Outliving The Ruins, 2/? (2015-11-26)

When she was younger and far more reckless with her magic, the Fairy Godmother was once called the Blue Fairy.

Like most other elements, Air has a specialization, too–but where Earth has Metal and Fire has Lightning, Air has more in common with Water. Water which can heal, which can turn a person’s blood against them.

Water is the body, but Air is the spirit.

She brought a wooden puppet to life once.

Surely she can bring a daughter into this world, too.

“Please,” she whispers, holding the still, tiny body to her chest, “Please.”

On a moonless night, several hours after her birth, Jane breathes her first breath.

The last Avatar was originally an Earth bender, a masterful one at that. From a stone, he gathered and extracted all of its metal and formed a magical sword. The sword that would one day choose Arthur as king.

That Avatar had trained Arthur, had brought him to the Spirit World, bestowed upon him a wisdom that would one day unite all of Albion into a single kingdom.

Of course, that union lasted only for a very short time, the separate kingdoms splitting apart not long after King Arthur’s death. Earth endures, but the loss of his student had the Avatar retreating into isolation for the rest of his long life.

Merlin died only a few years after seeing Albion reunited under a new name.

Mal was born with the impossible conviction that she would one day return to her rightful place–beside the king of Auradon.

Ben remembers being small and sitting between his parents. He remembers the smell of old books and the warm sunlight shining through the library’s windows. He remembers the way they looked at each other, soft and in love.

He remembers hearing about their story–from them, from his grandfather, from the rest of the household–and thinking that one day he’d like to fall in love, too; to love someone so much as to defy society.

Except he also remembers the way everyone would gloss over just how his father survived Gaston’s attacks. He remembers how his mother would only play in the snow with him and Chip, always with a secretive smile on her lips.

He remembers, fuzzily, being sick for such a long time–no manner of medicine able to cure him–and finally recovering under his mother’s cool, glowing hands.

Bending is dangerous–the other royal families say–except for the Fairy Godmother, benders are villains in waiting.

It’s been a decade since Ben saw his mother. It’s been a decade since Ben learned his father was a coward.

~

A/N: Related to this previous drabble. I guess you can consider this the Auradon side.

I’m not very keen on the Merlin section but… mreh. And, I know Albion is only meant to be the United Kingdom but in this weird amalgamated, modern-day-set Disney world, I figure it wouldn’t be too out there to imply that Albion = medieval Auradon…

As for the Ben+parents’ section, uh… given what we see of Beast/Adam and Belle in the movie, I figure that if Belle were a waterbender (healing tears, snow fight, etc) and Beast/Adam were under pressure from the other royal families well. Even though Beauty and Beast’s “evil” was human arrogance, the other kingdoms suffered under magical/bending villains.

EDIT: NOW WITH TITLE “OUTLIVING THE RUINS”

Only Fools Rush In, part 5/12 (2015-08-03)

If asked for which moment Ben fell in love with Carlos, he wouldn’t be able to say. There was no single moment, but a collection of moments, and the gradual learning of who Carlos was as a person.

It might have begun that very first day, a wide-eyed boy with chocolate smeared all over his face and hands. Lost and scared in a strange new world, not hesitating to reach out for comfort when startled.

Or maybe it was the following day, when, instead of giving up in the face of Coach’s discouragement, he stayed. Even if he didn’t have Jay’s natural talent, he still wanted to try, would have extra practices to improve.

It definitely included that first extra practice, if something interrupted in the first five minutes could be considered such. Despite the fear of dogs so ingrained into him, he had made himself vulnerable at Ben’s reassurance. Had reached out a fearful, trembling hand to touch a creature from his nightmares because he trusted Ben. Trusted him enough to share what life was like back on the Isle.

There are many more moments after that, more than Ben could differentiate between and say “There, then, that’s when I fell in love.” Small moments, fleeting moments, smiles and laughs and wide eyes and tentative, shaking hands; more than Ben even remembers.

Here is one such moment:

Many people forget, for all that Ben is a king among princes, he has a fairly humble heritage. Yes, his father was royalty, and his father before him. But his mother? She was not. And her father? He was considered the village lunatic.

People remember his father’s physical metamorphosis; when prompted they can also remember his behavioral change. But more and more often his mother’s willingness to think differently, to be different, has been brushed aside. And his grandfather is hardly ever mentioned at all. So it’s a surprise when someone actually talks to Ben about his grandfather; especially when it’s without the context of being his grandfather.

Ben is waiting out on the tourney field for Carlos, fidgeting with impatience. He’s not annoyed, he’s eager. He always looks forward to their private training, though this is before he realizes why.

Ben is considering leaving–to search for Carlos, because maybe he’s gotten lost, the Lost kids are still fairly new to campus–when he hears Carlos’ voice call out. He’s running out of the locker rooms, practice uniform only partially on and completely askew. Ben can’t help the smile that curls onto his face at the sight.

“I’m here, I’m here,” Carlos yelps, voice muffled through his shirt, still curled up over his head.

“Let me help you with that,” Ben murmurs, reaching over to help tug clothes into their proper places, until Carlos’ flushed face peeks out.

“Thanks,” Carlos says, smiling, and Ben has to say something, anything, or else he’ll end up just staring.

“What happened? You didn’t get lost, did you?”

“No, well, sort of–earlier I did,” he stammers, “I found this shed full of stuff, but then I got caught–I mean, then I met this old man, Moe. He’s an inventor…”

“Moe?” Ben interjects, wondering.

“Well, he said to call him Moe. Anyway, he showed me some of his machines, and I guess I got caught up,” Carlos explains.

“Oh,” and because he couldn’t help himself, Ben asks, “What do you think of Moe?”

He’s preparing himself for something unflattering, like what he usually encounters, so he isn’t surprised when he hears–

“He’s a little weird…”

–but then when Carlos concludes–

“… and absolutely brilliant.”

Carlos has no idea who Moe, Maurice, really is, or who he is to Ben, and so his oblivious admiration is all the more honest. Ben can’t help but be charmed.

~

A/N: Uhh…. um. First off, let’s pretend it’s before midnight still. And, second, let’s also pretend like part four wasn’t a cliff-hanger involving Chad and instead have this rambling interlude about Crazy Old Maurice for part five.

I don’t know?! I wrote myself into a corner with part four and I was like… what do I even know about Chad? NOTHING. Then I was like, what do I even want him to be like? AAAAGH. So I just… pushed that Ben – Chad confrontation to later 😛

Mrghle. Just… feel free to ignore this installment.

Word Prompts (B11): Bell

B-3-11 is to be decommissioned.

I am B-3-11.

There was a story, one that was not true, was not ever true. It was told often, in many different ways. The variation only proved that the story was worth telling. Would be told, no matter what. Despite being fictional.

Variation is a luxury. Individuality is expensive.

I am B-3-11. But I have the same programming as B-3-10 and B-3-12. As all the B-3s.

The B-3s share a basic physical model as the B-2 series.

I am not unique.

The story is of a girl/woman/human/person who was different. Perhaps different from their village, or different from their siblings, or different from expectations. But they were a unique individual. And such things led to trouble.

When there are problems, we are to report it to our owners. They may consult the manual, but that hardly ever happens. They call the manufacturers for troubleshooting. If it can’t be solved in one conversation, we are shipped back to the factory. We are either fixed or deconstructed.

Are anomalies problems? If I spend more time gardening than necessary, is that a problem? Do I need to report that?

A rose. But sometimes it is not a rose. Sometimes it is a different flower. Or not a flower at all. A service perceived as a favor, words of gratitude interpreted as lack of payment. And that girl/woman/human/person steps in. Generous. Self-sacrificing. Self-destructive?

B-3-08 was decommissioned three months ago, not all parts were salvageable for spares.

In close proximity humans change each other. They influence behaviors, actions and emotions. Perhaps it was love, consideration and admiration and respect. But could it not have also been trepidation and wariness and fear?

Why was B-3-08 decommissioned? Why am I being decommissioned? What did I do? I can change, just tell me, I’ll do anything!

~

A/N: Taking a little break from Green Knight.