The Tri-Kingdom AU splits from the original story toward the end of Descendants 2.
Mal has been convinced to come back to Auradon, but her effort to return to the Isle of the Lost has shaken Ben considerably. He hadnât noticed the pressure she was under, which makes him consider if the other VKs have ever felt the same, and if any future VKs he wants to invite over would experience that same pressure, or worse. And he reflects on how out of place he felt on the Isle. It pushes him to decide on an amendment to his original plan to invite the children of villains to attend Auradon Prep.
Ben contacts two other schools in the United States of Auradon; Neverland Academy, and Camelot Heights Excellency Institute, whose principals (Wendy Darling and Merlin respectively) agree to work alongside Ben to provide the best chance for rehabilitated villain kids. And thus the new education plan for VKs is created. They will start at Auradon, be given a trial week, and then are given the choice to stay full time, or move on to Neverland Academy where they will be given another trial week, and so on, with Camelot Heights Excellency being the final option. Should they reach the end of their week in Camelot without prior choice, they are given a choice of all three schools, or a return to the Isle of the Lost. But no one would choose to go back there⊠right?
(When the barrier is removed for good at the end of D3, Dragon Hall becomes a fourth option for all VKs and AKs of schooling age.)
OCs Masterlist here!
Schools Info
Fic synopses
About the creation:
Working title coined from the central 3 kingdoms; Auradon, Neverland, and Camelot.
I made the first few OCs when I was 14 with the tone and quality of the original movie series in mind, and have kind of just expanded and kept it going since. The AU itself was further finalised after D2 came out. D3 influenced it a little, more towards the events at the end of the series, and Rise of Red influenced a single characterâs name and nothing else (I will be so honest, I watched the movie and disregarded most of it). It was additionally inspired by the Melissa De La Cruz books.
Regarded canon and influences:
Descendants 1, 2, and 3
The Melissa De La Cruz book series (it has been a long time since I read these, so heavy on the subconscious inspiration)
Most relevant Disney movies (the Disney Princess franchise, for example)
Jake and the Neverland Pirates
Epic Mickey
Some Disney Parks rides (eg Pirates of the Caribbean)
Various other fanon content and such that I've seen over the years and subconsciously contributed to my own view of the Descendants world.
Disregarded canon (at least mostly):
Descendants: The Rise of Red
Descendants Wicked World
Frozen 2, Encanto, Moana 2 (and other movies I simply havenât seen yet)
Elizabeth & Ivy (Descendants OCs) | Captain's Orders
wc: 651
summary: Ivy and Elizabeth meet for the first time, and neither of them are ready for it
notes: truly, they do not stop interacting like this for nearly a whole book
The Isle of the Lost was a treacherous place full of the most evil, criminal, wrongdoing people in the whole of Auradon. At least, that was what Ivy had been taught as a child. And now she was hours away from meeting another person from the Isle, a girl whose name and reputation had arrived long before she would.
Auradon had destroyed her, which sounded stupid to even think. Elizabeth had arrived with the expectation that sheâd be evil, sheâd almost played into it too. Then sheâd done everything she could to play by the rules, to be as good as theyâd hoped for her. And all to get something she still didnât have, all within the space of a week. Now she didnât even have herself to rely on.
The long taxi journey was already making her feel slightly sick, the nerves helping nothing, and the only constant in Elizabethâs mind was how pathetic sheâd become in a week. Outside of that, she tried to focus on Neverland. This should be her place. In a few hours sheâd be meeting her new roomate, someone she could try and be kind to in the hope that collaboration could get her the answers she was looking for. Or, after the week sheâd had in Auradon, intimidation would at least get her left alone. Or maybe sheâd spend the night on the beach, staring at the ocean to try and find a sense of right, and this would be a decision for the following morning.
The room as tidy, at least to Ivyâs standards. She heard the car engine outside, the tyres rolling over the gravel path, and finally the engine turn off. Silence really pit her heart in her mouth. Sheâd had her own hours of overthinking but had ultimately decided that sitting on her bed was the best way to present herself; someone who respected their own space, and was non-confrontationally laid back. Footsteps along the corridor. Her heartbrat pounded in her ears, and the door opened.
Elizabeth stood in the doorway like a deer in headlights, as if she had a sword and shield ready to hide behind. Her new roomate was smaller than her, looked more timid than her, seemed kinder than her. And in response, all Elizabeth felt was shame. She stayed silent without knowing what to do about it.
Ivy mentally scolded herself for judging someone before knowing a thing about them, or at least before actually meeting them. The uncertainty in her eyes proved she'd seen a lot, Ivy's assessment landing somewhere between certainty that anyone from the Isle who looked scared had seen something horrific since, and that no matter how tough she was, the Isle was designed to mess people up. Either way, she stood slowly, and approached Elizabeth as if she was a frightened animal.
âHi,â she started softly, âmy name's Ivy.â
âI'm Elizabeth,â she replied like she'd been told to.
âI know,â Ivy started, realising it sounded threateningly ambiguous. âMy friend, he's Wendy's son, he told me you were arriving tonight, that your name was Elizabeth and you're from the Isle of the Lost.â And now she'd said too much. âI'm not scared or anything.â
âOkay.â
The silence stretched on, the awkwardness thick.
âCan I help you unpack, or anything?â Ivy offered. Truthfully Elizabeth hadnât planned to unpack her bag. But she was presented with the question, and she still hadnât settled fully on an approach.
âIf you want, I guess.â
To anyone else she may have seemed standoffish, even mean, but Ivy saw straight through it all. Matthew had warned her it would likely be the case, and she'd seen how Edward had been even after a few months of living in Neverland. Elizabeth was anxious. Ivy was eager to help. And somehow, their first night of being roomates was off to a better start than either of them had anticipated.
@ocdynamicsevent day 4 | friends with benefits, helpful
Bianca & Nathan (Descendants OCs) | Accidentals
wc: 430
warnings: drug (weed) use, abusive relationship mentions, sex mentions
summary: Nathan agrees to a favour for Bianca
The breeze across the beach had put out Biancaâs joint twice. Her tongue tasted burnt, each attempt to relight it went worse than the last, and even though she was still alone it was starting to feel embarrassing. Maybe it was the company she expected.
âBianca,â the company greeted her, âunlike you to ask to meet one-on-one outside.â Nathan smiled, the personality that had gained her interest in the first place shining strongly as ever. âAlthough Iâm down to try something new if thatâs what this really is?â He couldnât have missed the mark further. As he sat down beside her in the sand, Bianca wordlessly passed him the joint and her lighter. He understood that request, taking a very generous drag to relight it for her.
âI need a favour,â she dryly replied. âI get it if your answerâs no.â Just high enough for the edges of her mind to feel a little fuzzy, Bianca tipped her head back to look up at the night sky, the breeze rushing past her cheeks and prompting her to prevent the joint go out again. âSomehow Merrickâs got in to play that awardâs evening.â
âOh, Bee,â Nathan paused. His lighthearted joke about sex on the beach at midnight felt incredibly out of place now. Every bit of information heâd received over the last six months collided in his mind at once as he watched her inhale another lungful of weed. First the request for her to host said awards evening, followed by the harsh end of a very long and just as abusive relationship. Now Bianca would be sharing a stage with that ex.
âI donât need you to feel sorry for me,â she complained, for the amount of times someone had said her name like that was getting too many to count. Nathan was supposed to be her escape from it all. âBut could you come with me?â It sounded stupid out loud. âI know weâre not together, but bringing a date I can hide behind could be pretty helpful.â In the time sheâd taken to ask, the joint was out again. Nathan took it from between her fingers wordlessly. He didnât think harder than ever about his lips touching where hers just had as he relit it for her.
âI can do that,â he casually replied, letting Bianca lean forward to take the joint from his hand, her lips brushing his fingers. As she inhaled, their eyes met in the dark, and Nathan smiled just as he had upon sitting with her. âIâll make sure you have a good time.â
summary: Thomas talks with Hannah about their future
notes: prompt took the form of a song (Shine by Benjamin Francis Leftwich, which you should definitely listen to while reading /lh), here's a little one to finish off the month. Thank you @fluffbruary hosts for a lovely challenge!
The water of the lake was crystal clear, the pebbles on its bed visible through the gentle push and pull of the surface with the breeze. Hannah and Thomas lay out on the stone platform, drying off in the July heat after an impromptu swim, their hands connected while they both enjoyed the quiet. It had been too long since theyâd had time for each other, in the midst of final exams, and making plans to move into their own place once school was done. The afternoon off had been welcomed.
Nearly an hour after theyâd left the lake after jumping in fully dressed, Thomas sat up and started digging through the pockets of the backpack heâd insisted on taking with them. Hannah turned her head to watch with curiosity, sitting up to ask questions as he took something from it, but hid it from her immediate view.
âHannah,â he started, faster than she was to start talking. âYou know Cotillionâs coming up?â
âEven though I donât know exactly what that is, Iâve heard everyone talking about it,â she replied with a light smile. He was acting weird. She continued, if only with the aim to keep things from getting awkward. âSapphire and Erin made sure Iâll have a dress.â
âItâs just another fancy dance,â Thomas shrugged, his true opinion obvious, but that didnât erase what it could mean to him now. âI was hoping youâd go with me.â
âI did kind of assume,â Hannah giggled.
âYeah but itâs still important that I ask you,â he said. He refused to be the guy who never asked, who worked off assumptions and didnât put the effort in. âWhat colourâs the dress?â Hannah smiled as she recalled her reflection the first time she tried it on. For the first time, she looked like a princess. Sheâd managed to take Sapphireâs advice to not show anyone else the photos, and hoped she could keep the secret until the day, for imagining Thomasâ reaction filled her with butterflies just thinking about it.
âNavy blue.â
âGot it, Iâll be sure to match,â he nodded, not letting silence disrupt the flow of everything he still had to say. âThere was something else.â He took a breath, fingers rolling the box in the palm of his hand. If he was nervous now, actually proposing to her down the line would be something else enturely. âI know weâve got a lot of big plans for the next few years, and when weâre a little more stable and settled we can talk about getting engaged, but,â he revealed the box to her, opening it to show her the ring inside, a silver band decorated with blue gemstones. âI wanted to give you this. Itâs a promise ring, like a pre-engagement ring. A physical reminder to go with my promise to love you, and to stick by you, and to fight for us through the harder times.â In the warmth of the sunlight, surrounded by the quiet of the lake, Thomas couldâve proposed marriage and she would easily have accepted. Everything was perfect.
âItâs beautiful,â Hannah breathed. âThank you. I donât know what to say.â She let him take her hand, slipping the ring onto her ring finger just as he would with an engagement ring. As he imagined himself doing in a couple of years. âI canât wait for our future, Iâll do everything I can to get us there,â Hannah promised in return, worrying it fell a little short compared to everything heâd done for her. That couldnât have been further from the truth. Thomas smiled softly, looking at her hand before smiling up at her face.
âI know you will,â Thomas softly said, before kissing her fingers. âThatâs why I chose you.â
warnings: drug & alcohol use, mentions of an abusive relationship including manipulation and implied SA, victim blaming/unbelieving mentions (heavy, but I promise the actual scene is fluff)
wc: 1551
summary: Bianca has been faced with the social fallout of speaking up about her ex. Bradley, who has witnessed the very surface of her abusive relationship, might just be the best person to talk to
notes: getting into what really happens in Accidentals.
The beach after dark was the closest thing to peace Bianca had felt in months. Sheâd gone pretty far away from the main beach itself, and had stood out on a small wooden bridge overlooking the river that fed into the ocean for hours. The sun had set hours ago, plunging her into the night. Going back to her dorm room would surround her with people who had questions or judgements, or even just their own issues with Merrick, and it was the last thing she wanted to deal with. Staying out all night wasnât an answer either, and she knew it, but freezing and waiting for someone to prompt her to do anything else was a better option right now, and would be until it wasnât.
Merrick hadnât accepted the accusations lightly, of course he hadnât. What had meant to be a quiet confession, a request not to work with him on any level, had turned into an official report to the headteacher, and most of their social group turning their backs on him. Most. It had also triggered the end of bands, friendships, and relationships alike, all from one request. Bianca couldnât face being the catalyst to it all right now.
âBianca?â The sound of her own name made her jump, the only thing she could place about the voice that spoke it was its familiarity, and masculinity. Her heart pounded in her chest at the concept of a confrontation, before Bradley approached her slowly, cautiously, aware that his presence might be startling to anyone who wasnât expecting it. Out of all the people she worked with, or was friends with, he might have been the only person that hadnât been directly affected in some way.
âOh, hi,â Bianca replied as casually as she could manage, trying to choke back the lump in her throat. âHow are you?â He was already well aware that something was wrong for her to be out so late, and so far from anywhere else.
âIâm good,â he replied initially, still deciding how honest he should be. âIâm a little worried about you.â Bianca sighed.
âYeah, thatâs fair enough I guess.â
âWhat are you doing out here?â Bradley asked, hoping sheâd be as honest as heâd been with her.
âI just⊠I wanted to be alone?â Bianca started, retracing every thought sheâd had since the middle of the afternoon. She didnât get far before Bradley interjected.
âOh, I can goââ
âYou donât count,â she replied quickly, before realising how it sounded. Bianca had just wanted him to stay long enough to hear her explanation for it all. âNot like thatââ
âItâs okay.â Bradley understood, giving her as long as it took to explain things. She let out another sigh, focussing on the steady stream of the river ahead of her, and the noise of the water running over the rocks.
âIâm sure you know everything thatâs happened with Merrick,â she started, beginning to feel sick at merely saying his name. If he wasnât aware, she wasnât sure she could explain it again. âI feel like everyone knows.â
âUh, yeah, Matthew actually gave us a vague outline when we took on the acoustic project,â Bradley told her, trying to avoid the specifics just as much as sheâd done. âAnd um, Iâve actually witnessed a few things that I didnât love about him.â Keeping things vague was difficult with each reminder of witnessed control attempts, or methods to keep her isolated that almost worked. And if they almost worked in front of people, he could only imagine what Merrick could be like behind closed doors âSo yeah, I know, and I am fully on your side in this one.â
âOkay, weâll see how long that lasts,â she muttered, unable to stop herself from being so cynical. Bradley tried not to take it personally.
âI told Harlow about what he said to you, while you were filming with Marty,â he confessed, hoping it would serve as some kind of proof. It had come out fast and raw and honest, slightly desperate even, like he was scared sheâd run away if he couldnât prove he believed her. It wasnât how heâd intended to come across. âShe said sheâd passed the message on.â Biancaâs expression softened, the moonlight catching her cheekbones more than her brow as she stared out into the water, forced to remember it all. Part of her wanted to bring up how little smoking weed and trying to forget at Harlowâs suggestion had actually helped in the long run, but more of her was already ashamed of how harsh sheâd been to someone so kind already, and she forced a smile.
âShe did,â Bianca confirmed, letting silence fall over them again.
âBianca, you shouldnât have been put through what he did, you know that, right?â
âYeah, of course,â she shrugged. Sheâd heard it endlessly since everything had come out, but it didnât change anything. âItâs whatever, I justâŠâ She had permission to tell the next part of the story aloud too, it had already happened, and she had possibly the most impartial person ever right there to listen to her. She took a breath, closing her eyes in a hope that it would stop her from crying as she remembered how the conversation had gone, willing herself to get his words out of her memory. âJake chose not to believe me.â Bradley didnât have anything immediate to reply with, simply taking a deep breath himself to avoid any kind of outburst that centralised him and his own reaction.
âIâm really sorry,â he simply replied. As silence fell again, it was too late. The way Jake, the longest, closest friend Bianca had ever had, looked her in the eye and told her none of it was that bad, that she was at least partially to blame for anything Merrick had done, or that she was making it out to be worse than it really was. The way heâd turned his back on her, tried to convince the others to do the same, and they hadnât spoken since. The way sheâd broken down as she told him, hoping to find some kind of safety and had received the total opposite. It all played on a loop in her mind as she tried to focus back on the sound of the river under the bridge. Tears streamed down her cheeks, and in a moment of total irrationality, she turned to Bradley and clung to his waist, burying her face against his shoulder.
âHey, youâre okay,â he gently said, holding her lightly so she knew she could leave at any time.
âIâm sorry,â she whispered, âIâm so sorry.â Again and again she apologised, each new breath holding another apology to the point where she wasnât even sure what she was apologising for anymore. The darkness disoriented her, and soon she was holding Bradley to stay standing.
âBianca, you have nothing to apologise for,â he told her, gently rubbing her back until she calmed again, her breathing settling into something far more healthy. âIâm with you. I believe you.â Her eyes ached, her cheeks and neck wet with tears, but the moment he said it she was crying again.
âThank you,â she sobbed, wiping her face with her sleeve again, before letting out a sarcastic laugh. âUgh, I canât believe youâre still here. Iâm so sorry youâre seeing me like this.â
âBee, it doesnâtâ I donât mind,â Bradley told her honestly, before lightheartedly adding, âI know we donât know each other that well, but I promise Iâm not that superficial.â It got another laugh out of her, the resulting smile sitting on her tear stained face. As she looked at him, nose and cheeks red and irritated, his heart broke. No one deserved to feel so destroyed. âCan I walk you back? Or contact someone else for you?â Bianca shook her head. She didnât need to be out drinking at a gig, or smoking in a back alley somewhere, and she certainly didnât need to be offered to try something heavier. Harlow wouldnât be a good person for her to be around right now, and honestly there was no one else she felt like she could trust. Sheâd already told Bradley too much.
âThereâs no one,â she sighed, a shiver running up her spine so strong that she noticeably shuddered.
âIf you want a different room, I can clear off for a night? Go and sleep on someoneâs floor? Martyâs out anyway,â he offered, dragging a tired but grateful smile from Bianca.
âYou donât have to do that, Iâm fine,â she tried to double down. âBut youâre probably right, we should get inside.â
He walked with her right back to her dorm room, careless towards any curfews that forbade him from wandering around so late. None of that mattered now. The other side of the door seemed quiet, and there was a small hope that Harlow wasnât absolutely off her face in an attempt to deal with her sudden breakup, or just doing it somewhere else. Bianca couldnât decide what was better.
âLet me know if you need anything,â Bradley said as she reached for the door handle.
âThank you,â she quietly replied. âAnd Iâm so sorry you had to see me like this.â
âDonât be,â he simply said. âNight Bee.â
For a while, Grace pretends to love William. She doesn't, and she never did, but he's a boy around her age who expresses interest in her, so she should love him, right? She should be interested in pursuing her happy ending, right?
And then she meets Bella and learns what feelings for someone actually feels like.
summary: Bradley takes Bianca to an orchestra performance
For a brief moment upon returning to her dorm room, Bianca felt deeply unsettled. There was a small piece of paper on her desk that she certainly had not put there herself, and sheâd spent all day with the only other person that had a key to the room. Her first consideration was something tied to Merrick, setting a tense knot of fear in her stomach as she slowly approached it, as if the paper itself would jump up and hurt her. As she got closer, she realised that it was actually a pair of tickets, with a written note piled on top.Â
Hey, I figured we could use a break. This weekend, Auradonâs Orchestra. Iâm telling you this like it isnât all written on the tickets. Let me know! Bradley x
Relief coursed through her at the total opposite outcome to everything she feared, and Bianca immediately called him.
âHey,â Bradleyâs warm voice said from the other end of the call.
âI got your note,â she instantly said, before actually thinking. âWait, are you busy? I can call back.â
âItâs okay, Iâm in rehearsal but itâs fine,â he said, his smile audible in his voice. âIs this a yes?â
âItâs a yes,â Bianca replied, looking at the tickets again.
âWell Iâll book us somewhere to stay the night in that case,â Bradley added the plans Bianca had envisioned changing for the better ever so slightly. He was really getting them away from it all.Â
âOkay,â she said shyly, âIâll let you get back to it.â
âSee you later, Bee,â he said, before hanging up. Bianca dived onto her bed, pressing her face into her pillows as if hiding from the rest of the world would cool off the heavy blush faster.Â
Saturday morning rolled around, and Biancaâs bag that had been packed for nearly three days by the door, finally being taken out to a taxi. Sheâd finished her makeup, putting her shoes on and heading out to the main gates where theyâd arranged to meet. He was already waiting.
âBianca!â he called out to her, and she ran to him, practically throwing herself into his open arms. âHey, ready to go?â Bradley asked.
âEverythingâs in the car,â she said, taking his hand the moment she left the hug. It had been too long since sheâd been able to touch him.Â
âLetâs head off then,â he said, letting her lead him towards the taxi.Â
The journey took them into the centre of Auradon City, the taxi stopping outside a hotel where they unloaded their small overnight bags.Â
âWeâve got about an hour until we need to be at the concert hall,â Bradley started after getting their keys, heading up in the elevator to their room, âso we donât have to rush.â
âDo you already have dinner planned too?â Bianca asked, her attention grabbed by the advertised hotel restaurant menu in the elevator with them.
âI figured youâd probably want to do that part,â he smiled as he spotted exactly why sheâd asked.Â
The room was nothing unexpected for a hotel, and as Bradley set his bag down, hung his jacket up, and took his shoes off, Bianca threw herself at the large king sized bed. As she heard him laugh, she turned around in time to watch him flop down beside her. For a moment they both just lay on their stomachs, facing each other with the same soft smile.
âOh me too,â Bradley openly said, sitting on the bed, leaving his hand on Biancaâs back. âI am overjoyed to be spending actual quality time with you, not just on a video call.âÂ
They arrived at the concert hall a little after the doors opened, heading straight to their seats. Bradley had picked possibly the best ones in the whole auditorium, high enough that they could see the whole stage from nearly the exact centre. As the lights went down for the start of the show, Bradley took her hand lightly in his, pressing his lips to the back of it, before settling their intertwined fingers on Biancaâs lap. Nothing else mattered as the first few string notes sounded, the concert hall holding them together in a bubble outside of everything else.
summary: Rosa attends an end of year ball with her dance team, and surprisingly has a wonderful evening
notes: lowkey out of character but I'm finishing this at 1am so allow me
Rosa had spent nearly two hours getting ready, incredibly out of character for her, but the pressure of Neverlandâs Dance Team end-of-year ball had crept up on her all week. Multiple times, the stress had left her sleepless, pushing her to the point fof considering cancelling. Those trains of thought ended the moment she thought about telling Austin she wasnât coming. And so now, she was finally doing her makeup in the mirror on her desk.
Sheâd spent nearly an hour in the shower, her hair now dried and styled half up, and wearing the pink sequinned jumpsuit sheâd bought especially for the event. Things were going well at least, despite the nervous shudder in her hands, her pink eyeshadow matching the shade of the jumpsuit nearly perfectly. Just as she was finishing up her mascara and lip gloss, someone knocked on her dormâs door.
âCome in!â she called over her pop playlist, the door swinging open. Ben stood halfway inside.
âRosa, the taxiâs here when youâre ready,â he politely informed her.
The journey to Neverland was very familiar by now, the winding roads towards the actual venue was the only new scenery. Sheâd been told in advance that the ball was to be hosted at a country club, but hadnât realised the extent of what that meant until she got out of the taxi. The building itself was huge, colourful lights from inside leaking through the windows into the dark outside. Ivy had grown over the exterior, shutters opened on the outside of the windows. Surrounding the building were expansive gardens, rows of trimmed hedges and flower patches that went further back into the dark than Rosa could see.
She walked inside, the anxiety sheâd felt over the last week crashing into her all at once. Music seeped through the walls, getting louder with each step closer to the main hall.
âRosie!â Grace grabbed her attention from down the corridor, Bella staying a little behind her as she ran up and threw her arms around Rosa in a tight hug. âI missed you so much.â Immediately, any anxiety she still had clinging to her dissipated. At least a couple of people were glad to see her.
âItâs so good to see you guys again,â Rosa replied, taking a turn to hug Bella too, before following them into the main room.
What appeared to be a country club dining room by day had been decorated with shiny banners and streamers on the walls, a disco ball from the ceiling, and plunged into colourful lighting. It looked more like a prom than the advertised âballâ but that was the least of Rosaâs concerns. Bella and Grace went in ahead of her, leaving her hesitating in the doorway.
Instantly she noticed Austin. Sheâd known it was inevitable over the journey, most of her hesitation coming from exactly how heâd interact with her outside of the rehearsal space. Across the room, he seemed a little stuck in the corner, surrounded by Georgina, Ruby, Annie, and Delphine. Rosa wasnât surprised whatsoever, heading inside and finding a table to base herself at for the next few hours.
The time passed. Aurelia, Brooke, and Chantelle sat at Rosaâs table at one point, talking excitedly to her about everything they were up to, a clear opportunity for them to brag. Ethan nearly convinced her to get up for a dance with him, to which sheâd laughed kindly at his efforts and declined. Austin and Annie were nowhere to be seen at one point, then suddenly back. He kept looking at her and smiling awkwardly, as if he was silently making a promise to talk with her soon. It never happened, even during the few times Rosa saw him attempt to approach her before getting apprehended by someone else. Her one day to actually spend time with him, and this is how it was going? Admittedly he definitely didnât look like he was having a good time either, but it frustrated her all the same.
It had reached a late point in the evening, where Rosa really just wanted to go home. Sheâd shown up, proven she wasnât scared or bothered by how sheâd been treated, and that was enough. She finished her glass of lemonade, getting her phone out to call a taxi home, reluctant to stay longer than she had to. Waiting outside seemed preferable, the phone signal in the building limiting her ability to get a ride home anyway. Besides, she hadnât explored the gardens yet.
âHey, are you okay?â
âYeah, IâŠâ âI was actually just going to head home. You know, itâs kind of a long way.â
âAre you already waiting for someone?â Austin asked, a hint of desperation in his voice that piqued her curiosity and infiltrated her heart. She shook her head. âThen could I convince you to stay for just a little longer?â Rosa sighed, unwilling to let him get his way so easily when heâd ignored her all evening. It depended how long it all took, she supposed.
âSure,â she replied, making no effort to hide the annoyance she felt towards him in the moment. Austin formally offered his arm for her to hold onto, and she did, as he led her into the gardens.
Strings of lights illuminated a small bench, sheltered by a frame of vines, hosting small pink flowers. He sat on the bench first, indicating for her to do the same. The quieter location and the fresh, cool air had Rosa reconsidering just how much she wanted to leave Austinâs company.
âIâm sorry I havenât made more time for you tonight,â he started, a strong start that didnât overcome the fact that this was the first time heâd actually talked to her all evening. âI wanted to blame Georgina but itâs more than just that.â The start of what sounded like some kind of confession had her heart racing with anxiety.
âThanks,â she replied cautiously, aware of how her own feelings might be leaking into her tone. Awareness didnât translate to control. âSheâs desperately in love with you and has tried to ruin my life over the past year because of it, and if Iâd known tonight would be like this, I wouldnât have come back here.â
âThat doesnât matter,â Austin said, latching onto only part of what sheâd said. Rosa looked horrified.
âWhat?â
âWait, wait let me get this right,â he backtracked, looking down at the path in front of him while he sorted his thoughts. âThis is some awful timing, I wasnât thinking⊠It doesnât matter that sheâs in love with me, to me.â Nothing was sounding like heâd practised in his head all afternoon, and he couldnât remember any of the phrases Annie had told him to repeat. Nothing was going right.
âOkay?â Now Rosa was just confused.
âThe rest of it matters a lot, and I am so glad that despite everything you did come back,â Austin continued to clear up the mess heâd created. âAnd now Iâve said a lot without really saying anything at all or finishing what I actually mean, and youâre looking very confused.â
âWhat did you actually mean?â she asked plainly. Acting with this much stupidity, in all fairness, was very out of character for him.
âIâm falling in love with you.â
The confession took a moment to land, she didnât quite believe it. The quiet of the gardens worked against her, the silence too loud. She took a breath, focussing on the soft glow of the lights around her as she considered how to respond. The only thing on her mind was a question.
âWhen did you change your mind?â Rosa quietly asked.
âI donât remember,â Austin honestly told her, a shy smile falling across his face. It was sometime over the last year, probably, between the rehearsals, competition days, and breaths of downtime between it all when he got to see her for herself outside of dance. âI guess I just realised I want to dance with you forever.â
She just stared at him. What had started as an awkward crush years ago had been rejected, sheâd attempted to move on and view Austin as a friend. Looking at him now though, those feelings hadnât gone anywhere.
âI get it, if Iâm a little late,â he continued, âif itâs your turn to turn me down, I understandââ
âAustin,â Rosa interrupted him, each word distracting her from thinking. Each little fairy light reflected in his eyes as he looked back at her. âYouâre right on time.â
summary: Adaline takes Jediah out to the small beach in her hometown
notes: prompt disappeared for this one as I wrote it, but the intention was there!
For the first time in his entire life, Jediahâs brain felt quiet. The usual intrusive thoughts bounced back and forth, that was just the nature of how he existed, but they were quieter now. And he could smell the sea. The ocean outside the Isle smelled of the sewage and junk that washed up on the land, with the current, but standing out on the grassy hill, he could smell the salt of the ocean ahead of him.
Adaline had taken it for granted, which she only realised the moment sheâd noticed Jed wasnât keeping up with her pace any more. Sheâd been so enthusiastic about showing him the actual beach that sheâd overlooked the beauty of the path that led there. She paused, looking back at him, and smiling. The wind caught in his hair, blowing his afro around his face, and she knew him well enough to read the thought of wishing heâd tied it up.
He caught on, overly aware of when he was being watched, but over the years his disdain of it had softened when it was Adaline looking at him. He met her gaze, smiling back, prompting her to trot back down the path to stand beside him, wrapping her arms around his waist in an enthusiastic hug.
âYouâre so beautiful,â she smiled, looking up at him.
âThank you for taking me here,â Jed replied quietly, despite the wind being their only company out on the cliff path. âItâs quiet.â It took her a moment to realise exactly what he meant, her bright smile turning softer.
âIâm glad,â she replied, taking his hand when he offered, and continuing along the path more at his slower pace for the first time ever.
The beach they ended up at had been her favourite place as a child, and returning brought back every positive feeling sheâd ever had about her family. Nostalgia almost had her forgiving them. It wasnât large by any means, but that was exactly why it was her favourite place, for the tourism that the town attracted never reached its shores. A set of wooden stairs connected it to the coastal path, the last place her phone would have signal. Adaline stopped them, searching up the tide times, explaining her hesitation to Jed briefly as she checked how long they could stay for.
âTide times?â he echoed, the term totally unfamiliar. Ada paused, looking at him with clear confusion.
âYeah⊠you donât know what that is?â she asked, Jed shaking his head. âEvery day the tide comes in and goes out at a slightly different time. Iâm checking when it comes in, so we can leave a little earlier and stay dry.â One of the things Jediah had fallen in love with was how much she could explain to him, even teach him about for the first time, without ever making him feel stupid for not understanding it.
âI thought they just came in and out,â he said, drawing all the knowledge he had on the moonâs control of the tides. âBut that makes sense.â
âCome on,â Ada smiled, starting down the steps, âitâs going out now, so weâve got until four this afternoon.â
The sand was softer out here than on any of the other local beaches, especially closer to the city, and she would always notice. They sat together in the middle of the dry sand, shoes and socks off and left by a sizable rock. For nearly ten straight minutes, Jediah just wanted to listen to the ocean. Watching the waves crash against the cliffs theyâd just been walking over, washing up onto the sand, felt like watching a visual representation of Adalineâs own heartbeat. They seemed like they moved at the same pace as her steady rhythm that he routinely fell asleep to, one he knew well.
âSo you grew up here?â Jediah eventually broke the quiet between them. It took Adaline a moment to blink herself back into the present, her mind wandering over every memory theyâd shared on the Isle of the Lost and how it compared to where they sat now. His comment earlier had stuck with her.
âYeah, technically,â Adaline started, realising live in the moment that every little bit of information sheâd given him over the past month was all coming back to haunt her. âBefore everything really kicked off with the Isle.â Jediah patiently let her continue. âThen when that all started we moved to the city.â
âWhat was your favourite part of living here?â he asked gently, drawing her away from the disdain he could see behind her words. The memory came back to her instantly.
âWhen I was tiny,â she started, eyes alight with a smile, âMom took me and Ben to the bigger beach, round the corner. Heâd just learned to walk, and the moment she set him down, he ran towards the sea.â Adaline smiled to herself, staring out across the beach. âMom had to run after him.â
âSounds like an appropriate first trip to the beach for him,â Jediah laughed, considering it. King Ben, as a baby, running at the ocean was a very prominent image in his mind. Despite the unrealism of it, the toddler in his imagination still wore an oversized crown. At that point the role was probably lined up for Adaline anyway.
âOh for sure,â she commented. âAnyway, itâs nice taking you out here. Makes everything feel new again.â
Jed smiled, finding her hand and interlocking his fingers tightly with hers. It made perfect sense that someone so gentle experienced their first years of life somewhere so peaceful.
@fluffbruary day 4 | tranquil | imperfect | bouquet
Descendants OCs | Ryan x Ivy
warnings: none thank the heavens none
wc: 1317
summary: despite spending a ton of time together while being part of the same pirate crew, and attending a school dance together, Ryan and Ivy are yet to actually go on a date together until now. they are both unreasonably nervous.
Ryan looked at his reflection for what was supposed to be the last time. That was until his roommate, Austin, came back. Suddenly being observed made him feel stupid about every part of how he looked. The two of them stared at each other in pre-confrontation; Ryan expected Austin to make some kind of lighthearted comment at his expense, and Austin could sense the defensive stance Ryan was prepared to take.
"How long until you're leaving for... wherever you're going? Austin tentatively asked.
"Half an hour, it's my first date with Ivy," Ryan said, "I cannot screw this up."
"Great, undo whatever you've done to your hair," Austin told him. Looking back at his reflection, Ryan supposed he had a point.
"What if he's taking me horseback riding?" Ivy asked, the seventeenth possible date option she wouldn't be prepared for. Rosa was sat on her bed of their shared dorm room, sewing the ribbons onto a new pair of pointe shoes while her roommate emptied her wardrobe onto her own bed.
"He wouldn't even know where to get horses," Rosa replied confidently, without looking up. she'd already shut down the idea of a high-end restaurant (with what money?), or an extreme sporting activity (he wasn't stupid enough to plan something like that and not warn her), and Ivy had already settled on wearing a knee length green dress and a pair of ankle boots, in the likely case of a long walk. Getting ready for a first date was at least far easier when it was her best friend's brother she was dating, at least, and Rosa had committed the last three hours to helping her get ready.
The feeling of awe that compared to love at first sight hit differently after seeing that same person in some of their lowest moments. And three minutes after their planned meeting time, it was what Ryan was hit with upon seeing Ivy in a dress again. As he smiled, watching her walk down the path towards him, he reminded himself to let her see the side of him that adored her. That it wasn't too soft, or something that would embarrass her, like people had tried to convince him in the past. He waved at her when she was closer, and offered his arm for her to hold when she was stood beside him.
"You look beautiful," Ryan said, and when she smiled, that only doubled.
"Thank you," she softly replied, taken incredibly off guard. "You look great too. I like this shirt on you."
"Thanks," Ryan breathed as she placed her hand on his chest, running her palm across his collar, trying to focus on what he'd been saying before she touched him. "I uh, you didn't find out where we're going, did you?"
"Nope," she said, letting him lead them both deeper into forest just behind Neverland's coastal paths.
"Okay, good," Ryan said, "I wanted it to be a surprise."
Over the course of the seven minute walk, the pair talked on and off, spending the rest of the time gazing at the trees around her in Ivy's case, and smiling softly at Ivy in Ryan's. The little awkward conversation they did make revolved around school mostly, and outside of that, the Isle of the Lost. Their slightly disjointed relationship between being close friends and new romantic partners was never clearer than when they were spending time just the two of them. Ivy slowed her pace as Ryan did, but she couldn't quite tell why.
"Can I ask you to close your eyes?" he asked, unwilling to tell her to do anything, but she nodded, going along with it, and holding onto him a little tighter in reliance on him to guide her. "We're nearly there." Ivy assumed they'd only walked about ten or twenty metres by the time he told her she could look again, but it was enough for the scenery around them to have completely changed.
Obviously they'd been at the edge of a clearing when Ryan had attempted to hold off the surprise a little longer, and the extra steps she hadn't seen had moved them from the lush green forest, to an open field filled with brightly coloured wildflowers. Ivy's eyes lit up, her breath held as she gazed out across the field.
"You like it?" Ryan asked warmly, Ivy turning to look at him with the same light excitement in her eyes.
"How did you find this place?" she asked, and Ryan had to stifle a laugh.
"I uh, it's kind of funny actually," he smiled, "I got lost on a jog a few weeks ago. I meant to stick to the coastal path, but there's that bit where the sand kind of covers the track?" She was smiling too, quizzically. "I just thought, I need to take Ivy with me."
"To the field, or on the jog so you don't get lost?" she cheekily asked, but there was no way Ryan could feel anywhere close to annoyed.
"The field," he initially clarified, "but you should definitely join me on my next run, your company would make it a lot better."
They spent the next hour sat in the middle of the field, making hypothetical plans for future dates. Restaurants they wanted to try, adventure activities that hadn't come anywhere close to the things they'd trained ahead of going to the Isle.
"I'll have to show you around more of Neverland," Ivy promised with a smile. "And you can show me Auradon."
"I'd love that," Ryan replied seriously, already running through a few of his favourite spots in his mind, the natural ones and the urban ones. If he'd been left to think about it, he'd have planned an entire week long holiday, but Ivy had stopped him thinking any further the moment she lay her head in his lap, staring up at the sky. He started absent-mindedly pulling up flowers from beside him to stop him totally overthinking, holding a handful of daisies and buttercups that he began threading into her hair. The way she smiled at each one had his heart soaring.
"When you're next free, we should go out to the northside beaches," Ivy thought aloud, the feeling of him playing with her hair as he filled it with flowers making her feel totally at home so close to him. Her own plans for their future gave him the confidence to voice his own.
"I want to take you to Auradon's high street, there's this great bakery that I think you'll love," Ryan told her, visualising the plans in his mind already.
"Let me know when you're next going jogging too," Ivy smiled, looking him right in the eye. The competitive side of her that had caught his attention in the first place was on full display, and he matched it with his own eager grin.
"You don't know what you're getting yourself in for," he joked. The quiet that settled over them once again felt a little less awkward.
The walk back to campus was accompanied by the setting sun, the evening air growing a cool edge that had them both content that the date had ended.
"I guess I'll see you tomorrow?" Ryan said, seeing no reason why they wouldn't both be in class together, but wanting to hear it anyway.
"Yep," Ivy said, "thank you for today. I had the best time." She still had the flowers tucked in her hair, smiling softly, and looking like a fairy. They were in Neverland, Ryan supposed, it was fitting.
"Me too," he softly replied, both of them reluctant to head back to their respective dorm rooms, while knowing they had a curfew to meet, and an early morning the following day. "See you later."
"Goodnight Ryan," Ivy softly said. The way she said his name would play on repeat in his mind until he saw her again.
