#look I will always find a way to bring Etoiles into it | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

mercy-burning · 3 years

Text

Petite Etoile

Pairing: Spencer Reid x femReader Summary: BAU!Reader used to be a stripper, and when people where she used to work are being murdered, the team is called in to investigate. Category: Fluff, Smut 18+ (oral sex- male and female receiving, penetrative sex, Reader also does a stripping performance) Warnings: Sex, language, mentions of murder/violence and all the things you’d normally find in an episode of Criminal Minds. (As always, if there’s anything I missed, let me know what I should include in warnings! I want to be as mindful as I can about what I post. Thank you!) Word Count: 7.8k

MASTERLIST

NOTE: This is going up way later than I said it would, so I’m sorry if you were looking forward to this, I just haven’t been motivated lately. But I really have to get out of my writing slump, and I’m hoping I can do that soon. Anyway, I hope you like it! Thanks for reading 🥰 Also, I know that Don’t Blame Me by Taylor Swift doesn’t exist at the time of early season 2, which is when I imagine this taking place, but for the sake of the story let’s pretend it does, because that’s the song I had in mind when I wrote the performance scene 😉😂

***

When Y/N walked into work Thursday morning, everything was as normal as it could be. She chatted with Elle on her way up the elevator, handed JJ her coffee as she made her way to Hotch's office, and ruffled Reid's hair when she passed him, smiling at the way he blushed at her affectionate gesture.

But when the team was called into the round-table room, and she watched as JJ presented their next case, Y/N felt a little sick to her stomach.

Over the past week, three strippers from the town she'd lived in for years before moving to Virginia had been found stabbed in various parts of the block surrounding Starsight. She knew the place well. Not only did she used to work there as a stripper after she graduated, but her best friend, Irene, owned the establishment, and she'd practically become the sister Y/N never had. She helped her through college and pushed her to go into the Bureau. If people, Irene's people, were dying, why hadn't she called or said anything?

Thankfully Y/N didn't recognize any of the dancers who'd been killed, because if she had, she'd feel a lot worse. But even still, she wanted to find who was behind it, and she would. The BAU always did. And with her background knowledge of the scene and the town, Y/N figured she might be able to lend an extra helping hand.

But first she had to tell the team about her past.

It wasn't a secret that she used to be a stripper. In fact, it wasn't really something she was able to hide. With someone as curious as Penelope Garcia in her life, Y/N wouldn't have been able to hide it even if she wanted to. Thankfully though, besides the occasional teasing comment from Morgan, and sometimes Elle, the team didn't treat her any differently. She wasn't Y/N The Former Stripper, she was just Y/N. She was good at her job, and everyone respected and liked her just the way she was.

While debriefing on the jet, she was about to bring it up when Morgan did it first, seemingly sly like he'd discovered some big secret. "Hey, Y/N, didn't you used to live near this place?"

She nodded, clearing her throat. "Uh, yeah, that's actually what I was going to bring up. Starsight is where I used to work before I moved here. I know the owner of the place, she's one of my best friends."

She could tell Morgan wanted to tease her some more about her previous work, but before he could get a word in Gideon spoke from behind her. "Irene Whitcomb?"

"Yeah."

"Good, when we land I want you, Morgan, and Reid to go talk to her. See if you can find anything out."

Y/N nodded, and in front of her, she noticed Reid was a little flushed. It didn't surprise her considering when everyone found out her previous job, he almost choked on his coffee, and Morgan laughed hysterically while he had a coughing fit. It was obvious to Y/N from the beginning that Spencer had had a little crush on her, and it didn't bother her at all. Every once in a while she'd pat his knee before she got up from her seat next to him or wink at him as they saw each other briefly in passing, just to see how he'd react, and by now it was a staple of their relationship. It never did go any further than that though, Y/N afraid she might make him too uncomfortable.

But even still, she couldn't help but give him a flirty smile as he blinked rapidly in front of her, still seeming to process what was going to happen when they landed. When he excused himself to go to the bathroom, she gave him one more wink and a small bite of her lip as he passed.

Morgan laughed softly beside her. "You're gonna ruin the poor kid if you keep that up, girlie."

"I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about," she responded, even though the smile on her face suggested otherwise.

***

A strip club being almost at full capacity in the middle of the day was more common than one might think. It had surprised Y/N when she first started working at Starsight, and even now she still didn't really understand why. Regardless it was almost 3pm, and if things had stayed the same over the years, which by the looks of things seemed to be the case, Irene should have been behind the bar.

It must have been a sight to behold, Y/N mused as she and her colleagues navigated through the club in search of its owner, and it sounded like the beginning to a bad joke— a former stripper turned FBI agent, a guy who looks like he just walked straight out of a procedural cop show, and an adorably and obviously nervous skinny kid with glasses and trembling hands walk into a strip club at 3pm... The thought made Y/N laugh to herself, right before Irene spotted her.

"Y/N!"

It was obvious that she wanted to jump over the bar and give her old friend a hug, but given the circumstances, Irene settled for dropping a shot glass, spilling the drink on the counter, and clapping her hands quickly a few times in succession. A wide smile and kind eyes greeted the three agents as they approached.

"Irene, hi," Y/N greeted with a large smile of her own. "I wish I could have came to visit under better circumstances."

"Right, me too..." The blonde woman's smile faded for a second, just long enough that the recognizable signs of grief came and go quickly before replacing themselves with bittersweet niceties. "Anyway, you wanna introduce me to your friends?"

"Yeah, Irene, these are my colleagues, Derek Morgan and Spencer Reid."

Irene reached out to shake their hands, eyeing up Morgan with only the slightest bit of shame, and laughing softly at Reid's polite avoidance of the gesture as he settled on a wave and a shy smile.

"We were hoping to ask you a few questions about the past week," Morgan said.

"Yeah, anything. Just give me a minute to clean this up and we can sit down."

***

"So, you used to work here?"

Y/N laughed, kicking Derek under the table. "Yep. Looks exactly the same as when I left, too. Only difference is that I'm not here to bring everyone in on Friday nights."

As Derek laughed, Spencer tensed up beside Y/N, and he started to play with his hands under the table they all sat at.

"She's not joking," Irene said as she approached the table with a smile. She took the seat next to Morgan and gave him a wink. "Petite Etoile over here was the main attraction."

Y/N groaned a little. "Oh, c'mon Irene, don't use my nickname here, that's not who I am anymore."

"Don't tell me you've lost your shine, Little Star." From the tone in her voice to the look on her face, it was clear to Y/N that Irene was just as devious as she'd been since the day they first met. "You know it would just break this town's heart."

"I highly doubt that... Besides, this little star shines just as brightly as it used to, thank you very much."

At that statement, Y/N felt Reid's knee hit the table with a loud thud. As Morgan questioned whether he was okay, she wondered what was running through his head. It didn't last long though, because shortly afterwards Morgan started asking questions about the case.

"Was it particularly crowded on the nights the dancers were killed?"

Irene hugged her arms to her stomach, her eyes drooping a little at the mention. "It gets pretty crowded every night to tell you the truth. But Friday nights are busiest. The nights Carrie, Lola, and Evelyn disappeared were just like any other night here."

"I know how hard it is to keep track of everyone, but is there anyone you might have noticed that seemed a little too lurk-y?" Even as she asked the question, Y/N felt like she already knew the answer.

And Irene really did seem to try to recall something, anything that could help, but she was visibly frustrated, tears welling in her eyes. "No, Y/N, I'm so sorry. After Carrie... the first time... we heightened security and everything, but it just wasn't enough, I... I don't know what to do."

Y/N reached across the table to grab her friend's hand. "It's okay, 'Rene. We're gonna figure this out, alright? I promise you."

Through tears, the blonde smiled and squeezed Y/N's hand. "I know you will, Little Star."

"Would it be possible for us to look at your surveillance tapes?" Reid asked quietly.

Irene looked up at him and nodded, still squeezing Y/N's hand. "Anything you need."

***

"So... Little Star, huh?"

Y/N rolled her eyes with a smile as she, Morgan, and Reid got into the car. When she got in the passenger seat, she waited for Morgan to be in the car before responding. "Oh, don't start. I swear to God, Derek, if you start calling me that I might just have to kick your ass."

"Well, you gotta at least tell me how you got the name?" he laughed, putting on his seatbelt while Reid climbed in the back.

"Well, how do you think? The place is called Starsight after all... So, Petite Etoile just made sense."

It was obvious that she was lying to get him to drop it, so Morgan kept pushing. "Okay, sure, but that's not the whole truth. Carrie, Lola, and Evelyn didn't have star names."

"Ugh, okay, fine, if I tell you will you shut up about it?"

"Promise."

Y/N caught a glimpse of Reid in the back through the rearview mirror. As expected, he was fidgety and just a little red.

She sighed and waited until Morgan pulled out of the parking lot to talk. "Okay. Once every month Starsight does a 'Midnight Sky' theme night. They light the place up in deep blue lights and everyone wears... space-themed outfits. Every dancer does their own special routine with songs and outfits that they pick on their own. My first time working a theme night, everyone seemed to really like what I did; I ended up doing an encore later in the night before we closed. Another dancer who worked with us at the time, Jenny, was learning French, so after my performance she called me Petite Etoile, and it just stuck."

"Okay, but why did you get the nickname and no one else?" Morgan asked with a smug smile. He knew she was still holding something back.

"Do you really want to know?"

"Yes, Y/N, I really want to know."

She sighed. "Let's... just say my outfit was... well, it barely covered me, and what it did manage to cover was covered by fabric in the shape of stars."

While Morgan laughed, Y/N looked in the mirror to see Reid with his head low, even more red than he was before. He was biting his bottom lip and fiddling the the seatbelt strap, and when his eyes briefly met hers in the mirror he was quick to avoid eye contact once again. If Y/N didn't find it completely adorable she would have felt more badly about it. But just to make sure, she called out to him.

"Reid, you okay back there?"

He looked up to meet her eyes again through the mirror, but only briefly before trying to ook anywhere else. "O-oh, yeah, I'm... I'm good."

Morgan laughed. "Yeah, I bet you are."

Y/N punched him in the arm and met Reid's eyes once more. "Sorry."

"Oh, you don't have anything to be sorry about, it's... it's okay, really, I-I'm not... it's..."

"Hey, don't worry about it," Y/N said calmly, giving him a reassuring smile. "We're all good here, right?"

"Right," Morgan and Reid said one after the other.

"Good. Now let's catch this creep."

***

Unfortunately no one had gotten much of anywhere in the next few hours. The security footage showed a man following each of the girls out of Starsight but there wasn't anything distinctive about him. Somehow he'd avoided all the cameras face to face, so he knew where they all were. And as for how he chose which dancers to target they weren't sure.

Until Irene walked into the station, that is.

"Y/N, I completely forgot something! I can't believe I missed it."

She stood before the team in the office that the station had given them for the time being, everyone else sitting down. Y/N stood up and nodded. "What is it?"

"Carrie, Lola, and Evelyn were all Spotlight Performers."

"What does that mean?" Elle asked from behind them.

Y/N turned to the group, her arms crossed. "Every other night Starsight spotlights a different dancer for a large performance at the end of the night, sort of like a grand finale before the club closes."

"So you're saying each of the girls was the Spotlight Performer on the nights they went missing?" Hotch asked, more like a clarification than a question.

"Yeah, Carrie on Saturday, Lola on Monday, and Evelyn on Wednesday," Irene said frantically.

Y/N reached out to grab her hand. "Well, it's Thursday. So, if he sticks to pattern, he's going after tomorrow's Spotlight Performer. Who do you have lined up?"

"Well, no one yet. After the murders the girls have been hesitant to schedule, and I don't blame them... So what should I do?"

Before Y/N could answer, Hotch did. "Y/L/N, you haven't gone undercover before, but I think it would be a good idea. You used to work at Starsight, you could lure him out."

She turned around sharply. "Oh, I... I don't know, Hotch, I haven't danced in so long, I'm not sure I—"

"He's right," Gideon interrupted. "It's the best chance we have at catching him."

Between Hotch and Gideon's opinions on the matter, Y/N knew she didn't have a say anymore.

"You still know your routine, Petite Etoile?" Irene asked, only slightly amused.

"Petite Etoile?" Elle wondered aloud.

Y/N heard Morgan laugh and she sighed.

***

"If I didn't know any better I'd say you were nervous," Irene said as she straightened another piece of Y/N's hair.

She played with the hem of the sheer robe she was wearing. "Well, I'm about to go undercover for the first time, stripping for the first time in years in front of all my colleagues so I can lure out a serial killer, so I guess you could say I'm a little nervous."

"Well... When you put it like that..."

Y/N looked up at her friend. "I'm sorry, Irene. Really, I'm okay, and we will get him, I promise."

"No, I know you will. I'm not worried. So... Who do they have watching you tonight?"

"Gideon and Hotch are outside, but Elle, Morgan, and Reid are in here with me. There are some extra officers all around the block, too, just in case."

"Hmm," Irene mused, and Y/N could tell she wanted to say something.

"What?"

"I don't know, it just surprises me they'd send Reid in here of all people. He seems almost more nervous than you."

Y/N laughed. "Well, when it comes to girls he gets a little nervous, but... he's good at his job."

"I'll take your word for it. But I also wouldn't be surprised if he short circuits when he sees you up there."

The thought made her smile a little, though she wondered how badly Morgan would tease him about the whole situation. Things between them all would no doubt be a little awkward for a while, but in no time they'd go back to normal like it never happened. At least that's what she told herself, because she wasn't sure what she'd do if her friendship with Reid was permanently damaged and awkward because of her past. The thought worried her just a little, but before she could get too psyched out, a knock at the door brought her back to reality.

"Y/N, it's Elle."

"Come on in!"

Y/N got up from the chair and turned around to meet Elle in the doorway. Her eyes wandered for a moment before nodding with a smirk. "Damn. Petite Etoile indeed."

Despite the nerves, Y/N smiled. "You here to give me an earpiece?"

Elle nodded and closed the door behind her. As she turned on the device and handed it to Y/N, she spoke. "You nervous?"

"A little, but it's just because I haven't done this in a while. Not to mention I'm doing it in front of everyone, and I'm luring out the unsub."

"No pressure, right?"

Y/N laughed, adjusting the earpiece and taking a deep breath. "It'll be fine. How long until I go on?"

"Five minutes. I'll be near the front with Reid. Morgan is in the back with a few officers, and everyone else is outside. We all have communication with you, so if we see him we'll let you know what to look out for."

"Got it."

"Y/L/N, can you hear me?" It was Hotch's voice through the earpiece.

"Yeah, loud and clear."

"Good. We're all in position. Whenever you're ready."

***

Elle met him near the front of the stage. To say he was nervous would be an understatement. Spencer didn't have a problem with strip clubs in the least, but it was bad enough that he'd thought about Y/N on multiple occasions in his dreams, now he was going to have to see her stripping just like he'd imagined many times over. The whole situation spelled out disaster, and if she didn't already know he had a crush on her, she most certainly would when the night was over.

As Elle approached him, he took a deep breath and stretched out his hands to calm his nerves. "She okay?"

Elle nodded. "Ready to go. I'm gonna stand on the other side of the stage, keep a look out for anyone who seems like he could be our guy."

"Right."

Before she left, Elle patted him on the shoulder and smiled knowingly. "Oh, and Reid... Try not to get distracted."

Yeah. He was fucked.

When the music that was playing stopped and the lights started to shift, Spencer took another deep breath. Irene's familiar voice came through the speakers.

"Thank you for coming to Starsight. Tonight's Spotlight Performer is a special one. Returning to the stage for the first time in years, shining brighter and better than ever before, give it up for our very own little star, Petite Etoile!"

A deep, seductive song that Spencer didn't recognize replaced Irene's voice as the lights shifted again, and the crowd around him applauded. It was just as crowded as it had been when he, Morgan, and Y/N met Irene the day before, but with a serial killer no doubt present and Y/N about to come on stage, everything felt heavier.

A dark silhouette broke through fog on the stage, and even though Spencer knew it was Y/N, it didn't feel real. He'd only ever seen her at work, in work clothes, and sometimes in casual clothes when they all went out for drinks on occasion.

So when she finally came into view, her hair tumbling down her back and shoulders rather than in a ponytail, and wearing almost nothing at all, he wasn't even sure it was her for a split second. But the way she looked, her magnetic presence and the way she carried herself across the stage was so remarkably her it was hard to miss. Everything about her confidence was elevated in that moment, and his own confidence—in his job and ability to function as a human being—was completely shattered when she caught his eye. It was just a split second, but that was all it took.

She must have noticed, because she gave him a small smile and a wink before turning her attention to the rest of the crowd as the music built. Spencer cleared his throat softly before glancing around, trying his best to scan everyone for anything suspicious. When he was sure there was nothing around him to be concerned about, he reluctantly let his eyes wander back to the stage.

By now Y/N had rid herself of the sheer robe that was on her, leaving her in a deep blue one-piece... contraption was the only word he could come up with. It was all connected by thin straps of fabric that weaved around every curve of her body, crisscrossing and leaving little to the imagination. Just like she'd described back in the car yesterday, small patches of fabric shaped like stars covered the front of her breasts and...

The second he looked down, she squatted, spreading her legs open and rolling her hips, exposing almost the entire front three rows of people to her barely-clothed pussy.

Spencer felt his cheeks grow warm as he quickly averted his gaze and pretended to survey the crowd again. To his credit, he did really search for anyone who could be the unsub, but the whole time he heard the song and the cheering crowd, and in turn Y/N occupied almost every corner of his brain.

When he finally had the courage to look at the stage again, she was making her way to a chair in the middle. Every step was on beat to the music and purposeful. She danced around the chair for a bit before another big beat drop in the song happened, and she squatted in front of it quickly, rolling her hips as she slowly got up.

Her eyes found his once more as she mouthed along to the words of the song, almost like she was singing directly to him. He wouldn't have thought anything of it, but she held his gaze for much longer than he'd been able to handle, and she knew exactly what she was doing. Which was made evident when she bit her bottom lip and ran her hands down her body, stopping at her knees before she sat in the chair and spread her legs, her hands finally dragging along the insides of her thigh.

Her eyes remained on him the entire time.

Butterflies immediately erupted in his stomach at her intensity, stronger than they'd ever been before. He'd always felt it when she affectionately ruffled his hair or patted his knee in passing, but now? She wasn't even touching him and he was about to crumble to the ground.

Thankfully something in his ear saved him from that. "I've got a visual." It was Morgan. "He's in the back, black long sleeve and jeans. Buzzcut. Y/N, look up at me and blink three times when you see him."

Reid looked up and and noticed her doing it. To anyone else it wouldn't have seemed out of pace, but he could tell she was a little rattled. In any case, she broke contact with Morgan and continued on with her performance as if nothing happened.

Though it meant there was most definitely a serial killer in the room and he would follow Y/N out of the club later, Spencer was glad for the past minute, because he wasn't sure how much more of the performance he could take. Suddenly there was a job to focus on again, and he was thankful for that.

***

"You're sure you're okay?"

Y/N laughed as she approached her motel room, phone in hand. "Yeah, Irene, I'm okay. Promise. He got a hold on me but my team was there to stop him before he did anything. No nicks or bruises or anything."

"Okay... You were great out there by the way. If you weren't such a kick-ass FBI agent now, I'd ask you to come back."

Laughing, she turned her head and noticed Reid at the end of the hall, walking to his room. He caught her eye and gave a shy smile before disappearing behind the door and closing himself off from her. She contemplated a moment before starting her journey to his room. "Well, I'm glad we could help. Maybe if I find myself in town again, I'll stop by."

"Yeah, you better. Though I'd prefer if a serial killer wasn't involved."

"You and me both. I'll come see you before we leave tomorrow morning, yeah?"

"Yeah. Goodnight, Petite Etoile."

With an affectionate roll of her eyes, Y/N nodded though her friend wouldn't be able to see. "Night."

She hung up and put the phone in her bag, taking a deep breath before knocking on Reid's door.

The answer was almost immediate. He stood before her, and it looked like he'd just gotten undressed, wearing grey pajama bottoms and a white tee shirt. "Oh, Y/N, h-hi," he stammered, pushing his glasses up his nose a little. "What's up?"

"Do you... mind if I come in? I know it might sound a little weird but I don't really want to be alone right now..." It was true. Though she was okay after catching the unsub, the idea of being alone after everything that happened was sure to leave a small ache that wouldn't let her sleep, and having company would make a good cure.

"Oh, no, that isn't weird at all. Uh, sure, come on in." He stepped aside and opened the door wider to let her through. She smiled gratefully as she passed him, careful to notice the faint color that adorned his cheeks.

When he closed the door behind them, she set her bag down on the floor and turned to meet him, playing with the sleeve of the FBI jacket she was wearing. Before leaving Starsight, she'd changed into underwear, leggings, and a thin tee shirt. She debated taking the jacket off, but knowing how much of her body her colleague and friend had no doubt seen that night, she figured for his sake she'd leave it on. At least for now.

"I know it's late and we should probably get to bed, but... Truthfully I don't know how well I'll be able to sleep."

Spencer seemed concerned. "You're... you're okay? He didn't hurt you badly, did he?"

"Oh! No, he didn't, I'm just... rattled, that's all. I'll be okay, really. It's just that I haven't... performed in a long time, and all of that added on to being serial killer bait was just... eventful. That's all."

"Well, if it makes you feel better, you were great."

Y/N raised an eyebrow, a small smirk playing at her lips. "Oh?"

"Oh, I mean at handling the unsub. Not that you weren't great at the other thing, of course! I just... I just meant that... I didn't mean... Um..."

"Hey, it's okay, I'm... I'm not mad or anything, I'm... flattered."

The redness on Spencer's face became more vivid under the dim glow of the room. "I- Really?"

Y/N smiled and took a step closer. "Mhmm. Y'know... Truthfully it was really hard for me not to look at you the whole time. Out of everyone in that whole room, I wanted to see only you."

His gaze wandered up and down her body briefly before meeting her eyes. "You did?"

"Mhmm," she said again. Her hand reached out to graze his bare arm, and he shivered under her light touch. "You can stop me if this is too weird, but... I really like you, Spence... Like, a lot. And, I think it's pretty obvious that you like me, too. Am I wrong?"

He swallowed. "Um... No. You're not wrong."

She was only inches away from him now, her hands gently caressing his shoulders and chest. She looked up at him through her eyelashes and smiled. "Do you want to kiss me as badly as I want to kiss you right now?"

"Um... T-truthfully I think I might want... to kiss you more..."

Y/N laughed and balled his shirt in one hand, the other snaking up to the back of his head and running through his hair. "Okay, then... You gonna prove it, or what?"

He bit his lip softly before leaning down and capturing her lips in a kiss that made her dizzy. Her hands tightened their grip on him, and the second her lips parted, he wasted no time gently swiping his tongue across her bottom lip, his confidence growing with every second. She groaned into him, pulling her body flush against his and forcing him to wrap his arms around her waist to keep steady.

They pulled away for air eventually, and by the gleam in his eyes when she looked at him, she knew exactly what she had to do.

"No one is rooming with you, right?"

"N-no. It's just me."

"Good." She whispered it seductively as she removed her hands from him and slowly unzipped her jacket, keeping eye contact with Spencer the whole time. Except, of course, when his eyes glanced down to see the progress the zipper was making. Once she slid it off her shoulders and let it drop to the floor, he took her in, his tongue dancing behind his lips.

She let him have a few more seconds before taking a step forward and kissing him again, both of her hands cradling his face and bringing her thumbs to gently rub his cheeks. He melted into her completely, wrapping his arms around her again in no time. While their kisses were slow and passionate for a minute, eventually they grew hungrier, and Y/N hadn't even realized they'd been moving until they were toppling onto the bed, Spencer falling back and her landing on top of him.

They broke apart only for a moment to adjust themselves, but went right back to each other once Y/N straddled his legs and he leaned back on his hands to keep himself upright.

Her hands played in his hair as she kissed him, each brush of her tongue against his sending him into a downward spiral. He'd only ever dreamed of this, and even then, this was better than any dream. Y/N herself was better than any dream.

She ground her hips against him, causing him to groan into her mouth, and he pushed himself forward to be closer, needing to be completely wrapped up in her for as long as he could. When she pulled her mouth from his and settled her hands on his shoulders to keep him from moving, he whined a little, the sound completely taking the both of them aback.

She smiled and cocked her head to the side. "I've thought about this for so long... You have no idea how many times I've wanted to kiss you since we met."

"Really?"

With a nod, Y/N toyed with the collar of his shirt, tugging it and slowly grinding her hips against him again. "Have you ever thought about it?"

It was a question they both obviously knew the answer to, but she wanted to have some fun. She loved seeing how shy he got, it made her want him even more.

"Yes... I... I think about you a lot," he breathed, blinking at her as she slid her hands down his chest and found the bottom of his shirt. She smiled and raised it up, her touch sending shivers all over his body.

"What have you thought about? Any specifics?" she asked once his shirt was all the way off. Her fingers found their way to his neck again as she pulled herself closer.

"Oh, I... Um... I-I've thought about... kissing you on the jet in front of everyone."

Y/N smiled and pushed his glasses up his nose, then traced her finger down over his lips and hooked it under his chin to tilt his head up, exposing his neck. "I've thought about that, too... You know what else?"

Spencer blinked at her, urging her to continue.

She leaned forward and kissed the underside of his jaw, then his neck, leaving small kisses in between every soft word. "I've thought about how good your hands would feel on me." Her hand grabbed one of his and brought it to rest on her side, slipping under her shirt. "Have you ever thought about touching me?"

"Yes," he breathed as she moved her mouth back up his jaw and to the corner of his mouth.

She brought her lips just inches from his, and he could feel them just barely as she spoke. "Do it. Please."

And then she let go of him, bringing both her hands to his face as she kissed him again. Her legs wrapped around him tighter as he used both of his hands to grip her sides. As soon as they knew they were stable enough not to fall backwards, Spencer slid his hands slowly up her torso and barely ghosted over her breasts. She could tell he was a little hesitant, so she pushed further into him, practically trapping his hands in between their chests. Her kisses grew deeper and more desperate as he palmed her breasts, letting a moan or two slip out to encourage him further.

Thankfully it worked, because with every passing second he got more confident with his touches. When Y/N moved her hips against his again, he sighed into her mouth and brought one of his hands out from under her shirt and to her head, running his fingers through her hair.

At this point he was noticeably hard beneath her, and she was desperate to feel more of him. So Y/N peeled herself away from Spencer and snuck her hand down to play with the waistband of his pants. "You wouldn't happen to have a condom on you, would you?"

"Oh, uh, a-actually Morgan gave me one as a joke last week. It's, uh, in my wallet. In my bag."

Y/N laughed. "Sounds like him. Why don't you go grab it."

He nodded as she got up off of him. While he walked over to his bag, Y/N quickly removed her shirt and leggings, leaving her only in a pair of thin black panties that were almost too small. Before he turned around, she sat back on the edge of the bed and spread her legs wide, leaning back on her elbows as she waited.

If she didn't know any better she would have thought that when he turned around, his eyes were going to fall out of his head. He took small steps towards the bed, and she made the 'come here' motion with her finger. "Take your pants off for me?"

He all but scrambled to get them off, and Y/N smiled affectionately at him as she watched, hoping to calm his nerves by letting him know that he had nothing to be nervous about.

But just to be sure, she told him as much anyway. "You've got nothing to worry about, Spence. Trust me, I... I want this."

Once his pants were off, he met her at the edge of the bed, standing in between her legs. "I do too, I just... It's just that I've only ever... done this before once, and... I'm not very experienced, and I don't want to disappoint you."

Y/N sat up and grabbed his hips, leaning forward to press small, soft kisses to his stomach as she looked up at him. "You could never disappoint me. Promise."

Once she was sure he was a little more relaxed, she moved her kisses lower, until they reached the waistband of his underwear. She hooked her fingers under it and slid them down slowly, keeping eye contact with him until they dropped to the floor. Only then did she look down at his dick, and it was even better than she imagined.

Giving a satisfied hum, she pressed a soft kiss to the tip and fluttered her eyes up to meet his, the look on his face completely awe-struck. She took the tip of his dick in between her lips and sucked gently, swirling her tongue around it as she watched his mouth fall open, a sigh escaping. She could tell he was holding back a little, so she traced her finger along the length of him and kept sucking lightly at the tip, hoping to get some noise out of him.

Y/N took him in her mouth completely, bobbing her head up and down just a few times to get him wet before removing her lips with a pop. When she gripped him firmly with one hand and steadily began to stroke him, he finally gave her what she hoped for.

"Y/N," he groaned, just above a whisper. His eyes were closed, but he opened them when she stopped.

"You wanna put it on or should I?" she asked.

"Spencer turned the small packet over in his hand before nodding. "I can do it."

Y/N scooted farther onto the bed and slid off her panties as he got to work, and thankfully he wasn't as nervous anymore. He moved to take off his glasses, but she stopped him. "Keep them on?"

The devious grin on her face made him blush, and he nodded, crawling over the top of her and pressing tentative kisses to her stomach, only he travelled downward instead of up to her mouth.

"You don't have t—"

"I want to," he reassured, kissing her inner thighs. "Truth be told, Y/N, I've thought about doing this, too. Is that okay?"

"Yes," she responded clearly, extremely turned on by the needy tone in his voice.

Almost immediately after she answered, his tongue darted out to taste her, swiping gently over her clit and sending her into a state of speechlessness. She leaned up on her elbows to watch as Spencer took his time, exploring and savoring every inch of her. She knew now why he'd wanted to take his glasses off, but if anything the sight of them riding up his face as he ate her out made the whole thing even hotter.

"Fuck, Spence, that... that feels so fucking good," she breathed, trying to keep her eyes open to look at him but ultimately failing.

Her words emboldened him, and he slipped a finger slowly inside her, his tongue paying special attention to her clit. He worked them together in a slow, sensual rhythm that eventually drove her to the edge. And she told him so.

"You're gonna make me cum," she breathed, willing herself to open her eyes. She found him staring up at her as best as he could in his position, the hungry sparkle in his eye pushing her further. What finally pushed her over the edge was when he sucked gently on her clit and groaned against her as she called out his name. Everything blinded her for a moment as she rocked her hips against his face, needing to hang on to every last second of her orgasm.

When she finally came down, Spencer pulled away and adjusted his glasses, to which Y/N bit her lip and moaned once more. "You're sure you've only ever done this once?"

He laughed a little, sucking his fingers clean with a shrug before answering. "Yeah, but I'm a quick-study."

Y/N smiled and reached one of her arms out to him. "Come here, quick-study."

The two of them smiled as their lips found one another, her hands flying to his hair once again. His hands gripped her waist, and his dick pressed up against her lower stomach, making her groan against him.

Without another word, Y/N hooked her legs around his waist and shifted their weight, rolling them over so she was straddling him now. Spencer reached up to move her hair to one side of her face, and then soon after she sat up, placing her hands on his chest.

"I'll tell you something else I've thought about," she said lowly, scratching down his chest just lightly enough to give him goosebumps. She then used one of her hands to grip his dick and lifted her hips up, running the head of him through her wetness as she looked down at him. "I've thought about how good you would look while I ride you. More than once, actually."

She sank down onto him, just a little, and his face sure enough twitched in pleasure, making Y/N smile to herself. "What about you? You ever imagine me riding this pretty cock?"

"Fuck, Y/N, yes, I— Oh my god..."

She sat down completely, rocking her hips forward a little and pressing her hands harder into his chest. "Fuck, you feel so good..."

She set a slow pace, making sure to pay extra attention to Spencer's face as she worked him. Just like she'd done before, he seemed to have a hard time keeping his eyes open, but his hands gripped her hips so tightly she was sure they'd leave bruises. The thought of that spurred her on, and she picked up the pace, bouncing steadily on his cock.

"Ohhh, fuck," she groaned, her hands leaving his torso to grab her breasts. He opened his eyes and watched her, letting out a soft moan of his own. His hands slid up her sides and under hers, replacing them with his own firm grip. She leaned forward a little so he wouldn't have to reach up that far, placing both of her hands on either side of his waist.

"Tell me," she managed to say as she continued riding him. "You ever think about fucking me at work? In the round-table room or over my desk? I know I have..."

He continued to pinch and pull at her nipples while barely being able to keep his eyes open. "Y-yes... Fuck, Y/N, I think about you all the time..."

"Feeling's mutual. Sit up for me?"

Spencer opened his eyes and she helped him sit up. They adjusted for a second before she wrapped her arms around his neck and started moving again, rocking her hips into his and giving him a better angle to hit inside her deeper.

"Fuck, baby, you feel so good," she breathed against his lips before she kissed him, missing the feel of his lips on hers. Their bodies clung together perfectly, every movement feeling better than the last, until they were both obviously close to coming undone.

Sure enough, the moment she squeezed her legs together and clenched herself around him, he groaned into her mouth and bucked his hips forward. "Y/N... I..."

She pressed her forehead to his and tugged at his hair, quickening her pace just a little and feeling herself geting close as well. Any moment now and she would feel it.

"Me, too," she breathed, brushing her nose against his. Within a matter of seconds, they were both unraveling, sighing out each others' names and holding on to each other for dear life as they rode out their highs.

Eventually Y/N slowed her hips to a stop, and she slumped against him, pressing one final kiss to his lips before she got off his lap and pulled him down to lay beside her, immediately snuggling into his side and burying her face in the crook of his neck.

"So, was that better than you imagined?" she murmured against his neck, pressing kisses along collarbone.

Spencer laughed and pulled her even closer. "Even better. No dream could ever do you justice."

She smiled, feeling herself growing sleepy. "You sap... But, for the record, I could say the same thing about you."

"Really?" He seemed genuinely curious.

Y/N looked up at him and smiled, tracing patterns on his chest with her fingertips. "Really. I wasn't kidding, Spence, I think about you... probably more often than I should. You're distracting."

"I'm distracting?" he mused. "You're... you. Seriously, it's a surprise I haven't completely made a fool of myself around you since we met. Especially after we all found out about your other job."

"Right... That doesn't... weird you out, does it?"

"That you used to be a stripper?"

She nodded, truthfully a little worried. She wasn't sure why, but it had always been a problem in her previous relationships, and she'd gotten used to that.

"No, of course that doesn't weird me out. I mean, I was definitely more intimidated around you, and I figured you were completely out of my league... Truthfully, I think you still might be."

"Oh, don't sell yourself short, Doctor. You're perfect, and really, if anyone was out of anyone's league here, it would be me. I'd be lucky to have you in any capacity, you know that, right?"

He blushed, bringing his forehead to rest against hers again. "Well... In any case, I really do like you, and... If it's not too weird, maybe you'd want to go out sometime?"

Warmth bloomed in her chest as she reached out and grabbed his hand, lacing their fingers together. "Of course. I would love to."

***

"Make it stop," Y/N whined, covering her ears with the pillow.

Spencer stirred beside her, barely awake himself. The knocking at the door wasn't stopping, and in a huff of annoyance, Y/N decided she'd had enough.

"We're getting up!"

She only realized what she did after the door opened and Elle walked in, a shit-eating grin on her face. "Oh my God, you were in here last night! I came by your room and tried calling..."

Y/N and Spencer both froze, completely awake and now well aware of the fact that someone else knew about their... sleeping arrangement.

"Uh, yeah... Yeah, I was here. Sorry if I worried you," Y/N stammered, trying to keep her cool. "I-I promised Irene I'd stop by this morning for breakfast before we left, so I should probably do that. Do, um... Do you mind?"

Elle laughed, giving the two of her friends a once-over before nodding. "Sure thing, Little Star. Oh, and uh... Good for you, Reid, proud of you."

"Elle," Y/N groaned, clutching the covers tighter around her bare torso.

"Right. Don't be too late."

After she left, Y/N leaned over to Spencer and rubbed his arm. "I'm sorry. I probably should have—"

He stopped her by pressing his lips to hers in a soft kiss. When he pulled away, his hand brushed the hair from her face and he smiled. "It's fine. I don't care who knows. I mean, as long as you don't, Petite Etoile..."

He said it with a grin reminiscent of the one Elle had just adorned, and it made Y/N laugh. She kissed him again and ruffled his hair. "I'm gonna get you for that."

"What? It suits you."

"You are not calling me by my stripper name. It's bad enough Elle and Morgan are probably gonna call me that for the rest of my life, I don't need it from you, too." She smiled as she said it, hoping that he knew she was only joking.

Either way, Spencer looked at her adoringly and took her hand in his. "Well, then... how about I just call you mine?"

"I like the sound of that."

#spencer reid x reader #criminal minds #criminal minds fanfiction #spencer reid #spencer reid smut #criminal minds smut

1K notes · View notes

evandearest · 3 years

Text

The Garden of Eden | Part IV: Betrayal

Pairing: James March x reader (you) | ~Part: (4/4)~

Summary (Part Four): Warnings are to be remembered, although most stored away for future use only to be forgotten. Cycles repeat to teach lessons; to warn of future events. Threats may remain even if not for the blind eye to see. However, ignorance might be the biggest threat of all.

Warnings (in this part): murder, blood, death, poison, religious twists, dark themes

Word Count: 5,018 (haha this part ended up with the most words... to end it off I suppose!)

Notes: This is the last part of the Garden of Eden! I just want to say thank you to all who read - especially @etoile-writings , for supporting me. Please go check out her series Adam and Eve, as it is a literary masterpiece and she deserves so much recognition.

I have seriously had so much fun writing this - it really has been my pleasure. I also want to apologize to all those who may have been waiting for awhile for the final part! Disclaimer: I tried my best to edit the grammar and everything in this but this is the best I could do! I hope there’s not many mistakes I may have missed. Please ask any questions and give me all your comments about this finale - I’d love to hear any and all thoughts! I also hope everyone is safe, healthy, and happy :) Feel free to send in other requests, whether it be AHS or Supernatural.

Also a heads up - keep a look out for the final review and analysis if you are interested. It is still in progress but it should be out within a couple of days at best.

A few side notes - the Countess and James are still legally married here, as they are in the show, but in this situation it is only because they haven’t gotten the chance to divorce. This part may seem to have very long sentences, but I just wanted to let you guys know that it is a writing technique that I used to create mood, tone, and theme. That’s all, thanks!

Tag List: @etoile-writings @haileyybird @ietss

Something about the young couple in the bar had your mind reeling. Their hands remained interlocked on the table, both of them staring at one another with all the joy and adoration that only true love can bring. Their relationship was new and exciting. The honeymoon phase was always so perfect. You remembered how that had felt with James; so invigoratingly energizing. It was enough to make you feel as if you ruled the world; love blinding a vision of truth. It was, for many years, what you had considered paradise to be.

Paradise.

You realized now that it never had been perfect with you and James. There were so many things standing in the way, so many hidden threats. When you were younger, it had been your parents and their obsessive need to marry you off like an object to a rich man. Even as he had began his journey to success, James’ social status as new money hadn’t seemed good enough to them. When you had first gotten back with James only just around a month ago, you had thought that you’d conquered everything. You had been blind to the truth which was right in front of you once again. You should have expected some kind of change in James. It was inevitable, after all that time spent apart.

But now, however, right at this present moment... well, now, everything was out in the open. Now, you and James truly understood one another. Now there really was nothing in your way. You could see no obstacles ahead, no threat, so long as James was by your side. All you saw was James, and all that clouded your mind was your admiration and devotion to him. He was your everything; your soulmate, your leader, your God. He had dragged you from the fire and brought your paradise back to you; good, true, and everlasting this time around. Your precious Garden of Eden, controlled by none other but you and your God.

Your God; who had been the utmost of clever in his recent schemes. He’d been outraged when he did it, but it wasn’t to say that he wasn’t brilliant. He was of excellent prosecution; his statement out in the open and clear. A Sunday morning: police finding piles of dead bodies compiled with numerous copies of nothing other than the book of God himself. It was sadistic and morbid, but it was perfect. It was everything that James needed to say. He was on the verge of something momentously renowned.

Once James was finished, no one would ever forget his message: religion was the worst thing to happen to society. It controlled the will of man, when truly nothing in creation could stop anything. Everyone was put equal on the Earth to sin, to live in the most pleasurable way.

It was the entire reason Adam and Eve had been cast down. They were sinners, except the garden was a place controlled by God’s rules. They had wanted to control their own lives, so God banished them to Earth. James, however, had created his own paradise; his own Garden of Eden. He had climbed so far above all other men that he now controlled the garden. He had to prove to others the ridiculousness of holiness--for all were meant to sin. Religion was, essentially, suppression. To some, it may seem horrible, but to you, it was art. A simple expression of belief that most didn’t understand.

Voices floated into your ears, startling you out of your thoughts. Soft echoes through the lobby of your beloved’s name piqued your interest, your feet immediately carrying you to the railing without much thought. You left your drink on the bar’s counter--still full, but long forgotten. Your eyes landed on four men clad in black suits, shiny gold badges on their shoulders reflecting light from the chandeliers above. You scanned the area, noticing a certain maid standing close by, listening in, much like you were.

“We have suspicion based upon evidence that Mr. March was involved in the murder this past Sunday. We have already taken the time to get a warrant for his arrest,” one of the officers explained to the receptionist at the front desk. Time seemed to take a standstill, your heart seeming to stop completely as your brain registered the man’s words. No, this couldn’t be happening.

The cycle was repeating again. They were trying to tear you apart again.

You didn’t understand how this could’ve happened. He said he was careful, and you could never see James making a mistake with something this important. He was detail-oriented, his brain practically ran off of the certainty of perfectionism. He would never let a small mistake ruin everything for him.

The entire empire he’d built, and everything you’d rebuilt, was about to be destroyed all over again.

Your body seemed to catch up with your mind as you sprung into action. You twisted around, your feet pushing you forward only to come to a halt at the close proximity of the once unknown presence behind you. Your eyes widened, a sharp breath escaping your lips at the stop you made compared to your sudden momentum. You stared into the eyes of none other than The Countess, clad in only the most extravagant clothing and makeup.

“That’ll be a hard one to get out of,” she said, although her face was seemingly expressionless. You stared at her, your frenzied brain jumping to the first conclusion you could make.

“Did you...” you trailed off, your breathing suddenly heavy. James couldn’t have made the mistake, so that means that somebody else had to of given the police some kind of tip in order for them to seek James out. The woman standing before you was quite possibly the number one suspect. “Did you do this?” Your voice held tones of disbelief and anger.

Would Elizabeth really go to such extent when she hadn’t even expressed a major disliking? She hadn’t talked to you at all since that first time, in fact the only interactions you’d had with one another were passing glances. She’d seemed to have just steered clear of anything to do with you or James. You had no idea what she had thought, but you had supposed that she didn’t care about you and James, otherwise she would have spoke her concerns. Had you been wrong about her? Could a simple mistake end it all over again? Elizabeth scoffed, her face hardening.

“Oh God no...” she said wryly, a small sarcastic grin forming on her lips as she looked at you quizzically, “what would I get out of it now? As I am still his present wife, I don’t need James dead to use his money. And besides, now that he has you he no longer bothers me.” She was smug as she spoke to you. She grinned, all teeth and mischief, her eyes sparkling. “It’s a winning situation for the both of us if you ask me.” She paused, her grin falling slightly as her gaze wondered off to peer down into the lobby.

“I could bet I know who the rat is, though,” She said, turning back to you. “I’m wagering it’s his loyal minion. That poor woman has been in love with James since the beginning of time.” She paused, her eyes intense as they rested on your face. “And based on your expression you think so too.” She smiled at you and then turned, walking slowly away from you. “Good luck,” she called back to you without turning around, your eyes watching her back as she went.

You stood contemplating her words for a moment. Elizabeth was smart and straightforward, and from what you could tell if she had a problem she would speak her mind. And what she had said made sense. Miss Evers was in love with James, but her love was unrequited, and that’s why she constantly seemed at odds with you. She could never even have a chance to be with him, so long as you were around.

Your feet carried you quickly as you raced to the elevator. The police were still conversing with the receptionist, but you knew it was only a matter of time before they found out where James was. You recalled a conversation you’d had with him in the morning, concluding that he had to be caught up attending to his hobby.

The police would find him in his office, in the middle of his business, and it would all be over. He would be taken from you once again.

You didn’t even knock upon arriving; you opened the door and closed it quickly behind you. You turned to face James, in all his blood-covered, god-like glory. You took in the scene of James’ office quickly, your eyes tracing over every detail. A large bin sat in the center of the room, a rugged corpse contained within it. James had been busying himself with pouring a substance over the body, of which could only be acid, as it had sizzled upon impact with the dead man’s skin. At your arrival, James halted his methods in confusion.

Several items were scattered across the floor, one of which catching your interest. The glass of the vase; a damp spot surrounding the area where the unaltered mess remained. The roses remained too, the petals wilting from lack of nourishment. You paused, your mind trying to puzzle out their unmoved position. Miss Evers had to have been in here since last night, so why wouldn’t she move them? She might have been scheming, but she was extremely adamant on being neat when it came to James’ specific rooms. You couldn’t see her ignoring it, and yet here it was sitting puzzlingly. You were caught off guard for a reason not entirely known to you. Something about their appearance had you alarmed, a string of words suddenly ringing out in your head; perhaps a memory brought to the surface.

“If you betray the rose, the rose no longer profits you.”

The old woman was suddenly prevalent in your mind, her warning dawning upon you, your heartbeat stuttering at the looming echo of her words. James was waiting for you to explain yourself--the police were coming--Miss Evers had betrayed you--everything you and James had worked so hard for was crumbling down around you. Your heartbeat was fast, the pulse beating quickly, perhaps the reason for the pounding in your head.

You looked James in the eyes, studying his features. He was so handsome--even before you knew him, that day in the garden when you had first seen him--you had marveled at his beauty. And that was before he’d become such a man; his features sharp and masculine, beautifully sculpted by the gods. His dark brown eyes and hair, so dull yet so prominent--a symbol of his darkness. You could stare at him for eternity and never bore, your love for him everlasting.

And yet, here you were at the end with no escape, hell a threat once again hanging above your heads, looming just around the corner. Just a few more minutes and everything would be over. Just a few more minutes and you’d be lost again, stranded without your guide; your purpose--your God.

“James,” you gasped, stumbling slightly as you made your way to him. You’d just managed to get to him before you fell over slightly, your arms reaching out to grasp onto his tightly. He caught you, keeping you level as his face filled with concern. The pounding in your head was intense, beginning to drown out your thoughts and quicken your breath.

“Darling, tell me--what is it?” James demanded, his voice panic-stricken. He lifted your chin to look you in the eyes, his widened orbs meeting yours with intensity.

“I-it’s--the- the police,” you barely managed to get the words out, clinging onto James like he was your lifeline. Nothing seemed right; your thoughts suddenly taking too long to form into words, your breathing heavy, vision blurry, and it was becoming much harder to stand. What was happening? You stared into James eyes, shifting all your focus into him. “They’re here to arrest you.” One hand gripped his arm firmly as you brought the other to rest upon his cheekbone, leaning chest to chest as your body began to collapse into him. He held you steady, forever the one and only thing to truly support you. “They’re going to take you from me,” you sobbed, an onslaught of tears overcoming you. “Again,” you cried quietly, gasping for air.

The door opened, your heart skipping a beat at the intrusion, your mind going straight to the thought of the police. Your eyes landed on Miss Evers instead, confusion settling on you once again. She’d gotten what she wanted, hadn’t she? Why was she here now, to prove something? You wished you had the strength to question her, to say anything, but everything felt heavier and heavier as more time passed.

“Tell me,” James barked at her just as she’d closed and locked the door, “what in all creation is happening? Speak right this instant, and quickly.”

“The police are here,” Miss Evers explained, James grip on you tightening as you leaned onto him for support. He glanced down at you, worry glinting in his eyes as you just barely managed to look up at him.

“Darling,” he whispered, “what is happening? Are you ill?” A moment of silence passed as you tried to respond, your mouth opening but no words becoming audible. A moment of silence passed, the only action being James assessing you. Your words couldn’t seem to form, a burning spreading through your entire body. It was unlike anything you’d ever felt. You began to wonder yourself if you were somehow ill.

“It was supposed to be me!”

The maid across the room suddenly shrieked, desperation clouding her judgement as she flung her arms up in the air. “I was the one for you!” She sobbed, stumbling slightly as an expression of hurt formed upon her face. “I always loved you, and these women--they never did! They used you, and I always cared!” James eyes widened, shock coming across his features. He stared at the woman, contemplating her words.

“But you never saw,” the woman said sadly, her head hanging in shame before her face went emotionless. “And so I did the only thing I could.” She looked at him, dead in the eye, a type of malice suddenly overcoming her. “You’d be surprised how easy it was.” Her eyes settled upon your frame, your head moving slowly to get a glance at her. You stared, blinking rapidly as your vision faded in and out. You could barely comprehend what she was saying, but you felt as James’ breath quickened. It was taking all of your willpower to stay awake--you needed to, for James.

“What?” he stated, his voice deeper than you’d ever heard it, a rage within his eyes even you had never seen before as he stared at her. He was tense, as hard as a rock, glaring daggers at the woman who had seemingly betrayed him.

“I--,” Miss Evers hesitated, obviously intimidated by his fury, but decided to continue. “I’ve found that you have a secret stash of cyanide in the bar.” She faltered once again, her eyes shifting away from James and to the floor. “I wanted us to be together, and she-” she pointed at you, “-she was always in it for the money! They all are, all but me!” She burst into tears, falling onto her knees in hysterics. Your eyebrows furrowed as you racked your brain to gather all of the information. She poisoned you at the bar. You remembered brief flashbacks of the one tiny sip you’d taken of your previously forgotten drink.

James seemed to be shaking as he gently moved you to sit in a chair by the wall, turning away from you for only a moment. Your eyelids began to flutter as sleep beckoned you, visions of James’ movement around the room the only thing to hold your focus. A loud pop suddenly reverberated off of the walls as it rang out, causing you to sit up slightly from your slouched posture, your eyelids flying open to search for the source. James stood over the body of his betrayer, smoking gun resting within his palm.

You felt so weak, your thoughts jumbled, unable to focus on only one. Only now you knew it wasn’t just an overreaction. You’d only taken a mere sip of the drink from the bar, but you supposed now that it had been enough for the poison to go into effect. You wondered briefly how she’d gotten the cyanide into the drink in the first place, and exactly how much she had put in for it to have such a potent effect on your body.

Your eyes traveled to her corpse, and to the fresh blood splattered across the wall from the headshot. You blinked, barely registering what had just occurred before you. You were too dazed to process the incident, even if you understood what had occurred subconsciously. Relief was the only thing you felt; relief for one less thing to worry about standing between you and James.

Eyes shifting slightly to the left, you stared at the browning roses, the sweet old lady’s warning once again echoing, a distant memory brought to the surface of your mind. James crouched in front of you, suddenly the only thing in line of sight, his lips moving but you couldn’t hear his voice over your own in your head. The roses were dead. You left them on the floor. You betrayed them for--

You sprung up once again as a loud banging at the door shocked you back into your senses. James glanced briefly at the door before turning back to you quickly. He pulled you out of the chair, holding you up and close to his chest as he stroked your hair tenderly.

“James,” you just barely whispered as he shushed you.

“I know, darling,” He said reassuringly, pulling back to look into your eyes. “It’s all going to be okay, dear. It’ll all be over before you know it.” He smiled charmingly as you nodded weakly, holding tightly onto the cloth of his shirt to maintain stability. And you believed him in that moment, as he always seemed to find a way.

One way, or another.

You rested your head on his chest, closing your eyes as the pounding on the door increased. Or maybe it was the pounding in your head; at this point you couldn’t decipher what was real and what was just a figment of your imagination. Cold metal pressed against the skin of your temple, your brain too bleary to question it. Mere seconds passed as you contemplated moving, but suddenly it was as if everything had settled away. James’ warm body faded from your grasp.

-🤍-

Your eyelids fluttered open, eyeballs moving back and forth as you tried to become familiar with your surroundings. You recognized the familiar room immediately, for it was your bedroom when you had first moved into the Cortez. You felt strange. Zen, almost, but maybe that was just because the pounding was gone. You felt... disconnected. It was the most out of touch with yourself you’d ever felt.

You climbed to your feet from the floor, thoughts running rampant at what was unknown to you. Where was James, how did you get here, how long had you been here, and why did you feel so cold? Flashes of what seemed to be both years ago and only moments ago clouded your mind, filling you with dread. Scenarios of what could be frightened you and sent you into a state of panic, pushing you forward.

Out of the room you went, through the quiet and empty halls, searching, searching, searching--no fixed destination ahead except something, anything, that could lead you to your James.

It seemed that days had passed before you finally found the lobby of the hotel. Navigation through the building was proving to be much more difficult than you remembered. Why was it taking so long?

The lobby was sparsely populated, unlike the usually crowded area that you were used to. You glanced around, noticing only a few people in the bar, the receptionist, and someone asleep on the sofas. Your feet carried you to the hotel entrance, pushing the first door open, the sunlight peeking through the opaque glass surprising you. If it was the daytime, then why was the hotel so empty? On ordinary occasions people came and went like flies; the Cortez was a hotspot in the city of Los Angeles, after all. Your hands reached out to push open the door to the outside, the metal handle of the door cool against your skin, and then suddenly nothing. In front of you was the door no longer; profound confusion coursing through you as you stared at the walls of your bedroom once again. You had been there one second, and in the next it was as if you had been teleported back in time.

And so the cycle repeated for what seemed like years; many times set adrift through the halls, eventually to the lobby where the sunlight no longer shone through the windows and unusually few people inhabited. You were reaching forward for the handle of the first door for what seemed to be the hundredth time, only to freeze at the call of your name from a familiar voice.

“Y/N.”

Your name sounded of honey dripping off his tongue. It was like hearing that voice for the first time again. All your worries deflated and anxieties subsided--for you had found your God once again. You turned to face him, to see his face--the face you had longed to see for what felt like years but may have been minutes. You still didn’t entirely understand the detachment from your body you felt; it was as if you no longer had a life source, no blood running course or lungs cycling air. You felt out of place and trapped at the same time.

Just as your hopes had soared, they plummeted at the sight of the bare lobby. Emptiness sat instead where you had expected James to be, crushing all sense of direction. You wanted to cry, to scream, to tear the hotel to shreds with your bare hands. But just before you gave up all hope completely, your eyes caught on the tiniest of details.

Barely noticeable, unless payed close attention to; unless already a prominent object in one’s mind. Small, dainty, white petals lay scattered in high correlation, leading on to an unknown but obviously specific destination. You treaded lightly as you followed the path closely, afraid any disturbance would somehow make them disappear.

Unease settled through you, possibly just a usual feeling as of late, but considerably appropriate when meeting the isolate hallways once again. You began questioning your sanity; was this just yet another repeat in the cycle? You’d been lost for so long, was this just another loop? What was the energy here, and why did it not feel like you and James’ beloved Cortez, the place you called home? You felt like you were stuck in a punishment of some kind; a purgatory; a hell.

And at last, you arrived; the room in which this cycle had began, or ended. The office of James Patrick March: Room sixty-four. You paused, contemplating, before making a bold decision and gripping the handle, opening the door and entering the room. There you stood in what was once James’ office, now empty of most furniture, only few items remaining. And there it remained: the vase on the table in the center of the room, petals leading straight to their source.

Inside sat the very white roses themselves, southern California glory and all. They looked just like the ones in that very first garden: huge, bright and beaming, petals spread with all the beauty and radiance of nature and purity. And just behind them stood their God; the master of the garden who held the utmost control in his realm. Your God, who’d saved you from hell; who’d broke all cycles.

The feeling you felt at sight of James did not fail to excite you just the same as it had on that first day years ago. Something about his presence next to yours soothed you, for you knew that he was still there, that he hadn’t been taken from you, that no matter what had happened you were still okay so long as he stood next to you.

You rushed forward and into him, basking in his embrace. His arms wrapped around you, but the challenge once again presented itself: an unignorably apparent absence of warmth. It’d been just before you’d first woken up what seemed like years, or maybe just hours ago, that you’d been in his embrace just the same, his warmth seeping into you and igniting your soul as you had faded in and out of consciousness. But now, you couldn’t feel it. You felt his body wrapped around yours, but nothing inflaming, the detachment from your own warmth just the same. It was missing, a shell of a comfort that used to always be present; something you had gotten entirely used to, for to be absent of warmth was to be dead...

You gasped, pulling away from James to look him in the eyes, the reality setting in and the drunkenness fading away. Your mind was becoming clear, all clarity suddenly bestowed upon you.

“James, are we...” you froze in panic, for it felt as if you didn’t have lungs, the normal rise and fall of the simplicity of breathing gone... the feelings of life were all gone...

And it clicked.

“James,” you whispered, your eyes tracing over the details of the room. The blood stains on the floor and walls were the only evidence of foul play left. You felt strange, for people didn’t normally expect to see the place of their death after the fact. Realizations settled over you as you stared at the room, just as you had initially when entering to warn James of the police, the truth of the events that had happened finally dawning upon you. In your poison-induced state of mind, it’d been hard to realize. You had been dying, the poison slowly but surely shutting your body down. You’d barely processed it when James had held the gun to your head and pulled the trigger, ending your pain.

“Yes, darling?” James replied to you, bringing you back to your conversation. You stared at him longingly. Although you didn’t entirely understand why you were still here, or the concept of the afterlife, you were glad to have James next to you. A moment of silence passed as you tried to pinpoint what you wanted to ask him exactly.

“I have so many questions,” you said, deciding to just speak your mind. You furrowed your eyebrows, blinking rapidly as you tried to sort out your thoughts. “I-I’m so lost, James.”

“Of course you are, dearest,” James said reassuringly, his hand brushing the stray hairs away from your face. He stared at you sadly. “I’m terribly sorry for all that happened, you must feel perplexed beyond understanding my dear.” He paused, his eyes traveling over your features as you stared up at him, listening intently. “This was simply my only choice, darling. You were succumbing to the poison’s grip long before I finished your pain. Miss Evers...” He trailed off, his jaw clenching tightly. “Nevermind that. I came to a conclusion upon the authorities’ arrival, and that was that if I was damned to be put away I might as well flee with you, my queen... it was the only right option.” He smiled down at you softly.

You smiled right back at him, your love for him the only warmth left inside of you now that you no longer had your body to call home. You basked in the feeling of being close to him as he pulled you to his chest, his lips leaving a soft kiss against your scalp. Even if you didn’t feel warmth, simply the love you had for him was enough. He tenderly stroked your back, calming your nerves. It amazed you how he could ease your mind so easily, if only just a little. However, you couldn’t shake your thoughts away. Sure, you could just let it all go, but the truth of the matter was simple.

Your entire life had been a cycle. A cycle of undeniable foolishness; you’d been ignorant of the truth for all of your living years. Oh, how it angered you. You hated something truly for what seemed like the first time in your life. You hated yourself; you’d let yourself believe false truths just to live in an illusion that you thought was happiness. You were naïve. And ultimately, that was what had ended you.

You’d ignored all warnings and left the roses to wilt, betraying the one thing that had always been on your side. You’d ignored all threats and committed yourself to making paradise in the land of the evil; it was simply impossible. The Garden of Eden wasn’t a place for the living. It was a place of freedom, and so long as you’re living, you can never truly be free. For in life, one threat always remains: death. You could never truly be protected. You could never truly have paradise.

But with James, in the Cortez, in the paradise he’d created for you... even death didn’t stand a chance. It was a gateway to greatness; a place where nothing truly stood in your way, where no threats were great enough. You couldn’t be harmed, or imprisoned, or separated here; you were finally utterly invincible; real Gods. Hell and Earth were no longer a threat. It was your true paradise that James had promised you.

Your Garden of Eden.

---------

Series Masterlist: The Garden of Eden Series

Main Masterlist

58 notes · View notes

giuliafc · 3 years

Text

Stuck in a Cabin (with you)

Read on: Ao3 || FFN || Wattpad

Summoned to save his Lady's life, Adrien gets stuck with her in a cabin during a blizzard. Identities get revealed, feelings come out...but who's been plotting to kill Marinette? Will the culprit be punished? Read to find the answer :) (Adrienette)

Written by: JuliaFC

Betas: Khanofallorcs, Agrestebug, Etoile-Lead-Sama and genxha. Thank you all so much!

Cover Art credit: Rosehealer02 on Deviantart

Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by (c) Thomas Astruc, TS1 Bouygues, Disney Channel, Zagtoon, Toei Animation. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

oOoOoOoOoOo

Chapter 1 — Lila’s plan

Lila sighed looking at the message that had just pinged on her phone.

Mamma: [Sorry, tesoro. I got stuck at work because of the snow, don’t know when I’ll get home tonight. If you want, you can order something. Otherwise dried pasta is in the first cupboard at the side of the hob. I’ll make it up to you. Love you!]

Even after all those years, messages like those left a hollow feeling into her heart. Lila had been moving around a lot in the last few years, because of her mother’s job. She hated her mother’s job. Because of it, Lila had had to leave her grandparents and aunt in Sicily and all her childhood friends. Besides, her mother had been completely absent since she started working at the embassy, sometimes not even coming back home before Lila went to bed. Sometimes she wouldn’t see her for days in a row because when she woke up to go to school, mamma was sleeping and when Lila would go to bed, mamma wouldn’t even have started to come home. Mamma tried to make up for it by filling her days off with a lot of activities they could do together, but that wasn’t enough for Lila. She wanted more. She wanted her mother all for herself, like she had been at home, when papà had been there and mamma hadn’t yet obtained her role at the Italian Embassy.

She had been moved around like a pawn: Vienna for a couple of years, then Berlin, Geneva, Dublin and finally Paris. A lot for a 14 year old girl, having to leave it all behind way too many times.

When she moved to Vienna, she had been bullied quite badly because of her accent and her difficulty speaking the language. She had been ostracised and had spent the better part of two years fighting against stupid kids that she couldn’t even understand very well. Add to the mix the fact that papà ended up having an affair and mamma decided to divorce and leave him, and Lila’s life became even worse, even lonelier.

Luckily her mother had been moved to Berlin, but the situation hadn’t improved for her. Vienna or Berlin, the language was still incomprehensible to her and the kids didn’t like her because she was new, uncool, and because her accent sucked. Because her skin was too olive. Because her hair was too brown, or her eyes too green. They used to make fun of her hairstyle, of her clothes, of anything they could put their hands on. Lila started developing a huge amount of rage, frustration and anger. Plus, she missed her papà terribly, and she couldn’t understand in her mind why her mamma had decided to leave him.

Then she moved to Geneva, and on her first day there she met a girl who ‘acted’ cool. She was a couple of years older than Lila; her name was Charlotte, but she allowed Lila to call her Lottie. She took her under her wing and gave her some very interesting lessons. Lottie was a manipulative wench. She used to be the most popular girl in class because she always knew what to say in order to flatter the interlocutor, twist words around and obtain their favour. Lila was fascinated by her ability and craved to learn how to do the same. She worked for months to copy Lottie’s mannerisms and behaviour.

‘In life, you need to always take the upper hand,’ Lottie told her. ‘Tell people what they want to hear. This will automatically bring them to your side, and when you have them wrapped around your little finger, there’s nothing that they won’t do for you. You just need to keep up the appearances and you’re set for life.

‘Always settle for the best. If you set your eyes on a boy, make sure that he’s the best catch in the whole school. Make sure to understand what he likes and slowly set your trap. Let him fall for you, and you’ll be automatically the most popular gal around.’ Lottie had proved her own advice right easily, and had ended up in a relationship with a pop singer that attended their school. That increased her popularity even more and Lila became much more envious of her.

‘If someone bothers you, destroy them before they can attack you, or as soon as you can after that,’ was Lottie’s last bit of advice.

Lottie taught Lila to act cool, taught her that image was everything. Soon ,they had become like twin sisters and instead of being the bullied one, for once Lila enjoyed the feeling of being the bully. They were L&L’s, and they were respected. Her heart broke the day her mother told her that they were moving again, but she had no choice. Saying goodbye to Lottie was one of the most difficult things she had to do in her still young life.

‘Stay strong, Lil,’ Lottie had told her. ‘Remember, image is everything. Teach those Dubliners how great you are and you won’t have any trouble. And if you do,’ she added with a wink, ‘send me a message and I’ll hop on the first flight!’

That had made her laugh. Lottie acted strong and rich, but Lila knew that in reality she would never have been able to uphold her promise, as she was still too young, and had no money.

Dublin hadn’t been that bad for her. Except the weather. The HORRIBLE Irish weather. She still had nightmares of the torrential rain and the storms. But at least, there was the sea. Lila had missed the sea so much in the last few years. She used to make excuses that she was sick, to skip school, take the DART metropolitan train and get off at Portmarnock, Greystones or Bray (more the first two than the latter, because the sandy beach reminded her more of the shores at home). She would walk on the beach without a care in the world, listening to the sound of the waves crashing on the sand.

She had followed Lottie’s advice and had acted cool as soon as she started in her new school. She had gotten used to lying when she was in Geneva under Lottie’s wing, and now the lies came out more natural than the truth. She had become immediately popular when she started, managing to get into a relationship with the most exclusive guy in the class (she didn’t like him, as he was a twat, so full of himself that you could hear him boasting from a distance, but she didn’t care. He was popular and that was all that mattered. He would never realise that she was only using him). She learned how to trick everybody, making them think that she knew all sorts of actors and celebrities. It was fantastic, she was loved and popular and her life was amazing. She was so upset when her mother was moved once more.

And that’s how she ended up in Paris — again far from her beloved sea. She hated the city, she hated the noise and the frantic way of life. Despite the horrible weather, she had loved Dublin because it was smaller and reminded her more of the small town she was born in. But Paris was massive, full of people, of noise. She couldn’t stand the noise. And she hated all those lights. Ville lumière my foot.

Immediately as she started in Françoise Dupont, she tried to remake the same setting she had carefully created in her previous location. But she found the big obstacle of Marinette Dupain-Cheng. The most annoying girl Lila had ever dealt with. Except Ladybug, obviously. Such a tiny girl, but such a big problem for her, and for her resolution to follow Lottie’s footsteps. From the very beginning, Marinette had never fallen for her lies. From the very beginning, she had tried to unmask her and show to everyone her true colours. From the very beginning, she had been an absolute and utter pest.

Lila had fought back. She wouldn’t make it easy for Marinette to win against her; Lila had soon managed to get every student in the class wrapped around her little finger, as Lottie had taught her. She had hoped that soon Marinette wouldn’t be a problem anymore. But unfortunately, she still was. Even more annoyingly, Adrien, whom she was trying to charm in order to again be the most popular girl in school who dated the most handsome and popular guy, seemed to believe Marinette.

Lila had tried all her tricks. She had tried to bring the whole class to her side, she had tried to even manipulate Adrien’s father and make him think that Marinette was a bad influence on his son. But nothing seemed to have an effect on the blond model, and Lila had gotten desperate. She had finally managed to set up a great trap and had gotten Marinette expelled. However, the joy hadn’t lasted long because Adrien had threatened her and had gotten to the point of making a deal with her so that Marinette would be readmitted to school.

Lila was seething that day, but she had no choice. Losing Adrien’s friendship would have been even more detrimental to her image. It didn’t matter if it was only a fake friendship; it would add to her image, and image was everything, as Lottie said.

The more time passed, the more Lila hated Marinette. She had tried everything she could to make her life miserable, but the young designer somehow always managed to resist. Even getting akumatised and trying to use Hawkmoth’s power against Marinette didn’t work, because Ladybug and Chat Noir would get in the way and protect her. They would try to expose Lila’s lies. She had had to make her lies become bigger and bigger and create more and more imaginative excuses in order to keep up with the popularity she craved. And it was never enough, because Marinette always managed to dismiss her claims and most of the time prove her wrong.

From Lila’s point of view, Marinette was the enemy. She was the sole obstacle left in her path to getting what she wanted, and she would get what she wanted, no matter the cost. In her mind, there was only one path left to take to get rid of her.

Marinette Dupain-Cheng had to DIE.

Finally, she had managed to come up with the perfect plan. The perfect opportunity.

The perfect excuse: a school project. She had cheated the sorting and gotten paired with Alya, and the weather today was giving her even more help. When something is meant to be, it’s meant to be. It had already been a cold winter up to then, but very unusually for Paris, in the last week the temperature had dropped way below zero. In fact, it had dropped so low that it had been declared the coldest winter in history, only topped once in the late 1800’s.

Lila didn’t like the cold. Her family came from a little village on the sea, where it was always warm even in the bad season. Yes, it had been cold from time to time, but the sea warmed the temperature up and made the chill more bearable. Her beautiful sea, which she missed so much after having gotten a taste of it back in Dublin. But there was no sea in Paris, only that stupid river… and no warm weather in the winter, especially not this year.

But that cold weather, for once, wasn’t upsetting her because it was helping her craft her plan; she had faced the freezing temperature that very morning before school, and had set up her trap. She would use the cold to her advantage. And this time, she’d have the perfect alibi, and not even Adrien would suspect of her.

This time Marinette would be gone. Forever.

“Are you all right, Lila?” asked Alya, her face showing genuine concern when Lila dumped her phone on the desk in front of her with a pout.

“Yes, I’m fine. Just another charity event being cancelled this week because of the snow,” she made up. Alya’s frown disappeared and the girl gave her a look full of admiration.

“I don’t know how you do it, Lila, your commitment to charities and people in need is admirable, really.”

Lila gave Alya her best puppy eyed glance. “This city, and especially Ladybug and Chat Noir, have done so much for me with all the times I have been akumatised. It’s only nice to give something back!”

Alya put a hand on her shoulder. “You’re a truly amazing person, Lila. I have been akumatised four times, and I guess half of Paris has been in a way or another, but nobody does all you do to ‘give it back to the community’.” The girl with glasses looked at her door thoughtfully. “But if you’ll excuse me a moment, I need the restroom.”

And that’s when the perfect opportunity arose. Alya’s phone was resting on the desk in front of them. Lila gave a cunning side glance to the brunette who had just stood up and was fixing her glasses on her nose and, with a graceful flick of her finger, she pushed Alya’s phone slightly making it fall to the ground, quickly kicking it with her foot underneath the computer desk so that Alya wouldn’t find it.

“Uh… I’m sure my phone was here a moment ago…” muttered Alya looking at the computer desk and scratching her head. She moved her gaze around superficially, but since she couldn’t see the phone anywhere, she sighed. “Well, never mind. I’ll be right back,” she said, looking at Lila before disappearing from view.

“Take your time,” said Lila, her lips curling in a wide smirk as she picked up the phone from the ground. Things seemed to be going her way this time. The phone was unlocked. Lila’s eyes had a triumphant gleam in them as she looked for a conversation with Marinette.

She quickly peeked to ensure that Alya was still in the restroom and opened the chat with Marinette. Then she typed the message she had been planning all day, clicking send immediately after.

Alya (Lila): [Hey, girl! The girls and I are planning to go to Lac Daumesnil. Fancy doing some ice skating with us?]

She kept eyeing the door of the restroom with concern, but Alya was still there. Soon she saw the three dots of the conversation flashing, meaning that Marinette was answering.

Marinette: [It’s been some time since I went ice skating. Last time was a disaster. Sounds like a good idea, Alya. I will be there in an hour]

Alya (Lila): [Great. Start skating if you get there before us. We’re on our way!]

Marinette: [OK!]

Lila looked at the messages with a smirk and took care of deleting each of them one by one. Alya wasn’t going to find out. It was after she had just deleted the last message that Alya emerged from the restroom and she put the phone down immediately.

Alya frowned at her. “Are you okay, Lila?”

“Yes. I found your phone; it was on the floor here.” She pointed at the side of the desk. “I thought I heard it notify you of something, but there’s no notification, nothing at all.”

Alya looked at her phone with interest. “Oh. Maybe an akuma alert?” She started scrolling through her phone, but she didn’t find anything new. “That’s peculiar, there’s no new announcement.”

“Don’t worry, I must have made a mistake,” said Lila, dismissing the conversation with a gesture of her right hand. “So we were saying, about Napoléon?”

This took Alya’s attention away from her phone and brought her back to concentrating on the project they were working on. Lila smirked — her plan was unfolding well.

Author’s Note:

Hi again! I know, I know, another story. I told you I was going to unload everything I had this weekend. This isn’t finished yet (well, one part is, and in theory it could be left like that, but the second part I thought is worth writing!) so I will update this, the AU and “When Magic Fails” as soon as I can. Hope you liked getting inside Lila’s head. The next chapters are not about her, don’t worry. Or rather, worry, because the next chapters are her plan unfolding. And the title of the next chapter (and the beautiful cover art) is kind of revealing… so, well, I’ll hide again… ^^;

In the next instalment of “Stuck in a cabin (with you)”, “Drowning”:

— “I don’t know, Marinette. This sounds fishy. Why aren’t your friends here yet?”

— “I can’t move, Tikki, I think I have cramps! HELP ME!”

— “Sugarcube! It won’t happen again, not if we can help it, don’t worry!”

Ehrm… I know. Doesn’t sound good, right? ^^ Please subscribe if you’re interested in knowing what is going to happen, so you will know when the next update is!

Last but not least, as usual, if you read this and you’re not part of our wonderful Discord server already, but you enjoy reading, writing and talking about Miraculous, please join our Discord server, Miraculous Fanworks (for people on FFN, discord dot gg slash mlfanworks). See you there soon. Not sure when I will update this story but it won't be too long! Promise!

#miraculous #miraculous ladybug #miraculous les aventures de ladybug et chat noir #adrienette #adrien agreste #adrien and marinette #reveals #identity reveal #marinette dupain cheng #tales of ladybug and cat noir #ladybug #lila rossi #hurt/comfort #angst #romance #hurtcomfort #marichat

20 notes · View notes

crescent-quill-writings · 3 years

Text

Swaddled in a Midnight Sun

Fandom: Hamilton - Miranda

Words: 2785

Relationship: Alexander Hamilton/John Laurens/ Gilbert du Motier Marquis de Lafayette

Additional Tags: Canon Era, Alternate Universe: Angels, Angel!Lafeyette, fluff, snowstorms, near-death experiences, horses

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The wicked winds blowing in from the north had frozen the earth, frost-bitten the air, and brought the world to a standstill. Those who could took shelter within their homes around the hearth, waiting for the seasonal celebrations to bring relief from the permeating dark and cold of winter. The world was peaceful in its icy, permeating silence, almost beautiful, too.

Still, there was a war that needed to be fought and won.

There was an elephant among the ice and snow of the Patriot’s camp. The conversations were hushed, threatened by the violent weather whipping around them and tension so thick it could be sliced through with a bayonet.

“Do you think the war will be over in time for Christmas?”

“Doubt it. If we’re lucky the redcoats will get us before we freeze to death.”

“I just hope we don’t run out of rum before then…”

“Ay, I’ll drink to that.”

John Laurens had had enough of the morbid, idle chatter the soldiers distracted themselves with. The war could be won before Christmas, and the British wouldn’t even know what hit them. Even though the chance to turn the tides in their favour was just within reach, apparently no one had the balls to brave the elements and bring a message to Washington. It was only a little blizzard, after all. What’s the worst it could do?

With a sharp whistle that pierced through even the howling northern winds, John’s trusted steed came trotting over to him in an instant. He mounted the spotted chestnut in one swift motion, and barely a moment later they were galloping off into the dark December night.

“If you want something done right, you do it yourself.”

*~*~*~*~*~*

Though he was gripping the reins with all his might, John could no longer feel his fingers. His cheeks were stinging and reddened from the frost-bitten whips of wind lashing at his skin as he rode onwards. Even the forest path offered little relief from the relentless blizzard, and his steed’s heavy breaths were like a smoking gun in the sub-zero air.

“Just a little longer, girl, we’re halfway there.”

In truth, John didn’t actually know how far they had gone. With the frost on that was threatening to freeze his eyes shut and the heavy cloak of snow and darkness he could barely see ten feet ahead of him.

Despite the deep-set chill in his bones, he fought off another shiver and forced himself to focus on the way forwards. His efforts didn’t work as well as the soldier wished. Though it was just for a moment, his vision faded and his senses dulled.

In that little sliver of time, John missed the splintering of frost-bitten wood as a great fir succumbed to the season’s savagery.

John swore with a shout as his steed reared up with a shrill cry of a whinny, “Sunny- Steady, girl!”

It was no use. There was no calming the mare’s frayed nerves against the shock of adrenaline the near-death experience caused. John barely had enough in him to stay awake, nevertheless, fight for control of his horse. His frozen fingers released the reins and with a swift kick from his steed he was sent crashing into the snow.

Winded from the impact with the frozen ground, John gasped for a breath of icy air as he pushed himself onto his knees. He could only just make out the sound of the mare’s swift hooves clambering through the snow before she too was lost to the darkness.

He never realized that the cold could burn worse than the brightest of blazes. His military coat was useless against the winds that rocked him to his very core and sapped whatever was left of his strength.

“Gotta stay awake,” John whispered through chattering teeth as another shiver wracked his body, “There’s a war we need to win, people we can’t disappoint.”

But John was fighting a losing battle.

The frost of numbness that had taken away feeling from his extremities begun to permeate his whole body and mind. He tried to fight against it, and though his will to survive was strong, the winter was stronger.

For a moment, John no longer felt so cold, only tired. So tired that he could sleep forever should the opportunity ever present itself. His body ached for something to rest upon, somewhere to lay his head, and through bleary eyes, the snow beneath him looked to be a good bed for until the storm passed.

He let himself relax, slowly unravelling as he began to fall into his deathbed. He expected to feel the soft diamonds of the blizzard’s wake to meet with cheek. He expected to slip into an eternal sleep as heavy frost froze his eyes shut. That moment never came.

*~*~*~*~*~*

John wasn’t sure when the frost finally released his thoughts, but he didn’t care either. In his moment of lucidity, he focused on the secure, welcoming embrace of another. He shifted closer to them with an unintelligible sound, squeezing his eyes shut as he pressed himself into their chest for every bit of warmth they had.

He whined when he felt them shift, crowding more into their space to keep them from slipping away. He felt their chest vibrate with a quiet laugh before a pair of soft lips graced his forehead.

John finally peered up at the one holding him so dearly, only to gasp at who he saw, “Gil!”

“You gave me a good scare there, mon etoile,” Lafayette spoke, and though his tone was sweet he couldn’t hide the crystalline tears pricking the corners of his eyes. “Sil tu plait, for both our sakes, never do something like that again.”

John couldn’t help but laugh at the request, though it seemed his smile brought more relief to the Frenchman than he could’ve imagined. He laced their fingers together and cuddled closer, enjoying the company of his foreign companion.

“I am just happy I managed to find you in time,” Lafayette continued with a small sigh, brushing a few of John’s curls from his face. “You do not always make my job easy.”

“Gil, what are you on about?” He frowned, unable to make sense of the Frenchman’s words.

For a moment John wondered if Lafayette was real or just a trick of his mind to turn his final moments into a pleasant dream. This realization terrified him and sent his rational thought spiralling down a rabbit hole of paranoid panic. He didn’t want to go like this, he didn’t want to be another casualty to the warring weather. He wanted to survive. He needed to survive.

“Deep breaths, mon etoile, what is the matter?”

“This… This can’t be real. You can’t really be here.” I’m dying!

John pushed himself out of Lafayette’s grasp, stumbling back into the snow before managing to get himself on his feet again. He teetered under the force of the whipping winds, a deep chill seeping into his core as he tried to make sense of his reality. It was dark, it was cold, he was lost and he was alone. I should be alone…

Unable to make sense of his situation both John’s body and mind began to crash. He lost his balance, falling into the snow as he once again gave in to a wintery grave. In an instant, he was in Lafayette’s arms, held so tight he felt like the singular reason for the Frenchman to be on this earth.

“John, you mustn’t move so suddenly!” He admonishes, though his tone was undercut with sorrow as he began to cry, “If I could not bring you home safe… Mon Dieu, I would not know what to do with myself.”

There was a distinct pang of guilt in John’s chest as he stared dumbly up at the Frenchman, watching him cry. He swallowed thickly, reaching up with a shivering hand to cup Lafayette’s cheek in an attempt to calm his grief.

“Hey, it’s okay, I’m okay,” He whispered, making Lafayette focus back on him and not on what could have been, “I just don’t really know what’s going on right now…”

A silent question hung in the air, one John was sure would break both his and Lafayette’s heart if he ever put to words. Thankfully, the Frenchman seemed to understand as he gave a solemn nod and a sigh before he next spoke.

“Be not afraid, mon etoile, you are well and alive,” He began to explain, placing his larger palm over John’s hand as he pressed a kiss to his tender, frozen skin, “And I am real, though I have not been entirely honest with you…”

“Whatever it is, Gil, you can tell me,” John reassured, though he could not stop the shine of fear in his eyes. It was hard not to worry about what Lafayette would say next when he still couldn’t make sense of what had already happened.

“I am not supposed to do this, but…” The Frenchman hesitated only to shake his head and find his resolve again. “It is best if I showed you.”

John opened his mouth in a question, but Lafayette only hushed him with a gentle kiss before covering his eyes with his hand.

Though he could not see, John felt the shift in the world around him. It was silent, the howling winds put to an end by only Lafayette’s will. He felt a single snowflake land on the tip of his nose, tickling him with a moment of cold as others fell in slow-motion onto his golden-brown curls.

Then, Lafayette pulled his hand away to allow John to take in the newly calmed environment. It reminded them both of how beautiful a winter’s night could be, but John was still left with so many questions. He looked to the Frenchman for answers, only to be stunned into silence from what he saw.

Shining like a midnight sun with beautiful hues of blue and speckles of gold were a pair of angelic wings resting behind Lafayette in relaxed arches. They pulled close to his body as the Frenchman gave a sheepish smile and a tilt of his head in response to John’s reaction.

“Surprise?”

“Of all things, Gil… I never thought you were this,” John trailed off as he reached to trace his fingers along the edge of one of the Frenchman’s wings, quietly admiring their delicate strength. “I guess it makes sense, though, I always thought you were too perfect to be human.”

Lafayette couldn’t help the warm, bubbling laugh that escaped him as he brought John to his feet, leaving a wing draped over his shoulders like a cloak. “It makes me happy to see you are still well enough to flirt. Come, let’s get you home.”

John could only laugh along with the Frenchman as he took his arm like a lady accepting a dance at the Winter’s Ball. He wasn’t sure if they could make it back to camp by the morning, but with Lafayette by his side, John didn’t care.

Before they could begin their hike the galloping of swift hooves sounded in the distance, sending both the angel and the soldier on high alert.

They expected to see British calvary darting through the trees ready to take them out, but instead, they were familiar, always welcomed face.

“Sunny!” John beamed at the spotted chestnut’s appearance, “Aren’t you a sight for sore eyes… Didn’t think I’d get to see you again so soon.”

But the mare wasn’t the only one who approached. Following close behind was another horse, a familiar-looking bay with an even more familiar rider.

Alexander barely allowed his steed to properly halt before he leapt off its back, rushing towards John and Lafayette for a desperate embrace. “You scared me half to death! Don’t you ever going riding out into a blizzard like that again, I don’t care if your life depends on it!”

“It’s good to see you too, Lex,” John replied with a weak laugh as he ruffled Alexander’s hair.

Still, as Alexander continued to ramble on John couldn’t help his mind from wandering back to Lafayette. He looked up at the angel in question, absentmindedly running his fingers through his feather down as he leaned more into the warmth of his wings.

There were so many things John wanted to ask, about Lafayette, about what this meant, about everything. He couldn’t find the words to begin, never mind the fact that the adrenaline-filled need to survived had dissolved into the calm night, leaving a sluggish fatigue in its place.

“Hush, mon petit lion… Save your sweet nothings for the morning,” Lafayette suggested with a soft smile, placing a hand on the small of each soldier’s back. “Let us get back to camp before sunrise, oui? I believe a good night’s sleep would do us all some good.”

Despite the huff that Alexander gave in response, he still couldn’t help but grin at the Frenchman’s words. He gave John and Lafayette one more squeeze before slipping out of their embrace to mount his steed once more.

Lafayette kept John under his wing as he led him over to the spotted chestnut. He let John mount first, though as the Frenchman settled behind him it was obvious he’d be taking the reins. John didn’t entirely mind, he knew that Lafayette was a good rider and frankly he was grateful to be able to spend more time swaddled in angelic feather down.

Alexander led the way home, keeping the pace at a gentle canter. Feeling safe and secure with Lafayette behind him and Alexander only a few feet away, John allowed him to slip in and out of sleep as they rode onward.

Who knew a near-death experience could be so exhausting?

“We are home, mon etoile,” Lafayette cooed quietly as he shook John awake, “As sweet as you look while asleep, I can’t imagine a saddle would make for the best mattress.”

“It’s only a little worse than the cots they give us,” John mutters with a small laugh as he slipped off of his steed’s back.

Alexander was by his side in a moment, playfully jostling John as he wrapped an arm around his shoulders. “Said the guy who nearly took a nap in the snow. C’mon, we’ll push our cots together so we can cuddle up, it’s the best way to avoid hypothermia.”

“Be honest, petit lion,” Lafayette chided softly as he ruffled Alexander’s hair. “You are just jealous that John has been swaddled without you.”

“So what if I am? It’s not like everyone gets to be in love with a literal angel.”

As the two other soldiers shared a laugh, John began to space out from the conversation. Having an answer to one of his many questions made him remember the original purpose of his journey; a message for the general to tip the scales in their favour.

“Wait,” He murmured, stepping out of Alexander’s and Lafayette’s hold as he stops to think. “I gotta- I gotta see Washington, there’s information from the south he needs to know!”

“Hey, Jacky, take it easy,” Alexander spoke as he took John’s hand again. “His Excellency already knows, a courier came through as soon as the snow stopped. It’s all gonna be okay.”

John couldn’t quite describe his relief at the sound of this news. He let out a sigh, the last few tensions finally leaving his body.

“That means the only thing left on the agenda is a good night’s rest,” Lafayette concluded with a small smile. “Come, my tent is not far.”

*~*~*~*~*~*

John was sure it was sometime near dawn when he blinked open his eyes. He rolled over lazily and pulled the blankets closer to him, only end up sneezing as his nose was tickled by soft feather down.

He smiled, feeling Lafayette shift next to him as he fixed a few feathers that had been ruffled by sleep. The Frenchman murmured something unintelligible in sleepy gratitude as he pulled John closer.

On Lafayette’s other side, Alexander was being held the same John was; a strong arm holding him close and a wing around his scrappy frame to keep him warm.

John closed his eyes, allowing himself to relax once more in Lafayette’s care. Even in the middle of a deadly winter and a losing war, the three always found these little perfect moments when they were together. It made sense now, and knowing that he and Alexander would be safe no matter how the war went was a peace he never thought he’d know.

Who knew all it’d take was a little blizzard to feel so safe and warm.

#hamcember #Hamcember 2020 #my writing #hamcember prompt 16 #Snow Angels #Hamilton #hamilton: an american musical #Alexander Hamilton #John Laurens #marquis de lafayette #Lafayette #canon era #snowstorms #Angel AU #near-death experience #fluff #laflams

12 notes · View notes

thelioncourts · 4 years

Text

title: the mannequin gallery fandom: captive prince pairing: damen/laurent rating: (eventually) mature words: 5428 for chapter two (2/?); 10116 all together

story summary: If things would have gone the way they were supposed to, Damen and Laurent would have never met. But things didn’t go the way they were supposed to, not at all, and their meeting ended up being the equivalent of skydiving with a malfunctioning parachute. Damen tried not to complain. After all, he was now living his dream; he was travelling with his best friend without having to make sure their “I"s were dotted and their "T"s crossed. And, sure, Laurent was difficult to work with, to work for, but he was also great to look at and they made it work well as long as they were anywhere but in Paris. But when Laurent’s past begins to cause present-day problems, Damen finds out those difficulties Laurent constantly displays were a bit more warranted than he could have ever imagined. And Laurent? Laurent finds out the truth – and finds out how to smile.

“You can practically smell the croissants already,” Damen said as they adjusted their carry-ons over their shoulders and entered terminal 2D of the Charles de Gaulle Airport.

The flight from Berlin to Paris had been two hours long, just long enough for Damen to feel the slightest ache in his legs, and the stretch of walking them to the baggage claim felt refreshing. While Damen talked and chattered, Nik was quiet next to him. His eyes were taking in the bright red of the carpet, the arched glass ceiling, and the hundreds of people surrounding them, some so close they all kept bumping shoulders. None of them lost their stride. Damen wondered if the red of the carpet reminded Nik of the pictures he had been showing Damen on the plane, pictures of past Etoile fashion shows. Red seemed to be one of their favorite colors.

Despite his silence about all this during their stopover in Berlin, Nik had clearly been doing his research in preparation for Paris. Once they had settled into their seats on the plane and the pilot had announced they could unfasten their seatbelts, Nik had pulled out his laptop and said with an edge of excitement, “Do you want to see some of my favorite photos from Etoile’s past shows?”

It turns out, there was a whole lot more to fashion than Damen had ever given any attention to. His head told him ‘Duh, Damen, of course there’s a lot to fashion,’ but it was as though the complete confirmation of that hadn’t hit him until he saw the pictures. Nik seemed to have come to the same realization just days earlier. It had been the main reason for his endless list of saved photos, some cropped and zoomed in to give attention to the embroidered sleeves, the silk waves of scarves, and the jackets all strewn with jewels that glittered differently in angles of light.

“I’m not used to having to pay attention to clothes,” Nik had said before closing the laptop and stuffing it back in its bag. “You barely own a shirt.”

Now, the closer they got to the baggage claim, the looser Damen’s muscles felt and the more that a new excitement settled in instead. It had been a long time since they had gone somewhere unknown to them. He voiced as much.

[Continue on AO3]

“I’m excited about it too,” Nik agreed. His eyes were taking in different things now, scanning the multitude of signs as they wandered and wandered down a seemingly-endless airport with no baggage claim in sight. “Though, to be honest, I don’t know how we’ve never been to Paris.”

“We’ve barely been to France while we’ve travelled,” Damen pointed out. “We’ve only ever been to Nice and I’m pretty sure we went there because we had been in western Italy all the week before.”

“Why haven’t we been here before now?” Nik asked. Without even a break in step, he turned and started another direction with one finger pointing at a welcome and needed ‘Baggage Claim →’ sign above a different area to their right.

Damen didn’t break his step either while he said, “Not sure. I think France has always been not far enough away from home and too close all at once. We couldn’t just take a long weekend here like we could with places close to Greece but it also didn’t seem worth it to plan a long trip here when we could plan a long trip over to the United States to go hiking by the Grand Canyon or to fly down to Australia and hold koalas, you know?”

There were too many people waiting at the baggage claim already, but this was familiar territory after years of travel. Patiently, Damen and Nik waited for their too many bags. Damen’s hands were in his pockets and he was rocking on his heels while listing off a few things he wanted to do while they were here.

“Surprisingly,” he started, “I haven’t planned all that much.”

“Really?” Nik asked, one eyebrow raised skeptically.

“Really. I figured it’d probably be best to wait until you find out your schedule. Can’t be making the boss-man angry,” Damen said. Nik rolled his eyes.

Right when Nik was about to come back with a retort, Damen felt a finger poke at his shoulder and turned around to a group of teens, each one with hearts in their eyes.

It wasn’t that uncommon for Damen to get recognized in public settings anymore. Hitting two million followers on Instagram would do that for a person. Luckily for all those that recognized him, he was an easy-going guy, hence him posing with the kids for the video they were filming on their phones. It was a quick thing; the five of them stood around Damen, his height dwarfing them by comparison, and they all – Damen included – smiled wide, all their pearly whites on display while they waved at the camera and the girl holding the phone moved her thumb up and down on the screen, zooming the camera in and out. After another minutes of giggles from the teens, they disappeared, no doubt to immediately go edit the footage, and Damen rejoined Nik to wait for sight of their bags.

“Oh, is the king done mingling with the commoners at last?” Nik mocked.

“Man, I think I’m getting too old for this social media thing,” Damen said, laughing a little. “They’re making a TikTok, or whatever. I thought that was only people dancing? Am I missing something?”

“You know we’ve never been good at keeping up with the trends,” Nik said. “And for guys who rely on social media for their way of living, it’s not the smartest thing we’ve done. Or not done.”

Their bags finally rolled out from behind the curtain of the carousel and Damen stepped forward to heft each bag over toward Nik. They both had two bags on the carousel. Nik had one for his clothes and whatnot while the other held an array of camera equipment. Damen’s, meanwhile, were filled with clothes, products from advertisers, and half of one suitcase was full of workout gear and tubs of preworkout and protein that Damen couldn’t go without. Luckily, a few years ago, they had invested in nice luggage sets that stacked together like puzzle pieces in order to make moving them easier. They also had USB ports in them so they could keep their phones charged at all times.

It was another maze to get to the exit. They got lost once, Damen got stopped by two boys who were also filming a TikTok, and Nik bought an overpriced water for their drive into town all before they finally found the main doors. The doors were thronged with people, with loved ones waiting for family and business moguls waiting for their called cars, and Damen and Nik were talking over the cacophony, so it was a miracle Damen saw what he saw.

“Nik?” Damen asked, pointing over to where a bunch of men in suits were standing, eyes scanning the crowds. In that crowd stood a guy with a sign that read Etoile in fancy script and had Nik’s name underneath.

The man was inconspicuous in appearance, his suit nice but not standout-in-the-crowd-nice. His hair was cropped and a standard shade of brown, he was short and a bit stocky, and the sunglasses on his face only drew attention to his unsmiling mouth. He looked completely average.

Nik turned to Damen and said, “They never said they were sending a car.”

They both approached the man, Nik the slightest bit more hesitant than Damen, and shouldered their way through the crowd until they could stand in front of him. Behind the sunglasses, they could see his eyes jump from Nik to Damen then back to Damen before he asked in accented English, “Are you Nik?”

“I am,” Nik said after a beat.

“My name is Jord. Etoile has sent for me to escort you to our head office before then taking you to your hotel. I have been informed that you may be tired from your journey and may wish to go directly to your hotel instead. That can be done as well.”

“I’m going to Etoile already?” Nik asked.

“The owner likes to make connections with his possible hires as soon as possible,” Jord said, moving to fold the sign up. Damen stopped him with a hand out and the man eyed him cautiously still behind dark glasses.

“Can I keep that?”

The man kept a cautious eye on Damen even as he handed the sign to him and Damen, feeling Nik’s gaze, said, “We have to document this, Nik.”

“Well, we’ve only just come from Berlin, so it wasn’t a long journey. I’d be glad to go right over,” Nik said in response to Jord, bringing the conversation back around. “Is that okay with you, Damen?”

“Absolutely.”

“Wonderful,” Jord said, sounding like it was anything but that. “Follow me, please.”

The car was just outside the main doors, surrounded by dark taxi cars, a few buses, and several drivers from phone apps. The car, however, wasn’t so much a car. It was a sleek black Rolls Royce instead, the true standout in a crowd like this. Damen raised both eyebrows appreciatively at it before sliding into the seat through the open back passenger door. Nik followed, a quieter kind of awe on his face, and Jord closed the door behind them before they heard and felt the luggage being loaded into the trunk.

“This is crazy, Nik,” Damen said. The interior of the car was all a soft black leather and there was plenty of room for the both of them to stretch their legs out, something that was no small feat for two men several inches over six feet tall.

“They sent a car,” Nik said. His right hand couldn’t stop touching the seat underneath him.

“And not some shitty car. They sent the nicest car we’ve ever sat in that wasn’t at an Italian car show,” Damen said.

Jord was getting in the driver’s seat now, sunglasses still firmly in place, and he adjusted the rearview mirror before asking, “Is there anything I can get the two of you before we leave?”

“I’m not exactly dressed for the occasion,” Nik said after a beat. The fact seemed to have just dawned on him, perhaps when he took in how his black joggers looked next to the car’s interior, and Damen was in no better shape with a pair of slide-on shoes and a baggy neon orange sweatshirt.

“It won’t be a problem,” Jord said and he started the car, the engine purring as it came to life. “As long as you know what you’re doing with a camera, it won’t matter what you look or dress like.”

The drive from the Charles de Gaulle Airport to the heart of Paris was a hair over thirty minutes. It was just long enough for Damen and Nik to sit on the edge of the too-nice seats in the car and take in the sights. At first, it started like most drives near or in a big city: surrounded by a bunch of cars and monotonous buildings. But the closer they got, the more that ‘real’ feeling started to sink in. When they set sight on the first Parisian landmark, a statue that was too far away to read the plaque, Damen smacked Nik with the back of his hand and said, “Welcome to your new home for the next month.”

Sights started to get more and more recognizable. When they turned onto Rue de Rivoli, the Seine came into view. It was wider than it looked in pictures and it was impossible to decide if it was worth it to spend more time looking at the blue of the water or the beautiful French architecture all around them.

“We definitely have to plan something there,” Nik said, a sort of awe in his voice as he pointed to the Louvre. The pyramid was just visible enough to see the sunlight bounce from its glass.

“You’ll have plenty of opportunity,” Jord said. The car turned left down Rue de l’Amiral de Coligny. “Etoile’s building is just next to the museum, right outside the Tuileries Garden.”

“Wait, we’re almost there?”

Jord only hummed, the sound just loud enough to reach Damen and Nik’s ears, and then they were on Quai Franςois Mitterand and the Seine was practically at their fingertips. They were both leaning forward in their seats again, taking in the boats touring the river, the people sitting on the river’s edge, and the buildings across the river all framed by the sun. They felt the car ease to a stop.

The Tuileries Gardens were bright green. The flowers weren’t yet in bloom, the weather was too cold for that, but it was still beautiful in its contrast against the uniform color of all the surrounding Parisian buildings. But more eye catching than the gardens was the Etoile headquarters directly to the car’s right. The building went with everything else in Paris, its color a neutral cream, its design recognizably Haussmanian. It stood out though with its added ornamentation, the building busy even if lacking in colors. And right above the door was a sign in script writing, the letters enormous and undeniable: Etoile.

“Well,” Damen started, and he pulled his eyes away from the building to look at Nik expectantly.

“Well,” Nik repeated.

Jord had already gotten out and rounded the car to open the door before Nik even thought about unclenching his fist still holding onto his carry on. With a deep breath, Nik got out and smoothed down his shirt.

“You’re going to be fine in there, Nik,” Damen said reassuringly. He was still sitting in the car, one arm over the seat where Nik had just been, and he was flashing his biggest smile. “Can’t wait to hear about it when you get out.”

“Actually,” Jord interrupted whilst still holding the door wide open, “it’s been requested that you join.”

“Me?”

“Potential hires are looked through thoroughly for both professional and personal purposes,” Jord explained. “As you are in most of the photographs that were sent in for review, it was decided that you would be an important person to meet as well. Of course, if you’re opposed, you can wait in the lobby.”

“What do you think, Nik? This is your thing.”

“I’d like you there,” Nik said. “If you’ve been asked for personally, I don’t have any reason not to have you there.”

“And I’m your best friend in the whole world so you want me there for support,” Damen said, filling in the obvious gaps in Nik’s reasoning.

Jord led the way inside.

Though the outside was the same cream color as the other buildings around, probably due to a city restriction, the inside was like entering an entirely different universe. The floors were marble, a real marble that made everything from voices to footsteps echo, and right at the center, just in front of the desk where two beautiful secretaries sat on their phones whilst typing at a maddening pace on their computers, was a gold inlay, its design immaculate swirls and crossed lines. It was a labyrinth of busyness and it wasn’t calmed down or contrasted by an unbusy surrounding. No, instead the walls – which were white, yes, but – were brimming, overflowing, with solid gold decoration that covered every inch. Each arcaded window had a foot of gold surrounding its edges, the designs cherubs and flowers and muses like the palaces of old. There were a dozen gold gilded statues around the room that matched the gold gilded paneling taking up most of the walls’ space. None of it, however, compared to the chandelier hanging from the center, the piece looking like the one out of The Phantom of the Opera.

Damen and Nik shared a look that said everything. Jord was walking forward without hesitation and they followed as close behind as they could, trying not to get too distracted by their surroundings. Finally, after what felt like an eternity of walking, they reached the elevators which also, to no surprise now, were decorated all in gold.

“Take the elevator to the top floor. Someone will greet you and escort you to the owner’s office,” Jord said. He went to turn, his sunglasses reflecting all the gold in the room back in Damen and Nik’s face, when Nik asked, “What about our bags?”

“I will be taking your bags to your hotel,” Jord said. “And yes, your hotel has been arranged and paid for already. Once you are done, I will be here to pick you up and bring you there.”

Damen and Nik shared another look before Damen said, “Thank you very much, Jord. You’ve been a great help to us.”

Jord seemed hesitant to do anything for a moment and even more hesitant to say anything, so after an awkward pause he nodded curtly and turned the way they had come.

The elevator had a mirrored ceiling inside and it glittered the gold inlay of the floor back up. Nik hit the button that was above all the others, the one to take them to the top floor, and then Damen and Nik both sighed in unison.

“Are you feeling claustrophobic?” Damen asked. “I’m feeling claustrophobic.”

“I knew they used a lot of designs on their clothing,” Nik started, “but I didn’t think that would transfer to the building as well.”

“You ready for this?”

“Not much I could do right now if I wasn’t,” Nik said.

“That doesn’t answer the question.”

“I’ll be fine.”

They reached the top floor soon enough and this floor wasn’t much different from the main one. In other words, it was busy and overwhelming. There was a desk directly in front of the elevator doors, a smaller desk than the one on the main floor, but it sat empty. The mirrored panelling of the desk showed just how much Damen and Nik’s sweatpants went against everything Etoile stood for. To the right was a narrow hallway and to the left was another and, for a minute, Damen and Nik looked back and forth between the two, looking for a sign. It felt like the airport all over again.

It was just when they had decided to go to the right that a child came around the corner.

‘Child’ was the best word for him for he didn’t look a day over twelve, even if he was dressed like a little adult. He had a mess of artfully wavy brown hair and a stunning pair of blue eyes that matched the sapphires around the necklace on his throat. There was a shimmer to his eyelids, a golden glitter that went well with the actual gold glitter covering the jacket so big he appeared to be swimming in it. He was a beautiful child and he would have been more beautiful if his face didn’t have such a distasteful expression on it.

The child had stopped when he saw Damen and Nik and once they had taken him in and he them, the child scoffed and said in a voice clearer than a bell, “Les bêtes envahissent la ville, je vois,” before continuing to walk in a way that said this was definitely not worth his time.

Damen couldn’t help but laugh, the sound drawing both Nik and the child’s attention to him. “Les bêtes sont là pour voir le propriétaire de l'Etoile. Savez-vous où nous pourrions le trouver?”

The child’s face grew pale, if only for just a moment, before he recomposed himself. “This way,” he said with agitation, not pausing to ensure they were following him before he went down the left hallway. At the end of the hallway was a huge door, one that screamed of importance.

Damen and Nik expected the child to knock on the grand door that was clearly the entrance to the main office, but the child went in without a care.

“You have visitors,” the child said.

They couldn’t see the man, but they could see the top of his head. He was in a tall chair, large enough to be a throne, and the back of it was facing them as he typed away at the computer. If he had heard the child, he didn’t pay him any mind, but the child didn’t seem to be bothered. Instead, he stepped up to the desk, plucked a red lollipop from a gold gilded bowl, and left without another word or a spared glance in Damen and Nik’s direction.

“Assieds-toi.” The man’s voice was deep, a rumble in the delicacy of the room, and Nik turned to Damen for guidance. Damen, silently, pointed at the two chairs in front of the desk and they both sat down, listening to the clicking of the keys on the keyboard and the tapping of Nik’s toe on the ground.

Damen decided to give all his attention to the ticking clock on the wall. It was both to keep the time and to also try to figure out just how a clock could have so many things going on with it: an opal face, gold numbers, jewel encrusted hands, and Damen didn’t even know where to begin with the outside of it. Still, it was how he knew exactly three minutes and twelve seconds could feel like an eternity. Luckily, that was when the man turned around in his seat and smiled at them openly.

He didn’t look like what Damen thought a fashion designer and modeling agency owner would look like but, then again, Damen supposed he had never given much thought to what a fashion designer and modeling agency owner would look like in the first place.

The man was large; he had a broad chest and shoulders to match and Damen guessed that if he were to stand, he would be close to Damen’s own height. His hair was dark and neat and his beard full, if sprinkled with just enough gray to make him look dignified. His suit was dark and made him look regal, someone who would draw the eye and demand respect.

When he stood, it confirmed what Damen had thought about the man’s height, but it was hard to give that much mind when his smile went up to his blue eyes. “Bonjour bonjour. Bienvenue à Paris.” He must have seen something on Damen and Nik’s faces, especially Nik’s face, because he quickly came back with, “L'anglais serait-il un meilleur terrain d'entente pour nous? J'ai peur de ne pas parler grec.”

“English would be great, thank you,” Damen said, smiling at the smallest expression of relief on Nik’s face.

“Of course,” the man said agreeably and then he leaned forward, hand out. “And you must be our talented photographer, Nik.” The two of them shook hands.

“I am. Nik, that is. Thank you for having me. Us. It’s an honor just to be here.”

“We here at Etoile are honored to have you.” The man turned to Damen. “And you must be Damen.”

“Yes, sir,” Damen said, shaking the man’s hand. His grip was strong, his fingers rough. “Paris has been wonderful to us already and we’ve only been here an hour.”

Everything was all polite smiles as they each sat back down and adjusted into the chairs. The man had his fingers clasped together on the deeply rich colored desk and his eyes fell to Nik. “Do you prefer to go by Nik or is there something else you’d like to be called?”

“Nik is fine. It’s less of a mouthful than Nikandros.”

“Indeed, it is.” The man laughed just a bit. “So, Nik, I have to say that all of us here at Etoile, myself especially, were incredibly impressed with your portfolio.”

“Thank you,” Nik said genuinely. Damen could already see Nik’s shoulders dropping their tension, even if just a little.

“We normally receive applications from fashion photographers, people who live in the business of finding the perfect shots to display clothing made of every kind of fabric, clothing cut into every kind of style. It isn’t often we look over action shots of people surfing,” he said, motioning over to Damen, “or pictures of the stars over a desert. It was a nice change of pace. This brings me to two questions I have for you, Nik. The first is simply to sate my own curiosity: what drove you to want to photograph Paris Fashion Week? The second question, if you wouldn’t mind, is the question of how you came into the opportunity to photograph all around the world? It’s astonishing, especially for a photographer so young.”

“Well,” Nik said after a deep breath, “to answer your first question, I can say that fashion shows were never a thought, not until I started to meet other photographers as we travelled over the years. There was a photographer, from France actually, that we befriended while in Norway a few years back and last year he was given the opportunity to shoot for Silversio and he said he learned so much. I’ve been expanding my photography more and more as the years have gone on and I thought that this would be another great way to expand my art.”

“That’s quite a drive you have.”

“I owe a lot of it to Damen,” Nik continued, moving onto the second question. “When we were children, we made a pact to spend our gap year travelling the world together. We wanted to climb mountains and see every ocean. The older we got, the more I wanted to skip gap year all together and go straight into working for my family. But Damen convinced me of the worth held in our planned gap year and I realized one year wouldn’t cause me any harm and I would have hated myself for not giving it a chance. But our one year got ahead of us in terms of our social media. We started all of our accounts as a way to document the year. We never guessed it would turn into what it did and what it has.”

“I think congratulations are very deserved for all that you’ve accomplished. I’m assuming this means you’re a self-taught photographer as well?”

“Yes.”

The man hummed, the sound not unpleasant, just thoughtful, and after a pause as though to collect his thoughts, he turned his attention to Damen. “And I believe a congratulations should be given to you as well. Nik here has quite a talent with a camera, but from what I have seen, your charisma is remarkable. It explains much of your success, I would think.”

“Damen could rally himself an army if he wanted to,” Nik said.

“Charisma is everything in this world,” the man said. “You need it to survive.”

Damen smiled the smile he gave in pictures. The man smiled back and clasped his hands together again.

“I don’t want to keep you two any longer than necessary, I’m sure you would like to rest, and I have a few more meetings to attend before my day is over. The reason I asked for you to come meet me as soon as you arrived was to explain how the first part of this is going to go.” He plucked a folder from a small and neat pile on his desk and handed it over to Nik. Even the folders here looked expensive, Etoile’s fancy script all over the front. “In two days’ time we will begin our first photoshoot. I’ve learned over the years of building and perfecting Etoile that the best shows were shot by photographers who had a relationship with the models. This photoshoot will give you the opportunity to begin building those relationships. The clothing line you will be shooting is our new “Gold Label” line. It’s much different than anything we’ll be premiering at fashion week.” Inside the folder was an itinerary and an array of photographs of the most important pieces in this specific line of clothing. “The photoshoot is scheduled for three days. This is to ensure that each of the photographers have plenty of time to shoot with the group and to work with the individual models. There will be five photographers there, but only three of you will be going to fashion week.” He turned to Nik and smiled that same open smile. “Nothing like a little friendly competition.”

“And that’s all we’ll be doing before the actual show?”

“Yes. I will then be giving you the rest of the week to put together your shots from the photoshoot in order to present them to me. From there, a decision will be made on which photographers will be staying with us. Then you’ll have a week before the show to further prepare for the big event. Are there any questions about that?”

“I don’t believe so, no.”

“Well then, I believe we are settled here.” He stood up from his desk promptly, a physical end to the quick meeting, and Damen and Nik stood to follow him to the door. “Inside the folder are phone numbers for Jord whom you’ve already met and a few of my other men. If you need anything, do not hesitate to call them during your time here in Paris.”

“Thank you,” Nik said, shaking his hand once more, “for the opportunity and your generosity.”

“Yes, thank you,” Damen repeated.

“Of course, gentlemen. I’m looking forward to what this week will bring.”

They passed the child again as they were leaving. The lollipop was down to almost nothing on the stick and he watched them near predatorily, a finger twirling the gem attached to the zipper of his jacket.

“Bonne soirée,” Damen said with a wave.

The child flipped them off, his painted nail glittering.

Once they were downstairs, it was a quick journey to the hotel they had been put up in. The hotel was located in an old palace just across the river. Sadly, they were one building behind a river front view, but neither could care, not when the view itself was another bustling Parisian apartment complex that radiated life and sophistication, its inhabitants clearly upper class.

They were on the fifth floor and their room was spacious and decorated much more simplistically than anything Etoile could dream up. It was appreciated after the blinding display of wealth and ornamentation. The cream-colored walls matched the exterior of all the iconic Haussman buildings and the arched window and doorways gave it the elegance so expected from something in this part of Paris. The gaudiest thing were the curtains and Damen and Nik were quick to pull those back and secure them. After all, they blocked the best part of the room, the terrace overlooking the street.

They spent the next two hours taking turns showering the plane off of them, unpacking all their things, ordering room service, and chatting away about the things they couldn’t say earlier.

“What was with the kid?” Nik asked as he folded another shirt and put it in a drawer.

“I don’t know,” Damen said. “Maybe he’s one of the models.”

“He’s a little young to be a model,” Nik said.

“He was dressed like one.”

“He looked twelve.”

“Well the kid doesn’t matter. What matters is that the meeting went really well. He seems to like you,” Damen said.

“I’m not sure,” Nik said.

Damen rolled his eyes. “Don’t start with that.”

“I didn’t start anything.”

“What also matters,” Damen interrupted, “is that I could very much get used to this.”

He was standing at the open entrance of the terrace. The terrace itself was just large enough to fit a small table and two chairs, perfect for early morning coffee or relaxing at night. At the other building, the one just across, were other terraces full of people doing just that as the sun slowly began to fall over the city. On the streets were people all bundled as the nighttime temperatures began to settle in. Best of all, on the terrace table was a bottle of wine, a nice deep red, with Etoile’s script signature and a note from the owner himself bidding them, yet again, a welcome to Paris.

“I bet you could,” Nik said. He was already grabbing the available bottle opener. “I’m the one doing all the work.”

#captive prince #laurent of vere #damen of akielos #captive prince fanfic #mannequin gallery 'verse #the mannequin gallery #my writing

14 notes · View notes

emospritelet · 5 years

Text

Homecoming - chapter 13

Yes, I know, it’s been months. Apparently I needed to see gifsets before I could work on this again, but here we are! I get them out of London and on their way north, which is good, because Things are going to Happen when they get there...

[Part 1] [Part 2] [Part 3] [Part 4] [Part 5] [Part 6] [Part 7] [Part 8] [Part 9] [Part 10] [Part 11] [Part 12] AO3 link

Belle had enjoyed the Christmas festivities a great deal more than she had expected. She had spent a pleasant couple of days reading in the library, chatting with Ogilvy and the Professor over tea in the afternoon, or over a glass of wine at dinner. She had also spent time with Alice, who had kept her promise to ask her dressmaker to make up a gown for Belle from the bolt of blue silk she had been given as a Christmas gift. Madame Etoile was pleasant and polite, gushing over Belle’s face and form, and the colour of the silk. It would perfectly set off her pale skin and chestnut hair, Madame Etoile remarked, smiling broadly as she ran small, neat hands over the gleaming cloth.

There was some discussion over styles, once her measurements were taken, Madame Etoile’s pattern book filled with the latest fashions from Paris, and Belle was excited by the prospect of having a new gown in such a fetching colour. It would certainly make a change from the more staid dresses that she had been wearing during her time as a governess, and she hoped that she would get more than one chance to wear the gown. It would be ready for its first fitting when they returned from their journey to Lady Tremaine’s house in the north of England.

The day after Boxing Day, a letter was received from Lady Tremaine, who pronounced herself “delighted that you will be visiting my humble home and confident that you will be able to rid me of the evil entities that dwell there and steal my rest”. Ogilvy read this line aloud over breakfast, in a very dry tone and with one eyebrow raised. It made Belle want to giggle, and Alice snorted in amusement.

“When shall we go, Papa?” she asked eagerly, and Ogilvy passed the letter back to the Professor before picking up his piece of toast and marmalade.

“Her Ladyship informs me that she’s travelled back to the North, and has invited us for the New Year, so I should think we can set off the day after tomorrow,” he said. “That should give Hatter plenty of time to pack the cases. You know how he likes to plan these things.”

“What did Lady Tremaine say about us staying at that cottage?” asked Alice, and he shook his head, chewing a bite of toast. He took a sip of coffee to clear his throat.

“Unfortunately, it’s been undergoing quite extensive repairs,” he said. “She’s asked us to stay at the house instead. I did mention that we were planning on bringing quite an entourage, but she doesn’t seem to object. I hear Willowbrook Grange is extensive, so I daresay she’s got the room.”

“It’s only the four of us, and the twins,” protested Alice. “And Hatter and Ivy, of course, although I don’t imagine that would be an issue. Ivy can come, can’t she?”

Ogilvy looked at her over the top of his glasses.

“Well, someone’s going to have to dress you and Miss Marchland,” he said dryly. “I'd like to to remember that Lady Tremaine has invited other guests to a shooting party, and that she plans “a series of entertainments”. If you think I’m suffering that with only Doc for company while you two lounge around in the library, you’re mistaken.”

Belle glanced between them, surprised and a little alarmed by the prospect of Lady Tremaine’s reaction to the governess attending a house party.

“I’m sure she wouldn’t want me there,” she said quickly, and Ogilvy switched his gaze from Alice to her.

“We expect Lady Tremaine to consider you a guest, Miss Marchland,” he said quietly. “I shall insist upon you being treated as an equal, I assure you. Not only because you’re part of this family now, but also because I think your good sense and logic would be of use to Doc and myself in this investigation.”

“We’ll need all the good sense and logic we can get, judging from that letter,” remarked the Professor, spearing a piece of bacon with his fork. “Her Ladyship appears to be convinced that she’s been marked by the Devil himself.”

“Well, perhaps we can put her mind at ease,” said Ogilvy, picking up his coffee. “At the very least it will give us a change of scene, and some good clean air. From what I can recall, the lake country is very beautiful, and Lady Tremaine is said to have stunning gardens. Perhaps they would add a little something to our morning walk, if - if you would accompany me, of course.”

He was looking at Belle expectantly, and she couldn’t help smiling.

“I should be delighted.”

He returned her smile, his eyes crinkling, and turned back to his breakfast. She resumed eating her own, trying to ignore the pleasing little flutter in her belly that appeared whenever he smiled at her. Over the past few days she had grown to know him a little more, spending her evenings in the library, or discussing books and music after dinner. He was very knowledgeable, and well-travelled, as was the Professor, and she had listened eagerly to their reminiscing, although she was sceptical about the far-fetched nature of some of their stories, and thought them embellished for her sake, and for Alice’s. They could not really have discovered a nest of demons in the tunnels beneath Exeter, for example, but she had enjoyed the tale, nonetheless.

She had spent more time with the children, as well, getting to know their quirks and assessing how far along they were with their schooling. Neither could read or write much beyond their own names. With one or two notable exceptions.

“Please write your names at the tops of your slates, as neatly as you can,” said Belle, setting a clean slate in front of each of them.

The schoolroom was light and fresh, a cold draught finding its way in under the sash window, and Belle kept an eye on the twins in case they started to shiver. She watched as they scratched out their names in wobbly letters, Nicholas scowling at his slate.

“Very good,” she said, when they had finished, making a mental note to work on their writing. The letters were recognisable, but they would need to learn to write with a better hand. “Now show me what else you can spell.”

The twins looked at each other, then back at their slates. They made no move to write, and Belle decided to prompt them with some simpler words. Her eyes flicked to where Charlie was curled up in a patch of sunlight by the window.

“Can you spell ‘cat’?” she asked, and the twins shook their heads.

“I can spell ‘shit’,” announced Nicholas. “Old Bartholomew down at The Turk’s Head showed me.”

“Oh, I can spell ‘shit’ too!” said Ava eagerly, and Belle closed her eyes, taking a deep breath before opening them again.

“Well, I would hope you won’t find the need to put that word into any formal correspondence,” she said dryly, making them giggle. “Perhaps we should run through the alphabet before putting any words together.”

She also spent time with Alice, who seemed to enjoy having another woman in the house, and one that she could talk to almost as an equal. Belle thought that Ogilvy and the Professor had done an excellent job of raising her, considering the start she had had in life and the lack of a wife in the house to act as a mother figure. Alice was curious and intelligent, eager to learn new things and incredibly excited at the thought of going on a journey. She chattered away as Belle packed her valise, sitting on the bed in her usual familiar way.

“I heard that Willowbrook Grange is haunted,” she said. “So Mrs Wolfe says, anyway. Maybe that’s what Lady Tremaine has asked Papa and Doc to help with. They don’t always deal with hauntings, you know. Doc says sometimes the spirits just like the place where they used to live, and that we shouldn’t throw them out of their own house just because it makes us uncomfortable. Of course, sometimes they’re trapped there, and then he and Papa help them to cross over. They wouldn’t be able to come back if they didn’t, you see.”

“Come back?” said Belle curiously, and Alice nodded.

“Come back as someone else,” she explained. “Another life.”

Another life. Perhaps she believes as Mr Ogilvy does. Past lives.

“Do you believe in ghosts?” asked Belle, folding a blouse, and Alice beamed.

“Oh yes!” she said. “I used to see them all the time in the alleys before I came here. Poor, lost souls, they were. I wish Doc could have helped them find a way out. I don’t think any of them wanted to be there.”

She chewed at her lip, looking sad, and Belle tried to change the subject.

“I hear the house is very grand,” she said. “I’m sure I shall feel quite out of place.”

“Of course you won’t,” Alice assured her. “You lived at Furton Grange, didn’t you? I’m sure Lady Tremaine’s house can’t be any grander than that.”

“Perhaps not,” allowed Belle. “I wish my new dress had been ready for the journey, though.”

“You shall wear it when we get back,” said Alice. “For my birthday, perhaps. That’s in February. The dress will be ready by then. We can have some music and dancing, like at Christmas.”

“That would be very pleasant.”

“You can dance with Papa,” she said. “He’s very fond of you, you know. He smiles a lot more, since you came.”

Belle could feel a slight blush in her cheeks, and she turned her attention to the stockings she was packing to hide it.

“I’m - I’m glad,” she managed. “He’s been very kind. You all have. I’m very happy that I came here.”

“We’re glad too!” said Alice. “It felt as though something was missing from the house, and then you came!”

She reached for Belle’s hand, squeezing it, a wide smile on her face, and Belle couldn’t help smiling back. Yes. She was very glad to have found this little family, and to be considered a part of it.

They departed early, Hatter hailing a cab to take them to the station at Euston, and another for he and Ivy and their cases. They would be breaking their journey in Derbyshire, Lady Ella having sent an effusive letter inviting them to stay at Furton Grange, and Belle clasped the children’s hands as they walked swiftly along the platform through clouds of billowing steam. Ogilvy helped each of them into the carriage, and Alice glanced back over her shoulder as she mounted the train, face alight with excitement.

The twins were wide-eyed with curiosity as the train made its way out of London, faces pressed to the windows of the compartment as soot-blackened buildings gave way to scattered villages and then rolling countryside, swathed in white blankets of snow. Belle and Alice started a game with them, asking them to point out churches along the route, but after awhile they grew bored, and sat back against the cushioned seats. The Professor produced a bag of toffees, which kept them quiet for long enough that Belle and Alice could share a brief conversation about Furton Grange, and the gardens there.

“I suspect there’ll be far less to see at this time of year, of course,” said Belle. “Although Lady Ella always did enjoy the Christmas celebrations. She always had a very large Christmas tree in the hall, and kept it up until Twelfth Night.”

“I bet her Christmas tree isn’t as pretty as ours,” said Ava stoutly.

“Well don’t tell her that,” remarked Ogilvy, from behind his newspaper.

“Miss Belle says we should always speak the truth,” said Ava, and he let the top half of the newspaper fold over, glancing at her over the rim of his glasses.

“And Miss Belle is quite correct,” he said. “Although if it comes to a choice between telling the truth and protecting someone’s feelings, sometimes it’s best to remain silent.”

“I can’t deny that,” said Belle, when the twins turned their gaze to her. “One should always aim to be kind where one can, of course.”

“What if someone’s nasty?” asked Nicholas. “Do you tell ‘em they’re nasty because it’s honest, or do you say nothing because that’s the nice thing to do? How will they know they’re nasty if you don’t tell ‘em?”

“I’m afraid I don’t have an answer to that,” said Belle. “Perhaps if it’s something they can change, it’s appropriate to say something.”

“Oh!” said Ava, with a look of understanding. “So it would be mean to tell old Bartholomew he’s got a big nose, because he can’t change that. But it’s alright to tell him he smells, because he can go and have a wash, can’t he?”

There was a snort of amusement from the Professor, which he turned into a cough. Belle closed her eyes for a moment, and when she opened them Ogilvy was watching her with a twinkle in his eyes.

“I think perhaps there are more tactful ways to speak to people,” she said. “We can move onto that sort of thing after you’ve worked on your letters.”

“We can spell ‘shit’, Mr Ogilvy,” announced Ava helpfully, and Belle wanted to put her head in her hands.

“That sounds a bit like your vocabulary at their age,” remarked the Professor, and Ogilvy grinned.

“Well, I improved vastly with time and patience,” he said. “I have every faith in Miss Marchland’s abilities, as well as Ava and Nicholas’s.”

He turned back to his paper, and Belle shared a brief, pained look with Alice.

They had to change trains at Derby, taking the branch line to Matlock. Lady Ella was to send a carriage to meet them, and looking out of the train window, Belle hoped they would not have to wait too long. The snow was falling again, thick white flakes drifting down as the sky darkened. By the time they had alighted from the train, the twins tired and fractious, it was fully dark, but Belle was relieved to see Hatter already conversing with a tall man in a black greatcoat, beside a large black carriage. The man bowed solemnly to them, and opened the door to the carriage.

Belle well remembered the journey from the station to Furton Grange, a jolting, winding ride of thirty minutes or so. She and Alice held the twins on their laps, bracing against one another to avoid being thrown around, and Ogilvy and the Professor held tight to the leather straps at the side of the carriage, their walking canes wedged against the opposite seats to keep their balance. Belle whispered in Nicholas’s ear as they turned the final corner, the dark mass of Furton Grange lit up from within, sending sharp wedges of warm light out across the smooth carpet of snow.

It was a fine house, two hundred years old, the sweeping driveway providing a welcome break from the rutted road leading to it, and Belle could see servants hurrying from the house to greet them. Lady Ella appeared as they were being led up the wide steps, dressed in ivory silk and with a fur stole draped around her thin shoulders to keep out the winter cold.

“My darlings!” she drawled, swooping in to press a kiss to Ogilvy’s cheek. “How wonderful to see you! Do come in and warm yourselves. There’s barely time to change before dinner!”

#fic: homecoming #ogilvelle fic #ogilvelle #my fic

31 notes · View notes

darkershining · 5 years

Text

DarkerShining’s thoughts on Pretty Cure: Hugtto Pretty Cure

All right, it’s time for another one of these! I’ve been looking forward to write this one.

So, last time I talked about Kira Kira Pretty Cure A La Mode, and this time, I’ll be giving my thoughts on Hugtto Pretty Cure.

The story begins with our pink lead Cure, Hana Nono, getting ready for her first day at a new school. She tries to cut her bangs to try and give herself a more mature new look, but she doesn’t manage to get it quite the way she hoped. On her way to school, she experiences a strange phenomenon, when she hears a baby’s cry and time seems to freeze for a brief moment. She manages to save an old lady from being hit by a baseball before time resumes moving, and ends up late for school after stopping to help the old lady carry some things.

After making it to school, Hana is initially worried about having messed up her first impression, when she hears that strange cry again. She goes to investigate, and comes across two of her classmates, Saaya and Homare. Saaya admits that she likes Hana’s cheery attitude, while Homare compliments Hana on her hairstyle, much to her surprise.

Later that night, Hana concludes that her first day of school didn’t turn out that bad after all, and decides to keep an optimistic attitude. As she is cheering herself on, a bright light appears in the sky, falling towards her. Hana manages to catch it in her arms, and finds to her surprise that it is a baby girl, which Hana decides to call “Hugtan”. The baby is accompanied by a hamster-like creature named Harry, who decides to stay at Hana’s place for the night.

The next day, Hana wonders if her encounter with Harry and Hugtan was just a dream, when more strange things happen. A mysterious company known as Criasu shows up at her school, using a classmate’s negative energy to create a monster. For some reason, both Hana and her classmate Saaya are unaffected as the monster spreads more negative energy throughout the school, and the two try to get others to safety. However, when Hana gets separated from the group, she comes across Harry and Hugtan once more. After Hana goes to defend Hugtan, refusing to leave her side despite being afraid, a glowing crystal emerges from Hana and an item from Harry’s suitcase flies out. Combining the two, Hana becomes the Pretty Cure of Spirit, Cure Yell.

With her new power, Cure Yell manages to purify the monster and restore the positive energy around the school. Hana is told to give some of the energy from her new Mirai Crystal to Hugtan, and Harry muses that maybe the world can be saved after all. Harry later explains more of the situation to Hana, and that he still has three more Prehearts, meaning they must find three more Cures. Hana manages to bond more with Saaya and Homare, who take up two of the Prehearts, and together they must save the future.

And from here, I’ll be putting the rest of my thoughts under the “Read More”, and there will be spoilers from the entire series. (previous parts can be found here: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)

Hana Nono/Cure Yell

As usual, I’ll begin by talking about the lead pink Cure. Hana Nono is a thirteen year old girl who is quite energetic and tries her best to cheer on and encourage those around her, as you’d expect from most pink Cures. However, even from the start, it is clear that Hana has some self-esteem issues, later revealed to be partially caused by being bullied at her old school after she defended another girl who was bullied. While trying to stay cheerful, there are times throughout the series where Hana’s insecurities and worries will come to the surface, and times when she just doesn’t know what to do. Thankfully, her friends are always there to help and support her like she does for them.

I really like Hana. Her design is cute, and I particularly like Cure Yell’s cheerleader motif. She’s always trying to support, defend and inspire her friends, and they in turn are willing to do the same for her when her doubts start getting to her. Over the course of the show, we see Hana discovering where her own strengths lie and becoming more confident as she fights alongside her friends. I feel she embodies the themes of the show well, particularly the “you can do anything, you can be anything” part, with her willingness to try different things and inspiring those around her to do what they want.

Saaya Yakushiji/Cure Ange

Next up, I’ll talk about Saaya/Cure Ange. She’s an intelligent young girl with a generally calm demeanour. When she was younger, she was famous as a child actress at one point, and her mother is also a famous actress. While still taking part in auditions for parts and such, Saaya isn’t actually entirely sure if acting is what she should continue to pursue, or if there are other options she hasn’t considered yet. After befriending Hana, Saaya ends up becoming the second Pretty Cure, Cure Ange, the Pretty Cure of wisdom. As a Cure, she gains healing and barrier based abilities.

I like Saaya, she has a pretty design and I like how she’s a slightly different take on other blue haired smart girls that we’ve seen throughout the various Pretty Cure series. Saaya doesn’t come across as quite as serious, being more of a dork with interests in various odd things, such as machines or special effects used in movies. Saaya is also in one episode shown to have a bit of a competitive side to her that emerges when she has to try to keep up with someone with just as much knowledge on a certain topic as her. And interestingly, while Saaya manages to often know what her close friends are thinking, she’s otherwise not that good at reading people.

However, Saaya is still the least quirky of her teammates, and since she isn’t as directly involved in some of the sub-plots as the other Cures, Saaya has a tendency to not stand out much in episodes that aren’t focused on her. With that said, I do feel Saaya fares better than some of the other Cures of previous series who were in a similar position, as Saaya does have her own character arc and we get to watch her gradually figure out what she really wants to be when she grows up.

Homare Kagayaki/Cure Etoile

All right, now onto Homare. She’s another one of Hana’s classmates, although at the start of the series, she hadn’t attended class lately. Homare initially comes across as a somewhat aloof, but still nice girl. We soon find out this behaviour comes from an incident a few years ago, when Homare was a figure skating prodigy, but ended up suffering an accident on the ice that injured her leg and left her unable to skate for a while. Having recovered since then, part of Homare wants to return to skating, but can’t bring herself to do so due to the trauma of the incident that forced her to quit. This has also affected other parts of her life, as she just can’t seem to find much interest in other activities either.

When Hana enters her life, things start to turn around. This is partially because Hana reminds Homare of herself when she was younger. However, when she initially creates her Mirai Crystal, she can’t bring herself to jump up and reach for it, causing it to disappear. She continues trying to distance herself, but ends up captured by Criasu and used as bait for the other two Cures. However, forced to confront her feelings from the monster created by her negative energy, Homare is ultimately able to find the resolve she needs, and successfully manages to get her Mirai Crystal. Becoming the Pretty Cure of Strength, Cure Etoile, she works together with Cure Yell and Cure Ange to stop the monster.

After becoming a Pretty Cure, Homare is gradually able to begin conquering her own inner demons and return to ice skating. She starts becoming more social and active again, although she still often has more of a serious demenour than that of her friends. She also develops a friendship with Harry, which gradually develops into a bit of a crush on her part.

I really like Homare. She is the one with the most serious and tomboyish demenour for the most part, but when just having fun with her friends, she often lets the girlier aspects of her personality show, like squeeing over Hugtan’s cuteness, her fear of horror movies and admitting that she sleeps with a rabbit plushie. It’s rather cute. Her initially being unable to become a Pretty Cure was sort of similar to what happened with Karen in Yes! Pretty Cure 5, albeit for different reasons. Sort of a darker take on that idea. But it is great to see Homare managing to overcome the doubts preventing her from taking the first step to start moving forward again, and her first fight as Cure Etoile, working together with Cure Yell and Cure Ange to soar once again.

One thing I really like about her designs is while how her present self has short hair, we see that she had longer hair tied in a ponytail in the past, which she cut off after she had to quit ice skating because of the accident. Her hairstyle as Cure Etoile looks similar to her younger self’s, which I think is a really nice touch.

I also think the sub-plot about her crush on Harry was done fairly well. She is conflicted about it, but after discovering that Harry may have feelings for someone else, she is able to accept that her feelings may be unrequited, making for a contrast with Bishin, who in his corrupted state can’t comprehend this. Homare eventually does confess her feelings, and while Harry does reject her because of his unresolved feelings for Cure Tomorrow, Homare at the very least manages to get some closure and thanks him for being honest with her. I liked how maturely Homare deals with it, and while it was painful for her to go through with it while knowing there was a very real chance she’d get turned down, she ultimately realized it was the only way she was going to be able to stop worrying about it.

Emiru Aisaki/Cure Ma Cherie

And now, onto one of the two Cures to join at the halfway point. Emiru is introduced as a classmate of Hana’s younger sister Kotori. Emiru is shown to be a somewhat socially awkward young girl who tries a little too hard to make sure things go well during a trip with her class, trying to be prepared for every situation and making things safe. When she and Hana end up in a situation she didn’t account for, she freaks out a bit, but Hana is able to calm her down and get her to talk about why she acts the way she does. During this, we also see that Emiru is a good singer, even if she was too shy to sing with her classmates earlier, setting up another major aspect of Emiru’s character, her love of music.

In Emiru’s next major role, she, inspired by Hana’s encouraging words to her and witnessing Cure Yell in action, is trying to act like a Pretty Cure herself and helping people, even if she keeps messing up. She ends up meeting Ruru, who had gone on an errand for Hana’s family, and quickly takes a liking to her. Even after concluding that Emiru isn’t actually a Cure, Ruru still accompanies Emiru to her house, where Emiru shows off her skills on the guitar, which captures Ruru’s attention. It is here we find out that Emiru’s reluctance to share her interests is partially because of her brother, who is heavily influenced by their grandfather in his thinking, and feels Emiru should focus on more feminine instruments like the piano or violin. After Ruru comes to Emiru’s defense, Emiru is even more amazed with her, and by the end of the episode suggests that she and Ruru try to become Pretty Cures together, despite Ruru not being especially interested at this point.

During the fight between the Cures and Ruru to try to save her from Criasu and bring her back to their side, Emiru notices the commotion and goes to investigate, learning the identities of the Cures. When Emiru goes to talk to them about it later, Ruru keeps her from blurting out their identities to a crowd of people. The Cures fill Emiru in on what is going on, including Ruru actually being an android from the future. Despite all this, Emiru still wants to be friends with Ruru and become a Pretty Cure alongside her. As the two spend more time together, Emiru is able to convince Ruru to become a Cure with her, but there’s one problem: There’s only one Preheart left.

With no way of obtaining another Preheart, the girls are left hoping for a miracle, since only one of them can become a Cure otherwise. When their Mirai Crystals manifest, both initially try to tell the other to take it, but neither of them want to become a Cure without the other. Due to the strong friendship between them, the being later revealed to be known as “Mother” appears and creates a copy of the last Preheart, meaning both of them can become Cures by transforming together, allowing them to become the Pretty Cures of love, Cure Ma Cherie and Cure Amour. Ruru later starts learning how to play the guitar along with Emiru, and the two start a two-girl band together.

I really like Emiru, I think she’s a fun character with her quirky personality. She’s initially a bit shy when it comes to sharing her interests, in part due to her brother and by extension, grandfather’s influence, but with the help of Ruru, Hana and the others, she soon overcomes this. Her friendship with Ruru is also really sweet, but with that said, I wish we could’ve seen Emiru bond with Saaya and Homare a bit more. With Ruru, we at least saw her have different interactions with each of the initial three Cures when she was observing Hana and the others as a spy, but Emiru only really connected with Hana before getting involved in the Pretty Cure stuff.

Even when we do see her interact with Saaya or Homare, these interactions usually have something to do with Emiru’s friendship with Ruru. So, while Emiru is still clearly part of the group of five, I feel like we don’t really have a good idea of the relationships and how she interacts with Saaya and Homare. I feel the age difference might also contribute a bit, since Emiru is still in elementary school, while the other four are in middle school.

Still, I really like her, and she has a cute design. I also like how Cure Ma Cherie and Cure Amour’s outfits have the same theme going on, since they’re both technically using the same Preheart to transform. I also like the songs she and Ruru perform together.

Ruru Amour/Cure Amour

Ruru initially starts off as a mysterious member of the Criasu Corporation, who is eventually revealed to be an android. The other Criasu Corp members see her as a little more than an emotionless puppet working for them as an intern. After a while, Ruru decides to infiltrate the group by hypnotizing Hana’s mother into thinking she’s the daughter of a friend of hers and staying at Hana’s place. Ruru has trouble getting along with everyone at first, as she doesn’t understand a lot of human behaviour and particularly why people wouldn’t choose the most efficient method to do something. After noticing that people at school are making fewer attempts to socialize with her following this, Ruru begins to reconsider her plan and thinks about leaving. However, a conversation with Cure Yell seems to stir something in her, and she decides to stick around a bit longer.

Much like other villains who have tried the infiltration route, her time with the Cures lead to a change in Ruru, as she gradually grows to care for the Cures. She also meets Emiru, and discovers music. All this ultimately leads her to return Homare’s transformation trinket after stealing it, and taking a hit for Cure Yell that ends up breaking her. Ruru is brought back to Criasu and reprogrammed to fight the Cures. The Cures attempt to fight Ruru who has been put into a bigger robot to fight them. They try to bring her to her senses, and Ruru is eventually able to access her memories of them when she tries searching for more data on her opponents.

Ruru ultimately breaks down, showing the most emotion she has shown up until this point, finally changing sides for good. Ruru undoes the hypnosis she did to Hana’s mother, but is still allowed to stay at their house, much to her confusion. Ruru spends the next few episodes wondering if an android like her can truly have a heart, and if an android can really become a Cure. With the support of Emiru and the others, Ruru gradually begins to overcome these doubts.

As mentioned in Emiru’s section, she and Ruru ultimately do become Cures together. Alongside the others, Ruru continues to develop her heart, and we eventually learn that she was originally created by Dr. Traum as a daughter, presumably to fill a void left when he lost his first daughter, but Traum eventually gave up on her when he couldn’t get her to develop the way he hoped. After Traum switches sides, he wants to patch things up with his android daughter, but Ruru is understandably somewhat cold towards him for turning her away before. The two are gradually able to become closer, although Ruru still shows little patience with some of her father’s antics.

I really like Ruru, and I find the concept of an android Pretty Cure really interesting. And while she does at times use her android abilities to analyze opponents and such, I wish they’d have done a little more with this concept. Still, I enjoyed her character arc and how she gradually came to understand more and more about human emotions, and even as the show nears its end, there’s still more for her to learn, particularly when it comes to how to deal with her father.

Also, in the various series in the Pretty Cure franchise, there is usually at least one Cure who is a bit of a big eater, and in this particular series, I find it really amusing that they chose to give this particular character trait to an android. I guess it makes sense that she has these human-like qualities, considering Dr. Traum initially envisioned her as a daughter. I like her designs too. The way her eyes change as she gradually develops a heart is also a nice touch and reminds me a bit of the Kiryuu sisters of Futari wa Pretty Cure Splash Star.

Another aspect I like about her is the fact that unlike the other four, storywise, she wasn’t actually meant to become a Cure initially. Later episodes revealed that Hana, Saaya, Homare and Emiru all witnessed time stopping and heard Hugtan’s cry in the first episode, which in some ways reminds me of how Tsubomi, Erika and Itsuki all had dreams of Cure Moonlight’s defeat and eventually became Cures in HeartCatch Pretty Cure. The fourth Preheart was always meant for Emiru, but thanks to the strong friendship between her and Ruru, Ruru was able to become a Cure too even if she wasn’t “chosen”. I just think that’s really neat.

The Fairy Partners

Now that we’ve covered the main team of Cures, lets talk about the “fairy” partners.

First, there’s Hugtan, the mysterious baby girl that the Cures and Harry look after. Hana is the one to name her Hugtan, following in the footsteps of the Doki Doki and Mahou Tsukai girls naming a baby based on the sounds it makes. We don’t know a lot about Hugtan at first, except that she needs the energy from the Mirai Crystals created by the girls to help save the future. Hugtan is later shown to have some powers of her own, such as when she exhausts herself by purifying an Oshimaida when Hana is unable to transform, or even summoning Cures from different series. Throughout the series, Hugtan gradually grows up a little, such as learning how to talk and walk.

We eventually find out that Hugtan is actually a aged-down Pretty Cure from the future, Cure Tomorrow. Among the Pretty Cure of the future, Cure Tomorrow is the last known member, as her three teammates presumably sacrificed themselves to try to help her escape from Criasu. Cure Tomorrow saved Harry from Criasu, and Harry later returned the favor by freeing her when she was captured herself. The two used Tomorrow’s Mirai Crystal to travel back in time in hopes of saving the future, but the process used up most of the power in the crystal, which is what turned Cure Tomorrow into a baby upon arriving in the present.

Hugtan is pretty cute. Her role naturally draws some comparisons to Ai from Doki Doki Pretty Cure, being a magical baby who helps empower the Cures in some way. One aspect in particular about Hugtan that intrigues me is that I don’t it is made entirely clear how aware she is of everything going on. While she mostly acts like a baby, it is suggested at a few points that Cure Tomorrow is still in there in some capacity, particularly with some of the things she pulls off throughout the show. I also really like her design as Cure Tomorrow. It looks a lot like a typical lead pink Cure’s outfit. The design also reminds me a bit of Cure Heart from Doki Doki Pretty Cure.

The final episode throws in one more reveal regarding the character, namely that Hugtan was Hana’s kid from the future all along. I think a lot of us caught onto that near the end, and I began to suspect they might pull this trope by noticing that Hana and Hugtan had sort of similar eye colors, and the fact that Hugtan continued to refer to Hana as “mama”, rather than calling her by name even after she started calling the other Cures by name. I kept going back and forth on whether I thought this would be the case or not, though, as I couldn’t quite make sense of how it’d work within the timeline. And the closer the show got to the end, the more it began to dawn on me just how confusing some of the timeline and time travelling mechanics of this show were, but I’ll talk more about that later.

Anyways, I certainly didn’t mind it. I think it’s kind of cool to have a Cure whose mother was also a Cure when she was younger. I guess we had something close to that in HeartCatch Pretty Cure, where our pink lead Tsubomi/Cure Blossom’s grandmother was also a Pretty Cure in the past, and the ending implied that Tsubomi’s younger sister would become one in the future. I don’t really have much else to say on this, so let’s talk about Harry.

Hariham Harry is a hamster-like creature with the ability to transform into a young man. He accompanied Hugtan into the past, and assists the Cures, giving them their transformation trinkets and getting them started on their mission to save the future. Much like Nuts from Yes! Pretty Cure 5, Harry starts up his own store to make money while staying the present, Beauty Harry’s, which is also where he lives and sort of a headquarter for the Cures.

Harry for the most part comes across as sort of a supportive big brother character to the Cures, but there is also a mysterious air about him as he initially keeps a lot of details regarding himself from the Cures, only revealing things bit by bit as the show goes on. We eventually learn that Harry was part of Criasu for a time, as his people came to them to try to save their village and their kind from a mysterious illness by becoming humans. Harry was experimented on by Criasu, and turned into a monster. He was eventually rescued by Cure Tomorrow, who gave him the golden chain he wears to keep him from turning back into his monster form. Harry ended up betraying Criasu and tried to save Cure Tomorrow, leading to the two of them ending up going back in time to try to stop their plans.

I really like Harry. I like how he can both be this mature big brother type of character towards the other Cures, while also having his goofier moments depending on the situation. He also has a pretty dark backstory for a Pretty Cure fairy-type character, considering everything he went through before the events of the series. Even after he starts opening up to the Cures, there are still details about himself that he keeps secret, and in fact, the Cures don’t find out about his previous connection to Criasu until Harry’s former friend Bishin reveals it to them. Even so, the bonds between them at this point mean the Cures don’t let this affect their friendship with Harry and they know he’s now on their side.

I liked how we gradually got bits and pieces of Harry’s story and how he and Hugtan ended up in the past. Even by the time Harry finally reveals the last bit about Cure Tomorrow, we’ve already got most of the pieces and can probably piece most of it together from there. His connections with both Bishin and Ristoru also helped develop those two villains, but I’ll talk about them a bit later. I also like Harry’s designs. His hamster-like form looks kind of similar to the fairies from Yes! Pretty Cure 5, and his human form is pretty good-looking. I also liked how that chain he wears in both forms was revealed to have a purpose beyond just being part of his design.

The Villains

And now, for the villains of this season. I usually go in order of when they introduced, although there may be exceptions. Either way, I’ll start with Charalit.

Charalit is the first villain our heroines go up against. He’s a dark skinned, blond young man who fights against the Cures in the first few episodes. He has a bit of a laidback personality, but as he keeps failing against the Cures, he finds himself in a tough spot as Criasu starts losing patience with him. He pleads for one last chance, targetting Homare and attempting to take advantage of her self-doubts, but this backfires when it ultimately leads to Homare becoming Cure Etoile. He is eventually punished by being left locked up alone in a dark room for several days, if not weeks, before being let out in episode 11 and transformed into an Oshimaida against his will.

As an Oshimaida, he goes on a rampage, until Cure Yell nearly attacks him with the Sword of PreCures. Seeing his frightened normal self within the monster, Cure Yell refuses to strike him down and instead tries comforting him. After the Sword instead becomes the more typical Cure weapon, the Melody Swords, the three Cures purify Charalit. While being purified, Charalit thinks that there might be a bright future for him after all, and the next episode shows that he basically decided to become a vlogger.

Charalit is later seen again early in the second half of the show, alongside Papple and Daigan, who have also been purified by that point. The three of them have basically come together to form their own talent agency and occasionally do other jobs around the town to help support it. Charalit is shown to be more optimstic and helpful towards others after being purified, and even gives Hana some encouraging words at one point to return the favor from the time she saved him.

I like Charalit’s design, and I feel he does well as the starter villain for this series. We also get an early look into how ruthless Criasu Corporation can be at times, with their method of punishing him for his failures. One thing I like about what they did the villains in this series is how they basically eventually join the supporting cast as friends of the Cures. When former villains team up with the Cures, it is usually near the end for the final episodes, while here, it starts out early in the second half of the show, also giving them a bit more room for character development. And while they don’t get quite as much development as certain other characters, you still see how they’ve changed for the better thanks to the Cures and found something to believe in again.

Anyways, next I’ll talk about Papple. She’s a flashy young adult woman who comes across as more ruthless than Charalit. However, despite her bad treatment of her co-workers, she secrelty longs for love, and is often seen interacting with her “boyfriend” (later revealed to be George), who doesn’t seem all that interested in her despite her seemingly believing otherwise. She’s the main opponent the Cures usually face after Charalit’s purification for several episodes. She eventually meets Gelos, a younger employee, and a bit of a rivalry is set up between the two women. Despite temporarily breaking Ruru (with an attack meant for Cure Yell) and taking her back to Criasu to be reprogrammed, Papple interestingly enough seems to have reservations against putting her into the mecha suit.

Things eventually reach the point in episode 22 where Papple, having already been threatened with the same punishment Charalit went through, discovers that her “boyfriend” has seemingly been cheating on her with Gelos, which ultimately pushes Papple into transforming herself into an Oshimaida using the negative energy from her own despair, all while hoping her “boyfriend” will try to stop her, only to go through with it as she concludes that he never loved her.

With the help of Cure Black and Cure White, the Cures manage to weaken Oshimaida!Papple, and Cure Ma Cherie and Cure Amour eventually manage to enter the Oshimaida to speak to Papple and try to calm her down. They eventually manage to get through to her, and with their new Twin Love Guitars, purify her. As she is purified, Papple muses that even if things didn’t go so well this time, if she keeps holding on to her own love, maybe she’ll someday be able to find someone who will return her feelings.

As mentioned above, Papple returns a few later alongside Charalit and Daigan, having started up a talent agency. She is more friendly towards the Cures, and shows an interest in having Emiru and Ruru sign up with their company after hearing them perform. While Emiru and Ruru refuse, Papple continues to reach out to them in hopes of getting them to change their mind. It is unclear if they eventually accepted, but even so, we see Papple supporting and helping out the two in later episodes.

I really like Papple’s design, and I think she’s one of my favorites among the Criasu characters. As a villain, she is as mentioned established as more ruthless than Charalit, since she's the one to turn Charalit into an Oshimaida, and she later ends up breaking Ruru after she betrays Criasu. Still, her scenes with her “boyfriend” show that there is more to her, even if these scenes can be a bit unsettling with the way the “boyfriend” acts, among other things, never actually responding to anything Papple says in their scenes together. I’ll go more into details on my thoughts about him later.

The imagery during Papple’s breakdown after discovering her boyfriend cheating on her with Gelos is quite unsettling, as she seems to hallucinate while her inner monologue expresses that she wishes he would try to stop her from doing what she’s about to do while she makes her way to the top of the tower. The fact that she also triggers her transformation into an Oshimaida stabbing herself with a shard formed from negative energy makes the metaphor they’re going for pretty clear.

Thankfully, Cure Ma Cherie and Cure Amour are able to get through to Oshimaida!Papple and purify her. From there on, Papple is much friendlier with both the Cures and the other reformed villains. One particular moment I liked was when Papple offers some encouraging words to Daigan after he was briefly tempted to return to Criasu, letting him know how the people at the festival they were helping out at appreciated the work he’d been doing. I also like how she supports Emiru and Ruru, helping them plan out concerts, and when Emiru briefly lost her voice, telling them to take their time for her to recover when informed of the situation.

Next up is Daigan. He doesn’t really get to do much throughout the first half of the season, mostly complaining about his co-workers and claiming that if they just let him handle it, he’d defeat the Pretty Cures in just five minutes. When he finally gets to fight them, though, he is quickly taken out by Dr. Traum. Cure Ange manages to heal him, and we find out a few episodes later that thanks to that, he survived and joined up with Charalit and Papple.

After being purified, he still continues boast about being able to do things in five minutes, clearly having a bit of an obsession with efficiency, and being easily frustrated when he can’t pull it off. This leads into the Halloween episode, where he is briefly tempted to return to Criasu, leading to the Cures getting a proper fight against an Oshimaida he created. After being defeated, he calms down again and receives some encouraging words from Papple that motivate him to get back to helping with the festival. After purification, he is also quite grateful towards Saaya/Cure Ange for saving his life. When the group got stuck in a VR space based on a movie Saaya and her mother were starring in, Daigan showed up to help Saaya out and helped her reach her decision regarding which career path to pursue by once again reminding her of how she had saved him and how he’d never forget that.

So, yeah. Daigan is one of the villains we don’t really get to know as well, but even so, I like seeing him working alongside Charalit and Papple after being saved by Cure Ange. His gratitude towards Saaya for saving his life is also really sweet, and I do like his design.

Since there’s not all that much else to say about Daigan, let’s move onto Gelos, Takumi and Jinjin. I’ll just over all three at once, since the latter two’s role in the story is pretty closely tied to Gelos’, for the most part. Gelos initially comes across as a bit of a rival for Papple, who has a tendency to sprinkle english words into her dialogue, and is often accompanied by her two handsome henchmen, Takumi and Jinjin. Later on, Gelos seemingly gets involved with George, which leads to the events in which Papple ultimately became an ally to the Cures.

Of course, Gelos doesn’t have much luck in beating the Cures either, but doesn’t seem too perturbed about it. Despite the bonds between herself, Takumi and Jinjin, Gelos at one point in episode 31 shows that she is willing to throw the two under the bus to make herself look better, leading the two of them to try to betray her with an invention stolen from Dr. Traum to freeze time. Things backfire horribly for them when the unfinished prototype turns them into an Oshimaida, with their reactions suggesting that this is very painful for them. When Gelos tries to get them to fight the Cures in their state, the Cures call her out on her treatment of those she claims are her friends. Reaffirming their own friendship, the Cures gain a new power that they use to purify Takumi and Jinjin and return them to normal. As they are purified, they hope that Gelos will eventually come to remember how much she really means to them.

Following these events, Takumi and Jinjin get regular jobs, while we quickly come to realize that Gelos probably needed them more than even she realized, as without their presence, she starts getting more unhinged and worried about growing old due to her belief that only the efforts of young people are appreciated, complete with a makeover that makes her look more wild. It ultimately results in Gelos making use of Dr. Traum’s invention to try to freeze time once more, and turning herself into an Oshimaida.

While the Cures try to stop her rampage, Takumi and Jinjin eventually show up to help calm Gelos down. Gelos initially thinks the two of them ditched her because she was getting too old for them, but the two manage to talk her down, letting her know just how much they care about her and telling her they want to grow old alongside her, causing her to break down and cry. The Cures manage to purify her, and the three of them reunite. The three of them reappear in time to help out during the final confrontation between the Cures and Criasu by giving the Cures a ride to Criasu’s tower.

So, yeah. These three are also villains we just don’t get to know that much about, although we at least get some hints at a backstory. It is clear that the three had always been close, but I guess Gelos must’ve eventually come to take them for granted, leading to the events of episode 31. After being purified by the Cures, we see that Takumi and Jinjin hold no hard feelings towards Gelos despite trying to have them fired, and only hope that she’ll remember the good times they’ve had together someday. In addition, with how quick Gelos starts to break down after those two leave, I guess their presence also helped Gelos’ mental stability. Of course, at this point, it’s kind of hard to feel bad for her, considering what she did to Papple and that she brought this all on herself.

The fact that one of the things Gelos fears is getting older also feels interesting to me, considering she’s one of the younger members of Criasu. I kind of wish we’d gotten to see more interactions between her, Takumi and Jinjin prior to their purification. I feel that could’ve helped flesh out all three characters a bit more. Plus, the other villains all sort of have some sort of connection with each of the Cures (Charalit and George with Hana, Daigan with Saaya, Papple with Emiru and Ruru, Dr. Traum with Ruru, Ristoru with Harry and Bishin with Harry and Homare), but these three don’t really have that either.

Next up, Dr. Traum. He’s likely the oldest member of Criasu, and is also the creator of Ruru. While we never quite get the full story, it is heavily implied that Dr. Traum had previously lost a daughter, and Ruru was built in an attempt to fill the void. However, when he failed to get Ruru to develop the way he hoped, he felt as if he had failed and started distancing himself from her, leaving her with Criasu to work alongside the other employees. When we first meet Dr. Traum, he makes his entrance by quickly taking down Daigan, nearly killing him in the process, had it not been for Cure Ange’s intervention. He also takes over the Oshimaida that Daigan had already created, modifying it with his own tech.

While his taking down Daigan during his introduction may have given the impression that he’d be another one of the more ruthless villains of Criasu, it is soon established that out of the current set of villains, he’s actually one of the goofier ones, with his over-the-top mannerisms and such. Despite his daughter being one of the Cures, he still fights against them, and he later admits that he was a bit jealous of the Cures for succeeding in helping Ruru develop a heart when he had failed to do so.

After being purified during episode 37, he returns a few episodes later to try to reconnect with Ruru, as well as give the Cures some important information about Criasu and George Kurai’s goals. Considering how Dr. Traum had treated her before, Ruru is initially kind of annoyed with her father and doesn’t understand why he would want to bond with her now. Dr. Traum eventually admits that even he is full of contradictions, and that it is hard for him to explain how he feels. Ruru gradually begins to warm up to him over the course of the last few episodes, even if she still hasn’t fully accepted him yet.

Dr. Traum ended up becoming another one of my favorite Criasu characters, due to his somewhat goofy personality and connection to Ruru. As I sort of already said, he ended up being rather different from what I expected based on his first appearance. I feel he provides some comic relief among the set of villains the Cures face off against in the second half of the show, and I like how he’s basically the expert on technology and inventor of the company.

Of course, he’s still quite dangerous as a villain, as with the use of his inventions he managed to get pretty close to achieving Criasu’s goal in episodes 36 and 37, and in the latter episode grew so powerful after becoming an Oshimaida that the Hugtto team needed the assistance of all the previous Cures and their allies to stop the army of monsters he had summoned, and then purify him.

After becoming one of the good guys, he tries his best to make things up to Ruru for giving up on trying to raise her before. I like how Dr. Traum eventually manages to bring himself to admit that it wasn’t Ruru’s fault that things didn’t go as he hoped, but his own since he had his expectations in how he wanted Ruru to develop, while the Cures were able to bring about this development simply by accepting Ruru as she was to begin with and not pressuring her. I like the sort of wacky parent, serious child dynamic between the two.

I’m also really curious about what happened to his original daughter and how whatever happened ultimately led him to becoming part of Criasu, and I’m wondering if supplementary materials might some day give us an answer to that, as it did with clarifying some of the details regarding another character, but I’ll get to that later.

Next, I’ll talk about Bishin, or I guess his name might be spelled Bicine? Anyways, the character is first introduced when Ristoru goes to free him from his cell, asking Ristoru if he’s really sure about letting him out, since he might end up destroying everything. Bishin turns out to be an old friend of Harry, and really wants him to come back to Criasu. He ends up revealing Harry’s previous connection to Criasu to the Cures, and ends up forming a bit of a rivalry with Cure Etoile over Harry.

Bishin comes across as having trouble understanding others, such as having trouble understanding Harry’s decision to oppose Criasu, and not understanding how Homare is able to accept that her feelings for Harry are like unrequited. Since Bishin appears to be younger than both Harry and Ristoru, I’m guessing some of his behaviour can be attributed to him being more immature, combined with Criasu’s influence having left him a bit mentally unstable. Bishin later seems to move on to Ristoru, who comforted him after his duel with Cure Etoile in the VR space. Bishin is also seen questioning why George removed Ristoru’s “heart”, and wonders if the two of them can be happy together forever once Criasu’s goal has been reached.

In Harry and Ristoru’s backstory, we found out that Bishin was seemingly among the members of their village who was afflicted with some sort of illness, and hoped Criasu would save them by turning them into humans. After Ristoru is finally fully purified by the Cures, Bishin flies into a rage, and only calms down once Ristoru assures him that he truly cares about him, allowing Bishin to finally be purified and reunited with both Harry and Ristoru.

As you could probably tell from some of my thoughts on the various episodes, I did mistake Bishin for a girl until he was confirmed to be a boy, due to his voice and androgynous design, along with his crush on Harry. I do like the design, and I think he’s an interesting character. He is presented as a bit of a foil to Cure Etoile in the episodes revolving around both characters’ relationships with Harry, since Homare is ultimately able to accept Harry’s decisions and how things are, while Bishin just doesn’t understand.

Considering how Bishin seems to move on to Ristoru later on, I’m guessing Bishin doesn’t handle being alone very well, which again might be partially due to him being younger than Harry and Ristoru. Also, if I remember correctly, I don’t think it was ever really explained what Bishin did to get himself locked away in the first place. Well, whatever the reason, I imagine being locked up for a while might’ve also worsened his mental state. I feel kind of bad for him, thinking about how much Criasu’s influence messed him up.

Next is Ristoru, who was introduced in the first half of the show, but we didn’t really learn all that much about him until the second half. During the first half, he seems to be running things on behalf of their leader while he is away, or something. During the second half of the show, he starts to take on a more prominient role, including seeking out potential new employees for Criasu Corp after several of the villains have switched sides. We learn that Ristoru is a squirrel-like creature from the same village as Harry and Bishin, and that he initially joined Criasu as part of a deal to save the village. When the village was destroyed anyways, Ristoru fell into despair and came to believe fate couldn’t be avoided.

In spite of continuing to stoically carry out his work for Criasu, it gradually becomes apparent that part of Ristoru really resents George for not keeping his promise to save the village. After the Cures succeed in partially purifying him, Ristoru admits this. Because of this, George does something to Ristoru that Bishin describes as taking away his heart, messing with his memories and leaving him showing even less emotion than before.

During the final battle against him and Bishin, the Cures and Harry gradually manage to get through to Ristoru, jogging his memories and finally purifying him, allowing him in turn to help them talk down Bishin.

So, yeah. Ristoru turned out to be a very interesting character. At first, the most I could gleam from his role in the first half of the season was that he was obviously the second-in-command to the big bad, but I wasn’t sure what else to make of him. So I was very intrigued once the second half of the season started giving more focus and insight into Ristoru’s character. Ristoru turning out to be from Harry’s village was a bit of a surprise at first, and then I realized that his name does sound a bit similar to the Japanese word for “squirrel”.

I guess what’s really interesting about Ristoru, is that while part of him resents George for not keeping his promise, he has come to believe that there’s really nothing else left for him. When the Cures manage to partially purify him, he’s able to start admitting that he hates George, but he still can’t bring himself to leave, leading to him basically being brainwashed into an emotionless state to keep working for Criasu. It’s a bit unsettling to see him like that, especially when Bishin was talking to him and he did not react at all.

Other than that, I like his design. I’m glad the Cures were able to save him in the end, and that he in turn was able to help them save Bishin.

Finally, George Kurai, the big bad of the series. He makes appearances throughout the first half of the show, as this adult carrying around a book who occasionally talks about his worldview and ideals with Hana, which even inspires her at times. However, it is clear that something is up with him, as he keeps commenting on the actions of the Pretty Cures with great interest, Hugtan seems unnerved when he briefly interacts with her and Harry, and it eventually being confirmed that George is the “boyfriend” that Papple keeps spending time with.

George is eventually revealed to be the leader of the Criasu Corporation, much to the shock of Hana who had grown to trust him to some extent. During the second half of the show, we see how George manipulates the other villains. He seems to believe there is no hope for the future, which is why he is trying to stop time. He also continues to show a weird interest in Hana, due to a combination of her being able to draw out the power of Mother, much like Cure Tomorrow, and the fact that he and Hana knew each other in the future he came from.

Thanks to supplementary materials, we know more of the story, in that George and the alternate Hana were friends, but since the Hana of this timeline never transferred schools and met the others, she never found the inner strength the Hana we got know over the course of the show did, and it eventually led to her death. This was one of the factors leading to George going down the dark path.

However, it seems to me that George doesn’t quite seem to understand that the Hana he fights against in the present isn’t the same Hana he knew in the bad future, leading him to come across as rather creepy with his interest in this girl who is several years younger than him. It is also interesting that despite his reactions to his book changing in response to whenever Hana/Cure Yell and the other Cures change the future in some way, he still thinks the future is a lost cause and that stopping time is the best option.

So... Well, George does have a nice design, but I’m not sure where I’d put him on the scale of how well developed he is as a Pretty Cure main villain. Maybe it’s because there’s a lot of things we don’t really know about him, since some of the details regarding his backstory and such didn’t come up in the show itself.

Despite his insistance that what he’s doing is to put an end to a future that can’t be saved, he still shows himself to be rather cruel. He seems to emotionally manipulate several of the other villains, including Papple, Gelos, Ristoru and Bishin. Due to his interest in Hana, I doubt he really cared about any of those villains the way he could make it seem. He also has a knack for torture, as shown with how Charalit was punished for failing to defeat the Cures, as well as how he tortured the other four Cures in episode 47 to try to get Cure Yell to surrender.

Of course, he is defeated in the end, and Cure Yell goes back to have one final talk with him. Despite his claims that his worldview hasn’t changed, Cure Yell believes otherwise, claiming that he wouldn’t keep telling her that they’d meet again otherwise. Seemingly accepting that she has a point there, George says good-bye by promising that they’ll meet again.

I admit, it does feel a bit weird that Hana is willing to forgive him after all he’s done, and that she still became friends with him in the good future, albeit presumably with his younger self who hadn’t done all those things. There’s a lot of things that are left unclear regarding their relationship, including whether or not they were more than friends at any point. Personally, I prefer to think they’re just friends. I mean, after everything that’s happened, anything more would just feel a bit weird. I’ll talk a bit more about this later when I go into my thoughts on the plot and the ending.

Other Characters

As I’ve mentioned before, I really do like the supporting casts of the various Pretty Cure series, and this one also had some really good ones. I’ll begin by talking about the family members of the Cures, starting with Hana’s family.

Hana’s parents, Shintarou Nono and Sumire Nono are both shown to be very good parents to their daughters, Hana and Kotori. Shintarou is the manager of a local store, HugMan Home Center, while Sumire works as the reporter for a magazine. All in all, both are shown to be kind and understanding to those around them, with the two helping give advice to the girls and Harry on how to look after Hugtan, Shintarou being a reasonable, good boss to his employees at the store, and Sumire still caring for Ruru’s well-being even after realizing something had been done to her memories after Ruru undoes the effects.

I really like both of them. I feel Sumire in particular is very perceptive in regards to Hana’s mood and mental state, even figuring out that Hana is Cure Yell during the final battle. They’re both really good people.

Hana’s younger sister, Kotori, comes across as more down to earth and calm than her sister, and doesn’t as easily get caught up in her family’s goofier moments. She seems to be a bit embarrassed over her older sister’s antics, but she still clearly cares about her. In an episode focusing on her, Kotori worries that Hana might be unintentionally creating problems for the Pretty Cures, since they always seem to show up in places she’s been to, and tries to investigate alongside two of Hana’s classmates, one with a crush on Hana herself and one with a crush on Cure Yell.

During her investigation, she comes to realize Hana’s strong points, and even starts to figure out that Hana and Cure Yell might be the same person. While she doesn’t get to confirm her theory due to Hana falling asleep before she can ask her, she at the very least has a better understanding and appreciation of her older sister.

I really like Kotori, and I wish she’d gotten more episodes focused on her. For example, she and Emiru could’ve gotten at least one episode together, those two being classmates and all. With their different personalities, it might’ve been interesting to see those two interact more. At least she still got a pretty good episode centered around her, and it was interesting seeing her interactions with those two male classmates of Hana’s. I also wish they’d perhaps done a little bit more with her being implied to have learned Hana’s identity.

The last member of Hana’s family to be introduced (not counting Hugtan) is Hana’s grandmother, Tanpopo, who is more of a minor character featured in a few episodes, most notably episode 29, her debut episode. She runs a shop where she sells traditional sweets that she makes herself, with one of her customers, a friend of hers named Yone, expressing that the sweets just aren’t as good as they used to be. Tanpopo tries to ignore this and keep at it, but as she throws out her back and has to be taken to the hospital, has to consider the possibility that she’s simply getting too old to continue working at the shop.

After speaking to Yone, Hana and her friends decide to try to re-create the Hope Manju that the shop used to sell back when Hana’s grandfather, Tanpopo’s husband, was still alive. Upon receiving these, Tanpopo admits that the reason she had stopped making them was because it was the one sweet that she couldn’t bear to make if it didn’t turn out the way it did before. She’s inspired to return to the shop and teach Hana and her friends how to make them properly, and ends up helping the Cures fight the monster of the week, and recognizing Cure Yell as Hana. In the end, she decides to keep the shop running, but acknowledges that it’ll be difficult to keep it going on her own. Hearing this, Yone offers to help out, as she still has quite a bit of strength, being stronger than she looks.

Tanpopo may be a minor character, but I really like her and the episode that introduced her. She and Hana seem to get along well, seeming to have some personality traits in common. Her episode also addresses another aspect to the show’s focus on the future, namely the fact that there may come a time when you have to retire and just can’t do your job as well as before. In the end, Tanpopo is able to keep her shop going, realizing she can’t do it all on her own and hiring her friend Yone to help out after she offers her assistance and physical strength for the tasks Tanpopo has difficulty with.

Seeing Tanpopo step out to protect her shop and actually managing to deflect an Oshimaida’s attack with her shop’s equipment was also pretty cool, as well as her figuring out that Cure Yell is Hana. I also like Yone, and the friendship between the two old ladies.

Next I’ll talk about Saaya’s parents. We learn early on that Saaya is the daughter of an actress, and part of her character arc is whether to follow in the footsteps of her mother as an aspiring actress, or if there’s another dream she’d rather pursue. In the episode properly introducing Saaya’s mother, Reira, we learn about how Saaya’s mother convinced a lot of the crew she worked with to help her with balancing continuing her career and making sure Saaya was raised well.

It is shown that when Reira plays a role, she will do what she can to understand the role and get really into character, leading to her sometimes doing things she wouldn’t normally do if it’s something the character would do. As a result, she can come across as a bit clumsy at times, but her dedication to her work certainly shines through.

While she is supporting of Saaya and the choice Saaya makes regarding her future career in the end, things take an interesting turn as while Reira is accepting of Saaya choosing a different path, part of her is also conflicted due to the reality of the fact that her daughter is growing up. After a heart-to-heart between Saaya and Reira after Reira is turned into an Oshimaida, Reira manages to sort out her conflicting emotions, and later goes off-script during the scene she and Saaya are practicing as a way of showing her full support of Saaya’s dream while still in-character.

I really like Reira. Her dedication to her career, while also wanting to make sure her daughter is raised right is quite admirable. I also really like how close she is to her co-workers and how they pitched in to help her balance her career with raising Saaya. I thought her internal conflict when Saaya decided to focus on a medical career instead of acting was interesting too, realizing how fast her daughter is growing up and being reluctant to let her go. She initially tries to keep these feelings to herself, but being turned into an Oshimaida brings them to the surface as she abducts Hugtan, seemingly mistaking her for a younger Saaya. They ultimately manage to talk things out, with Saaya letting Reira know just how much of an influence Reira has been and how she also played a part in helping her reach her decision.

Next is Saaya’s father, Shuji. He first appears in episode 7, where he is seen preparing Saaya’s favorite food. He works as a caterer for the film sets Reira works at, and sometimes helps Reira with her work. When he’s not delivering food to the set, he seems to handle the household chores and such while Reira is at work.

He doesn’t get that much screentime, but it is clear that he supports Reira and is a good parent to Saaya, presumably being able to spend more time with her than Reira. I like their story.

Next, onto Homare’s family. We don’t get to see much of them, but Homare does mention in one episode that she lives with her mother and grandparents, and that her mother and father are divorced for unknown reasons. We finally get a glimpse of the family in episode 25, when Homare’s mother, Chitose, is seen helping Homare get ready for the festival and giving her a hair accessory for the occasion.

Chitose makes another appearance in episode 43, when she notices that Homare is feeling conflicted due to her feelings for Harry, and gives her some advice, reassuring her that no matter what happens, her friends will be there for her.

While a minor character, I liked Chitose’s interactions with Homare. She is able to tell what is troubling her and gives her some advice based on her own experiences. She’s clearly a caring parent, and I wish we’d seen some more of her and Homare’s grandparents.

I guess Homare’s dog, Mogumogu, also counts as a family member, so I’ll talk about him real quick. Homare basically adopted him as a pet after saving him from being hit by a truck during the brief period in which Hugtan froze time. Mogumogu gets an episode focused on him, where he develops a crush on a cute celebrity cat named Lily, shown on TV. When an oppurtunity to meet her presents itself, the Cures try to help Mogumogu muster up the courage to win a competition. When an Oshimaida attacks during the event, Mogumogu manages to show his courage when he rescues a girl who was separated from her mother during the chaos and leads her to safety. The girl and her mother later come to thank him, turning out to be Lily’s owners, allowing the two to finally meet.

Yeah, not really much to say about Mogumogu. He’s cute, a bit of a slow learner, but managed to prove his courage when things got tough. And he can tell that Cure Etoile is Homare, which isn’t that surprising, as other pets belonging to the Cures tend to be able to figure it out. And his little relationship with Lily the cat is cute too, I guess, with the final episode suggesting they still meet regularly.

Anyways, since I’ve already talked about Dr. Traum, that only leaves Emiru’s family. We meet her parents in episode 15, and we quickly see that the two are quite eccentric, wearing old-fashioned outfits and singing and dancing around the room when Ruru first meets them after following Emiru to her house. A later episode shows that they also support Emiru in her music career. I don’t have that much to say about them, really. They’re kind of funny, giving us a bit of an idea of where Emiru gets her some of her overly dramatic tendencies from, and I like how they are supportive of Emiru.

Now, let’s talk about Masato, Emiru’s older brother. When he is first introduced, he comes across as sort of a rich jerk, due to having been heavily influenced by his grandfather. As such, he disapproves of Emiru’s interest in the guitar, suggesting that the violin or piano are more lady-like, leading to Ruru, moved by Emiru’s guitar playing, to stand up to Masato on her behalf.

Masato is seen again in episode 19, commenting on how feminine a ribbon Henri wears on his school uniform tie looks, with Henri just ignoring his opinion. When Masato later in the episode tries to pull Emiru away from performing in a fashion show with “heroes” as a theme due to his belief that only guys should be heroes, Henri steps in after changing into a beautiful dress. After Henri stands up against Masato and his sexist views, Masato leaves, with his negative energy making him into a target for Criasu and turning him into an Oshimaida.

During the confrontation with the Cures, Masato’s Oshimaida kidnaps Henri. While caught up in the situation, Henri calmly speaks to the Oshimaida, encouraging Masato to love himself more. After being purified, Henri’s words seem to have had quite the effect on him, as Masato starts mellowing out and showing more support for Emiru. He apologizes to her by giving her tickets for her and Ruru to see a concert, and also apologizes to Henri, with the two becoming close friends afterwards. In later episodes, the two are often seen together, with Masato supporting Henri in his ice-skating and such.

Masato’s character development really shines when his grandfather shows up after Emiru loses her voice over being unable to admit to not wanting Ruru to leave once the Pretty Cures’ mission is over. When Emiru and Masato’s grandfather tries to talk Emiru into quitting her band with Ruru, Masato stands up to his grandfather and helps give Emiru the encouragement to regain her voice and talk things out with Ruru.

Masato ended up becoming a surprisingly interesting character, once Henri and the Pretty Cures helped him gain enough insight to think more for himself and not just follow what his grandfather taught him. I really like how he redeems himself by becoming a supportive older brother for Emiru, and the friendship he develops with Henri. As the story progresses, it even seems their relationship might be developing towards something more than just friends.

I think the moments between those two that really stand out to me are his scenes in episode 42. There’s the scene where he and Homare visit Henri in the hospital after the car accident that broke Henri’s leg, with Masato tearfully wishing he could’ve been the one who got injured instead of Henri. Then there’s Masato’s joyful reaction when Henri temporarily becomes a Cure, and him running out on the ice to catch Henri in his arms after the transformation wears off. Yeah, that episode had some really good moments between those two.

I also really liked his confrontation with his grandfather during the episode where Emiru temporarily lost her voice as mentioned before, and while the grandfather is still being stubborn and refusing to change his mind by the end of the episode, Masato still hopes he’ll eventually come around, even if might take time. I feel that episode really showed how Masato has changed for the better, and how his more open-minded perspective has also helped him connect with others more.

Well, I think that about covers the family members of the Cures, so now let’s move onto other recurring characters. I’ll start with Henri Wakamiya, a half-French, half-Japanese figure skater from Russia. He is initially introduced as a childhood friend of Homare, who is thrilled to see that she’s taken up skating again, and wanting her to come with him to Moscow to help her get back to her former glory. Henri is initially skeptical of Homare’s new friends, Hana and Saaya, believing them to be holding Homare back from getting back to her full potential.

Homare eventually proves him wrong, and he starts to warm up to Hana and Saaya, and it is implied that he figured out that they were the Cures after witnessing their battle against an Oshimaida in that episode, which is confirmed in a later episode. After these events, Henri transfers into the Cures’ school. His comments to Hana indirectly led to the plot of episode 10 and 11, which had Hana start doubting herself, before eventually overcoming these doubts with the help of her friends and gaining the Melody Swords.

Henri’s next big role is in episode 19, where he invites Emiru and Ruru to take part in the fashion show after hearing them sing together. We also see him not caring for Masato’s mocking comments about his fashion choices, even when Hana tries to defend him, explaining to her that he believes arguing with those who disagree with his choices is just a waste of time. When Masato tries to interfere with the fashion show by taking Emiru away, Henri chooses to stand up to him, appearing before him in a dress. Henri explains his worldview to Masato, believing that living life with unwanted restrictions is a waste, and stops him from taking Emiru home.

As mentioned when I talked about Masato, an Oshimaida is made from Masato’s negative energy, and it ends up capturing Henri. While the Cures try to save him, Henri also assists by calmly talking to Masato, embracing the Oshimaida and encouraging him to love himself more. After the Cures rescue Henri and return Masato to normal, Henri and Masato end up developing a close friendship, as I mentioned earlier.

Henri’s next appearances start up a sub-plot in which the Criasu Corporation look to recruit him, while Henri is recovering from a problem with his leg which may potentially force him to retire from ice skating. When first approached by Ristoru, Emiru witnesses their conversation and goes to talk to Henri, who assures her that he has no intention of joining up with them. He also comments about this surprising turn of events saying that he would’ve sooner expected the Pretty Cures to recruit him.

However, Ristoru does leave Henri with a business card, and the ending of the episode to introduce this sub-plot shows that while Henri may have rejected Criasu’s offer for now, this isn’t the end of it. Indeed, Homare eventually notices that something is wrong and asks Henri about it. Henri eventually admits that while he’s already had the doctors take care of his leg, he knows that he likely won’t be able to continue, but he wants to have at least one last ice skating performance before he starts looking for another dream.

Unfortunately, Henri is unable to perform when he gets into a car accident which results in him breaking his leg. Henri initially tries to put on a brave face for Homare and Masato when they come to check on him, but once left alone, his despair starts to get to him, with Ristoru making it worse by showing him his fans who are upset at not being able to see his performance. This leads to Henri briefly falling under Criasu’s control, but the Cures manage to snap him out of it.

As the Cures manage to reach Henri, a miracle occurs, leading to Henri temporarily becoming a Cure himself, Cure Infini. Cure Infini assists the Cures in their battle and manages to raise the spirits of the audience with his ice skating skills. After the battle is over and Henri is taken back to the hospital, he speaks to Hana, Saaya and Homare about why he chose to call his Cure form Cure Infini and talks about how he considers the first three Cures the Precures of wings, pointing out in Hana’s case that Cure Yell’s name also sounds similar to “Aile”, which means wings. Henri is seen still recovering in the last few episodes leading up to the finale.

I think Henri is easily one of the most interesting characters of Hugtto’s supporting cast. I think it’s particularly episode 19 where we really get to know him. He is true to himself, and has no issues occasionally wearing dresses because he likes them. I enjoy watching his interactions with Masato, and I think his sub-plot was an interesting one. Much like Tanpopo’s debut episode, it ties into the show’s theme in the aspect of the possibility of injury or medical condition interfering with your ability to follow your passions.

Ultimately, the sub-plot results in something I don’t think anyone saw coming until the preview for episode 42: Henri Wakamiya becoming the first official male Cure, even if it was only temporary. While the idea of a male Cure has previously been teased in previous series and we’ve certainly seen plenty of male allies of the Cures, Hugtto Pretty Cure finally had a male character recognized as a Cure. It was quite awesome, and with the themes brought up in episode 19 and Henri having shown an implied interest in being a Cure, I feel it was quite fitting that they actually went through with it. And what makes it even better is that this wasn’t just a one-time thing: It was foreshadowing for the events of the final battle between the Cures and George! I really loved that. I’ll go more into detail about that later.

Aside from Henri and Masato, I also like his relationships with his childhood friend Homare, and how they’re shown to understand each other fairly well as both notice the other’s troubles. Another relationship I liked is his relationship with Hana. While it starts off with him skeptical to her, he soon starts warming up to her once he realizes how big an impact she really left on Homare in helping her return to ice skating. While the two are on friendlier terms, it is still shown in later episodes that they still haven’t quite come to fully understand each other, but eventually, in episode 42, when Hana shows him the design she made for an outfit that ultimately becomes the basis for Cure Infini’s outfit, Henri, while commenting that the outfit doesn’t seem all that practical for ice skating, at least acknowledges that Hana has grown to understand him more as he still likes the design itself. I really liked this little moment and the acknowledgement of how their relationship has progressed.

Okay, I think I’ll talk about Ranze Ichijo, a recurring character who plays a role in Saaya’s character arc. She’s an aspiring young actress, and self-proclaimed rival to Saaya, even if Saaya doesn’t fully understand that she sees it that way. This is because Ranze and Saaya were both in a variety show together as children, but while Saaya was the main character of the show, Ranze was just a side-character, wearing a leek costume. This itself also leads to a bit of a running gag in the episodes where Ranze shows up, as she keeps inexpliacably ending up in roles relating to leek, such as the person delivering leek on a show about cooking, or a leek knight in the episode where everyone got caught up in another virtual world created by Criasu.

Ranze’s appearances mainly focus on her desire to get bigger roles as an actress, while “competing” with Saaya. However, as is made clear in the episode where Saaya decides to retire from acting to focus on pursuing a career in medicine instead, Ranze also respects Saaya. She calls Saaya out on not putting her heart in her role, and when Saaya informs everyone of her decision, Ranze is initially upset and even tearfully asks if there’s a chance that Saaya could both work in medicine and still be an actress, while respecting Saaya’s decision when Saaya explains why that wouldn’t work.

I really like Ranze, particularly her moments with Saaya in episode 44. Due to the similarities between their names, she may be partially based off of Ranko Ichijou from Go! Princess Pretty Cure, another fun side character who wanted to be an idol. Still, whether that was intentional or not, she seems very different from Ranko. I also like her design.

Next, I’ll talk about Fumito Chise, one of the Cures’ classmates, and the first person to be the victim of the week on this show after getting angry over his teacher scolding him for turning in an assignment late. He becomes interested in Cure Yell after she saves him, and episode 34 reveals that he at some point started his own Cure Yell fan club. He is usually accompanied by Hinase Amano, another one of his classmates.

During episode 34, we see just how enthusiatic he is about Cure Yell. On the other hand, he’s not all that interested in Hana, unaware that they’re the same person. He and Hinase end up talking to Kotori about her concerns, and the three of them end up helping give the Cures the power boost they need to defeat the opponent of that episode.

Yeah, he’s a minor character for the most part, but I really liked his interactions with Kotori and Hinase in episode 34. The way they work off of each other with their different personalities and viewpoints was fun to watch. I also like the little book end with Fumito’s frustration being what causes the negative energy to possess the train the future characters are supposed to use to get back to their own time, with the reason for his frustration even being just about the same as what got him turned into an Oshimaida in the first episode.

I’ll talk about Hinase next, a guy is part of the school’s orchestra club and is often seen preparing for concerts. While also a fairly minor character, he does play a slightly bigger role than Fumito. Aside from background appearances in early episodes, his first scene to stand out is a conversation with Hana in episode 10, where he tells her of one the orchestra club’s upcoming concerts and talks about how many different talents come together to make amazing music. This later comes up again in episode 11, where the girls are trying to figure out how to help a comatose Hugtan, and end up heading to the tower where the concert is held. Remembering his words, Hana and the other two girls are able to figure out how to wake up Hugtan.

Later episodes show that Hinase has developed a bit of a crush on Hana, but unfortunately Hana is totally oblivious to this. He later gets a focus episode alongside Kotori and Fumito, as I’ve already mentioned. He helps Kotori with her concerns by providing his perspective on Hana, and how she’s always caring for the well-being of others, even if she can be a bit clumsy at times. He, Fumito and Kotori later help the Cures by cheering them on and giving them the power boost they need to save the day.

I like Hinase, and I think his interactions with Hana are really sweet. While she may be oblivious to his crush on her, he manages to give her some good advice and encouragement. I also find his interactions with Fumito interesting, as mentioned above. He’s just a nice, sort of dorky guy who is very understanding of others.

And now for Aki and Junna, two other classmates of Hana who are frequently seen in minor roles throughout the show. While the two are shown throughout early episodes, their only real focus episode was episode 16. The episode focuses on Aki, the read haired girl, wanting to be more like Homare, which leads to conflict with Junna, the girl with the glasses, who thinks Aki is fine the way she is and doesn’t think Homare would make a good role model considering her reputation prior to Hana and Saaya helping her to get things back on track in regards to her ice skating.

As Homare tries to convince Aki to sort things out with Junna, we learn how the two have been friends since kindergarden, and that Junna has helped Aki a lot throughout the years since Aki has trouble staying focused on things. Homare can’t figure out how to help the two, so when the two later get into another argument, the become an easy target for Papple to create an Oshimaida.

During the battle, Cure Etoile’s words reach them, and they begin talking things out. Aki explains why she wanted to be more like Homare, while Junna explains her own feelings and realizes she may have been unconsciously holding Aki back. Thus, the two patch things up. They continue to play minor roles in later episodes.

So, yeah. I like them, they have a fairly interesting dynamic. I like their designs, and their focus episode was good. I don’t really have much to say about them, though. Aside from their focus episode, I can’t think of any other big roles they play in other episodes at the top of my head, aside from being among the people shown to temporarily become Cures in the finale. Still, I felt the show still treated them as important enough among the recurring characters for me to include in this post.

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

Overall Thoughts

I really did like this series a lot. I liked the art style, which reminded me a bit of Yes! Pretty Cure 5′s art style, the character designs were really great and the soundtrack was really great too. I really think the whole future theme worked really well, and it is in some way similar to the theme of Go! Princess Pretty Cure about following your dreams, another Pretty Cure series that is among my favorites. The characters are all really great, and I like how this show continues experimenting with the Pretty Cure formula like Mahou Tsukai Pretty Cure and Kira Kira Pretty Cure A La Mode did.

Hugtto Pretty Cure is also one of the darker Pretty Cure seasons, which I’m guessing is partially due to the previous two seasons for the most part having had a fairly light-hearted tone, so they allowed themselves to go a bit darker with this one. For starters, the main threat facing the world is made known right from the start, with Criasu’s goal being to eliminate the future by stopping time, while in both of the series that preceded this one it took some time before it became clear what the villains were trying to accomplish. The first few episodes also have more of a serious tone in some aspects, particularly with Homare’s initial difficulties becoming a Cure.

This show could get seriously intense at times. A few scenes that come to mind are the endings of episode 10 and episode 16, the imagery in the scene in episode 22 leading up to Papple becoming an Oshimaida, Harry’s backstory shown in episode 25, Henri getting into a car accident in 42, George torturing the other four Cures in episode 47 in order to force Cure Yell to surrender... And those aren’t even all of the examples I can think of at the top of my head.

There’s also the way the show presents its future theme in very relatable ways, showing different worries people may have about their futures. How do you become the person you aspire to be? What goal do you truly want to pursue in the future? And what do you do when it seems you may no longer be able to do the thing you love because of injury or because your body no longer works as well as it used to due to age? There’s even sort of an element of this with the villains, who for the most part have all given up on hope for their future, and are already aware that the world will end up in a bad state in a few years anyways. Considering all the worry about climate change and whether we’ll be able to do something about it before things get worse, this can hit kind of close to home.

But of course, being a Pretty Cure series, this series still takes a optimistic approach to many of these topics, with the Cures gradually figuring out what they truly want from the future, and inspiring others to do their best too, even managing to convince the villains that there might still be a good future for them and inspiring them to explore the possibilities. I feel this in some ways sums up one of the reasons why I like the Pretty Cure franchise so much. There’s something very inspiring about watching these girls fighting for the futures of themselves and those around them, always managing to find a way to get back on their feet no matter what hardships they might face along the way. And I feel this element of inspiration is really highlighted in Hugtto Pretty Cure.

This series also celebrates the 15th anniversery of the franchise, much like Happiness Charge Pretty Cure celebrated the 10th anniversary. And while I did like Happiness Charge, I do feel this Hugtto does it better. Happiness Charge had some interesting concepts, but all in all, it didn’t utilize those concepts to its full potential and had some romance sub-plots that were a little hard to get invested in because it was already pretty clear what the outcome would be. The series wasn’t bad, but it could’ve been better.

With Hugtto, there are plenty of callbacks to previous Pretty Cure series, they are also willing to try new things and take more chances, managing to truly capture the essence of the Pretty Cure franchise. And sure, it has some flaws and there are perhaps some characters that could’ve been explored more, but all in all, it’s still a pretty good series.

And while on the topic of it being an anniversery series, I of course have to talk about certain episodes. I’ll first bring up episode 21, which ends with Hugtan summoning the original Pretty Cure duo, Cure Black and Cure White, who end up assisting the Hugtto team in episode 22, helping Emiru and Ruru sort out some problems between them and helping fight Papple’s Oshimaida before Hugtan returns the two to their world. This was pretty cool, and also ties in to the Hugtto Pretty Cure movie, which also has the Hugtto team teaming up with Cure Black and Cure White to help reclaim the memories of the other Pretty Cure teams, basically making it a Pretty Cure All Stars movie, which also has me wondering if we’ll get another All Stars movie for the 20th anniversary, and if that’ll be a recurring thing or not.

Anyways, back on topic, episode 36 and 37 then decided to one-up those episodes, by basically being a two-part episode All Stars movie on its own by bringing in all the other Pretty Cure teams. Basically, episode 36 has Dr. Traum planning to stop time, and trying to prevent the Cures from doing so by turning them into babies (again, another reference to the plot of the Hugtto movie) with one of his inventions, going after the grown-up Kira Kira Pretty Cures, who were meeting up for the first time in a while. Hugtan manages to get them out of danger by teleporting them to the Hugtto team, but not before Dr. Traum’s invention has turned them back into the ages they were during the Kira Kira Pretty Cure series itself. Hana and Ichika recognize each other, presumably due to the events of the crossover movie with them and the Mahou Tsukai Cures. (as well as Hana having visited the KiraPati in the finale of Kira Kira, but I’m not sure if this came up in the crossover movie or not, I do need to catch up on those.)

The Mahou Tsukai girls soon show up, with Mirai and Riko getting de-aged as well (Kotoha still being the same age as before due to essentially being a physical Goddess or something as shown in the finale of Mahou Tsukai Pretty Cure), and the three groups team up in order to stop Dr. Traum. As his new invention proves especially difficult to deal with, the Cures split up to seek more help, and end up meeting up with Love Momozono from Fresh Pretty Cure, and Nozomi Yumehara from Yes! Pretty Cure 5 and Yes! Pretty Cure 5 GoGo.

Cure Peach and Cure Dream join the fight, but Dr. Traum ultimately manages to freeze time, including most of the other Pretty Cure teams, however, we do see that in addition to the Cures gathered so far, Cure Black, Cure White and Shiny Luminous also managed to avoid being frozen and soon join up with the other Cures. However, Dr. Traum continues to get stronger, until he becomes a powerful Oshimaida and summons various monsters from previous series.

However, thanks to the determination of Hana and the others, the Cures manage to break through Dr. Traum’s attempts to stop them, and eventually the rest of the Cures from various series are able to join them, resulting in an epic fight where the various Cures fight together. In the end, with the help of all the Cures, as well as the encouragement from various allies those Cures have made throughout their series, they manage to purify Dr. Traum with their combined strength.

Now, while I do love these two episodes, episode 37 in particular, I do have to bring up the fact that this causes a few small issues with the timeline previously established by the final episodes of Mahou Tsukai Pretty Cure and Kira Kira Pretty Cure A La Mode. You see, in Mahou Tsukai Pretty Cure’s final episode, Mirai and Riko are both college age, but are temporarily returned to middle school ages by Kotoha’s magic, as they go on one last mission as Cures and find out what has happened to the other characters during the time skip. During their adventure, they meet Ichika, who is at this point a middle schooler.

Cut forward to Kira Kira Pretty Cure A La Mode’s final episode, where Hana stops by the KiraPati along with Hugtan, and which takes place before a time skip leading to the final scenes where we see the Kira Kira Pretty Cures all grown up. However, in episode 36, we see the Kira Kira Pretty Cures in their grown-up ages, despite the fact that Hana’s appearance in the last episode should suggest that they’d still be close to the same age as her at this point in the timeline. In addition, Mirai and Riko’s grown-up selves still appear to be the same age as we saw them in the last episode of Mahou Tsukai Pretty Cure, even though the grown-up versions of the Kira Kira Pretty Cure suggests that those two should be even older by then. Yeah... Kind of messes up the timeline a little, doesn’t it? Again, I haven’t seen the Dream Stars and Super Stars movies yet, so I don’t know what their take on the timeline is. I suppose the time travel element might play into some of this, but I’ll talk more about some of the more confusing aspects of the time travel stuff later.

Now, as mentioned, while there are some confusing details regarding the timelines of these shows, I’m actually willing to mostly overlook it simply because of how awesome episode 37 was. Seriously, that episode was like a love letter to the fans that have been following the entire franchise so far. I love the little details of the Kira Kira Pretty Cure A La Mode team being clueless as to who most of the Pretty Cure teams are, as the last Pretty Cure All Stars movie prior to the Hugtto one was the Mahou Tsukai Pretty Cure one, and thus the Kira Kira Pretty Cures hadn’t met most of the previous teams.

The entire fight scene during episode 37 is pure awesome, with how they pair up different Cures with similar abilities or personalities. Like the defensive Cures getting together to deflect an attack with their barriers, the former villain Cures with musical instruments (+ Cure Ma Cherie) joining up for an attack, Cure Blossom and Cure Flora combining their flower power, the star themed Cures doing an attack together, the Splash Star, Happiness Charge and Mahou Tsukai teams using their different forms, Milky Rose, Cure Felice and Cure Parfait (all being fairies who became human) fighting together, Cure Rouge, Cure Sunny and Cure March using their ball-themed attacks, the Cures who in some way use swords joining together, Cure Rhythm (also being an aspiring patissier) finally getting to meet Cure Whip... There are so many good combinations in this!

And there’s even more! We even get cameos from other notable characters from previous series, starting with an appearance from Bunbee, who was unwittingly roped into helping Dr. Traum with his invention, and then bailed out once he realized what was going on and then informed the Cures of what was going on.

Then, when the Cures are preparing for their final attack to purify Dr. Traum, we see both Pekorin and (partially) Mofurun assuming their Pretty Cure forms, and we get cameos from Michiru and Kaoru from Splash Star (in their Cure Bright and Windy forms), Cure Flower from HeartCatch Pretty Cure, Royale Candy from Smile Pretty Cure, Cure Tender and the Aloha Pretty Cures from Happiness Charge Pretty Cure, Pikario and Bibury from Kira Kira Pretty Cure, Soular and Westar from Fresh Pretty Cure, Otokichi from Suite Pretty Cure, Regina from Doki Doki Pretty Cure, Yui from Go! Princess Pretty Cure, the principal from Mahou Tsukai Pretty Cure and even Cure Echo from the All Stars movies appears to pitch in for the final attack. All of these allies of the Pretty Cures... Ah, it was so awesome!

There were probably a few more characters they could’ve included, with Seiji Sagara and maybe Blue from Happiness Charge in particular coming to mind, but it was still really awesome seeing them acknowledging all of these characters as basically part of the Pretty Cure teams. I loved that scene so much! And they even worked in a cameo of Kaoru from Fresh Pretty Cure after the battle and time returned to normal. It was just such a great episode! And they even managed to work it into the on-going story of Hugtto, since Dr. Traum was purified in the process. Seriously, this is how you celebrate a franchise’s anniversary. I also liked the use of the opening theme of Futari wa Pretty Cure for the action scene and the special episode ED themes.

The character development in this series is pretty solid, for the most part. As I mentioned earlier, I think Emiru could’ve had some more interactions with the team besides Ruru, and Saaya tended not to stand out as much in episodes not focused on her. Although I feel they at least managed to avoid having Saaya end up in the same category as Alice from Doki Doki Pretty Cure, Yuko from Happiness Charge Pretty Cure and Mirai from Mahou Tsukai Pretty Cure, three characters who didn’t receive as much character development as their teammates and while they certainly had episodes focused on them, they sort of remain static characters for most their shows. With Saaya, there is a clear progression in her character arc and her focus episodes develop her story well.

There might’ve also been aspects of some of the villains that could’ve been explored in more detail. On the other hand, I suppose there’s that saying “show, not tell”, and it might be better not to just tell everything. Still, in some cases, certain unanswered questions leave you wondering, and I’m not sure if we’ll possibly get an answer to some of those via supplementary materials, like we got with for example Sasorina, Kumojacky and Cobraja from HeartCatch Pretty Cure.

That aside, I feel the show overall does a pretty good job with setting up its plot points and the foreshadowing, with the gradual reveal of Harry’s backstory, the mysteries surrounding Hugtan and so on. There’s just enough clues that you can kind of piece together what’s going on, and look forward to seeing if you were right and what the other characters’ reactions will be. At least, that’s how I felt watching this series.

I also really appreciated Cure Infini. I feel this show was probably the most perfect time and place to introduce a male Cure, as I mentioned earlier. I kind of hope this could open up new possibilities for future Pretty Cure series. As I mentioned earlier, the appearance of Cure Infini also foreshadowed the events of the second-to-last episode, so I think it’s about time I start getting into the last few episodes, my thoughts on them, among other things.

So, basically, the last battle is kicked off by Criasu managing to stop time, and creating a giant Oshimaida to deal with the Cures. George kidnaps Hugtan, but the Cures do manage to finally purify Ristoru and Bishin, and Gelos helps give the Cures a ride to Criasu Corp’s HQ before joining the other former villains in holding off Oshimaidas while the Cures try to rescue Hugtan. George eventually traps all five Cures, and tries to break Cure Yell’s spirit by torturing the other four by eletrocuting them. However, the four manage to encourage Cure Yell to not give up despite all this. The four of them are sent away, leaving Cure Yell to confront George alone.

The two fight for a while, with Cure Yell refusing to give in. Recalling how much things have changed since she met Hugtan and the others, she finds the strength to keep fighting and eventually manages to destroy George’s book, freeing Hugtan. The other Cures soon rejoin the fight, and as they spread positive energy all over, time resumes as everyone becomes a Cure to assist with the final battle. Yes, everyone in town temporarily becomes a Cure to help deal the final blow against George. After this, Cure Yell goes to have one last talk with George, where they seem to reach somewhat of an understanding before he leaves, promising that they’ll meet again somewhere. After that, the Cures and the other former villains watch the sunrise together.

Yeah, that second-to-last episode was pretty awesome. With the angel-wing imagery throughout the show, I thought for sure that the Cures were going to receive one final power-up that included angel wings, but that didn’t happen. I think what they ended up doing with everyone in town becoming Cures was really cool, though. There were a few characters whose Cure forms we didn’t get to see, though, including Harry, Bishin and Ristoru, although I’m sure fanartists have come up with some designs. Among other characters I would’ve liked to see as Cures were Ranze and Reira, who I at least don’t remember seeing during that sequence. There were a lot of cool designs, though, especially for some of the former villains. A clever alternative to giving the Cures a final upgrade for the final battle, and works well with the show’s message. By working together and getting everyone involved, they were able to make a better future.

After the final battle, the last episode focuses on everyone going about their daily lives, with the first half of the episode dealing with the girls spending time together before it is time to send the characters from the future home. While working on the invention that’ll send the characters from the future back, the invention ends up turning into an Oshimaida and going on a rampage due to absorbing Toge power from a frustrated Fumito. The Cures have one last fight, with Hikaru/Cure Star from the then upcoming Star Twinkle Pretty Cure making a cameo to help them out, before going off to chase a kappa.

With all that done said and done, Hana and her friends see the characters from the future off as they board Dr. Traum’s time machine train to return home. However, they find it hard not to cry at being separated for a long time, especially as Hugtan doesn’t fully understand what is going on. In the end, the characters from the future return home.

Yeah, the scene where the characters from the present and the ones from the future part ways was really sad, especially with Hugtan’s reaction to it. Cure Star’s cameo was also kind of short compared to the cameos of Ichika/Cure Whip and Hana/Cure Yell in Mahou Tsukai Pretty Cure and Kira Kira Pretty Cure A La Mode. Still, since every other Cure from the previous series had been featured, and this show does have the whole future theme going, it’d also be strange if she didn’t show up. Also, after watching the first episode of Star Twinkle, I thought the whole thing with Hikaru running off to chase a kappa turned out to be a clever bit of foreshadowing, considering the first of the villains she ended up facing.

Anyways, as for the second half of the episode, we jump ahead several years into the future, where Hana and her friends are now adults, and we see what the supporting cast has been up to. We find that this timeline’s version of Dr. Traum has built a child version of Ruru which is supposedly capable of aging, which he calls the grown-up Emiru over to meet. While it’s not the same Ruru (who she presumably will have to wait another 13 years to meet again, if I understand things right, I’ll get back to that later), Emiru is happy to see her, and plays the song she wrote for the original Ruru on her guitar. New!Ruru seems to know the song, and sings along with Emiru.

Meanwhile, Hana is now the president of a successful company and is well-liked by her employees, which include some of her former classmates. However, one of her employees point out that she’s not even supposed to be working at the moment, and we soon see why as Hana is revealed to be pregnant and she starts going into labour. Saaya, now working as a doctor alongside the good timeline version of Daigan, prepare to help Hana as they get the call about her. Homare, now a famous ice skater, hurries over from the airport to be with Hana as she gives birth. We see more glimpses of what the rest of the supporting characters have been up to, and Hana gives birth to a familiar-looking baby girl, naming her Hagumi.

So, yeah. It is pretty neat seeing what all the supporting characters are up to in the good future. A few lingering plot points, such as the whole deal with Masato and Emiru’s grandfather is resolved, as we see him attending one of Henri’s performances, seemingly more accepting than before. Also, Henri and Masato probably had a relationship upgrade at some point during the time skip. Good for them!

And it is confirmed that Hugtan/Cure Tomorrow is indeed Hana’s daughter. The identity of her father is still ambiguous, though. While it could be George... I don’t know. I think it’d be kind of strange for that to happen, considering everything the bad future!George put Hana and her friends through. Even if the good timeline George is different, and Hana was willing to forgive the bad timeline!George to some extent... It just seems strange. I guess I just personally think that if anything, those two would just be friends.

While George being Hugtan’s father could potentially explain why she alone was spared in the bad timeline, but that could also just be because George knows she’s Hana’s daughter, even if he’s not the father. Yeah, I mentioned earlier that there are some confusing elements of the story, due to lack of certain details and the whole time travel aspect with the two different timelines. The whole deal with Cure Tomorrow being one of them.

By the time the series begins, the timeline has already changed slightly from the bad timeline George, the other Criasu members, Harry and Hugtan came from, with Hana having transferred schools and cut her bangs, while in the bad timeline, Hana never did transfer schools and meet the other girls. So, I guess the bad future characters going back in time might’ve caused some ripple effect that set in motion the changes to the timeline, including somehow Hana changing schools, although that’s just speculation on my part.

And then there’s the final episode, with the characters from the future returning to the good timeline, a brief scene of human!Harry with Cure Tomorrow seemingly confirming that they did make it there. I do wonder, though, since we do see the younger versions of the former villains there, is there going to be two of each of these characters in this timeline? My reason for this is based on the appearance of human!Harry, since we see hamster!Harry with Bicine and Ristoru in an earlier scene, and considering the events of the bad future didn’t happen in this timeline, Criasu wouldn’t be around and Harry, Bicine and Ristoru presumably wouldn’t have been experimented on and given their human forms.

I guess I’m curious as to how things would’ve played out when the characters from the future return to about 13 years after the events shown in the second half of the final episode. I imagine Emiru being thrilled to now have two Rurus to hang out with, and the two versions of Dr. Traum discussing new inventions, as well as discussing the possibility of upgrading the original Ruru to be able to age like the new Ruru. And then there’s Hagumi, assuming Hana did indeed have her in the bad timeline too... I mean, would good timeline!Hagumi have had any reason to become a Pretty Cure, since there doesn’t seem to be any villains causing trouble in the good future? So, if there’s two Hagumi in the good future now, would one of them be a regular girl, and the other a Pretty Cure?

Yeah... Assuming that’s how it would work, I guess it could make for some interesting fanfic. I imagine Hana and the others would do their best to help their friends from the bad future settle down in the good future.

So, basically, if you think a little too hard about it and try to make sense of how the whole time travel and timeline aspect works, certain things can get a bit confusing. The series does have a few other flaws, but all in all, it’s a very enjoyable series with plenty of great characters, nice animation, a good soundtrack and so on. The story is really good, with its optimistic message about the future and plenty of call backs to previous Pretty Cure series while also trying some new twists on the usual tropes. As I said earlier, this series perfectly captures the spirit of the Pretty Cure series.

Well, I guess I’ve said everything I can think of. I really loved this series! A great series to celebrate the 15th anniversery of the franchise, and I certainly have high hopes for the future of the franchise. I’ve been enjoying Star Twinkle Pretty Cure a lot so far, and when that series concludes, I’ll certainly look forward to writing another one of these posts with my thoughts on that series! Okay, that’s all for now. I’ll see you guys later!

#darkershining's thoughs on pretty cure #pretty cure #hugtto precure #long post

10 notes · View notes

floweryfandomnerd · 6 years

Text

@thelazyfanartist Hey I finally got this done and I’m very happy with it despite it being a procrastination method from revision man am I gonna fail my exams at this rate.

Anyway here is the fourth drabble in the schoolboy!arslan au that you requested. I say drabble it’s 4k+ long... I hope you enjoy

Chapter Four

The room that Elam stands in the doorway to is a mess with old toys strewn about the wooden floor in almost a circle from the centre, he sighs at the thought of cleaning it up.

“Hey Elam, did you bring your old toys to go through for the beneficence day?” Arslan asks him, springing up from what could be described as the eye of the storm, if the storm were one of dolls and stuffed animals.

He lifts up the canvas bag in his right hand to show him, Arslan eyes the graphic print on it for a moment then holds out his hand expectantly. Elam loops the handles around Arslan’s wrist, he tugs the bag open and peers inside, wide grin forming on his face as he pulls out a spiderman action figure, “Cool! You have my favourite hero!”

Elam steps closer to him, digging around in the bag himself, he produces a Hawkeye figure and holds it up to eye level, “Yeah, but Hawkeye’s my favourite because he's skilled with a bow and that's pretty awesome. Even more awesome is that in the original comics he's deaf, that's pretty inspiring for disabled kids, y’know?” Elam tells him.

And even though his voice lacks the same obvious excitement as his, Arslan has long since learnt to read him by the way the corners of his eyes crinkle as he talks about it, by the way that he stands just a little bit straighter and holds the figure to his chest. Arslan smiles softly, he's more than fond of seeing his friend so happy.

“Yeah! It's great because it shows that even with a disability you can be anything - even a superhero!” Arslan agrees, enthusiastically nodding his head, “Hawkeye is Daryun’s third favourite, besides Thor and Captain America.”

‘Yeah, they're kinda cool too.” Elam glances back down at the figure sadly, he doesn't really want to give it away.

“He says Spiderman is lame though, says it's because he reminds him of a teenage Narsus, except Narsus didn't have a six pack and liked art too.” Arslan gently takes the figure out of Elam’s hand as he laughs, (he takes pride in drawing that laugh out of his friend, he's glad that he doesn't always feel the need to be so serious around him anymore.) Arslan sets the two action figures down carefully on his bed, kept apart from all of the unsorted toys, “Anyway, we can't get rid of these.”

“Wow. Was Narsus that much of a nerd?” Elam asks, still in stitches and clutching his arms around his sides.

“What do you mean was? He still is!” Arslan jokes, mumbling an afterthought, “Though he's more of an art nerd than a science nerd now, I guess.”

Elam carefully steps around the toys to sit in the middle of them, he drags Arslan with him by the sleeve. Picking up the nearest stuffed animal in front of him, Elam inspects it for any rips in the stitching or missing eyes. When he finds nothing wrong with it he holds it up to Arslan. Silently answering the question, Arslan nods his head to say that it can be donated; Elam sets the toy aside in a basket labelled “donations.”

They get into a rhythm of deciding whether the toys can stay or go, picking them up, checking them over for injury and then questioning whether they can be kept or not. Most of the toys wind up in the basket, too many for them to be of any emotional value. Occasionally though, Arslan shakes his head and tenderly takes the toy from Elam’s hand, placing them on the bed. It builds up an eclectic collection of old, tattered toys that he stares at fondly.

They’re special to him, each and every one, he doesn't want to get rid of them. Knowing they're safe, he quietly returns to helping Elam sort the rest of the toys, neither of them break the silence, though Elam wants to ask what makes each one so important. After all, every toy has a story to it when it means something.

Breaking the silence between them by means of a creaking door, Alfarid strides in, calling out, “Guys, I’m here!”

Taking another step into the room, Alfarid stands on one of the still unsorted toys, slipping and crashing into the basket. A few toys go flying out, one of them hitting Elam on the head; Alfarid sits slightly dazed in the basket, limbs splayed everywhere and giggles sheepishly, “So um, what were you guys doing?”

Elam scowls at her, rubbing the impact spot, “We were enjoying ourselves but I guess that’s over now.”

Long used to his sass, Alfarid simply sticks her tongue out at him. Despite Elam’s sourness towards her, Arslan laughs at her. She laughs along too, guessing herself just how ridiculous she must look. The three blink at an unexpected flash and the sound of a camera shutter, Etoile stands in the doorway, polaroid camera in hand and held up in front of her face. Lowering it, she tugs the photograph printing in the bottom out and fans it around. The photograph develops, ink drying and the image forming in blotches.

She looks at it and grins, chuckling just slightly, then she holds it out for the others to see. They smile and Alfarid takes the photo in her own hand.

“This one’s a keeper!” she beams. “It’s definitely going in my memory box.”

Etoile points to the window where opened light blue and white curtains let the sunlight filter in through the glass, “Yeah, the lighting in here made sure it came out great. But that should be going in my memory box, I took the picture.”

Pouting, she holds it out for the other girl, but Elam quickly snatches it away and squints at it. He cracks a smile and shoves it into Arslan's face.

“It’s cute, we look cute in this photo don't we Denka?” he pauses, considering thoughtfully for a moment, then adds, “Alfarid doesn't.”

She gasps in outrage, insulted and ready to fire expletives back at him, Etoile speaks over the top of her, vexed, “Wait, why did you call him ‘Denka’?”

Alfarid resorts to crossing her eyes and arms and sticking her tongue out at Elam in a huff, he pays her no mind and gestures towards the bed in the corner of the room, “Because he has a king sized bed, in like every room, but we're still kids, so Denka.”

She glances to Arslan, ‘Denka’, questioningly but to her surprise he doesn't seem to mind the nickname. She turns her head away rapidly when she realises that she's caught his eye with her own. He jumps up, excitedly putting a hand on her shoulder.

“You should take another one,” he tells her, voice as warm as a sunny day, “but this time you should get in too!”

She nods, still a little surprised, then finds her voice to reply, “Of course, it wouldn't be the perfect photo if I weren't in it.”

He laughs happily and bounces off to the pile of toys on the bed.

“Before you take it,” he says, waving Alfarid over to his side, “we need to organise the toys on here for the background.”

They align them against the wall, organising them by size with the largest teddy bears at the back and action figures sitting in the front. Arslan grabs Elam’s arm and drags him over to sit in front of the bed with him and Alfarid. Etoile sets a fifteen second timer and places the camera on the bed side table, seating herself next to Arslan. Seconds later the camera flashes and she fights the urge to blink. She’d set it to go off three times, one photo for each of them.

The polaroid deposits the photographs in front of it, she idly goes through them, pausing and deciding which she likes best, Alfarid making the peace sign whilst Elam glares at her, Arslan and herself making silly faces; maybe the one when all four of them are smiling and Elam and Alfarid have given up their bickering. She decides on the one where, for some strange reason, Arslan's smile is directed at her instead of the camera. She pockets that one carefully and leaves the other three open to the others’ choice.

Turning to Elam, she picks up a stuffed horse off of the wooden floor, dangling it in the air by the tail. She scrutinises the toy, swinging it from side to side, “So Elam, why all the toys? We helping a tragic case of hoarding or? I mean, if so I guess it's a productive use of a Thursday afternoon… ”

Elam laughs, “No, our school is having a beneficence day so we're going through all of Arslan's old stuff to sell some and raise money.”

“You can donate that horse by the way,” Arslan chimes in.

Etoile nods, dumping it amongst the other sacrificed toys. “What about this ratty old bear? Are you sure you want to keep it?” she asks just a little brashly. Its fur is worn and discoloured, one of the eyes is missing and some of the stitching is coming away, letting the stuffing spill out in small patches. They couldn't even donate it if they had wanted to.

Still, Arslan nods almost shyly, softly replying, “Yes… I want to keep it.”

She carefully passes it to him, gazing thoughtfully in his direction, head cocked slightly to the side, “That’s important to you, isn’t it?” she says slowly.

“Yes, it’s the only thing I have left of my birth parents. They gave it to me when I was five.”

Alfarid’s eyebrows shoot up in surprise, “Your birth parents?”

Smiling almost sadly at her, Arslan sighs quietly, ‘Yeah, they died in a car accident when I was eight.” He brightens up then - Etoile can't help but think the expression reads as fake - adding, “I'm okay with donating almost anything, just not this, okay?”

Elam silently pats his arm, glancing at him out of the corner of his eye, Arslan briefly taps Elam's hand with his own in acknowledgement.

Clapping a hand gently on his shoulder, Etoile reassures him, “Well that's fine, isn't it? You don't have to give up everything of yourself to make a difference to others.” She grins broadly at him then, firmly stating, “Giving to charity is a good thing Arslan, you just need to make sure you keep something for yourself too.”

When he beams at her in response, agreeing resolutely, she thinks she might just have to change her opinion of him as a spoiled rich boy. “Why don't I take that and fix it for you?” she asks, pointing at the stuffing spilling out like Winnie the Pooh’s, “I know how to sew.”

This time it's Elam's turn to be surprised, “Really?” he enquires almost incredulously.

“Yup.”

“Do you think you could teach me then? I'm no good at it past stitching up holes.” Elam points to the dark brown fabric patches on the elbows of his deep green jumper as if they were evidence of his lack of skills.

Etoile laughs then, quickly obliging herself, “Yeah, I think that would be fun. I could even teach you how to make clothes, if you want me to,” she says, closely scrutinising his work and mumbling, “though I think you're plenty good already.”

She doesn't notice the camera go off again, snapping a shot of her intensely staring at Elam's elbow whilst he looks to be concentrating equally as hard. Giggles escape Alfarid, betraying her mischief as she shows off the picture to Arslan who giggles along with her.

Cutting off the giggling, she turns to Arslan again, “Well do you?” she almost demands the answer of him, “I promise no harm will come to it whilst in my care. Just good old stuffing surgery.”

Easily agreeing, he hands the toy over to her, “Yes, I trust you'll do a great job.”

Daryun interrupts them, knocking loudly and pushing open the door to the room. “Dinner's ready kids. Come down and eat.”

“You didn't cook it now, did you?” Elam worries at him, Daryun isn't someone he would trust to make food. Responsible, usually, but he's just as much of a disaster in the kitchen as Narsus is, if his attempt at a cake is anything to go by.

Daryun's expression morphs into one of offense, arms crossed, eyes narrowed, and his mouth set in an annoyed line, “Yes I did, I don't really think there's anywhere to go wrong with spaghetti bolognaise, Elam.”

Holding his glare a moment, Elam eventually relents, accepting that Daryun perhaps might not be as useless a cook as he is a baker. Though he does question why Daryun decided to make it himself, if he remembers correctly, Elam believes that Arslan's household employed a cook already, and that it certainly wasn't Daryun.

Daryun smiles in response, “Okay then, I'll drop you lot off at home after you've finished dinner then.”.

Etoile takes the bear home with her.

After her Tuesday afternoon shift in the shop, Etoile wanders around the town centre a little bit, gazing in shop windows without entering, pressing her hands against the glass when she takes interest in something and peering in curiously only to pull herself away a moment later. Eventually she arrives in front of the store she actually intends to enter and pushes open the door. It's a small shop with little room and fewer regular customers, but the products are good quality and inexpensive, so it's her chosen place to shop.

They have pretty fabrics hung on spools all across the far wall, Etoile likes looking at them, running her fingers across each one as she tries to decide which one she needs to buy. Pausing, she takes the bear from the plain brown satchel at her hip and studies it, tapping a finger against her lips in thought. A patchwork job would probably last longer, she thinks, than just sewing up the bear. As long as she finds the right fabric and colour.

This one, she thinks, feeling a soft and velvet-like deep brown fabric. She buys half a meter, some brown thread and a button that matches the eye of the bear. She pays for the items and is almost out of the door before she remembers that some stuffing might be useful. Purchasing the stuffing, she leaves and makes her way home.

Her apartment is empty when she arrives, Barcacion - the great uncle that she lives with and is rather fond of - isn't home, leaving Etoile to quietly sit in the arm chair by the window as she repairs the bear. It doesn't take long to fix, but as her needle dips in and out of the fabric, sewing the toy's wound shut, Etoile considers why Arslan, with all his money, didn't just pay for the bear to be sewn back up. At first she can't think of any real reason, eventually however, she thinks that maybe it was because he was scared it would be changed beyond recognition and he wouldn't have anything left of the people who formed his early life. After that, she's careful to make sure the bear remains recognisable.

Her chance to return the bear doesn't come until the Beneficence Day three days later. She wanders through the gate idly, taking her time to enjoy the afternoon sun that spills over the buildings around her, casting shadows and golden rays alike. The school grounds are unusually busy, but that's hardly surprising given the day's event, still, the crowd is so thick that she struggles to see where she can find Arslan, Elam or Alfarid. What gives it away is the circle of young children and their parents circling around one particular covered table, she figures that nothing other than a ridiculous amount of toys would draw that kind of attention and starts weaving her way through the throng of people to get there.

When Arslan catches sight of her amongst the crowd he beams at her brightly and waves to her to catch her attention, she smiles gently and holds up the bear, moving one of its arms from side to side to wave back at him. He laughs cutely, clutching his sides with one arm, Etoile quite likes the look of his laughing face. Quietly, and to herself, Etoile giggles along with him, holding one hand up to her mouth to hide it. Upon arrival in Arslan's little covered stall she deposits the bear in the front pocket of his apron, situating it with its arms hanging out over the top as Arslan's face begins to flame whenever her hands accidentally brush at his chest. She steps back, peers at him critically and smiles, satisfied with how it looks.

“Now you look like a toy maker, one who likes giving gifts to little children.” She tells him, patting his shoulder momentarily.

“That doesn't sound like such a bad job, actually.” He says thoughtfully, turning from her and serving a bright eyed little girl who eagerly buys the cutest stuffed rabbit Etoile has ever seen. Arslan holds a finger to his lips and leans down to whisper conspiratorially to her, “I'll tell you a secret about that rabbit, but you have to promise to take good care of her.”

The little girl nods her head, wearing a serious expression and crossing her heart, “I promise!” She says gravely in a hushed whisper.

Arslan looks pensively at her for a moment, “Okay,” he tells the girl, “That rabbit is the princess of the rabbit kingdom, but no one can know or the foxes will find her and plunge the kingdom into turmoil.”

She gasps and glances astonished down at the bunny in her arms.

“So you need to protect her, you see, brave lady knight, I wish you good luck.”

“Thank you, I'll look after her well.” The little girl declares, leaving and going back to her mother.

Etoile watches fondly and just slightly awed, she never realised just how good Arslan was with children, she doesn't quite know what to say, it reminds her of a game she used to play as a child. “That was adorable,” slips past her lips as he turns back to face her.

“I used to play a similar game when I was a kid, my bear used to be the prince of a fallen kingdom,” Arslan tells her wistfully, “Sometimes - as often as I could, actually - I used to get Daryun to play it with me, he was always this brave warrior, see.”

Etoile’s own memories are somewhat the same, it’s a rather nostalgic feeling, “Ah, me too, I was a valiant knight, fighting for my kingdom in the name of God, well, a made up one that I called Yaldaboath. It was fun.”

He smiles softly at her, probably imagining when she was ten years old, running around and swinging a foam sword. At least she can imagine him playing with teddy bears straight back.

“Arslan, you can switch out with me now. Go enjoy the rest of the event,” Elam says from behind her, appearing out of nowhere and startling Etoile just slightly.

Arslan nods, gently grabbing Etoile's hand and tugging her along with him, a mischievous sparkle shining in his eyes. He doesn't say much, concentrating on navigating through the crowd of people, stopping at a table with a crudely set up game of ring toss that offers prizes in the form of toys, money and cupcakes.

“Do you want to play?” Arslan asks her, pulling his hand away and reaching in his pocket for change to pay with.

Ignoring the emptiness of her hand, Etoile agrees, reaching for the rings, “Sure, but pay for two games I want to know who's better at this game.” She says, challenging him to test his aim.

He has fairly good aim, actually, which shouldn't surprise Etoile given his school has beaten hers at mixed baseball before. His first two throws go well, the rings hang on the necks of the bottles but he overshoots the last one just slightly and misses. He shrugs somewhat disappointedly, staring longingly at a giant chocolate cupcake offered as a prize. “Guess I'm not getting that cake then,” he says and Etoile swears she can hear genuine sadness in his voice.

Grabbing the second set of three rings, Etoile aims carefully, flinging them with just the right amount of force that they land on the bottlenecks, spinning noisily around them like a hula hoop. She doesn't even have to say what prize she wants, the bored student hands over the chocolate cupcake immediately. Etoile shoves it towards Arslan, offering it to him.

“You look hungry, so take it.” She half commands him.

Instead of eating it all himself, Arslan splits it in half and gives the bigger piece back to her, “Thanks,” he tells her with an impish grin.

There's not really much else to do at the beneficence day, having come so late and working on the teddy bear stall, they've missed all the events like races and talent shows. Etoile quickly finds herself growing bored despite her company and the different little games they play - actually, the one with the water guns is fun since she gets to soak him and he gapes at her in open shock - though she holds it in and doesn't say anything, at least she has time to think for once.

The crowd has thinned by the time he turns to her, still damp from her earlier attacks, “There’s not really anything left to do here, is there?”

Etoile shakes her head, “Not really, I think we missed all the good stuff, unfortunately.”

Arslan hums in agreement, making a little noise and obviously thinking about something else , what exactly, Etoile isn’t sure. He holds his hand out expectantly, waiting for her to take it again, “Let’s go then, I know somewhere nice.”

Hesitantly, Etoile takes his hand, following him through the grounds and avoiding the last few stragglers there, her cheeks feel decidedly warm.

“Where are we going?” She asks as they leave the gates, heading away from the school and in the opposite direction from his house, moving farther from the town centre with every step.

“You'll see,” he tells her cryptically, staring up at the top of a grassy hill from the base of it.

A small playpark sits on the summit of the hill, surrounded by a bright coloured fence and trees dotted around behind it with swings and slides and a giant climbing frame among the things to do there. Arslan tugs her hand and starts climbing it, bringing Etoile to realise that he wanted to take her to the park. Sometimes, she thinks, he’s a little bit of a kid and a little cliché but she doesn’t mind it so much. Silently challenging Arslan to a race, Etoile removes her hand from his, sprinting up the hill ahead of him. She sees him break into a run as she glances behind her, the corners of his lips curved up into a wide smile.

Etoile wins the race, sitting in the grass and panting at the top of the hill as she waits for him to struggle his way up.

“You’re many times fitter than I am, Etoile, I don’t know how you managed to run the whole way up,” He tells her, bent over with his hands on his thighs and wheezing to catch his breath.

Etoile shrugs casually, “I cycle to school.”

Pushing herself up from the grass, Etoile waits for him to stop wheezing and takes herself to the swings; she’s always been fond of swings, something about them is relaxing and they always seem to have the amazing power of clearing her mind. Arslan sits on the one next to her, swinging quietly aside from the creaking of the chains that attach the seat to the bar and the scuffing sound of his feet when he kicks off the ground. It’s peaceful.

“You know, I always used to come to this park as a kid, you know, before I was taken to Castle Andragoras.” He says softly, breaking their comfortable silence with a mournful tone of regret, “I don’t really remember it.”

“Was it fun?” Etoile asks in an almost-whisper.

“Yes.” Arslan abruptly stops swinging, getting up and holding out his hand for her again.

She lets the swing stop naturally before she stands, though she doesn’t take his hand this time, there’s no way for her to get lost in the little play park. After a confused moment, he lets his hand drop and begins climbing the giant climbing frame that she noticed earlier.

“Come up here, Etoile, this is what I wanted to show you.” He calls down to her, already a short distance from the ground.

She obeys, scaling her way up through the organised mess of cold metal bars until she reaches just below the top, where Arslan sits on one of the bars, distractedly swinging his legs as he gazes over the city. As she sits beside him, watching the same view as him, Etoile thinks she knows why he brought her there. The sunset is beautiful, pinks, purples, oranges and reds taking over from the sunny blue bathe every tree and building in their hues. If she remembers correctly, it’s the start of magic hour, or twilight.

“It’s so pretty, I’m glad you brought me to see it,” she voices with some awe.

“Yeah, I’ve always thought so,” he whispers on an exhaled breath, glancing at her from the corner of his eye with a fond smile.

Etoile sways slightly and Arslan places his hand on hers to help her keep her balance.

“Do you remember this?” She asks quietly.

“Yes.”

If you enjoyed this please think about a reblog so that more people can read it!

@inokinako You would probably like to read, no?

#arslan senki #the heroic legend of arslan #arstoile #arslan #elam #alfarid #etoile #schoolboy!arslan au #flings this into the abyss and hides #Man I feel like I'm slow burning arslan and etoile but am I?#Pretty sure I've read much more slowburn fic than this drabble series tbh #enjoy though

20 notes · View notes