#i just have the epic sense of being the eldest sister and needing to put some ppl in their place BAHAAHA

[guiltysecretpasttime]

Linzin Week 2021 Day 4: Gaoling / Nobility

Note: Here is my contribution for Day 4: Gaoling / Nobility. I admit - this was a bit of a ramble, a ramble that I rather enjoyed as I tried to put into writing this plot bunny I had in mind. Hope you like it. (unedited as of posting time)

-----

Pairing: Lin/Tenzin

Rating: Teen

One shot, AU

You may also read this in AO3.

Lin scrabbled around the room, lifting objects and crouching under furniture. Apparently, searching for clothes appeared to be challenging if they were strewn haphazardly the night before.

Aha.

She crawled partially under the bed, taking care not to stay on the floor too long, to grab her shorts. Her top and underwear, meanwhile, she snatched from behind the lounge seat.

As she put on her underwear, she mused at how the past days went -her five days of independence in Ember Island.

It definitely was lovely, a nice escape from reality and the pressures of her life. She knew she had to make the most of it. It would not be long before the lackeys of her grandparents would find her.

Lin believed herself stealthy and crafty enough to escape Beifong manor undetected. She was proud to say that she did all that and managed to arrive at Ember Island without bribing anyone. She liked to think that she would have made a good criminal or detective if she were not born into the House of Beifong.

Poor Suyin. Her grandfather was sure to tighten security at home now. There was no way her younger sister would manage to have the same ‘liberties’ she had.

Lin snorted as she tied her hair up.

Not like there was a lot of freedom to begin with.

A groan came from the figure on the bed.

Lin hurried dressing up. It simply would not do to have to have that morning after conversation.

The man continued to slumber on, turning to his side, mouth open with a bit of drool at the corner of his lip.

She smiled at the view while she stuffed her other belongings into her satchel.

As much as she wanted for a repeat of the night before (and earlier that morning) and to run her fingers through his soft brown hair, the earthbender knew that her self-control would be tested. She was bound to end up not leaving at all. And that, she sighed at the memory of the pale wiry arms that were wrapped around her, would be catastrophic. There would have been no way for her to hide her identity if her family descends upon Ember Island.

After one final look, Lin Beifong slipped out of the hostel room of her technically three-night stand. She fled to the inn on the other side of the island to prepare for her trip back home.

It was unlike her to be reckless. But damn Agni, did she need this.

But, of course, her life being her life, her luck being her luck, little did she know that this act of rebelliousness would have its repercussions.

 ---

Tenzin bit his cheek to stop from furiously answering back. They were at the last leg of their diplomatic tour.

Tour.

He scoffed.

More like the Search.

As in the Search for a bride.

Correction – the Search for His Bride.

It was quite tedious, honestly. They have been at it for more than a year now. His father descended from the Air Nomads but this was amount of time on the road was ridiculous.

He did not mind travelling, honestly. He enjoyed it. The feel of the wind while using his glider or the sight of the clouds while on Oogi… In fact, the misguided yet hopeful part of him saw to it that he travelled at least monthly to Ember Island, in a bid to recreate the blissful memories of a past vacation (or rather, in a bid to try and meet the earthbender again, though he failed at spotting her every time).

On the other hand, travelling with his parents meant having a retinue composed of his father’s main advisory council and security. It was fine – for the most part. Accompanying his father during his diplomatic visits around the world was unique, educational and inspiring.

What he hated was that the advisors tended to barge in at all times of the day, leaving no respite for the family when they were on the road.

Right now, for example, Abbot Yuji was going on about the status of the Northern Air Temple.

His father is the Avatar and the one of two of the last airbenders so it was expected that this was well within the territory.

What was grating was how Abbot Yuji started to describe the temple and the lovely female air acolytes that populated it.

Having an acolyte from your Air Temple married off to the family of the Avatar? Outstanding. Having an acolyte from your Air Temple married to the only single airbender? Priceless.

He was getting frustrated at the blatant -.

“Stop frowning, Tenzin.” His mother whispered to him, leaning at his side. “You know Bumi underwent the same thing.”

Oho but no, Bumi did not.

The thought made Tenzin frown deeper.

 Avatar Aang and Master Katara’s eldest son had gone ahead years ago and caused a scandal when he eloped in the Fire Nation capital. It was a love match.

Even Kya, the most free-spirited of the siblings, had discarded tradition, gotten engaged them wed to an air acolyte. It was also a love match.

Tenzin wanted the same, except, since apparently he was the only one left of his family bloodline to take over his father’s position in the Air Nation, it was close to impossible to form any lasting romantic entanglements.

There was a lot to take up, to get heavily involved in the Air Nation. To be fair, all of the children of the previously last airbender were equally exposed and poised to lead as part of their birthright. However, Bumi went on to be the consort of the Crown Princess of the Fire Nation. Then, just a few years ago, Kya agreed and, together with her wife, settled in the Southern Water Tribe to take up the mantle as the chosen heir of the late Chief, their Uncle Sokka.

That left him – Tenzin, the airbender.

The master airbender, his father would proudly introduce him – all shaved and tattooed. Despite the ceremony being a few months old, it all still felt fresh to him. It certainly felt odd to him to be shaven and so Tenzin had taken it upon himself to grow out a beard.

Anyone who would marry him would be part of the most powerful dynasties to date. His currently unmarried state was not due to the lack of prospects. And yet for some reason, his parents still saw it fit to keep going back to Gaoling.

Gaoling – which was the only city-state in the entire Earth Kingdom that had their nobles shun the Avatar and his family when they dropped by to visit last year.

Gaoling – where, coincidentally, was where they were a few miles in.

“Why do we keep going back here?” Tenzin turned to his mother once his father made his routine exit of the satomobile. Aang would usually leave the vehicle and go ahead of the convoy, using his glider to reach their destination earlier. “They don’t seem interested in meeting up with us anyway.” He was referring to the highborn family of the area.

Katara paused in the knitting she was working on. “Your father was almost betrothed to their daughter.”

This information took Tenzin aback. They all grew up hearing their parents’ epic love story. This was mainly why they had wanted the same for themselves. So, to hear that it was almost a different story was surprising.

Tenzin shook his head. “What happened?” He eyed the gates with the winged boar insignia the loomed nearer.

“Your father was going around at that time, seeking for support to campaign against the tyranny of the Fire Lord.” His mother tucked her yarn and work in progress in a weathered pouch. “It did not help his case that he had abandoned his role for years on, resulting in the Air Nomads being wiped out. There was a bit of bargaining and one of the conditions of Lao Beifong was to have the Beifong heiress wed Aang.”

Tenzin vaguely noted that the rest of their convoy turned left to the town proper while only their vehicle urged on forward.

The gong sounded from outside of the satomobile, announcing their arrival at the large ominous gate of Beifong estate.

“And then?” Tenzin prodded urgently as the gates opened and the satomobile crept slowly into the grounds of the Beifong family.

“Aang was weighing his options then when the younger Lady Beifong refused adamantly. We were turned away that same moment from the estate. In an unexpected turn of events, Toph Beifong saw it fit to defy her family and joined us. She became your father’s earthbending teacher.”

Tenzin’s eyebrows raised.

He had grown up to tales of his father’s bending masters. Only the blind earthbending master Toph, who became the world’s first metalbender, remained a bit of a mystery to him. For one thing, aside from the Monk Gyatso, he never met her. He only learned now that she has a surname.

There was a sense of anticipation now.

Maybe they will get to meet her in a few minutes?

Tenzin looked out the window. They were now parking in front of what looked to be a sprawling mansion. They have certainly made it further than they did in the last non-visit, where the guards did not even open the gates for them.

The metalbender was the stuff of legend. After having established a metalbending academy, Tenzin can find no trace of what happened to Toph Beifong.

So much was his anticipation that Tenzin did not notice the somber expression of his mother.

 ---

Lin sat in front of the dresser in her bedroom, silently watching as her grandmother’s maid finished tucking her thick black hair into a bun and placing the last strand of beads coiled around it. After ascertaining that she did not need any further help, the maid made herself scarce, stating she will be back once Lady Beifong called for Lady Lin’s attendance.

Lin blinked once at her reflection on the dresser mirror.

Twice.

She did not feel like herself.

She tilted her head.

She did not look like herself either.

If she were to be honest, the last time she truly felt like herself was the reprieve she had during her stolen time in Ember Island.

Breathing deeply, she reached for a tissue. Methodically, the young woman wiped off one side of her face, then the other.

She blinked again as the angry red marks on her cheek became visible.

 ---

A touch of his wife on his arm and Avatar Aang knew what she was asking.

It was unusual for none of the Beifongs to be standing in attendance to welcome their visitors.

Aang tucked his wife’s arm into his and patted it. He nodded to his son to follow.

Various household staff bowed to them as Aang led them deeper into the manor. Tenzin looked around curiously, keeping himself within hearing distance of his parents.

“Lord Beifong is in bad shape; he has been since the fire that broke out in the estate last year.” Aang finally shared.

Katara gasped in dismay, gripping Aang’s arm tightly. “And Lady Beifong?”

“She’s doing the best she could. She is…coping.”

“And their grandchildren?”

Aang shrugged weakly, stating he had not seen the grandchildren of the Beifongs yet.

“Is this why they are now considering the proposal…?” Katara trailed off, tossing a quick glance at their son who was seemed to be preoccupied by the framed portraits they were passing.

The Avatar nodded. “I had hoped it would be a joyous occasion, but this is what we’re dealt with.”

 ---

Tenzin clutched the warm teacup, looking into the dark tea in contemplation with what he had learned so far.

He sat at his parents’ side at the formal tearoom of the Beifongs, a silent participant and observer. Across them, Lady Poppy Beifong sat demurely, seemingly fragile and with the graceful bearing of someone born into the nobility. The airbender found it hard to believe that this woman gave birth to his father’s tough earthbending master.

Pleasantries were exchanged at the beginning and a stream of maids served them tea and an assortment of light snacks. His father shared about the different festivals across the nations that they had attended recently while his mother told stories about the flora they encountered during their trips. Even he was called upon to talk about the developments across the reconstruction of the Air Temples. Lady Beifong calmly spoke about the renovations in their estate, to revive the areas that the fire had touched.

After some obscure statements that were traded among the other people in the room, Tenzin was struck by the realization.

Toph Beifong was dead.

For how long – Tenzin tried to recall of portraits in the hallway – it must have been a long time ago as all of the portraits and photographs were quite dated.

Oddly enough, grandchildren (Toph’s children?) were mentioned and yet there were no photographs of them.

 ---

Lin tapped her fingers somewhat nervously on the armrests. She tried to get engrossed in the book she was reading, but her mind was not into it.

A few rooms down, her future was being decided, so much for being a young woman of independent means.

 As expected, upon her return from Ember Island, Lin received the scolding of her life. Never mind that she was already in the twenties – running off on her own was unbecoming of a Beifong Lady.

Words were said. Lord Lao Beifong’s word was final and his granddaughter had no other recourse but to continue to submit to the duties of the Beifong heiress. The families that depended on their lands for a living were part of her responsibility. Both the Beifongs and their staff flourished under Lin’s attention. Lao was pleased with the profitability of their produce and in turn, with Lin. At least, until it became a Problem.

Once it became apparent, Lord and Lady Beifong cut down the number of their staff and security, locking once again the Beifong gates, unwelcome to any visitors. It was during this period when the Avatar and family had passed by for a diplomatic visit the year prior.

It was also in this situation, a few months later, did fire strike in the household. With the limited staff, it took a long time to get the fire under control. By then, her grandfather, who had been at the indoor arboretum at the time, had inhaled much of the smoke.

Lin and her sister had sought to pry open the gates of the arboretum that had gotten tighter during the fire. In a miscalculated move, metal shrapnel that Suyin fashioned out of her practice cables flew from her grasp and hit Lin as they both struggled to release their grandfather. Despite the blood dripping to her chin and Suyin’s teary apologies, Lin did not pause and endured the pain while working on metalbending the gates open.

They did succeed though Lord Beifong was not the same presence as he used to be.

Once assured that her grandfather would live, Lin endured one of the longest nights of her life.

 Since then, changes as to how the household was run were made. Since then, Lin took it upon herself to manage the estate as penance. After all, if it were not for her situation, her reckless behavior, there would have been adequate support in the estate to prevent the fire from spreading.

Bringing herself back to the present, Lin stopped her woolgathering as the knock on the door signaled that her presence was wanted by her grandmother and her visitors.

With one last look, Lady Lin stood to meet with her prospective in-laws.

 ---

Tenzin waited in tense silence with his parents.

He knew the drill – they had done this song and dance numerous times with other noble families around the different nations. Discussions about potential courtships between him and the daughter, eliciting information about familial expectations and loyalties… Nonetheless, not a single marital agreement came about.

One word from him and his parents would cease and back off from the negotiation or pursuing the potential bride.

Today, however, sitting in the opulent tearoom in the Earth Kingdom while waiting for Lady Beifong and her granddaughter, felt different. There was something in the air, a history that seemed to tie the two families. Or at least, the Avatar and his earthbending master (who, Tenzin learned had quietly passed during the birth of her second daughter).

Click-click-clack-click-click-clack.

Lady Beifong’s shoes echoed at the corridor, followed by a softer set of steps.

The door slid open.

 ---

Lin kept her head bowed as she greeted the family of the Avatar.

A Beifong lady keeps her eyes averted. So, she did.

A Beifong lady keeps silent until spoken to. So, she did.

She sat down beside her grandmother, hands crossed on her lap, vaguely paying attention to the discussion.

That was why she was surprised to feel a cool hand touching her scarred cheek.

 ---

“…Introduce you to my granddaughter.”

 Everything paused for Tenzin when Lady Beifong stepped aside to present the younger Lady Beifong.

 He caught sight of her face.

Her eyes. He will never forget those eyes.

 He went through the motions next, his body on autopilot as his mind brought up memories he frequently revisited.

 Those eyes which crinkled in laughter when he dropped her in the sea.

Those eyes whose pupils dilated in the dark as he gripped her thighs high.

Those eyes which rested on his without judgment while he whispered his fears of not being a good enough bender for his parents.

 Lin now sat before him, where he now found it easy to observe her.

Her face – her porcelain skin was slashed --- who could have done this, what could have happened?

He was barely aware of what he was doing, he reached out gingerly to touch –.

SLAP!

Lin looked at him aghast.

His parents and her grandmother faced them in alarm.

Lin stood up. “Excuse me, everyone, grandmother, may I be excused?” Without waiting for a response, she bowed and rapidly made her way out of the room.

“I-I-I,” Tenzin stammered, dazed. “I apologize I don’t know what came over me.” He motioned to follow. “I need to find Lin.” He bowed and went out as well.

 ---

It took them a few more minutes to recover from what happened.

And it took them several more to realize that they never did mention yet Lin’s name to Tenzin.

 ---

“Wait, Lin – I’m sorry – wait!” Tenzin managed to grab her arm when she turned at the end of the corridor.

Lin shrugged him off. “How dare you!” She gritted out, each word hard with controlled anger. “Just because I look like this,” She waved a hand in the direction of her scarred cheek. “I don’t fit the mold of the perfect debutant your parents might wish for you – you don’t have the right to -!”

“Lin, I’m sorry – and it’s… it’s me!” He placed his hand on his chest. “Tenzin, from the beach.”

“No, you’re not.” Lin stared at him.

“I’m Tenzin – from Ember Island, don’t you remember me?” He plodded on, almost desperately. Didn’t their encounter mean anything to her like it did for him?

“No, you’re not him.” Lin shook her head frantically. “Were you hired by grandmother? Suyin? This isn’t a funny joke.” Her voice rose a pitch with each sentence.

What.

Then it clicked.

Damn – his hair.

Maybe Bumi was right – his personality came with his hair.

“No, Lin, it really is me – I – I’m a master bender now.” He raised his hands up, showing the tips of the tattooed arrows.

 ---

Lin took a step back, finally taking in the man who was her potential betrothed.

It couldn’t be…could it?

He did sound and look like the Tenzin she met last year…

Then it clicked that it was him.

How could she not have recognized him when she had retreated to thinking about their time in Ember Island as an escape…

 “Excuse me, Lady Lin? It’s his feeding time.”

Lin froze, almost regretting her instruction to the governess that she could interrupt whatever Lin was doing at any time. She swallowed thickly, ignoring Tenzin’s dumbfounded expression and plastered a smile on her face.

She turned to the governess who had been looking for her and reached out her arms to take the precious bundle for her.

“Hello, dear, are you hungry now?” Lin Beifong nuzzled the baby in her arms.

 ---

Footsteps clattered nearer to where they stood.

Lady Beifong, Master Katara and Avatar Aang came to a halt as they rounded the corner.

Lin, Tenzin and even the baby turned to face the new arrivals.

Tenzin leaned forward, gravitating towards the child, who blinked back at him with bright grey eyes.

“Sweetie,” Katara started cautiously. “Not to be anything but – don’t forget about propriety, don’t act too...familiar with them.” Her eyes darted towards the Beifongs and their staff, likely worried that any action might be turned against him and he would not escape the situation unscathed.

“I think I’ve done more than enough to be familiar with Lin, mother.” The airbender tickled the nose of the child, to the outraged gasp of Lady Beifong and the widened eyes of his mother.

“Ah-CHWOOOOSH!”

Silence fell on the group.

The baby giggled as he rubbed his nose.

Lin and Tenzin shared a look of awe.

 Of all their trips to Gaoling, Avatar Aang could claim that this was his favorite.

The day he met his airbending grandson.

 ---

Avatar Aang and Master Katara’s children all grew up hearing their parents’ epic love story. This was mainly why they had wanted the same for themselves.

The eldest, Bumi eloped with his childhood sweetheart, the Fire Nation’s Crown Princess Izumi. It was a love match.

Their only daughter Kya married her air acolyte wife in a simple Southern Water Tribe ceremony. It was also a love match.

Their youngest child, Tenzin wed the mother of his child, Lady Lin Beifong of Gaoling. It was, as everyone concluded, also a love match.

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

Note: And that's the end~. Love it or hate it - let me know!

#linzin #linzin fanfic #linzin2021 #lin beifong #tenzin

[hotpinkrathian]

From Chaos to Order

A Kuvira Story

8 Years old

"She's a master Metalbender Kuvira, she's going to take care of you and teach you."

"But I don't want to go! I want to be with you guys!"

"Believe me sweetheart, it's better for you if you're here." Kuvira remained silent, staring up at the massive domes of the city, the countryside fading behind them.  The wide gates of the metal city opened, and Kuvira watched her parents exchange a happy glance, leaving her out of it. Their carriage stopped, and her dad stepped out, picking her up and placing her on the ground beside him. "Go on," he told her, giving her a nudge.

"You must be Kuvira?" An older woman said, leaning down to meet her eyes. "My name is Suyin, this is my city, Zaofu."  Kuvira's eyes widened at the sight beyond the woman- Suyin, the city was so... clean. "Your parents tell me you're a metal bender,"

"I am!"

"Can you show me? Move this," Suyin said, placing a small metal bar on the ground. Kuvira dug her feet into the ground and focused, stretching her arm out and lifting the brick. Slamming it back down into the earth. Suyin raised her eyebrows and nodded in approval. "That was amazing Kuvira, if you stay here, I can teach you to do great things with your bending."

"Like what?" Kuvira asked, crossing her arms in the same way that made her mother chuckle.

"Like this," Suyin smiled, before taking a hardened stance that Kuvira memorized. She stared in awe as the woman pulled one of the large domes that framed the sky down toward her, the mass of metal shifting with her movements.

"Wow!" Kuvira gasped.

"You can do that too, with hard work." Kuvira nodded, and when the woman crouched down with her arms open, she ran into the hug. "Come with me," Suyin said, standing up, "I'll show you my home." She offered Kuvira her hand and Kuvira took it, looking back at her parents with a smile as her and Suyin walked into the city, unaware that she would never see them again.

10 years old

"Kuvira, honey, can you go get Opal from her room? Tell her it's time for dinner."

"Okay mom." Kuvira stopped in her tracks, her face flushed and she looked back at Suyin, who stared at her with a surprised look on her face."I'm sorry," Kuvira said in a frenzy.

"It's okay Kuvira." Suyin said, smiling brightly like always. She set down the platter she was holding and came up to Kuvira, who felt herself shaking with emotion. Su crouched before her, holding Kuvira's hands in her own. "You can call me mom if you want Kuvira. I don't mind."

"Really?"

"Really." Su replied, kissing her on the top of the head.

"Thank you," Kuvira replied in a barely audible whisper.

"Now Go fetch your sister." Kuvira's head reeled, not because she had called Su mom, but because Su had called Opal her sister. And she had never had a sister before.

12 years old

“Mom, why is everyone at school mad at you?”

“What do you mean Kuvira?” Su said, standing opposite of the counter as Kuvira.

“The boys at school said you were being selfish.”

“About what?”

“I don’t know, they said you weren’t helping the Earth Kingdom. That you should be doing more.” Su sighed, coming up to Kuvira who swung her legs off the stool. Su placed a hand on Kuvira’s back, and looked at her with a gentle smile and soft eyes.

“The Earth Kingdom is different then Zaofu,” she explained, “the earth kingdom is run by the Queen, and her legacy. Zaofu, we are our own little place, run by our own people. Problems in the Earth Kingdom aren’t up to us to solve, that was the rule when I created this city.”

“So why are they mad?”

“Their not mad, their parents are mad and the boys are listening to them. Many citizens here have family in the earth kingdom, and many of them want their families to come here. But there simply isn’t enough room, we don’t have enough people to expand the city.”

“Oh. Why don’t they help with the city then?”

“Because like we don’t interfere with the Earth Kingdom’s troubles they don’t interfere with ours.” Kuvira thought about this. To her it sounded like excuses, certainly her mother and the Earth Queen could figure something out. They could work together to better the entirety of the Earth Kingdom and Zaofu. But she kept her mouth shut and nodded. Su smiled and gave her a kiss on the head before disappearing down the hall.

14 years old

"Are you sure this is a good Idea Kuvira?" Baatar Jr asked, twiddling his thumbs.

"Of course it is. You like this girl Zinnia right? Well you have to know how to kiss her. So kiss me."

"Okay, if you think that'll work."

"I know it'll work," she replied, full confidence in her plan. Bataar leaned in, warily, and Kuvira moved to meet him, much more enthusiastically. She press his lips against his and she hummed slightly at the contact. She placed her hand on his knee to get closer, and she opened her eyes, peeking to see if his were open too.

"Guys have you- oh my god!" Su shouted, running toward them. She pulled Baatar off the bed, and Kuvira screamed a bit. "What are you doing?"

"Mom we were just-" Bataar began to explain.

"Never mind. You guys you can't do this."

"Why not?"

"It's... it's wrong. You just can't."

"But we wanted to. For practice." Kuvira explained.

"Kuvira no, you can't kiss Baatar."

"But I like him."

"Kuvira no!"

"But mom!"

"Don't... don't say that. Just stay here. Bataar come with me. Kuvira I'll talk to you about this in a bit."

At the time Kuvira didn't understand what she had done, she liked Baatar, and she could get him to kiss her no one was getting hurt. Except her. She lost a mother once before, and on that day she managed to loose her other one. She never called Su 'mom' again.

17 years old

"Hah! You're going to have to do better than that Wing. Hey! Wei you can't help him!" Kuvira yelled, dodging the stone that had nearly taken her out. She lifted two pillars underneath either of them but they were undeterred.  She looked around, hoping to get a sense of something that would throw them off. And just as she sidestepped a metal discuss she caught sight of it, one of Su's meteorites sitting on its podium. She stretched out her arm, smirking at the twins reaction when nothing happened and they smiled, so sure of themselves, that was their biggest flaw. She bent her arm in and the chunk of meteorite came flying from behind them, sending Wei to the ground first, and stalling Wing long enough for Kuvira to push a rock under his feet.

"Hah! Even with a teammate I still triumphed." She bragged.

"That was shady using that meteorite."

"Yeah that was out of bounds!"

"Out of what bounds? I beat you, take the loss." The boys sighed and Kuvira brushed the dust off her arms. Su stood on the steps, so Kuvira made her way over to her.

"That was impressive Kuvira."

"Thanks. One day they'll beat me."

"I doubt it. My boys are strong, but you're something else." Kuvira blushed, a smile tugging at the edge of her lips at the praise. "Have you thought about what you want to do when you turn eighteen?"

"Not really... I've been putting it off. I'm sorry I know you've been waiting for an answer."

"It's fine, take your time. But I just want to suggest that maybe you work for the Zaofu guard. The city could use more benders like you to defend. And maybe one day, lead it." Kuvira raised her eyebrows in surprise. Lead it? She hadn't even considered the possibility of stepping into Suyin's shoes when she was gone. Defending, fighting was one thing, but leading? She had to admit, it had appeal.

"That's... wow. For you to even think that I could lead this place is..."

"Enough to convince you?"

"Yeah." Su patted her on the shoulder before walking back into the house. Kuvira watched her go, the look of surprise on her face unfazed by time. Matriarch Kuvira Beifong. It had a good ring to it, of course the last name was a placeholder she'd have to ask Su, but it could work. Suddenly she had a vision of her future, and it didn't take long for her to have it planned out.

19 years old

"Okay Huan, honey, leave the statue. This is a nice family picture can you just smile please?"

"Son listen to your mother." Kuvira watched as the Zaofu Royalty shuffled into a disgruntled photo. Wing and Wei being the front runners for best comedic smile, behind only Baatar Jr., who held up bunny ears behind Opal, all the while smiling at Kuvira. She smiled back at him, shaking her head in fake disproval at his actions. She stood next to the camera, and the man with it, her arms tucked behind her back. She watched, as they took the photos, like they did every year. Every year she waited for Su, or Baatar to call her, to tell her to hop in the picture so she could stand beside Bataar Jr, making bunny ears behind Huan. But they never did.

"Kuvira, dear," Kuvira looked up, pulled out of her thoughts. "Can you pass me the medallion?" Su asked from her position between her husband and her eldest. Kuvira smiled weakly, she had let herself get hopeful again, and it hurt all the more. She pick up the medallion and tossed it, Su used her bending to make sure it reached her hand.

"Okay, one two three, flameo!" The camera guy said, the family repeating after him. Kuvira turned away, the other guards could handle it, she needed to be alone. She walked to the back steps, over looking swing and Wei's make shift battle arena. She smiled at the fond memories of epic battles on that field, or rather clear area of rock. She had tried everything, everything to be a part of the family photos. She wrote it in a card once, she chickened out when delivering it and instead pushed it under her bed never to be seen again. She felt footsteps come up behind her and she looked to see Baatar coming up behind her.

"Hey," he said, sitting next to her. "Mother is looking for you."

"Su's looking for me, you mean."

"Yeah." Despite physically being the same person, Bataar's "mom" and "Suyin" were very different people. And they both knew this, between the two of them they had a system that let the other know which version Su was in at the moment.

"She's probably not that impressed her guard just walked off." Kuvira suggested.

"Probably not, but she'll understand if you just explain it to her."

"Explain it? Explain what exactly? That I want her to see me as a daughter again? It's too late for that Bataar. That ship has sailed." He looked at her sympathetically,

"Maybe not," he replied, placing a hand on her knee. She looked up at him, fear in her eyes, and rising hope in her heart. She felt the longing, wanting to lean in and kiss him, but she took to long, because Su found her.

"Kuvira! There you are. You can't just leave your post at random."

"Yes, I'm sorry." She stammered, standing to meet her boss.

"Are you okay?" Su whispered.

"I'm fine, I just have an awful headache. Needed some quiet."

"Oh, well if you need to go rest Zinnia can take over.

"I'll be okay, I'll see a healer briefly if that's alright."

"Of course. I'll se you in a bit then." Kuvira nodded and and walked past Su, when Su wasn't looking she looked back at Bataar, sticking out her tongue and making a funny face. He winked and grinned in response as he engaged his mother.

21 Years Old

"After careful consideration and testing, we have chosen you, Kuvira, to be the next captain of the Zaofu guard." Kuvira raised her eyebrows in surprise, allowing her jaw to drop into a smile.

"Wow I... thank you!" She replied.

"You've earned it,"Suyin said, placing the silver badge onto Kuvira's chest. Kuvira bowed, taking a step back and allowing Su to enough space to leave. She watched her go, the Matriarch's arm tucked behind her back, similar to Kuvira's own. When the crowd had dispersed, and her friends and fellow colleagues had said their congratulations she caught sight of Baatar Jr at the edge of the room. She made her way up to him, and frowned slightly when she saw him engaged in a conversation with Zinnia.

"Kuvira," the girl said, "congratulations! You absolutely deserve this, no one works harder than you."

"Thank you, Zinnia," she smiled, "do you mind if I borrow Baatar for a minute?"

"Not at all, I'll see you later Baatar," Zinnia said, kissing him on the cheek. Kuvira avoided eye contact until the other girl had left.

"You looked Nobel up there," Baatar said, the same floppy smile on his face that had captured Kuvira so long ago.

"You're too kind."

"What comes next for you?" Bataar asked.

"I'm not sure, there's been some disagreements on some matters of authority, with me in the picture hopefully we can get stuff done."

"Yes well, Su's always been one that requires convincing. Once she has her mind set on something it's hard to change it." He explained, pushing up his glasses.

"I think I can handle her."

"I don't doubt it," he replied. She stretched out her hand, offering it to him in a shake. He didn't take, instead he wrapped her in a surprising hug. "I am really proud of you Kuvira. You're going to do great thing for this city. And maybe even the whole earth kingdom." Kuvira smiled, returning the embrace.

"I hope one day we can work together. There's no one else I'd rather have my back."

23 Years Old

“There must be something we can do to help? Just yesterday three different people travelled from different villages, asking us for help. Their villages have been raided by bandits their children starving! We can spare a few guards send them-“

“No Kuvira. I told you once, we don’t concern ourselves with the problems in the Earth Kingdom.”

“Maybe it’s time we should! Without a leader it will be run it into the ground, how long is it going to be before someone takes advantage of it and starts pushing their political ideals on us. We should act first-“

“Kuvira enough! I appreciate your input but I’ve made my decision, the district of Zaofu will remain neutral on this case.” Kuvira stood up, shaking her head in disbelief.

“If you won’t step up to help your kingdom, then I will.”

“Kuvira What are you talking about?”

“I will take the role of leader of the earth Kingdom.”

“Kuvira...”

“Why not Su? I made captain of your guard at 21. I’ve trained every day since I was 8 years old and you said it yourself, Zaofu needs more benders like me to lead it. Are you not confident enough in your ability to train me to be able to trust me with this?”

“Kuvira I-“

“I-what? Su.”

“I have no words. If you really think that you are capable of bringing back an entire Kingdom then I won’t stop you.”

“But you won’t help me either.”

“No, as usual, Zaofu will remain neutral.” Kuvira nodded, shoving down her frustrations.

“Very well. I’ll see you soon, Suyin.”

“Goodbye Kuvira.” Kuvira left, stalling outside the door for a moment to process what had just happened. She was going to rule the Earth Kingdom, she was going to use the ashes of the Queens Empire and she would build her own. But she couldn’t do it by herself. She knew Suyin wouldn’t help her, but she knew someone who would.

“Bataar?”

“Hmm? Kuvira you’re back! How’d it go with mother?” He asked, kissing her on the cheek.

“It... went.”

“Were you able to convince her?”

“No but... I assumed leadership of the Earth Kingdom.”

“What?”

“Bataar this is the moment I’ve been waiting for. People out there, they need me. They need us.” She said taking his hands. “I need to know if you will come with me.”

“Kuvira, you know I’d follow you anywhere.” She pulled him, kissing him passionately. “Where do we even start?” He asked when they pulled apart.

“Well there’ll be an announcement for one thing, so a speech would be appropriate.”

“Do you know what you’re going to say?”

“I don’t know. The Earth Kingdom was left to the maggots, bandits have taken control over towns across the province. It’s literal chaos.”

“So we have to stop the chaos,”

“By bringing back order.”

“Good morning residents of the Earth Kingdom. I, the Great Uniter declare the Earth Kingdom no more. From here on out, you are citizens of the Earth Empire. As an Empire I can promise you wealth, protection, and Order!”

All hail the Great Uniter!

#kuvira #kuvira backstory #kuvira is redeemable #suyin #baavira #legend of korra #kyalin #lin beifong #team avatar #korrasami #asami sato #avatar the last airbender #suvira

[laulink]

Like Mother like Daughter

A.N : Katarina and her children are meeting her mother for an afternoon tea and talk about various topics.

This is mostly a way to introduce the kids I imagine for Katarina and Maria. I also imagine Katarina would renounce her noble title somehow, so her kids are not raised as nobility, hence some of the questions they ask in this.

Enjoy !

 Duchess Claes : Your children are so nice and well-behaved, it’s really quite the contrast compared to how you were as a child.

Katarina : *laughing a bit nervously* Yeah, I do realise, in retrospect, I wasn’t really an easy child for you to handle.

Elina, 10 years old, Katarina and Maria’s eldest daughter who takes most of her looks from Katarina, including her light brown hair and the strands falling across her brow and to the right side of her face : Mom, you were a troublemaker as a child ?

Katarina : *a bit embarrassed* Not really in the sense you’re thinking of. I didn’t play pranks or that sort of thing. But… Well, I had some hobbies and mannerisms that weren’t befitting of a young lady. Mother tried so hard to teach me to act like a noble, but no matter what, I was a bit of a tomboy and I never gave up farming, so it was a lost cause.

Thomas, 7 years old, Katarina and Maria’s adopted son, sporting short brown hair and brown eyes : Huh ? You weren’t supposed to farm ? But why ? It’s such a useful skill !

Elina : Yeah ! Mama always says it too, that there’s nothing useless to know and you should always try to learn about a lot of things !

Katarina : And it’s true. But there are always things that are more or less important to know, you see ? For a farmer it’s very important to know how to farm, but not for someone who lives in the middle of the city and doesn’t have a place to grow a garden. For nobles, it’s less that they don’t have the possibility and more that there are a lot of things they should try to learn before farming. For example, dancing, embroidery, tending to flowers, eating properly, walking gracefully, and so on and so forth. So Mother was upset that I spent so much time on something that wouldn’t be as useful to me as learning to dance or to play the piano.

Thomas : Why is learning the piano more important than farming ? It doesn’t make sense !

Duchess Claes : That’s because the nobles value the arts more than farming. A young lady’s first duty is to be beautiful and graceful in everything she does. If she can be smart on top of that, it is all the better.

Elina : What is all this for ?

Duchess Claes : To find a good person to marry, of course. The higher the rank, the better. For a great Ducal family like ours, it wasn’t a stretch to imagine our daughter marrying in the royal family. But for that to happen, she needed to be well-educated, a true jewel standing out from the crowd of the other nobles.

Thomas : Then, does that mean Mom didn’t manage to find a good match ? In terms of nobility I mean.

*Katarina almost chokes on her tea and the Duchess looks at her, surprise clear on her features.*

Duchess Claes : You never told them ?

Katarina : Well, there was never really a reason to talk about such things until now…

Elina : Told us what ?

Duchess Claes : Katarina got engaged to the third prince of the country, Prince Giordo, when she was 8 years old. He was madly in love with her, though she didn’t realise it for the longest time. Then she met your Mama, Maria, and fell so head over heels for her that she decided to break off her engagement to Prince Giordo.

*Elina and Thomas are gaping and looking at Katarina like she had just grown a second head*

Elina : Mom ! Why did you never tell us ? This is like an epic fairy tale !

Thomas : Did you have to fight a dragon ? Save Mama from a curse ? With a true love kiss ?!

Katarina : *waving her hands in front of her* No way, no way ! There were some complications, but it mostly had to do with Prince Giordo being stubborn and continuing to try to seduce me instead of giving up, nothing like a dragon or a curse !

Elina : *crossing her arms* Well, if that Prince was being stubborn, then he deserved to get dumped ! Men who can’t take no for an answer are not cute at all !

Katarina : *suspicious* … You heard that somewhere, didn’t you ?

Elina : Yes ! Miss Rosario said that to Henry when he kept asking Anna for a kiss ! Even though she had told him she didn’t want to kiss him !

Thomas : *leaning toward his sister, listening intently* And then, and then ?

Elina : *proudly* He said that he was the best looking boy in class so Anna had to like him the best, but then Anna said that she liked me best and she kissed me !

Thomas : *gasping and looking impressed* That’s so cool ! Sis, you’re like a knight in a fairy tale !

Duchess Claes : *laughing behind her fan* That’s what they mean by “like Mother like Daughter” ! 10 years old and such a ladykiller already ! Careful Katarina, or she might end up with 10 suitors too !

Katarina : *already looking like her soul is leaving her just thinking about it* Please no…

Elina : Wait, Mom, does that mean you had 10 suitors ?! It wasn’t just Mama and Prince Giordo ?

Duchess Claes : Oh no, far from it ! Don’t ask me how, but your Mom managed to seduce all the people she made friends with as a child, and then some more when she was at the Academy, including your Mama ! 10 is only counting the ones I knew of at the time, but I heard there were even more.

Katarina : *grabbing Elina by the shoulders* Be very careful, Elina ! Don’t let people get the wrong idea and grow in a group of suitors around you ! Trust me, this is not something you want to see happening.

Elina : *looking resigned* Don’t worry about me, Mom, I don’t think I’m in much danger. *pointing to something behind Katarina* If there’s someone you should be worried about, it would be Amelia, since she’s so cute and angel-like.

*Katarina turns around to see Anne walking toward them, holding the little Amelia, 2 years old, rubbing sleep from her eyes after her afternoon nap. She was Katarina and Maria’s third and youngest child and took most of her looks from Maria, including her golden hair and crystalline blue eyes.*

*Amelia, noticing everyone looking at her, smiled brightly at her family and waved her little hand toward them. Everyone felt their heart being suddenly crushed with love for the angelic baby*

Katarina : Yes, you’re right… Definitely got to be cautious with her.

A.N : Putting that here because I didn’t want to “spoil” the kids before the beginning of the ficlet :

- Elina is a light magic user, like Maria, and while she likes farming with her Mom, she’s more interested in academics and studying magic. Like Katarina, her kindness and honesty got her a lot of admirers, but she’s far less oblivious about it than her Mom. She’s a bit mischievous, but never mean, especially when pranking her siblings (Thomas is her favourite target). When she has a goal in mind, she tends to forget everything else around her, so Thomas (and later Amelia) have to keep her in check.

- Thomas is a fire magic user. He was born in a commoner family, like Maria, but his magic manifested a lot younger than normal ; when he was 2 years old, he set fire to his family’s home. His father was furious, both because of the damage and because of the assumption that his wife had had an affair with a noble. So furious in fact that he hit his wife, who fell down the stairs and broke her neck, dying instantly. Katarina and Maria, who were in town for work, heard of the fire and intervened before the man could cause harm to his son. They arrested him and took Thomas home with them, then decided to officially adopt him. He is aware the two are not his birth mothers, but they haven’t told him the details of how he lost his birth family yet. They’re waiting for him to be a bit older.

- Amelia is a light magic user as well. She is already a total cutie and she will only get cuter when growing up. She is also very kind and soft, leading people to underestimate her intelligence. She doesn’t use it against them most of the time, unless there’s a very good reason for it. Elina and Thomas are very protective of their little sister, but sometimes it is Amelia who protects them and she can get really scary when she wants to be.

#my next life as a villainess #otome game no hametsu flag shika nai akuyaku reijou ni tensei shiteshimatta #hamefura #katarina claes #duchess claes #elina campbell #thomas campbell #amelia campbell #katarina x maria #katamari #my post #my writing

[justlookatthosesausages]

May I suggest Anna and Kristoff telling their story to their kids, mirroring the time Agnaar and Iduna did that to young Anna and Elsa, and the kids being amazed at the story and ask about their auntie Elsa which eventually leads to a snow sisters reunion?

(THE FEELS AHFHFJFFJGHG!! this is so good I’m gonna go for a big drabble I think hahaha - and of course I get inspiration from your Kristanna children OCs)

=======

“And you jumped off a cliff??” Asked Hugo, eyes wide. 

Kristoff giggled as he tucked his eldest son in his bed. “Yes I did. Well, actually, it’s your mother who jumped first. I had no choice but to follow her. Just like in life…” He added with a wink.

Anna, who was standing on the threshold with a sleepy Andrew in her arms, shook her head with an eye roll. 

Hugo had a mischievous smile. “So you did crazy stuff too, mama, uh? Did you get a scar like me?”

“No, I didn’t” Replied Anna, still in her guilt after his incident on his first ice harvesting trip when they encountered wolves. “Also, I was 18 when it happened. Try not to risk your life again until then, uhm?”

He giggled in his sheets, and Kristoff ruffled his hair with a laugh. 

“Jumping off cliffs is epic”, commented the blond boy. 

His parents smiled, and Anna gave a sign to her husband as she left the room. “Come on, we have to put Andrew to bed.”

“I’m not tired!” Exclaimed her youngest boy in her arms. His voice was so drowsy that it got comical.

Anna smiled and nudged his nose with hers. “Yes you are.”

He mumbled something, putting his head back on her shoulder. 

“Mama, could you tell us another story before sleep?” Asked Hugo.

Andrew’s face jumped up, now totally awake and excited. Anna had to restrain herself from grunting. She knew how impossible it was to put Andrew to sleep after a second bed time story. “Another one??”

“Yessss, pleeeaaase!” Begged the two princes with big eyes. 

Kristoff tapped the sheets of Hugo’s bed. “Okay, mama sits back down. But a short one, alright? What do you want this one to be about? Andrew, you get to choose.”

The redhead boy had a thinking pout as he sat on the bed next to his mom. “Can you tell us a story about Auntie? We haven’t seen her in a while.”

The cute, warming, familial atmosphere in the room suddenly vanished. Kristoff stopped smiling, and cleared his throat as he lifted his eyes to his wife. 

“I already told you last week, sweetheart.” Said Anna, her voice suddenly weak. “She’s busy up North.”

“Because of the war?” Remembered Hugo. 

Kristoff gave a sad look to Anna. 

“Yes, because of the war.” Said Anna. She forced herself to smile and have a strong voice. “She needs to protect the land from the destruction that humans could bring when they fight each other.”

“Why do they fight each other?” Frowned Andrew, who never understood hate and vowed to always have a peaceful behavior. 

“It’s adult stuff, buddy. It’s too complicated. You’ll get it later.” Summarized Kristoff. Now was not the time to get political. 

“Is it dangerous for her?” Asked Hugo.

Right in Anna’s heart. She gulped audibly, and Kristoff put a soft hand on hers. The Queen turned to him and gave a reassuring nod. “It’s okay. I can talk about it.” She whispered. 

“Yes, it’s very dangerous.” Stated Anna to her sons. “She has to get in the way of both sides, and not take any, and make sure that Nature doesn’t get attacked on the… Battlefield.”

She had paused before saying the last word, and Kristoff looked at her with a supportive gaze. 

“Do you believe in her?” Said Andrew, and the question was turned to both his parents. 

“Of course”, immediately said Kristoff with some pride. “She’s amazing.”

“She’s the person I admire the most. She’s brave. She’s powerful. And she’ll always succeed.” Smiled Anna. 

The two princess nodded in silence. Even from their young age, they perceived the emotion of the adults in the air. 

“When will she come back again?”

“How long have you not seen her?”

They asked at the same time, and Anna clenched the sheets with her fist to not cry right then. She passed a hand in her untied hair and tugged it behind her ear.

“It’s… Wars can be long, you know, and… Uhm… It’s been more than a year since I last saw her. Since we all saw her.” She added, bringing the ‘us’ feeling of her family to give her courage. “But I get news from the battlefront from time to time from the informants, and there are rumors that the war is getting to its end.”

The two boys gave hurrahs and cheers, glad it ended on a positive note. 

“Alright, you two devils, it’s time for bed now.” Smiled Anna, remaining happy, for the little faces of her children filled her heart with love again. 

She was about to take Andrew in her arms once more, but Hugo tugged her sleeve. “Can you close the window before leaving?”

Anna frowned and looked up, and saw that indeed, the window was half open. 

“I didn’t even notice it was opened. Kris, did you–”

“No, I didn’t do anything.” Frowned the man. “You know I don’t want Hugo to catch a cold.”

It was true, and Anna squinted her eyes as she stood up from the bed and walked to the window. The air of the outside was cold, and she hurried a bit to take the handle and close it. When suddenly, something in the air caught her attention. This type of cold felt familiar. 

The redhead passed her head by the window and looked down the castle at the field below. Something seemed to shimmer in the distance, walking slowly along the grounds and to the walls of the castle, just under Anna. Something white, sparkly, and her long untied clear blonde hair was floating in the evening wind, and her smile was visible even from here… 

Anna let out a great gasp, and clasped her hand on her mouth. Even if her expression was a proof of big emotion and happiness, Kristoff ran to the window to see what she saw. And his jaw dropped as well, melting in a smile. 

With a swirl of snow and wind, the smiling figure below rose up to them, floating in the air right in front of the window, and the gust of wind pushed the windows apart so she could enter. 

Elsa had planned to land next to Anna, but she barely passed the window sill that suddenly Anna grabbed her in the air and pulled her in her arms for an intense hug. 

The Snow Queen yelped in surprise, and almost fell on her younger sister as the wind behind her closed the window neatly. In a gasp, Anna tightened her arms around her, her nose buried in her neck, and Elsa smiled and gave her the intensity of the hug right back. She finally put her feet on the carpet of the bedroom, and smiled at the familiar sensation both under her ice sandals and the warm feeling of being in Anna’s arms. 

They stood there a while, being in each other’s presence without saying a word. Kristoff noticed that Anna was practically clamping herself to her sister, and he chuckled as he stepped closer. 

“Hey, let her breathe, maybe…” 

Anna let go of the hug and apologized, and indeed Elsa had to retrieve some oxygen as she stepped out of her arms. 

“How are you?” Asked Kristoff, delighted to see her again as well. 

“I’m really well, thank you”, smiled Elsa with a giggling voice, and she already filled the room with happiness as she did so. “It’s just been the tightest embrace you’ve ever given me”, she added to Anna as she massaged her ribs. “I haven’t felt this constricted since I got crushed by giants. I missed your amazing hugs.”

Elsa still had her hand in Anna’s, and she passed her thumb along her fingers. The latter giggled with a big smile, then it briskly dropped. 

“Wait, what? Crushed by giants??” 

The Snow Queen waved her other hand for a dissuasive effect. “They didn’t do it on purpose. I’ll tell you later. It’s a long story.”

Anna interpreted from her answer that she wasn’t going to stay for long, and all glee disappeared from her heart. Elsa seemed to read in her like an open book, because as soon as Anna looked down in disappointment, the blonde put her hands on her shoulders. 

“I plan to stay for a long time in the castle. We’ll have plenty of days to catch up now that war is over. I’ve heard that you planned big changes to expand Arendelle? I can’t wait for you to tell me all about it.”

Anna’s eyes danced all around Elsa’s face as she listened to her and had so many emotions at each word she said. There was so many informations to process, and was speechless as she didn’t know what to reply; her mouth dropped open. 

The elder melted in a smile at her reaction, and came closer to kiss her forehead. Then she saw the children behind her. 

All that time, the two princes had been staring at them three, and were too shy and overwhelmed by the situation to even say a word. Elsa stepped to them, her untied hair floating around like a mane. 

“Hugo! Andrew! Gods, you grew up so much!” She exclaimed, a big smile stretching her face. 

She clearly was emotional, and the boys giggled in return. Kristoff stepped closer.

“Now they’re…”

“9 and 5 years old, yes” Smiled Elsa.

Kristoff missed a heartbeat, and Anna seemed shocked as well. She knew? He thought that for all that time, and all the events she had to face and take care of, she could possibly have forgotten her nephews’ birth dates. But judging from her confident look at she stared at the boys, she knew exactly. 

The mountaineer turned his head to his wife, and noticed that Anna had tears in her eyes, overwhelmed by both the surprise to see that she knew, and the happiness to have the presence of her caring sister again. Elsa said she missed her hugs, and Anna too, but also the aura of her elder and the way her faced beamed with love. 

“Do the magic! Do the magic!”

The Queen was snapped out of her daydream by Andrew’s voice. Childish and therefore high-pitched, it reminded her of her own childhood memory when she asked Elsa this exact request. That was the trigger; when she blinked, Anna’s tears finally went down her cheeks, and she let out a slight squeal. 

Elsa’s sense of hearing was sharpened since her Fifth Spirit transformation and her experiences in the wild, so she turned around with a worried expression as Andrew and Hugo were jumping on the bed under her shower of snowflakes. 

“Are you okay?”

The redhead rubbed her tears, and let out a giggle that sounded like a gasp of relief.

“Yeah, I just… I’m so happy that you’re here, Elsa.”

The elder smiled tenderly in return. “I am too.”

#somecallmejohn #asks #this is super cute i love writing auntie elsa #kristanna #kristanna children #aunt elsa #frozen #frozen fanfictions #frozen drabbles #frozen prompts #frozen 2 drabbles #frozen 2 prompts #post frozen 2 #frozen 2 #snow sisters #frohana

[bbrandy2002]

Happy Birthday Burnsy!

@burnsoslow​

Burns,

You probably don't remember this, but the first time I ever talked to you was a reply to your comment on my fic, The Breakfast Club, in early July. I'm not sure what possessed you to reach out to me a week later in chats but, you did and its been one wild and crazy ride since then. You've certainly come a long way since we were new and mulling over those earlier stories-or in your case-Heavier Things, Chapter 1 (YOU ARE STILL WRITING THAT...LOL) . And while you have sooooo many friends here, for some reason you chose me to be your Tumbler Bestie. I hope you know you are so much more than that though ... you're my sister, my twinsie, a truly good friend. You've inspired me in ways you'll never know. I have watched you grow in your craft and reach an unprecedented level of talent that is evidenced in the quality of your work and through the amount of enthusiastic readers who can't wait for you to post the next epic chapter. You did it all through a tremendous amount of hard work, lot of tears and because you have a likeness that draws people to you. You're just truly an incredibly, special person who possesses a certain spark that makes this crazy place even better. And I think I tell you enough, but you really are one of the best writers in this fandom. And as you say to me all the time, I'm gonna say to you ... I'm one proud TBFF!! I can't thank you enough for all the late night laughs, bull sessions, real talks, 6 hour chats about nothing, letting me know when I'm being a dumbass or just being there when things get really, really tough. The fic I wrote isn't anything special and definitely could have been better, however I hope in some small way it captures the essence of our crazy friendship. Keep growing and shining and being your amazing self.

Love you my friend and Happy Birthday!!

Brandy

**You asked for Drake, Alyssa, Riley and Liam shenanigans. I don't know if this will be what you were expecting, but its what I came up with after 20 different versions. You'll recognize some of this as inside jokes or dialogue and situations from your own stories (yep, I stole them...lol). This is wacky and crazy and makes no sense. Okay Im shutting up now.

Thank you @sirbeepsalot for gutting the hell out of this on Monday night and @emceesynonymroll for SO MUCH of your help and suggestions. Also to my lovely pre-readers/keep me saners @jessiembruno and @loveellamae

Song Inspiration: You're Still The One by Shania Twain. **Drakes final dialogue will come from these lyrics.

Alyssa pulled her black mini-van through the palace gates, running over a cone and nearly taking out Michael, the security guard, in the process. Her hair was swept up into a very messy bun and her sunglasses were perched atop her head. She was wearing a blue, faded Bears sweatshirt, black leggings with a small hole in the crotch, and a mismatched pair of flip-flops -- both were for the left foot. Unable to find a close parking space, she double-parked her van in two handicapped-accessible spaces. She checked her reflection in the rear view mirror and wiped away the smudges of mascara that had run below her eyes. 

She was hurt and mad as hell, yet waited until, 'DIRRTY’, finished on the radio before shutting the van off and tossing the keys in her oversized mom purse. Alyssa’s dainty fingers fumbled hastily as she tried to release the lock on her seatbelt with no luck. "You son of a bitch! Let me go!"

After pulling and tugging, twisting and karate chopping at it as hard as she could, she finally freed herself.

“HAHA! MOTHERFUCKER! GOTCHA!”

Alyssa snatched her purse and cell phone before she swung the door open, hopped out, and kicked the door shut. Still mumbling obscenities, she walked a few paces before turning back around and hitting the van’s hood with her swinging purse. “Fucking hold me hostage like that again and I’m driving your ass into a ravine!” 

Everyone who knows Alyssa Walker would say she is generally a fun, loving, and sociable little woman. She’s a devoted wife who has been married to the man of her dreams for several years and a wonderful mother to their children. She's very successful professionally, having served as the Royal Education Director for 8 years. A social butterfly of sorts, she’s been known to give Maxwell a run for his money, in regards to being considered the life of any party. On most days, Alyssa is typically outgoing and joyful.

Today is not one of those days.

Her flip flops were barely hanging on as she trudged across the lawn that led to the palace gardens,  thoughts of her morning crossed her mind. 

For every single birthday since marrying Drake, she would wake up to the smell of bacon, scrambled eggs, and french toast wafting through the cabin. She would lay in bed and pretend to sleep until Drake and the kids burst in with a tray full of freshly prepared foods, a hot cup of coffee, and a glass of orange juice. They would shower her with kisses and hugs, sing Happy Birthday, and then wait anxiously as Alyssa took the first bite to see if their mother approved of the time and effort they put into making her birthday morning special. When she finished, like clockwork, Drake would send the kids outside with the eldest child and give Alyssa a gift that only he could give her; one that required the skilled use of his lips, hands, and the colossus that was his … well … colossus.

Except, there were no bacon, eggs, or french toast. There were no kids jumping on the bed to wish her a happy birthday and fighting over which one hugged her first. Drake did not send the kids away when she finished her breakfast nor had she risen from the bed barely able to walk from the most mind-blowing sex she’d ever had. 

None of the things she expected happened. 

When Alyssa woke up this morning no one was home. All she found was a letter by the coffee pot from Drake, telling her the kids went with Maxwell for the day and that he would see her after work. To make things worse, her 20 attempts to call him that morning went straight to voicemail.

Drake had been working late and acting shady for months, telling her he was helping Liam take care of some horses they were preparing for next month's derby. Lately, she was beginning to wonder if there was something more he wasn’t telling her.

Now she was late for her luncheon with Riley.

As Alyssa rounded the corner that entered the gardens, she saw Riley on the patio arranging a tray of fresh fruit and sandwiches on the table. An array of metallic birthday balloons danced and bounced from the chairs with the changing breeze. Alyssa frowned with resentment towards her best friend of over 20 years. Bitch is still in her 30s.

Riley’s focus was averted when she heard the sound of rustling leaves behind her. She turned on her heels and said, “Happy 40th Birthday, Old Lady!” Her cheery voice trailed off when she caught sight of her disheveled friend. 

“Lyss? What the hell happened to you? You look like shit.”

Alyssa strode past Riley and threw her purse on the ground beside a chair before she slumped down into it.

Riley furrowed her brows with a snicker. “Bad day?”

Alyssa reached for a strawberry and dipped the entire berry, stem and all, into a dish of melted chocolate before leaving behind a trail of droplets from the dish to her mouth. As she chewed, she mewled. “Ma life if ofer!”

Riley scrunched up her face and arched back in an attempt to avoid the spittle of food that sprayed from her friend’s full mouth. She sighed heavily, grabbed a napkin, and wiped away the chunks of fruit-and-chocolate-mixed saliva that landed on her arm. “Oookaay, what’s going on? Why is your life over?”

Alyssa threw the stem on her plate and leaned forward into the table, gesticulating dramatically. “He didn’t tell me happy birthday, Ri! There was no breakfast, there was no spoiling, there was no fucking, colossus dick! There was nothing!”

“Who? Drake?”

“No, fucking Santa Clause! Of course Drake.”

Riley bit into her sandwich as Alyssa complained about Drake’s lack of attentiveness over the past few months. It wasn't the first time her friend had mentioned this to her; however, judging by how upset she was and the fact that she was dressed like a $2 hooker, she knew it was really serious now. 

Alyssa continued to point out how Drake was always working and, supposedly, was helping Liam out with the horses too. When he returned home each night, his clothes were sweaty and dirty but never smelled like horse shit. To make things worse, the sex had dwindled. Alyssa could give up a lot of things in life, but Drake's dick was not one of them.

“I know he’s cheating, Ri,” she lamented, wiping a stray tear from her cheek.

“Nooo.”

“YES! He’s found another woman … someone younger, sluttier, who hasn't popped out a bunch of kids!”

Riley scoffed. “Lyss, everyone knows Drake worships the ground you walk on. I’m sure there is a good reason why he hasn’t paid as much attention to you lately.”

“But he KNOWS I’m needy and clingy and desperate for love!” she wailed.

Riley lifted the napkin from her lap and tossed it on the table. Her friend was a hot mess -- a more than usual hot mess -- and she wanted to help. She stood and walked around the table to her grieved friend and grabbed her tiny hand. “Come on.”

Alyssa’s weepy eyes stared up at her in confusion before she let out a small sniffle. “Where are we going?”

“We are going to the stables. You said he is there today, so let's go talk to him.”

Alyssa sat back in her chair and crossed her arms. “I’m not going, Ri. He needs to come to me!”

Riley began pulling on her friend's arm, but Alyssa was not being very cooperative with her efforts. “Get your ass out of the chair, Lyss, and go get your man.”

Alyssa pulled back harder. “Get off me, you skank ass ho!”

Riley continued to tug at her, surprised there was so much strength in such a little body. “Bitch, I will drag your ass and this chair all the way to the stables!” 

“I’d like to see you try, dumbass!”

With a hard jerk from Riley, Alyssa’s chair tipped over and she landed on the ground. Her resolve never once faded. While Riley continued to tug at her arm, Alyssa reached over and grabbed her broken flip flop and began smacking vigorously back at her. 

Riley immediately let go of her and stumbled backwards. “You have gone insane!” she groaned. “I tried to help you and, if this is how you’re gonna act, leave me out of it!” She turned to walk away and glanced back quickly. “You know the way out.”

“Ri … wait.” Alyssa called out softly to her.

Riley stopped and quirked her brow with a huff. “What?”

“Can palace security take us down? You know my ass ain’t walking that far.”

Riley called for a guard to take the 30-second drive to the stables. Both girls hopped off the cart and entered the empty barn. Riley called out for members of the stable staff while Alyssa’s eyes roamed the perimeter for her husband.

“Your Majesty? Did you need something?”

Riley turned to face the man in charge as he walked around the corner wiping his hands off with an old cloth. Before she could acknowledge him, Alyssa popped in front of her, nearly knocking her over.

“Eric!! Where’s Drake?”

The Queen smiled at the stable manager. “Eric, we’re looking for Drake.”

He looked between the two women, confusion etched across his face. “Is he supposed to be here, ma’am?”

Riley looked at Alyssa, who looked like she was ready to snap at his question, then back to Eric. “Um … yes. He told Mrs. Walker here that he would be helping in the stables today.”

“Hell … I’d say its been a good --” Eric paused to calculate before turning his attention back to the women. “--three  … maybe four weeks since I last saw Walker here. Came down with King Liam to take the newest horse, Driam, out for a ride … it made me real hard ma’am”

“Hold the fuck up!” Alyssa yelled with one hand on her hip and the other covering her forehead. “He told me he has been helping out here for the last several months. Is that not true?”

Eric, realizing what is going on, backed up defensively. He could sense this was not something he wanted to be a part of. “Nope. I'm not getting in the middle of your marital woes, Ms. Alyssa.” I just want in the middle of your husbands.

Alyssa approached him and aggressively poked at his chest. “Oh, you are in so far in the middle of my woes now, Ricky boy! So drop the bros before hoes bullshit and spill what you know.”

Riley grabbed both of Alyssa's shoulders from behind and pulled her aside. “It’s not his fault, Lyss. Plus … I think Eric’s the ho in this case”

Alyssa shrugged her away and began to pace back and forth frantically. “I’m seeing sounds, Ri. I am seeing fucking sounds all over this bitch!”

“Oh God, Lyss! No!  Don’t look at the sounds ... Don’t look at the sounds” She turned her frantic friend around to face her, squeezing her arms soothingly. “Look at me.”

Alyssa’s lips quivered as she stared back at her best friend. “I’ve lost him, Ri. I’ve lost him.”

“No, you haven’t.”

Alyssa sniffled through her tears and wiped her nose on her shirt sleeve. “Can me and the kids live with you now that I’m a single mother with a cheating ass husband?”

Riley pulled her into a hug, rubbing comfortingly along her back. “Of course you can, but maybe we should talk to Liam first.”

Lyss wiped her tear-stained face on Riley's shoulder and pulled back. “Liam loves me. He won’t care if I stay with you.”

Riley smiled with a nod. “Yes, he does love you, but Drake loves you too and you know that. There has to be a good explanation for everything.”

“Then why did he lie? He’s never lied to me, Ri.”

Riley gave her friend a sympathetic frown and shrugged. “I don’t know, girl, but let’s find out”

Palace security was once again summoned to haul the girls back to the palace.

Liam was in his office taking part in a video conference with Queen Elizabeth when his door burst open.

“WHERE IS MY HUSBAND?!”

His eyes went wide as he cut them to the flash of Alyssa barging in and stopping behind him at his desk; Riley was just a step behind her. Liam’s face flushed as he looked back at the camera and apologized for the interruption.

“Alyssa, dear,” he whispered. “Now is not a good time.” He motioned to the video feed on his laptop.

Alyssa turned to the laptop with the 106-year-old Queen’s face still illuminating from it. “Turn the hearing aid down, Lizzie! Unless you know where Drake is, this conversation doesn’t concern you!”

“ALYSSA!!” Liam stood, towering over her petite frame. “Are you coming for your King?” (had to put that in there lol).

“Liam, she's had a rough day and, remember, we love Alyssa,” Riley interjected with an innocent smile.

“We do, but she can’t just barge in here while I’m working!”

Alyssa grabbed his tie and yanked him down closer to her face. “Please, just tell me you know where Drake is. He said he was working for you and he’s not. He didn’t tell me happy birthday, he didn’t make my breakfast, and he didn’t fuck my brains out this morning!”

“Oh My!”

Alyssa turned back to the laptop. “I thought I told you to turn your hearing aid down, you old coot!”

Liam’s hands covered his face in embarrassment as he fell back into his chair. 

Alyssa crouched down in front of Liam and pulled his hands from his face. “Real talk, Li. Did you or did you not ask Drake to work for you?”

He stared at her for a moment with a deer-in-the-headlights look. He knew exactly where his best friend was and what he was doing -- he had known for months -- but he couldn’t tell her that. 

Nervous, Liam knew there was one way to solve this problem. He reached over to his intercom and pressed the call button. “Bastien.”

A split second later, the door to Liam’s office opened and the head guard entered. “Your Majesty?” he said as he bowed.

“Yes, could you see Alyssa and my wife out, please.”

Exasperated with Liam's request, Alyssa stood back up and eyed Bastien with a steely glare. “I’m not afraid of this bitch! He’s the one who raised the man whore my husband became with all his hookers and shit. My children are fatherless now because of you!”

Refusing to leave, Alyssa plopped down on Liam’s lap and gripped the armrests of his chair tightly with both hands. Her bony ass caused him to yelp as it dug into the muscles of his thigh. She reached for Liam’s scotch  and took a sip before leaning down so that her face could be picked up by the camera.

“Alright, Liz, help a fellow girl out here! You have a lot of experience with a cheating ass spouse and son … should I rip his big, beautiful nuts off? Orrrr … just take it up the ass like you did?"

The Queen of England clutched her chest with an exasperated expression. "Little lady … your behavior is simply prudish and insulting. I highly suggest you learn proper etiquette when addressing me … and, as for your husband, I can see why the poor man's eyes have roamed with such an immoral and, need I dare say, crazed woman such as yourself for a wife."

"Conversation over, bitch!" Alyssa threw the rest of Liam’s drink at the screen, hoping it drenched the queen and slammed the laptop shut.

"God Dammit!" Liam yelled out while he wrapped his arms around her from behind before standing up and handing her off to his guard.

With Bastien holding Alyssa in his arms, her little legs dangling and kicking at his shins, Riley took action.

The Queen grabbed her friend's feet, which were now bare from her crumbled flip flops, and tried with all her might to pull her back.

"You’re gonna break her hip, Bastien! She's an old, feeble woman now! She could have osteoporosis or the menopause!”

Giving their best efforts to escape, including Alyssa's teeth being firmly sunk into Bastien’s upper arm, neither were able to overpower his strength. 

While carrying Alyssa and dragging Riley -- who was still holding onto her friends legs -- Bastien was able to get the two of them out of Liam's office and into the main corridor.

Alyssa followed Riley back to her quarters, where she was given a pair of flip-flops and new leggings from Riley’s 12-year-old daughter’s closet. The hole in the crotch of her leggings had completely blown out during the struggle with Bastien. There were still no answers or replies from Drake, and Alyssa was beginning to feel utterly hopeless. 

Alyssa started to raid the royal couple’s liquor cabinet, happy to swipe a bottle of Balkan vodka, when Riley had an idea. She snapped her fingers with a sly grin. “I know someone who can help us find Drake.”

“Who?” 

The ladies left the quarters and walked downstairs to the ballroom. Once inside, Alyssa took a hard swig of vodka and eyed the utility closet Riley stopped in front of with a questioning look. 

The Queen gave four quick knocks followed by two slow ones and the door unlocked. Mara had been working out of this closet for years, having been fired after a fall out with Alyssa during a costume ball that nearly got her killed. The former guard walked in there during that ball and just never came back out. Riley and Bastien were the only two people who knew about this and told no one -- Bastien purely for comical reasons and Riley for a certain skill the woman possessed.

Alyssa was surprised to find the woman hiding out there after all these years. "I thought you fired her ass! I nearly got a traumatic brain injury and hearing loss from her incompetence!" 

"Shhh!" Riley pulled her friend inside, peeking around the ballroom to ensure no one was looking, and shut the door quickly. 

Riley explained how Liam revoked her cell phone pinging privileges with the guards before the costume ball all those years ago. Apparently, he wasn't too keen on her stalking the entire cast of Friends. He did what he had to do when a restraining order from Matthew Perry came across his desk. Mara, however, was still able to ping into anyone’s phone, thus, the Queen allowed her to stay.

“That's amazing,” Alyssa remarked. She pursed her lips as she scanned the tight space of the closet. “Can she find … maybe … Dwayne Johnson?”

Riley nodded. “Bitch can find anyone.” She looked to Mara, who was sitting at her desk, and winked with approval.

“Okay,” Alyssa clapped and leaned over Mara’s shoulder. “Let’s find him … I wanna know where Drake is!”

Within several seconds, an unfamiliar address popped up on the screen. It was close to the Walker cabin but still not somewhere Alyssa knew of.

She reached for a pen and a pad of paper from Mara’s desk and started to write down the location. “I can’t believe he lied to me this whole time! I must be really stupid for him to think he could actually get away with this.” Alyssa tossed the pen back on the desk and ripped the sheet of paper off the pad. “They’re gonna write a country song about me, Ri,” she cried. “Poppa’s in the graveyard and Momma’s in the pen! I just need a shotgun and for my damn dog to run away and I’ve got a hit!”

The two snuck out of the utility closet and ran to Alyssa’s van. Alyssa pulled the ticket for double parking in handicapped spaces from her wiper blade and threw it in her glove box with the rest of her parking tickets.  Riley shoveled away the piles of empty, diet coke cans and cheese whisps bags from the passenger seat  into the parking lot when she opened her door. 

Alyssa squealed her tires as she burned rubber down the palace drive, taking out the same cone again, nearly running down Michael again, and driving straight through the lowered arm of the security gate.

“WOOOO!” Riley yelled as they sped through the streets of Cordonia into the countryside. “This is just like old times in college, huh, Lyss?”

“I suppose. We’re just not high as fuck.” Alyssa raised her eyebrows and grinned slyly with an all too familiar gleam in her eyes that Riley recognized immediately. “Say … grab my purse, Ri.”

“Oh God! I know that look. We're gonna get smashed aren't we?"  Riley extended her arm behind the driver's seat. Alyssa reached into the side pocket of her purse and pulled out the rolled up, clear baggie and tossed it to her friend.

Unrolling the bag, Riley began to bounce in her seat with anticipation of smoking weed for the first time in 15 years. The excitement quickly faded.

“Um, Lyss?”

“Hmm?”

“I know I haven’t smoked pot in a while, but this looks like a bag of carrot sticks.”

“Give me that, dumbass!” Alyssa glanced over and snatched the bag. She held the bag over the steering wheel and examined it for herself. “Well fuck!! Looks like one of my kids had a really interesting snack yesterday at school. Oh well”

After a twenty-minute drive from the palace into a forested section of Cordonia, Alyssa and Riley stopped in front of a long gravel road. Riley double-checked the address on the van’s GPS with what was written on the paper.

“It says this is it. Look’s kind of desolate,” Riley mused, not sure where the isolated road would lead.

Alyssa turned the steering wheel of her van, probably a little too tipsy to drive considering she had consumed a quarter of a bottle of vodka (that the author of this story forgot about). They made it there, nonetheless, and no one was hurt. Never drink and drive!!

Lush, plentiful trees and a wooden fence lined the gravel road that seemed to lead to nowhere until they came upon a clear view of Lake Cordonia. Drake’s truck was sitting in front of a large wooden cabin with a huge, flat yard and one of the most stunning views of the lake either woman had seen anywhere. Alyssa tried to keep it together ... until she didn’t. When she saw Drake standing on the front porch, casually drinking a beer, shirtless and wiping his forehead with his denim shirt, she skidded the van into park next to his truck. 

Drake’s eyes widened when he saw his wife get out of the van wielding an ice scraper in one hand and a tire iron in the other, a look of pure hell in her eyes. 

He took a small step back. He hadn’t seen her like this since a drunken Olivia grabbed his ass at a Beaumont Bash two years ago. Drake waved his hands in front of her defensively. “Baby girl … wh … what’s going on right now?”

“Don’t you baby girl me!” Alyssa threw the ice scraper and Drake ducked just in time as it flew over his head.

Drake had no idea what the hell she was so pissed off about, but she was approaching him quickly and twirling the tire iron in her hands. He jumped over the railing of the porch and took off running around the side of the house. As he rounded the rear corner of the home, he ran directly into Riley, who was waiting to block him. The plan was a good one -- it really was -- but her thin frame was no match against the much larger Drake. With a hard thud, Riley fell backward, which caused his body to trip over her and land face down on the ground.

Drake rolled over on his back and shook his head in an attempt to get the daze out of his frazzled brain. There she was, standing over him, holding the tire iron like a bat, ready to pounce him without a second thought.

“Baby! Please tell me what’s wrong.”

“You … you’re a cheater and a liar!”

Drake went to sit up but laid back down when Alyssa flinched the hardened steel at him. “The fuck you talking about, Lyssa?”

With months of building suspicions and hurt, Alyssa took a long, deep breath and let it all out with a wail.

“I’m talking about the late nights, the shady-as-shit lies you have spewed to me over and over again. I’m talking about you missing out on dinners, coming home and falling on the bed without a word to anyone. I’m talking about only having sex with me every other day and forgetting my birthday. Now, me and the kids have to live with Liam, who hates me now because I told Queen Elizabeth she got fucked in the ass! It’s because I’m old now, isn’t it? You wanna be a Bastien and have bunga bunga sex parties with skank ass whores who have big boobies and wear their panties around their ankles! And … I just can’t compete, Drake … I just can’t.”

Drake held his hand up to block any sudden swings in his direction. “Can I get up?”

Alyssa nodded her head before she turned away from him and dropped the tire iron to the ground. “Just tell why, dammit?” she whimpered. “Was I not enough?!”

“Not enough? NOT ENOUGH?!!” He quickly rose to his feet, twisted her around and brought her flush against his hard body. With tears in his eyes, he kissed the top of her head, his thick hands sunken into her lush, brown hair.  He was barely able to mutter a single word. He was visibly shaken and broken by her accusations and that she held those feelings about herself for so long.

With both hands now on the sides of her face, he tilted her head so that she was looking directly at him. “Alyssa!” he sobbed softly. “Don’t you dare ever say you aren’t enough for me … ever! You’re literally my whole world. In every single life, in any alternate universe … I choose you every single time. And you wanna know what I’ve been doing? Look!” He turned her around to face the house.

“This is what I’ve been doing all those months! I built it, with my bare hands, just for you, for your birthday. I wanted you to have a bigger home so you could get out of that small cabin and have the view and the yard you always dreamt of. I wasn’t cheating and I didn't forget your birthday.  I just wanted you to have everything you deserve”

Alyssa gave Drake a quizzical look. “But … you’re terrible at woodworking.”

Drake chuckled. “Maybe I love you enough I learned.”

Alyssa sunk to her knees, not to give a blow job, but realization and understanding of the last few months had set in. She stared up at the beautiful, two-story log cabin that had every bit of her husband’s heart and soul for her in it and wept. “Drake.” Her voice was raspy and full of guilt. “I’m so, so sorry.’

He crouched down behind her and wrapped his loving arms around Alyssa before placing a gentle nip at her ear. “You've nothing to be sorry for. I guess I gave you plenty of reasons to think that, but I was crunched for time and wanted to surprise you. Just hope you like it.”

“It’s magnificent … and it’s our home?”

“It's our home. Happy Birthday, Baby girl.”

Drake and Alyssa checked on Riley, who was still knocked out cold. After assisting her and giving her a moment to collect herself, Alyssa thanked her friend for all of her help and gave her the keys to the van to return home in.

Drake showed his wife around their new cabin, pointing out the lowered cabinets in the kitchen that would be easier for her to reach. He had built her a library where she could work from and read without the noise and chaos of a house full of children running around. She was thrilled over the balcony that sat just off their bedroom, overlooking the lake and featuring private jacuzzi tub where they could relax together and, of course, have sex in.

Drake took her outside and walked down to the lake, where he had  put a gazebo in overlooking the water and ushered her to the center of it. 

“Drake! This is amazing. How did you know I wanted this?”

He drew her closer to him and kissed the tip of her nose. “I know everything about you, Lyssa … there’s nothing I wouldn’t give you.”

She smiled up at him lovingly. “And I love you so much for it.”

He reached for one of her tiny hands, brought it to his chest, and wrapped his other arm around her back. With very little room between them, he kissed her lips tenderly. “Dance with me, Alyssa.”

Alyssa gave him a knowing look with a grin. “Drake Walker doesn’t like to dance.”

He began to sway with her to music that wasn’t there, but he felt it in his heart. “Drake Walker will always dance with his girl.” Kissing her once more, they began to slowly dance together and Alyssa had never felt more alive or loved in her life. He has that effect on her--always had and always will.

He spun her in a twirl and pulled her tiny body back into his own. “Ya know, Lyssa … when I first saw you, I saw love.”

Drake reached down and lifted the bottom of her sweatshirt over her head and tossed it on a nearby bench. He caressed her cheek and trailed a gentle line down her neck and across her shoulder. “And the first time you touched me, Baby Girl ...I felt love.”

His lips found that sweet spot just behind her ear before he whispered to her. “And after all this time ...”

Drake’s thumb grazed across her bottom lip before he stared into the blue eyes of his yesterday, today, and forever. “You’re still the one I love.”

What happens next? .......

#drake walker #drake x ALYSSA #alyssa devereaux

[heartfeltheart]

Alchemy: Magic Vs. Science

Chapters: 19/25 Fandom: Fullmetal Alchemist/Harry Potter Rating: T Relationships: Edward/Winry, Lan Fan/Ling, and May/Alphonse. Primary Characters: Edward Elric, Severus Snape Additional Tags: Crossover, Teacher!Edward, BrOtp Edward/Severus. Sassy beyond measure. Series: Part 1 of 9. Summary: Magic and Science, are they the same or are they completely different? It just takes one person to point out all up and downs. Along with breaking the stereotypes that come up with being a wizard, alchemist and most of all being human. Thank you, @amynchan! D/C: I do not own Harry Potter or Fullmetal Alchemist. Discord: La Red(Mesh Mash of… stuff.): https://discord.gg/KYjmVAb Alchemy Series: https://discord.gg/DejEYNJ

“English and Edward’s accented voice.” “Amestrian or another foreign language.” “Written notes.” ‘Thoughts.’ First Name: Informal Last Name: Formal (Or used to annoy others)

"And this is... Alchemy in one of its finest points..."

The sound of hands clapping together reverberated around the room, an electric discharge the color of blue came from the hands onto a pile of metal, wires and other random items. The moment the light dispersed to reveal a functioning Cuckoo clock. The clock struck a new hour and out came the... what appears to be a young version Mr. Elric batting around a bat.

"Really...? Really...?" Edward deadpanned, he resisted the urge to facepalm at his superior's creation. Was it necessary to create the mini version of him swinging around a bat? No. Did the presentation show one of the many possibilities of Alchemy? Yes. Yes, it did. With a chuckle, remembering how he would add his own touch whenever he created something to his past creations. "Questions?"

"How the bloody hell did he create that?"

"This...this is...unbelievable."

"How does it work?"

"Remember what Mr. Elric taught us. The proper application requires a full understanding of chemistry and ancient alchemical theory, including to have a talent towards recognizing and manipulating the physical objects with energy, which require uncommon levels of intelligence and aptitude."

"... Could we do that?"

"Maybe one day... In the far distant future." Edward waved off the looks of amazement. He walked over at the front of the room and stood next to Roy. He reached over to pick up the clock that was on top of a slab of wood which rested on top of a table and rested it next to it. Now he picked up the slab of wood to show it to the class. The slab of wood contained a Transmutation Circle burned into it. "This is a Transmutation circle, the coming semester, something that is needed to create everything with...Alchemy."

"Are you going to teach us that?"

"No. None of you are at the level required to even start learning Transmutation Circles. Once classes start once more, the main topic I am going to teach all of you is...Rebound..." The way Edward said that the last word sent an ominous shiver down all his students spines. "The forces that are being manipulated when using Alchemy...are not human in origin the consequences for attempting to bypass the Law of Equivalent Exchange in transmutation are not merely a failure. When too much is attempted out of too little, a Rebound occurs. The alchemical forces are thrown out of balance on their side of the equation fluctuate wildly of their own accord in order stabilize themselves-taking or giving more than interned in often unpredictable and catastrophic ways such as... accidental mutation, serious injury or even death. Terrence? Question?"

"Sir... have you ever seen any of that happen before...?"

Edward put the clock back on the table with a heavy sigh. He reached up and pinched the bridge of his nose wondering how he could answer that. There are many ways he could answer that question or he could sweep it under the rug completely. No, they needed to see the result of trying to do something completely stupid. "...What I am going to show you must not leave this room. Understood?"

Edward thanked Truth for the fact Rolanda and Quirinus are not in the room.

Roy watched Edward with watchful eyes, suspicion filled within him seeing that familiar look in the younger man's eyes. "You sure about this?"

"I'm just going to show them my automail. Telling them the story behind it... maybe at a later time."

-.-

Silence fell over them, they ate their lunch slowly and methodically. Chewing on their food while they thought over what they saw earlier and the new tidbit of information on their teacher. Their teacher did something that was against the Law of Alchemy and he is living with that consequences every day. Are they still going to study alchemy? Yes, of course, they are. They came this far and they are not going to back out any time soon. The only problem they have is... how in Merlin's beard does that legwork? They never saw anything like it before and it wasn't like any other kind of prosthetics they've seen before.

"How do you think it works?"

"It has to be connected to his nervous system. It moves around as an actual leg does."

"The nervo what?"

"It's like this..."

With that, everything went back to a sense of normalcy.

-.-

"GET AWAY FROM MEEEEEEEEEEE!"

"Come Now, Edward!"

"I don't need a hug from you of all people!"

"Can't we ever have a day without this happening?" Mustang facepalm into his gloved hand, he peeked through his fingers to see a shirtless Major Armstrong trying to hug the screaming Colonel Elric. He glanced over his shoulder to see Elric's class and fellow instructors to see them watching the scene with mixed expressions. The fact that a lot of them looked bored and not bothered about the scene before them... Amestris is already getting to them. "Major Armstrong! Colonel Elric!"

Elric did not stop running away from Armstrong, he changed his course to run over towards the General and hid behind him. "Get him away from me!"

Fortunately for Elric, Armstrong stopped chasing after him and saluted, sparkles surrounding him still. "It just brings me great joy to see Edward Elric being a teacher!"

"Please tell him to stop chasing me...? Please?" Elric asked with mass hysteria in his eyes, he kept tugging on Mustang's uniform pleadingly. "Please?"

"Why am I here again?" Mustang muttered under his breath, resisting the urge to facepalm. This was something he was so not looking forward to.

"You and Major Armstrong are supposed to give a live demonstration to my class..."

"...Truth..."

-.-

Flame Alchemist vs Strong Arm Alchemist

A fight that is of epic proportions to the students and two magical instructors. They have never seen anything like it, nothing compared to what is occurring in front of their eyes. Some could feel the heat emitting from the flames or the rush of air from the soaring rocks that flew towards the fire. How both combatants are able to use alchemy in such a way has their minds boggling at all the possibilities and possible future for them.

Snap.

Punch.

Snap.

Blast!

Repeat.

"Amestris State Alchemists, all candidates undergo an extensive examination process involving a written test proving a high level of aptitude in the field, a psychological evaluation to determine whether the candidate is of sound enough mind to serve in such a specialized branch of the military and a practical examination in which the candidate proves to a military board whether or not his or her skills can be used in real-world situations." Edward explained to his students the procedure of becoming a State Alchemists. He stuffed a hand into his head and gripped his silver pocket watch, remembering the time he had taken such test. "Upon acceptance into the program, they are awarded a certificate of achievement marked with a symbolic title decided upon by the Fuhrer based on the newly accepted State Alchemist unique alchemical skills as well as their personal and dispositional traits."

"Flame Alchemist?"

"General Mustang, the Flame Alchemist, is versed in standard physical transmutation, experimental theory, and biological alchemy. Fire-based combat style of alchemy, see those gloves he's wearing?" After quick nods and mummers of yes, Edward continued. "They help him manipulate the air to do what he is doing right now. If you ask him, he might answer a few questions. Don't push him about it."

"Strong Arm Alchemist?"

".... Major Armstrong, Strong Arm Alchemist, utilizes a combat alchemy that has apparently been passed down the Armstrong line for generations and mixes alchemical skill with physical prowess. He uses those metal gauntlets strapped to his fists to transmute objects by punching them. If you want to know more but end up losing your mind in the process, go ask him. I will not be held responsible if such event occurs..."

"...What is wrong with him?"

"I have been asking that question myself for years. If you think that is bad, you should meet his eldest sister, that woman is one of the most terrifying women in Amestris. Better yet...the entire world."

Pause.

"One of...?"

"The others are Captain Hawkeye and Teacher..."

"Captain Hawkeye? She did not appear to be that terrifying."

"Stick around longer then you will see."

-.-

Edward munched on his dinner as he watched his students mob, Roy and Alex, asking them question after question about the performance they did earlier. Both Alchemist soaked in the attention and answered bit and pieces. They, after all, needed to hide away the secrets of their alchemy. The experience of them watching Alchemy being done in such manner opened their minds and see what they are studying first hand.

"Mr. Elric."

Edward glanced over to see Rolanda taking a seat next to him, she kept her gaze over the students. "Yeah?"

"You said you were a former State Alchemist, could you do what they did earlier?" Rolanda asked, turning her heard to look at Edward with her hawk-like eyes.

"...I... It is a very long story. The result is me not being able to do alchemy anymore." Edward stated lightly, smiling slightly at the reason behind him no longer being able to do alchemy anymore. It was worth the exchange.

"You don't have to answer if it is too personal, what did you exchange for you to no longer being capable of using alchemy?"

"...Again...long story and this one is...a personal one."

"My Alchemy has been passed down the Armstrong Family for several generations!"

Pause.

"How in Merlin's beard did he became a State Alchemist?"

"Shhh! Not so loud, do you want him to hear you? He will go on about the Armstrong Family Line for ages."

-.-

"I'll come back and visit again before I return back to work." Edward swung Elicia around in circles around the train station platform. Mrs. Hughes stood a couple steps away holding a cloth-covered basket, watching the scene with a small smile. "Be good, stay in school and if anyone picks on you...tell your Uncle Roy or Auntie Riza. They'll take care of it."

"Don't encourage her, Ed." Mrs. Hughes shook her head at Edward's words.

"What? I won't be in the country, and I can't get any phone calls there." Edward explained as if what he said was nothing out of the norm. "Otherwise I would take care of the problem."

Mrs. Hughes only shook her head. "Of course."

The woman smiled at the young man and extended the basket out to him. "For the trip, down to Resembool."

Edward places Elicia back down on the ground, the girl giggles as she keeps a grasp on her brother's pants to no fall. The Golden Blonde reached over and took the basket and he smelled that familiar scent of apple pies filled his nose. Such a pleasant scent. "Thank you, they smell amazing!"

"Are you ready to go, Fullmetal?"

Edward, Mrs. Hughes, and Elicia turned to see Roy and his unit standing in front of them. The Sandy Blonde girl smiled brightly and ran over to Roy and hugged him. "Uncle Roy!"

Roy smiled hugely at the girl and patted her on the head. "There's my favorite Squirrel Scout."

Elicia's cheeks puff out. "It's Lion Scout! Lion Scout!"

"Gasp-Of course it is! How could I forget such detail~" Roy chastised himself for forgetting such detail. He glanced over at Riza and gave her a silent command. "Hawkeye, Havoc, why don't you two take Gracia and Elicia home. It's getting late."

"Of course, Sir!"

Both soldiers gave Edward either a salute or nod before they escorted the Hughes family back to their home.

"Bye Little Brother!" Elicia called out, waving at Edward.

Edward waved back with a small smile, the smile disappeared once she was out of sight. Glancing over at his shoulder to give his superior a bored look, the Golden Blonde could only wonder what the man is about to inform him. "What?"

"I have people stationed along the tracks, try not to get into trouble."

-.-

The train ride from Central to Resembool was filled with random games, eating pies, homework, eating pies, sleeping and once more... eating pies. This time around, Mr. Elric had fallen asleep clutching onto his suitcase. It is worth mentioning he kept muttering under his breath something about...wrench of doom...? Interesting.

"Does he live out in the country?"

"Naw, he has to live in a city or something."

"In a mansion?"

"Castle?"

"I think he lives in a small cottage in the middle of a forest and you could hear a bubbling creek nearby."

"Maybe by a river!"

"Or by a volcano."

"No. He lives in a laboratory or some sorts, him working on his alchemy."

"Mr. Elric told us he lives down the road from his fiancé, and we'll be switching our time between both homes. If not...mostly in future Mrs. Elric's home."

"I still can't believe he's getting married, he's still young!"

"...In the Magical Community... It is rather common to see a student from the more... restricted pureblood families... get married off the moment they leave Hogwarts. Do you believe that could be happening here?"

"Naw, from what Mr. Elric told us, he'd know his fiancé almost his entire life and said that she's his mechanic. Whatever that means."

"A mechanic fixes muggle machinery and everything else of that sort. Remember Mr. Elric's leg? That's a piece of machinery."

"...A mechanic? Hm..."

"What?"

"Mechanics are uneducated, dishonest, uncaring, dirty, and would purposely break parts to get more work or bulling their customers into unneeded services individuals. A mechanic...hah!" One of the students, a muggle-born Ravenclaw, huffed out in disgust. "My parents dealt with many mechanics over the years, they are all the sa-"

-.-

"Hello~" A very attractive female in her late teens waved at a group of strangely dressed schoolchildren, for Resembool, getting off a train. She has long light blonde hair tied in a high pony-tail, with long locks of hair on either side of her face and bangs, blue eyes and is wearing a short-sleeved sundress. "Hogvarts?"

The Hogwarts students and two professors wonder if this is the Alchemy Teacher's fiancé. The way said man described her to be... is not what they are seeing. She seemed...delicate, polite, and a grease monkey. Her voice is heavily accented to the point they could hardly tell what she was telling them to a point.

Suddenly, the young woman's eyes brightened at whatever was behind the group. "Edward!"

"Winry!"

Everyone turned around to see Edward stepping out of the train, grinning at the Blue-Eyed Blonde. He only took a couple of steps towards her when he was almost flung backward in a bone-wrenching hug, dropping his suitcase in the process. Edward braced himself to prevent himself to prevent himself to fall backward with Winry in his arms. Once he regained his balance, the Golden Blonde swung the Blue-Eyed Blonde around laughingly. "I thought you were going to wait at home, Winry."

"I couldn't wait, I had to see you as soon as possible. Don't worry, Granny is taking care of the pies." Winry said once Edward stopped swinging her around. "So...introduce me. I want to meet these...students of yours."

"...Don't tell me... You have no faith in me being a teacher?" Edward deadpanned.

"Hahaha. Oh, Edward... I'm just surprised you haven't killed anyone yet." Winry laughed, waving off Edward's look of despair. She reached up and grabbed hold of Edward's coat to pull him down enough to kiss him on the lips.

At that moment, everything went blank for Edward... everything just felt... perfect.

-.-

"How much longer now?"

"I can't feel my legs anymore..."

"This goes many of our ideas of his possible home..."

"At least it isn't freezing!"

"It's winter....it supposed to snow..."

"Sh! Remember, we are supposed to be camping. Camping in the snow isn't fun! Believe me... it's not fun..."

Walking up ahead of the group, Edward and Winry whispered to silently to themselves. Both all giggles and smiles but that was just a front. Pay closer attention, you could see Winry if gripping Edward's arm far too tightly and said male purposely kept his face forward to not show anyone his tears.

"Who exactly is at your house again...?" Edward asked through teary eyes.

"Your brother, Mei, Lan Fan and Ling...."

Edward stopped at a fork of a road. One road leads to the Rockbell's Residence and the other lead to his own residence. He turned over to face Winry, shoulder's tense and expression unreadable. "Who else is there?"

"You think I'm hiding something from you?" Winry questioned Edward with a frown, crossing her arms over her chest. She glared at the Golden Blonde, no once did she waver.

"It's Teacher, isn't it?"

"... I invited her and Sig. After you told me you told them we got engaged."

"How is she?"

"She's helping me with the wedding."

"Define helping...?"

-.-

Bang!

Slam!

Screams of pain!

Break!

Shouting!

The two Hogwarts professors and eight students stood in front of a two-story home with a sign in the front. It appeared to be a simple home if it weren't for the fact that Mr. Elric and Miss. Rockbell entered the home and the moment he closed the door behind himself... chaos. He had told everyone else to stay outside until he cleared whatever was inside the Rockbell residence. Apparently whatever it was... it wasn't pretty.

There was a debate about whether or not to go inside to check on the Alchemy Professor. That idea was shot down when the sounds of pain reverberated throughout the entire home.

Wait... is that silence?

SLAM!

The door was slammed open and both Mr. Elric's were thrown out of the Rockbell residence with shouts of surprise. Everyone kept their eyes on the doorway, not able to look away. It was either from fright or morbid curiosity.

Then... they saw... her?

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#Alchemy Series #Magic vs Science #FMA #HP #HP/FMA #Crossover #Fanfic #Au #Chapter 19

[thecandywrites]

Zorroku and Peaches Part 5

And here is part 5! Because I just couldn’t wait to post it tomrrow. @royale-skeleton-key hope you like this just as much as part 4. 

Part 5

But by the next morning, you were woken up by the sounds of Fang and Claw screaming as they circled above the village.

“What the hell?” You groused as you got up and opened your tent and glared at the sky before you groaned as you realized Shuzug was already here before you purred and called Fang and Claw to you as you wrapped your arm in a blanket before they dove down to you and landed on your arm.

“Oof, good morning to you too,” You greeted them sleepily before you heard Ori stir and put the pair on the stand with Razor and went and got your cloak on, that was still too big on you but you kind of liked it being that big, and your shoes on before you bundled Ori up and put her under your cloak with you and invited the birds out and told them to find Shuzug before you followed them to the gate of the village where the guards had stopped Shuzug who was arguing with them to let him in as all three eagles came and landed on the mane of his horse.

“Hey! He’s with me, let him in.” You ordered them.

“You know him?” They asked you.

“Yes, that is Shuzug, youngest son of Warchief Khagra of the Black Wolf White Rock Clan, who is coincidentally also your warchief’s nephew, Warchieftess Yotul and Shuzug’s mother Warchieftess Bula are sisters, and he’s my friend, I’m sure the rest of the family is only a few hours away, let him through.” You vetted before they let him through before his horse practically pranced through the gate as you could see a few somethings squirm in his large bag across his chest.

“Did you really ride all night to get here?” You asked him as he strode his horse over you before he got off.

“Yes, I couldn’t wait, I left the moment the crow came back, the rest will be leaving right about now.” Shuzug answered before he noticed you were holding a baby under your cloak

“So who’s this?” He asked curiously as he peeked inside as he gave you gentle hug so as not to squish her.

“Kinda sorta my daughter?” You giggled as you opened the cloak up more to show her to him.

“Aw, how did you manage that?” He asked curiously.

“Dude, how did you manage that?” You asked as you gestured to the bag before three wolf pup heads popped out, a white, a gray and a red wolf pup before it continued to squirm and two mountain lion cubs who were the same age poked their heads out too.  

“Well hello there!” You cooed to them as you pet them as they sniffed you.

“It’s a long story.” He ducked his head as you noticed he also had some fresh wounds on his head.

“May the gods have mercy.” You snickered. “Come on, my tent is this way.” You nodded as you started walking back to your tent.

“Wow, this is really nice! You get this all to yourself? When the crows said ‘big tent’, I didn’t think it would be this big.” Shuzug praised as you let him in and he looked around after he put the pups and cubs down to explore your tent.

“Thanks and it is all mine, this little girl’s father got it for me.” You answered with a twinkle in your eye as you took your cloak off and hung it back up.

“Holy shit, what happened to your boobs?!” Shuzug asked as he noticed the change in them before you smacked him upside the head.

“Really?” You deadpanned before you got back in bed just as Ori started to stir before you unceremoniously took out a breast and started nursing her.

“What the hell Bella?” Shuzug asked as he watched on in surprise.

“Dude, pull up a chair, do I have an epic tale for you.” You began before you got comfortable and propped up by all the pillows on your bed and started telling him everything that happened from the moment you left his sight until that moment in time as the wolf pups explored your tent as Shuzug listened and watched you nurse Ori with awe as the pups and the cubs ate the already dead rabbit carcasses at the base of the eagle perch as Razor, Fang and Claw also ate rabbits too.

“So any idea of who you might want?” Shuzug asked you.

“Well, that’s a tricky question to answer, because clearly, I’m connected to Zorroku, and come to find out, he has no other wives, how does the first born, that handsome, his age not have like five by now?” You asked rhetorically.

“I mean yeah I see where you’re coming from.” Shuzug nodded.

“My only other viable option is the youngest Nar, not to be confused in anyway shape or form with Yar, he’s 12, just now getting some whiskers and facial hair. He has no wives, no kids, and he’s young enough that I might get him to myself for a little while at least and he’s a lot like you and we get along pretty good but I’m still getting little brother vibes, like I really gotta push myself to view him romantically.” You shrugged.

“Well have you talked with any of them about what they want from you and what you want from them and see if you’re compatible or can come to an agreement or an understanding?” Shuzug asked.  

“Not yet, I’ve only been here for two days, I’m hoping once everyone is together and once all your sisters and your mother especially gets to meet all of them and gets feels for them, they’ll give me some insights.” You hoped.

“So are they really treating you well? Like really really?” Shuzug asked a little skeptically.

“Dude! I have more freedoms and rights here than I do at home, I am servant to no one, no one bosses me around and I basically get to do whatever I want which is actually cook because I want to not because I’m expected to which is odd but really nice and I’m cooking with joy instead of fear and I’m finding myself wanting to make everything I make really good instead of feeling like I need to or else I’ll face the consequences. Like if Yotul and Crowthu aren’t calling me Peaches they’re calling me daughter and they really mean it. Like they have completely adopted me and accepted me and it really is like one big happy family that I’m a full fledged member of, like I’m on first name or even nickname basis’ with everyone, like the moment I came into the village, Crowthu introduced me as his new daughter before I even got to his tent and practically showed me off to the whole village who greeted me respectfully and just accepted me with open arms and ease and have no issues with me at all and it’s weird but really nice and they have all completely upheld their half of the oath but it’s not that they have to really try or work against themselves and their own nature to uphold it. It’s like that oath and those conditions are just the way they are and it was a given that they’d be good to me even the little kids call me Auntie Peaches and adore me just as much as I adore them. Which the ‘Peaches’ thing took a little to get used to but Zorroku made a really good point on how it’s a fitting name because I’m sweet when I want to be but I’ll be a poisonous killer like the peach seed itself when I want to be too cause I’ve gotten to hunt and fish since I’ve been with them so that was actually a really nice compliment.” You explained with a bright smile.

“Wow, I mean, yeah that makes total sense and you kind of look like a Peaches too.” Shuzug teased you and you playfully stuck your tongue out at him.

“So no creepy rape-y vibes then?” Shuzug asked.

“Well, there is still two of your cousins that give me the creeps, Silug and Winug, but as long as I stay away from them, I’m good, otherwise, there’s three that are trying really, really hard to woo me and it’s...again, weird.” Is all you could say with another giggle and a shrug.

“And which three are those?” Shuzug asked.

“Zorroku, obviously, Yalak and Nar. The oldest, a middle and the baby.” You specified.

“Is there any you like back?” Shuzug asked.

“Yeah.” You sighed but a bit wistfully as you looked down at Ori and her baby blue skin and when you looked back up Shuzug was just grinning ear to ear.

“Well I’m happy for you, relieved mostly but happy for you,” Shuzug grinned.

“Thanks, well when everyone gets up I’d imagine at least three of them will want to be your new best friend and honestly you and Nar would be like brothers from different mothers, like he may only be two years older than you but he’s literally the same size as you and his personality is really similar, did you get a chance to read my message about bringing the book of riddles?” You asked.

“Oh you mean this book?” Shuzug grinned as he reached into his other satchel and pulled it out.

“Yay!” You cheered.

“Peaches? You ok? Who’s in there with you?” Glasha asked as she woke up and heard talking and didn’t recognize the male voice coming from your tent.

“Yeah I’m ok, come over and meet your cousin,” You invited. “Well kind of, she’s not a blood cousin, she’s the eldest daughter from Crowthu’s first wife, Sharn the Magnificent of all women and Glasha is awesome, she’s my best friend here.” You murmured to Shuzug as Glasha came over.

“Be careful, don’t let the pups or the cubs out.” You urged as she carefully came in and noticed three wolf pups and two mountain lion cubs chewing on what was left of their individual rabbits as all three eagles stood regally on the perch.

“Good morning, sorry to wake you up.” You offered as she came in and made sure the flap was closed so the pups and cubs wouldn’t escape.  

“Hi, I’m Shuzug.” Shuzug introduced himself as he held out his hand for her to shake as she did.

“Hi, I’m Glasha,” she smiled brightly as she shook it before she sat on the bed just as Ori got done lazily drinking her breakfast and finally woke up for the day before she rolled over and noticed Shuzug.

“Well good morning Ori.” Shuzug cooed to her as she gave him a look that clearly said ‘I don’t know you, who are you and why are you talking to me?’ that cracked all of you up before she looked at you questioningly.

“This is...your uncle Shuzug.” You cooed to her as Shuzug nodded in agreement to that before you sat her up so that she laid against your stomach with your thighs and breasts propped her up kept her sitting up as you made sure she was completely covered up so she wouldn’t get cold as you still laid on your side, propped up yourself. Shuzug got down on his knees next to the bed to get closer to her.

“She’s really small for being four months old.” Shuzug noticed as he reached out and gently let her reach out to take his hand before he got his face next to hers and started playing with her and cooing to her and trying to make her laugh.

“Well that’s because her birth mother died giving birth to her and she didn’t get her first milk and started nursing from my half brother’s wife who already had a six month of her own and the milk is different as babies grow.” Glasha explained from her spot next to her niece on the bed as she sat by your feet.

“And she’s super sensitive to onions and garlic, and they eat those with every single meal here and Rek, Yalak’s wife and the one who was nursing her, didn’t want to give them up for Ori’s sake so I told Mama Arob, Warchief Crowthu’s mother, the sorceress, that I would nurse her if I could and that I was willing to give up eating those things for Ori’s sake and that’s when Mama Arob made me that special drink and boom, huge milking boobs just to nurse her and that’s how I’m kinda sorta her mom now.” You explained.

“She’s allergic to onions?! Also you’re not kinda sorta her mom, you are her mom.” Glasha affirmed and you found yourself grinning and nodding along with that.

“Yeah I guess I am, but she’s so sensitive to them she’s borderline allergic to them and would have been for life.” You explained gravely.

“If you hadn’t stepped in.” Glasha realized. “Well thank you, very very much for stepping when you did, I know Zorroku especially is very thankful and grateful you did.” Glasha thanked you graciously.

“You’re welcome, I’m happy to help and she’s a sweetheart, obviously.” You gestured to her.

“Which before you came along all she did was fuss, poor thing, now that she’s drinking milk that’s not making her sick and not hurting her, we finally get to see her for herself. She’s never been so happy and content before.” Glasha praised.

“Well Bella has always been great with kids, she’s a natural mom and obviously a very good one.” Shuzug praised with a wink to you which got you to smile appreciatively back. “I wonder if Mama Arob would have a special spell or something for Yar since she was able to do that to you.” Shuzug wondered as he gestured to your bosom and you and Glasha both burst out laughing as he couldn’t help but laugh a long too.  

“You told them didn’t you?” Shuzug laughed.

“I may have gotten a little drunk, tipsy at least and may have let a few family secrets loose and I swore them to secrecy.” You playfully accused as you nudged Glasha’s back with your foot.

“You did, I’m sorry,” Glasha admitted.

“It’s ok, I’m not mad, I was just hoping there was something out there because he’s done nothing but mope and complain about how he’s lost his chance of finding anyone to help him on his quest. Because ‘you were the only one who understood him and sympathized with him and was his only friend and he’ll never find that again’.” Shuzug snickered, imitating his older brother.  

“Oh gods,” you groaned as you rubbed your eyes tiredly which got them to laugh more. “You mean I was the only one with enough patience to put up with him and his bullshit. I’m not going to ask Mama Arob for anything for him, it’s ridiculous and not worth her time or energy, like I don’t even want him to know she’s a sorceress just so that he’d leave her in peace. Not unless he learned to be more than his appearance and his muscles and be nice just for the sake of being a nice and good person and not because he’s being a manipulative piece of shit. If he wants it so bad, he’s grown, he can ask himself.” You spat.

“Hey! Look at you speaking your mind so freely!” Shuzug congratulated you. “This place must be good to you if you’re being yourself so much.” Shuzug smiled proudly.

“It is.” You nodded with a grin as Glasha beamed so happily, she nearly became sunshine herself.

“Peaches?” Zorroku asked as he noticed a regular horse tied to a tent pole outside your tent and heard a male voice he didn’t recognize.

“Come on in Zorroku, just be careful not to let the pups or the cubs out.” You invited him.

“Pups or Cubs?” Zorroku repeated in confusion before he came in and saw wolf pups and mountain lion cubs on the ground and stared in shock and a little bit of horror that they were so close to you and his daughter.

“It’s ok, they’re babies, they mean no harm, close the tent flap.” You reassured him as he closed it and carefully came forward as Shuzug got up and turned to face him.

“Hi, I’m Shuzug, I came early ahead of the rest of my family.” Shuzug offered as he shook Zorroku’s hand.

“Oh, hi, welcome.” Zorroku greeted warmly back before he sat down in the chair and noticed all three eagles before the wolf pups came over and sniffed his legs before he felt inclined to bend over and pet them as the mountain lion cubs climbed up the bedding that was spilling off your bed.

“Well hello there, aren’t you such pretty kitties!” You cooed to them as you kept them close to you and your face rather than going near Ori as you pet them like they were normal kittens and started purring to them and nuzzling them as they curled up with you happily as Zorroku picked up a wolf pup and held it and started petting it, marveling at how soft the fur was and how adorable the pup was before one of the others went over to Glasha as she picked it up as Shuzug got the third as you all continued to talk as Zorroku and Glasha got to know Shuzug more before there was another tap on the tent flap.

“Peaches?” Nar asked curiously as he eyed the normal sized horse curiously.

“Come on in, it’s a party in here.” You laughed before he came in and saw everything.

“Meet your cousin Shuzug, Shuzug, meet your cousin Nar, again.” You introduced as he came over and sat down next to Shuzug on the ground before you handed him one of the mountain lion cubs.

“Oh my gods it’s so cute! And so soft!” Nar gushed as he held it to his chest and neck as he nuzzled it and pet it as Shuzug told the story of how he stole these baby animals from their dens and you just shook your head at how positively foolhardy it all had been as Zorroku watched your reaction to Shuzug’s story closely, greatly amused by your reactions.

“Ok so my question is why did you do this? What could have possibly possessed you to do this?” You asked him when he was done.

“Well I wanted to surprise you with gifts.” Shuzug tried smile charmingly as you just narrowed your eyes.

“No gift to me or anyone else is worth your life Shuzug, you, very easily, could have died, you didn’t take my advice and actually run any of this by anyone did you?” You leveled and he ducked his head a little out of embarrassment.

“No.” Shuzug admitted and you clasped your hands together like you’re praying as you squeezed your eyes shut as your face showed a very wide range of emotion.

“Are you actually praying?” Shuzug asked in a chuckle.

“Yes, for the gods to give me strength not to strangle you right now because of how short sighted you’re being.” You said through gritted teeth as Zorroku, Nar and Glasha snickered a laugh before opening your eyes and fixing Shuzug with a look. “Shuzug, there are no cows here, not even goats or sheep or even pigs, there is nothing to milk here, where would I get the milk to nurse them? They may be eating some meat now but they’re still young enough they need milk still. And I sure as hell am not going to be nursing them, all my milk belongs to Ori and I am not going to be having her share it with anyone or anything. You’re going to have to take them home with you and do what you can with them. Because you are trying to give me a gift I can not sustain.” You pointed out as Zorroku blew out a breath of relief as he had worried about that.

“Oh,” Shuzug realized. “Well my family should be bringing those with them.” Shuzug said hopefully.

“Yeah and they’re still, by my estimate, seven hours away, these babies should be needing milk now, it’s not like I can take a wheel of cheese and miraculously turn it back into milk.” You argued.

“Well we could try to milk the horses.” Nar offered as Shuzug lit up at that.

“Yeah!” Shuzug agreed.

“Ok fine, go try, just try not to get kicked to death and mares have two teetes, if it only has one, it’s a stud and do not feed whatever comes from “milking” that to anyone.” You teased as everyone laughed at that before Shuzug and Nar got up and left the baby animals with you.

“Great, now I’m a mother of six.” You sighed tiredly as you put the mountain lion cub back on the floor with it’s litter mate before finally sat up and put put Ori against your bent legs as you played with her a little.

“Your uncle is driving me so crazy, yes he is! Because he doesn’t think things through, no he doesn’t! He is so sense stupid yes he is!” You cooed to Ori who cooed as you tickled her and laughed back at you as Zorroku and Glasha chuckled too as you felt around Ori’s tummy to see if she still had any issues and was surprised when she didn’t have any at all, but you’d still be feeding her more medicine today just in case just like you had done the day before.  

“She looks so much better now that she’s with you. Her cheeks and limbs are getting chubby now.” Zorroku praised as he watched you softly as his heart swelled with so much pride and love and affection. His dreams and visions of you washing over his mind again as his instincts were to climb into bed with you and hold you and Ori.

“Well it pisses me off that once Rek found out Ori’s sensitive to onions and garlic that she wouldn’t give them up for Ori’s sake. Like she flatly refused.” Glasha admitted.

“Oh me too,” you agreed as you played with Ori.

“Wait, what?” Zorroku asked, not having known that.

“Yeah, when Peaches found that out first and asked, very nicely if Rek would give them up for Ori’s sake Rek outright refused and said that Ori would just have to get over it and get used to it like every other baby does.” Glasha informed her brother as his eyes went wide while his jaw clenched as did his fists. “And then after you gave her your medicine, and Mama Arob was finally able to give her a good once over and really inspect her like she should have months ago, Mama Arob agreed and said that Ori was so bad that she’s practically allergic to them and that if she had continued to nurse from Rek and Rek continued to eat them, Ori would have been allergic for life.” Glasha revealed and Zorroku’s stomach dropped as his anger and rage began to boil.

“If not- probably would have died because she was not wanting to eat at all because she couldn’t stand the milk.” Zorroku realized as he leaned forward with his elbows on his knees and ran his hands over his face before looking and catching your small nod of confirmation and he just felt like going on a rampage he was so angry. His sister in law had been so selfish and so opposed to being inconvenienced she would have killed his daughter.

“Hey, Zorro,” you softly pulled him from his dark thoughts so that he looked at you instead of at the ground. “It’s ok, the good news is, Ori’s ok, Ori’s fine, see? Sure she’s a little small now, but she’s doing better today than she was yesterday and leaps and bounds better than she was the day before that. Three days ago was the worst she’ll hopefully ever be and as long as I draw breath, I’ll take care of her. I know you’re angry at Rek, I am too, but I’m not going to dwell on the past or torture myself with thoughts of what would have happened to her if I hadn’t intervened, thank the gods I was able to come and help, your grandmother said that the gods and that the fates themselves wanted me here, and I believe her and it’s because I believe I was brought here for Ori’s sake and I’m perfectly happy and content with that. She’s obviously a wonderful baby, she’s happy and she’s getting healthier and healthier and better and better every day and I’m happy and grateful and thankful for that and you should be too. So don’t think about Rek, life has a way of giving selfish people what they deserve, I mean you’ll be meeting the epitome of that in Yar later tonight. So let it go, it’ll do you no good making a fuss about it now. There are some orc clans out there that if any wife gives a son of the warchief or heaven forbid the actual warchief daughters, the daughters are immediately given to the other families in the clan, the lowliest families of the clan and the mothers never even get the chance to give those daughters their first milk or get to hold them at all and if they put up a fight and actually want to hold, let alone keep their daughters who they spent ten months carrying, they’re instantly demoted and replaced within seconds, to the point their fathers fuck their new replacements in the very same room right next to the birthing bed, as their former wives are still birthing the afterbirth or if their husbands don’t want to demote their wives for wanting to keep the baby, the fathers then smash their daughter’s head in so that there is no daughter and it’s announced that it was a son that was still born to “save” the family honor because daughters are seen as a dishonor. That is truly horrific.” You informed them as Glasha and Zorroku looked so horrified they could throw up.

“What clans do that?” Glasha asked.

“The Infamous Hand Clan, The Beserker Clan, and the Nightmare Mammoth Clan, that I know of and those three clans are actually run by a set of triplets and the Infamous Hand Clan was the original clan and the warchief’s other triplets formed their own clans and none of them have warchieftesses, all their kids are sons from slaves who are kept on literal chains, it’s horrific, even my warchief Khagra will have nothing to do with them and they invited him and his sons there for an alliance and once Khagra and his sons saw the conditions there, they immediately backed out and that’s what started a the last war, Khagra’s eldest two sons died trying free those poor slave girls and save the baby girls because they had been invited to a birth and that’s what happened because the slave could not be demoted any further and so when she weakly pleaded for mercy, the warchief killed her by smashing her own head in after he smashed his daughter’s head.” You revealed sadly.

“Oh I’m going to be sick.” Zorroku groaned as he held his stomach as Glasha wiped her tears away.

“Yeah, so I’m just eternally grateful you guys are nothing like that. I mean it’s a pretty good sign if the warchief himself is playing with his own granddaughters.” You allowed as you kissed Ori’s cheeks before pretending to eat her little neck as she squealed in delight and giggled.

“Is that what you thought we were like though? Before you came?” Glasha asked carefully.

“Honestly I didn’t know, granted I’m one of those ‘hope for the best but prepare for the worst’ kinds of people and three days ago all I knew, all anyone in the Black Wolf White Rock Clan knew of the Thunder Herd Clan was that you were especially fierce in battle and that you rode draft horses, that’s all, no one knows your customs, your eating habits, your traditions, nothing. Khagra has an old book, it lists all the original orc clans and he updates it every time there’s a new alliance or we hear news of new clans forming or old clans getting decimated and all that’s in the book is a list of your conquests and where all the other clans estimate your lands to be, that’s it, there’s not even a list of warchief family lines in it. So I had no clue what I was walking into. And come to find out, you’re literally the best clan I’ve ever had the pleasure of knowing and actually family. So hey, it’s worked out great.” You smiled brightly which got them to nod and smile in return as you continued to love on Ori and got her to continue to coo and babble at you as she reached out and grabbed your face and tried to ‘kiss’ you back which was a very open mouthed slobbering kiss to your cheek as you laughed so hard as the feeling of her little tongue licking the apple of your cheek as Glasha and Zorroku watched on, their hearts warmed and their spirits lifted again as they took comfort in knowing how good they really had it and how downright lucky they were to have you.

Zorroku was making plans in his head, you were deserving of at least four horses for adopting his daughter as your own. He wanted to give you everything he owned, you deserved even more than what he could ever give you. You deserved to be completely and unreservedly and unconditionally loved and adored and if you chose him, as his one and only wife, you would be- especially as warchieftess. you absolutely would be loved and adored by the whole clan before he realized what he should be giving you but it wasn’t his to give, yet.

He left your tent wanting to give you space to get dressed as he went to the herds and went through all the horses he had, noting how Shuzug and Nar were trying to milk a mare who was not having it before he picked out four of his best horses along with his wife’s two favorite horses, that were his gifts to her when she found she was finally expecting before he realized that one of them was actually a very fitting horse for you, it was a black horse with a white mane and tail and considering you were from the Black Wolf White Rock clan, he couldn’t help but smile at the correlation as he brought them over to your tent just as you were leaving it to go about your day.

“Hey Bella,” Zorroku called out which got you turn around and then blink in surprise when he was carrying six lead ropes with six huge draft horses behind him.

“You know you almost make me nervous when you use my name like that.” You tried to point out to him in a slightly teasing tone but smiled nonetheless.

“Well, you didn’t ask to be called Peaches, you just rolled with it because you didn’t think you had a choice in the matter and I want to make sure you know you have choices and that you shouldn’t go along with things just because you think you should or you feel you have to, you should have a say in everything, you need to make sure that your voice and your opinion is heard and understood and accepted just as much as mine is. So since you’ve chosen to adopt my daughter, and that she is now just as much yours as she is mine, you deserve the reward that comes with that. Now you don’t have to accept any of these but if you want them, they’re yours. In particular this one, because you are from the Black Wolf White Rock Clan, I thought a black horse with a white mane would be fitting.” Zorroku explained, having rehearsed that in his head so many times and muttered it to himself to make sure he emphasized the right words the right way as he gestured to that particular horse as you had to cover your quivering lips with your hand even as they spread into the widest smile as your eyes glazed with tears because of how moved you were by not just his gesture but especially his words before you closed the distance between you until you were looking up at him with so much adoration it bordered on love and you just wanted to kiss him.

“Ok, I’ll level with you, I like the way you say ‘Peaches’ when you talk to me. And this horse is, absolutely perfect and it’s a perfect fit and I can only hope he’s as nice, gentle and tame as he is beautiful and the rest of them are outstanding I want all of them but I don’t want to take them if you feel you have to give them to me because I’m now the mother of our daughter. But I don’t want to disrespect a tradition if that’s what you’re following when you give them to me either.” You explained.

“Then consider them string free gifts, because I want them to be yours, they’re the best that I have and I’ll always want to give you my best, no matter what, even if you don’t end up choosing me because being Ori’s mother means just that much to me.” Zorroku returned and you just wanted to kiss him even more because a part of you wanted to them to have strings and you wanted to tie those strings so that you were tied to him both literally and figuratively.

“Then I will happily accept all of them and I wouldn’t say no to a few strings at least.” You grinned mischievously as his heart soared with hope. “Could I walk with you back to the herd?” You asked before he nodded and you walked side by side with all the horses following you.

“Can I ask you a question and could you please answer it as honestly as you could and not give me the kind of answer you think I want to hear?” You asked bravely.

“Anything.” He invited.

“How many wives do you want in total?” You asked and he nearly choked on his spit because you just went right for it.

“One.” He answered.

“Why only one?” You furthered.

“Because Yotul and my mother fought all the time and were constantly in competition with each other for my dad’s favor and attention and trying to one up each other and when he favored one it embittered the other and only after my own mother died after birthing the twins and Yotul became warchieftess and my dad didn’t take on any more wives- did he finally know peace in his own house, but I want a wife who likes me for me, not because I can make her warchieftess. I want peace in my life and in my home and I have yet to meet a warchief who has that. It’s like our lives are destined to be plagued with war and we can’t escape it, ever, there’s always conflict wherever we go and I’m hoping that with the right woman, that’s possible.” Zorroku explained. “My first wife, Sharog, she had a very, very hard time becoming pregnant and lost a few babes before she could even get half way through her pregnancies but I never blamed her for that, it wasn’t her fault that her body was like that even though she blamed herself for it and pushed me to get another wife or even two or three more, ones that would give me more sons than I had fingers but I didn’t want that, I only ever wanted her and I just wanted her to be happy. She had to be in bed for the whole pregnancy and my grandmother had her on a very special diet to keep the pregnancy going but it was too much for her and she still died pushing Ori out because she just bled and bled and bled like it was just a river of blood and it was horrible.” Zorroku revealed and your heart completely melted and you felt it wanting to leap out of your chest to go to him.

“So if I chose you, how many kids would you want?” You asked as you tried to keep your grin from becoming too scheming because you sensed he was really telling you the truth and you realized that was offering you what you really always wanted and this was literally a dream come true.

“Well we already have one, I’m good and happy and perfectly content with just Ori. Besides, you may be strong but I know everyone has limits and I also feel that children are gifts from the gods themselves but if your body can’t handle carrying that gift, that’s fine, like you said, ‘no gift is worth your life’ and I would never ask you or want you to give up yours just to give me a gift you think I want.” Zorroku explained and you never thought in a million years that he would have used your own sentiment like that and part of you wanted to pin him down to grass itself and fuck him hard and fast yet slow and savoring and give him so many sons, he would run out of fingers and toes trying to count them all.

You were about to kiss him before you heard Shuzug get kicked by a horse which got both of you to recoil and turn to see Shuzug on his back, trying to get the air back in his lungs.

“Hold her, I gotta make sure he doesn’t die before his parents get the chance to kill him themselves.” You sighed tiredly as you handed Ori to Zorroku and walked over to Shuzug before turning him over to his side to help him breathe again.

“And what did you learn?” You asked him as you crouched down next to him as he gasped and recovered as Zorroku and Nar both snickered a laugh.

“Not to milk that one?” Shuzug winced.

“Ok first of all, did you just pick a random mare and try to milk her or did you look for one with a nursing foal?” You asked before Shuzug and Nar gave each other a look that told you the answer to that was ‘no’ and it just made you groan again.

“Now you boys should know that only when a mother has a nursing child will she produce milk, otherwise, the milk dries up and she won’t produce it anymore because her body doesn’t have to. Or did you forget that detail?” You asked before they both looked away guiltily.

“Really? Ok, I’m going to have to just do this myself.” You huffed before you marched back to the garden and got a bunch of apples in your skirt before you marched back to the herd and snatched the bucket from Shuzug and found a mare who was nursing it’s foal.

“Come on, you’re gonna help, take the apples, you two are gonna feed the mare the apples as I milk her.” You said as you gave Shuzug and Nar the apples from your skirt before the four of you went over to the mare, you greeted the mare first, cooing and petting it and making sure it felt at ease with eat least your presence before you had Shuzug and Nar both kept feeding the mare apples as you gently stroked it’s sides as you made your way back to where the foal was still nursing before you started milking from the other teat as you prayed to all the gods you knew of to help you and once the foal was done the mare side stepped away from you and you didn’t try to milk her anymore, instead you pet your side and back up her body while praising her and thanking her for her help.

“There, I think I got enough milk for either one cub or one pup. Now you two know the process, Shuzug I know you know how to milk livestock, repeat to process.” You ordered them before you handed the bucket back to Shuzug and took Ori back before you and Zorroku left the field together.

“You’re amazing you know that?” Zorroku praised you as you passed his brothers that were carrying their saddles out to their horses in the fields.

“Where are you guys going?” Zorroku asked.

“To get Peaches some livestock.” Yalak beamed and your stomach dropped because they were dressed for raiding, they were going out to steal you some livestock and that’s not what you wanted.

“What’s wrong? Why are you making that face?” Zorroku asked you, expecting you to be happy about that as were his brothers.

“I prefer bought or fairly traded livestock and if you really wanted to please me, you see that idiot with Nar? That’s Shuzug, your cousin, ask him why he’s trying to milk mares right now and when he’s done telling you that, he’ll tell you where to go to get the best livestock on the continent that’s even relatively close by. People do better business and have better and long lasting relationships with clans who do that and you won’t loose your lives. Because no gift to me is worth your lives, your lives are worth more to me than livestock or anything else you can imagine giving me. So go talk to Shuzug then take off your raiding armor because you won’t need it and get proper funds from your treasury. You guys want to be known as The Great Thunder Herd Clan? That’s how you earn The Great part of it by those around you. If you trust Mama Arob’s words about me making this clan greater than it’s ever been, then heed my words now. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have breakfast to make and you all should eat breakfast before you go. You can’t do business on an empty stomach.” You excused yourself as you marched through them with your head held high as they stared after you in awe.

“Anyone else have any lingering doubts she won’t make the best warchieftess this clan has ever seen?” Zorroku asked with a beaming proud smile once you were out of earshot as his brothers nodded no.

“Ok let me get my saddle and I’ll join you, we’ll take Shuzug and Nar after they do what they gotta do and see what else we can learn about her from him.” Zorroku ordered like the natural born leader he was as the other brothers went and put their saddles on their horses before they greeted Shuzug and got to talking with him before they walked back to their tents to take off their armor but still kept their battle axes and their swords just in case and Shuzug helped advise him on how much money to take after they met with Yotul and Crowthu and Mama Arob who took on the wolf pups and the mountain lion cubs for Shuzug as everyone gathered around the table to have breakfast again.

“Can Shuzug ride one of my horses please? His poor horse has been through enough for one day already.” You requested of Zorroku who agreed as Nar volunteered to let Shuzug borrow his spare saddle since they were similar in size as Shuzug was so happy they were being as welcoming and friendly as they were, Shuzug took all three eagles with him, and once they were gone, you used that moment in time to pull Mama Arob aside into your tent.

“So, I have a really big favor to ask of you. My heart has chosen Zorroku already and I wanted to see if I could trade or purchase a special blessing from you.” You began feeling a little nervous.

“What kind of blessing?” Arob asked as she beamed with so much happiness at your decision.

“Is there a blessing that will allow me to have good, healthy pregnancies, good, non complicated births and for my body to be able to take in all of Zorroku’s manhood comfortably? And if there is, I want you to go through my tent and take whatever you want for it. I talked with Zorroku this morning about his first wife and how she died and if I’m going to be with him, I don’t want him to have to worry about me, because I’ve seen blended families and sometimes the human women can handle it and some can not and I want my body to be able to handle it and handle it very well.” You proposed as you gestured around to your tent and Arob was so touched by your thoughtfulness and your noble heart and intentions and even your own sense of honor that she was near tears. You were such a treasure because of it.

“Of course, now I’m sensing you have some “medicine” that is in reality peach whiskey, give me one of the jugs of that and I’ll make you a blessing that no other witch or sorcerer or sorceress will be able to top.” Arob proposed and you immediately got the best one that had been aged longer than you had been alive, the best one you had and gave it to her and Arob was touched even further that you’d gladly give up the best of what you had for Zorroku’s sake, that was a very good sign.

“Ok, now, we go to my tent.” Arob said and led you to her tent where another cauldron was sitting over the fire pit and you nursed Ori and sat down patiently as she put in what she needed and wanted to put in before she ran her fingers through your hair to catch the loose ones to throw those in to it.

“Come and see,” she invited you before you saw a vision of Zorroku granting you your freedom from the oath sworn by his father and yours and Khagra and yet that would only make you more dead set on him and then it showed yourself laying with Zorroku and how your womanhood would take his cock to the hilt and how you would always reach your satisfaction every time you laid together and how he would always be gentle and reverent when you wanted but give you the bone rattling, earth shattering slightly rough sex you could crave without ever hurting you and you would bear him child after child with ease and even a few of sets of twins easily and how great of a mother you’d be and how he’d make the best father and he would never strike you or mistreat you in any way shape or form. Even your own parents and siblings would be there with you and how they were taken into the family and recognized as equal members of it which got you to cry and how Zorroku would never stray from you and how you’d always have all of him, his whole mind, heart and soul and his loyalty and fidelity and love and devotion and how happy you would be and how your children would be the most beautiful and handsome of their generation and how you would make the Thunder Herd Clan known as The Great Thunder Herd Clan and how you would be flocked to and your clan village would become a great city and your garden would be famed and how your lands would prosper and your village would become so advanced because you embraced the new and it would become so fortified that it wouldn’t be possible to be laid siege to and how you would make sure all it’s citizens were in good health and educated and happy and prosperous and peoples of all kids would stop calling you warchieftess, but rather, the queen in your old age and how you would help Zorroku retire from being Warchief at forty and his eldest son would take over and you could get him to 78 years old. The oldest male orc in memory and that you would both die together, holding each other tightly in your sleep, satisfied and happy and that neither his death or yours would hurt. And how all of your children and their spouses would share the same fate.

“Sold.” You giggled through your happy tears before you rewind-ed it to the point where he gave you your freedom and you paused it and noticed a blue dot in the corner.

“What does that blue dot mean?” You asked as you pointed it out.

“It means you have an idea about it, press it and see your idea play out.” Arob invited you so you did and you saw yourself telling Crowthu and Khagra your idea that was just now springing into life in your head once Zorroku asked for your freedom that very night then you saw what would happen if they said yes as you and Arob gasped as you saw what would happen and looked at each other excitedly as you saw just how the Thunder Herd Clan would have the means to become a city.

“OK, can we show this vision to Khagra and Crowthu again when Khagra and his family get here?” You asked hopefully.

“Oh yes. But I’ll blur out Zorroku so that they still think all their sons have a shot and I’ll say it’s blurry because you haven’t made up your mind and that it’s open still.” Arob grinned mischievously.

“Perfect.” You mirrored her grin before you hugged her as tight as you could while still holding Ori and once you let go of each other you picked Ori up above your head and cooed to her and promised her that you would be the best mother to her that you could be and that you would always love her forever which made her so happy she squealed and kicked as you also noticed she really did start filling out nicely already as was starting to get some rolls on her limbs, which most orc babies looked like they were mostly fat rolls and so round, they were often just as wide as they were long at a few points in their babyhood before major growth spurts.

A very strong, lasting happiness then came to you and refused to leave you and you had a smile you could not shake off the rest of the day, even as you took the cocks and balls off the horses killed for the noon meal and the feast at dinner and started to prepare a special soup with them just for Yar for when he would get there at dinner time because you knew he’d appreciate it as you told your ‘sisters’ in the kitchen about the food tastes of their cousins and family before you helped put up a special dining tent with enough tables and space for not only both of the warchief’s family but also your own since Shuzug told you they were coming too and you knew that today was the last day your own family would ever be viewed as servants, that they would be getting their freedom tonight too. You just wanted to kiss Zorroku until your lips would fall off, it’s because of him and his love for you and his support that you’d be able to do so much. You’d do all you could to please him that very night if you could get away with it. Lazgar got done with with a few of your outfits just after lunch and you spent the afternoon with Yotul and her daughters and daughters in law again in the bath, getting your hair specially braided with beads and ornaments in your hair just like Yotul and the other girls and women did as you all got dressed in some of your best outfits.

Zorroku and his brothers returned shortly before Khagra and his family did and when they returned you surprised them and yourself by kissing each of them on the cheek in thanks for listening to you and giving them a happy pleased smile that seemed to wrap most of them around your fingers and were delighted when they told you about how they, thanks to Shuzug, told the cattle baron that these cattle and other livestock were for you and how you insisted that they buy the livestock and what had happened between both clans and what had happened to you because of it, the baron gave them the best deals he could with the promise that if you ever needed anything livestock wise, you would go to him first and that the Thunder Herd Clan would now have an alliance with him to never steal his livestock which they agreed to. Shuzug agreed and promised for you which you readily agreed to as well before Shuzug took you aside and told you that the whole way there and back had did nothing but tell all of them all he could about you before he sidled up to Zorroku and gave him the best insights and information for you and what your favorite everything was and how to best woo you and make you happy, which you greatly appreciated before you gathered to officially greet Khagra and his family.

Once you caught sight of your eldest brothers though and the rest of your family you couldn’t help but run to them first, hugging and kissing them and crying happily as you held each other as Yotul and Bula were in the same state, hugging and crying before they went around and introduced all their kids to each other as you introduced your own family to your daughter, the granddaughter of Sharn the Magnificent, that you adopted who your family, especially your mother, fell in love with, all of them taking turns holding her before your mother outright took Ori and playfully refused to give her back which Ori didn’t mind at all, Ori thought your mother was awesome and so entertaining.

However Zorroku and his brothers noticed that back in the dining tent it was your family that took the lowliest table, having thought that table had been set aside for the little kids who could eat on their own, thinking that you and your family would be sitting with the rest of them because you all were Marfu to them after all, weren’t you?

Zorroku shared a look between his brothers as they were seated at their table, for the men while the wives and the daughters took up another table while the little kids got their own but your own baby sisters weren’t sitting there, instead you guys got the little table in the corner, all of you squeezing tightly around it as you talked a mile a minute with everyone in your own family’s native tongue. And as the meal progressed, Zorroku and his brothers and especially his sisters noticed how Khagra and his family still requested you and your family members, especially you, your mother and your twin sister Grace to go get them refills on their wine or beer or whatever throughout the meal. Yar especially seemed smug that you made him his special soup just for him and Zorroku and his siblings found themselves not only embarrassed but offended. They agreed that you and your family were their equals.  Thankfully, Glasha took the lead in correcting this behavior.

“You know Aysha, since we, the Thunder Herd Clan are really your hosts, we should be getting this for you. Bella and her family have traveled really far too to see Bella again and since they are Marfu to us after all, which means, to us, that they are equal members of our family, they are not our servants so we really shouldn’t expect them to be such especially while they are our guests with us too.” Glasha insisted, and while she was smiling there was a bite to her words and a fire in her eyes that was shared by her whole family as they all grinned to their Black Wolf White Rock Clan counterparts in such a way that they were daring them to argue before Glasha insisted that you and your family sit with them before Zorroku and his brothers readily got up and had your father and your brothers sit with them while Yotul and the rest of her daughters and daughters in law readily got up and brought your mother and your sisters to sit with them while Rek made sure your baby sisters got room made for them at the kids table.

“Honestly we really didn’t need a fourth table did we?” Yotul reminded her sister Bula as she and her daughters and daughters in law blinked in surprise before their cheeks burned in embarrassment before Crowthu grinned as he put your father on the other side of him, Crowthu himself being between your father and Khagra protectively.

“You know I was just curious, what does the term Borgan really mean anyway?” Zorroku asked as one of your twin brothers sat on the other side of him before giving a meaningful look to his dad who repeated the question directly to Khagra.

Khagra cleared his throat before he quickly cast a slightly worried glance over at Bula who did her best to appear as calm as she could despite her own nerves starting to fray a little before Khagra humored Crowthu and gave the theoretical definition of the word for fear Crowthu and his sons would take offense otherwise.

“Oh that’s good! I’m really happy you view them in a similar light that we do.” Crowthu grinned before he turned to your father Micha. “Now I’m not going to put you on the spot by asking if that definition goes into real life practice but since you are, free to choose, I want to give you and the rest of your family the same invitation we’ve extended to Bella, because she has been an absolute delight to have but she has missed you, she hasn’t said as much but when you care about someone the way we all care for Bella, we notice these things, so here’s our situation, my sons, upon Bella’s request made an alliance with Baron Gonk and he has sold to us so many cattle I couldn’t hope to count them, and since Bella has informed me that your sons are the best of the best at keeping track of herds, making sure there’s no inbreeding and keeping them healthy and well taken care of and since Bella has been so generous with us so as to share your absolutely delicious whiskey, really the best I’ve ever had in my life with all of us and that I understand you are a professional at making it and wine and other spirits and that your wife is a master gardener and while your daughter has started a garden here, she really wishes she had her mother’s expertise, that your daughter Grace is a medicine woman and healer and that your youngest daughters have every opportunity to be whatever they want to be, I would be a fool to not offer you and your family an equal spot here, doing whatever you’d like even if it’s not the gifts I’d mention and my family and I would even love to escort you back to your home and help you get everything you wanted packed up to make sure you’d move back here safe and sound. After all what kind of clan would we be if we didn’t embrace our next warchieftess’ family as our own?” Crowthu explained and nearly everyone from the Black Wolf White Rock Clan, even your own family nearly choked on their spit except for Shuzug who just beamed proudly.

“What?!” They all asked in astonishment as everyone form the Thunder Herd Clan beamed proudly.

“Here, let me show you.” Arob invited as she levitated her own cauldron through the room and set it over the fire pit which got everyone in the Black Wolf White Rock Clan to breathe in sharply as they realized the old woman was actually a sorceress before she took what would normally be on the surface of the clan and brought it up to show on the tent wall as you turned around in your seat next to Glasha as the two of you held hands.

“Now this is why we came and got Bella, because she shows up as this when you look at her through a magicked lens on the magical plane.” Arob explained as she showed you the vision of yourself, being made out of treasure with a mountain of treasure behind you and an even larger mountain of glory, honor and food behind that. “And she will turn our clan from this to this.” Arob then explained as she showed what the clan was three days ago and turned it into the great sprawling city she had shown you earlier.

“Now I see two blue dots, you see them in the corner, it looks like one but that is because if Zorroku will voice his idea and you all accept it without qualms or questioning or arguing with him, that Bella herself will get an idea because of it that will bless everyone. But she has to hear Zorroku’s idea first. So Zorroku, I’ve given you all night to bring it up and you are officially out of time, so speak now.” Arob invited before everyone looked to Zorroku.

“Well, uh, my idea was that since Bella brought our family together like this and since we are now sister clans, that Bella and her family should be given their complete freedom that Bella especially is free from the oath father and Warchief Khagra has pushed onto her. She deserves that much, as does her family who raised her.” Zorroku finally spoke up and you still cried tears of joy just hearing him say the words with your own ears before Zorroku’s blue dot faded and your own blue dot seemed to glow so brightly it cast everything in a blue glow.

“So, Warchief Khagra,” you called out once you wiped your tears away.

“Yes?” He immediately answered you, his tone much more respectful now.

“If you will honor your word and give my family the whole meaning of Borgan which you yourself just dictated and if my family will be free to decide whether or not to be free persons here in the Thunder Herd Clan with me or they can choose to be completely free persons and stay back in the Black Wolf White Rock Clan, I mean I would prefer them here with me but they’re free to decide that themselves, I have an idea that will give you and your family and the Black Wolf White Rock Clan, your fair compensation for us either way.” You proposed as you stood up and let your hand hover over the large blue glowing dot, the outline of your hand cast over the tent’s other wall.

“I will,” Khagra immediately answered, his own curiosity killing him before you pushed the dot and a giant pile of treasure appeared, so large it went from the floor of the tent all across the roof it was so big.

“My idea is to help unify both clans and how we do that is in a months time, we invite every clan we have an alliance with to the celebratory feast of our two clans becoming sister clans in honor of our warchieftesses. But here is where the treasure comes in. If both of you will officially recognize me as a daughter, I will go to every witch, every wizard, every sorcerer, every sorceress, every magical practicing person that has ever blessed me which there are over a dozen of them, all of them will show the vision of me being made out of treasure with the mountain of treasure behind me with the mountain of glory, honor and food behind that and they can show the potential of all your own daughters as well if you want to include them in this or not and they’ll be free to choose whoever they want too if they want to that is. We then hold the biggest gamble ever, each clan can bring as much or as little of their loot as they want however we show them what I’m capable of, what my real true worth is first and then let them place a bet or a bid in for me and let whoever from the clan who wants me will write down what they are prepared to give me if I choose them, your own sons included since I still have yet choose any of them but none of them will show their written bids- which will all be numbered- to anyone until at the end of the feast and the entire feast I will spend talking and getting to know all the clans and give them a chance to woo me and I will make sure each of them has an equal chance. That’s the only way we will get away with this but I will only talk to them after they meet with both of you as warchiefs to make newer, better alliances that can not be undone or gone back on or less they will disqualify themselves and they forfeit their token treasure that they’ve brought and put into my treasure pile. We will make a really big deal about the fact that I’ve been blessed by 15 magic practicing people who will compile a list of all the blessings that have been bestowed upon me, we will add that I’m a certified virgin by Warchieftess Bula, Warchieftess Yotul, Mama Arob, Mama Borba and Mama Gak as well as my own mother if you want to to really sweeten this deal. At the end of the feast, I will then take each suitor up on stage and have them put their written bids in front of them and I’ll read each bid out loud, and the crowd can cheer as little or as loud as they want after I read each bid and I’ll go down the line and read them all and then I’ll pick my favorite which I can guarantee you all- will be someone in this room right now so don’t worry about that. But I will make sure that none of the magical practicing people will show that, all they’ll allowed to do is show potential as well as give as many blessings to individuals as they want which will mean guaranteed business for them and we will use Baron Gonk’s livestock to feed everyone and make sure each clan enters an alliance with him too so he will have guaranteed business and guaranteed protection as well. Then after I make my decision and everyone goes home. I will split my treasure pile evenly between you Warchief Crowthu and your family and clan, you Warchief Khagra and your family and clan and then of course my own family since they will be equals in all this too and in one night, we will all get more wealth than we ever would have using the old ways of pillaging, stealing, raiding and war combined. And that is how both clans will then have the term Great in front of it and it’s with those funds that we will lay the foundations for the great city that will stretch from the furthermost eastern edge of the winter grounds of the Great Thunder Herd Clan to the western edge of the lands of the Great Black Wolf White Rock Clan’s land and all that will separate us when the city is complete is a single road, us on one side, you guys on the other and everyone will be free to move throughout the city as they please.” You proposed.

“Hell yeah!” Everyone cheered, Zorroku, Nar, Shuzug and Grecko doing so the loudest.

“You know, we’ll help you move too, you really should be with your daughter, thank you so much for all you’ve done for us, really.” Warchief Khagra very graciously said to your father who laughed and graciously accepted that offer and agreed to move there which relieved everyone in your family as everyone else came up to hug you in congratulations for your brilliant idea that had filled in as you talked, showing it all, Arob making sure she blurred who was on stage and who you would chose completely but that everything else was completely clear before the twins brought out their dancing drums as you all engaged in the traditional songs and dances of not just the Black Wolf White Rock Clan and the Thunder Herd Clan but of The Great Storm Breaker Clan too. Bula and Yotul dancing together like they had when they were really little and even some Silver Snow Clan songs and dances too that you and Glasha and Zorroku knew along with songs and dances from your own heritage. Shuzug being the only one who spoke your native tongue and knew the songs and dances only because you had shown him, Yotul and her daughters and daughters in law also learning these too. That night however you pulled Mama Borba aside.

“Ok, could you please pull Zorroku aside privately and tell him all the ways to please me sexually without actually putting his cock in my pussy? Because I can already tell it’s going to be one hell of a long month because I want to lie with him right this second for giving me my freedom but you can not tell anyone about this. Please.” You pleaded desperately as you walked around the tent in one of the dances.  

“Yeah I saw the way you looked at him all night as opposed to anyone else. And as my gift to you for being sister warchieftesses with my own daughters because I know you’ll be good to them, I will use the utmost discretion and you have my word I won’t tell a soul, I’ll take this to my grave.” Mama Borba swore and you breathed in relief before hugging her tightly just as the dance ended.

“Thank you, thank you, thank you.” You thanked her before she used the next dance and started coaching you and giving you tips on how to please Zorroku with your body except for pussy although she did give you tips and tricks about that too, all of which you took to heart and committed to memory before she also went to Zorroku for the midnight meal and made it sound like she was giving him ‘how to run a clan’s funds’ advice but in such a way that Zorroku knew exactly what she was talking about and listened with rapt attention.

That night you let Ori fuss a little so that Zorroku would come to you under the guise that he would be coming to settle his daughter down and you practically pounced on him. The moment he was in your tent, you had put Ori to your breast to nurse before jumping up into his arms. Zorroku caught you with ease and finally got a chance to really kiss you the way he had wanted to since he first laid eyes on you.

“Thank you, thank you, thank you, I love you too,” you whimpered so softly that only he could hear you.

“You’re welcome, how did you know?” He rumbled back as he held you as tight as he could without squeezing his daughter between you too hard before he carried you to the bed and extinguished your fire until it was only embers so that there wouldn’t be shadows cast onto the walls before laying you down reverently onto the bed before he kissed and stroked down your body before he gently pushed up your nightgown and bent down and licked your slit with his tongue and you nearly had to bite your lip in half to not cry out in pleasure as he seemed to push between your folds and whole body seemed light up.

“Because only someone who loved another would want each other to be free. There’s a saying that, ooh, that goes, a free bird will always come back to it’s roost while a caged one will always fly away if ever let out of it’s cage. And from this moment on, you’re my roost.” You explained before you couldn’t help but let a soft moan leave you as Zorroku’s hands went to your ass and squeezed it and kneaded it along with your hips as your legs spread as wide as they could before he very carefully pushed in a single finger, his pinky, careful not to tear your maidenhood but you were so hot, and so tight and wet. He didn’t know how he was going to not fuck you senseless tonight but he had to try.

“But, oooh, you can’t...say anything, it has to stay...” You tried to tell him.

“Between us, I completely understand.” Zorroku rumbled into your sex which you felt the reverberations which only added to your own pleasure as Ori looked at you a little curiously.

“I think your daddy’s done this a time or two.” You whispered to her as you smiled brightly at her as she smiled back before she went back to nursing.

“Nope, first time for everything but that Mama Borba knew what she was talking about.” Zorroku chuckled before he curled his finger and found your g-spot and your whole pelvis rose to try to get more of that touch.

“There?” Zorroku whispered as he pushed into it and got the same reaction from your body which tried to writhe on your bed.

“Uh huh,” you nodded emphatically as you tried to keep your gasping breath as quiet as possible as your free hand that wasn’t around Ori- went to his hair and ran your fingers through it before grasping a pretty good chunk of it as Zorroku sucked on your clit while his finger tapped and rubbed and pushed into your G-spot until your whole body tensed as your pussy clenched around his finger and fluttered and even more of your delicious essence flowed into his mouth from around his finger as you silently screamed your release, your pelvis riding his face as his own tusks were planted on the junction of your thighs and center but in no danger of scraping your delicate flesh and by this point Ori had fallen asleep so you carefully put her in the little bassinet next to your bed.

“Your turn,” you purred and pulled him up. “I can’t fuck you the way I want to just yet but you could fuck my tits if you wanted to.” You offered before he kissed you and groaned.

“Gods you turn me on when you talk dirty to me.” Zorroku grinned as he got his cock from his pants and got into position. His cock was large, even for an orc and thick and heavy but thanks to your now ample cleavage he reached down and gently pushed your breasts together over it, the underside rubbing against your breast plate as the head nearly hit your jaw. “Fuck this next month is going to be so fucking long.” Zorroku growled as he looked down at you in awed amazement because even in his dreams, he never hoped to dream this.

“Tell me about it, so much to do, but it’ll be worth it.” You whispered as your hands stroked up his huge strong thighs before scratching down the outside of them as you watched him with lidded eyes. His whole body looked sculpted from blue marble. He was even more magnificent up close.

“Come on Zorro, I want your seed around my neck like a necklace.” You purred as you reached under his balls and gently fondled them before you gently and carefully scratched them and that was enough to do him in and much faster than he wanted to cum, he came, and unloaded so much, it was like someone dumped a can of opaque white paint on your chest and neck.

“Fuck, you gotta be careful with that mouth of yours, I usually last much longer than that.” Zorroku tried to explain, embarrassed by how quickly and easily you were able to finish him.

“Oh I know, when we really get a chance to lie together, I’ll go easy on you.” You winked up at him and giggled as you both wiped up the mess he made. “I just needed to finish you quick tonight before we got caught.” You whispered as you sat up as he moved off of you before kissing him sweetly again.

“Well, yeah, that would suck.” Zorroku nodded in agreement. “Thank you Bella, for everything.” Zorroku murmured gratefully before he tucked you and Ori into bed and left your tent to go to his own again.

But the moment he left your tent, Glasha was waiting at the entrance to her own tent since her bedroom space was right next to yours to the point that if she were to put a door in her own bedroom space and yours she could walk from your room to hers in a single stride.

“Oh no.” Zorroku breathed when he saw her and knew he was caught.

“Hey, I didn’t see or hear nothin,” Glasha whispered as she put her hands up in surrender but winked before she went back to bed.

#orc #orc love story #orc romance #orc lemon #there it is that good good lemony goodness #Zorroku and Peaches part 5

[tvdversefanfiction]

Origins of Magic: Part Two

Warnings: I do not own the rights to the television series “The Originals”, “Vampire Diaries”, or “Legacies” and do not own any of the characters within the TVD universe, I am making no profit from this and have no intention for this fanfiction series except for readers to enjoy. 15+ Mild to Strong Violence, Strong Language, Witchcraft, sexual scenes, and sexual references. F/F, F/M, M/M, Other.

CHAPTER 20 HERE

Chapter 21 - Better the Bitch you know

“I would waste time pretending that I am shocked to see you on their side but honestly Annabella you were never one with loyalty oh sure you would preach it enough, but you were always a backstabbing bitch! I mean look at you, Rebekah is supposed to be your one epic love and you’re currently carrying an antichrist baby courtesy of bedding her ex-boyfriend.” Rose snapped at her elder sister Bella furiously as she found herself behind bars within the dungeon located underneath the Mikaelson family’s compound, her sister standing in front of the cage door heavily pregnant and far from happy to be there. “I may be a lot of things but I would never play nice with our brother’s murderers.” “Oh, please do you suddenly not recalling killing our brother Magnus?” Bella was quick to reply, refusing to allow Rose to claim she was loyal to anyone. “Only you ever classed that troll to be a brother, I never really liked him not. Kayne was more family to me than any of you and as far as I’m concerned from the moment you did not join me to avenge his death is the very moment you became nothing more than somebody else on my hitlist.” Rose warned her, making it clear she no longer saw her as a family only as another enemy. “Just tell me where they are or at least where Rebekah is?” Bella pleaded with the scheming witch, desperate to find Rebekah and make sure she was okay. “I’ll tell you where Freya is,” Rose responded with a cruel and taunting laugh. “Ashes to ashes and all that.” “If you do not tell me where they are Primrose then I will have no choice but to force the truth out of you.” Bella threatened her younger sister, making sure Rose knew she was willing to go to any length to ensure Rebekah’s safety. “I’d like to see you try!” Rose replied, not backing down from her sister's threats, knowing she could endure any form of torture Bella had planned for her, knowing they could not kill her without getting the answers that only she had. Rose had taken down Elijah, Klaus, and Rebekah, hiding their bodies shortly afterward and after literally burning the eldest Mikaelson sibling Freya to death, she set her sights on Klaus’ daughter Hope but much to the scorned woman’s dismay she found herself overpowered by Hope, her wife Josie, and Josie’s twin sister Lizzie, who together managed to hold Rose long enough to reach into Rose’s chest and pull back out the bone blade that was making her even more powerful than she normally was. And so there she was, imprisoned but not defeated, knowing that those responsible for her brother Kayne’s death were suffering greatly over the loss of Freya, and Rose was determined to make sure that they would never find Klaus, Elijah, or Rebekah no matter what they did to her because one day she would escape sooner or later she always escaped and this time she was driven by an extreme sense of vengeance.

Elsewhere, in a realm which was not quite within our world while at the same time not being outside of it, Kayne awakened on a cold harsh ground to find Magnus stood over him before Magnus reached out his hand and helped Kayne to his feet which is when Kayne took a good look around his new location only to find nothing but debris, a place completely devoid of any life other than him and his brother with a darkened sky that had no stars or moon to be seen. “Where the hell am I? and why the hell are you here too?” Kayne questioned his brother, wondering what trouble Magnus had now got him into. “The place of our birth otherwise known as the demonic realm,” Magnus revealed to him. “I figured I’d help you out before one of those things decided to rip you to shreds.” “One of what things?” Kayne wondered as he continued to look around at his surroundings, attempting to work out how he wound up in the demonic realm. “Demons, our brothers and sisters I guess, or maybe ancestors I am still sort of catching up on all that.” Magnus continued with the shocking revelations. “We’re the only ones around here to have actual bodies which makes them super jealous and extra violent considering apparently we were supposed to unleash them back among the living where they could all get hosts.” “Yeah, I sort of remember the story, there is a lot of memories in one mind and things are kind of blurry when you just wake up after being murdered by someone you once loved,” Kayne replied, attempting to keep up with Magnus’ information. “I know that better than anyone else but luckily for you, I want to get the hell out of there and I reckon I’ll need your help to do just that,” Magnus admitted to his brother, making it clear he was not intending to help Kayne out of the kindness of his heart. “We’re not gods or demons or whatever the hell we were before we wound up here, I mean I would even place a bet we’re not even witches in this sordid little prison world!” Kayne told his brother, reluctant to trust him considering their complicated history. “It is a demonic realm, and you know that! So, how about you stop whining over the fact the man you once loved killed you and help me get back to making our family royalty once more while putting those undead creatures back in the dirt where they belong.” Magnus stated, making his intentions clear. “Niklaus may have killed me, but I still trust him more than I trust your hell at this point I would likely trust Annabella more than you,” Kayne admitted to his brother, making it clear he was not foolish enough to trust him. “However, I sure do not want to hang around here for much longer, so I’ll play along for now and if you get out of line well it is not like we have not killed each other before.” “I will take that as a yes,” Magnus said with a sinister sense of enthusiasm.

Hope Mikaelson loved her family more than anything but that did not mean they came without their troubles especially in particular her father Klaus who for reasons which were not entirely his fault was in and out of her life but despite this Hope was very much a daddy’s girl even after settling down and marrying her wife Josie, she would stop at nothing to ensure her father remained in her life. So, when she learned her father was missing, alongside her aunt Rebekah and her uncle Elijah she set out to capture the person responsible with the help of her wife and her sister-in-law hoping she could bargain with the centuries-old witch to get her family back in return for Rose’s freedom but as Hope quickly learned making deals with this particular witch was far more difficult than she could ever have imagined. “Look girl fair dues for living up to all that Tribrid hype surrounding you and getting the better of me but you have to be a colossal idiot if you really think I am going to spill secrets because of a little cage.” Rose taunted the Mikaelson Tribrid as she remained in the dungeon underneath the Mikaelson, with Hope now standing where Bella stood earlier. “Right now, your family’s whereabouts is the only thing keeping alive and as for freedom we both know I’ll get out of here sooner or later, so you got to do better when making a deal with this she-devil.” “Fine,” Hope replied with a sigh, clearly frustrated by Rose’s resilience. “Just tell me what you want, and we can get this all over with!” “I want my brother Kayne back, but your brother killed him for no other reason than he feared his power which is so damn predictable of your father. You may think he loves you dearest Hope, but he loved him too and that didn’t stop him gutting my brother like a fish the minute he felt he was a threat to his kingdom.” Rose revealed to Hope. “My father would never hurt me…but for what it is worth I am sorry about your brother. I know what it is like to lose the only family you have ever known, and I would not wish that on anyone! So, please give me mine back.” Hope responded, attempting to appeal to Rose’s softer side, hoping she had one. “My sister is a backstabbing bitch who played us like fiddles our entire lives and my other brother Magnus loathed myself and Kayne our entire lives…Kayne’s the only one who was always there for me, and your father Klaus took him from me. Even if I were to feel anything about your struggles, I cannot allow him to be forgotten.” Rose reluctantly told Hope, being as honest with her as she could. “What if I help you get your brother back?” Hope asked her, shocking Rose by her willingness, and kindness, something often rare within the Mikaelson family.

Klaus awoke within the woods of Mystic Falls late at night knowing instantly that he was in prison world’s version of Mystic Falls before he rose to his feet to find both Rebekah and Elijah stood there having clearly waited for him to wake up, both looking far from amused to be where they were, as anyone would be. “You just had to go and piss off the most psychotic bitch in that family!” Rebekah complained to Klaus. “I mean if you are going to kill anybody it should have been her, it is like you want us to go to war with them what the bloody hell happened to the Klaus who almost married into that family?” “At least I dealt with my witch Rebekah let us not forget that your witch is currently expecting your ex’s child which tells me Marcellus’ loyalties will be towards her and not us, so you better hope she’s the first one to love and not betray you!” Klaus snapped back at his sister. “How about we do not try to pass on the blame here when we all know all of us are as bad as each other? We should never have killed Kayne, he was by far the least evil of that bunch, of course, his sisters are going to want revenge we literally cut out the heart of their family.” Elijah chimed in, reminding his siblings nobody was innocent here. “Oh, please they’re not even related…or are they? It is so bloody hard to keep up with whatever the hell is going on with them.” Rebekah replied before going on to say. “Bella and Kayne were never the problems like always if Kol makes a friend they tend to try to kill us, actually if any of us makes a friend that tends to happen.” “I was the one willing to do what was needed to protect us all as always, do you think it was easy for me to kill someone I once loved? Someone I still care for so deeply? No, but I did it for my family because when it comes down to it always and forever always comes first.” Klaus argued with his siblings. “Well now we are probably going to have to kill them all even Annabella of course not until after she has her child which is a shame because she would have been a great ally to the family and the last thing, I want to do is kill a child’s mother,” Elijah stated, making it clear that his method was the only way for his family’s survival. “That is not happening!” Rebekah shouted defiantly. “You two are only alive because of those witches and one of them is only dead because of our family. For once we need to do right by them, not every bloody relationship we ever have has to turn into hatred.” “Rebekah’s right…for once! Kayne’s death was an end to justify the means and I will forever loathe myself for it so if we can we need to do right by Bella and hell maybe even Rose.” Klaus surprisingly agreed with his sister. “Well, we cannot right our family’s wrongs if we remain trapped here!” Elijah told them both. “Which means we better start looking for a way out.”

Hope decided to take a stroll through Lafayette Cemetery with Josie hand in hand after learning that was the last place her aunt Freya was when the wicked Rose Black killed her and so the youngest member of the Mikaelson decided to pay her respects with her wife deciding to join to provide comfort to the Tribrid when needed as Josie’s twin sister Lizzie stayed at the compound plotting with the upgraded original Marcel Gerard and Rose’s sister Bella Black. “Not to tarnish this moment by mentioning your aunt’s killer but are you really going to let Rose go free after everything she has done?” Josie questioned the woman she loved as they continued to walk through Lafayette Cemetery, as she wondered what the Tribrid was up to. “Of course, not but that crazy bitch is not going to help us unless she thinks we are going to help her so I just need to keep that ruse up until I get what I want from her, and then she will soon be as dead as her brother,” Hope replied, revealing her devious plan. “So, your solution to deal with your dad’s never-ending drama is to continue it by doing exactly what he would do? You said Marcel was like a big brother to you he’s supposed to mean something to you is he not?” Josie continued to question her, hoping her wife would not end up following in Klaus’ footsteps. “Bella hates her sister almost as much as we do and with her expecting she is going to be far too busy bringing up the baby to keep a centuries-old feud alive.” Hope tried to reason with Josie, knowing that Josie was right. “Rose is an evil bitch who deserves to die for killing Freya but if we continued to screw her over it is only a matter of time before Bella becomes an enemy too which will inevitably pit you against Marcel,” Josie advised her wisely. “I know that Josie, but I also do not know what I am supposed to do here,” Hope confessed looking to Josie for a miraculous solution. “Stop thinking like your father and start thinking like you! You’ve always wanted better for your family than endless vendettas maybe it is finally time to find a way of getting what you always wanted.” Josie replied, not quite giving Hope the answer that she wanted but giving her the advice, she needed to find the answer for herself.

It did not take Kayne or Magnus long to escape the demonic realm at all in fact it was rather easy, or so Kayne was led to believe. All they had to do to return to where they the so-called real world was to die in the demonic realm before they were possessed by the bodiless demons and so Kayne obliged in killing Magnus and reluctantly allowed Magnus to kill him, not knowing by returning to the land of the living he would also wind up permanently opening a portal between both worlds allowing the demons to pass through freely unleashing untold hell into the world, something Magnus had purposely forgotten to mention to his brother. “It was really that easy!” Kayne said in disbelief as he awoke in his body which was still placed in the cave where he was murdered but once he got to his feet the entire cave began shaking ferociously, almost knocking the male witch back off his feet and as the very walls, dirt, and rock around him began falling into itself, he realized the cave was collapsing and he had to get out there quick to survive. As Kayne climbed out of the collapsing cave, narrowly escaping with his life he fell to the ground and witnessed black smoke being released from the collapsed cave knowing that within that black smoke was the very demons from the realm he had just escaped from, as he realized he had just released hell on earth and played right into his brother Magnus’ hands but before he had the chance to worry about a potential demonic apocalypse he knew it was time to reunite with his family fearing the mess they had got into without him as he wondered whether it would be even more chaotic than the demons he and Magnus had just released.

#theoriginals #originals #to #tofandom #tofamily #originalsfanfiction #tvdfamily #tvdfandom #tvdverse #fanfiction #fanfic #lgbtthemes #lgbtcharacters #lgbtfanfiction #vampires #werewolves #witches #hybrids #tribrids #demons #klausmikaelson #rebekahmikaelson #elijahmikaelson #hopemikaelson #freyamikaelson #marcelgerard #originalcharacters #originsofmagic #parttwo #chapter21

[crowkingwrites]

War Creatures (Ch.1)

Pairing: Loki/ Reader

Summary: In a crossover of the Nine Realms and Westeros, you find yourself in the dawn of a rebellion. Odin, Lord of Pyke, has made alliances with your family, House Grover of Highgarden. Your father's army will join Odin's army to overthrow the King and take the Iron Throne. There is just one cost to this alliance.You must marry the dark, young prince Loki.In a world where Kings do as they wish, where war is an oncoming storm, and peace is nothing but a dream, you are lost but brave. Loki is more powerful than he seems, and love will grow from the flames of war.

Requested?: Sort of?

Words: 2615

Read on Ao3: http://archiveofourown.org/works/11108748/chapters/24790230

Highgarden was open. It was a dream to many, but a home to me. This place was not like the rest of the nine kingdoms. Highgarden was a sanctuary. The castle sat on a high hill overlooking the waters of Mander. Many visitors insisted that our castle grew here rather than being built. Flowers and plants grown over tiles and columns, overtaking the stone.

I sat in one of my favorite chairs just outside my room. This is where I usually took my morning tea, but I was currently reading another book of poetry, snacking on oranges.

I peeked at the maids below me carrying sheets towards the washing rooms. They were laughing to themselves. Something about another servant accidently falling into a pool of water. I heard in other kingdoms the maids constantly frown and you can see the bags under their eyes. My father has always taught me that these were my people, not beings I can order around. It made me smile to know my servants were happy.

“Cecilia!” I turned to see my septa call me. She waved her hand at me to go with her. I put down my book, and hurried to her side. Maybe was an anxious woman. Her head was always covered even on the hottest days.

“What’s wrong?” I asked her.

“Your father requires your presence,” Maybe said. “It is very important, do you understand? Very important.” We continued down the hallway. My father’s men passed us in the hallway. I tried to say hello, but when they saw me they looked away.

“Maybe,” I said. “Is Sir Petra feeling okay? He looked sick.”

“Now is not the time for questions,” Maybe answered flatly.

“But—

“Cecilia, please not now,” Maybe interrupted me. More of my father’s men emerged from the main hall. None of them met my eyes either. They kept walking. One pair whispered to each other while looking at Maybe.

I shook my head. This couldn’t be as bad as I thought it was. Maybe I was overthinking things.

We approached the doors to my father’s hall. Our family sigil craved in the middle. A book with a single eye on the cover. I looked back at my poor septa who was wringing her hands together.

“Are you coming?” I asked.

“Your parents wish to speak with you alone. I will see you tomorrow morning for our walk, my dear,” Maybe turned to leave.

“What do you mean tomorrow morning? What about late afternoon tea? We always have late afternoon tea,” I said. Maybe looked over her shoulder at me.

“I expect you will need time alone to reflect, my dear. Now, go inside. They are expecting you,” Maybe walked away, and I knocked the heavy, wooden doors to my father’s hall.

Guards opened the doors to my somber-looking parents. Lord Garth and Lady Magnolia Grover of Highgarden sat in their respective thrones before me in the hall. They had closed the windows, but the sun still reached the inside of the room. It changed the hall entirely.

The branch-like beams that once looked like strong trees on the ceiling, now looked like a frightening forest. The banners hung along the room stared at me instead of greeting me.

My mother, Lady Magnolia, wore a dark green dress. Her hair was half tied back as usual, and she wore a frown on her face. She was a critical woman. I was her eldest, so I was used as an example for my sisters.

My father, Lord Garth, was the opposite of my mother. He was a large, happy man. He tried to avoid my gaze, but I caught him every time. Something was not right. Something was wrong.

My father waved his hand to the guards, and they shut the heavy wooden doors behind them. It was only us three in the room now.

“Cecilia, come closer,” My father said. I noticed the pint of ale next to him. My father never drank during the day unless he was stressed.

“Father, what’s wrong? What’s going on?” My father looked down and let out a long sigh.

“Cecilia, when you were born, I was so happy,” he started. “I had secretly hoped for a boy because I wanted an heir. Then the wet nurse handed you to me, and I was in awe of you, Cecilia. I felt apart. You were so small and vulnerable. I promised myself that morning to protect you and your sisters from everything.

“Of course, when you began to read, I let you read anything you pleased. Poems, epic tales, religion, philosophy, anything you wanted. Your mother and I were excited that you were a curious girl, but we kept things from you and your sisters.”

“What kinds of things?” I asked.

“Things going in the nine kingdoms. I have kept news of the capital and other kingdoms from you, but now I no longer can.”

“I don’t understand, father,” I said. “I am always updated on the news in the capital. I have a report every morning. One of my maids tells me the news every morning with my tea.”

“Do you not think I would filter her? Your chambermaid is to tell you what I deem is appropriate. I have been lying to you, Cecilia. Please do not be angry with your maid. She was following my orders.” I felt my fists balled up at my sides. My nails dug into my palms.

House Grover prided itself on knowledge. Our words “Knowledge is Power” was known throughout the nine kingdoms of Westeros. We invested time and a lot of our money into the pursuit of knowledge, and here was my father keeping information away from me.

“What have you been hiding from me?” I growled.

“Cecilia, do not growl at your father like that,” my mother scolded me.

“Let her be angry, Mags. I knew she would be. I need her angry,” my father patted my mother’s lap, soothing her.

“You need me angry? Why?”

“Because what I have been hiding from you and your sisters is something that will make you either very angry or very scared. I need you angry. You are no use to me scared.” My father sounded cruel, but he was right. Cowards rarely get anything done.

“Cecilia, look at me,” my mother said. “You must not tell your sisters. Do you understand? The less they know, the better.”

“Now you are scaring me. What could be so awful?” I asked.

“His Grace, Malekith of House Vindici, King of the Andals and the First Men, Lord of the Nine Kingdoms, and Protector of the Realm must die.”

“What?”

“King Malekith has gone mad with power, Lia. He has hurt innocent people. He wishes to create a child army so he can raise them, so they can be loyal to him. He has promoted slavery across the realm, along with slave fighting, sex slaves, and abuse to his own people, the Dark Elves. He must die, and there must be a new king.”

“Father, this is treason,” I said quietly. “As angry as I am, I will not allow you to do this by yourself. I cannot allow this. If Malekith is this cruel to his loyal subjects, I cannot imagine what he will do to you.”

“No Lia. Allow me to finish. Lord Odin from Pyke is leading a rebellion against King Malekith. He is gathering men from the North and creating alliances. He wrote to me a month ago about an alliance between us. I agreed to take on this alliance with him.”

“So there will be war?”

“Yes, there will be war. But first, an alliance will be made.”

“I thought you said we were allies of Pyke already. Did you not send word that you agreed?” I asked.

“I have, and Odin knows, but we need to make this alliance official. We need something that ties us together, Cecilia,” My father stood up and took my hands. “We need a marriage.”

At first, I was confused. Why was my father speaking of marriage when he was already married? My father stared at me longer, and then it hit me.

“I see. That is why you need me angry. That is why you called for me. I am to be married,” I said out loud. It made sense now. Why Maybe was so distant, why my parents were so somber, why there was no one else in this hall. My mother stood up and joined my father.

“I want you to know that we discussed this at great length, and it is time for you to marry. You are ready. You are old enough, you have bled, and you are mature enough for this,” my mother said. My mouth felt dry, and I couldn’t look at either of them. My heart started to race.

“Who is he? Who is my betrothed?”

“He is my son,” I heard a voice say from behind my parents. A woman stepped out from behind the curtains in the corner. Her golden brown hair was tied back in braids on top of her head. She wore a combination of armor and dress. She impressed me. She also intimidated me.

“Who are you?”

“I am Lady Frigga of House Odinson. I have been looking forward to meeting you, Cecilia,” she said. “You will be marrying my son, Loki. I believe you two would be great match for each other.” My mother coughed when she said that. I had a feeling my mother wasn’t so supportive of this.

“How do you know?” I asked.

“Mother’s intuition,” Frigga looked at my mother when she said that. It was obvious. Frigga and my mother did not agree on this marriage completely. “Now that you are aware of events that are to come, I was hoping to take afternoon tea with you. I would like some time to get to know my future daughter.”

“Alright,” I said and nodded. My mother, Frigga, and I left the main hall. Guards led the way to tea. It didn’t feel real yet. Our king would not hurt his own people. What kind of a king would do that? Why would he hurt his own people in the first place?

And I was to be married. Yesterday, my mother was telling me how childish it was to be running around in the gardens, and now she thinks I’m mature enough to be married. Lady Frigga was kind, but I’ve heard things about her son. Dark things.

My mother and Frigga did not speak to each other during the walk. I did not blame her. My mother was never considered a people person. That was my father’s expertise.

The tea table was set with various small foods and fruits. The tea was not warm, but cool and sweet when it hit your mouth. I had so many thoughts going through my mind. I waited for my mother or Frigga to speak first.

“Cecilia, Magnolia,” Frigga started. “I have heard word that Highgarden was a beautiful castle, but now that I see it no words can do it justice.”

“Thank you,” I said, taking another sip of tea. “I must apologize. I have never been to another castle before. I have read about Pyke. Is it truly always storming?” Frigga chuckled.

“Not always, but it does storm often. Now that I think about it, the last time I saw clear skies and the sun was many moons ago,” she said. I hummed in response. Frigga shifted in her seat and looked at me directly.

“This is a lot, I know,” Frigga said. “I reacted the same way when my mother told me I was to be married to Odin. It is a scary thought.”

“My daughter is not scared,” My mother interjected.

“I said it was a scary thought. Not that Cecilia is scared. However, when you hide so many things from your child, I can only assume that child is not going to be too happy hearing about an impending war.”

“I will not sit here and let you criticize how I raise my daughters,” my mother’s anger was rising.

“Mother, please,” I stopped her. “I apologize, Frigga. My mother and father only meant to raise me without heavy things on my mind. Knowledge is powerful, but sometimes it can be too much to bear.” My mother sat back, looking defeated.

“I apologize as well,” Frigga said. “Clearly, you raised a bright young lady, Magnolia.” My mother nodded, but she could not look at me. She was a proud woman.

“Why me?” I said. “Why not Lady Sif of Casterly Rock? Wouldn’t that be closer to you?”

“It is closer. However, Lady Sif is to marry my eldest, Thor. We wanted you because Highgarden is not only home to many farmlands, but also your soldiers are smart people. My husband Odin knows war, but only to an extent. Your father and his soldiers are seasoned in war on land and sea.”

“You need our intelligence and numbers,” I said.

“Exactly,” Frigga continued on. “We are gathering as many allies as we can. You and Sif are the keys to secure two of our biggest alliances. These marriages are very important to this rebellion, Cecilia.”

“I understand,” I said. I looked around, trying to take it all in. The air was tense and hard to breathe. “Maybe was right.”

“About what? What did Maybe tell you?” my mother questioned.

“Maybe never said a word to me about any of this,” I explained. “But she did tell me that I would need time to reflect. That this meeting was very important and I would need time for myself. I hope you do not take offense, Frigga, but I must cut this off early. I wish to walk around.”

“I understand, my dear,” Frigga smiled. “Maybe another time?” I stood up and my mother followed me without saying goodbye to Frigga. When we were out of earshot of her, my mother started speaking.

“Cecilia, I want you to know. I did not want this. I do not want this,” my mother kept walking with me. “I tried to reason with your father. If there was another way, I would have made him do it.”

“All my life you have prepared me for two things: marriage and to be the lady of Highgarden. Why are you so against this now?”

“This is not what I wanted for you. I wanted a respectable lord for you. House Odinson of Pyke and their men are savages, Cecilia.”

“I know they pillage and they love a good fight, but that doesn’t mean they are savages, Mother. You taught me better than that.”

“They are rough and ill-mannered. They follow a different god. Frigga may not tell you, but I will. Thor may be the strongest warrior of Pyke, but his brother Loki has a different kind of power. You need to be careful.”

“You told me there was no true power to rumors.”

“Not these rumors. I must go back to Frigga to start the wedding plans. I’ll leave you here,” My mother took my hands. “I don’t say this often to you, but I am proud of you, Lia especially today. I will see you at dinner.” My mother kissed my cheek and left me to my thoughts.

This was happening whether I liked it or not. I have read about war. Some of the older servants lost their loved ones to it. War was not a good thing, but it was necessary. A king gone mad is not fit for the throne. He must perish, and I will do my part.

#loki laufeyson #loki #loki x reader #loki/reader #game of thrones crossover #game of thrones #highgarden #mcu #marvel #marvel fanfic #loki imagine #loki angst #war creatures #ao3

[leaper182]

More Thoughts about Dinners

Due to the wonky formatting that Tumblr insists on if you don't have any of the X-Kit stuff installed (and even if you do, sadly), I went ahead and copypasta'd the reply to my post about "Chasing Theo" (18x08), found here: [ http://leaper182.tumblr.com/post/155773864914/first-and-foremost-i-will-admit-that-im-biased ] Booyahkendell replied to your post: Going back and watching that particular scene again, I really have to agree with everything you said. The whole dinner scenario was no different than what we've seen in the past, and it doesn't really come off as a deliberate attempt by the writers to push the Roll1$1 ship further.

***

Ever since I saw the first scene (that I remember) where Carisi offers to cook for Rollins, I've felt like we were getting a couple of things. First, Rollins is no longer treating Carisi like an interloper. In one of Carisi's first episodes, Rollins was making an aside to Liv, asking when they were going to get Nick back, and it sounded for all the world like, "Mom, I don't want to play with the Carisi kid. I want to play with my best friend again." We've seen Rollins's attitude toward Carisi change, and it's gotten to the point now where she trusts him, and sees him as worth keeping around. (The only Roll1$1 moment that I've seen in the entire run thus far has been a scene in a S17 episode where Carisi picks up Jesse and is bouncing her up and down to try to get her to calm down. He's also mentioning, "You should totally bounce with your knees, it works better." Carisi is fairly oblivious in this scene other than a big smile to Rollins because yay, his baby whispering ways are working and are awesome. Rollins, meanwhile, looks like she's getting a severe lightbulb moment, and I was waiting for violins to sound. And then the moment was over.) Second, the cooking is a way to show how Carisi and Rollins work as cop-partners. (And yes, I said cop-partners because a lot of cop shows will make an effort to mention that the relationship a cop has with their partner on the force can be very complex and intricate. Some shows have said that the relationship can be even more intimate than one with a spouse. For example, Elliot and Olivia were partners together for a very long time, even though Elliot's family crashed and burned liek woooah. And there's a number of people who still ship Elliot/Olivia, even after Elliot's been gone from the show for years. From what I see of Carisi, he uses food as a way to ingratiate himself to others. We know that the big puppy wants to be liked, he wants to stay at Manhattan SVU. He's such a trainwreck, and that 'stache is so unfortunate, but he's armed with food, and he wants to make friends. Notice how Rollins is willing to take food ("Cannoli? ... okay, I'll take one."), but Nick has to be cajoled by Rollins to take food. I can't remember off-hand if Fin readily takes offered food, but I don't think that Liv ever does before Carisi's been fully accepted into the fold. I know there was at least one fic that @poipoi1912 wrote where Carisi was making dinner for the whole team. I can't remember if it happened in canon, or if the writing made me think that it had. (We've seen the squad at Liv's place to celebrate Noah's adoption, but that was more of a get-together yays our boss has a baby now.) BUT. I have a point. I swear I do. Carisi comes from an Italian family, and from what we know of them (courtesy of "Parole Violations"), his parents are still alive, and he has three sisters. We don't know if he has any brothers, but I like to headcanon that he doesn't because he's Dominick Carisi Jr., and in my experience, you tend to see the eldest son or only son get named that because omg finally, I have a son, Dad says. Two parents and four kids is kind of big. If Carisi's family is anything like Italian stereotypes, you get the sense that you show that you care about someone by giving them food. You had a bad day at work? Have some zeppoli! Your relationship of twelve years has exploded into a blazing inferno of drama and betrayal? I have a killer recipe for tuna casserole that will make you think you'd died and gone to heaven, and what's-his-face isn't there. Carisi's comments about his family seem to hint that his extended family is enough to populate a small state by themselves. Tucker mentions that he and his cousin don't talk, and Carisi immediately pipes up with, "He's your cousin," as though there was no excuse for there to be bad blood between cousins. I dunno about anyone else, but I sort of know my cousins on my mom's side, and the horde of cousins from my dad's side of the family are all very nice people who I have barely met once at a funeral. Rollins, in contrast to Carisi, has only herself, and now, a small baby. Her mom lives in Georgia (Atlanta?), and her sister is, uh, somewhere? I'll admit that I didn't want to get invested in Kim because it feels like the writers only ever use her to inject drama into Amanda's personal life. And when Kim is on her meds, it feels more like a flashing red sign that says, "Danger Imminent, OMG." So! Carisi has a partner who only has three people in her life, one of whom is unable to form coherent sentences and possibly drools. Her support system is Gamblers Anonymous meetings, and whenever she decides to confide in her coworkers. Therefore, she needs food, because everyone needs food, and Amanda doesn't know how to cook, omg. And she also needs someone to hang out with and confide in, if she feels like she wants to confide in Carisi. As a result, we see Carisi and Rollins hanging out, watching epically terrible reality TV (I have to admit that I cracked up when I saw that scene in "Assaulting Reality"), and Carisi makes her food. That's how their partnership rolls. The most important part about this set-up? Even if Amanda gets another man (or a woman, hey, I don't judge), and Carisi starts dating someone (Barba, or a random man/woman who gets fridged later in the series to give Carisi some manpain to dwell on), it feels like this routine will not change. Any character who tries to butt into that dynamic would send up a red flag almost immediately, because it means that the character is jealous of the relationship that Carisi and Rollins have. The character in question doesn't understand how Carisi and Rollins operate with each other, or else they would realize that, oh, they're just good friends, the dinners they have really are just dinners. I can very easily see Carisi and Barba dating, and Carisi still going over to Amanda's place to cook dinner for her and Jesse, and watching terrible reality TV. And then afterwards, oh, hey, Rafael's finally headed home from the office, I'll see you tomorrow morning, Rollins, goodnight! A very good example of this is @poipoi1912's episode tag for "Sheltered Outcasts". For those who haven't read it, it's a post-ep fic where Carisi has trouble finding equilibrium after having been undercover at the halfway house. His relationships with Rollins and Barba at the start of the fic are such that he goes over to Rollins's place to make food and hang out with Jesse, but goes back to Barba's place when he realizes he's been neglecting his boyfriend. (To be fair, Rollins understands what trouble he'd have trying to put the halfway house behind him, whereas Barba doesn't ask because their relationship doesn't include that element when the fic starts.) I've seen this kind of compartmentalization in my own life -- there are people that I mentally classify as "friends I can overshare with" as opposed to "I nod politely and ask about the weather while we play Pathfinder" or "we're coworkers and I keep forgetting his name". Amanda understands what it's like to be a cop, and some of the things that a cop has to do to get the job done, whereas Barba would only understand as an outsider looking in. And seeing Carisi compartmentalize Rollins and Barba like that in light of his relationships with each of them in the fic felt very right to me. (It's why that specific episode tag is among my favorites.) So, really, when I see yet another scene of Carisi and Rollins where Carisi is saying, "we're going shopping, and then I'm making you dinner," it feels like a touchstone for the two of them. Rollins, you've had a rough day, we're going to reconnect like we usually do, and hopefully, it will help you to move past or set aside what's wearing you down/what's making you sad/whatever it is. The only thing that changes is what food will be made and eaten, and what reality show they'll watch. Each cop partnership is different. Carisi and Rollins involve Carisi cooking and Rollins eating. And, between you and me, it feels like a healthier dynamic than Rollins had with Amaro, and she was sleeping with him. Fin told her onscreen and outright that you can't take the job home with you, and you can't take someone from the job home with you either. Whether Rollins has internalized that advice and decided to follow it is up for debate, perhaps. ... man, this whole entire post was me going, "yes, the dinners are Carisi and Rollins being friends, and they won't change, even if they start dating other people."

#carisi being a cop and giving us all heart attacks #rafael barba is the prettiest princess ada ever #barba and carisi doing what they do best #barisi #the dinner scenes in svu