#shapechangersinwinter

Alex sits in her lap the entire drive to the store. Eliza shouldn’t let him do that — even if he can’t wear a seatbelt, him nuzzling at her stomach is distracting — but he looked so pathetic when John left for the airport, and she can’t deny him his small comforts. She places him in the child’s seat of the cart, and he curls up, resting his chin on the handle.

A clerk stops her in the cereal aisle. “I’m sorry? Miss? We don’t allow pets in the store.”

Alex bristles. “He’s not a pet,” Eliza says.

The clerk gives her a skeptical look.

“He’s a…” faerie, pianist, boyfriend “… service animal.”

“Is it even legal to own a fox in this state?” The clerk shakes his head. “Whatever. Next time put a service vest on him. And maybe a leash.” 

Alex hisses as the guy walks away.

Eliza strokes his fur. “He might have a point. We could at least get you a collar, so people don’t think you’re a wild animal.”

A baleful glare. She can hear him saying, I am a wild creature.

“Well, yes. But would you rather explain the truth?” She tosses a box of Pop-Tarts into the cart. “Besides, I think you’d look nice in a black leather collar.”

He geckles. Behind her, a woman coughs and whispers “excuse me,” reaching for the breakfast bars. Eliza blushes and hurries to the next aisle to get rice. She’s thinking curry for dinner: quick, simple, and familiar. A nice first-time dinner in their new home. Which — oh, maybe she’ll add shrimp? She turns the cart toward the seafood section.

Alex sits up in the cart as they get closer, ears perked and whiskers twitching. He stares at the case of fresh fish and licks his lips.

“Alexander,” Eliza says, warning-tone.

“Can I help you?” the clerk behind the counter asks. She gives Alex a dubious look.

Eliza flashes her sweetest smile. She’s becoming like Alexander, she thinks, using charm to deflect human curiosity. “How much for a pound of shrimp?”

The woman rattles off a price. Eliza hums, considering. She could get more chicken for the same price, but then it’s just her and Alex this weekend. John is in Seattle doing a concert, even though he should be here with them, celebrating their move-in and eating curry and helping her line the windowsills with salt. Then again, she could freeze the extras and have lunch for the next week…

Distracted, she almost misses Alex leaping out of the cart.

Eliza grabs him by the scruff. He wails, a hideous noise that the whole store must be able to hear, and thrashes in her grip. She wrestles him back into the cart, keeping a hand on his neck. He wriggles and screeches, teeth snapping at air.

“Are pets allowed in the store?” the clerk yells over him.

“Service animal!” She’s already pushing the cart away with her elbows.

Forget shrimp, she’ll use tofu.

Alex doesn’t shut up until they reach the dairy aisle, where Eliza opens the package of Pop-Tarts one-handed and gives him a pastry. Then he hunkers down to gnaw on it, making churlish growls around mouthfuls of frosted strawberry. She grabs the tofu and soy milk and goes straight to checkout. She’ll come back alone, later, for the other things she wanted.

The kid working checkout coos at Alex. “He’s cute! And he likes sweets?”

“Oh, yeah, he’s got a real sweet tooth.” Eliza swipes her card.

“Cash back?” They lean over the counter. “And can I pet him?”

“Sure.” Alex is preening, so she figures he won’t nip. The kid climbs up onto the conveyor belt and reaches down to stroke Alex’s back. He purrs, arching into the touch. “No cash back,” Eliza adds.

She wrestles the groceries into the car, and Alex scrambles into the passenger seat, curling up into a tight ball. He sulks on the ride home.

“You really miss John, don’t you?”

Muffled grunt.

“But I’m still here.”

He buries his face in his tail.

She rolls her eyes. “Fine, be like that.”

He’s no help with the groceries in this form — she could swear he turns into a fox to get out of chores, sometimes — so she hauls the bags up the stairs to their apartment, him trotting ahead of her. He disappears under the couch once they’re inside, and she busies herself organizing the fridge and prepping ingredients for curry. Chopping vegetables takes the edge off her irritation; she hums along to her favorite playlist.

Something soft brushes against her bare leg. She looks down to see Alex rubbing his face on her calves. He turns those big dark eyes on her and gives an apologetic geckle. You’re here, I’m here, please?

Sometimes Eliza wonders whether she really understands him, or if she’s making concessions.

A good young man and the most fun healer to play. Also should be required on the well portion of Ilios. 

Also, I want more about the Río uprising. Because like- international celebrity and guerilla general seem incompatible? As cloyingly cutesy as some D.Va/Lúcio content is sometimes, I do think it makes sense because these are both people who found ways to turn their mass commercial appeal into support for their deadly serious causes. But it’d be really interesting to look into that more, and see if it creates internal conflict for him.

“And at last, the lonely young man who belonged to no one finally belonged to someone, forever, and the practical girl who would not settle for less than a love story for the ages found the lifelong romance she had yearned for all her life.” salamanders are physically manifesting in my bathtub this is SUCH BAD WRITING

I cannot believe this woman is a best-selling author.  It makes me want to die.

Of course, she also admits in her acknowledgment section she only started working on the book after June of 2016.

How can you POSSIBLY write a good, decent length novel in that time? 

the dankest meme that e'er i reblogged

LISTEN………….LISTEN…………..THEY /ARE/ IN LOVE

and the way you characterized Maria! she can feel like such a non-entity in so much fic but you brought her to life with so much careful detail and it really, really works. i believed every second of their affair. this fic is a masterwork and you should be real proud of what you’ve written here. (2/2)

aaaahhhh oh my gosh thank you so much! someone else commented to say that i’d made “unconventional character choices” and i assume they meant that my alex is kind of withdrawn and depressed more than the “fighting his own ass in a dumpster” canon alex we all know & love but tbh - eliza!! what’s really important to me about eliza characterization in general (& also something i try to work on in myself) is the idea that good is something you do, not something you just are - it’s a choice, it takes work. people who are Good People still fuck up and are petty and messy and don’t always take the high road - and alex in this fic doesn’t necessarily get that? i didn’t lean on it or anything but he does kind of think of her, at least at one point, as this shining example of Good Person, so like, the scene where she realizes she doesn’t trust him anymore, she’s kind of lashing out because she can’t rationalize that with the fact that she’s doing the same thing he did, with the same person?? a Thing i’ve noticed in fic - and in a lot of fiction actually - is the desire to have everyone self-actualize, like Here Are My Flaws And I’m Aware Of Them, which is fine and it’s not that she’s not self-aware, i just wanted to kind of leave that a little more messy and open-ended.

“So all their praises are but prophecies, of this our time - ahaha - Angie, stop, that tickles!”

Angie pulls back from nosing at Theo’s ear and gives her a curious look, head tilted, ears pricked. She smells strange, her familiar scent layered with something heavier, roses or lilacs. Since when does Theo Burr wear perfume?

Theo rubs the skin behind her ear, a pretty flush darkening her cheeks. “I thought it would be nice.”

Angie wrinkles her nose.

“Yes, thanks, your opinion has been noted.”

Oh. Angie didn’t mean to hurt her friend’s feelings. She lowers to a crouch, flattens her ears, and mewls, apologetic. Setting aside the book, Theo strokes her fur, long fingers tracing a careful line from head to tail. Angie crawls into her lap for easier access.

It’s nice in the parlor. Quiet. The afternoon sunlight casts through the window at just the right angle, softly yellow, not too bright for reading. Angie lets her eyes drift closed. She could fall asleep like this, warm and loose, Theo massaging the thick fur around her scruff. No need to be anxious about getting her words in order (she’s a Hamilton, no doubt - quick and clever and hungry - but she missed the silver-tongue, the pull toward an audience); no need to fumble with stays or feel the itch of fabric against her bare skin. Easier to not be human, for a little while.

Philip pokes his head into the parlor. “Angie, you seen Mom? - oh, hello, Theo.”

“Hello, Philip,” she says, her voice gone imperious. Pip blushes, and Angie barks a laugh. “I believe Mrs. Hamilton is putting down the baby for a nap.”

“Ah. Just wanted to get some advice. I guess I can ask Pops…” he trails off, bites his lip.

“Office.” Theo bites out the word.

Angie cringes at her friend’s tone. She notices and softens, petting her ears and adding, “I’m sure he’d be helpful.”

“Yeah. Thanks.” With one last glance between them, he goes in search of a parent.

“Sorry,” Theo says, when he’s gone.

Angie licks the inside of her wrist. It’s not fine, but there’s nothing she can do to change that. She wishes the pamphlet never happened, wishes her parents would go back to how they used to be, wishes she could curl up in a den and wait for winter to be over.

Too bad her bit of magic doesn’t make wishes come true.

She sighs and curls into a ball, covers her nose with her tail.

How I feel about this character: Good! Good face, good friend, good raps, good man.

All the people I ship romantically with this character: Mainly his just his wife. I can see and get Mulette but I ship them both with their spouses much more.

My non-romantic OTP for this character: The Hamsquad, whom he is the unquestioned dadfriend of. I also think his kindness, cleverness, and pragmatism would mean he would get along well with Eliza. And I really like Peggy moving out of her “like I said you’re free to go” family and into the dadfriend apartment fire in RF.

My unpopular opinion about this character: I guess most people don’t keep his wife, and a lot of them let him be kind of dumb? Idk anything especially controversial I think about him.

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon.: We get to see him act a bit more directly in loco parentis.

How I feel about this character: I’m so glad she got an arc, and I love her and Steven’s relationship. I can’t wait to see more of her with the other quartzes. 

All the people I ship romantically with this character: I don’t really have any SU ships, so I guess I just hope she gets one? Peridot’s crush is pretty cute too.

My non-romantic OTP for this character: Her and Steven (Smokey Quartz is so great), and I also would love to see her and Connie hanging out more. I think Ame could really help Connie relax and cut loose.

My unpopular opinion about this character: Sugilite Did Nothing Wrong.

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon.: QUARTZ SISTERS QUARTZ SISTERS QUARTZ SISTE