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#estela x mc
marmolady · 1 month
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mysteli · 8 months
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idk how many people will answer this but i’m gonna post it anyway. which endless summer character do you believe most deserved better? i’m just testing who fans of the books want to see stronger storylines for.
feel free to tell me why you think they deserve better. obviously they all do but u get it 🫶
oh yeah there’s also a reason i added mike instead of grace or raj or lo (mc)
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rhemenway888 · 7 months
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The Feels...
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Sigh...the emotionally devoid reunion of Estela and Taylor after an interaction like this is just a shame. Luckily, we have talented writers like @marmolady to fill in the gaps and do the characters full justice; read her piece "In the Shadow of the Storm" on her Tumblr or ArchiveOfOurOwn page.
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myjakemc · 1 year
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Any lovers of endless summer? I want to fan on this book. Feel free to talk to me about this book. What you like, what you don't
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yukkimons · 2 years
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Yumme Estelita NYUKHUKHUK
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CFWC F/AotW - Feb 25 - Mar 3, 2023
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✒️= Fanfic | 📱= Text Fics/Edits | 🎨 = Fanart Ⓜ️ = Mature Content 18+ | 🔥 = Explicit/NSFW 18+ 🏳️‍🌈 = LGBTQIA |🔹Submitted by creator
BLADES OF LIGHT & SHADOW
The Best Crew 🎨| Multiple Characters by @artoile (C: @storyofmychoices)
Best Crew in the Whole Damn Realm🎨| Multiple Characters by @garlickk
Nia Ellarious x MC Fanart 🎨🏳️‍🌈 by @gaiuskamilah
Orc Meets Girl ✒️🏳️‍🌈🔹| F!Orc!MC & F!Human!MC - @noesapphic
Pancake Mornings 🎨🔹| Mal Volari x F!elf!MC - @/artbyainna (IG) (C: @dutifullynuttywitch)
Until the Stars Fall From the Sky ✒️🔹| Tyril Starfury x F!human!MC - @thosehallowedhalls
BLOODBOUND
Hide Me In Thy Wounds ✒️| Gauis Augustine x F!MC - @gaiuskamilah
Kamilah Sayeed x F!MC Fanart 🎨🏳️‍🌈🔹by @vampirkit
CRIMES OF PASSION
An Interlude of Grief ✒️🔹| m!Trystan Thorne x F!MC - @thosehallowedhalls
THE CURSED HEART
Leaf Fanart 🎨by @artbyalz
DESIRE AND DECORUM
Threads of Gold ✒️🎨🔹| Ernest Sinclaire x F!MC - art by @oh-so-youre-a-nerd fic by @noesapphic
DISTANT SHORES
Distant Shores: An Alternate Path - Part 3 ✒️🔹| Charlie Smith x M!MC - @korgbelmont
THE ELEMENTALISTS
Surprise Selfie! 🎨🏳️‍🌈| Beckett Harrington x MC - @oh-so-youre-a-nerd
ENDLESS SUMMER
Grandchildren: Beatriz ✒️🎨🏳️‍🌈| Estela Montoya x F!MC - @marmolady
HIGH SCHOOL STORY
Count the Red Roses ✒️🏳️‍🌈🔹| Michael Harrison x NB!MC - @aallotarenunelma
IMMORTAL DESIRES
Cas Harlow x OC Fanart 🎨by @sadxlee
IT LIVES WITHIN
Rowan Burke 🎨| ILW MC by @bunmellos (C: @abelflints)
LAWS OF ATTRACTION
Watcha Doing Down There?🎨🏳️‍🌈 | NB!MC, OC - @oh-so-youre-a-nerd
Wind: Goldenrod (NB!MC)🎨🏳️‍🌈by @oh-so-youre-a-nerd
Windverse Art 🎨🏳️‍🌈 | NB!MC, OCs by @cammarada (C: @oh-so-youre-a-nerd)
MOTHER OF THE YEAR
Eiko Matsunaga Fanart 🎨by @artbyalz
NIGHTBOUND
Fantastic Beasts ✒️🔹| Nik Rycer x F!MC - @ladylamrian
OPEN HEART
Open Heart F/AotW List - Week ending March 2, 2024
THE ROYAL ROMANCE
Fruit of Her Loins ✒️Ⓜ️| Liam Rys - @littleredroseonthevalley
Midnights Like This (Series) ✒️Ⓜ️🔥🔹| Leo Rys x F!OC, Liam Rys x F!MC - @queenrileyrose Part 15: Hold Me Tight
The Royal Romance, Bk1 Ch1: Once Upon a Time (Pt. 1) ✒️ | Multiple Characters - @fadingreveries
Secrets Behind Their Eyes Ch. 1 & 2✒️Ⓜ️| Liam Rys, Drake Walker, Maxwell Beaumont - @fancy--marshmallow
Secrets Behind Their Eyes Ch. 3 ✒️| Liam Rys, Drake Walker, Maxwell Beaumont - @fancy--marshmallow
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cadybear420 · 4 months
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which choices scene lives in your head rent-free?
Literally every scene with Aiden lmao. But here are some particular favorite Aiden scenes:
At Brian's party where MC can show Aiden "some sexy moves". A bit of an awkward scene I have mixed feelings about but I headcanon Aiden eventually tries to learn some of those kinds of moves to impress MC. And when he actually shows them off to MC it just stops them in their tracks lol.
The scene where you can listen to Aiden play piano. That was the "no going pack, point of no return" moment for me, where I knew he was the LI I wanted to pursue in HSS.
When Aiden shows up to MC's door to ask them to homecoming with a violin tune he composed solely for that purpose.
And then when he has the audacity during the carriage ride scene at the carnival to go "I wish I could plan stuff for you" as if he didn't just compose a whole ass song just to ask MC to homecoming with.
When Isa tries to make Frank escort Aiden from the basketball game and you can have your MC stand between them to "defend Aiden's honor".
When you explore the basement with Aiden and you find out Isa wants to expel your MC and Aiden gets all like "I'll do everything in my power to make sure you're not expelled."
When MC and Aiden become official and Aiden straight up cheers and jumps in the air when MC says yes.
When they dance together to a Singin in the Rain song at the Golden Griddle
The scene where they walk along the beach at Caleb's party
Aiden's entire promposal CG
Their post-promposal cliffside picnic scene
MC and Aiden confessing their love for each other at prom
Many of the moments in their scene on the balcony, but especially when you can choose to shout the Circle of Life song to make an echo and how that eventually leads to MC liFTING UP AIDEN !!!!!
And as for non-Aiden scenes...
Kamilah saying "I'm her queen, and she's mine" in the climactic scene of BB book 2
Getting to spin Tyler in MAH in the scene where he and MC dance on the football field
Getting to defend Tyler from asshole jocks in a MAH premium scene
ROE Newlyweds where you have options to choose how MC and LI go into their new house together. Either having them walk in at the same time, having LI carry MC in, or having MC carry LI in. Obviously I chose the 3rd one and it did not disappoint. For the record I think all romance scenes in Choices should follow this kind of formula whenever possible.
[NSFW warning] TNA 3 was a trainwreck, but the smut scene in Ch1 gives you an option to play with Sam's ass and they describe MC slipping a finger between his cheeks. It was a very small scene, but I'm pretty sure this is the first time in PB history that a female character was allowed to get into her man's bootyhole and I was very here for it.
In a premium scene with Tom in Ch1 of ILB, you can choose to say this lil flirty compliment to him and he just jumps and scatters stuff on the boat everywhere.
All the moments in the Imtura/m!MC route where it's just so shamelessly r/RoleReversal. Like when she picks MC up, or lifts him and spins him around when they dance, when he wraps his legs around her waist, the numerous times they draw attention to Imtura's flexing biceps, etc.
Estela going "Do. Not. Touch. My. Husband!". I haven't played her route yet but this moment's mere existence is why I need to do an Estela x m!MC route immediately.
ES Book 3 Ch8/9? when they're in some cave/dungeon thing, Craig sees Zahra's decoy skeleton with the streak of maroon hair, and just screams and breaks down. Those two were easily my favorite relationship in that series and this scene cements it.
Drake's swimsuit CG in TRR 1. One of the few rare times where a male character wears an actually flattering swimsuit lol.
The premium scene in TRR 1 Ch1 where you can take Liam on a boat ride to see the Statue of Liberty. Fun fact, TRR 1 was the first Choices book I ever started, right when I first downloaded the app. Once he started talking about how much he appreciated my MC for that boat ride he won my heart almost instantly.
HSS:CA Book 2 ending where Ajay calls my MC "janu".
Val Greaves referring to empress Azura as "She Who Craps Lightning".
That one CG of the stripper running in BP.
Man I'm sure there's more lol.
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sceptilemasterr · 2 years
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Endless Winter (ES Book 2) Act 2, Scene 5 - A New Year Dawns
Title: Endless Winter
Main Pairings: Estela x Ian (M!MC), Jake x Alyssa (F!MC)
Other Pairings: Craig x Zahra, Grace x Aleister, Michelle x Quinn, Diego x Varyyn
Genre: Full Rewrite
Rating: PG-13 for swearing, violence, alcohol, and sexuality
Summary: It's New Year's Eve on La Huerta, and the Catalysts are determined to make the most of it.
Previous Scene: Any Port in a Storm
Masterlist: Link
INT. ELYSIAN LODGE RESORT - LOBBY
Several hours later, the sun is just beginning to set outside the windows of the Elysian Lodge’s expansive lobby, which has been completely transformed into an ornate party room, complete with marked-out dance floor in the center of the area. A series of tables laden with food have been set up near the walls, with a haphazard arrangement of various candles scattered around. Craig, dressed in a tight-fitting dress shirt and tie, leads Furball around the room as the little fox freeze a series of impromptu “ice coolers” around the bottles of champagne and other drinks scattered about.
CRAIG: Nice job, little guy!
FURBALL (proudly): Mrrrrrffff!
Raj emerges from the kitchen, dressed in a suit and tie with an apron over it, bringing another food-laden tray out into the lobby. Quinn follows close behind with a tray of desserts, a similar apron to Raj covering her ornate blue dress.
QUINN: Where should I put these?
RAJ: Over here is good!
He indicates a table, and she sets her tray down. Raj looks down at one of the fruit trays and frowns.
RAJ: Hey… has someone been eating all the strawberries?
CRAIG: Don’t look at me… but I think I spotted Alyssa usin’ some strawberries to practice her Time Lord stuff.
RAJ: Aww… (brightens) Ah, never mind! Good for her. If I know anything, it’s that the Time Twins are gonna be the key to getting us out of this place. Besides, there’s still a bunch more fresh strawberries in the kitchen fridge!
FURBALL (excitedly): Ffrrrruuulll!
A few of the Vaanti trickle in, all wearing haphazard mismatches of formalwear. Varyyn, dressed impeccably in a suit and tie, accompanies them.
VARYYN: Hello, Centaurus. I am told today is your people’s New Year celebration. I thank you for inviting us.
Varyyn bows deeply. Raj blushes and laughs.
RAJ: No need to be so formal, Varyyn! You invited us to your festival the other day, the least we can do is return the favor!
Michelle and Ian enter the lobby, chatting animatedly about school. Michelle is wearing a sparkling golden dress, while Ian is dressed in a black tuxedo with matching bowtie.
MICHELLE: --so I think you’d only need one more bio elective if you already finished Genetics and Ecology. And the MCAT, of course, but I’m pretty sure you can take that anytime…
Michelle’s voice trails off as she sees the newly redecorated lobby. Behind her, Sean and Grace walk in, chatting excitedly to one another.
MICHELLE: Wow! Look at this place; Raj, you did all this?
Raj turns and grins broadly at her.
RAJ: Yep! With plenty of help, of course. Quinn here was--
He stops abruptly when he turns and sees Quinn is no longer in the lobby. He frowns, puzzled.
RAJ: …Uh, Quinn was right here a minute ago. Huh.
IAN: This place looks amazing! Perfect for a Raj party!
RAJ: Haha, thanks!
ALYSSA (O.S.): Alright, let’s get this thing started!
Alyssa strides confidently into the lobby, wearing a long white dress with a plunging neckline. Michelle looks her up and down approvingly.
MICHELLE: Wow. Looking good, Alyssa!
ALYSSA: Thanks, Michelle! You too!
Alyssa frowns as she looks around the room, evidently searching for something.
RAJ: Hey, Alyssa, everything okay?
ALYSSA: Yeah, I’m fine, just.. y’seen Top Gun anywhere?
It takes Raj a moment to realize who she is referring to.
RAJ: Oh, you mean Jake? Actually, I haven’t seen him since--
A sudden commotion from the top of the lobby stairs draws Raj’s (and everyone else’s) attention. Emerging from the second-floor hallway, Jake, Estela, Quinn, Diego, Aleister, and Zahra stand on the landing, all fully done-up and impeccably dressed. Alyssa, Ian, Michelle, Varyyn, Grace, and Craig all stare open-mouthed at the sight of their respective significant others, completely lost for words. Estela frowns.
ESTELA: What? What are you all looking at?
RAJ: Hey, there you all are! Come and join the party!
All of them descend the staircase, though Estela is blushing heavily as she does so. She doesn’t look entirely comfortable in her formal dress. When she reaches the bottom of the stairs, she beelines immediately for Ian.
IAN (stunned): I… uh. You. Wow.
ESTELA (shyly): I… I know Raj wanted us to dress up for New Year’s, but I never… really went to big parties or anything. Is this right?
Ian smiles warmly at her as he takes her hand in his.
IAN: More than right. Wow. Uh... I actually can’t even think of any other words right now.
In spite of herself, Estela giggles.
ESTELA: You… uh, you’re looking pretty good yourself.
Ian blushes heavily. Near the back of the room, Raj plugs his phone into the stereo system, but nothing happens. He frowns.
RAJ (frustrated): Damn, and here I thought this would work…
Craig and Zahra approach him.
CRAIG: Man, can’t believe it’s been a whole year already.
ZAHRA (frowning): …It hasn’t. We skipped six months, remember?
CRAIG: Oh. Right. Duh. I knew that!
ZAHRA: Raj, y’need some help?
RAJ: Yeah, I’m tryin’ to get the music working, but…
Zahra takes his phone in her hands and fiddles with it for a few moments. Before long, party music starts playing through the whole resort.
RAJ: Awesome! Thanks, my dudes!
CRAIG: Anytime!
ZAHRA: Craig, you didn’t do anything.
CRAIG: What? Naw, I… uh…
Any retort he may have had is cut short when he looks back at her in her formal dress. Craig can only stare open-mouthed.
ZAHRA: Huh. Guess there may be perks to dressin’ up like this after all…
Zahra playfully reaches out a finger and closes Craig’s mouth for him. Near one of the tables, Jake pours himself a glass of whiskey and raises it into the air.
JAKE: So! Who’s up for a toast?
ALYSSA: Personally, I can’t believe I’m still sober. Drink, please!
ESTELA: What are we having?
Jake grins and glances toward Ian.
JAKE: Why don’t we let Hero Boy pick?
IAN (surprised): I… what?!
ALYSSA (smirks): You heard him, “Hero Boy.”
Ian looks nervously at the assortment of drinks laid out on the table, feeling put on the spot.
IAN: I, uh…
Alyssa nudges him, glancing meaningfully toward the glass of whiskey in Jake’s hand.
IAN: Alright, how about this one?
He grabs a similar glass to Jake and pours himself some whiskey as well, then pours two more glasses for Alyssa and Estela. Estela takes a sniff of her glass and frowns.
ESTELA: What is this? It smells like sawdust.
JAKE: Trust me, there’s an art to whiskey. Now, the key to appreciating it is--
ESTELA: Getting it over with. Cheers.
She clinks her glass against Ian’s and throws back the whiskey. She winces.
ESTELA: It burns.
IAN: That bad, huh? Sorry, I--
ESTELA: Pour me another.
JAKE: Looks like Dragon Rage’s a fan, y’all.
Ian pours Estela another shot of whiskey as the four of them clink glasses and toast to the new year. In another area of the party, Varyyn and a few of his Vaanti warriors sip their own drinks as they chat with Diego, Lila, Raj, and Quinn.
VARYYN: It is interesting that your people count your years. You say this year is…?
DIEGO: Well, in a few more hours, it’s about to be 2018.
RAJ: Y’know what Varyyn here needs? One of those party sunglasses with the year on ‘em. Then he’ll never forget!
He, Quinn, Lila, and Diego burst into laughter. Diego claps Varyyn’s shoulder and pulls him into a hug.
DIEGO: Varyyn, I know you probably don’t get it right now, but we will take a picture next year while wearing those, okay?
VARYYN (warmly): I trust your judgement, my light.
Diego and Varyyn snuggle into one another as Quinn glances wistfully across the room. The camera follows her gaze to where Michelle stands chatting idly with a few of the others…
Some time later, the sun has set and most of the Catalysts are noticeably tipsier than they were previously. Several of the Vaanti warriors excitedly clink glasses of whiskey together with a triumphant cheer, then all down their drinks in one shot as Zahra looks on approvingly after downing her own glass.
ZAHRA: Doin’ great, guys! Now this is a New Year’s party!
Behind her, Aleister takes a seat at the grand piano as Michelle stands beside him. The others all crowd around. Aleister begins to play Auld Lang Syne.
MICHELLE (singing): Should auld acquaintance be forgot, and never come to mind…
Aleister accompanies her, infusing each note with a delicate, classical touch. A few people sniff back tears, including Quinn and Grace.
MICHELLE (singing): For auld lang syne, my dear, for auld lang syne…
Alyssa looks pensively up toward the ceiling while Jake wraps an arm around her. Estela and Ian look deep into one another’s eyes. Raj sniffs back a tear. As Michelle begins the final part of the song, Quinn stands up and joins her:
MICHELLE AND QUINN (singing): We’ll take a cup of kindness yet, For auld lang syne!
Everyone bursts into applause. Aleister stands and takes a formal bow. Quinn and Michelle look at one another; Michelle is the first to blush and look away. Jake walks up and claps Aleister on the back.
JAKE: Nice job, Schroeder. Didn’t think you had it in you.
ALEISTER: Ah. You are most welcome. I did enjoy that quite--
RAJ: Whoa! Everyone, hold up! I almost forgot; we still gotta sing “Happy Birthday!”
Everyone looks back at Raj. He grins broadly and gestures to the crowd.
RAJ: Dunno if I mentioned it to everyone yet, but with the skip forward in time, we missed a bunch of birthdays! Including Aleister, and the Time Twins here! …Not to mention myself, of course!
He steps between Alyssa and Ian, pulling them both into a group hug.
RAJ: Anybody else we missed? Who’s had a birthday between… uh…
GRACE: June 6th and December 26th!
Aleister, Michelle, Craig, Quinn, Estela, Zahra, Raj himself, and the Czasa twins all raise their hands.
RAJ: Alright, cool! Aleister, if you don’t mind?
He gestures to the piano. Aleister nods and takes his seat once again at the keys.
DIEGO: Are we even allowed to sing it? I heard it was copyrighted--
CRAIG: Who’s gonna stop us, bro? Unless… (completely seriously) Dude, does Rourke own the rights to Happy Birthday? That’d be his most evil plan yet!
Zahra shakes her head and sighs. Aleister begins to play, and everyone else starts singing along, with the Vaanti catching on after the first few bars…
EVERYONE (singing): Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you! Happy birthday dear…
A variety of names are all shouted out at once. Ian makes a point to sing Estela’s name rather than his own, and she likewise sings his name in return. They both smile warmly at one another.
RAJ (excitedly): Dudes, that was flawless! Best birthday song ever!
CRAIG: Ha! Take that, Rourke!
Everyone applauds and hugs one another after the song. Lila stands off to one side, glancing around at the others with a strange expression on her face. She glances around furtively for a moment, then quietly slips upstairs as the others continue celebrating.
SEAN (shouting): Hey! Don’t forget, it’s only a few minutes ‘til midnight!
Everyone startles at this pronouncement, glancing at various clocks… which all show completely different times. Sean shrugs.
SEAN: Well… as close as I can tell, anyway. Who knows on this island?
ALYSSA (laughing): Fair enough. Alright, let’s do this!
RAJ: Craig, you ready for our master surprise?
CRAIG: You know it!
Craig and Raj lead the others up onto the roof of the Elysian Lodge. A large crate full of red flares has been set against one edge of the roof; Craig rushes toward it excitedly with a lighter in his hand.
MICHELLE (worriedly): Uh… guys?
JAKE: Are those flares?
Craig stops and turns around, grinning broadly.
CRAIG: Yup! One of those commando dudes dropped ‘em! Me and Raj thought--
JAKE (fiercely): Don’t you dare light those--
RAJ: Aww, c’mon, don’t ruin our fun! I’d have thought you’d be all about this! What’s the harm in--
Estela crosses her arms and steps closer to Raj, glaring angrily.
ESTELA: So, right now, we’re hiding from a death squad of highly trained, well-armed mercenaries… and your plan is to shoot off a bunch of flares directly over our location.
She holds her death glare on the two of them. There is an awkward silence before Craig and Raj finally glance at each other, both clearly embarrassed.
CRAIG: Okay, when you put it like that…
RAJ: Sorry guys. No fireworks this year.
Raj looks down dejectedly and starts heading toward the stairs, when suddenly:
GRACE: Wait! Look!
Everyone follows her gaze off toward a distant mountain range, where the sky is lighting up in beautiful, otherworldly colors. Jake and Alyssa exchange a shocked glance: the colors are identical to those they had seen during their first day on La Huerta, back at the airstrip.
SEAN: What is that?!
VARYYN: Ah, the Lights of Vaanu. Among our people, they are believed to be a sign of good fortune to come.
JAKE: Dunno about y’all, but I’d say we could definitely use some good fortune right about now.
Raj shrugs.
RAJ: Well, it’s not fireworks, but it’s close enough for me! Fifteen seconds ‘til midnight!
Everyone starts looking around at one another, most of them pairing off: Alyssa with Jake, Aleister with Grace, Craig with Zahra, Diego with Varyyn, and two of the Vaanti with one another. Quinn looks as though she is about to approach Michelle, but shies away at the last minute. Ian nods toward Estela, who approaches him. Ian starts to turn away, when Alyssa not-so-subtly kicks him with her heel, pushing him back toward Estela.
IAN (annoyed): ‘Lyss!
He bumps into Estela, who awkwardly catches him in her arms.
ESTELA: Oh! …Hey.
IAN (awkwardly): …Hey.
Everyone else starts counting down from ten. Ian scratches the back of his neck and glances away from Estela. Alyssa shoots him an “are you kidding me?” glance, while Diego raises his eyebrows so far that they nearly vanish into his hairline. Ian sighs and nods in acknowledgement, then takes a deep breath.
EVERYONE: Five… four… three…
Estela steps close, the brilliant otherworldly lights reflecting in her deep brown eyes as she and Ian gaze at one another.
ESTELA: I…
EVERYONE: Two… one… HAPPY NEW YEAR!
The other couples all pull one another into New Year’s kisses as those who are single celebrate in their own ways. Ian starts to hesitate, then relents and pulls Estela into a deep kiss. When they part, Estela smiles up at him.
ESTELA (laughs): I almost thought I would have to do everything myself. Again.
IAN (laughs): Guess I just thought… I was worried you might not want--
He is interrupted by Estela pulling him back in for another kiss. Elsewhere, near the rooftop jacuzzi, Diego and Varyyn sit side-by-side, just breaking apart from their own midnight kiss.
VARYYN: This tradition of yours. Kissing at midnight.
DIEGO (awkwardly): Well, it’s not exactly my tradition--
VARYYN (warmly): I enjoy it quite a lot. Does it apply only to midnight?
DIEGO: Well, uh, if you’re asking if we can kiss again… I won’t say no.
VARYYN (ecstatic): Wonderful! Then, may I…?
Diego nods, and he and Varyyn kiss once more. In the background, Raj can be seen nodding at the two of them, and Craig groans and hands over some cash. Elsewhere, Jake and Alyssa stand hand-in-hand, gazing off at the multicolored lights.
JAKE: Looks familiar, huh?
ALYSSA: How could I forget? That was kind of a big day for me. Y’know.
JAKE: Why, ‘cuz you met me?
ALYSSA (teasingly): Don’t get too excited, Top Gun. A lot more happened than just that.
JAKE: Alright, answer this: were you really looking at those lights the whole time?
ALYSSA: I--
She laughs and rolls her eyes in tacit admission that her attention had indeed been elsewhere at the time. Jake wraps his arms around her and pulls her in close.
ALYSSA: What do you say we take this somewhere else?
JAKE: What were you thinkin’, Princess?
ALYSSA: Somewhere with a bed, if you know what I mean…?
JAKE: I am never gonna say no to that. Lead on.
Alyssa takes him by the hand and leads him back downstairs. As the night continues on, several other couples do the same. Diego and Varyyn are on their way toward the stairs when Diego stops for a moment near where Ian and Estela are sitting.
DIEGO: Go ahead, Varyyn, I’ll catch up. I’ve just gotta check on something first.
Varyyn nods and continues down the stairs. Diego approaches Ian and Estela, resting a hand on the former’s shoulder.
IAN: What’s up?
DIEGO: Can I talk to you for a sec?
IAN: Uh… sure?
Ian gives Estela an apologetic look, and she nods in response. Diego leads him over to a secluded area of the rooftop and lowers his voice.
DIEGO: You know the night’s not over yet, right?
IAN (genuinely confused): What?
DIEGO: Ian! Seriously! Surely you noticed the other couples heading off, right? Me included?
IAN: Yes… and?
Diego seems to be fighting the urge to facepalm.
DIEGO: You. Estela. Do I need to say anything more?
IAN (nervously): Okay, I get what you’re saying, but… where would we even go? It’s not like the lobby is exactly private, and--
DIEGO: This is a hotel, Ian! Are you kidding right now? All the bedrooms you could possibly want! Just go find one!
IAN (laughs): Alright, alright. I’ll ask her. You know, she might say ‘no’--
DIEGO: With how she’s been looking at you all this time? If she says ‘no,’ I’ll literally eat my shoe. Not even kidding. (sighs) Just ask her, would you?
IAN: Will do, Diego. And thanks for the push.
DIEGO (shrugs): What can I say? It’s kinda my job.
He nods at Ian, then turns to rejoin Varyyn and head back downstairs. Ian steels himself, then heads back toward Estela.
ESTELA: What was that all about?
IAN (awkwardly): Diego. He, uh, not-so-subtly hinted that… we should… y’know, ‘find a bedroom.’
ESTELA (coyly): Oh? And what did you think about that?
Ian scratches the back of his neck awkwardly.
IAN: Well, uh… if you said ‘no,’ I’d definitely understand--
ESTELA (genuinely confused): …Why would I say ‘no?’
IAN: Dunno, guess I just thought--
She holds a finger up to his lips and smiles.
ESTELA: You think too much.
With a wink, she takes him by the hand and leads him downstairs…
_______________________
Note: If anyone was wondering, Ian was born at 11:59 PM December 31st, 1995, and Alyssa was born at 12:01 AM January 1st, 1996.
Next: The Fourteenth Vaalta (Coming soon!)
CIU Tag List: @brightpinkpeppercorn @endlesshero1122 @bbaba-yagaa @acidsugar0 @shaylan211 @griselda1121 @acanthisorbis @marmolady @choicesbabie @mauvecatfic
Endless Summer Tag List: @mysteli @edgydepressedchoicesthot @endlessly-searching-for-you @lovelywrites
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ivanreycristo · 1 year
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X cierto.. VIRGINIA MAESTRO vas a jugar TAMBIEN esta NOCHEBUENA al Pollito INGLES con tu Sobrino o hijo de tu hermana ANGELA o mi CUÑADA jaja..x cierto.. Q opina de MI O CRISTO jajaja
Yo te recomendaba q ademas no perdieras el TIEMPO haciendo CANAPES con tu PADRE y fueras CONMIGO a comprarlos a PASTELERIAS "MALLORCA" o donde iba mi hermano (tras negarle mi nuevo FORD FIESTA ROJO XR2i con asientos RE_CARO como los q tenia el BERNABEU y q calento mucho GUTI al q me cruze 5 veces y q esta tatuado biblicamente asi como donde fotografiaron a MARIA DE LOS ANGELES SANDOVAL alias PITINA mujer de FLORENTINO con un Purito) la NOCHEVIEJA de 1991 cuando le estamparon contra la EMBAJA USA al apurar o saltarse un SEMAFORO algun coche en el cruce d C/SERRANO=presidente 1era REPUBLICA con c/DI-EGO de LEON y como casi me paso a mi con Miguel BOSE en la Glorieta de BILBAO en 1992 (publicando en 1993 BAJO EL SIGNO DE CAIN y 1995: LABERINTO en cuya portada sale como un DIOS BUDISTA O HINDU) y el cual luego casi se mata con la mexicana REBECA DE ALBA (10 años novia del "GAY" Ricky MARTIN nacido en SAN JUAN d PUERTO RICO, la NOCHEBUENA 1971) al ir al funeral de su TATA.).. la NOCHEVIEJA 1991 y al ver el coche crei q habia Palmado pero ni tan siquiera dieron COCHE SINIESTRO TOTAL (=Grupo de CUANTA PUTA Y YO Q VIEJO) pues le cambiaron toda la CARROCERIA de FIBRA DE VIDRIO pero luego yendo a MALAGA con su EX-MUJER (cada uno en su coche pues ella con la indemnizacion d 100.000€ q le dio BANK OF AME_RICA xq al parecer era una sindicalista molesta se compro un SEAT LEON y un FORD PUMA q diseño Claude LOBO y que promocionaron resucitando a STEVE MC QUEEN) se tiro a un TERRAPLEN xq venia un coche de frente y si tuvo SINIESTRO TOTAL comprandose un RENAULT 19 16 V q corria como un GUE-PARDO x lo q apenas podia seguir su ESTELA cuando me fotografiaron en el Tunel de San JUAN (ALICANTE) saliendo su R-19 16 V x delante pero solo me multaron a mi.. Luego se compro un AUDI (marca q sustituyo los asientos RECARO de los banquillos d BERNABEU) A3 20 V q se puede decir q fue el sustituto del AUDI COUPE 20 V con el q mi padre, madre y hermano pequeño dieron una VUELTA D CAMPANA cuando compraron los APARTAMENTOS DE CALPE y q sustituyo x un AUDI A6 con el q le salve la vida llevandole de Madrugada desde CALPE a URGENCIAS d HOSPITAL MARINA ALTA DE DENIA donde le dio INFARTO con 55 años siendo FUMADOR
X cierto.. Estoy yo entre los Seres queridos de los q te acuerdas xq no me llego el CHRIST+ q has enviado x 1era vez ni una cesta o RAUL digo BAUL DE NAVI-DAD (IVAN al reves y papa en ingles) jaja
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somewillwin · 3 years
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An estela x blonde Taylor was asked by someone who didn’t leaved their url. So no tags.
Ko-fi // Twitch
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mauvecatfic · 2 years
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Endless Summer: The Little Things (1/1)
Pairings: MC/Estela, Diego/Varyyn, background Grace/Aleister, Craig/Zahra, Jake/Quinn
Summary: Taylor has returned and there are a million little things for everyone to do, and a million little things to come to terms with.
Rating: Teen.
Warnings: description of injury
Word count: 7200-ish.
Tagging @marmolady, @mcbangle,@greengroove, @tothetrashwhereibelong
Notes: Takes place between What Dreams May Come and Phoenix. See the gonzo whopper master list for the whole series.
The Little Things
“You could have called us earlier, you know,” Aleister said around a lump in his throat. Grace, sitting next to him on the couch, slipped an arm around his waist. “If you had, we’d all be down there on La Huerta already. Why do you think I bought that damned boat in the first place?” Something beeped and bumped against his ankle and without looking down, Aleister shifted his feet so the robot vacuum could continue on its path. “And even if we hadn’t made it to the island in time, surely Grace and I would have been of some assistance if we had known what was happening.”
Her blue glow filling Aleister’s office, IRIS nodded and when she spoke, her voice was both understanding and apologetic. “I know, dear, and I can only imagine how you felt when I avoided answering your phone calls. But at first nothing was happening and then... well, everything was happening. By the time we understood how quickly events were moving, there wasn’t time for all of you to gather together and make the trip down in time for Taylor’s return.”
Taylor’s return. Taylor was back, she was on earth, she was real and she was all right and she was.... Rubbing at his eyes, Aleister looked up at his mother’s hologram. “Is she... well, is she still the woman we knew?”
IRIS laughed and when she spoke, wonder and awe colored her words. “From the brief conversations we’ve managed between Taylor’s need to sleep and Estela’s need to keep her close... yes, my dears. Yes. She’s still Taylor.”
“Still Taylor,” Grace murmured. She fumbled the eyeglasses off her face and stared at them blankly. Then, her hands trembling, she slipped them back on. “It’s... unbelievable. Vaanu, the Endless, an alternate timeline just beyond our reach – it is beyond our reach, right?” she demanded in sudden alarm.
“I believe so. I’m still sorting through the information I gleaned from my counterpart but I’m fairly confident that as things stand now, no one on the other side has the resources to duplicate any sort of trans-dimensional travel – and yes, I know that ‘fairly confident’ isn’t what you want to hear at the moment. If it’s any more reassuring, there aren’t any facilities on our side, even considering the quote-unquote top-secret governmental agencies which I’m keeping an eye on, that could even begin to attempt a similar experiment. I should have a more definitive answer for you soon.”
Aleister took a deep breath to steady himself. “Thank you, Mother... and I apologize if I sounded a bit impatient with you earlier.”
“Oh, my darling boy, there’s no need to apologize for that! The events of the past few hours – and whatever lies ahead for all of us – well, it’s all a lot to deal with.” IRIS went still for a moment; then, with a soft smile, she began fading out. “I’ve just finished analyzing some data and I really should examine it in depth. I know that you and your friends have a lot of arrangements to make, and it’ll be a busy few days for all of us. I’ll be in touch, my dears – and I promise that I won’t avoid your calls again, Aleister. I’ll just pop in on Reggie for a moment and I’ll be on my way.”
“We’ll see you soon, IRIS.” When they were alone, Grace sighed and sagged against Aleister’s side. “I really, really hope this isn’t a dream.”
“If it is, it’s one that we’re sharing and the odds of that happening are infinitesimally small. Then again, it seems to be a day for unbelievable things.” Aleister laughed weakly as he leaned back against the deep cushions. Pinching the bridge of his nose, he took a deep breath. “Yes. Well. Mother is correct, I suppose. There’s... a lot to arrange and honestly, I’m not even sure where to begin. We’ll need to fly to the States immediately, of course. I’ll call Laurent as soon as I collect myself. There’s a meeting with the board of directors that we’ll have to reschedule and the plans for the new solar facility in Keswick are ready for approval – that’ll have to wait until we return, I suppose. Getting to La Huerta as quickly as possible takes precedence over anything else.”
After pressing a soft kiss to her husband’s cheek, Grace pulled the silk scarf from her head and shook out her long braids. “She’s... back. I can’t believe that Taylor is back just like that.” She blinked as she stared at the braids falling over her shoulders. “My hair was so much shorter the last time Taylor saw me. I wonder what she’ll think about – oh my Lord, what is she going to think about Reggie? We have a whole entire baby to show her!”
“And our boy is going to have a whole entire new aunt to meet,” Aleister said with an amazed laugh. “There are so many changes to show her, big ones and little ones. I want to leave at once, but I suppose there are a few things we’ll need to do first.”
Grace’s eyes went distant as she began ticking items off on her fingers. “I’ll look into flights and arrange to have our mail stopped until we get back. The workers were going to lay tile in my studio so I’ll call to have that postponed. I’m working on a new piece for that exhibit in Soho, but there’s nothing on my schedule that can’t be easily rearranged. I think if we – oh!” She jumped a little as her phone began buzzing. Grabbing at it, she glanced at the screen before accepting the call. “Quinn, sweetie, have you heard – yes, IRIS just told us. It’s wonderful, isn’t it? ...Oh, honey, please don’t cry! I know, it’s – yes, Aleister and I were just discussing that. We’re going to arrange for a flight as soon as possible. But should we meet all of you in Boston, or would it be quicker if we flew right into New Orleans? That’s where the boat is docked, so we could have it ready to go by the time the rest of you join us there....”
Chucking almost to himself, Aleister stood up. “Give her my love, sweetheart, and I’ll get the tea started. It’s going to be a busy evening, and I don’t think we’ll get much sleep tonight.” Once he was in the hallway, he leaned against the wall and rubbed his eyes. He took his phone out of his pocket. Then, rather than dialing Estela, he tapped in the briefest text he could manage (how are you? and how is she?) before putting his phone away again. His sister surely had her hands full right now, and there would be time to talk later. And for Aleister, ‘later’ couldn’t come soon enough.
*****
“So what’s the plan? Are we going back to Elyys’tel, or down to the beach house?” Diego kept his eyes on Mauri, clearly avoiding looking at either his severely burned hand or at the healer who was rewrapping it.
Stretching out his long legs, Mauri plucked a few berries from a nearby bush as he made himself comfortable. “Varyyn and Estela are close to a decision. Elyys’tel is a half-day’s walk from here, and the southern coast is more than twice as far. You and Taylor are both much stronger than you were yesterday but either journey would still be difficult. However, if we go that way –” Mauri jerked his head toward the west. “— the path is more even and leads us quickly out of the jungle. That is why Raj left early this morning. He says that he must prepare the house for the remaining Catalysts’ arrival, but I think he assumes that all of you will travel that direction. Jake says there should be at least one more of Aleister’s fast boats on the beach and if there is not, one can quickly be brought down from Elyys’tel. From there, we can decide if we will go north or south. But I will be honest: Estela seems determined to go south and I do not think Varyyn will fight with her on this point.”
From his seat on Diego’s other side, Mike frowned. “The docks to the west... that’s where Lundgren stole his boat from, right? I suppose you’d have said something if anyone found it. Or him.”
Nodding ruefully, Mauri said, “We have not. IRIS tells us that she has not been able to use the...?” He looked at Diego.
“GPS.”
“Yes. She has detected its call from far beneath the waves so she believes the fugitive removed this device and threw it over the side of the boat.”
Mike stared into the lush green canopy above. “Yeah, sounds like what the bastard would do.”
“Well, even if we can’t track him, the bright side is that if Lundgren is in a boat, he won’t be stupid enough to come back ashore. Right?” In spite of his attempt at confidence, Diego sounded nervous.
“...Probably. Whatever else the General is, he’s not stupid.”
After giving the bandages one final check, the healer began packing her supplies back in her satchel. “There. That will do until tomorrow. They will need to be changed every day so I will ask the elyyshar whether you are coming home with us. If you plan on going south, I should accompany you.”
Diego shook his head and gave the healer a quick smile. “You don’t have to do that, Davaxet. Michelle will be here soon and she can take care of it then. I’ll be fine for a couple of days.”
Snorting, the tall Vaanti gave Diego a skeptical look. “Do you tell me that you plan on changing your own bandages? Or will you leave your hand wrapped up so you will not have to look at it?”
Before Diego could reply, Mike spoke up. “I could help out with that. I’ve spent the past few years on the run, got myself into a fair amount of trouble here and there. If I can change my own bandages, I can sure take care of Doc’s.”
Davaxet stared appraisingly at Mike for long moments before giving him a curt nod. “Very well. I will put some supplies together before you depart. But no matter when Michelle arrives, Diego, I will come in two days to make sure your hand is healing properly.”
“Why does everyone think I can’t take care of myself?” Diego grumbled.
“Because we know you, my friend.” Mauri grinned as he finished his berries and got to his feet. “And we know that while you can take care of yourself, you frequently choose not to,” he said over his shoulder as he and the healer walked away.
“Should I feel offended?” Diego muttered to Mike. “’Cause I’m pretty sure that was an insult.”
“Depends. Coulda been an insult, or it coulda just been what someone who knows you really well would say. Anyway, what’s your vote, Doc? North to the treehouse, or south to the sandcastle?”
Holding his breath, Diego finished carefully replacing his right arm in the sling around his neck. “I really miss home but I’ll go wherever Taylor is going. Now that she can stay awake for longer than fifteen minutes at a time, I don’t want to lose a second with her.”
“Makes sense, I suppose.” Mike hesitated. Without looking at Diego, he continued, “I probably should have asked this before I volunteered to take care of your bandages. You folks mind if I tag along?”
“Of course not!” Diego exclaimed. “You’re welcome wherever we end up. I hate to break it to you like this, Mike, but you’re part of the family now. You’re stuck with us.”
Mike tried not to smile. “Did you mean for that to come out sounding as ominous as it did?”
“Nah, just letting you know how things work around here.” Diego began to stand up, and he rolled his eyes when Mike automatically reached over to help him. “And since you’re coddling me too, I think you’ll fit right in. Now c’mon, let’s go find the others and figure out what our travel plans are.”
*****
Jake glanced over his shoulder before returning his attention to steering the boat. Nice piece of technology – practically steered itself, but now wasn’t any time to get careless, not considering the cargo he was hauling down to the beach house. He smiled to himself. Taylor was sitting between Estela and Diego at the back of the speedboat. No surprise that Taylor and Diego were giddily talking a mile a minute, their words spilling out as Diego filled in Taylor on what the years of her absence had brought to all of them – and no surprise that Estela simply sat quietly with her arm wrapped tightly around Taylor, staring at her returned wife with stunned, silent adoration. Even though Varyyn was seated close to Diego and he kept one protective hand on his husband at all times, the Vaanti’s attention was focused outside the boat as he scanned the horizon for any sign of danger.
“Forgot to ask you before we hit the water, Grandpa – any word on when your friends are gonna be here?” Mike asked quietly.
“Yeah. Malfoy says he and Brainiac are flying out of London this afternoon. They’re going straight to Louisiana, and the Boston crew will fly down there to meet up. Once they all get on their fancy-schmancy yacht, they’re heading down here. That thing cuts through the water pretty fast in spite of how big it is, fifteen knots cruising speed.” Mike let out a low whistle. “Took the words right out of my mouth. Damn thing has a turbo mode on top of that and since I’m pretty sure they’re gonna use it, they should be down here a couple of days after they leave New Orleans.” Jake shook his head fondly. “Al says he’s going to get a second yacht and dock it in San Trobida – if they could all fly into La Colina and hit the water from there, they’d be here in a day or two.”
“Must be nice to have that kind of money to throw around.” Mike’s face was neutral, but there was an edge to his voice.
“Guess it is,” Jake replied after a few moments, and he kept his voice low. “Yeah, Al throws money around. So does Katniss back there. She’s bankrolling the construction of a whole university over in La Colina. Bought a huge chunk of rainforest that we’re not supposed to know about yet, too – it’s gonna be a wildlife preserve but mainly it’s a sort of a buffer zone for some of the indigenous tribes up in San Trobida’s mountains. She says that spending time with the Vaanti made her think about folks like that closer to home. And as for Al, he took his old man’s companies and turned ‘em around. Most of the UK is gonna be wind and solar powered in a few years thanks to him.”
Mike managed a slight smile. “Do they even have sunshine in the UK?”
“Don’t let him hear you say that! Doesn’t take much encouragement for him to whip out his charts on how many sunny days they get in every shire or nubbin or whatever the hell England is divided into.” More seriously, Jake went on. “Neither of those two turned out anything like their old man, kid, and they don’t wanna be anything like him. Don’t know how the Rourkes on your side got to be the way they are, but those two? They’re good folks. I trust the both of ‘em. Not that I’m ever gonna tell them, ya know.”
“Trust never did come easy to you. Well, you know – my you,” Mike added a little awkwardly.
Jake snorted gently. “Not much different on this side if you want the truth. Lundgren… what he did burned most of the trust outta me. Took me a while to get back in the habit but as much as I might tease ‘em all about it, this weird little group made it possible. If – hold on a sec.” Jake took his phone out of his pocket and the way his eyes brightened when he saw who was calling made Mike stare straight ahead into the horizon. “I should probably take this – might be an update on their ETA.”
“You got it, Grandpa – I’ll take the helm for a while.”
“Thanks, kid – the course is charted right there. Holler if you see any icebergs.” Jake moved to one of the empty seats behind them and even though he kept his voice low, Mike could tell he was talking to his redhead and that was… okay. Mike knew how lonely he’d been during his years on the run and he didn’t imagine that going through the same thing over on this side had been any easier on Jake. He was glad Grandpa had found something, someone, to help him through his grief.
But what’s that leave for me? Mike wondered silently.
*****
“Yeah, brah, I got the shopping list you sent.” Raj smiled – from the sound of his best friend’s voice, he could easily imagine Craig bouncing on his feet. “We’re gonna have a little time when our plane gets into New Orleans so me and Z will hit a grocery store before we get on the boat. Any last minute requests?”
“Hold on, let me check.” Raj began wandering around the beach house’s kitchen, peering into drawers and cabinets. “Okay, grab another bottle of bitters, if you can. I need more flour too. And some fresh ginger, and coffee. You better let Zahra choose that, she’s so picky about her caffeine… hold on.” He shook one of the large canisters on the counter. “I’m running low on rice so I’ll need a bag. A bag, Craig, not a box of instant rice.”
“Rice is rice, dude!”
Raj winced. “A bag of medium grain rice, and one of basmati if you can find it. And a few big cartons of plain yogurt. Oh, and Diego wants a bag of those little powdered donuts.”
“I’ll get a couple – I love ‘em too! So is anybody at the house besides you?”
“Not yet.” Switching the phone to his other ear, Raj sat down at the kitchen table. “There are some Vaanti keeping watch outside just in case Lundgren is still on the island, but I’m on my own for now. I came down this morning to get everything set up. Last I heard, everyone else was getting ready to head for the boats so they should be here before sunset.”
“Oh, man, I’m so jealous! You’re gonna get so much Taylor-time before we get there! Me and Player One facetimed her this morning but we were all crying too much to really enjoy it.” Distantly, Raj heard a shouted I wasn’t crying, dumbass! You’re the one who was crying like – like a stupid little crybaby. “Yeah, yeah. My mistake. Me and Taylor were crying but Zahra? Not a single tear,” Craig said with loving sarcasm. And Zahra shouted again: Screw you, me and Buddy are leaving.
Raj laughed as he heard a door slam. “Whoops, now she’s mad.”
“She’ll get over it. She’s taking Buddy for a walk. Hey, has Buddy ever been on a boat before? I don’t want to hand over a seasick dog when we get to La Huerta.”
“She’s been on a few ferries and it didn’t seem to bother her so I think she’ll be fine. Just do me a favor and make sure she doesn’t jump overboard.” Raj leaned back in his chair. “Oh, man, I can’t wait to see you. And hey, do you think you and Zahra could do me another favor and help replenish my stash? It’s been kinda stressful and I’ve been smoking a little more than usual.”
“You got it, brah – that’s what friends are for! See you soon.”
After he ended the call, Raj got to his feet and wandered out of the kitchen. He hated empty houses. He wasn’t used to being at the beach house by himself and he didn’t like the way his footsteps echoed off the walls. Every time he’d been down before, it had been crammed full of his friends, his family. It didn’t feel right, being there alone.
It was going to be full soon, though. And there’d be one more face at the table, a face he never thought he’d see again….
Raj collapsed onto the couch and he put his hands over his face as the events of the past few days caught up with him and, just for a little while, he relished the solitude.
*****
“Geez, I feel like I could sleep for a sold week!” Diego exclaimed as he fell back onto the bed. Waving his hands, the good one and the bandaged one alike, in the air above him, his words tumbled out of him. “We just had supper with Taylor. And we’re gonna have breakfast with her tomorrow, and then lunch and – oh, man, every now and then something hits me and it’s like I’m surprised all over again that she’s really back and she’s going to be part of all these boring normal things again.”
Smiling, Varyyn began picking up the clothes that Diego had left lying on the floor. “Yes, it is strange and wonderful. As eager as I am for your friends to join us, I am glad that you and Estela will have a few days before you share her with all the Catalysts.”
“Uh-huh,” Diego replied, beaming at the ceiling. “Maybe tomorrow we can have a movie night. We could stream something or I’m pretty sure I left my Ryan Summers DVDs here. I think they’re in the dresser, actually – I’m just gonna check quick.” He sat up and began to get off the bed. Without thinking, he leaned on his bandaged hand. “Ahhhh fuck!” His eyes squeezed tight to keep his surprised tears from escaping, Diego curled up with his wounded hand clutched against his chest.
“Diego!” Varyyn whirled around at the sound of his husband’s strangled cry. Before Diego could even blink, Varyyn was on the bed next to him, his hands hovering uncertainly over Diego’s bandages. “What is it? Give me your phone – I will call Mauri and he will bring Davaxet here at once. No, that will take too long. Come, I will take you back to Elyys’tel myself. But are you able to move? Perhaps I should –”
“Varyyn – Varyyn, wait! I’m... fine.” Diego took a few deep, ragged breaths. “I just... I wasn’t thinking and I put pressure on my hand. That... wasn’t a good idea,” he said with a weak laugh. “Just give me a minute and I’ll be okay.” Seeing Varyyn’s stricken expression, he managed a smile. “Sweetheart, I’m all right. Really!”
Varyyn stared at him, his mouth opening and closing. Without warning, he blurted, “Diego... I lied.”
Diego frowned, his pain almost, but not entirely, forgotten. “You what? Varyyn, you’re the absolute worse liar I ever met and if you ever tried to lie, I’d know. What are you talking about?”
Varyyn closed his eyes for a moment. “The night before Taylor’s return, our last night in Elyys’tel… I lied to you, beloved. I did not realize it when I spoke, but I lied.”
“You lied…? Okay, you lost me.”
“No. I did not lose you, but I could have.” Varyyn took a deep breath. “That night, we talked about the day ahead, about the very real possibility of a battle, and… I knew that you feared that one of us could fall. I meant to reassure you when I spoke of eternity, and the way our souls are joined forever.” He swallowed hard. “I assumed that if one of us fell, it would be me, and… I did not want you to worry. I wanted you to see that everything would be all right because we will be reunited. That is why I said that I was not afraid of whatever the future would bring. But – but when you plunged your hand into Vaanu’s fire, when you screamed, when you collapsed…. Diego, I understood for the first time that Imight be the one left behind, and in that moment when I thought you were lost to me, I was more afraid than I have ever been. And I do not think I am strong enough to bear that, not even with the promise of eternity. And oh, my love, the pain when I believed you were gone... I am so sorry that I assumed you would bear that pain any better if I were the one who fell.”
“Oh, baby. Come here.” Wrapping his good arm around Varyyn, Diego held his husband close. “I wish I’d had time to warn you, but I literally figured out what I had to do a few seconds before I did it. Varyyn, frightening you is the one thing I regret about what I did. There just wasn’t any way around it.”
“I know,” Varyyn whispered into Diego’s hair. “And if you hesitated to bring your friend back to life, even in the face of such a great risk, you would not be the man I love. But it is hard, so hard, to see you in pain and to know that there is no way I can bear that pain for you.”
“Well, how about... distracting me from the pain for a while?” Diego smiled at Varyyn’s surprised chuckle. “Why are you laughing? I mean, I think it would be a pretty effective way to get me to think of something besides my hand.”
Pulling away just a little, Varyyn kissed Diego’s forehead. “I am sure that it would. But... I think that for this night, I need to simply hold you, my love. I need to hold you, and I need to know that you are still with me.”
Diego smiled as Varyyn eased both of them back down to the bed. “Well, I guess that’ll be okay too.”
*****
“How was your shower?” Taylor gave Estela a quick, brilliant smile before she turned her attention back to Estela’s phone.
“It was excellent. I don’t think I realized how badly I needed one until I was under the water. You can’t get enough of that phone, can you?” Estela murmured as she sat down on the bed beside Taylor. She blinked back tears when Taylor nestled into her side, almost undone by the easy intimacy of the gesture. It felt so... comfortable. After everything they’d been through, after the ache and the agony of their long separation, that simple little gesture held a promise of what their life together could be like.
Sighing dreamily, Taylor kept scrolling through the images on Estela’s phone. She sniffed as she zoomed in on one. “Quinn has an office? And this... oh, God, the painting on the wall. That’s Andromeda.”
Estela nodded as she saw what Taylor was looking at. It was the logo of the Quinn Foundation: a dolphin leaping from clear blue waves, crowned by stars. The constellation Andromeda. Taylor’s constellation. “Yes, that’s her main office. She has a whole suite in Boston, and branch offices in Denver and San Francisco. She and Grace spent a long time working on the design for that logo. Even if she couldn’t tell anyone about you, Quinn wanted everyone who came to the Kelly Foundation to somehow know about you, and to take some of your magic with them.”
Taylor scrubbed the back of her hand across her eyes but she kept looking at the photos. She angled the phone so Estela could see the screen. “Tell me more about Reggie. What’s that on his face?”
Estela laughed as she looked at her nephew. “That’s a picture that Diego sent me. When he and Varyyn were in London last spring, they babysat Reggie while Grace and Aleister had a night out and Diego said that no matter how hard he tried, Reggie managed to get more cereal on him than in him.”
“Varyyn in London... I bet there’s a story behind that.” Taylor finally put the phone down. “Quinn’s foundation and Raj’s TV show, and Michelle actually becoming a doctor... there are so many stories here, Estela! How am I ever going to catch up? And you! I’ve barely asked you any questions about what you’ve been doing!”
“Oh, querida.” Estela wrapped her arms around Taylor, and she swallowed hard when her wife – her wife! – returned the embrace. “I’ve been... living,” she said a little helplessly. “There’s really not much to tell. After I finished my degree, I went back to San Trobida. Tio Nicolas and I are closer than ever and I spend most of my time in La Colina. I have a little flat in London, though, for when I visit Aleister and Grace and Reggie.”
“You and Aleister are getting close?” Taylor asked, her voice thick with tears.
Estela laughed as she began stroking Taylor’s blonde hair. “Oh, that happened in no time at all, it seems, and I’m not sure which one of us was more surprised. I never thought I wanted or needed a brother, but here I am with a cranky self-important Englishman filling the role.” She smiled at the sound of Taylor’s giggle. “I have a brother and a sister-in-law and a nephew. I have a great big patchwork family, and a purpose in helping to rebuild San Trobida... I have a good life, but there was always one thing missing. You.”
Lifting her hand to Estela’s cheek, Taylor sniffed. “Vaanu was so confused at first after I rejoined them. They thought that I’d be absorbed back into their spirit immediately but that didn’t happen. All my time masquerading as a human being turned me into something so different from them and that made it impossible for me to be reintegrated into them. There was this impossible little chunk of humanity swirling around and... they knew that they had to bring me back where I belonged. They could have kept me – it wasn’t like I was hurting them by being different, but they knew that the human part of me would never be happy anywhere but here. And so they – Diego!” She thrust herself off the bed, and then froze.
In a moment, Estela was at Taylor’s side. “What is it? Does Diego need help?” she demanded in alarm.
Breathing hard, Taylor concentrated for a moment before her shoulders sagged and she opened her eyes. “He’s... all right. He just bumped his hand against something and that scared Varyyn – he called out without thinking. He says everything is fine, though, and he locked down his mind again.”
A little reluctantly, Estela nodded as she urged Taylor back to the bed. “I’m sure that if Diego needed us, Varyyn would say so,” she murmured as they sat down.
Once again, Taylor curled up against Estela’s side. A little reluctantly, she said, “Diego... is he really happy on La Huerta? I mean, I’ve seen how he and Varyyn are together, but I never thought he’d end up here forever.”
Estela sighed. “Diego left La Huerta with us when we were rescued. I think we all expected that he’d return here eventually but none of us had any idea that ‘eventually’ would come so quickly. It was just a little over three months before he decided that was long enough to be away from Varyyn, and so he came back here. He told me once that the logistics of living among the Vaanti and having a career in the outside world can be a little tricky, but the decision itself was the easiest one he’d ever made.” Estela hesitated. “And... I need to tell you that I’ve spent most of the time since you left us being horribly jealous of Diego and Varyyn. I hated feeling that way – it’s not like I would have missed you any less if they’d been miserable too! – but I just couldn’t help myself.”
“Estela... oh, God, I hated leaving you so much!” Taylor exclaimed as she held Estela tightly. “I wish I could have thought of some way to defeat Rourke and stay with you, but there just wasn’t time to come up with another idea.”
Estela managed a shaky laugh. “No, mi vida, no. You don’t need to apologize for saving the entire world! No matter how badly I was hurting, no matter how much I was grieving, I knew that you never wanted to leave me. It was just... the way things worked out.” She shook her head in wonder as she looked at Taylor, lying beside her in their bed. “And now it’s worked out again, in a way I never could have imagined.”
Taylor pulled Estela a bit closer. “Time didn’t mean much when I was with Vaanu, but it was like I was always dreaming of you. Your smile, your laugh, your soul. You were like a magnet pulling me back toward Earth. And all I want is to show you how much I missed you. It’s just....” She flushed and stammered as she went on. “Well, the house isn’t that big and I’m not sure how I feel about everyone... you know, hearing.”
Estela’s joyful laugh bubbled up. “Well, querida, I can put your mind at ease. After the first week we all spent down here – and, more specifically, the first week we spent with Craig and Zahra – Sean came back and put in as much soundproofing as possible. I don’t think anyone will hear us. And if they do... well, what do they expect?” She ran her hand down Taylor’s back. “So whatever you intend to show me... I can’t wait.”
*****
“Hey. Am I interrupting?” Taylor asked as she walked over to where Diego sat beneath a tree behind the beach house, reading a book. There was warm sand between her toes and just for a moment, she lost herself in the sensation. After being incorporeal for so long, simple things like the scent of flowers or the sight of a brilliant green bird flying overhead took her breath away.
He grinned up at her. “Never. Just enjoying the sunshine while I wait for Raj to finish breakfast. It’s going to rain in a while so we’ll be cooped up inside this afternoon.”
“Really?” Squinting at the clear sky above as she sat down, Taylor said, “Looks like a gorgeous day to me.”
Diego pointed at the tree above them. “We’ve got a few hours, but it’s getting humid and look at the way the leaves are turning around so the undersides are up. That means rain.”
Taylor looked at him in surprise. “And you notice all that?”
He nodded. “Well, yeah. I’ve lived here long enough to pick up on all kinds of things. Beats getting soaked, anyway. So where’s Estela? I think this is the first time I’ve seen her more than three feet away from you.”
Taylor waved at the beach house. “She’s on the other side of the house, on the beach with Varyyn and Jake. A messenger came down from Elyys’tel and I guess they’re getting a briefing on how the search of the island is going.”
“Yeah, I talked to Fedra when she got here.” He indicated the book that he was holding. “She brought me a care package from the Great Tree – I’ll even share the xitella preserves that Faranel sent down – and she told me that so far, there’s no sign of Lundberg anywhere on the island. They haven’t found the boat he stole either.”
Taylor sighed. “Do you think there’s a chance he’s hiding somewhere on the island?”
Shaking his head, Diego said, “I doubt it. I kind of wish that he was because then the Vaanti would find him and kill him, and then we could all sleep better. But nah, I’m afraid that he got away, and I don’t know what we’re going to do about that.”
Taylor began to speak but, unsure how to address how casually Diego spoke of killing Lundgren, she kept silent. Then again, he’d been living among the Vaanti for years. Learning how to read the signs of changing weather probably wasn’t the only thing he’d picked up from the Vaanti. Instead, she said, “You’re using your sling again? I thought you said yesterday that you were done with it.”
“That was the plan, but then I bumped my hand last night.” Diego picked up a fallen leaf to mark his place before he closed his book and looked over at Taylor. “And Varyyn said that since he doesn’t trust me to stop talking with my hands, he’d feel better if I wore the sling for another day or two.”
Taylor wrapped her arms around her legs. “Are you sure that’s all it was? Because I caught part of Varyyn’s reaction before he booted me out of his head and... it wasn’t good.”
“Yeah, I leaned on my hand – like an idiot – and it hurt for a few minutes. Everything’s fine now, though.”
Taylor shook her head. Almost under her breath, she said, “You all went through so much to bring me home, and what’s the first thing I did? I hurt you.”
“Okay, technically, it was the crystals, not you. And honestly? Even knowing now what it felt like, I’d do it again if I had to. I needed to get you back as much as Estela did. Living without you....” Diego gave her a one-shouldered shrug. Very quietly, he went on, “It’s weird... my memory, I mean. That first moment on the plane, I can kind of remember being in my seat and pretending to read a magazine. I wanted to get up and talk to someone, to anyone, but I didn’t know how to get a conversation going. I was so lonely. But then I looked over, and there you were.” His mouth quirked up in a smile. “My best friend – my first real friend, to be honest – was sitting right next to me, so how bad could things be? I teased you about not knowing who Sean was, and I teased you for the way you were looking at Estela, and I was probably more comfortable with you than I’d ever been with anyone. I don’t really know how to put this into words, but knowing that you were my friend, knowing that someone thought I was good enough to be theirfriend....” He tapped the center of his chest. “It gave me a little seed of confidence right here, you know? That’s something I never had. That’s something that you either gave me, or something that you brought out in me – I don’t know and I don’t really care which it was. I don’t think it matters, actually, and I’m certain that I wouldn’t have been able to get as close to all the other Catalysts if it wasn’t for what you gave me. Even though we were all weirded out those first couple of days when we had no idea what was going on, I think I had an easier time talking to people than I ever did before. And when all of you were... well, gone for six months, I somehow managed to not fall apart. I don’t think I would’ve had the strength to get through that if it weren’t for the connection I had with you. Just by existing, you gave me a strength that I never had before.”
“Even if I wasn’t real?” Taylor asked softly.
Again, Diego shrugged. “Define ‘real.’ Hope, and faith in the future, and love... you can’t touch any of them, right? But if those things aren’t real, nothing is. Ultimately, that’s probably what doomed Rourke – both the Rourke from our world and the one who tried to invade. Rourke never understood things like that. He chased power all his life but without things like hope and faith and love, he didn’t have any way to ground himself. I guess he... well, he turned himself into as much of a construct as you were in the beginning. But where you got more and more human, he got less and less. He never realized that he was chasing illusions and you – you were getting more and more human with every rebirth, with every second of every life you lived. The two of you were on opposite trajectories and that’s why he – our Rourke and the other one—ended up where they did, and that’s why you’re here.” Diego grinned. “Even if it’s going to rain in a little bit, right now you’re sitting in the sunshine with me. You look absolutely ridiculous in Raj’s shirt and Estela’s shorts, and I just heard your stomach growl so you’re as ready for one of Raj’s breakfasts as I am, and whatever you and Estela got up to last night... let’s just say that the mental overflow was enough to make Varyyn wake me up so we could get some sleep outside.” He laughed heartily at Taylor’s blush. “And for all that, for the privilege of having you sitting next to me again, a few burns are a small price to pay. Now let’s get inside.”
As they both stood up, Taylor looked at Diego’s bandaged hand. “I still feel... Diego, are you sure that’s going to heal?”
“Yeah, I’m sure,” Diego answered patiently. “IRIS and Davaxet both say it looks good. When we changed the bandages last night, Mike and I took a few pictures for Michelle and she says the same thing.”
“But if it’s not...?”
Raising his eyebrows, Diego thought for a few moments. “Well, if it doesn’t heal, I guess I’ll have Grace whip me up a fancy replacement. Really fancy with hidden compartments and it’ll do all kinds of cool stuff. We can build a smartphone into my palm, and I’ll have one finger I can plug into a power source, and another finger will be a flashlight, and another will be a laser pointer... oh, damn, now I’m almost sorry my hand is gonna be okay!”
Taylor threw her arms around Diego and pulled him into a tight hug, laughing through her tears. “You said I was your first friend, but you were my first home. Every time I appeared, it was next to you because that was where I belonged. If I’m real, it’s because of – oh, Diego, I missed you so much!”
Returning the embrace with his good arm, Diego kissed her cheek. “I missed you too and for the last time, having you back is everything. Now let’s get inside – time might be a construct, and the nature of reality and personhood might be up for debate, but breakfast is a universal constant.”
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marmolady · 1 month
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Grandchildren: Beatriz
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Summary: Endless Ending timeline. Middle-aged Taylor and Estela are entering a new phase of their life together, welcoming their grandchildren into the family. In four parts; this is PART THREE.
Word Count: 3496
Tagging: @saivilo, @edgydepressedchoicesthot, @sceptilemasterr, ​@mauvecatfic @rhemenway888
Thanks for reading!
__________________________
2060
Taylor placed down a plate of cookies on the coffee table, and sat alongside her heavily pregnant daughter.
“I know it sucks for you to not be able to fix everything,” Liv said, looking up to her mother with a grateful smile, “but don’t think your tending to my cravings isn’t appreciated.”
Liv was some seven months along, her belly huge and rounded. Heavy bags under her eyes gave away her lack of sleep, the worrying that had kept her awake long into the night. Her unborn baby, a daughter, had long passed the danger period where a miscarriage was a high risk, but she would not truly relax before the infant was in her arms. After all, the last time… the baby had been four months along, she should have been okay…. Most days Liv felt she was barely functioning, even with all the support her family, and Jeimy, could offer.
“I’ve felt so awful,” Liv admitted. “I let the blonde fade out… I’m sorry.”
“What do you mean--?” Then Taylor realised. The blonde streak Liv had always dyed into her hair… making the point of having at least a bit of her look like the mom she had no biological link to. “God, Livi, you don’t have to keep doing your hair a certain way to prove our relationship to me!”
Liv winced. “See, I know that logically, but it’s not about logic, it’s about feeling. It’s been since I was so little, it feels like I’m throwing something away… something important.” She sniffed and looked away, lost in a dark place. Was there anyone she didn’t feel she’d let down?
“You’re carrying a lot, sweetheart. Let that one go.” She tenderly stroked her daughter’s short hair. “If it makes you happy, keep in the blonde, but do it for you, not out of any fear of hurting me. I’m secure in myself, and in my role as your mom… so take that load off, all right?”
“I’m just… finding it hard. Harder than I expected, which is stupid, I should’ve known I wasn’t ready for this….”
Taylor kept stroking her fingers through Liv’s hair. There was nothing she could say that would take away the fear, or the grief that still lingered.
“Some people believe,” she said quietly, “that the soul doesn’t fully attach itself to the body until the moment of birth. If the baby’s born sleeping, the soul waits for another little life. I don’t know if it might help… to imagine a piece of Avis might be with you and Beatriz now.”
Liv’s eyes grew wide and watery. “I want her with us,” she whispered. “More than anything.” She sniffed and wiped her eyes. “I feel… I feel guilty sometimes even just for being excited about Bea coming. And I feel guilty that I’ve got this far carrying Bea when Jeimy had to go through that loss….”
“Sweetheart,” Taylor said, clutching her daughter’s hand. “You both went through it. It’s different, but your grief is real. Jeimy loves you, and they love Bea.”
Liv wept and snuggled into her mom’s shoulder, taking comfort there until her tears slowed.
“Mom… there’s something else. I need to check you’re okay with something….”
“I’m listening.”
“Well,” Liv wiped her face, righting herself a little, so she could look her mother in the face and read her. “We’d really like to use ‘Estela’ as Bea’s middle name.”
“Beatriz Estela Montoya? That’s pretty. That’s really pretty, swetheart. You were worried I’d be hurt?”
“I know we named Andi after you, but ‘Andromeda’ isn’t your actual name….”
Taylor laughed, and kissed Liv’s head. “Is this to get out of naming a dog ‘Draco’? You silly goose, didn’t I just tell you I’m secure in what we’ve got? Bea’s name is beautiful.”
Liv breathed a little sigh of relief. “Thanks-- we really like it.”
“She’s going to be really touched.” Taylor stroked the side of Liv’s face, adoring her. She could be a worrywart, her girl, but with what life had thrown at her in recent years, Taylor couldn’t blame her. Through it all, Liv was strong and kind, giving more of herself than she probably should, but somehow retaining her joie-de-vivre, her sparkle, dulled though it was on the darkest of days. “I love you, Livi,” she said. “I love you so much.”
And she hugged her, willing herself to somehow lend strength and courage where her daughter needed it-- if only it were that simple.
“It’s going to be okay.”
_________________________
It was pointless to keep checking her phone-- the message and ring tones had been set to blaringly loud so nothing could possibly be missed-- but that didn’t stop Taylor.
“Who you talking to, Grandma?” Andi asked, peering over Taylor’s shoulder.
Taylor hastily put it beside her on the floor. “No one, no one! Promise.”
Young Sol belly-crawled along the rug towards his grandma, then put himself in her lap.
“Hey, kiddo-- don’t worry, you’ve got my attention.”
“How many hours does it take for a baby to be born? They’ve been at the hospital all day!”
“Well, it depends. Sometimes, a baby will be in a big hurry to get out and it can happen in a couple of hours. Sometimes… it could even be a couple of days.”
“Days!” the two kids said in unison. It always tickled both Taylor and Estela that the two had an almost twin-like connection, their births only two days apart and inseparable since. Andi had often said ‘we basically are twins’ and no one could convince her otherwise.
How would another child fit into this dynamic? From the early days, Andi had been fascinated by her unborn sibling, talking about her constantly, while Sol barely seemed to register that a mammoth change was afoot. Until now, with his mom and nanay in the hospital, and not coming back until they had a baby to bring home.
“But,” Taylor added quickly, “last time your mom had a baby it was only five hours after she got to the hospital that Andi was born, and usually it’s faster once the mom’s already had a baby.”
“So, baby Bea could be being born right now?” Andi asked, reaching for her grandma’s phone. “And then they’ll ring and tell us?”
“She could be. And yes, they will. We’re just going to have to be patient.”
Andi huffed out a frustrated exhale. “Being patient is so hard! I wish we knew what was happening.”
“I know, mija,” Estela said as she came into the room with a plate of cocadas-- just how her mom used to make them. “Trust me, we’re all going a little crazy waiting for news. It’s just something we’ve gotta deal with.”
A tasty treat easily placated the easy-going Sol, who hummed to himself as he chewed, still sat in Taylor’s lap. Andi, though, wolfed hers down in what felt like seconds, and went straight back to asking after her mom and nanay. It was a challenge and a half, Taylor had to admit, to entertain two five-year-olds when one was completely incapable of thinking about anything other than the imminent arrival themselves.
Estela gave her wife a look. An understanding, ‘it’s driving me crazy too’ look. An ‘I’m with you’ look.
“Solito,” Estela said, determined to be distracted from worrying, and to have the kids distracted from worrying, “go and grab some paper and pens-- we can make some ‘welcome home’ posters for baby Bea-- good practice for your writing.”
Sol jumped up immediately, almost clocking his grandma in the chin as he got to his feet as was his enthusiasm. Reading and writing was a new skill, and one he was mighty proud of. He ran off, and as was typical, Andi was not far behind him.
It was hard not to be brought back to the kids’ mom learning to read and write. Liv had started a bit earlier, keen as she’d been to keep up with the older Reggie-- with whom she was inseperable. Liv would forever play with her alphabet fridge magnets; she took them with her from La Huerta, to San Trobida, to the States. Estela didn’t have any regrets about that rather fast-changing period in her daughter’s life… they’d given what stability they could, but it had never been possible to have a single true ‘home’. For these kids, though, home was San Trobida, a vastly different place to that the young Liv had known, and for Estela, it was barely recognisable as the war-torn country she grew up in. For baby Beatriz as well, the civil war and the horrors that came with it would just be a story told by her abuela, and a history lesson as she went through her schooling, as distant and irrelevent as the 2020 pandemic and dial-up internet.
Good for her.
Then Estela perched herself on the edge of the couch, only half-relaxing, for she could need to spring to action at a moment’s notice.
As if it had been waiting for the kids to leave the room, Estela’s phone rang, and she was up on her feet in an instant.
“Jeimy?” she asked too loudly. You’re gonna have to calm down…. She put the phone on speaker, though Taylor was right up by her ear so it probably wasn’t even necessary.
“She’s here-- they’re both doing great!” Jeimy cried down the phone, almost garbled in their excitement.
“The baby’s here? The baby--” Of course, the baby. Estela just laughed as relief and flooded her body. “Congratulations, Lorito,” she managed to get out. “Oh my god….”
“Pretty much what I said!” Jeimy laughed, ecstatic. “Beatriz is here, and she’s just divine.”
“Oh, Jeimy,” Taylor said, “you know it’s torture I can’t send you a hug down the phone, right?”
But even with the distance she could feel the happiness that radiated forth, and knew the same would be received. Then, the inevitable happened, and Taylor had to contend with tears streaming down her face. Her baby’s baby was here-- there was no way she wasn’t crying.
“H-how was it? Quicker than last time at least.”
“Everything went smoothly; I almost can’t believe it. It’s like… it’s like all the tension’s gone now… the scariest part is over. Liv’s feeling a bit wrecked for talking right now, but she’s happy. So, so happy.”
“Can we… can we tell the kids?”
Jeimy laughed, giddy. “Yeah, go ahead! We’ll get you to bring them down to the hospital soon-- we can’t wait to see them, just want to make sure Livi rests a little first.”
“Just… enjoy the peace and quiet with your little baby, okay?”
“And kisses for everyone from us, all right, mijo?”
“I’ll see to it-- I’ll see to it. You’ll give the kids a big squeeze from us as well! Love you-- love you-- bye!”
Estela hung up the phone and squealed, pulling a laughing Taylor into her arms for the tightest of hugs.
“We’ve got another granddaughter!” Taylor wept.
________________________
Liv’s eyelids were heavy as she watched the babe’s chest rise and fall. Their little Beatriz had made it earthside. There was no doubt in Liv’s mind; there would be no more babies for her and Jeimy. She couldn’t handle the rollercoaster. It would be her, and Jeimy, and Andi and Sol, and Beatriz… and that was all she’d ever need.
Safe and swaddled in her crib, an arm’s reach away from her exhausted mother, Beatriz had drifted off easily. Even bruised and swollen from the delivery, there was so much character in her little face.
“She looks like Sol did,” Liv whispered. “Not quite as much hair.”
At Liv’s other side, Jeimy was serene, sat up against their pillow. “I feel like I’ve been holding my breath for nine months,” they admitted. “It’s nice to breathe again.”
“I know the feeling,” Liv said. “At this point I’ll welcome the sleepless nights with open arms-- I’m just so relieved to have her here.”
Jeimy scooched closer and stroked Liv’s face. “How are you feeling? Physically, I mean.”
Liv looked up at them with a loving smile. “Very sore, very tired.”
Worth it, she thought, and she turned back to once again admire the little life she’d brought into the world. Oh my god, you are worth it.
____________________________
“Surely, no parent of a newborn in history has ever thought ‘oh, let’s have a party-- I could use some further disruption of my sleep patterns!” Aleister proclaimed. “And yet,” he added, “here we are.”
“I think ‘party’ is a strong word,” Taylor said. “Just a little get-together; good company, barbecue, and some fruit punch.”
Jeimy came over and hugged their uncle-in-law, welcoming him into the backyard, set up with lights and tables. “We’re not completely crazy; doing this at home means Liv and I can bolt upstairs with the baby and hide away at the drop of a hat. And if anyone was gonna disturb us, Mama ‘Stel would sort them out. Besides-- we’re not entertaining or anything, hence having everyone bring a plate and do their own dishes. Surrounding ourselves with love, but with as little of the hassle as possible.”
Aleister chuckled. “I can’t say I don’t still think you’re quite mad but… I see some of the appeal.”
Jeimy met his eye. “It means a lot Reggie coming home for us. I can’t say how much Liv’s missed him.”
“However all-singing-and-dancing the technology may get, it’s never the same as in person, is it? I hope it does Liv good,” he said sincerely. Aleister had been close to Liv all her life, for she and his own child Reggie had been something of a dynamic duo since before either could remember. She was his niece and he loved her, and through her mental health struggles he’d wished he could do more. It had been easier to be there for Estela, knowing that his support had helped her to be there for Liv. Reggie, he knew, was the healing balm that old Uncle Al could never be.
Thankfully, in the minds of the two parents of the new baby, the gathering had been able to be kept small and quiet-- certainly by the standards set by their ever-growing extended family. Naturally, Estela and Taylor were there, and Rosa with toddler Leo. Diego had made the trip from La Huerta a week prior, an additional support for Liv and Jeimy. Sean and Jake’s son Michael, proud donor uncle to baby Beatriz, as well as Liv’s older two children and Rosa’s unborn baby, was along for the fun; he’d taken up position as Chief of Fun and was keeping Andi and Sol out from their exhausted parents’ feet. His fiance and Michelle and Quinn’s youngest, Conor, was there to offer him assistance with the kids. Reggie was the guest of honour, the reason this whole thing was even happening-- and his sisters with their respective families, and Aleister and Grace rounded out the guestlist.
The back door swung open.
“Here she is!” Liv cried, stepping out with, cradled in her arms, a tiny bundle of baby in a puffy floral dress and a great big bow.
Michael turned to Jeimy and laughed. “What happened to the ‘gender neutral’ thing you were doing?”
“Hey. Flowers are for any and all genders.” Jeimy rolled their eyes teasingly. “Anyway, we gave up with the unisex name-- Spanish names are so damn gendered-- so thought ‘screw it, just put her in dresses if we like them’.”
“She looks cute,” Michael said, “but she’s gonna have to grow into that bow.” He held out his arms. “Cuddle with Uncle Michael?”
Liv chuckled, and carefully passed over the baby. As little Beatriz was placed in his arms, Michael absolutely beamed. There was no doubt he’d be as besotted over this kid as he was Andi and Sol.
“Damn, she’s cute!” he exclaimed. “You people are making me want a baby so bad. I’m pretty lucky to be a ‘donor uncle’ in the meantime, hey?”
“And we really appreciate it,” Liv was quick to say. Michael had basically given her the family she loved so much, and there were simply no words for what that meant. What was more, he’d given Liv’s Mama Taylor a genetic tie to her grandchildren-- a sort of link she’d once only dreamed of. Their family was unconventional, but in Liv’s eyes, it was all the more wonderful for what had been overcome to bring them to this moment, together. “It’s gonna be a pretty good excuse to get out to La Huerta regularly once Rosa’s bub’s here. We may have to tag along now and then-- I’m not having you usurp my position as ‘coolest visiting relative’.”
“I hate to break it to you, Liv,” Michael said, shaking his head in feigned sorrow, “but Jeimy sings, plays guitar, and has a talking parrot. You’ve never had the top spot to begin with.”
“Dude-- I can take my baby back---”
“Geez, touchy much! At least I know when I’m beat.”
“Just enjoy that cuddle, I’m pretty sure madam’s gonna be in high demand this evening.”
Content that her baby was in good hands, Liv felt comfortable enough to move a few feet away to check up on her older two. They’d blown her away with how they’d taken the new arrival in their stride; Sol was easy-going as usual, but Andi she’d been more concerned about, demanding as she was for fun and attention that simply was not in as high supply these days. But Andi doted on her baby sister, and was forever clamouring to be involved and help out. Now, the twosome had apparently roped Uncle Conor into a game of horsey-ride, with Andi was putting her newfound maternal side to use in steadying two-year-old Leonel with her hand as he had his turn, and Sol ripping up handfuls of grass to feed their new ‘pet’. Liv took an exhale and relaxed. Her little family was surrounded by love.
Then she turned, and there was the face she’d been desperately yearning to see.
“Reggie!”
“I told you, I’d be here, I’m not sure what all the fuss is abo--”
Liv flung her arms around her cousin, her best friend, and squeezed him with all her might.
“Steady on! You always have to be over-the-top about everything, don’t you,” he grumbled good-naturedly, but he kissed her the top of her head as she cried against his chest. He hugged her back, and gave a trembling exhale. “Now that I have you in person; congratulations.”
Liv came away to rub her teary eyes with the back of a hand. “I knew you were coming and everything, ‘m just a bit hormonal for this!”
She put her hands on her hips and took a few deep breaths, righting herself, then looked up at Reggie with a massive grin. He’d been with her through it all… both their spouses had been pregnant at the time, but she and Jeimy had lost their Avis, while Reggie and Mariama had brought home their healthy and bright Olivette-- named in tribute to their bond. Even struggling with parenting a newborn as well as his other two kids, Reggie had always found time for his old cousin, and it was a rare week that would pass without a call between London and San Trobida.
“How have you been?” he asked, “And don’t give me sass because I know childbirth can be godawful….”
“You really think I’d sass you?”
“Sure as bloody hell you would…. But are you doing all right? Other than obviously being touched in the head to have a blasted party of all things so soon after bringing a baby home. I just… I’d like to know you’re doing well.”
“We’re adjusting to the new normal,” she told him. “I’m adjusting… slowly but surely. And there’s grief that’s coming up, but I expected that. Mostly… I’m caught up in loving my baby girl, and so, so damn thankful that she’s here.” She grinned. It was as though she couldn’t think about her little Beatriz without doing so. “Do you wanna meet Bea? She’s having a cuddle with Uncle Michael right now.”
Reggie’s eyes lit up. “I did come all this way, I won’t not say ‘hi’. Actually, I may have promised Sammy and Ange that I send a few photographs-- it’s almost as though the need proof I’m actually here and taking meeting the new little cousin seriously.”
Liv laughed. “I’m sure we can manage that!” She took him by the elbow. “Come on-- you flew all the way from London, you get to skip the cuddle queue.”
And she took him to get acquainted with the baby, beaming as she walked him through a backyard filled with the smiling faces of the people she loved so much-- all there for her. Soon, they’d gather together, and raise a glass; to family, to good times, and to Beatriz Estela Montoya.
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mysteli · 8 months
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THE ANDROMEDA BOOKS
Here's the first story introductions for my complete rewrite of Endless Summer. I've included very rough visualizations of what I would want the covers to look like, more to establish a tone for each book though. Let me know what kind of scenes you'd be interested in me posting. I won't be posting anything that ruins any of the twists though - more to show the change in the characters and the setting.
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THE STORY CONCEPT
This rewrite is an exploration into the first timeline. Before Lo became The Endless and the timeline where all of the group presumably died. But what if that wasn't the full story? What if the origin story was more different than anyone ever really imagined? What change had come to the island throughout 1000 timelines? What happened in the five years Lo was in that pod and even more curiously, what happened after? Were the relationships between every character always the same? All these questions will be answered in this book.
BOOK 1 SYNOPSIS
A last hurrah on the mysterious island of La Huerta for a group of 12 young souls swiftly becomes odd when they arrive and everyone is gone. While some seek to know more, others still want to experience this once in a lifetime opportunity. Conflicting perspectives and an island trapped in multiple stages of time. There may be other unknown forces at play. Meanwhile, Lo is having disturbing visions about elements of the island, the people around her and a constellation that could be her saving grace or her downfall. After an unexpected death rocks their defenses, they will all have no choice but to seek out the truth, while watching out for the shadow of the powerful owner with a plan, Everett Rourke. The real question is, will they be able to trust each other?
Some of the book's elements - Takes place before the five year time jump. The island is plagued by new mythological/technological creatures, as well as familiar ones. Main romance is Jake and Lo so Quinn, Estela and Sean will not be treated as love interests because I literally hate love triangles and would rather write one romance as the focus and explore other side romances and see what I can do with them. More backstory and main plot links for all characters. New lore for Lo (so she's not an alien). New island lore also. Unexpected dynamics and duos; for example, Estela and Michelle. Beware - character deaths.
BOOK 2 SYNOPSIS
As Lo wakes up from five years of being frozen in a pod, she has no memory of where or who she is. The first face she sees is one she recognizes but cannot remember. A man who saved her from her slumber. After escaping Rourke's facility, she's greeted by an island that had succumb to ruin. Her mind is taking her back to the events of the last five years, as she tries to find the people her former self gave everything for. What happened to them and who was still out there, in a world so close to its end?
Some of the book's elements - you get none... yet.
CONCLUSION
Hope these are good introductions to what I have planned. I have a character specific one coming soon but I wanted to outline the concept of the stories before I did anything else. Please feel free to provide any feedback you have. I love knowing how I can make it better <3
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rhemenway888 · 1 year
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Endless Summer Appreciation Post
Just finished my second playthrough of Endless Summer, taking the time for both the Endless’ and Vaanu’s ending. Such a heartbreaking, yet incredible story. 
Coincidentally, today is also my “handfasting” with my first series of Archive of Our Own -- a year and a day since the posting of that first work, ha. Check it out here if you haven’t already. 
https://archiveofourown.org/works/34998160/chapters/87164383
Shout out to @mauvecat and @marmolady for their amazing works, thankful to ES for connecting us all. I enjoy sharing our love of ES together, and look forward to meeting even more of the fandom.
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elleirbagsstuff · 3 years
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I am in pain...
Endless summer is truly a masterpiece
Now if ya'll excuse me imma restart the whole series again...
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yukkimons · 2 years
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"Hello, You let your guard down a bit so I guess I win"
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Im shit at writing flirty characters and ik this is cringe pls forgive me 😭😭😭😭
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