#ridermark

[theworldsoftolkein]

A Sketch of Edoras’s Architecture - by Alan Lee.

Forth Eorlingas

#tolkien legendarium #middle earth #the lord of the rings #jrr tolkien #the rohirrim #kingdom of rohan #ridermark #riders of rohan #rohirrim #edoras #rohan illustration

[feydfuckernation]

once i clear up storage and i'm able to download baldur's gate 3 it's over for you bitches

#me already plotting out my full tav rebuild despite having only played abt 30 min of baldur's gate. rohan of ridermark i love youuuu #lion.txt #baldur's gate tag #sometimes a trans half elf bard/cleric is actually something that can be so personal

[ravennawritesfanfiction]

Souls of Time- Eomer

Chapter Summary: Recounted is the original life of the soul mates as Eomer and Rohana/Reyna. They mark the first known pair of soul mates that Gandalf knows of (though they aren’t the first occurrence ever). 

Taglist: @schatzi-89

Éomer and his sister Éowyn were orphaned and adopted by their Uncle Théoden, King of Rohan. Éowyn was given several Ladies in waiting to care for her. Most of the job consisted of being her friend. She hated having so many people around, fussing over her every move. It didn’t take long for her to find a reason to let each one go until only one remained.

           This one single Lady had been different from all of the others right from the beginning; unlike the others who wanted the attention from the Riders for being apart of the court, this one had taken her role seriously and always been there for Éowyn. She had even become friends with Éomer and took on the role of counsel to him as well, though she was never asked to. It was rare for him to take comfort in someone outside of Éowyn, but here they were. So, when it was all said and done, she remained on the court.

           Lady Rohana often kept to her duties, only stealing away when one of her friends needed her. She was the same age as Éowyn, so her duties, which she inherited from a young age, started off small and grew as they got older. When she was younger, her major duties included etiquette lessons with Éowyn and Éomer taught her how to ride for her troubles, though she knew it was a ploy so he wouldn’t have to be alone. He always told her that a Lady of Rohan should know how to ride.

           After the riding lessons, which took them far beyond the village, they would sit in meadows and enjoy each other’s company. Had she been anyone else, this would have been wildly inappropriate, but taking care of the siblings had fallen to her as a guide. Somedays, they would sit in silence and listen to the breeze as it rattled the tall grasses. Their hair would blow into their faces and abstract the view. Other days, they would talk of their hopes and dreams for the future. Éomer said he enjoyed teaching others to ride so much that he thought that teaching his kids to ride was the one thing he hoped for the most. Rohana said she wanted to marry someone who understood her and would honor her. She wanted a child, but she also wanted to be important to others. She had been born to a farmer and status wasn’t something that was held by her family. Éomer never said much, but he would watch her as she spoke with a quiet understanding.

Théoden King often enjoyed her company; finding that even though she was not of noble lineage, she had a noble mind. She did not seek out fights or battles, but the Lady wasn’t one to shy away either. Éomer would join in discussions and debates between them. He learned more from her then he would have thought. She was a kind leader, but fierce when threatened. Skills, Éomer thought, would be best suited of a King and Queen.

Éomer became the Third Marshal of the Ridermark and he led his men as he had always seen Rohana do. He treated his men fairly and for that, he had their undying loyalty. They also knew that he would fight with everything that he had in him until the very end. He was one of the well-received Marshals in Rohan history.

Rohana was given a place on Théoden’s court of advisors. It was rare for a woman to hold such an office, though no one complained. She added composure to the room that kept heads level and egos to a minimum. She had nothing to prove, and that is why she had earned the King’s favor.

When Grima came to Rohan and took Théoden’s mind from him, Rohana was the first to be removed from the council. She saw through his deceptions and tried to fight him off. She was banned from the throne room. Grima Wormtonuge was made Chief Advisor to the King and the Realm of Rohan fell into deep despair. The Riders started finding Orcs where there had never been Orcs before. Saruman’s grasp on the world was getting tighter with each passing day.

When Théodred was killed, the king did not react, and it was clear then to everyone, what had been known to Rohana, Grima had Théoden under mind control. It was all one could do to look back at times long past. It was then that Rohana realized her feelings for Éomer were more than those of duty and friendship. Before anything could be said, the Riders were banished. Éomer had tried to attack Grima for acting a way towards Éowyn. When he was stooped and thrown from the palace, the Riders went with him.

Rohana feared for Éomer above all others. The Orcs were everywhere and the men had not been granted all the weapons they would have been traveling with. Nothing was looking good for Rohan. Every night Rohana would lie awake, terrified that the next day would bring news of Éomer’s death.

Éowyn had receded into herself out of fear of being thrown out herself. No one was safe and anything the worm said, Théoden King when along with. Never had times been so dark.

There was very little that Rohana was still allowed to do, so most days were spent riding. She was the first to see the Ridermark banner cresting the hill when Éomer and the riders returned with Gandalf and Aragorn. She rode out to meet them, afraid that she was imagining it all. Éomer, now safely in Rohan, removed his helmet so that he could talk with Rohana face to face. When she saw that he, as well as all the others, were safe, she started to cry.

Rohana and Éomer rode side by side back to the palace; everyone else followed out of respect. Everyone was instructed to wait outside until Gandalf was through with Théoden. Now that they weren’t on horseback, Rohana didn’t even try to disguise how much she had missed him. She was stuck to Éomer’s side. He had his arm around her; strangely protective of his dearest of friends.

No one said anything. The silence was only broken by the sound of Grima being thrown out by a freshly released Théoden King. Everyone kneeled for the first time since this whole ordeal began, before their king in light of their new hope.

Théoden’s first act of business was to apologize to Éomer and the Riders. Next, Rohana was restored to all of her former positions. After much convincing, Théoden was persuaded to joining the war efforts and everyone was moved to Helms Deep. All men and boys old enough to hold a weapon were enlisted and the women were sent deep into hiding.

After the initial attack and victory of Helms Deep, the men left the city for the final battle. Éowyn went with to help the hobbit. Rohana was placed in charge of the people. She was given a crown to show her role and she rode to the gates with the men. For the first time, she addressed Éomer as an equal. Those who heard her words, repeated them to no one, for they were meant for him and him alone. It had always been him.

“You return back to me, my Love.” He didn’t have to respond, his gesture was enough. With a soft caress of her face, he was off. He had a reason to return.

For days, she rode through the city as a sign of unity. She helped those who needed it and aided the nurses with the wounded from Helm’s Deep. A beacon was to be lit when their men returned. Until then, she kept busy to avoid thinking of the war raging outside.

It was late in the afternoon when the beacon ignited in all of its glory. She was taken to the gates where she waited on horseback to welcome their soldiers. Man after man entered the gates and bowed their heads to her as they passed. She stood there until every man was in, not once seeing Éomer, Éowyn, or Théoden. Her heart plummeted. She turned to follow the men into the city. She was to be Queen permanently in the event that none of them returned.

The gates were closing as shouts filled the air. A wagon approached with two escorts. It flew the Ridermark banner. The King was dead. She turned to stand at attention; praying that Éomer and Éowyn weren’t in that cart too. She could make out Aragorn leading the wagon. He never wore a helmet. The second was a rider, and as they approached closer, she knew the horse before she could see the rider. She took off in a bolt. He had seen her and ran ahead of the caravan. They were both off their horses and in each other’s arms before words could be spoken.

The wagon came to stop beside them. In it was Théoden, in his eternal sleep, having been killed in battle. Éowyn was with him, but she thankfully wasn’t dead, just hurt badly. She would live. She took off her crown and handed it to Éowyn and turned back to Éomer. She kissed him before he could process what was happening. He kissed back and picked her up. Éowyn took Rohana’s horse as she rode back into the city one Éomer’s horse.

Éomer was crowned king of Rohan. At his coronation, all bowed before their new king, including Rohana. She was back to being a Lady in waiting for a much improved Éowyn. Éomer approached Rohana and knelt down beside her.

“Lady Rohana,” he cradled her face just as he had when he had left, “will you be my Queen?” He helped her to her feet as Gandalf came over with a second crown.

“I’m not Noble. I am not fit to be Queen.” Rohana avoided eye contact.

“You are not Noble, but Théoden trusted the crown to you, now I am offering you something you have always wanted; someone who understands you and will honor you unconditionally. I am offering you the respect of an entire realm. Will you honor me as husband rather than a king?”

“Yes, my Love.” She was tearing up.

They didn’t want a huge wedding, but there was no reason to delay, the entire realm was already present. That day Rohan got a new King and Queen. Éomer became Éomer Éadig, King of Rohan and Rohana became Reyna Queen of Rohan.

Gandalf requested the right to perform the Soulmate test after they were wed on the grounds that her plea for him to return brought him home. Not expecting anything, they both agreed. The test was straight forward. They both represented half of a heart. If the two halves of heart smoke failed to join and be one, they were not soulmates; but if it did for a single, united heart, they were in fact soul mates. Of the dozen times Gandalf had tested couples, never had he seen a full heart. He also had not heard of a successful formation in this age.

The ceremony started and the two halves drifted up towards the sky until it hung over their heads. Then once it was high enough, the two halves started to swirl around each other until they were joined. There was hushed awe that fell over all who bore witness. Gandalf’s eyes twinkled and neither Éomer nor Reyna had ever felt so complete.

Just as Éomer had fulfilled all of Reyna’s hopes for the future, she fulfilled his. She bore him two children; a daughter, Rhoswyn and a son, Baylor. They ruled together for years; restoring Rohan to its original glory. Their rule is marked as one of the most prosperous in Rohan history and their descendants sat on the throne until the new age of man.

Reyna passed away first with her loving husband at her side. Her grave is marked with the Ridersmark and it bears two names. He had called her Rohana in private for the entirety of her life. Éomer passed not long after of a broken heart. He was laid to rest by his son and daughter next to Rohana.

Legend has it that the hill they were laid upon is still intact. Some say that the elves have protected it for all of these ages. It is a symbol of good faith they have in man. Before they both passed, Reyna was tasked with the duty to remember each life she lives with Éomer and to guide him in the next life as she did in the last

#eomer of rohan #the lord of the rings #series #soulmate #eomer #eowyn #king and queen

[elizabeth-234]

Chapter Twenty-three

Someone to Care

Chapter Twenty-two

Summary: What happens when everyone makes an assumption about their friendly neighborhood spider?

The situation bugged her the whole day. Her eyes were drawn to Flash’s dark hair again and again but nothing was noticeably different than his unkemptness she observed in the hallway. The lunchroom was as crowded as ever but from her vantage point she could see Flash sitting in the same place he sat every day. His smile didn’t quite reach his eyes but Peyton wasn’t sure if that was just her projecting the rumors onto him. The surveillance continued throughout the day and by the time social studies rolled around she was resigned to talking to him to get her answers.  

Instead of stalling outside of the classroom like she normally did, today she marched right in and took her seat. The bell hadn’t rung yet and the classroom was basically empty besides a few people from the class before still meandering about. Her pen moved across her notebook, as she got lost in the forest that was her thoughts. The table shook and a noise startled her back into the room. A pile of books sat in front of her and Mackenzie was leaning over them. The girl’s narrowed eyes were trained on her face.

“You’re unbelievable, Parker.” Peyton’s mouth opened to protest but the girl kept talking. “I always knew you were a screw up and isn’t it ironic that you actually proved me right?”

“What are you talking about, Mackenzie?” She made her voice low and even in hopes intimidating Mackenzie a smidge.

“We had plans, Parker. You know the ones that you agreed to? I won’t be working with someone who won’t pull their weight.” A flutter settled over her stomach as she realized what the girl was talking about. She shifted her weight back and forth on the chair and tucked her hands under her thighs. Just as she was going to say something Mackenzie flipped her hair over to rest on her back and smiled over Peyton’s shoulder.

Flash walked into the classroom with his hands stuffed deep in his pockets before sliding into his seat. Peyton expected that he wouldn’t make eye contact with her but was surprised when his eyes never met Mackenzie’s either. Some part of her was happy to see a frown on the girl’s face but she squashed the petty feeling away. Mackenzie’s eyes shifted from Flash to her and the narrow appraisal was back. She leaned over the stack of books toward Peyton again.

“I won’t hesitate in telling Mr. Ridermark about it if you don’t step up your game. We all know you can’t afford to be here so if you get in trouble you’re done.” Peyton swallowed, her courage failing as she gazed at the girl brimming with confidence. There wasn’t anything she could say to contradict it either. Mr. Ridermark liked Mackenzie way better than her and she really couldn’t afford to get in trouble.

“Knock it of, Kenzie,” Flash said. His eyes never left his phone screen and Peyton did a double take his expression to make sure she heard correctly. Mackenzie’s dropped jaw mirrored her own and they both looked at each other in mutual surprise before Mackenzie remembered she was supposed to be upset.

“Flash, she’s the one that left us at the library to work on our project. We both have enough going on that we aren’t going to get stuck with all the work.”

“Nobody wants to hear you complain. Yeah, it was lame but I’m sure she has a good excuse and won’t do it in the future.” Mackenzie lingered on him a second before sighing and sitting down in her chair. She pulled her notebooks, pencil, and eraser out placing them neatly on her desk before catching Peyton staring at her. At once Peyton busied herself with her own notebook and failed to notice Flash’s eyes surreptitiously looking at her.  After she flipped away from the page she doodled on Peyton sighed and spoke just loud enough for her two partners to hear.

“I’m sorry. I’ll make it up for the project. I know it’s not much of an excuse but I got tied up. If you guys catch me up on what we worked on, I’ll get to work on the rest.”

“See, it was an accident, Mackenzie.” Flash spoke before the other girl could start criticizing her again. Mackenzie crossed her arms in front of her as her eyes burned into Flash. He sat there unperturbed and Peyton’s pity almost eclipsed her curiosity. Almost.

Class dragged on and at a break they rescheduled a time to work on the project, giving her enough time to work on what she missed. Peyton would have to shorten her time with Mr. Stark that Saturday but when she saw Mackenzie’s raised eyebrow over her hesitation, she accepted right away.

She planned it all out. The bell would ring and Peyton would make up some excuse to get Flash alone so she could talk to him. Or maybe it would be better to do it outside of school? In the back of her mind she knew it wasn’t any of her business but the snoop in her wanted to know.

The bell rang out, interrupting Mr. Ridermark mid-lecture and before Peyton had a chance to stop Flash he was out the door. Shoving all her books into her backpack as she walked, Peyton left the classroom hoping to catch up to him. She spotted his backpack between the groups of people and weaved through the procession to follow it.

She missed Ned’s wave and zoomed out of the building, still following the boy. Flash halted at the bottom of the stairs and Peyton thought he might be waiting for his driver to pick him up. She couldn’t count the number of times he taunted her about taking the subway to and from school. He stood at the bottom of the stairs and she stood at the top staring down. Instead of waiting there he looked around and continued past the school boundaries.

Ten feet behind was the amount of space she decided was acceptable in her quest. There was no reason for him to find her out now and get upset before she could properly confront him. All she wanted to do was collect some intelligence on the situation. The two walked quickly through the busy sidewalks and past the various vendors. Flash’s head routinely rotated around and behind him as if he was worried someone would follow him. He would’ve been right to worry and Peyton felt creepy trailing him so far.  

Peyton wasn’t all that surprised when he swerved down the stairs and descended into the subway platform. It looked like at least some aspect of the rumors were true if Flash was using the subway to get home now. Her feet stood on top of the metal grates as a blast of air swept over her. She glanced at her watch to judge if there was enough time to follow him the rest of the way. If she did she would end up being late for her day with Mr. Stark. After weighing the pros and cons she decided that she felt creepy enough and didn’t want to be late. Flash disappeared into the crowd and she boarded another car to take her closer to Stark Towers.

The subway ride flew by and soon enough she was swiping her ID card at the front desk. After wishing Rob, who was always nice to her, a good day she rode the elevator up almost used to the fact that she was at home in the building.

“Hello, Peyton. Tony has asked me to tell you that he will be late today but to get started in the lab.” Friday’s voice was clinical but Peyton thought she heard a bit of warmth in it during the greeting. Maybe it was wishful thinking but she hoped the AI liked her.

“Thank you Friday. Hope your day is going well.”

“It is. Yours as well.” Peyton smiled up, thankful that she could talk to Friday if needed. The elevators opened and the lab in all its beauty beckoned her forward.

It was only after talking with Miss Potts one evening that she realized how unusual it was for him to let people into his lab. Mr. Stark fell asleep on the couch when the three of them watched a movie during her convalesce at the Tower. She never thought anything of it because that was where they always worked ever since the beginning, but when Miss Potts started asking her questions about their latest project. Peyton mentioned something some equipment, making sure to steer away for the subject of Spidergirl, Miss Potts smiled shrewdly.

“You know, Peyton. The building only has one of those machines.” Peyton fidgeted with her long sleeves.

“Oh, yeah?” She wasn’t sure what the point of that statement was. Maybe Miss Potts wanted her to be careful? She shouldn’t worry about that because Peyton didn’t do anything dangerous without Mr. Stark’s supervision. He ingrained the safety rules in her siting that he had to many accidents with only Dum-E for help afterwards.

“Yes. In fact, Tony made it himself. It’s only one of a few in the world. I’m glad that Tony trusts you enough to use it.” Peyton mumbled her agreement under her voice but was stunned. “Not many people see, let alone work inside Tony’s lab and live to tell the tale.” Miss Potts laughed at her joke and Mr. Stark woke from the sound.

He took in her thoughtful expression and asked if she was all right. After some reassurance he smiled and ruffled her hair. The thought never occurred to her that it was a big deal they worked in their lab. She couldn’t imagine working anywhere else with him. It was one of the reasons she tried so hard to get back down there after they found her. Why it was so urgent for her to work in the lab like normal.

From that conversation forward working there meant even more to her. All the shiny tools, posters, Dum-E, and Mr. Stark weren’t just cool but they made it a home away from home. They made it her sanctuary. Warmth bloomed in her chest at the thought of Mr. Stark trusting her to work in his private setting.

Today the lab was quiet. Only Dum-E was gliding around the floor humming a tune she didn’t recognize. She forced herself to walk straight into the room and focused on breathing even.

“Hi Dum!” She loudly whispered when he came in view. The robot spun around, narrowly missing a stack of papers at her announcement. It hummed a high pitch and started toward her.

They met in the middle of the room and did their hand shake. It had grown overtime and now even involved some words. At the end they, well, she would yell “Go team” and Dum-E would hum. When Mr. Stark first heard he assumed it was team Iron Man but they quickly corrected his thinking and assured him it was their own team: very classified. Peyton smiled and set her bag down on one of the new chairs still relieved that Mr. Stark bought them. She tried not to glance at the walls and busied herself with grabbing her books thinking of homework she could do while she waited. Without looking up she began reading.

Dum-E was moving about the room making little noises that broke through her reading momentum. She knew that the robot was just minding his business but with every sound echoing through the room her skin would itch and her arm hair would stand on end. She wished Mr. Stark would hurry up. Another small noise had her on the edge of her seat, her leg bouncing up and down. Why didn’t she think to wait somewhere else?

The sound of glass breaking interrupted her concentration and she tensed her muscles. The tinkling of the scattered pieces had her sighing and she set her book aside. With shaky legs she saw that the robot was in a part of the lab she had never explored before. There were two rooms that branched off of this part. One was a snack room, which was a kitchenette that was stocked with granola bars and protein shakes. The other was further down the wall and she never saw it before. Peyton found her friend, broom in claw, trying to sweep up the glass.  

“Now, what have you gotten yourself into?” She said with a smile. Crouching down brought her eye level with him and she took the broom from the claw. Dum-E held the dustpan and she swept the pieces so together they cleaned up the glass.

Peyton glanced over at the mystery room. The door was closed and the lights were off inside. Curiosity plucked her mind and she made sure that the main room was empty. Not letting herself think of a reason against exploring she reached out and grabbed the door handle. The cool metal lingered under her hand while she tested its feel. She wasn’t usually noisy but she didn’t want to stay in the lab any longer without Mr. Stark. It pulled down with ease and she held her breath as the door swung open.

Only the opening of the room was bathed in light and left the rest hidden for her imagination. Dum-E stared at her when she looked back at him.

“Well, Bud. Should I go in?” She took the hum as a yes and stepped deeper into the room.

The lights came on automatically and she was met with a sight she hadn’t expected. The walls were decorated with hundreds of colored papers. There was no order to any of it and the layers were thick and sporadic. Not an inch of the wall was showing through and the counters were cluttered with an assortment of objects. She spied some stuffed animals piled up in the corners and trophies lining the counters. Almost all of them were Iron Man or Avenger themed. Most peculiar were the pictures of people she didn’t recognize.  The frames encased pictures of children and even some families.

Peyton was frozen until a nudge to the back of her shin made her move forward. Dum-E’s claw hung in the air and beckoned her further. Her eyes caressed the papers again. It was like a shrine with the amount of superhero objects in the room. Peyton didn’t think Mr. Stark would have a shrine built for himself, though. She snorted at the thought. Maybe it wasn’t so farfetched.

She unattached one of the more creative papers from the wall. This one was decorated with Iron Man along with other Avengers around him. It was from when they were still a team and she realized that it was a card. She opened it and her throat itched with emotion. The handwriting was large and uneven across the page. The crayon letters were ugly but the words they formed were the opposite. It was a thank you letter. Little Maria sent a letter to thank the Avengers for saving her and her family from the aliens that attacked New York.

The card remained in her hand while she went back to staring at all the other papers. They were all letters. Some had the same youthful handwriting with few words and good intentions, and others were pages of typed gratitude.  They all told a varying story about how Iron Man came to their rescue. Time and again he was thanked for saving someone.

Her heart skipped a beat when she saw a distantly familiar drawing. The paper was near the top of the wall and she climbed up onto the counter to reach it. The paper was thin in her hand and she held both ends so it wouldn’t fold over. The drawing was worse than she remembered and she blushed at the awkward wording inside. Her name was scrawled across the bottom followed with what should have been an illegal amount of hearts. Why did he have all of these in here?

Her eyes didn’t leave her drawing as Dum-E hummed urgently. She waved him off trying to think of the answer to her question.

“Kid?” She whirled around clutching the card to her chest. Mr. Stark looked at her with a smirk. “Sorry, didn’t mean to startle you. I was calling your name and you didn’t answer.”

“I was just, the door was unlocked and that is… Dum-E made me come in here.” She said eyeing the robot who gave an indignant noise and hid behind the door.  

“I told you to watch out for him. He’s always getting people into trouble.” The sound of him retreating and consequently knocking into something made them both laugh.

“Mr. Stark, I never pegged you for one to make a monument of yourself.” Her voice was light in sarcasm. Peyton didn’t want to pry but it was a curious day.

He smiled at her gentle teasing but walked past her and ran his hand over the papers taped to the wall. His arm was strong but Peyton noticed a slight tremble in his fingers.

“Mr. Stark?” She didn’t want him to think she was making fun or anything. He didn’t turn around but continued to observe the colors.

“It started out as a reminder. In the beginning it felt like Iron Man against the world and I was…alone. Then all these letters arrived and I couldn’t just throw them away. Someone took the time to send these letters to thankme. It made it all worth it.” He picked up one of the picture frames. “All their beautiful families still whole after horrible events. It makes everything that we go through worth it.” The papers rustled and Peyton stared at his back. His muscles tensed and relaxed as he moved. For the first time Peyton realized that under everything Iron Man was a man. Yes, he was her hero and a billionaire and a genius, but he was also a person, like her, who needed to be reminded that he was doing the right thing.

He came up beside her and wrapped an arm around her shoulder. Her head leaned over naturally to fit against his arm.

“I-I think I understand.” He moved away and looked at her face before tucking a loose curl behind her ear.

“I know you do, kid.”

He plucked the yellow paper out her hands and ran his fingers along the folded edge before opening it. Her eyes scanned his face, waiting to see if he would understand. His eyes widened almost imperceptibly and a cocky grin stole across his face.

“Well, well, well. Someone has been an Iron Man fan since day one. I knew there was a reason you acted all cool and suave on the roof the first time we met. You didn’t want me to know what a groupie you were.” Peyton smacked him on the arm, restraining her muscles a bit, and he mocked being hurt.

“I was young, Mr. Stark! And, and you saved me….”

“What was that? I couldn’t hear the rest?” He spoke still grinning.

“I just said that it was a big deal okay?” Her voice died down after that. “I can’t believe you still have it. I just assumed that some secretary would throw it away.”

Her eyes closed halfway as she stared at the card. The terror she felt that day whispered over her skin but the solid metal arms that picked her up and carried her from harm came to her memory with ease. He saved her then and he saved her again. He and Nat found her in that cold grey room and took her away to safety.

She looked back at him to find him staring at the drawing on the front, his hands delicately holding it around the edges and a small, funny smile adorning his face.

“Mr. Stark?” She whispered now. His eyes lifted away to look at her.  “I- thank you.” She cleared her throat. “Thank you for saving me.”

His eyes softened and she looked away. She couldn’t say anymore but hoped he knew that she wasn’t just talking about the expo. He didn’t say anything but nodded seriously. Peyton wrapped her arms around him and smiled when she felt his arms tighten around her.

The next time she was in the lab a burst of yellow caught her eye. She walked over to find her card framed and hanging on the wall in the middle of a row of awards he received.

Thank you!

Chapter Twenty-four

#spiderman fanfiction #peyton parker #female peter parker #peter is female #marvel fic #AO3 fanfic #fanfiction #spiderman #writing #my writing #eliza writes #someone to care #irondad #spiderson #irondad fanfiction

[seregel-caranthiriel]

🌟FILL IN THE QUESTIONS AS IF YOU ARE BEING INTERVIEWED FOR AN ARTICLE AND YOU WERE YOUR MUSE

1. WHAT IS YOUR NAME?

"Seregel"

2. WHAT IS YOUR REAL NAME?

"Sercëmael Laurënel"

3. DO YOU KNOW WHY YOU'RE CALLED THAT?

"My mother name was a term of endearment, since it means Gold Star. My father name means Bloodstained, and it turned out to be prophetic. Seregel was the combination in Sindarin after Thingol banned Quenya, and it means Blood Star."

4. ARE YOU SINGLE OR TAKEN?

"I am single up until a few days before the Battle of the Five Armies."

5. WHAT IS YOUR POWERS AND ABILITIES?

"Well, in the past 7 millennia I have mastered my masking spells. I hide my scars, since þauron has a bounty on my head and the ones on my face make me easily identifiable. I can change my eye colour, but if I concentrate for more than a few seconds I can alter my appearance entirely. I am very good at drawing life-like figures, and I can transfer my memories in the paints. Anyone who touches my paintings sees my memories of the person I drew. I also cry tears of blood. After we met the Aftercomers, I realised that me crying led them to a most painful death, due in which they lost blood from their eyes, ears, nose, mouth, even from underneath their fingernails. It lasts a few minutes, but to them it's like years of torment, and it stops when I wipe my eyes and stop crying."

6. WHAT IS THE COLOR OF YOUR EYES?

"Red."

7. HAVE YOU EVER DYED YOUR HAIR?

"If you're talking about this red highlight, I assure you that I was born with it. I have never dyed my hair."

8. DO YOU HAVE ANY FAMILY MEMBERS?

"I assume you mean alive family members? Because I have Elrond, his children, uncle Káno and Galadriel this side of the Beleagar. As for what's happening in Aman, I have no idea if anyone else has been reembodied."

9. DO YOU HAVE ANY PETS?

"I have my horse, Canyo, who was gifted to me at my 30th begetting day by uncle Findekáno. He is a son of Nahar, the stallion of Oromë, and he has been my faithful companion through many hardships."

10. TELL ME ABOUT SOMETHING YOU DON’T LIKE.

"I hate the inactivity of the ones in power to right what was wrong and help the wronged party. While Moringoþo killed Finwë, the Valar did nothing. When Oromë rightly pursued him, he was stopped. When we declared that we were going to have our vengeance, the Valar didn't try to stop us, to help us. Manwë had Námo pronounce our Doom. Dear Eru, I can still hear it. 'Tears unnumbered ye shall shed; and the Valar will fence Valinor against you, and shut you out, so that not even the echo of your lamentations shall pass over the mountains. On-' my apologies, you need not hear that. But I do think you see my point."

11. DO YOU HAVE ANY HOBBIES OR ACTIVITIES YOU DO IN YOUR SPARE TIME?

"Bold of you to assume I have spare time. Jokes aside, I mostly enjoy riding, especially on the plains of the Ridermark. And drawing."

12. HAVE YOU EVER HURT ANYONE BEFORE?

"I'm a Fëanorian, people get hurt wherever I go."

13. HAVE YOU EVER… KILLED ANYONE?

"Aside from the Orcs and the Easterling traitors of the Nirnaeth... the occasional Dunlanding that thinks I am a defenceless maiden that he can rob, rape and murder. And the First Kinslaying. No Finwëan born in Aman is innocent of it, except Itarillë and Tyelpe who where only a toddler and a child back then."

14. WHAT KIND OF ANIMAL ARE YOU?

"I beg your pardon?"

15. NAME YOUR WORST HABITS.

"I am hostile towards people I don't know, especially mortals. Not so much towards Dwarves as Men though."

16. DO YOU LOOK UP TO ANYONE?

"Not anymore. I used to, but they all ended up doing horrible things, things I was incapable of imagining."

17. GAY, STRAIGHT OR BISEXUAL?

"Bisexual."

18. DO YOU GO TO SCHOOL?

"No. I have been to the schoolroom since I was an adolescence back in the Years of the Trees."

19. DO YOU EVER WANT TO MARRY AND HAVE KIDS SOME DAY?

"I don't see why not want it. The question is whether I will allow it to myself. And if anyone could ever love someone like me."

20. DO YOU HAVE ANY FANS?

"Fans who wish my death."

21. WHAT ARE YOU MOST AFRAID OF?

"Nothing at this point in my life."

22. WHAT DO YOU USUALLY WEAR?

"My black riding gear with a cloack of the Galadhrim. The occasional dress for Tarnin Austa, but I prefer dress robes."

23. DO YOU LOVE SOMEONE?

"What's left of my family."

24. WHAT CLASS ARE YOU?

"Royalty. I am a princess of the Ñoldor, and in Beleriand I was the Lady of Thargelion and later Amon Ereb."

25. DO YOU HAVE MANY FRIENDS?

"No, no more than 5 spanning over the millennia."

26. WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON PIE?

"I like pie."

27. FAVORITE DRINK.

"Miruvorë. It's like wine, but much stronger."

28. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PLACE?

"In my rooms in the palace in Tirion, I had a window that opened into a balcony that looked North and West. But I had a window that created a nook and looked over to the East. From there I could see Tol Eressëa. I had piled it with blankets and pillows, and as I gazed at the Great Sea, I dreamt of faraway lands. Indis would sometimes come sit with me there. She told me stories of her youth, of a starlit lake, of three great mountain ranges, the second being as tall as the Pelorí and twice as perilous, of two great rivers, of a lonely mountain with a lake at it's feet. I ended up seeing them all, I just wish I did under much better and happier circumstances."

29. ARE YOU INTERESTED IN SOMEONE?

"Not at this point."

30. WHAT IS YOUR DICK SIZE?

"What's yours?"

31. WOULD YOU RATHER SWIM IN THE LAKE OR THE OCEAN?

"I think the ocean? I mean, the waters in Lindon are wonderful, and I have the fondest memories of swimming in Alqualondë when I was young."

32. WHAT’S YOUR ‘TYPE’?

"I don't think I have one?"

Tagged by: @lady-of-the-abyss

Tagging: I don't know, @goldberrie @melkors-ass @thirdoffinwe @straightouttahimring

#tag thing #rp

[theworldsoftolkein]

The King of the Golden Hall & His Noble Steed Snowmane - by Magdalena Katańska

So I imagined That I'm a Gondorian artist ordered to come to Rohan and paint a portrait of King Theoden & his steed Snowmane in the halls of Meduseld. 😄

'Faithful servant yet master's bane Lightfoot's foal, swift Snowmane' - J. R. R. Tolkien Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King 'Where now are the horse and the rider? Where is the horn that was blowing? Where is the helm and the hauberk, and the bright hair flowing? Where is the harp on the harpstring, and the red fire glowing? Where is the spring and the harvest and the tall corn growing? They have passed like rain on the mountain, like a wind in the meadow;

The days have gone down in the West behind the hills into shadow. Who shall gather the smoke of the deadwood burning, Or behold the flowing years from the Sea returning'

- J. R. R. Tolkien Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers

#tolkien legendarium #middle earth #tolkien #theoden #meduseld #snowmane #horses of middle earth #mearas #the lord of the rings #kingdom of rohan #rohirrim #riders of rohan #ridermark #horse lords

[theworldsoftolkein]

Dernhelm by Matthew Stewart

#tolkien legendarium #jrr tolkien #the lord of the rings #dernhelm #the ride of the rohirrim #the rohirrim #éowyn of rohan #shieldmaiden of rohan #shieldmaiden #éowyn #éowyn fanart #éomunds daughter #middle earth #the horselords of rohan #the horselords #home of the horselords #horse lords of middle earth #ridermark #riders of rohan #kingdom of rohan #rohan

[theworldsoftolkein]

Rohan Victory - by BorjaPindado

#tolkien legendarium #jrr tolkien #rohirrim #the rohirrim #riders of rohan #ridermark

[theworldsoftolkein]

#tolkien legendarium #middle earth #jrr tolkien #the rohirrim #theoden #ridermark #lord of the ridermark

[theworldsoftolkein]

Rohan

#tolkien legendarium #middle earth #the lord of the rings #the horselords #eorlings #rohirrim #kingdom of rohan #meduseld #rohan #ridermark #riders of the mark

[theworldsoftolkein]

The Battle of the Pelennor Fields - by Alan Lee

#the battle of the plennor fields #plennor fields #haradrim #tolkien legendarium #middle earth #jrr tolkien #the return of the king #riders of rohan #the rohirrim #rohirrim #the riders of rohan #rohan illustration #kingdom of rohan #ridermark

[theworldsoftolkein]

The Riders of Rohan (The Lord of the Rings) - by MarysMirages

#tolkien legendarium #the lord of the rings #jrr tolkien #the riders of rohan #riders of rohan #kingdom of rohan #the rohirrim #rohirrim #lord of the ridermark #ridermark #eorlingas #the horselords #horse lords of middle earth #horses of middle earth #horselords #horse lords

[theworldsoftolkein]

The Riders of Rohan - by Turner Mohan "Their horses were of great stature, strong and clean-limbed; their grey coats glistened, their long tails flowed in the wind, their manes were braided on their proud necks. The Men that rode them matched them well: tall and long-limbed; their hair, flaxen-pale, flowed under their light helms, and streamed in long braids behind them; their faces were stern and keen. In their hands were tall spears of ash, painted shields were slung at their backs, long swords were at their belts, their burnished skirts of mail hung down upon their knees."

---The Two Towers, chapter 2

My image of the moment when Aragorn Legolas and Gimli find themselves encircled by the Riders of Rohan has stuck in my head, more or less unchanged, since I first read TTT, I'd always wanted to see it rendered as a painting. What I'd hoped to capture here (and only partially succeeded, in my estimation) was a feel for both the land and people of Rohan, and for the moment itself; the tension between the rushing horses and the stable trio, like the calm eye in a spiraling storm, the power and motion of that foremost horse, the endless flat plain and vast, vaulted sky of the riddermark.

#tolkien legendarium #jrr tolkien #middle earth #the riders of rohan #riders of rohan #ridermark

[theworldsoftolkein]

- Of the Rohirrim after Théoden’s death, The Return of the King, Book V, The Battle of the Pelennor fields  (‘Rohirrim’, requested by tillallare1) 

#tolkien legendarium #the lord of the rings #jrr tolkien #the return of the king #the rohirrim #riders of rohan #kingdom of rohan #horse lords #horse lords of middle earth #middle earth #king theoden #theoden #the battle of the plennor fields #plennor fields #rohirrim #ridermark

[theworldsoftolkein]

A sketch of Edoras’s architecture by Alan Lee.

forth Eorlingas

Where now are the horse and the rider? Where is the horn that was blowing? Where is the helm and the hauberk, and the bright hair flowing? Where is the hand on the harpstring, and the red fire glowing? Where is the spring and the harvest and the tall corn growing? They have passed like rain on the mountain, like a wind in the meadow; The days have gone down in the West behind the hills into shadow. Who shall gather the smoke of the dead wood burning, Or behold the flowing years from the Sea returning?

Edoras Details Concept Art by Alan Lee

“The travelers entered. Inside it seemed dark and warm after the clear air upon the hill. The hall was long and wide and filled with shadows and half lights; mighty pillars upheld its lofty roof. But here and there bright sunbeams fell in glimmering shafts from the eastern windows, high under the deep eaves. Though the louver in the roof, above the thin wisps of issuing smoke, the sky showed pale and blue. As their eyes changed, the travellers perceived that the floor was paved with stones of many hues; branching runes and strange devices interwined beneath their feet. They saw now that the pillars were richly carved, gleaming dully with gold and half-seen colours.” -The Two Towers, J.R.R. Tolkien

#ridermark #rohirrim #Theoden #kingdom of rohan #edoras #meduseld

[elizabeth-234]

Chapter Fifteen

Someone to Care

summary:What happens when everyone makes an assumption about their friendly neighborhood spider?

Warnings: Bullying

Chapter Fourteen

https://archiveofourown.org/works/18560182/chapters/45227104

Peyton’s leg bounced up and down as she stared holes into the clock hanging above the wooden door. While Mr. Harrington’s lectures were always interesting and science was her favorite subject, her heart wasn’t in it today. So she sat pleading with the bell to speed time up and ring faster. The only distraction was the note that she and Ned had been passing back and forth to each other the whole hour. He was filling her in on the latest gossip, Rebecca and Steven had hooked up after the football game last week, and she was trying to figure out if they could hang out after school. Decathlon had been cancelled for some reason today and since Mr. Stark hadn’t wanted her to come over until later she had some free time.

With everything happening lately she had been so preoccupied with herself that her friendship with Ned had been neglected. It was just so hard when you had this huge secret identity you couldn’t tell your best friend about. It was easy making excuses in her mind when she was out saving the neighborhood. That was more important, right? She would just keep telling herself that it didn’t matter; she had a duty to the people and to herself. Anytime she was swinging around the city the urge to drop in on Ned, to confess everything. The look on his face when she crawled into his window would be amazing but then she would remember the potential danger he could be and stayed where she was.  

He was easy going but Peyton was weary of pushing him to far and this would kill two birds with one stone. Plus she just missed him. Missed the way his eyes lit up when they were walking home and how they would narrow, tongue sticking out when he was trying to put together an especially complicated Lego model. She would hang out with Ned, he had gotten some new games that she was dying to check out, and then be able to get to the tower in time to work with Mr. Stark. Who was taking her idea with a seriousness she hadn’t expected. It felt good to be on top of everything for once. Yesterday was an absolute dream. The whole time she felt like she had to pinch herself to make sure she was awake. The salt air mixed with the sweetness of cotton candy was her new favorite scent.

Peyton had lain there awake from the moment he had entered the room. Dr. Casab and the nurse went above and beyond in making her comfortable before when she was conscious. While the nurse had made jokes and tried to make her smile, Dr. Casab treated her like an adult explaining the procedures and getting Peyton’s consent to try the serum. The doctor eased the serum into her arm checking her vitals while pushing the syringe. Peyton was sure nothing would work since she hadn’t been able to take any medicine since the spider bite with effectiveness. She was listening to the doctor talk when her words were coming slower and as she rested her head against the impossibly comfortable pillow her eyes closed of their own accord.  

Then she was aware of her surroundings once again and heard, from the sound of the footsteps, the nurse puttering about the room. Not wanting to interact with anyone longer than necessary she had feigned sleep. She really wanted to ask where Mr. Stark was. Hoped he would still be there when she was awake and was frightened that he would go back to ignoring her now that she didn’t need help anymore. There was no pain emanating from her side any longer and wondered if the medicine was still working it’s magic.

The distinctive strides of Mr. Stark entered her hearing and her heartbeat increased. Firm yet not intruding they came into the room as she continued her façade. She was grateful that he had found her. That he had brought her here to get healed but a tinge of embarrassment flowed through her. The more she thought about it that pink blushing turned dark and red, twisting in her stomach. While he had no obligations to her, she had thought that they were past that; were beyond duty. Peyton enjoyed spending time with Mr. Stark. Soaked in the attention he gave her and loved learning from the genius. She had been so alone before he had landed on the rooftop and she counted on him but was sent to voicemail, quite literally. So she pretended to be asleep out of spite and squashed down the voice reprimanding her for the impolite behavior. She had the right to bide her time. To see how he would act before she decided how to proceed.  

He sighed after a long breath in and began talking. The speech sounded like a rehearsal, he kept pausing and rewording segments of it. She understood that, knew exactly what it felt like to talk to someone unable to respond. The memories of her beloved uncle settled into a sterile bed invaded her thoughts. How much braver she felt when her words and tears leaked onto the white sheets next to him. Her face was pressed into them, breathing in the scent of lemon. The weight lifted in spilling her heart out knowing he couldn’t hear yet still saying it anyway. Mr. Stark’s hand anchored her back in the present and felt solid in her own. The words had been vulnerable, something she had never heard from the man before. His tone had made her throat tighten listening to his pleading. The cause of his anguish was a mystery to her though; she knew he would never do anything to hurt her. None of this had been his fault and it pained her to see him place the blame on himself. No, she had been the careless one. The one who desired to prove herself so much that she got thoughtless. No words, no matter how beautiful could erase the time of loneliness in her but his apology made the weight a small bit lighter.

She felt as small as a bug asking to go to Coney Island but it had slipped out without thought. It was one of the places she always wanted to go. Explaining why was difficult, although Mr. Stark didn’t ask her to elaborate. That is where Ben had always promised to take her. Exploring their own neighborhood was one of Ben’s favorite things. Walking home from work a different way each day he would look for their next new place, their next outing. Peyton remembered sitting on the stairs facing the front door as a child. Her legs dangling off the banister even when May had told her to be careful. Ben would open the door and look straight up to her spot, eyes twinkling. He would tug on one of her legs saying “Hello Peanut” and she would pester him until he announced his find of the week, pulling out a map and showing her exactly where it was. The same map hung on a wall in her room, penciled marks making it even more beautiful. It was one of the reasons she fought for the neighborhood so hard. She wanted to preserve all the memories she and Ben had and allow other people to experience them in the future.  

She thought for sure Mr. Stark wouldn’t want to go there. When you’ve seen the whole world how exciting could something close to home, something so mundane be. But he had smiled and his voice rising in pitch when listing off all the attractions there. He informed her about all his favorites rides and down to where the best stand for elephant ears were. Peyton’s head spun from trying to see every single sign and attraction. The battle between the game masters and children was ringing all around them as each side tried to dominate against the other. Their first meal had been an elephant ear, which was the best one she had ever eaten, and then they moved on to round two, which was cotton candy.

They passed a couple of the games before walking by a ring toss. He had seen the way her eyes followed the flying disks and had stopped, demanding to play. Mr. Stark had been proud. Arrogant was probably the better word for it. He spoke loudly and announced, “Alright kid. Now see how the master does it.” He rubbed his hands together and approached the man. “I would like that bear there,” pointing to the prize. “I’ll give you riches beyond your wildest dreams if you hand it over now.” Peyton giggled behind her hand as the worker’s blank stare remain unchanged. After three failed attempts the guy had laughed and even gave him a try on the house. Mr. Stark refused, saying the game was rigged and strutted away. She grabbed the ring from the game manager. Aimed, tossed and scored! The look on Mr. Stark’s face when she ran up and gave him the bear was priceless. He muttered about her cheating, his hand stroking the fur on its head all the while. The bear sat on his shoulders for the rest of the day.

Now the hours left in school loomed before her. If she could just get through her and Ned could hang out and then finally she could go to the tower. There were only two more classes. That would be easy. No problem to get through, she hoped. Biology dragged on as she and Ned passed the note back and forth. The bell rang after what seemed like a century and they left the room in a hurry, waving to Mr. Harrington on the way out. She said goodbye to Ned as they parted ways to their last class. Social Studies while not her favorite subject still had material that fascinated her. What made the class unbearable was Mr. Ridermark. Their teacher, being a generous term, was simply an idiot. Not only did it seem like he had no clue what he was talking about but somehow concluded that she and Flash were friends. Extreme dread had filled her when he assigned seats and ended up seated next to Flash and all of his friends at a table. Not even MJ or someone from the Decathlon team was in the class to save her. She breathed in and out deeply before checking to make sure she had her book. Once secure she walked into the classroom. Mr. Ridermark was sitting at his desk attempting to get a powerpoint working while Flash was already sitting at the table. Crossing her fingers tightly she walked to her seat and set her backpack down underneath it where it was out of the way, tucking her fingers underneath her thighs.  

It was only an hour. She could get through this class and then meet up with Ned. They would laugh and discuss all the ways Flash was a douche and it would make the pounding in her heart slow. Ned had a way of easing a situation, shining light on something Peyton would antagonize over for hours. She had met him the first day of high school. Her head had been glued to her chest, trying not to make eye contact with anyone. She remembered the blood draining from her face when she had ran into someone and fell down, books flying everywhere. The heat of embarrassment and trying get an apology out of her mouth still affected her if she thought about it. Ned helped her pick up her books and they stood there awkwardly for a second, neither of them speaking when he noticed her t-shirt. It had an atom loosing an electron and the other asks if it was positive. Cracking up Ned handed her papers back and complimented her. Shyly they compared schedules and noticed they had many of the same classes. The rest was history. They started hanging out more and more, joining the Decathlon team and fan-girling over the fandoms.  Ned was such a good friend, the best.  

Flash was in the middle of talking with someone and didn’t immediately look up, to which her muscles loosened a bit. Casually she grabbed her American Pageant book out and began skimming the chapter. Of course she had already read it for homework but it offered a sort of protection. If she were reading people normally didn’t bug her as much like she was somehow out of their reach surrounded by a force field. Mr. Ridermark called class to attention and began lecturing. He droned on about the Carolingian Empire. Flash kept glancing over at her but she kept her head down, not making eye contact. Less than an hour now.

“Hey Parker.” She kept her focus, not even flinching at the vitriol in his voice. “I’m talking to you Parker. You better answer me.” He leaned forward and grabbed the textbook from in front of her, moving it down where his book bag sat on the floor.

“Give that back, Flash. It’s mine.” She tried to keep her voice even but it wavered toward the end.

“And what are you going to do about it?”

“I could, uh. I’m going to inform Mr. Ridermark.” She internally winced at how much of a tattletale she sounded and Flash had the nerve to laugh at her. If she kept calm and ignored him, he would leave her alone.

“Good luck with that. You know I’m his favorite. He and my father are good friends.” And dammit if he wasn’t right. Their teacher showed a disgusting amount of favoritism, showering Flash with compliments. But today she felt brave; it wasn’t Flash who had worked with Iron Man. It wasn’t Flash who had stolen Captain America’s shield. He couldn’t stick to walls, didn’t have super strength, or stop people from stealing bikes. No, that was her and she shouldn’t have to be afraid.

“Listen here. You are going to give my textbook back to me and you aren’t going to even look at me the rest of the day. Do you understand, Eugene?” She matched his posture and leaned toward him trying to harden her voice. Her smile widened like the Grinch at her checkmate. The other boys around them all “oohed” like beached whales at her statement. Something flickered in his eyes before his spine straightened once again.

“You? Peyton Puny Parker going to beat me up after school? I don’t think so.” There were patches of red creeping onto his cheeks and she should have just been the bigger person and left it alone but some voice inside urged her to continue. Lowering her voice so no one else could hear she whispered, “If you don’t do what I say, Eugene, then I’m going to have to inform coach that you’ve been getting someone to write all your essays for you.” Which Peyton didn’t understand at all because no matter how much she disliked Flash, he was still one of the smartest people at the school. The exchange had happened before her eyes. She was late to school after a morning patrol and saw them. He met with some girl before class and traded an envelope, with what she assumed had money in it, for the paper due. His eyebrow was twitching now. He knew that could get him kicked out of Midtown not to mention seriously hurt his chance at college. Without saying a word he slid the book over and turned to face the front. His possy kept glancing between the two of them the rest of the hour.

She couldn’t believe she just did that. The adrenaline coursing through her made her hands shake as she fumbled to open her book back up. The lecture hung around the air, not sinking in as she stared unseeing down at the words. That had felt good but a tinge of cold settled on her skin. Did she really blackmail Flash? She had never done that before. Would never be cruel unnecessarily but something in Flash’s face set her off. Although it wasn’t fair to blame him for her actions, she was just so tired of having to defend herself against people. All her wishing had come true and time fast-forwarded to the bell ringing.

“Miss Parker, can you stay after a moment?” It was said friendly enough but her stomach dropped. Walking up to his desk Mr. Ridermark sat there pushing papers around. She shuffled her feet back and forth dreading what he had to say. When he finally got them exactly straight he looked over and motioned for her to take a seat. “Now, Miss Parker I want to start off saying that you’re not in trouble but I wanted to caution you against talking the whole hour. I know Flash is a charismatic guy but you missed out on a fabulous lecture about Charlemagne, which will be on the exam. In the future keep the chitchat between classes. I know that you have plenty of time to talk at practice.” His eyebrows rose and a small smile played on his lips. “That will be all.”

She got up stunned a bloom of heat settled on her cheeks; feeling like the air had been sucked from the room. It was unfair. She was not, nor would she ever be friends with Flash. He was the one who had stolen exams right from her hands before they were due to erase her answers causing her to start over. He would make fun of her clothes and always try and discredit her at Decathlon practices. All of that plus the constant verbal attacks whenever a teacher wasn’t around.

Pacing down the hallway, she tried to get as far away from that classroom as possible. Did Mr. Ridermark ever talk with Flash about their so-called “chats” during class? So preoccupied with the unfairness she didn’t notice someone coming up behind her until she fell forward, her face knocking into the lockers. The hallways were cleared now that school was over and they were alone in the hall. She lent into the locker her hand messaging her head as he puffed his chest to intimidate her.

“If you ever tell anyone what you think you saw Puny…” His breath was ragged from exertion as he stared her down.

“You’ll what? Run crying to your daddy?” His eyes widened as he sucked in a breath.

“You know nothing about my father.”

“I bet he would love to know how you got beat by a girl for top grades.” He moved forward again trapping her where she stood. A vein popped out on his forehead as his hands shook at his sides.

“Shut up Parker.” Did she listen? Of course not.

“I know he would love to know his son was cheating. Paying for help at school.” His thin smile reminded her of how a shark’s jaws looked, showing off all its volatile danger under the guise of something so friendly.

He stepped even closer, his breath uncomfortable on her face. “I said shut up.” His voice had gone deathly quiet now and Peyton realized she had gone too far. Had crossed some invisible line. “You don’t know what you are talking about.” He pushed her again with more force into the locker. She raised her arms to defend against him; aware that she had to be careful least she seriously hurt him. He flinched when her arm came up and lashed out in reaction. She saw his closed fist coming toward her but didn’t have enough time to react without hurting him. Her head slammed back into the locker as stars swarmed around her. A throbbing erupted from the back of her skull, which made it hard her thoughts sluggish. She tried to blink, taking a minute to focus and saw that Flash had backed up to the lockers on the other side of the hallway. His shoulder’s hunched over as he stared down at his hands. His mouth gaping when he looked back up at her, taking in the damage he had just inflicted. She could feel the air piercing her lip as a trail of blood made its way down her chin.

“I’m so sorry.” He whispered still staring in horror. “Peyton,” his voice coming as barely more than a whisper and shook like it was taking all of his energy to force the two syllables name out. She didn’t think he had ever said her name so depressingly nice before. He peeled himself from the locker he was slouching on to come back over to her side of the hallway, his hands stretched out in front of him. She backed away back pressed against the cold metal and froze him in place. Flash opened his mouth to say something then looked up and down the hallway. His face crumpled before her eyes as he stared at her. His eyebrows pinched and his mouth frowned deeply as he turned from her and ran until he turned a corner and was out of sight. Alone in the hall she slid to the floor, bringing her legs up to support her hand pressed against he face. What just happened?

While Flash had done things before he had never physically hurt her before. No one had ever raised a hand to her except when she was Spidergirl and then she could fight back, would be ready to defend herself. Her heart was pounding, beating its staccato pulse through her veins. She pulled out her cell phone her shaking hands making it difficult to text. Finally the message was sent and she turned off her phone not wanting to see Ned’s reply. The last thing she wanted to do was go to his house right now. His mom while sweet was overbearing and Peyton could not deal with all the questions. Ned would be beyond worried about her as well which she didn’t want to face. She might call May too who would then go straight to the principal without hearing the whole story, without knowing that Peyton had goaded him. Had part of the blame as well.

Walking in a haze she headed for the doors of the school and left. On autopilot she boarded the subway, not looking at the people she walked by. Her own actions made her queasy. How could she have done that? The nasty tone and hurtful words she spat at Flash kept circling back to her. She could see him sitting across from her on the subway. A misty apparition. His eyes, wide and searching her face, moisture pooling in the corners. Those hands, which held such force, were out in front of him, trembling over the act they had committed. Her cheek ached. The stop arrived, his hands the last thing she saw as she stepped off. She walked into the building, shivering in the windless air. Pulling her sweater around her tighter she scanned her I.D. missing the way the secretary’s eyes took in her face.

Since when had she begun saying cruel things to people? That wasn’t like her. She was the one who was supposed to protect people against that not instigate it. The way Flash lashed out at her made her stomach feel tight, uncomfortable. She would never have said anything about what she saw to anyone and just wanted to be left alone. Peyton walked to the center of the lobby, still trying to straighten out everything in her mind, how she could have been so cruel. How Flash had hurt her, more than just physically. The impact struck her again and she staggered to the couch. Her hand rubbed along her jaw trying to soothe the throbbing. After a moment she looked up past the swarm of people in the lobby. The fish she had been so mesmerized with before were still in the tank drifting back and forth while the chatter of people filtered around her. Her eyes followed the lazy swimming. Back and forth. Peyton tried to match her breathing to the bubbles floating upward but kept having to breath in faster than they breached the surface. The sound of familiar clicking of heels walking toward her brought her out of the trance.

Hope everyone has a fabulous weekend!! 

Chapter Sixteen

#spiderman #fanfiction #marvel fanfiction #someone to care #mcu fanfiction #irondad #flash thompson #ao3fic #female peter parker #writing #AO3 #peter parker #eliza writes