#remestra

Series Two: Runaway Princess

So picking up where things left off in Series One, some of the Rask Clan head out to OS to talk some sense into Fin. Estra tags along because her own family is convening in DSV to decide if they should press charges. 

Fin tries to get her opinion on the whole thing since she’s been estranged from her family for a while at this point in time and hopes she’ll see things from his side. 

But she tries to stay diplomatic so she doesn’t get herself in hot water with the Yager family legal team. Despite this Luna outs her opinion to everyone anyway.

Stressed from dealing with his brother and family bs, Olin suggests he and Estra find some place more private to be. It’s clear they’ve been having some sort of relationship but Estra is not exactly comfortable with it. Besides Estra needed to get to DSV before someone was sent to collect her. 

Once they arrive Olin asks if he should stay in case she needs to leave but she tells him she can handle her family. 

Inside her Uncle Leith’s ridiculous manse, Estra is met by one of her many cousins - Esther, who guides her into the livingroom where some of the of the family is already in discussions on what to do with Finian. 

The general consensus is they should press charges for violating Eva’s privacy.

But Eva just wants things to go away so she can get on with her life. Leith’s oldest child, Joel agrees. 

Trying to help Esther rattles off a series of mistakes they’ve all made as young but accidently drops the bomb that Estra had an abortion in front of her overprotective dad. 

Frey was not pleased.

Upset and embarrassed, Estra goes to leave and ends up arguing with her dad at the front door, who tells her he could have helped her but she makes it clear she doesn’t want any of his type of help. 

And then did what she always does when she’s stressed. 

Ran away. Furious and alone she makes her way into the city to hang out at the rooftop of her Aunt’s club. She assumes her family will find her eventually but lets herself relax for the moment. 

That is until her ex, Malachi shows up and the two have an argument about stealing his hat and her wearing it for pin up photos that anyone with access to the web could see.

She in turn tells him he has not right to be jealous since they haven’t been together for years and he’s dated plenty of people. 

They recognize through their jealous ramblings that they had clearly missed each other and decide to escape the stress of their current lives and run off to Sulani together. 

While on the road, Estra starts to have cold feet and decides to tell Mal about their baby she didn’t keep, know that he could end up very upset with her over the whole thing. Instead he admits he already knew about it as he has friends inside her family who didn’t like that kind of secret being kept from him. Estra is relieved but is curious who his source might be. 

Meanwhile her family is on her trail, while they haven’t found out she went to the club yet they assume she might be with Olin and send Novari company men out to find him. 

Annoyed with the intrusion on her apartment, Inika greets these visitors with her gun, threatening to blow them both away if they don’t quickly verify who they are and what they want.

Olin beg them both to stand down and reveals that one of the men is Estra’s brother Julian. 

“They’re not agents, I fucking promise. Please do not shoot him.” 

They all meet outside to talk and Olin confesses he has no idea where Estra is. Julian says he knows they’re in a relationship to which Inika laughs and adds that there is no relationship there. That she, Olin, and Estra just like to have a bit of fun sometimes. 

Now at an airfield in OS, Mal explains to Estra he has a friend that can help them get out of town. Estra is nervous because her family uses this particular field a lot but Malachi reassures her it’ll be fine and just to lay low. 

Unfortunately Estra was right to be nervous. It turns out Malachi’s friend and source was her cousin’s husband Eric.  

And despite doing her best to dismiss them Roxanne and her son Jericho recognize her almost immediately.

Sending Jericho inside Roxie tries to convince her cousin not to leave because the family will not be pleased about it once they find out who she’s running with.

Estra confesses to Roxanne that Mal is the man she was involved with in college that she’s been stuck on and to have some sympathy for her as all she wants is to be with someone that makes her happy for a while. 

Unsure it’s exactly the right thing to do Roxanna agrees not to alert her Uncle that Estra is there until they’ve left and gives her husband her approval. 

After Estra and Mal leave, Eric asks Roxie if she’s really sure she wanted to do that since Frey is already worked up about things and might actually punish them in some way. 

Roxie just tells him to let her worry about her family. 

REM Aux - Thanks I hate It. 

Author note: REM Auxiliary is kind of weird. They’re meant to be very short chapters because I was feeling like the full ones were getting super long and I wanted to touch on some smaller moments here and there. Now I’m feeling  going in a direction that’s even further removed from the chapter format with this so I guess this is where I started to feel like it had gotten too complicated.

ANYWAY..  

REM Aux0 begins with Estra and Mal seeking support from her friends in their upcoming marriage since both families are being difficult about the whole thing. Unfortunately Grace points out that not everyone, including her, are all that thrilled given how hard their original breakup ended up being on Estra. They seem to understand. 

Grace: “Well okay then, guess we should get this shitshow on the road huh?”

Meeting up with them are Xoui and Galen, the latter of which is more interested in Mal being a bit of a celebrity than anything else. Last to arrive is Ollie, who is on the same page as Grace. 

So Olin sits on down with everyone else and they start talking. Estra explains the situation that her parents aren’t coming to things.

Olin makes a snide comment about her dad’s disapproval.

Ollie: “Or perhaps he doesn’t want his daughter tied down by a family of fucking murderers.”

Which ticks off both Malachi and Estra. 

And she demands he apologizes. 

But Ollie’s not in the mood. 

Estra chases after him, slowing time to get his attention. 

Which he scolds her for since the wrong kind of people might notice that shit. 

They talk for a few minutes, Olin catches her up on the issues between the Kasri families. Explaining that his mother was murdered by some of Malachi’s dad’s people. That also he’s been creating and selling weapons/technology based on old Kasri tech used in their civil war. He also states he doesn’t believe that when Malachi takes over anything will change. It’s just the way of things for their people and there’s too much profit in it. 

Estra says she’ll think about these things but doesn’t know what she’s supposed to do about any of it. Ollie admits that the doesn’t know what she should do either. That just to think about things and do what she feels is right for her. 

In turn she asks him to think about giving Mal a chance. That maybe they’d find they have more in common than they know. Having come looking for them, Malachi is annoyed to see how close they seem to be and over hears them saying they care and love each other. 

And decides to bounce. 

Estra tries to talk him out of it explaining they’ve just been friends since childhood and it’s not the same as what they have. 

But he’s just not having it. 

Once Mal is gone, Ollie offers to walk Estra back to where she is staying if she feels she needs company but Estra feels as though that’s probably not the best idea. They also talk a bit about their past sexual history and both admit that aspect of things was pretty awkward. 

Olin: “.... Guess I had just gotten so used to awkward after parties I hadn’t really thought about it.”

And then wrapping up this series we head back inside to their friends who are waiting. 

“So you love him huh?” 

“Mal? Oh Love... no.. it’s really not like that..” 

“Okay then, what’s it like?” 

“I told you before we got here, Olin is one of my best friends, we have always had each other. Hell our parents had each other, and their parents before them. Our relationship is special but it’s not the same as the one I have with you. You both matter to me though. Please Malachi, don’t be jealous of this, you have no reason to be.” 

“Yeah well… I think I’m going to need some fucking practice at that. Kind of hard not to think the worst when I know you’ve fucked him. Sorry, today’s not been a good fucking day and I still have to go visit my fucking parents while we’re here so yeah I’m out. I’ll see you at the hotel later.” 

“Are you being serious right now Malachi? You’re just going to leave me here?” 

“So… I know you guys are pretty excited but you should know shit is not great for everyone around here right now. So don’t expect... like too much enthusiasm.” 

“Something happen?” 

“Yeah… actually a lot of shit Estra. Like, it’s kind of shitty how you just dropped off the fucking planet there for a while. Then you pop up in DSV out of nowhere with your big news and expect everybody to be all fucking happy. Meanwhile the rest of us had regular fucking lives to lead and for some shit went really south.” 

“Hey you guys, sorry we’re late.” 

“Sorry about that thought I could get in a quick round. You know how it is Estra.” 

“Yeah it’s okay..  anyway... you remember Mal from school right? No one else would have met him directly but I know you did.” 

“Yeah I remember that guy, soccer player? Bit obsessive? Kinda rude? The same asshole that got you fucking pregnant pretty much as soon as you let him in your pants and then I had to hold your hand while you bawled at the clinic and swore never fucking to talk to him again?” 

“Yep.. yep that’s.. That’s… That’s the one..”