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redrose-arrow · 2 years

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Like a phoenix from the ashes

Halt always opened others' mail. Everyone knew that. So when he hands Will a letter, perfectly sealed and with no sign of any form of creative documentation whatsoever, his former apprentice can’t help but raise an eyebrow. Halt shrugs. ‘Didn’t have the time,’ he says. That isn’t true. Halt is retired - he has short of all the time in the world. But - unbeknownst to Will - there had been something about the letter that had prevented thld Ranger from opening it.

The letter is addressed to Will. Not the Ranger Will, not Will Treaty, not even the Ranger of Redmont. Just Will. It had simply showed up, on the doorstep of the tiny cabin at the edge of the woods, one seemingly insignificant day a week ago, when Will had been away on a visit to Castle Araluen.

Will takes the letter, breaks the seal, and begins to read. And frown. The frown deepens as his eyes scan the words on the paper, again and again and again.

‘What’s wrong?’ Halt asks. Will shakes his head as he reads the words once again. The frown doesn’t disappear.

‘I recognise this handwriting...’ he says slowly. ‘But I never thought I’d see it again.’

Halt’s curiousity is simply too strong to pretend he doesn’t care. ‘Whose is it?’

‘Never mind. I’m probably wrong. It’s impossible.’

Halt grabs the paper.

‘“Where past was present, when red reflects,’ the old Ranger reads. ‘What’s that supposed to mean?’

‘Nothing,’ Will says. He takes the letter back, folds it, and shoves it to the side. ‘The meaning of that phrase died a long time ago.’

And with that, the conversation is over. Halt can tell that his former apprentice does not want to talk about it. He shrugs it off. And forgets.

Will doesn’t forget. Not at first. But still, the curiousity never wins. It is, after all, impossible. So when, two days later, the full moon gives way to the first rays of daylight that illuminate the bright red stones of Redmont castle, Will isn’t at the tree in which he and Alyss carved their initials as kids and again after their wedding.

---

A month later, there’s another full moon. Another month later, another full moon. The full moons come and they go, and the tree remains unvisited by Will. He doesn’t even remember the words, written by a hand he could never forget. But he forgot the words, and the letter and even the fire he built to burn them both. He’s always been good at forgetting what he didn’t want to remember.

But even if Will doesn’t follow the message of the letter, someone else does. A mysterious figure, tall and slim. Anonymous to everyone, except to those who knew.

‘Alyss?’

The figure turns around. Behind her, the Castle glows ominously, the dark clouds in the sky above allowing only the smalles of sunrays to pass through.

‘Halt,’ Alyss smiles. ‘Not the Ranger I was waiting for. Nevertheless, it’s good to see you.’

It doesn’t happen often. In fact, it seems like it never happens at all. But Halt was truly at a loss for words. He didn’t know what he had expected when he had finally decoded the cripted message, but this certainly hadn’t been it.

‘What? How-’

Alyss raises a hand and lets her smile widen a little. ‘Why don’t you take me to Pauline, and I’ll explain everything.’

---

It’s been a while, since Alyss has used any of the breathing techniques Pauline taught her, but they come in handy now. Her breaths grow less shuddering and less shallow, her hands steady themselves, and her feet are placed firmly on the ground again.

Seeing Pauline and Halt, after all this time... It had been one of the happiest and also hardest days in her life. Yet she knew that it paled in comparison to having to face her husband in a few minutes.

‘Alyss?’

Alyss smiles. She’d missed hearing her name. She releases a final deep breath, smooths some nonexistent wrinkles in her dress, and goes back into the apartment. Halt and Pauline are there - they promised they’d be there when Will arrived. They’d invited him, after all, and he didn’t know what for.

‘I’m okay,’ Alyss says in response to the worrying look in Pauline’s eyes. ‘Really, I’m fine.’

She has to be, because there’s knocking on the door. Halt throws a last look into her direction as he walks towards the door. Alyss nods and he opens it.

There he is. Will’s hear is messy from the wind that’s raging outside. His cheeks are flushed and there’s a devious grin on his face. He looks older - he is older - and yet he looks like the man she loved - loves - in every way that matters. Oh, how Alyss has missed him.

‘Halt! How are you-’ Will never finishes his sentence. His eyes had wandered into the apartment, undoubtedly looking for Pauline, instead finding Alyss.

‘You- no.’

Will shakes his head a few times and blinks violently, as if he’s trying to erase a fata morgana that’s been plaguing him. His hair gets even more messed up, the flush intensifies, but the devious grin falls.

‘It can’t be.’

Alyss shrugs and smiles at him.

‘It is,’ she says calmly. ‘Hi, Will.’

Will’s reaction is cut and clear: he turns around and walks away.

---

‘Alyss, dear, how did you think he would react?’

‘I don’t know,’ Alyss admits. ‘I know he doesn’t like surprises. I just thought-’

She’s sitting at the table in Halt and Pauline’s kitchen, a pot of tea between them. Pauline’s hand is resting on Alyss’s.

‘It’s been ten years, Alyss. And more than half of that time has Will spent healing from the pain of losing you. You can’t just show up and expect him to accept that you’re alive after all.’

Alyss sighs deeply, ‘I know, which is why I sent him the letter. I thought I could... ease him into it.’

Pauline smiles sadly and squeezes her hand. ‘Emotions are hardly that simple to navigate, Alyss. You need to give it some more time. Give him some more time.’

Halt takes Alyss’s other hand. ‘We’ll talk to him.’

They do.

---

‘You need to talk to her.’ Halt is all business, all facts, and it’s annoying the crap out of Will.

‘I can’t,’ he replies stubbornly. His arms are folded over one another, his back is straight, and there’s a storm raging in his eyes. In response, Halt raises an eyebrow.

‘What do you mean, you can’t?’

‘I can’t talk to Alyss. She’s dead. You told me, Pauline told me, everyone told me. Everyone told me for months that she was dead and that she wasn’t coming back and that I needed to move on. So I did.’

‘Yeah, well, now she’s un-dead and you need to go talk to her.’ Halt’s inability to be eloquent about sensitive matters had been a life-saver for Will in many times in his life. He’d always appreciated his mentor’s straight-forwardness and clarity. In this very specific instance, however, Pauline rightly sensed that it was doing more harm than good.

‘Will, dear, listen to me.’

It must be admitted that Will had the decency to turn around and meet Pauline’s gaze while she spoke to him.

‘I know this all has been a great shock to you. It was for us, too. It’s okay if you need some time to process. And no one expects you to go back to the way it once was. But up there, in the Castle where you grew up, is your wife and she needs you. And all you need to do is listen.’

‘But Pauline, how can I do that, when she’s spent the last ten years lying to me?’

‘She didn’t-’ Halt begins, but Will doesn’t let him finish. He’s gaze shoots back to his mentor, jaw clenched.

‘No, she did. For ten years, she let me think that she was gone. She... she let me think that she was dead.’

There are tears in Will’s eyes, tears he’s holding back with nothing but sheer willpower. Pauline is reminded of that day in the tower, way back when, when the wards in Will’s year were being assigned to their mentors. Now, she takes his hand, and says: ‘It’s okay to be upset. It’s okay to be angry. Just... give her a chance to explain herself, okay?’

It takes a few days. And nights. But at last, a letter shows up at Halt and Pauline’s apartment.

You know where, it says. You know when.

---

‘… Will?’

If he hadn’t been wearing his cowl down, Alyss is sure she wouldn’t have seen him. She had never quite gotten used to the way Will moved with the shadows, became one with them.

As for Will, more than anything does he wish to become one with the shadows now. To disappear, to vanish, to withdraw from sight and from this conversation. But Will has never run from a fight, and so he wasn’t going to run from this one either. Besides, even though the heap of emotions in his stomach is making it impossible to figure out how he feels, he remembers how much he loved her, how much he used to wish that she was not really dead. It now seems that his wish has come true at last, and so the least he can do is give her the chance to explain.

He doesn’t greet Alyss as she comes nearer. Just one word escapes his lips.

‘How?’

Alyss remembers Pauline’s words. Will is here to listen. Not talk. So she’ll do the talking. She’ll do anything to keep him listening, to keep him near.

‘There was a sixth member in our group on that mission,’ she began. ‘Max - you know him, he was with me in Macindaw too. Max and I, together with our scribe and three guards, had all safely exited the inn before the fire could spread. When I...’ She snifs. ‘Well, I’m assuming you know what happened next. What I did.’

Will’s nod of confirmation is short.

‘After the inn had collapsed, Max found me. He pulled me out from under the burning ruins. I begged him not to let anyone know. Without questions, he got me out and to safety. I was too weak to do anything. Max bought the loyalty and silence of a sweet old widow at the edge of the town. I stayed there to recover while he joined my team back to Redmont. Here, he quit his job, supposedly out of grief, and returned to me. We disappeared, leaving everyone to think that I was dead.’

‘Including me.’

Alyss nods. ‘Including you. Not telling you was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do, Will, you have to believe me.’

Will looks up - he doesn’t meet her eyes, but he looks at her, enough so that Alyss can feel a gust of coldness washing over her. When Will speaks, his voice too is cold as ice.

‘Why didn’t you?’

Alyss sighs. ‘A few months before the mission, I came across some missing pages in a book about that outlined Araluen’s rule of law as King Herbert once established it. It outlined everything, from Kings to Royal Family, from Barons to Lords, and from Rangers to Couriers. Every possible person with even the slightest ownership of power was in there, complete with all the legal information on how to appoint and fire them. The book stores some of Araluen’s best-guarded and most-important information, and parts of it were gone. I had to investigate.

It took me weeks, but I figured out who had stolen the pages, and why. A rebellion was brooding, Will. And they were aiming to disrupt Araluen’s entire chain of command. No one was going to be spared. I had to do something.

I had my suspects followed and stored every piece of evidence I could find. I read books and books and books and built my case. I was planning on informing you and the others when my claims were solidified and I had proof. I thought it was too dangerous to involve you any sooner. I was proven right in that regard when they found out that I was onto them. I was threatened, Will. And followed. I wasn’t sure what they would do, but I couldn’t let them win. I also couldn’t put anyone else at risk.

So when a burning inn collapsed with me in it, I saw my chance. I faked my death. And spent the last nine years dismantling the rebellion, one by one.’

Now that Alyss is done telling her story, it is silent. There’s no sound, not even that of birds singing or of wind rustling through leaves. She hesitates, unsure whether she should give him a second to process, or keep talking. She sees Will’s eyes wander off to the trees behind her and, scared that he might wander off with them, continues .

‘A few months ago, I decided that I’d built my case. The evidence was undeniable and I had everything to get them put away. Even the locations of their camps. All that was left to do was offer my case to the highest in command and let them do the rest. So that’s what I did. Horace and Cassandra, they-’

‘Horace and Cassandra?’ Alyss is slightly surprised that out of all that she’s said, that’s the part Will decides to comment on. Comment, because near-yelling sounds so aggressive. Yet that’s exactly what he does.

‘You already went to Horace and Cassandra?’ Will asks incredulously. He isn’t quite yelling, but his voice is raised. It makes the pain and the hurt sound even clearer.

‘I had to, Cassandra’s the Regent. She had to know. And I couldn’t just leave my research unnamed. The last thing it needed was a credible person presenting it, so I had to reveal myself to them.’

Logic and common sense had gone out of the window. Will’s hand flinches, he makes a fist, and for a second it seems like he’s seriously debating throwing a punch at the nearest tree. But when he shoots, his weapon of choice are words, and they hurt Alyss more than a punch ever would.

‘Who was next, Gundar over in Skandia? Selethen in Arrida? And maybe Shigeru in Nihon-Ja, while you were at it. How many people exactly did you go to, before coming here?’

‘That’s not fair,’ Alyss protests. If Will can hear the lump in her throat, if he can see the tears in her eyes, he doesn’t act on it. Alyss regains control of her emotions.

‘I took an oath, the same one you did. To put the Kingdom first, always. So that’s what I did.’

‘What about your oath to me?’

‘I-’ Alyss knows Will well enough to have expected this question and yet now that it’s asked, she’s taken aback. Her husband continues.

‘You were my family, Alyss. My oldest friend, my closest friend, and the only one who was my family by law. And you left me. You left me all alone.’

Will’s voice isn’t raised anymore. It no longer sounds angry. It sounds small. It sounds hurt.

‘I mourned you, Alyss. I grieved you. I avenged you.’ It’s not all. Alyss can feel it. She waits patiently until Will has stopped shaking his head and can fathom looking at her.

‘I missed you.’ His voice breaks. He breaks.

Alyss reaches her hand to him. ‘I know you did. I knew you would. But I-’

Seeing how he moves away from her, how he flinched when she reached out, breaks her already so broken heart.

They stand in silence, the distance between them as big and far as it’s never been. Will’s staring at the letter etched in the tree trunk. Alyss is staring at him. The seconds turn into minutes and it feels as though the minutes turn into hours. They’ve spent ten years apart, but that time is nothing compared to the time it takes Will to process. Finally, after what seems like an eternity, he speaks again. When he does, his voice is empty.

‘Why’d you come back?’ he asks. ‘Why didn’t you just... stay undercover to dismantle more rebellions?’

'Because of you.’ The words are out before they both know it. They make the silence that follow sound even more pressing.

Longing to close the distance between them, Alyss allows herself to offer a weak smile.

‘You know I always burned for you.’

It’s the first sign of what will be many that she is still her witty old self. But Will doesn't respond. Alyss fears his reaction.

'Too soon?'

Finally, Will responds, and in so many ways at once. He takes a few steps into her direction, she mirrors his movement, and before Alyss knows it, Will reaches out to her, pulls her in, but not quickly enough to hide the tears in his eyes. His wife - she’s alive she’s alive she’s alive - can feel his rapid pulse, can feel his heart racing. The lump in Will’s throat is all too audible when at last, he whispers: 'About ten years too late.'

#took ppl almost seven yeaars #but i finally gave in #i let myself be bulled into coming up with an alyss lives au #enjoy #ranger's apprentice #rangers apprentice #john flanagan #the royal ranger #trr #redrose rants #redrose writes #redrose writing

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kermit-coded · 2 months

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It's Kinda Sad, If This Is You At Your Best (1465 words) by kermit_coded Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Teen Titans (Comics), DCU (Comics), Deathstroke the Terminator (Comics), Blue Devil (DCU Comics) Rating: Mature Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Relationships: Eddie Bloomberg/Rose Wilson Characters: Rose Wilson, Eddie Bloomberg Additional Tags: POV Eddie Bloomberg, Hypersexuality, Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms, Chinese Rose Wilson, Rose Wilson needs a hug, Eddie Bloomberg Needs A Hug, Making Out, Consent Issues, Hurt/Comfort, Canonical Child Abuse, Underage Drug Use, Abandonment Issues, Slade Wilson's A+ Parenting, Past Sexual Abuse, They make me very very sad, eddie is a sweetheart, Trauma, Developing Relationship, Teen Titans 2003 Era, Mental Health Issues, Marijuana, Underage Smoking, Literal Sleeping Together, Bittersweet Ending Summary: Eddie and Rose making out, smoking weed, and the things they don't say out loud.

#my writing tag #eddierose #roseeddie #redrose #eddie bloomberg #rose wilson #titans #teen titans #tt03 #teen titans 2003 #kid devil #red devil #dc #dc comics #dc fanfic #wilsons

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the-racer · 3 months

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lily snorts and shakes her head, grabbing her headphones from evan. "okay, okay. shut up, i can't handle you insulting my abba."

"sorry, evans, i just don't like girl groups singing pop music." lily gasps and flips him off.

"alright, shut up." she rolls her eyes and switches the tape in her walkman to bohemian rhapsody. "this is inarguably one of the best songs in the world."

"i really highly doubt that." she waves him off and presses play. "wait! oh, lils, i know this one." he mumbles nonsense in a vague tune before- "mama ooooh!"

"you sound like a dying cat!" lily shouts at him as she starts laughing. he grabs her shoulders and starts to shout.

"didn't mean to make you cry-"

"oh my god! evan, go away!"

"if i'm not back again this time tomorrow-"

lily grins as she takes evan's face in her hands and starts to sing with him, "carry on, carry on as if nothing really matters!"

"see? i love this one!"

"okay, hold on, now you gotta sing it all with me!"

"oh fuck, really?" she laughs and jumps up onto her feet. "oh my god, this is gonna be bad, evans." lily opens her mouth but doesn't get a chance to sing before there's a bang on the door.

"lily, shut up!" petunia yells through the door.

"you shut up!" evan shouts as he throws himself on the carpet by lily's feet. there's another bang on the door and receding footsteps. "i see a little silhouetto of a man!"

"scaramouche scaramouche!"

#lily teaches evan about muggle music but theyre in the 80s instead #they really love queen #no i am not projecting #i just think theyre cute #redrose #evans & evan #hp marauders #hp fandom #marauders era #marauders #the marauders #evan x lily #lily x evan #lily evans #evan rosier #mars' writing!!

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sophiaseraphim · 2 years

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~ A Lover's Call Xxvii ~

Where are you, my beloved? Are you in that little paradise, watering the flowers who look upon you as infants look upon the breast of their mothers?

Or are you in your chamber where the shrine of virtue has been placed in your honor, and upon which you offer my heart and soul as sacrifice?

Or amongst the books, seeking human knowledge, while you are replete with heavenly wisdom?

Oh companion of my soul, where are you? are you praying in the temple? Or calling nature in the field, haven of your dreams?

Are you in the huts of the poor, consoling the broken-hearted with the sweetness of your soul, and filling their hands with your bounty?

You are God's spirit everywhere;You are stronger than the ages.

Do you have memory of the day we met, when the halo of your spirit surrounded us, and the Angels of Love floated about, singing the praise of the soul's deed?

Do you recollect our sitting in the shade of the branches, sheltering ourselves from Humanity, as the ribs protect the divine secret of the heart from injury?

Remember you the trails and forest we walked, with hands joined, and our heads leaning against each other, as if we were hiding ourselves within ourselves?

Recall you the hour I bade you farewell, and the maritime kiss you placed on my lips?

That kiss taught me that joining of lips in love reveals heavenly secrets which the tongue cannot utter!

That kiss was introduction to a great sigh, like the Almighty's breath that turned earth into man.

That sigh led my way into the spiritual world, announcing the glory of my soul; and there it shall perpetuate until again we meet.

I remember when you kissed me and kissed me, with tears coursing your cheeks, and you said,"Earthly bodies must often separate for earthly purpose, and must live apart impelled by worldly intent.

"But the spirit remains joined safely in the hands of love, until death arrives and takes joined souls to God.

"Go, my beloved; Love has chosen you her delegate; over her, for she is beauty who offers to her follower

The cup of the sweetness of life. As for my own empty arms, your love shall remain my comforting groom; you memory, my Eternal wedding."

Where are you now, my other self? Are you awake in the silence of the night? Let the clean breeze convey to you my heart's every beat and affection.

Are you fondling my face in your memory? That image Is no longer my own, for sorrow has dropped his shadow on my happy countenance of the past.

Sobs have withered my eyes which reflected your beauty and dried my lips which you sweetened with kisses.

Where are you, my beloved? Do you hear my weeping from beyond the ocean? Do you understand my need?

Do you know the greatness of my patience?

Is there any spirit in the air capable of conveying to you the breath of this dying youth? Is there any

Secret communication between angels that will carry to you my complaint?

Where are you, my beautiful star? The obscurity of life has cast me upon its bosom; sorrow has conquered me.

Sail your smile into the air; it will reach and enliven me! Breathe your fragrance into the air; it will sustain me!

Where are you, me beloved?

Oh, how great is Love!

And how little am I!

===============================

~ Khalil Gibran ~

#poetry #poems #muse #musings #writings #poetrylovers #poetrycommunity #khalil gibran #roses #rose #rosé #aesthetics #rose aesthetic #redroses #sun #light #photography

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hiddenvioletsgrow · 6 months

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Me, thinking about Will: Youthful, bright eyed, baby faced king, looks like he should 24/7 wear a flower crown

John Flanagan, writing TRR: And Will has a beard-

Me, slamming the book shut: ABSOLUTELY NOT

@redrose-arrow

#dislikingwillsbeardweek #rangers apprentice #the royal ranger

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the-thursday · 1 year

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George angst Saturday

@redrose-arrow in case you might appreciate this

George knew that it was natural life cycle when people left and moved on with their lives. Will became a ranger, going on missions that took him all over the world. Jenny set up a restaurant in Wensley. Horace? Horace now lived at castle Araluen. It made George sad, thinking about how much their paths diverted, after all, they used to be inseparable, all five of them. Even despite all that had gone between Horace and Will back then, and even though George never spoke much, those other four kids were only people he had. And he knew, that he was also one other four people they only had. It was comforting, to remember their bond, because he knew that as war orphans, they probably wouldn't get far in life. But now look at them, Will and Horace heroes of the nation, Jenny cooking legend of Redmont and Alyss-

Alyss. His friend. With everyone else gone, only two of them remained at Redmont castle. It was always nice and refreshing to go for a walk with Alyss. Sometimes they would end up in the Ward yard, sitting under the old tree. And that's where George's feet took him now too. He looked around and in his head he saw five little kids running around, carefree of all worries what future years would bring. No Choosing day, no war.

"I miss us." He said. "I miss the five of us, being together."

Days ago, Alyss would maybe agree, maybe tell him that it's not all lost. But today, that was a lie. Because only thing that resounded in the air were bells of Courier's funeral and with cruel hand gripping his heart was the certainty that it was now indeed all gone.

Also I would like to remind y'all that there's theory that RA books are extraction from chronicles that George wrote. Imagine the dude, being last alive out of five of them. Writing the chronicles because that's the only way they can stay with him for little longer. He wrote them until his death, so he would never be alone.

#rangers apprentice #george carter

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be3lynn · 1 year

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I'm participating in a readathon that @redrose-arrow and Cassandra Lynn(youtube) are hosting.

Anyway, I finished rereading Rangers Apprentice: Ruins of Gorlan, so I decided to put my limited sociology and psychology knowledge to use. (spoilers below for chapter 15 and 16)

In Sociology, there is a scenario called the "5 chairs", 1 : attack; 2 : self-doubt; 3 : wait; 4 : detect, 5 : connect.

In the scene during the Harvest Festival under the apple tree, Horace gets upset at his friends actions. I noticed something in the writing of the characters.

Horace tries to protect himself by attacking the others, "chair 1 and 2"

Supporting text: "He was angry and hurt", "He had no idea...", "He assumed she had...", "hurt more then anything.", "How Horace saw things in his currently vulnerable state.", "Suddenly, he hated them all." (pg 114)

Jenny is empathetic toward him "chair 5"

Supporting text: "All she knew was that her plan for a pleasant reunion with her old ward mates was falling into ruin."

George is content to observe "chair 3"

Supporting text: "...As if he was an exhibit or or a piece of evidence...", "...he said reasonably."

Will tries to protect himself and the others through fighting back with Horace, escalating the situation, "chair 1 and 4"

Supporting text: "...holding down the anger that was building inside him." (pg 116) "But Will couldn't resist the temptation to have the last word." (pg 118)

Alyss Does not speak up in the fight, but is seen throughout the book as the 'responsible one', "chair 4"

#rangers apprentice #Ruins of Gorlan

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yournotsolocalcryptid · 5 years

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67. “I’m right where I belong” with Joey! Please and thank you!!!

Prompt: 67. “I’m right where I belong”

Pairing: Joe Mazzello x afab!Reader

Word Count: 248

Warnings: pregnancy, fluff, bad writing

You and Joe had been together for quite some time when you found out that you were pregnant. That was about 8 months ago. Now here you were, in the kitchen with a pint of ice cream balanced on your now quite large bump as leaned back on the counter and tried to decide if it was worth making something for dinner or if you should just order in once again. You and eaten nearly the entire carton when you heard the door open.

“Honey, I’m home!” Called a familiar voice.

“Joey?” You called back without moving an inch. A few moments later he appeared in the kitchen doorway.

“I brought food” he said setting down two large bags filled with what could only be your current pregnancy take out obsession on the counter

“I can see that” you replied setting your now empty pint of ice cream on the counter and moving to dig into the bags. All the while joe watched you amusedly. You were just about to dig in when you stopped You were so distracted by the smell of the food and your hunger that you had briefly forgotten that he wasn’t supposed to come home until next Friday and that you hadn’t greeted him properly.

“oh, I almost forgot” you turned to him and gave him a sweet kiss “what are you doing here? Aren’t you supposed to be doing press?”

He just smiled at you “oh no, I’m right where I belong”

#100 followers celebration #redroses-too #angst/fluff prompt list #joe mazzello #joe mazzello fluff #joe mazzello fanfic #borhap cast #kallan writes #kallan writes for joe mazzello #im right where i belong #fanfic #writing prompts

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tadhiel · 5 years

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redrose-arrow · 1 year

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Explain

Look, I know Will thought he could just take off and leave Seacliff for literal weeks just to tell Alyss that he loved her too but ??? Boy I wish it were that easy, I’m pretty sure you had some explaining to do though. But first: cheesy love declarations and explicit kissing iykwim

If there was an official record for travelling from Seacliff to Redmont, Will was pretty sure that he had just broken it. But what else could he have done? Alyss loved him. She loved him.

And he loved her. He had realised it in Macindaw, but hadn’t dared to think that she reciprocated those feelings. But she did. She had told him so. She had told him she loved him without knowing if he felt the same way. But he did. And he had to tell her in person.

Will dashed past the guards, in and out of the stables, up the stairs of the donjon and through the castle hallways. But then he stood in front of her office door, hand raised, and hesitated.

Should he have announced his visit? What if she wasn’t in her office? What if she wasn’t even at Redmont? She could be away on an assignment. Maybe she was undercover again. And maybe he should have freshened up first? A million thoughts were racing through his head, and a thousand what-ifs. What if she’d changed her mind? What if she’d take back her words? What if-

But then Horace’s voice sounded in his head.

What if you just knock and find out, you idiot.

Will grinned. Horace was always pragmatic. And, if everything went as Will hoped, the knight would also be right.

So Will took a deep breath - the last one before his heart would either be broken or claimed, never mind the cliches - and knocked.

‘Just a minute!’

Thankfully, Will exhaled. At least she was there.

Despite the worries that were still raging inside him, he didn’t have to fake the smile that grew on his face when his friend - friend? - opened the door.

‘Will!’ Alyss said, caught by surprise. ‘What are you doing here?’

Her blonde hair was a little longer than it had been last time he’d seen her. It fell past her shoulders, a few strands tucked behind her ears. There was a soft blush on her cheeks - Alyss always blushed when she was working on something she enjoyed. Her white uniform elegantly hugged her figure, a silver laurel branch pin shining proudly on her chest. And her sce‘I too,’ he blurted out.

‘You what?’

Alyss frowned softly. She skimmed his appearance, as he stood there, out of the blue and half undone.

Then she saw it. The letter in his hand. The letter was filled with her own handwriting and although she could not read them, she knew what words were written on the back. ‘Oh.’

Will followed her gaze and raised the hand with the letter.

‘Yeah. About that…’

Alyss smiled faintly and broke eye contact. She didn’t need to look at him. Didn’t want to see his beautiful face, the freckles, the dark and messy curls, the brown eyes that drowned her, or the big and idiotic grin that could leave her shaking on her legs. She didn’t want to see the lips she longed to taste tell her that she never would.

‘You don’t have to tell me,’ she said. ‘Really, you don’t need to tell me if you don’t feel the same.’

‘But I do.’

Alyss’s grey eyes - oh, they were practically a liquid silver - shot back towards him.

‘You do… what?’

‘I do love you.’

‘You do?’

‘I do. A lot, actually.’

He grinned at her - oh, she would never get enough of his stupid grin - and Alyss could only stare back as a huge smile slowly lit up her face.

Will raised an eyebrow.

‘What?’ he asked.

‘Do you know how long I’ve waited to hear you say that?’

Will shrugged.

‘Horace said I think too much,’ he replied. ‘I’d said it already, you know, in the tower - but you’d probably already figured that out - and I meant it, but I wasn’t sure, right - I didn’t know - and I didn’t know if you… I mean, it’d gotten you out of the hypnosis, of course, and Malcolm said - but I didn’t know-’

‘Will,’ Alyss interrupted him.

Will looked back at her - really looked at her -, eyes big and, if she wasn’t imagining things, pupils slightly dilated.

Alyss smiled.

‘Shut up,’ she said. Then she kissed him.

They’d kissed before, of course. At the restaurant, way back when. In Macindaw, a lot less time ago. And a few times in between those two events. But not like this. Never like this.

Those kisses had been hesitant. They’d been careful. They had been filled with doubts and uncertainties and questions. But this kiss--

It was magic. Will had no other way of explaining it. Somehow, he had travelled to Macindaw to disprove the rumours of sorcery and wizardry, yet had returned under an enchantment he hoped would never break.

Alyss’s lips were as soft as he remembered, though the force with which she pressed them against his was new. Her tongue, feared by many for its quick-wittedness, seemed eager to find his.

And Will let it happen. Gladly. Because he loved her.

He loved how she always carried herself straight, unafraid to tower above men. He loved how she always threw herself into every assignment, every mission. He loved her way with words, for hers could bring resolutions to even the most heated of conflicts. He loved how she could read every person, see right through them, and reduce them to nothing but a stuttering mess with just her smile and a raised eyebrow. He loved every piece of her, every doubt, and every insecurity.

And suddenly, Will understood them. The tales. The songs. The bards and the legends. The stories, of neverending hope and of everlasting faith. Of two hearts beating like one and of souls melting together. All because of a love that could numb the senses better than anything ever would.

Except, perhaps, the senses of a Ranger.

A small noise had alerted Will. It was a few corners away, perhaps even a pair of stairs, but it was undeniably the sound of approaching footsteps.

He pulled back - only slightly - and from a few centimetres above him, Alyss sought to meet his eyes. The blush on her cheeks had only grown.

‘Your office,’ Will rasped, out of breath.

‘Hm?’

‘We should get into your office. Anyone could see us.’

His voice - did she do that? Was that the effect that she could have on him, throat hoarse, as if talking was hard, was difficult, because he was restraining himself? Restraining himself… from what? Alyss needed to know.

She grasped his collar and did as he had suggested. She pulled him in, gently but urgently, and heard how he kicked the door close behind them. Will’s cloak fluttered behind him - like the wings of a butterfly, Alyss faintly thought - as they moved into the office. They stood still in the midst of it and their lips found each other once more.

They shared a breath, a moment, and so much more.

Will tasted like vanilla. Alyss had never noticed it before, but he did. She let the flavour consume her. Will’s tongue was pushing against her teeth, begging her to let him in. She did. One of her hands was in his hair, never telling him to stop - not even when his mouth began to explore her jaw and then her neck, and she actually trembled. Her skin burned where his lips tasted her and yet she ached for more.

His hands were everywhere, as she knew were her own. She wanted to feel him, wanted to touch every scar and kiss every freckle.

Alyss knew her way with words, but if anyone asked, she wouldn’t be able to explain how she felt in this exact moment.

Will loved her. He loved her like she loved him. She loved how he always asked a thousand questions, eager to get to the bottom of things. She loved his excitement, his hunger for adventure, and the way his mind worked to improve the lives of those around him. She loved his sense of humour, his compassion, and how he could always make her feel better. She even loved how long it had taken him to return the feelings. And above all, she loved his touch, his lips and his hands, their comfort and stability, their passion and dedication and love - pure, selfless, unimagined, love.

When at last, Alyss felt like her lips were chapped and as if she would faint if her lungs did not get to draw a normal breath, she pulled back. But not entirely. She rested against Will, and he leaned back. Eyes closed, just breathing each other in.

They stood like that for a minute. Foreheads pressed together, both panting. Once again, Will’s hands found their way up and cupped Alyss’s face in them.

‘Tell me what happened in the tower,’ Alyss whispered to him. ‘Tell me what you told me that broke Keren’s hold over me.’

How could he not oblige?

‘I told you that I love you,’ Will breathed, as his thumbs traced the lines of her mouth. ‘And that I always have.’

His thumbs began moving up, over her cheekbones, every caressing touch so careful and so kind. Alyss opened her eyes and found herself looking down into his. She suddenly found it hard to breathe again.

‘And then…’ Will gently stroked her hair, tucking it behind her ears, as if there wasn’t a part of her face that he wanted hidden from his sight.

‘Then you saved my life.’

He sought out her lips again, but Alyss froze when someone knocked on the door to her office. Will balanced on his toes so his mouth could move past Alyss’s, until his lips were next to her ear.

‘Don’t make a sound,’ he whispered. ‘Maybe they’ll go away.’

The knocking sounded again.

‘Alyss?’

‘It’s Pauline, I can’t ignore her,’ Alyss sighed. She untangled herself from Will’s touch, took a deep breath, and called out: ‘Just a minute!’

Then, with one hand, she gently pushed against Will’s chest, beckoning him to move against the wall behind him. From there, a large closet blocked the view to and from the door.

‘Stay here, and pray your invisibility skills are as good as you Rangers like to make people believe.’

Combing through her hair with her fingers, Alyss moved towards the door. Her cheeks were burning, she knew, but there was nothing she could do about that on such short notice.

‘Pauline! What can I do for you?’

The closet might block Pauline’s view of the room, keeping her from discovering Will, but so too did it block Will’s view. He could depend on nothing but his ears. He heard a pair of feet enter the room. Then a voice.

‘Alyss, dear, you look flustered. Is everything alright?’

Will couldn’t see it, but Alyss faintly gestured towards the stacks of paper on the table.

‘Just a ton of work,’ she replied. ‘You know how it goes.’

Will grinned. He loved how easily she lied. But then-

‘It wouldn’t have anything to do with my former apprentice, whose horse I just saw in the stables, would it?’ a deep voice sounded.

Inwardly, Will cursed. He had really hoped his visit would go unnoticed.

Before Alyss could concoct another lie - one which Halt wouldn’t believe anyways - Will stepped out from behind the closet. His arms were wide, in what was supposed to resemble a welcoming gesture.

‘Halt! What are you doing here?’

He was met by two raised eyebrows, both belonging to another person who now turned towards him.

‘I could ask you the same question,’ Halt answered. ‘Correct me if I’m wrong, but didn’t you graduate a year or so ago? Don’t you have your own fief to take care of - say, Seacliff or so?’

But Will was ready. Somewhat.

‘That doesn’t mean that I never have business elsewhere, Halt,’ he countered.

Behind the older couple, Alyss’s eyes widened. She quickly composed herself, however, when Halt and Pauline turned to her. Seemingly effortlessly, she said: ‘There were some questions regarding the events in Macindaw past winter. Will and I decided to try and answer them together.’

Halt raised an eyebrow.

‘Is that so? And why did this have to be discussed in person?’

‘I thought it would be… faster,’ Will said weakly.

‘So people asked questions and instead of sending letters like a normal person, you decided to drop by unannounced and spend the next long minutes giving an answer?’

‘Yes,’ Will said. His confidence was growing. Maybe he could get away with it.

But Halt’s next question shattered any hopes of doing so.

‘Then why are you still wearing your cloak?’

‘I… I was cold?’

‘Did Halt teach you to lie?’ Pauline asked. Her head was cocked to the side as she studied him with interest. ‘Because you have the same tells as him.’

This time, Halt’s frown was directed not towards his former apprentice, but towards his wife.

‘I don’t have tells.’

But Pauline met his eyes without hesitation.

‘You do, dear. Quite a few of them, too.’

Will bit his lip in an attempt to hide his grin. He was aided by the fact that Pauline now turned her piercing gaze towards another person in the room.

‘Alyss? I hope I taught you better than that.’

Alyss straightened her shoulder, raised her chin, and didn’t break eye contact with her mentor once.

‘I sent Will a letter in which I referred back to the events in Macindaw. I also asked him to elaborate on something. So he travelled here to provide an explanation,’ Alyss said smoothly. Her voice hadn’t wavered, her hands hadn’t fidgeted, and she had successfully answered Pauline’s questions without lying. Out of all three of them, Will had known Alyss the longest. And if he didn’t know any better, he wouldn’t have guessed that she was hiding something. He added it to his mental list of reasons why he loved her.

‘And were your questions answered?’ Pauline asked.

Alyss nodded.

‘Certainly. It has been most… enlightening.’

Will coughed.

Pauline pulled one corner of her mouth up into an almost-smile.

‘That’s better,’ she said.

‘Explanations for Will's presence here notwithstanding …’ Halt continued, and Will could feel his shoulders drop.

‘Is Seacliff aware that its Ranger has disappeared for the second time in less than a year?’

Will shrugged.

‘I’ll be back before they even know I’m gone.’

But Halt seemed unconvinced.

‘Is that so?’

A revelation dawned on Will.

‘I don’t even have to explain myself to you,’ he said. ‘You’re not my senior.’

Halt raised an eyebrow at that and Will corrected himself.

‘Well, you might be a senior citizen, but you’re not my boss.’

‘What if Crowley finds out you abandoned your post?’

‘Crowley won’t know. Besides, nothing ever happens at Seacliff. Trust me.’

‘On your head be it,’ Halt muttered. Inwardly, Will smiled. As far as he could speak of winning, when his visit had been discovered, he was about to win this exchange. Especially when Alyss - smart, quick-witted, lovely Alyss - came to his rescue.

‘I’m sure it’ll be fine, if Will says so,’ she added.

A silence fell over the room. It wasn’t awkward - the four of them knew each other too well for that - but neither Will or Alyss was entirely comfortable with the lack of showing of either approval or disapproval from their mentors. But then Pauline spoke up again.

‘Will you be staying for dinner, Will?’ the older Diplomat asked.

‘Or was Alyss the only person in this castle you were planning on visiting?’ Halt added innocently.

There was something devious about the way Will’s lips curled up into a grin.

‘I honestly don’t know if you want me to lie or not.’

Halt rolled his eyes up at the ceiling.

‘Just be there, or I might mention your visit to Crowley after all.’

‘Of course. Wouldn’t want to miss dinner with you, Halt,’ Will replied. His mentor muttered something at that, but moved back to the door. The older Diplomat began to follow him, but she was held back.

‘Pauline?’ Alyss asked.

The head of the Diplomatic Service looked back at her, beckoning for her to speak.

‘What did you come here for?’

Pauline gestured towards the table.

‘The papers. The … you know which ones. I just wanted to check in on your progress with them.’

Alyss nodded.

‘Of course. I’ll have them done, I promise.’

‘After you finish the Macindaw business?’

Even Alyss could barely hide the blush that now spread over her cheeks.

‘As soon as possible.’

And at that, Pauline drew the door in a close behind her.

A sigh escaped both of the young people left in the room. Then, both of them looked up. Their eyes met and a burst of laughter escaped them.

Will opened his arms and Alyss walked right into them, throwing her own arms around his neck. The young Ranger looked up at her.

‘So. Where were we?’

‘I think you were telling me just how much you love me.’

‘Really? Did I use the words “a lot” already?’

‘You might’ve mentioned them.’

‘Then I guess I have to make myself clear using something other than words.’

Will’s eyes dropped towards her lips, but Alyss pulled back.

‘Will you be in trouble?’

Half-reluctantly, Will met her eyes again.

‘Nah. Halt won’t tell Crowley. And if he does find out… as long as I’m back by the end of the week, he won’t care much.’

‘Okay.’

‘What about your papers?’

‘They can wait. Pauline might give me a hard time over them, but they’re not due till the end of the week and I’m already almost done.’

Will’s lips curled up.

‘So… does that mean that we have time to finish our unfinished Macindaw business?’

Alyss could feel her own lips pull up in a smile that matched his.

‘We do.’

The kiss that followed was slow, but nonetheless full of love. By the time it ended, seconds could have passed, or it could have been minutes. Time was an illusion, anyways.

Alyss pulled away a little, just so she could look at him.

‘I love you,’ she whispered, before burying her head in his shoulder.

Will smiled against her hair as he breathed her in. Really, he didn’t think he’d ever get enough. nt-- she smelled like mint and apple and the freshness of an early morning dew.

Never had Will felt his heart beat as hard as it did now. And never had his smile felt this big.

‘I love you too.’

#ranger's apprentice #rangers apprentice #redrose writes #redrose writing #will treaty #alyss mainwaring #halt o'carrick #pauline dulacy #first draft lmao #and an old one at that

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madsthewritblr · 5 years

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We used to dream of castles and white horses. Now we dream of falling and dead roses.

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the-racer · 4 months

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"hey! evans, wait up!" lily turns around and sees evan rosier running down the hall toward her. she's only spoken to him a few times. "evans."

"evan." she raises her brows at him. "what's up?" he stares down at her, opening his mouth to speak. "speak or i have to leave. i have homework do. you do too- probably." he smiles.

"uh, right, yes. did you wanna go to hogsmeade with me?"

"what?"

"hogsmeade? with me? this weekend?" she smiles.

"why are you asking me?"

"oh, um, well, i think you're pretty and really bloody smart and, um-" he laughs nervously, his entire face going bright red.

"loving the confidence you're emanating, evan."

"slytherin just won against hufflepuff and i was feeling confident, i suppose. now i'm scared you might kill me." she grins.

"right. that should be a worry whenever you talk to me, actually. i'm a very scary person." he smiles.

"i got that based on your watermelon earrings."

"i can't be scary and wear watermelon earrings too?" he shrugs. "this weekend, i have to make up a test with flitwick so i can't go to hogsmeade."

"oh."

"however, tomorrow night at the lake, i'm free." she smiles and heads back down the hall.

"what are we doing at the lake?" he shouts after her.

"swimming, picnic, study date- surprise me!"

"evans!"

"bye!" evan groans.

#evan is lowkey afraid of lily at the beginning #evan my beloved <33 #hp marauders #hp fandom #marauders era #marauders #the marauders #lily evans #evan rosier #lily x evan #evan x lily #redrose #evans & evan #mars' writing!!

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isadoraartphotography · 2 years

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Her Name is Ruby

#WhatDoYouSee She’s pensive. He wonders if she’s unhappy with the long stem red roses. The florist had assured him that all women loved red roses. She seems deep in thought. He was hoping for a big smile and the touch of her soft hand on his. Instead, I’m feeling the Cabernet slide down my tightly muscled throat. Dating is difficult, but meeting for the first time in person instead of on Face…

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#creative #dating #dinner #photoprompt #redroses #shortstory #ValentinesDay #WDYS #Whatdoyousee #writing

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hanajimasama · 6 years

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So this is love

A little something for @lipstickandbarbedwire

Rose and Red Harvest expressing their love to each other for the first time.

‘I love you’ was a term Rose had heard many times, half heartedly spoken amidst acts of passion in the dead of night in dingy hotels. Words uttered with no real feeling or heart behind them. Spoken on a euphoric high by men who wanted nothing more than a good time. Rosemary on the other hand was rather tight lipped about the phrase. She didn’t love these idiots, good looks they might have had but that’s all they had.

What did she really know about love?

The act of loving making didn't necessarily require you to love a person. She didn’t feel that sense of breathless or the flutter of butterflies in her stomach when she looked at people.

That was until she met Red Harvest.

It had been a chance meeting in a bar one night. A fling. That’s what it was supposed to be but it was strange. When Red Harvest suggested meeting up again and she’d agreed.

A date. She was actually going on a date. What was she going to wear? Rose had never had such a dilemma. One date turned into four and then Red nervously asked her over breakfast one day if she wanted to start dating.

Her heart pounded against her chest sharply.

Woah, steady there.

The more she thought of Red the more her heart start to race. What on earth was this feeling? Was she ill?

“Rose?” She looked up from her tea and locked eyes with the muscular and very charming man sat opposite her, a worried expression tugged at his brow “..Sure..I mean yes.” He looked shocked and as his brain processed the Irishwoman’s words a bright grin washed across his face “Really?” He scratched at his half shaved head nervously “Ah, I was unsure if I had a chance. You’re just so beautiful.” Rose was in disbelief how what this man real? He was like no man she’d ever met.

They had been dating almost a month now. Red Harvest had something no man had ever done, he had taken her to meet his family. Though they were his friends but they were as close as family. Everyone welcomed her with open arms, some were less vocal about it but she felt welcome nonetheless. Jack and Billy cooked up a storm, Rose had never eaten so much food and then she was presented with dessert. These were good people.

When they returned to Rose’s apartment full of food and quite sleepy, Red made his fiery red haired girlfriend a cup of tea and brought it to where she had collapsed in a heap on her sofa. She moved enough to let Red sit down and shuffled close to him. They sat in silence simply appreciating each other’s company. Rose had never felt this way about anyone, she couldn’t fathom what made Red Harvest so special. Sipping the hot sugary liquid she paused to speak “Red..” he hummed at the mention of his name “I..I think I love you.”

“You think?” He kissed her temple softly “I know that I love you. The spark that stokes the fire of my soul” Rose felt herself going the colour of her hair.

“That is really corny.” Rose chuckled almost spilling her tea. He nuzzled her hair mumbling that it was the truth and when Rose looked up to meet his gaze she could see no lies in his eyes. She didn’t need a mirror to know she was grinning like a fool.

I love you too, Red Harvest.” His smile made her chest feel tight and her poor heart was way over the speed limit. They shared a tender kiss and carried on cuddling on the sofa simply enjoying each other’s presence.

So this is love?

#the magnificent seven #mag7 #RedRose #red harvest #red harvest x OC #pumpkin writes #fluff #romance #it’s awful I’m sorry

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