled your hand back and you climbed off of the boulder, leaving him to his thoughts, stopping and turning, as you heard him speak again, “I will never forget your words. You and Logan will always have a home with me and my people.” You nodded and rejoined the group.

…

As you all reached an abandoned farmhouse you climbed off of your horse before the group could, Thorin shifted in his saddle to watch you as you inspected the site, calling out to you, “What is it?” You glanced back to him as you headed back to your horse, “We need to pass through.” He nodded and said, “Lead the way.” You climbed back on your saddle and settled up on a ledge on a small mountain. Halfway through the night after your dinner the Company broke their usual stories as they spotted you climbing to the edge of the ledge with your bow and arrows. They all went silent as Dwalin put out the fire, all climbing behind you, spotting the three trolls walking out of a cave below you, and watching as you quickly killed them. The group all agreed to letting you and Logan heading down to clear the area. Once they spotted you both giving the signal they followed you into the cave below you, you quickly spotted Sting and offered it to Bilbo, who bowed his head as he admired his new treasure, finally having a weapon of his own to use in his training. Passing the group of Dwarves burying Gold and you headed back to the group of swords. Thorin joined your side, whispering to you, “You’ve stumbled on quite a hoard here.” He placed his hand on your arm making you meet his gaze, “You saved my Men. I owe you.” You smirked, “You owe me nothing. Take this.” Offering him Orcrist, as he drew it out and admired it you whispered, “It will suit you well.” He nodded, “Thank you. You’re not taking one?” You shook your head, “I have plenty.” Grabbing the other sword out of the holder, “For Gandalf.” He let out a chuckle as he joined his Men in rummaging. Gandalf thanked you and after they were finished you all took a bath and in the nearby river and headed back to your ledge to sleep for the night as you kept watch.

In the morning you all shared a breakfast and as Thorin joined you to clean the dishes he kneeled down close to where you were kneeling, telling you, “I’ve thought on your suggestion, we will go around. I have a question for you as well.” You glanced over at him, “Alright, shoot.” He chuckled at your strange saying you threw in occasionally, “Gandalf suggested Rivendell, what are your thought on it?” You set down the bowl you were cleaning and looked him in the eye, “I would say go, Elrond isn’t Thranduil, from what I know about him, he will offer us food and shelter, I’m sure I could talk him into allowing us to pass through freely. But either way we could always sneak out after, he would never hunt us down after.” He nodded, “I will tell Gandalf to take us to Rivendell then.” You finished cleaning them and took the dishes back to the group and Thorin informed Gandalf they would be headed for Rivendell, the Wizard shot you a curious gaze as he agreed to lead the way, wondering how you managed to convince him so easily.

...

Pt 5 - Rivendell

... You traveled for a few hours until you arrived at the front gate of Rivendell, You, Logan and Bilbo all inspecting the Elven Kingdom as you entered, admiring the sculptures and trees everywhere. As you all dismounted Thorin walked up beside you as your horses wandered to the stables on their own. Thorin brushed up against you as he spotted Lord Elrond and Lindir walk around the corner. Both of them greeting Gandalf happily and their eyes stopping on you and Logan, then greeting the Dwarves and leading the group into a large room to leave your things then leading you all to dinner. After your dinner Thorin tapped your shoulder to have you join him, Bilbo and Gandalf in a meeting with Elrond. Logan followed you and stood quietly next to you as Elrond spoke to you about the map, showing you what it said on it. Thorin and Bilbo were heading back when Elrond asked if you and Logan would stay behind. Elrond, “Gandalf explained your situation to me. I would like to learn some more about you both if you don’t mind.” You both nodded and both answered most of his questions until he let you both get some rest, leaving him to continue his conversation with Gandalf. You met up with Thorin as he listened in on their conversation, You giggled as you rested your chin on his shoulder, whispering to him, “Don’t mind him, when you live as long as he has, you tend to be skeptical of others.” He chuckled as he glanced at you, “How can you be so sure?” “You’re more than he knows, Thorin, meant to change the world around us. He’ll see, so will you.” You patted his back as you pulled back and kept heading back to the room you were given, he turned and watched you with a smile on his face. How he had been so wrong about you, he would never understand, having gained his two most loyal advisors.

After the Dwarves had all fallen asleep you and Logan both agreed to head out on your own for a secret mission. Both sneaking past all of the Elves without drawing attention from the Elves, heading off to the hidden Goblin City. You managed to find one of the entrances, holding Logan’s hand so you could both easily pass through the walls, both finding the hidden cave Gollumn was in. As you snuck over to him you spotted the Ring, twisting the base of the Mithril acorn charm you had made for a necklace, placing the Ring inside without touching it and screwing it back together, Logan drew his claws as Gollumn leapt off of a rock to lunge at you, he quickly beheaded him and cleaned off his claws as you both slipped back out quietly. Finding your way back to Rivendell and bathing and changing your clothes before they woke up.

As you joined the group for breakfast and Elrond’s eyes darted to your necklace, then back to your eyes, his eyebrow raised as you whispered into his mind, “I found the Ring.” Making his eye twitch and he replied, “Your plans?” You smiled and looked down at your plate, “Handle Smaug and Erebor, then off to Mordor. Will you allow us to pass freely?” He drew in a long breath as he pondered his plans as you kept eating, “I will assist you, when Erebor is reclaimed, send word and my Men will assist you.”

Through the next few days Elrond and Thorin had sat down working out a plan and agreeing to supplies to send you off with. Thorin walked over to you after his meeting as you and the group all were sharing laughs and stories, he dropped down on the ground next to you. He leaned in and whispered to you through the roars of laughter, “I don’t know what you said to him, but Lord Elrond just agreed to send us off with supplies. Even agreeing to assist us in battle should we need him. Thank you,” You giggled and whispered back to him, “I appealed to his common sense.” Thorin nodded shooting you a smirk, “I’m sure you did.” As he let out a chuckle and headed over to join Dwalin and Balin to inform them of the news.

Later that night you and Logan were roaming through a garden as you heard a rustling, out of instinct Logan grabbed your hand as a small body lunged out to grab you. The small boy passed right through the two of you and rolled a few times after, landing on his knees and looked up to you both, first in shock then he started to cry. Logan rushed over to him and sat him down so you could inspect his legs, as you spotted the small cuts on his knees you ran your fingers over his cuts. As they disappeared Logan tried his best to calm him down, “You’re alright little guy.” He glanced down at his legs and wiped away his tears, “See, the cuts are all gone.” The boy looked down and ran his fingers over his knees and looked back up at you two. You smiled at him, “I’m sorry, I didn’t know you were trying to play. I did it out of habit.” The boy looked up at you, his blue eyes boring into your purple ones, “How did you do it?” You chuckled and held out your hand, which he reached out to grab but his fingers passed through it, gasping as you said, “I have certain powers. I’m sorry I hurt you.” As his hand was able to touch your hand again he looked back up to you, “It’s ok, I scared you.” Logan nodded, “You did. Never heard you coming.” Shooting him a wink, making him giggle. The boy stood and said, “I’m Estel. Want to play?” Both of you chuckled and you said, “Yes.” And he led you off deeper into the garden and started a game of hide and seek then into tag and any other game he could think off. Both of you being his best friends during the rest of your stay and both assuring that you will come back and visit him when you could, and possibly convince Elrond to send him to visit you both wherever you end up.

...

Pt 6 - Traveling ...

You all headed through the back gate of Rivendell on horseback, on one of the safe traveling paths for Mirkwood, enjoying the scenery along the way. For nearly a week you travelled until you entered a clearing which led to an acquaintance of Gandalf, Beorn. You reached his house early in the morning, his head turned as he spotted your horses. The Giant man headed straight for Gandalf, both speaking for a few minutes until he heard you fall out of your saddle with a loud thump. You laid there for a minute looking up at the foot loop that had broken, when a large head popped into your view and you heard him ask, “Are you alright, little bunny?” You chuckled as you replied, “I’m alright, used to falling.” He chuckled and held out a hand, you took it and he pulled you up gently and bent down to lift the broken foot loop. You wiped off your clothes and he got a good look at you and Bilbo who had jumped off of his pony to help you brush off the back of your shirt. He chuckled and said, “You are welcome to stay here as long as you need.” For a few nights he let you rest your horses as he helped you fix your saddle, yours was in the worst condition when you got them in Bree, you had hoped it would have lasted longer than it did, after the repairs it would last you at least until the Mountain, and Thorin promised you a new one when you reached the Mountain. Promising that if none in the Mountain were in good enough condition he would hunt for you and make one himself.

As you reached the borders of Mirkwood you travelled towards Mount Gundabad. It took you nearly a week to reach the northern most point of Mirkwood. That night as you and Logan kept watch you heard a rustling in the forest, both listening as it headed in the opposite direction of you once you were spotted, catching a glimpse of red hair as it ran away. Logan looked at you, mentally whispering, “Do we follow?” You replied, “No. Let them go.”

...

Pt 7 - Winning back Erebor

...

For another week you kept traveling along the edge of the forest, reaching the plains leading to Erebor just as the Moon was setting. You led the group in the dark around the base of the Mountain, finding your way to the front gate. You all dismounted and they all gave you concerned gazes as you held your hand out to Bilbo, who was nervously straightening his coat. Logan placed his hand on Bilbo’s shoulder, “It’s alright, we will be with you, nothing is going to happen to you. Jaqi’s got the Dragon, You find the jewel and I keep an eye out for you.” Bilbo nodded his head as he cleared his throat and grabbed your hand as Logan grabbed your upper arm. The three of you snuck into the treasury, Bilbo and Logan hid as you Woke Smaug and led him through the Mountain. You led him through the forges to light them and as you passed back to the front gate Smaug blew out a large breath of flames, Logan barely had time to curl himself around Bilbo, who had resigned himself to his fate. Happily relieved as Logan rolled off of him, showing that he was safe, but his jaw dropped as he saw Logan shirtless, and seeing the burns quickly healing across his back. Once he got to his feet he helped Bilbo up and followed after you, just in time to see you cutting off his head as he roared one last time, then watching as you fell to the ground and scrambled out of the way as his body fell hard, shaking the ground around you for miles to tremble. The Dwarves all waited patiently as you headed back to the gate, all smiling as they saw you pass back through the gate, offering your hands for each of them and their horses and ponies. All of them following you to the treasury, each of them pausing to stare in awe at the now beheaded and turned to stone Smaug, then continuing on to the treasury where Bilbo and a shirtless Logan were digging through the gold as Balin took the horses to where the greenhouse was as the stable was too far a distance for them to travel as they were exhausted and there was graas and water there for them to eat.

Bofur paused and asked you, “Why’s he shirtless?” You giggled and replied, “It burned.” The group all pausing as they looked at him again and watched you join them, using your magnetic powers to move hundreds of pounds of the treasure at a time until Bilbo finally found his stone. Through the dinner after you could sense the cloud forming inside Thorin’s mind, sharing a secret glance with Logan who knew what you would have to do. As the rest of the Company slept you crept over to Thorin, running your fingers just above his forehead, silently cleansing his mind and slipping out of the room. You found your way to a balcony overlooking the throne room, hearing Bilbo walk up to you, leaning on the banister next to you, “Can’t sleep Jaqi?” You giggled and said, “I can go weeks without sleep, mostly I just daydream when I’m meant to be sleeping.” Bilbo chuckled, “We made it.” He took a few breaths and continued, “Is Logan alright?” You glanced over at him smiling, “It’s not the first time he’s been burned. As bad as it sounds, you get used to it, we’ve been killed in just about every way you can think of.” His eyes shot wide, “Killed?” You nodded, “As long as our brains remain intact, our bodies will heal.” He glanced back out at the view again as he said, “You must have had a hard life before the Shire. I am sorry to have caused you pain.” You wrapped your arm over his shoulders, “You have done nothing of the sort, and as for our old lives, fear drives people to great lengths, we’ve done well for sometime on remaining unseen by those who wish us harm. Protecting you is an honor, Bilbo.” He quickly wrapped your arms tighter around him, nuzzling closer into your chest as you both stared into the distance he whispered, “I wish I could have known you longer, you are the greatest friends I’ve ever had.” You chuckled, “So are you, dear Bilbo.” Resting your chin on his head, feeling Logan wrap himself behind the two of you hugging you both tightly, resting his chin on your head, saying, “Nobody invited me for the secret hugging.” Making the two of you chuckle, leading the Dwarves to all rush over to you hugging the three of you tightly before Balin started showing you and the younger Dwarves through the Mountain. Your feet all aching as you all shared breakfast, sharing more laughs and stories as you ate. All of you taking glances at Thorin who was laughing the hardest and joking more than you had seen him through the Journey, your smile grew as you knew you had cured him, and had given him a new chance at his life. For the next few days you enjoyed your new little family in their reclaimed home and heading out to their old green house with Bilbo and Logan to restart the food supplies and to check on the horses.

Pt 5

#ConvincingThorin #Traveling #WinningBackErebor #Thranduil x Reader #lotr #hobbit #Thranduil x Reader OC

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ghostingnovel · 7 years

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Chapter Two

“Daddy, do you know what I’m thinking?”

Sammi had escaped her thirteenth birthday party and sat behind her house, clutching a birthday candle she’d stolen from her cake. The candle flickered, annoyed.

Of course I can. I live in your mind.

“Okay, what am I thinking then?”

The candle sighed – a very peculiar thing for a candle to do – before replying, You’re very happy that your father is able to be here for your birthday party.

“And? What else am I thinking?”

… And you love your father, very much. Even though I am dead.

Sammi smiled, holding the candle tightly – before suddenly dropping it, startled by the hot wax dripping onto her finger. She let out an anguished cry as the candle extinguished on the ground. She hurriedly picked the candle back up, trying to wipe dirt from the hot, sticky wax, even if it burned a little.

“Dad? I’m so, so sorry,” she frantically apologized, “Are you alright?”

Of course I’m alright, Samantha. My essence isn’t contained in a silly candle. Now, get back to your party, the voice responded. After a moment, it added, But Samantha?

“Yeah, dad?”

I love you too. Happy birthday.

It didn’t matter that Sammi lived directly above her uncle’s bar; she still managed to be late to work.

“Hey Samantha, I could use a hand down here you know,” Uncle Sam’s voice called up to her, followed by the muffled voices of patrons that were already strolling in at ten AM. Sammi quickly swished her mouthwash, spat, and shouted back.

“Be down in a minute. Do you know where my hair dryer is?”

“Check your brother’s room. You have five minutes.”

Sammi cursed, stubbed her toe on her way to her brother’s room, cursed again, and immediately found her hair dryer on her brother’s nightstand. Finding it wasn’t hard, as her brother’s room was neatly organized and the bright blue hair dryer was the only thing that didn’t match. Her brother's room was as neat and well put-together as her brother was as a person. He had even found time to make his bed before he left this morning.

Sammi scowled at her comparative inferiority and returned to the bathroom to dry her hair.

By all accounts, despite being almost twenty-six, Sammi didn’t look like someone who should be working at a bar. Everyone assumed that the accident her father died in had somehow stunted her growth, but whatever the cause, it had left Sammi at just a hair over five feet, with facial features that made most people ask where she went to high school. It didn’t help that her ghost problem had left her chronically pale and chronically thin – not pale and thin in the pretty way, but more "The Fault in Our Stars". Polite people called her "petite" and "youthful", but she heard the words “waifish” and “sickly” thrown around enough that she knew better. Once her hair was dry she padded on some blush with a fat makeup brush, but it didn’t do much to help her complexion.

Besides giving off the impression that she might snap in half if the wind blew a little too hard, Sammi had two features that were noticeable: Her hair and her eyes. Her hair was noticeable by choice, dyed a shade of pastel pink that she’d been sporting since her mother had been alive. She kept it pink because her mother used to dye it this color while Sammi was still in elementary school, and after her mother’s death Sammi continued to wear the pink as a memento. Sammi's natural hair color was probably some shade of blonde similar to her brother’s, but she couldn’t remember it at this point.

Her second prominent feature, and the feature she hated the most, were her eyes. One iris was a normal, albeit sharp, shade of icy blue that she shared with her uncle; the other was black. Not black as in "a dark shade of brown" black, but black as in "doesn't reflect light" black and "there is no visible distinction between the iris and the pupil" black. She used to have two blue eyes. She also used to be able to turn off her powers. The black eye, and the powers that never turned off, and the dozens of short, pale scars on her hands and arms, were the parting gifts of the fire.

In any case, her mismatched eyes made people very unlikely to maintain eye contact with her for very long. Even her uncle and brother would usually look away rather quickly. Only the Reaper Diana didn’t seem perturbed by her eyes, which was one of the many reasons that Sammi liked her so much. A family friend had gifted Sammi with a medical eye patch to help Sammi get through school without being bullied too badly, but it itched and destroyed Sammi's depth perception, so she hadn't worn it much recently.

“Samantha Eliana Gwendolyn Parish, if you’re not down here in sixty seconds, I’m docking your pay,” her uncle’s voice called up the stairs again, louder this time.

"That's only a threat if you start paying me," Sammi shouted back. Still, she didn't like being late. She tossed her mostly dry hair into a pastel bun on top of her head, rushed to her room for a moment to put on a stray t-shirt from the floor, and sprinted down the stairs.

“Oh, look who finally joined us,” Uncle Sam greeted. “However," he added, pointing down at her feet, "You’re still wearing your slippers.”

Dammit.

By noon the little pub was already half full, the nocturnal types getting their drinks in before going home to sleep the afternoon away. This was commonplace. After all, there were few places in the city limits that serviced non-humans. At midday the bar was filled with vampires, ghouls, and all sorts of magical folk who worked night jobs nearby. They passed Sammi as they entered: She was out front, reattaching the welcome sign that had been knocked out of place by a very tall and probably drunk patron.

Probably a giant, Sammi guessed. Or a werewolf. Regardless of who or what, the sign was knocked down enough that Sammi wondered frequently and loudly why her uncle didn’t just affix the damn thing above the door like a normal shop owner, but her uncle claimed the hanging sign provided “ambiance”, whatever that meant. Sammi knew her uncle was just too cheap to buy a new sign. Still, he’d have to soon – the first S in “Schrodinger’s Beer” was about ready to fall off, and the thing hadn’t lit up properly in ages.

“Did the sign fall off again? We ought to get that thing fixed above the door.”

At the sound of the voice, Sammi put down the battered sign and the hammer she was holding and waved. She also used the opportunity to wipe flaking paint and grease off her hands with a napkin she’d snagged from inside.

“Yeah, well, tell your fellow co-owner that," Sammi sighed, "He might actually listen to you.”

Jonathan Graves, the co-owner of Schrodinger’s Beer and Uncle Sam's longest business partner, was a bear of a man, tall enough that Sammi might have suspected him of knocking down the sign if the man wasn’t so careful. Despite his hulking appearance, Graves was quietly polite, fastidiously organized, and was the main reason that the bar hadn’t gone under ages ago. Sammi’s uncle was excellent at bringing customers in, but it was Graves who really handled all the details.

Graves also had a missing eye, and a story to go with it that changed every time someone asked. Between the eye, his general aura of intimidation, and his incredible attention to detail, Sammi had a theory that he was probably ex-mafia, but she never bothered asking. Over the years she and Graves had bonded over the fact that no one could look either of them in the eye for any length of time. They even had staring contests sometimes, when the bar was less busy.

Graves made the expression of a man doing very advanced math in his mind before nodding quietly to himself. He gestured for Sammi to set the sign aside.

“Leave that for now. I think it’s about time we ordered a new one, anyway. We have the profits. Is your uncle inside?”

“Of course, Jamie too," Sammi replied, smiling wryly, "Where else do you think we’d all be on a Monday afternoon?”

Entering Schrodinger’s Bar was a lot like entering a seasonal Halloween store. You see, while Uncle Sam didn’t have magical talent himself, he enjoyed surrounding himself with it; he also was a master of satire and loved cheap, kitschy things and overused stereotypes. The bar was the embodiment of the above ideals: it had broomsticks propped against the entryway, accompanied by smiling ceramic pumpkins and plastic knee-high gravestones ; cobwebs in the corners that he claimed were fake but probably weren’t; several ugly paintings of witches, werewolves, and vampires that he found in a clearance rack at the local thrift store; and, of course, an abundance of candles - that weren’t actually candles, but rather remote controlled replicas that could be activated at the push of a button. The finishing touch was the bar’s mascot, Schrodinger, a black cat that was very large in height, fluff, and girth. He wandered between the tables freely, meowing and acting as the bar’s janitor by eating any food that fell on the floor. He was very good at his job.

Schrodinger greeted them with a yowl when they walked in, purring loudly and nearly bowling Sammi over when he collided with her legs. Sammi knelt to pet the massive feline before he trotted off again. Sammi watched as he found his way under a nearby table, where he curled up under the chair of a very large, very ugly man who was sloppily eating a burger.

Halfling, probably, Sammi guessed, sizing up the man. On his way to being a troll. To Schrodinger he was merely an excellent food source.

“Sammi!”

Sammi was almost bowled over again, from the other direction, as arms wrapped around her from behind, lifting her up in a bear hug. She laughed, struggling only half-heartedly against the attack.

“Put me down you dumbass, we’re at work,” she chided. She was quickly returned to the floor, her hair was ruffled, and the person who had grabbed her smiled apologetically.

“Sorry, I just was excited to see you.”

“You’re always excited to see everyone, Jamie. Actually, I’m pretty sure you’re just always excited in general.”

James Parish, Sammi’s younger, but significantly bigger, brother, was a constantly smiling, blonde haired, blue-eyed man who would probably be mistaken for a prince if he ever set foot in Disneyland. In his early twenties, James was too young to remember his and Sammi’s parents in any detail. He couldn’t remember their deaths, either. Sammi guessed that was why he was everything Sammi wasn’t: Happy, healthy, attractive, charismatic, and entirely non-magical.

Sammi loved her brother. She also had a tiny, jealous, bitter part of her soul that couldn't stand him, and especially hated how inferior he made her feel simply by existing. This was a part of herself that she zealously hid – but hiding it still didn’t suppress the gnawing shame.

To Sammi, the worst part was that, if she ever told James about how she felt, he’d probably just forgive her. He was that kind of person.

She gave James another hug, pushing away the unpleasant thoughts.

“So Sammi, did you get the sign out front fixed?” James asked, resting his chin on top of her head. He still had to lean over a bit to do so. Sammi shook her head a little.

“Nah. Graves said that the sign is too far gone.”

“Oh, finally? I thought we were going to be stuck with that ugly thing until this place closes down. Which I don’t see happening for quite a while.”

“Right? But Graves said we’ve made enough profits to get a better sign. I’m pretty excited to not have to fix it every week.��

“Good," Jamie said, and Sammi could hear the grin in his voice, "that means that you’ll have more time to bus tables and serve customers.”

Uncle Sam appeared behind both of them, dressed in a suit, a tie, a hideous hat, and carrying a very overfilled bin of dirty dishes. He passed this plate to Sammi, pointing to the back room where the sink resided.

“Sibling moments are good for business and all, but I’ve got two orders to fill and these to clean. Get back to work, you’re still on the clock.”

Sammi sighed, taking the bin obediently with a nod. Still, as she walked to the kitchen she quietly beckoned Schrodinger. He was thrilled to help clean the plates.

You would already be done with these dishes if you’d use your magic to clean them.

“I prefer to clean them by hand. It relaxes me.”

You promised, Samantha. Practice.

Sammi made a face, sure he could see her just fine even if she couldn't see him. If he had seen her, though, he didn't say anything - just waited patiently. He kept waiting until Sammi grudgingly relented.

"Yes, sir," she sighed, setting the plate and the sponge she was holding aside. She closed her eyes. She breathed.

Using magic was a lot like flipping a sock inside out. First, Sammi reached within to herself, mentally searching and grabbing onto a pinprick of power that she could feel lodged deep within her chest. It felt... kinetic, two magnets pushing away from each other. She grabbed the slippery thing, focusing on holding it by picturing her hand wrapping around it entirely, and pulled it outward.

The magic flipped, now pushing outside her body and attracting things outside of her, inward. Sammi could sense the dishes, the air, the water in the sink, the water pipes below her feet and running through the walls, as if each item had a magnetic charge that pulled all of them toward her chest; she could sense Schrodinger, sitting alert at her side and watching her intently with his giant eyes and quick, tiny heartbeat. She tested each of them, gauging the pressure and the weight of everything. She singled out each of the dishes, the soapy water, and the water coursing through the pipes around her. She breathed again.

Then she pulled on the water in the sink and the dishes, while simultaneously pushing back on the pipes to keep the outside water at bay.

The lights flickered. The dishes spun, getting faster, wrapped in a thin sheath of soapy water until they sparkled and shined. Sammi felt her heart pound faster, thrilled that she was able to maintain, one, then four, then eight micro-spells at once. Once they were clean Sammi began to heat the air, spinning it, using it to dry the dishes she had just cleaned.

Then Schrodinger yowled.

Her concentration collapsed. Sammi cursed, but her words were lost in the sound of crashing dinnerware shattering on the floor. She caught six of the pieces before they fell, quickly throwing out a levitation spell, but a plate and a glass met the hard tile and sent ceramic and glass scattering dangerously over the kitchen floor. Her uncle was there in an instant, quickly throwing open the kitchen door but smart enough to stop before stepping on the glass.

“Aw, hell – James, get the broom, would’ja?” Uncle Sam called, pulling the large black cat out of the wreckage. The cat yowled again. Blushing furiously and tears stinging her eyes, Sammi shook her head, gesturing to her uncle.

“No, no, it’s fine. I can clean it myself,” Sammi insisted, but her uncle waved her off.

“It’s fine, just let Jamie sweep it up. What all was broken?”

“A glass and a plate.”

“That’s not too bad. That’s replaceable and pretty cheap.”

Uncle Sam thought for a moment, but stopped to glance at Sammi, flashing a reassuring smile. It just made Sammi feel worse.

“Hey, no crying sweetheart. It’s fine, honest. Just a couple dumb dishes,” he assured, hefting the large, still agitated cat. “You hurt at all, pumpkin?”

“No.”

“Good, that’s all that matters. Now come out of there, I don’t want you getting cut on any glass.”

Sammi could feel the eyes of the patrons staring at her as she came out. She felt a sudden burst of rage, a desire to cast out a burst of force magic and send them all flying into the walls, just to get their eyes off her. But that was stupid. After all, she wasn’t angry at them. She was just angry at herself, and that she’d broken concentration because of a damn cat.

James passed her with a large broom of the non-witchy variety, flashing a broad smile before going into the kitchen.

“Hey Sammi, besides the glass, things look amazing in here! I don’t think I’ve ever seen it this clean,” he called over his shoulder.

Sammi wanted to be dead.

The disgruntled little witch sat behind the bar and made drinks for the rest of the night. After normal work hours, the place got its second rush: it filled with a pack of werewolves in construction uniforms creased with dirt, witches from various local covens dressed in business attire, fae and changelings with inhuman grace who settled down with flowery drinks and vegan dishes, some more humane vampires settling down with pigs blood and the expressions of those who just got out of bed, and countless others that drifted in and out of the bar for a respite from mundane human society. Eventually a group of Paragons, the police of the magical world, came in and settled down at a large table with glasses of beer and a couple large pizzas. James joined them immediately, pulling up a chair and quickly joining their conversation.

“That boy is still jonesing to be a Paragon one day,” Uncle Sam sighed as he picked up a couple drink orders from Sammi’s station. “That’s gotta be rough. They’ve still never let someone who was non-magical join – too dangerous.”

“Yeah, well if anyone could be the first, it’s Jamie,” Sammi shrugged.

“You ever think about joining them? You could be good at it, you know. And it’d give you a way to hang out with more magic types.”

“Me? A Paragon? Hardly. Besides, I’m too scrawny. I’d get broken in half.”

Her uncle barked out a laugh. "That's probably true."

The real reason Sammi had never become a Paragon was because it required extremely rigorous magical screening, and Sammi’s father had warned that the process would lead to him being severed and reaped. Young Sammi had desperately not wanted that to happen. Then, by the time her and her father’s relationship had deteriorated to the point she wouldn’t mind being severed from her father, Sammi was generally too sickly and too nervous about using her ectomancy to try out. She also assumed that she would be under-qualified.

Besides, most of the Paragons she knew she’d met through the investigation of her father’s death, and she didn’t like the look they gave her. It was too much like pity.

“Hey, earth to Sammi. Get out of your damn head, you’re slowing down on the drinks.”

Sammi scowled, quickly pulling up several more beers before starting to mix some bizarre mixed drink containing elderflower.

“You know, it’s funny. I always assumed that you’d end up being the Paragon or whatever,” Uncle Sam said nonchalantly, coming behind the counter to grab the drinks. “But that’s probably just my bias talking.”

Sammi looked up at her Uncle. “Watch it now, you’re not saying that I’m your favorite child? Jamie would be heartbroken.”

“Of course not, that’s favoritism. But when your dad and I were growing up, he was always the one who was better at everything, so I guess I just assumed the things would be the same with you two,” Uncle Ben sighed, holding the beers on a tray and leaning against the counter, “You know, the kid without the magic getting the short end of the stick and all.”

“Hey, you calling me a failure old man?”

“I'm not, but you are. Oh, don’t give me that, I’ve seen the way you look at James when he’s not looking,” her Uncle snapped, giving her a knowing glare that stoppered the words in her throat before she had the chance to create a comeback. “It’s the same look I gave your dad when the two of us were growing up.

"Look, Pumpkin,” her Uncle continued quietly, leaning a bit closer, “I saw your face today after the dumb thing with the dishes. Honestly I’m just proud that you’re using complex magic again, to hell with a couple plates. So stop being so damn hard on yourself. You’re doing good. And you don’t need to be so jealous of your brother – I’ve been there, and it’s not a good feeling. You’ve just gotta find your niche, you know?”

Uncle Sam straightened up as some of the werewolves began to howl, clearly impatient for the beers Sam was holding. Uncle Sam winked.

“Give yourself a break, kid. You’re doing just fine.”

Sammi felt a little happy, a little sad, and a little offended for the unsolicited advice. She liked to pretend that no one else was aware of her failings.

I’m aware of them too, you know, her father’s voice whispered into her mind nonchalantly.

“Oh, shut up dad.”

Your spellcasting was actually superb today, you know. You are very talented. The complexity with dealing with a city watermain while casting multiple micro-spells is hardly insubstantial. If you simply hone your concentration –

“Dad. Please shut up.”

“You say something, pumpkin?” her Uncle Sam turned from the werewolf pack he was joking with. Sammi waved and shook her head.

“No, everything’s great over here,” Sammi assured. She flashed a smile and vividly imagined killing her father a second time.

That’s rather impolite of you. I was trying to give you a compliment.

“I don’t want your damn compliment,” Sammi responded - under her breath this time.

Fine. In that case, when do you plan on searching for my pocket watch?

“I’ll stop by the precinct after work. They probably have it in evidence.”

Good. Have a lovely day at work, Samantha.

With that the voice in her head went silent, and she was once again alone with her thoughts. The bar seemed oddly loud after that.

“Hey Sammi, hit us with a couple more beers!” James called, still sitting happily – and possibly a little drunkenly – with the Paragons, his arm wrapped around the shoulders of the young man next to him who was also grinning. “And maybe another order of fries!”

“Coming right up!” Sammi shouted back. She pulled out some beers, slipped back into the kitchen, nodded at Graves who was taking inventory, and got to work, drowning out everything else with the sound of boiling water. As she worked, she thought about going to the precinct later that day, surprised to realize that it had been almost three years since she’d last visited.

A drop of hot water hit her hand as she dropped the fries into it and she reflexively pulled back, her heart immediately beginning to pound. That was stupid, it was just water. She relaxed, returning to her work.

Still though, especially when she was going back to the precinct, the feeling of the burning water lingered. It brought back the memories of when her dad died: the months of police officers and Paragons investigating the remnants of her home, and the weeks after that her hands had been wrapped in bandages while she healed from burns that ran from her fingers up her arms.

She knew that it was all in her head – she’d been healed by the best medical magicians and mundane doctors in the city, after all – but at times like this, her palms still itched.

“Just find the stupid watch, Samantha,” she whispered to herself, dunking the fries into the water again. “Find the watch, and you can finally leave this all behind you.”

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