au where Ariana Griande is a massive popstar and Scar is a famous actor. they meet when they’re filming the fourth or fifth Hot Guy! movie and Scar has a scene where he has to save Griande (starring as herself). The public doesn’t know that Griande is just an alter ego of Grian, who’s like, a regular guy. Grian despises the media and Scar loves it. They hate each other at first. Then they date. Thanks for coming to my ted talk
Edward sat in the works, alone. Well, not alone, for it was the middle of the day and the workmen were busy with the usual goings on. Too busy to really pay him much notice. He didn’t really mind, as it left him able to rest comfortably without men poking and prodding at him. As comfortable as he could, at least, after his incident. He had brought a heavy train home during a thunderstorm, all while his left siderod was lodged in his running board. He had to run as a single, slipping and sliding all the way from the branchline to the big station. Now, he was waiting on repairs to go back in service. The new diesel, BoCo couldn’t do it on his own, and besides, he needed help to keep the twins in line, didn’t he?
As Edward was dozing, he heard the crunch of shoes on ballast coming towards him, and opened his eyes. It was the Fat Controller, and Edward watched as he shooed away the CME and walked up in front of him.
“Good Morning, Sir”, Smiled Edward, “Here for a visit?”
“Indeed.” Replied The Fat Controller, in a rather neutral tone, “Just checking up on what's happening, and for you, of course.”
“Me?” Said Edward, “Well, I’m doing fine so far, but I’ll be even better once I’m back in steam! I’m sure the twins miss me, and I shan’t leave BoCo on his own.”
Edward noticed the slight change of expression on the Fat Controller’s face, but kept up his smile.
“Is everything alright, sir?”
“Well…” Replied The Fat Controller, before taking a breath and going back to his neutral tone, “I have something I’d like to tell you. Something important.”
“And what would that be?”
“Well, Edward, you… you’re one of the most experienced engines on this island, and what happened yesterday, well, it was very admirable, getting those people home in your condition. Your boiler ticket is about to run out as well, so I’ve been thinking…”
While the Fat Controller was taking, Edward smile slowly morphed into a frown, but he held off speaking until-
“How would you like to… retire?”
“...what?”
The Fat Controller braced himself, especially at Edward’s expression, but he steeled himself, and pressed onwards.
“We can fix you up cosmetically, and we can place you somewhere that you’ll always have others to talk to! Like the big station! The passengers and engines, especially the young engines, will all benefit with you around, like that old engine from Barrow!”
That just seemed to make the expression on Edward’s face worse.
“Erm, well, look Edward, I think that-”
“N-No.”
“... I’m sorry?”
Both engine and controller were startled, Edward the most. He couldn’t even remember the last time he denied his controller something, but he went through with it regardless.
“Sir, I… I don’t want to be taken out of service, I don’t want to be plinthed and be one big useless ornament taking up place in a station or on a siding. I want to be working, with my friends, pulling trains and being worth something, not just the useless thing someone has to clean whenever they need disciplining.”
The Fat Controller stared wide-eyed at Edward, but let him continue.
“And I know that trains are getting heavier, and I know that my age is very much catching up with me, but I can’t stop now. I won’t stop now. I’m not ready for retirement, and I don’t know if I ever will be. I’m… I'm sorry. If that, well, If that upsets any plans you have.”
They both sat in silence for only a few minutes, but it felt like forever. It took every ounce of nerve Edward had to keep going, and not simply apologize and go along with whatever The Fat Controller had planned for him. He was struck by the thought of what his friends would do if they had heard. The big engines had always said he was meant for retirement sooner rather than later (well Gordon mostly, and he wasn’t too sure on where they stood these days), but he was certain that the tank engines would cause a ruckus at least. Though, while they weren’t as old as him, they weren’t exactly the picture of modernity themselves, were they? However any more thoughts on that were cut off as The Fat Controller spoke.
“Alright.” He said, quite easily. Edward blinked.
“Really?” He said, mouth agape, “Just like that?”
“Well…” Said The Fat Controller, giving a proper smile, “If you’d like to keep serving your railway, who am I to stop you? Your knowledge would be more useful on the rails than on a plinth. I’ll see about moving you from cosmetic repairs to a full overhaul, at once.”
“I-I… Thank you, sir!”
“It’s no bother.”
And with that, The Fat Controller turned on his heel, and walked away.
Martin Septim/Azralath Aevitas (Imperial Hero of Kvatch)
CW: none
<- Previous | Part 2 of Take Me Back to Eden | -> Next (coming soon)
Based on the way Jauffre immediately tells you to go back to the Imperial City after getting to Cloud Ruler Temple. (I swear I'm not trying to villainize Jauffre - stressful situations can make people tense and forgetful.)
Title is from Take Me Back to Eden by Sleep Token.
“You should already be on your way back to the Imperial City,” Jauffre scolds, his pale brows furrowed in concern as he looks at the Hero of Kvatch like a disappointed teacher. “You need to get moving, we’ve got no idea when the enemy will make their next move.”
Martin watches as Miss Aevitas lays a heavy hand on the chair back beside her, her soot-smeared face blank and her frost-blue eyes half-lidded. She nods groggily as Jauffre chastises her for not having left yet and suddenly Martin cannot control his tongue.
“Now wait a minute!” he interjects, just as Miss Aevitas’ own adopted father makes a sound of indignation from atop the bookshelf he’s perched himself on.
Jauffre startles slightly and looks to Martin in mild confusion, while Miss Aevitas wearily shifts her gaze between the three of them.
“Sire?”
Martin shakes his head at Jauffre, waving a hand at Miss Aevitas, who watches his gesture, and then his face.
“She’s more than earned the right to rest for a bit!” Martin says, pooling anything he can gather from within himself that might pass as even remotely authoritative. “The moment she got to Kvatch, she went straight into Oblivion to close the gate - and from what I’ve heard, she was in there for damn near a full day! And then she fought her way through what was left of the city to make sure myself and the other survivors could make it out safely, then walked with me through the night to get to the priory! She hasn’t slept in the entire time I’ve been in her company, and you want to send her running off again without so much as allowing her to sit down?”
Jauffre stays silent as Martin snaps, exhaustion and the remnants of pent-up adrenaline and just… everything he’s been compartmentalizing for the past forty-eight hours. Martin wishes he could snap at someone on his own behalf as well, but right now he’s running on the last dregs of his sanity and his only outlet is righteous upset for the one person that’s managed anything productive among the group.
“I don’t know what came before her arrival at Kvatch, but from what he’s told me…” (and here Martin nods towards the Bosmer moving to stand beside Miss Aevitas and wrapping his arm around her like any protective father figure should do for his brave, utterly exhausted daughter) “...they came straight from the priory and into hell to find me.”
“Can confirm,” the Bosmer man - whose name Martin still doesn’t know, and has only ever heard referred to as ‘me da’ by Miss Aevitas - pipes up, a feral scowl upon his face. “Straight from the priory to Kvatch, half of it on foot, with no breaks.” He bares his teeth at Jauffre, sharp and jagged, tilting his head so that his antlers catch in the firelight like a threat.
Martin simply gestures towards the Bosmer man in emphasis, looking to Jauffre as if to say, ‘you see?’
Jauffre, thankfully, looks at least a bit remorseful of his words, because he turns a worried frown towards Miss Aevitas as though seeing just how worn down she is for the very first time.
Unfortunately, Miss Aevitas then has to go and try to negate it all by quietly slurring, “...’m fine.”
Which. No. She is clearly not.
“Sure you are, cub,” the Bosmer says, dry sarcasm pooling between his teeth as he pats her on the shoulder. He’s barely tall enough to reach her collar bones at full height, but as he stands beside her there is little doubt of their family ties in the way he moves to angle himself between the Blades’ Grandmaster and his own hornless human daughter as though to defend her from the rest of the world.
“Go sit.”
And Miss Aevitas, strong and sturdy and stubborn, wilts like a dying flower under her father’s command and sinks into the nearest chair.
Jauffre purses his lips as he watches the small group of protestors, his gaze slipping from Martin to Miss Aevitas to the Bosmer man and then back to Miss Aevitas. “I… apologize,” he says stiffly, awkwardly, obviously off-kilter. “Of course. You’ve done more than enough so far, I… the circumstances are… not ideal. Forgive me for my callousness.”
The Bosmer goes to open his mouth - no doubt to insist that his daughter will be staying put for the time being, and to possibly offer himself for the mission in order to spare her the sleepless night - but the sound of clattering drowns him out.
Sharp and sudden, metal upon stone, Miss Aevitas’ armor smacks against the floor with an almighty crash as she falls sideways out of her chair like a rag doll.
“AZRALATH!” the Bosmer shouts, darting forward to try and catch what’s already fallen, reaching to shield her head from damage, at the same time that Martin drops to his knees with hands outstretched, the glow of restoration magic weaving between his fingers without conscious thought.
She does not wake for nearly a day, and Baurus, patient and reliable in the Imperil City, is not contacted for another two.
Would anyone interested in a Loki x ofc fanfiction be willing to read a fic that follows the Loki series?? I totally agree the series was a crapshoot, but I can overhaul Loki's characterization and give him back the jittery paranoia, snark, and sadness from Thor 1 + Avengers. the main theme in the fic is that I hate the Saw movies. I would also try re-write things to make Mobius a genuine friend. And Sylvie....
I like things with a darker tone so the writing is a little bit disturbed and miserable,, for a OC-esque type fanfic. Dread and angst.
who am I kidding. It's cringe but I tried. Loki x oc cringe, but genuine.
Paruko walked out of the library. She had a file folder full of research that she couldn’t let get soaked in this downpour. Standing right under the edge of the roof, Paruko looked around. She’d have to shove the folder in her jacket, wouldn’t she?
Just as she was about to she spotted an umbrella with space under it for one more person. She smiled and called out to her sunshine-y friend.
“Gao!”
He turned towards her, smiled and waved. Paruko motioned for him to come over. He did. She measured the distance between the roof and his umbrella. She motioned for him to come closer. He did. Perfect.
Paruko slipped under the umbrella beside him. She looked up at him and smiled. She still hated how he had grown taller than her but she could forgive that for now.
“Thanks, Gao, you’re a real file saver.”
“Glad I could help.” Gao smiled back. He then looked forward, watching where he was walking. Paruko looked forward as well. “How come you don’t have an umbrella though Paruko? Don’t you always keep up with the forecast? You’re wearing a jacket rather than a raincoat too.”
“I didn’t go home last night.” The jacket was for her walk home since it was supposed to be chilly late last night but she ended up there longer than intended. Paruko was actually kind of hungry now that she thought about it.
“It’s never intentional.” Paruko rested her head on his arm. He adjusted so his arm was around her instead. “I just wanted to finish copying down the interview. Then I fell asleep. Then when I woke up, there was an article sitting in front of me that had some interesting points so I read it as I brushed my teeth.”
“You brushed your teeth?”
“Yea, I keep my travel toothbrush kit with me at all times,” Paruko unzipped her jacket pocket and pulled it out to show him. She was careful to keep a tight hold on her file folder with her other arm and hand.
“Then you just kept working?”
“I found some good leads and interesting information Gao. I regret nothing.” She put the kit away.
“Okay,” Gao gave a slight laugh.
They arrived at the bus stop. Gao called to see how long the bus’s delay was. Paruko kept her head pressed against him. He was warm.
“Oh?… Uh-huh… Yeah, that makes sense. Okay well, thank you. Have a nice day.” Gao hung up. He looked down at her and gave her a small smile. “The bus is estimated to be an hour or so late.”
“What? Why is it delayed so much?” Paruko took a step back as she turned to face him. She was expecting maybe twenty minutes late, not forty-five.
“Traffic is seriously backed up.”
“Oh.” Paruko huffed. Now what?
“Wanna get lunch?”
“Yea, where did you have in mind?”
“There’s this new burger joint Baku was telling me about that’s nearby.”
“Sounds like great material for my food blog, let’s go.”
“You sure do have a lot of blogs Paruko. When do you take breaks?”
“I’m always on break. Running various blogs allows me to always be working but also to always be relaxing. Except for those few times I’m not.” Paruko walked beside Gao but let him lead the way.
“Well, what are you doing right now?”
Paruko looked at him, he looked away from her. Paruko gave a small smile.
“I guess I could be working, but I’m enjoying my time with you.” Paruko watched Gao smile then looked back forward with a smile of her own. “Just until we get to the restaurant. Once we’re there let me take a picture of you in the rain. I can put it on my daily blog.”
Gao laughed and agreed.
When they got there Gao walked Paruko over the canopy and took some steps back. She took out her phone and took a few photos. Gao was very cooperative and very photogenic. Paruko loved how each picture came out.
“Ah! Gao these are perfect! I could kiss you right now!”
“Don’t thank me yet,” Gao arrived under the canopy. He closed his umbrella. “I still have to pay for the meal.”
“Aw,” Paruko linked arms with him as they entered the restaurant. She smiled. “You know me so well.”
Scar doesn't die covered in blood, poppies, and lilacs. He watches Pearl's moves, he watches her slow her step, lag to place that block, jump just too late for his arrows. He recognizes the way she clumsily swings back at him. He knows exactly what she's doing. He's been here before.
He wins covered in blood, poppies, and lilacs, and hears Grian's voice in his ear. Grian is with him.
He wins staring at the secret keeper, with the sound of many voices calling out to him - Congratulations. You've completed your task. You've won! We were with you every step of the way. Aren't you proud?
Scar looks around, at the holes in the ground from the wither, at the empty towers and blood stained snow at his feet. He had no friends. He was never really the villain. He was just alone. He turns back to the watchers.
We can give you whatever you want, now. You're the winner. You did better than anyone.
Scar looks at the watchers, and thinks he sees Grian, somewhere, reaching out to him, showing him the way. He sees Pearl and Scott, and a glimpse of Martyn.
In the end, the watchers couldn't touch him. They couldn't break Scar, they could never take him, they couldn't even kill him. All Scar wanted was to go home.