#◇Girl is mildly terrifying◇
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corrxptedmaskedone · 2 years ago
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◇Remember how I (kind of) mentioned that I kinda wanted to give Lorelei wings?◇
◇I wanted to give them pterosaur-eque wings, but multiple bird-like wings would be cool as well... although pretty painful looking when it needs to fly... although the pterosaur wings aren't any better...◇
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transmascgraverobber · 2 years ago
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i think shilo should carry around a spray bottle for whenever she hangs out with graverobber. anytime he's about to say or do something stupid, she gets to spritz him like a disobedient cat. like NO. BAD drug dealer. *spritz spritz*
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lynxgirlpaws · 1 year ago
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There is nothing scarier than that " 'why are all the trans girls i know so strong willed?,?' 'Picture of the ww2 plane with bullet holes only on the outer wings and center'" meme because I am not strong willed. W. What happens to the weak willed trans girls, op. Why are no planes returning with bullet holes in the inner wing op? Why did you use the meme about the surviving data set in the meme about weak willed trans girls op?
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ilyelan · 2 years ago
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sometimes i’ll see a post and i’ll just think. damn. why would you act like that on a public platform. and i’ll be too shocked to even think about anything else for like an hour
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glitteringdystopia · 27 days ago
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lilislegacy · 11 months ago
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Percy at ease
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Percy calm, but a little on edge
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Percy when mildly angry
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Friendly reminder that Percy jackson - our beloved silly adorable seaweed brain - is absolutely terrifying. When he’s angry, when he’s scared, when he’s on edge - he’s not warm and fuzzy.
No other character gets that reaction from people. Jason (the sweetie) is perceived as calm and in control, nico (our favorite self-outcasted outcast) is perceived as solemn and creepy, reyna (girlboss queen slay) is perceived as confident and assertive, and annabeth (our girl) is perceived as fierce, clever, and formidable. They are all intimidating to an extent.
But not like Percy. No. Becasue even when he’s at ease, he’s described as wild and disobedient. And when he’s not at ease, even if just little bit, he’s perceived as powerful, dangerous, and scary. Someone who NOBODY wants to mess with. Nobody even questions his power. One look from him has literal gangs running the other way. One look from him has Leo so scared that he’s literally shaking, and feeling the same innate fright and alarm that he does when jason summons an ear-piercing, earth-shaking, deadly bolt of lighting.
like… HELLO??? can we all just sit on that for a moment?? good lord
One angry look from percy has people thinking one thing: Run.
Percy is, canonically, the character that people find the most frightening and intimidating.
And unless he’s in a good mood - which you better hope he is - the reality is that most of us would be completely terrified of him if we met him.
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droaxa · 7 months ago
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✧ tags: yandere cheater x reader pt. 2
✧ warnings: violence and force, yandere behavior, descriptions of dismemberment, blood, stalking, police, nsfw content, kissing, angst, smut, breaking in, attempted murder, cuts, dead dove, probably more stuff
✧ a/n: my most requested fic at the moment! i decided to take some of your suggestions and add my own twist at the end + yandere name reveal!
part 1 - part 2 - part 3
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yandere cheater wrestles you into his car after he drags you outta the cafe you’re in, unyielding as you try to pull away. the second he shuts the door and jets to the drivers side, you force yourself out the door and sprint down the street.
you hear his yells as you increase your speed, you knew you wouldn’t be able to outrun him for long. not only was he more athletic than you, but a look back revealed his terrifying expression. he was clearly set on catching you, having the advantage in his relatively relaxed clothing opposed to you, who was dressed for a date.
knowing you couldn’t beat him you came to a sudden stop of to the side of the sidewalk and he rammed into your side. stumbling back a few steps you stopped him. eyes wide and hair blown back, he looks at you mildly surprised.
“wha-” you interrupt him this time, taking advantage of his surprise by slapping a hand over his mouth.
you bring on an expression that you think is intimidating, “leave me the fuck alone, i don’t know what the hell you want but i’m not taking you back”
he scoffs like he has you all figured out, taking your hand off his mouth to reveal a smirk underneath. “guess mother dear will find out about your… escapades then”
smack!
you slap him across the face sharply, sound reverberating around you and leaving a tinge of red on his cheek. his mouth gapes as he looks back at you even more surprised, what happened to the mild mannered girl who he had cheated on dated?
“release those anywhere and i will fuck up your life asshole” you fume, hand still in the air as if to threaten him for another slap. “you’re the one that decided to cheat on me with every girl we knew. fucking own up to it”
you were sick of his shit, who did he think he was? you huff out a quiet fuck off as you pass him, shoulder bumping against his. as soon as you rounded the corner you sprint to a nearby parked cab, slamming the door on your way in.
“to the university dorms please”
yandere cheater runs after you too late, rounding the corner as you take off in the cab. poor baby, you were still hung up on him cheating? he didn’t even really like those girls anyway, they weren’t good for anything except their bodies.
but you, you were it for him. he’d do anything to see your cute smile again, to see you whimper on his cock. he felt his swollen cheek, your anger may come in the way of him proving his love, but you’d understand in the end. how deep his love ran. all he had to do was prove was that those girls meant nothing.
two weeks had passed, two long peaceful weeks. your ex finally seemed to give up, the barrage of text messages and calls diminishing to radio silence and constant gifts at your doorstep suddenly stopping. maybe you were more intimidating than you thought.
the second you got home after the encounter, you had called your mother and explained everything. although she did yell at you for a solid hour due her disappointment in you sending out explicit photos of yourself, she understood your situation. after giving her instructions on blocking your ex if he tried to reach out to her you were finally at a peace of mind. at a zen. maybe you could turn a new leaf, you deserved it.
of course you had fucking jinxed it, just when you finally thought it was all over, your ex had tried to force himself back in your life again. deep down, you knew he wouldn’t give up that easy. he’d always be stubborn to a fault.
two weeks after the encounter a small navy present box appeared in from of your new dorm room door. still groggy with sleep you rubbed your eyes and picked up the box, bringing it inside. after contemplating for a minute, you finally decide to open it. in your sleep ridden state, you reasoned that it was probably something you’d left behind at your ex’s house.
it takes a minute to register the contents of the box, but when you do
“OH MY GOD”
you scream and stumble back.
two bloodshot green- brown eyes were pressed into the shiny white silk inside, the area around them a tinge of red. that alone could be passed off as a cruel prank by some immature students but the unmistakable metallic scent of blood lingering in the air said otherwise. that and the only other item in the plush silk: a silver bracelet with the initials ‘e.r’.
only one person you knew owned that bracelet and had those eyes, your ‘friend’ eva. but you had blocked and lost contact with her after you found her and your boyfriend together in the bathroom of the mall. there’s no way she would have just lost this bracelet either, you remembered her bragging about how it was permanent. being soldering together around her hand.
you were nauseous. oh god. you knew it was him, you just knew. sure you hated her but you didn’t want her to die. what the hell, what the fuck do you even do?
before you could think you grabbed your phone calling the only person you could think of.
“can you come over quick, please?”
20 minutes later a dark haired man rushed in through your front door, spotting you curled up in the corner. your eyes wide and still staring at the open box.
“(y/n) what’s going on?” he asks softly, approaching you slowly. you just point to the box and he takes a peek, immediately slapping a hand over his mouth as his eyes shoot open “fucking hell…”
you turn to him, eyes teary “ray what do we do?”
ray was your one real friend through everything your ex put you through, and ironically your ex’s older brother. he was one that introduced you to your ex and thus he blamed himself for letting him hurt you, even though you’d reassured him that you didn’t find him at any fault.
he was reliable and kind, a shoulder to lean on when things got tough. you’d known him for almost two years longer than your ex and honestly if you didn’t meet your ex, the small crash you harbored for ray may have grown. after you met you ex you assumed that your feelings for ray had naturally died out but you couldn’t lie about the strange biting feeling in your chest whenever you saw him.
and even now he was talking care of you, taking you to the police station to talk to the police and turning in the bloody present. a few hours later you both were back in your dorm, sitting on the edge of your bed as you discussed the situation.
“look i really appreciate all this, you didn’t have to come with me to the station”
he smiles, “anytime (y/n), if it’s for you”
you smile back, face a little warm from his answer “that’s sweet”
he moves a little closer, your pinkies now you touching. “you’re sweeter, my asshole brother doesn’t know what he missed out on.” and you swear that you see his eyes flicker to your lips.
“really?” you ask coyly, leaning in slightly.
he nods slightly hesitant “if i had a girlfriend like you i wouldn’t dare disrespect her like that, i-i mean you’re thoughtful and pretty and-” he gets cut off as you lean up and press your lips to his. he immediately freezes up and you take his response as rejection, pulling away. fuck, he was obviously just being nice who even likes their brothers ex?
“i’m so sorry i though-” before you can finish apologizing ray’s lips smash onto yours, one of his hands in your hair to pull you closer and the other guiding your lips to his by your chin. in between heated kisses he mumbles,
“god i was waiting for so long,” a kiss.
“prettiest girl i’ve ever met” another heated kiss. his words of longing slur as he continues to kiss you, pulling you ever closer. his plush lips trail down your neck and to your stomach, slender hand playing at your waistband. his hooded eyes look up at you as his other hand wanders under your shirt. “can i?”
you give him a shy nod and he smiles, pulling down your pajama shorts to reveal white cotton panties. you cover your face with your arm out of embarrassment and he reaches out, keeping your arm down.
“wann’ see your pretty face, waited for it” you nod meekly and he flashes his dimples, continuing to pull down your panties and throw them somewhere behind him. your cute cunt, glistening with arousal was right in front of his face. fuck. gliding a finger up the slit, he watches as the slick from your pussy coats it. fuck.
an hour later he was in heaven, or at least you felt like it. buried deep inside your wet cunt as you moaned and squirmed under him
“ngh- fuck, so good fa’ me baby”
this was the stuff of wet dreams. he speeds up as he feels his orgasm approaching, praises and grunts slipping from his lips as he slams his hips against yours. soft skin against muscle, hot breath on your face from where he was above you. finally he pulls out with groan, wanting to stay buried in your warm. spurts of warm cum shoot up your stomach as he finally finishes.
ray collapses beside you, both of you sweaty and nude as you bathe in the afterglow. weakly, you smile at his tired form as you close your eyes, drifting to sleep in your warm bed.
bang!
you wake up with a start, wearing a shirt too big to be yours. must be ray’s. you look around the dim room and reach for ray, feeling nothing in the space next to your body. did ray… leave? that couldn’t be right. your bare feet hit the wood floor as you step towards your lamp and turn on the light. nothing.
you look around the bedroom and then head to the kitchen, turning the corner and switching on the light. immediately the kitchen floods with light and you gasp. the floor was tracked with blood, a trail leading from where you stood to your bathroom. was he hurt?! you cautiously approach the bathroom, a sharp metallic scent dominates your nose as push open the half open door.
“took a while to wake up didn’t you sleepyhead?”
your blood runs cold. it was your ex boyfriend. if the crazed grin in his face wasn’t unsettling enough the blood smearing on his cheek and splattered across his body sent alarms going off inside you. looking behind him you see the source of all the red.
ray. deep cuts run down his body, clothes shredded, and body half submerged in the now murky red water of the tub. on the tile floor next to him was your kitchen knife, covered in blood. without missing a beat you turned and sprinted to your bed stand, searching for your phone. there’s no way you would make it to the door in time, you needed to call the police and at least save ray.
haphazardly searching your bed and nightstand, you still can’t find your phone. where is it?
“oh lookin’ for your phone?” you turn to him. in his hand was the aforementioned object, light pink case looking uncharacteristically cute opposed to his blood-ridden form. “you’re a pretty deep sleeper hon, i mean i was rummaging around right next to you for this and you didn’t even hear”
“what are you doing raph?” you ask terrified, slowly inching away from him.
in response he approaches you, “what do you think? my girl runs off on me and the next time i see her she’s fucking my brother. you tryna make me jealous baby?” he leans in, expression seemingly amused but you knew better. he was pissed.
“and you’re wearing his shirt too” his large hand plays with the round collar of the tee, fingers ghosting over your collarbones.
“take it off”
eyes wide, you look up at him, “no i won-”
“take it off or he dies” raph’s face is dead serious, no traces of amusement left, stare burning into your face. “you want him to live right? i’ll call the police as long as you take it off”
you hesitate then slowly peel off ray’s shirt, letting it fall to the floor. raph had seen your body before right? it was a small price to pay for saving rays life. the action left you in only your cotton panties as you tried to preserve your modesty with your hands.
raph lets out a low whistle and steps forward, pulling you closer by the curve of your waist. chucking as you shiver due to his cold touch
“already forgot i feel baby? might needa reteach ya”
you look away from him, refusing to see the smug expression playing on his face.
at that moment you felt a wave of self hatred crash over you, why couldn’t you do anything about this? were you so weak that you couldn’t protect yourself, much less ray? but who were you kidding, you weren’t faster or stronger than raph. there’s no way you could get out of this situation with both of you alive without giving into raph.
raph places a rough hand at your jaw, forcing you to look at him. unlike his brother his touch was demanding and rash, the only purpose of it being to prove that you were still his silly girl. no matter how hard you tried to run away.
he coos at your troubled expression “where’s all that fire from before huh?” he grins at your submissive state, the one that he caused. “i’ll be nice, put your own clothes on. quick.”
was he playing with you? you take a look at ray’s shirt on the floor and then approach your closet under a guise of calmness, but a look at your shaking hands would disprove your confidence. putting on a bra, followed by a bottom and a top, then outer wear. anything to put more layers between you and him.
a look up at him reveals that he was already looking at you, probably to stop you from pulling another trick on him. he leans down to whisper in your ear but instead decides to press his face into your neck, inhaling the sweet smell. he mutters, face still in your hair “god i missed you” the sincere tone in his voice scared you the most.
he pulls away, expression distant and somewhat melancholy. “you know if you acted like a good girl from the beginning i wouldn’t have to do this”
before you can question him, his open right hand presses against your face, hard. the other hand supports your head to stop you from pulling away, body trapped. the bitter smell of something pressed on the tissue between your face and his hand floods your senses.
for the second time that night all your senses dull, and everything goes dark.
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a/n: i know i know you guys wanted reader to get away from him! i just though this was more interesting then the reader getting back at raph and getting away with it. i like to make my yanderes stubborn loll. hope you liked the twist might write a part 3 ^^
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underscorezoo · 1 month ago
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“Easy,” I murmur, “easy.” I show her what a deep breath looks like, trying to steady her growing panic. Her body shakes, her blue eyes wide, sweat glistens across her forehead. I rub my thumb against her knuckles, her hand gripping mine like life depends on it.
“It hurts,” she whimpers, eyes closing with a hard wince. My other hand closes around her jaw and I softly blow hair into her face to cool her down.
“I've got you, darling.”
She shakes her head in refusal, a cry bubbling up her throat, “oh. Oh.”
“Tension isn't helping our baby, please relax.” She gives me a look that makes me want to bury myself alive to recover from it. A hopeless scared gaze that makes me want to claw out my eyes on top of being five feet underground.
“Help me,” she whines, “get him out of me.”
I flash a look at the royal healers around me, their eyes mildly impatient. I give them a cold stern look that has them shifting into action to avoid my ire.
“I'm still convinced it's a little girl,” I smile, brushing her hair that's matted onto her forehead.
“There's nothing little about her then,” she groans and shifts away from me, her body locking up, “no, not again,” she cries and her fingernails dig into me. I have several of these wounds now but I can't even register it with the way I've been watching her so intently.
“Breathe,” I remind her quickly, “breath in and out. Relax your jaw.”
Her teeth are bared to the world, the entirety of her rigid, airless.
“Breathe,” I bark, my worry crawling up my mouth.
She does but the sound that leaves with it is enough to drive me over an edge. My hand leaves her face and falls onto the swell of her stomach, bare to the room, our child begging to escape it. A blanket covers her lower half and I'm tempted to tear it away to see if there is progress. A healer beats me to it, bending my wife’s knee up and opening her legs like a butterfly, blanket falling away.
“That's the sound we were waiting for, your majesty,” the midwife coos gently. “You’re ready to start pushing. It’ll all be over soon.”
Terror strikes me like a hard fist to the jaw and I sit there in stunned silence. My wife on the other hand starts a tantrum, limps a chaos as she tries to leave the bed. None of us expect this but with her so bloated, she barely makes it before I'm holding her still, pinning to the mattress. Her eyes are crazed and dazed with pain and anger.
“I am not pushing,” she hisses at me as if I was the one who suggested it.
“Are you saying that because you're afraid of the pain or because you don't think you can do it?” I challenge, raising an eyebrow. I dare to let my hand travel down between her legs, my fingers breaching the now expanded opening. I almost groan, “darling,” my head slumps towards her with near relief, “you are so close.” I feel the spot of thin hair, the curvature of a baby’s head. Our child.
“Get your fingers out of me,” she groans, whimpering.
“First I've heard that one,” I smirk. She flashes me a warning look that I eat up.
She again seems to be primed with a retort when both hands furiously find the bottom sheet. Giving my hand, wrist, and arm a break from her piercing touch. A terrified little yelp breaks from her mouth and one leg loses grip on the bedding and kicks out.
“Oh please,” she heartbreakingly pleads. So unlike my vicious wife. “Make it stop.”
I instinctively brush my knuckles to her cheek, my other hand resting low on her stomach. “You need to push, darling,” I press on her skin, “and hard. You're going to be just fine if you do that.”
She says something incoherent, a blubbering mess of raw emotion, exhaustion, and pain. Still she does what we all hoped, pushed. Her face tight with determination, chin to her chest, the sound of an animal in full heat coming out of her. She's never looked so beautiful.
“That's it,” I encourage softly and twist, getting a cold cloth for her forehead and neck. She relaxes instantly, tears streaming down her face.
“I can't do this,” she says, voice breaking.
“Of course you can,” I say softly.
She shakes her head in defiance of my words. Head tipping back against the pile of pillows behind her. My wife shrieks, her body shaking violently. “No, please, no,” she begs.
“It comes, your majesty, push,” the healer beckons.
My focus waivers between how vulnerable and how strong my wife is in this moment that I too am breathless for a spell before I am smiling, staring down at the peek of dark hair.
“I see her, darling, push oh please push.” Our ‘please’ is so contrasting that I laugh. She follows my suggestion and cries out again, this time her hand finding my forearm and holding tight. She looks at me, a face full of unabashed fear and loathing, “you did this to me.”
I still can't wipe the joy from my face so my, “I know,” comes out manic.
She whimpers, tears cascading down her face and mingling with sweat. She swears colorfully. That head of dark hair moves forward and now holds her folds open and taut. She's screaming loud enough to break the windows and I'm there, holding her head against mine, getting closer and closer. “Shh, it's almost over, you're doing so well.”
“Small pushes now, blow out, stretch wide,” the healer mimics the breathing she wants to achieve but my wife just lets out the most pathetic of whimpers.
“Hurts,” she mumbles.
“You're amazing. I'm so impressed,” my lips brush into her sweaty hair.
“Don't say that like you're surprised,” she huffs at me.
I chuckle, leaning back to take in her burning blue eyes. “I'm not surprised.”
“Just a few more pushes,” the healer coaxs.
I watch the head pop out with a bit of liquid and a shrill cry from my partner, who now pants wildly, eyes lidded with weariness. “Pull it out,” she demands, narrowing her gaze to menacing.
“You'll push in a minute here,” the healer amends for her.
“Just take it out,” she begs and then groans deeply, eyes closing quickly, “ohhh nooo” I watch in fascination as the baby starts to rotate slowly.
“Hold on, dearie,” the healer tugs the cord up and over our child’s head eliminating a threat against its life already. “Open these legs wider for me, there you go. Push, push, push.”
Thankfully my wife follows her orders. Her face bright red, and voice raising as more and more of the child emerges. Unceremoniously the screaming is replaced by the baby who now flails around in her mother's arms. Her. Our daughter. My wife and I lock eyes, her face split with adorable shock as if she hadn't just gone through all the work to make this happen. I slump towards them both, my adrenaline wearing off and I'm realizing my own hand has left crescent moons into my flesh from concern. I relax my body and take a deep breath.
“Thank gods,” I murmured to no one in particular. I look up timidly to my wife who wipes our baby with a towel and scrunches her entire chin towards her neck to get a better look at the purple screeching face. Our daughter finally has a lapse in annoyance and her eyes open, stormy gray eyes forming a perfect mirror to gaze into. My wife drops back, a lifeless laugh forcing out of her, “all that only for her to look like you.” She sounds both bitter and proud.
I grin, “she will no doubt be a stunner like me then.”
She huffs loudly but matches my smile, content with such a notion.
“The next one will look like you.”
Her jaw drops open. “The next one?!”
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balrogballs · 2 months ago
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One of my most why do I do this to myself headcanons is that Elrond talks to Celebrìan all the time, from the day she sails to the day he sails. That he tries to do it silently, but sometimes slips up.
Not in the way of sorrowful monologues, no, but in remarkably mundane ways. Sometimes he’s at dinner and the dessert is over-sweet and he’d mumble in disgust “god, you’d love this, wouldn’t you?” Sometimes he’d walk in the garden and see some awfully large bug and go “yes, yes, calm down, I’ll get Glorfindel to kill it”.
When he first set eyes on Bilbo Baggins he marvelled “oh, Cel, you’re right! they do have hairy feet, I owe you a gold piece!” and then immediately turned bright crimson upon remembering that in addition to hairy feet, Bilbo Baggins also had working ears.
He’d have five minutes in bed before getting up just complaining to her about all he had to do that day, and then later in the evening he’d stand at the sink with a mouthful of toothbrush, complaining about all he didn’t manage to get done. He’d chatter away about anything and everything, but always in the present tense.
It made Elladan and Elrohir very sad — after all, they knew what it was like to always have someone to turn to and discuss everything and anything, and the idea of losing that terrified them. Arwen and Galadriel would indulge him, in that they wouldn’t comment on it, and leave him to it when he slipped up.
Most surprising, however, is Celeborn’s reaction. They had had a mildly tense relationship the year after Cel was rescued, both blaming the other as cover for their own immense guilt. But any time Elrond accidentally addresses a comment to a phantasmal Celebrìan in front of him, Celeborn would do the same, to the same patch of thin air. Elrond loves him very, very much for that.
Aragorn, who had the luck misfortune of being raised by Elrond, understandably began copying his mannerisms as a toddler. This is what led to Gilraen coming across her five year old son having a full conversation with absolutely nobody whilst he played with his toy horses. Nervously, fearing for his sanity, she asks him who he was talking to, only for him to say “oh, it’s Cel, she’s a crazy lady and she’s me and Ada’s invisible friend. She hates bugs”.
Gilraen, not knowing Elrond used to call his wife Cel, spent a good two years absolutely certain that there was a poltergeist in Rivendell.
At Arwen’s wedding, as he leads her to Aragorn, he can’t help but whisper “look at our marvellous girl”. Arwen squeezes his hand, tight enough for two.
To his utter mortification, Elrond accidentally mutters “oh look at this wonderful tapestry, Cel, your favourite colour scheme!” whilst on a visit to Thranduil’s court. Thranduil politely pretends to not notice, feels a tinge of sorrow for his kind-of-friend, but also says a silent thanks to the Valar for “allowing me to avoid the Elrond approach to widowhood”.
Legolas convinces Gimli that Elrond is talking to a poltergeist, and offers him ten gold pieces to go and ask him if he’d like an exorcism.
In Valinor, two months after he arrives, Elrond is reading in his study when he’s struck soundly on the temple by a bedroom slipper. He looks up to see Cel, (his) dressing gown wrapped around her, her other slipper folded in her hand like a club: “who the hell are you calling darling at two in the morning?”
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littlewriters-posts · 8 months ago
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Phoenix - Damon Salvatore
Part two of the request I got the other day
part one is here
https://www.tumblr.com/littlewriters-posts/751027674692059136/hey-darling-can-i-request-the-damon-salvatore-x?source=share
Plot: Y/N comes to mystic falls as a foster kid, knowing nothing of the supernatural world. The catch? Y/N lost all her memories, of the past 150 years.
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Stefan had sworn both Elena and Damon to secrecy.
Damon had come storming in, his usual stony expression riddled with worry, interrupting Stefan and Elena, announcing the arrival of his old love - that somehow she had come back to life.
Elena was sceptical at first "Are you sure it's not just another doppelganger curse?" she asked, a frown on her face. The name rang bells in her head but she couldn't quite place why.
Stefan shook his head "No, she told Damon she had the Phoenix curse. Not too unsimilar from your one actually, apparently she when she dies she gets reborn again from the ashes, all memories wiped,"
"Except when she wore that necklace," Damon interjected "If we could just find it, we could get her memories back!"
And she would remember me, went unspoken.
Stefan sucked his teeth slightly. Part of him wanted to dismiss Damon's hope, but the other half recognized that this was the first ounce of humanity Damon had shown in years.
"What did you say her name was again?" Elena asked
"Y/N, L/N," Damon said "Apparently she's now living with your friend, the Bonnie," he raised his eyebrows at her, as if demanding an explanation.
Elena's eyes widened "Oh my god," she muttered to herself before turning back to Stefan "Bonnie said that her Grams had signed the papers to adopt this girl, Bonnie said it came out of nowhere. But then she died, and demanded that Bonnie's dad do it instead,"
"Y/N, from my time anyway, was very close to the Bennet witches," Stefan mused silently.
"Yeah they spent years looking for her, and failing," Damon added
Stefan then turned very serious "Damon if she is Y/N you cannot go near her. Remember she doesn't know you, and you don't want to scare her away,"
"I won't scare her away," Damon said looking mildly offended "I am the eternal stud, everyone loves me,"
Stefan rolled his eyes "We really need to find out if it is her first, or just some weird coincidence,"
"What so she can fall in love with some boring human?" Damon asked snidely.
Elena stood up, looking sympathetically at Damon, which he hated.
"Look she loved you once right? I'm sure she'll love you again," she reassured and Damon scoffed so she continued. "She'll be with Bonnie on Monday, I'll become friends with her first, then we can go from there,"
Damon grumbled, but seemed satisfied with that answer, and disappeared upstairs without another word.
Stefan walked up to Elena, wrapping his arms around her waist.
"As much as I hate to say it, he's not the same person he was when he first met her, and chances are she's exactly the same,"
Elena sighed "We'll see what she's like on Monday,"
Y/N was terrified. Dressed in her flares and green top that Bonnie had kindly bought for her, she faced herself in the mirror.
The thought of being in the same room as people she didn't know made her feel rather sick.
"You'll be fine," Bonnie reassured, leaning on the door "Come on, I'll drive you,"
Y/N nodded, brushing all negative thoughts out of her head as she followed her new friend out of the door.
She tried to focus on Bonnie's voice as she chatted at her, telling her all the school drama as if knowing that would help her fit in more with the rest of the group.
But all she could focus on was the outside world, and how different yet familiar it seemed to her.
"We're here," Bonnie announced "Come on, Elena and Caroline are meeting us inside,"
Y/N nodded, giving the other girl a grateful smile. Bonnie had already told her everything about the two others girls, Elena was the sweet one who's parents died in a car crash, and Caroline was slightly outspoken, but lovely when you got to know her.
Elena hadn't told her friends about Damon's history with the new girl, for some reason it didn't seem right. She didn't want to taint anyone's view of the girl before they met her.
Y/N hid behind Bonnie slightly, as they approached the two girls who were waving excitedly at them.
Caroline was quick to embrace Y/N in a hug "Oh I am so excited you're here! It's about time we got some new people in this town,"
Elena rolled her eyes with a smile "It's nice to meet you," she said
As Elena studied Y/N she couldn't help but think that she was nothing like she imagined. She pictured someone meddlesome, someone stony faced and cold hearted like Damon not - not this.
Elena watched as Y/N gave a shy smile, her head held high but fidgeting fingers giving away her nerves.
She reminded her of a baby deer...or lamb...or maybe an otter. Something vulnerable.
"How are you finding it? Have you ever been to school before?" Caroline asked. Elena smacked her arm
"Caroline!" she exclaimed and Caroline looked sheepish.
"Sorry,"
Y/N shook her head with a smile "It's okay, I don't mind answering questions. I - I actually have amnesia, I don't remember anything until I reached about sixteen? Then I was home-schooled by my foster mom,"
Caroline stared at her with wide eyes "So you've never been to a party?"
Y/N shrugged "I mean I might have done, I just won't remember it,"
"Well you're in luck, the founders ball is soon!" Caroline practically squealed "I won Miss Mystic Falls last year, so I can help pick out your dress!"
Y/N hesitated, the thought of entering the hall with yet more people was giving her heart palpations, but she also wanted to make friends.
"Sure, when?" she asked with a smile
"How about Saturday?" Caroline asked and Y/N looked to Bonnie for help.
"We'll be there," Bonnie reassured and Y/N sighed with relief, at least there would be somebody she knew.
"What class have you got first?" Caroline asked, reading Y/N scheduled over her shoulder "Oh no fair! You'll be with Elena and Bonnie," she sighed dramatically.
"ooo History with Mr Tanner, good luck," Elena said, giving Y/N a smile "He's evil,"
Y/N laughed "Surely he can't be that bad,"
Y/N was wrong.
Not only did Mr Tanner sit her at the back in between a boy called Matt Donavon, he also sat her behind another boy called Stefan Salvatore, who was so tall she had very little hope to see the board in-front of the class.
And then he had the audacity to ask her question's in-front of the entire class.
She was quite sure he face was utterly red, and Stefan turned round to face her, making the redness worse.
"It's okay, he did that to me the first time as well, he's a dick," he reassured and Y/N felt the sudden urge to hide under her desk.
"Thankyou," she whispered, her eyes lowering to her paper and Stefan gave her a soft smile, trying not to show his concern.
If he had any doubts now they were sealed. He only knew one person who looked that panicked when talking to people, and he could recognize that face anywhere.
Unfortunate it meant she was still the same person that she was before, and Damon wasn't.
After history Y/N was grateful to Caroline, who talked her ear off on who was hot and who was not, although she found herself growing weary of the constant chatter and found her gaze wandering across the courtyard.
A large crow caught her eye, as it stared at her unblinkingly.
"We're going to the Grill after school wanna come?" Bonnie asked, cutting Caroline off her rant as she did so.
"I'd love that," Y/N said softly, breaking her gaze from the bird.
"What have you got next?" Elena asked
"Er - maths," Y/N replied, checking her schedule.
"Ah shoot, we've all got Biology," Bonnie said sympathetically
"It's okay, Stefan has maths, he can show you the way!" Elena interjected, smiling at her friend.
Y/N grimaced, as much as she didn't have anything against the boy, she'd take getting lost as appose to having to strike up a conversation with a stranger.
"I don't want to bother him," she said quietly.
Elena shook her head, before waving Stefan over from where he sat on the bench.
"You'll like him, he's quiet like you," Caroline reassured and Bonnie rolled her eyes.
"Ignore her," she said smiling apologetically.
"What did I say?" Caroline frowned, but Y/N smiled.
"It's okay, I get what she meant."
Caroline smiled from ear to ear. She often felt out of place, constantly saying the wrong thing at the wrong time, or saying it the wrong way and getting reprimanded. But Y/N made her feel understood.
"Do you mind walking Y/N to maths?" Elena asked Stefan as he approached.
"Sure," he shrugged "I'll make sure you don't get lost,"
Y/N smiled gratefully, not quite meeting his eyes before waving goodbye to her friends and following alongside him.
"How are you finding your first day?" he asked eventually, noticing her fidgeting hands immediately.
"It's okay, just a lot of people," she shrugged, glancing around at the people shoving past her and she shrank a little.
"Must be overwhelming," he mused thinking slightly "You know there's a graveyard not far from here - sounds dark but I find it's the only place you can really get some peace and quiet,"
Y/N looked up at him, for the first time meeting his eyes. "Thankyou," she said earnestly. "I've only got a half day today, something about adjusting to school life, so I might go after then - where is it?"
"Turn right out of school, go down the road to the old bridge and turn left," Stefan said simply as Y/N hurried to jot it down.
Someone with her sense of direction had to be prepared.
"Great and er - how do I get to the Grill from there?" she asked nervously.
Stefan didn't judge "Follow the middle path into the woods, keep going and then go left at the second turning. Turn right when you get to the old building. Just follow that path and it'll lead you back to the street,"
She thanked him again, feeling slightly relieved that she wouldn't have to navigate it without help, nor would she have to ask a complete stranger.
After Maths, Y/N bid goodbye to the younger Salvatore brother, before texting the girls where she was going, and that she would meet them at the grill later. With Stefan's direction's written down, she was sure she wouldn't get lost, and too her relief she didn't.
So there she sat, next to a random grave, her head resting against the cool stone.
In her hands lay a notebook, the date marked clearly at the top as she jotted her thoughts down.
Her doctor had suggested a diary, after losing your memory for no apparent reason there was no evidence to suggest it wouldn't happen again.
She didn't notice Damon watched her from the shadows, a pained look on his face. He hated the way she looked so tense, her fingers often pulling at the strands of hair that had escaped the messy braid. He could even smell the blood that came from her bitten lips.
But what he hated most was how she was exactly the same. The same slight crease between the brows, the same nervous fidget patten, the same soft hum as she wrote.
It was like she had never changed, like nothing had ever changed her.
He wanted to speak to her, even for a moment but he stopped himself. She hadn't changed, but he had. Even if she did, even if she could, remember him, would she still love him after learning everything he had done? Everyone he had killed?
Would she be able to see past the scars he's obtained and his bloody hands and still be able to see him?
He didn't know. And that killed him.
So there in the shadows he stayed, watching and praying that she would be kept safe.
Y/N shut her book with a sigh, stuffing it back in her bag. She glanced at her phone and saw that it was time to go, surprised that she had been this long.
But it was nice, the quiet, it made her feel whole again.
"Right, to the Grill we go," she muttered, biting her lip slightly.
She slung her bag over her shoulder and started walking down the middle path. She was unaware the Damon was still watching her with the same pained expression.
She came to the turning and abruptly turning, feeling rather pleased with herself as she did so for not getting lost.
As she walked she took out the slip of paper she had jotted the directions down in, and to her absolute horror the ink had smudged.
"Oh no. Oh nononono," she muttered, looking around herself in horror. She remembered something about turning near a building but what building was that?
She turned, telling herself she would just go back the way she came and ask for help, before realising the path she was walking down was a forked path and she couldn't remember which one she had taken.
"Oh crap crap crap," she whispered.
She felt the air around her grow colder, her lungs fighting for air as she tried not to panic. She'd been lost before, she'd be fine. It's not like Mystic Falls was dangerous.
Behind his hiding place, Damon cursed himself. He looked at her panic stricken face, the face he'd seen a thousand times before when she was forced into social situations, and felt his heart tug slightly.
"You lost?"
Y/N whirled around, her eyes wide and heart pounding, before coming face to face with the man she met her first night of Mystic Falls.
"Damon?" she questioned, frowning slightly "What are you doing here?"
He shrugged, walking towards her trying to look as non threatening as possible. "I like it here, it's quiet,"
Y/N relaxed slightly "Stefan said the same thing - you're related aren't you? Same last name and all,"
Damon smirked slightly "Brothers," he responded. "So are you lost?"
Y/N's cheeks reddened slightly, a slight pout on her lower lip "If I say no, will you save me my dignity but help me anyway?"
Damon laughed "So you've got an abysmal sense of direction, it's not the worst thing to be bad at - come on, it's this way,"
"How do you know where I'm going?" she asked
Damon froze for a second before recovering "Stefan's going to the Grill too, I just assumed,"
Y/N shrugged, falling comfortably into step besides him. She couldn't tell what it was, but she felt more at ease with him than anyone she'd met so far at Mystic Falls. Like she already knew him.
"They go out a lot, I don't know how they do it," she mused, covering up a yawn.
Damon eyed her carefully, not wanting to come off like he was staring but also unable to tear his gaze away from her.
"You could just not go?" he offered but she shook her head.
"I can't, I need to go to the Grill anyway to ask about any jobs they've got going there," she sighed "These girls love shopping,"
Damon frowned "Job? Aren't you a little young to have to work? You should be out their partying," he smirked.
Y/N wrinkled her nose "Plenty people my age work Damon, I'm not a child. Besides, I don't have any family money...or any family and once I turn eighteen I don't get any support anymore,"
Damon said nothing at first. Money had never been an issue for him, he was a Salvatore after all, and his powers of persuasion meant he could get anything he wanted if he was smart about it. But she was just playing a human over and over again, with nothing to fall back on.
"Well I'm sure you'll find something," he said finally "Mystic Falls is fully of rich people, which mean nobody wants to work," he said amusedly and Y/N laughed.
"Alright Miss Y/N, you're here," Damon announced waving his hand in-front of his as if she would miss The Grill building right in-front of her.
"Thankyou so much Damon, that's twice you've helped me out now - I can't thank you enough," Y/N said sweetly, smiling up at him.
Damon swore he felt his dead heart stop.
"It's no problem - just do me a favour and don't tell my brother. He doesn't like me much,"
Y/N didn't question it as she waved goodbye to him and stepped into the restaurant to meet her friends.
Damon watched her through the window, still not wanting to tear his eyes away from her. His attention soon diverted to the bar manager coming out the store for his smoke break.
Within a flash Damon was next to him, forcing the man to look him dead in the eye as he did so.
"You are going to accept Y/N L/N into whatever job she wants, with whatever hours she requires and pay her double for working weekends," he said lowly.
Compulsion really was handy.
In the bar, Y/N was laughing with Caroline, the other two not appearing yet.
"So who's your date going to be?" Caroline asked gleefully, "I mean you don't have to have one, but you also kinda do if you want to go for Miss Mystic Falls," she added.
Y/N shrugged "I don't really know anyone Caroline, I'm quite happy just to watch and support you,"
Caroline's features softened slightly "You're so sweet," she gushed "Elena and Bonnie don't really like it, they think it's old fashioned,"
"Well it is," Y/N pointed out "But just because something is traditionally feminine doesn't mean you can't enjoy it,"
Caroline smiled "See this is why I like you, you just get it. So tell me, any cute guys caught your eyes yet?"
Y/N shook her head with a smile "Is that all that goes on through your head?" she asked.
Caroline shrugged "You'd only say that if you were deflecting!" she pointed out "Spill,"
"There isn't! I've met like, three guys since I've been here, one of the is Elena's boyfriend and the other is her ex!"
"So who's the third?" Caroline asked, her eyes widening.
Y/N blinked - she hadn't expected Caroline to catch onto that little detail. She gulped slightly, the feeling of tightness returning to her chest. Damon hadn't wanted Stefan to know about him helping her - and Caroline would surely tell him. But she also didn't want to lie.
"Oh erm...I met him on my first day. I got lost finding Bonnie's house and he helped me,"
Caroline clapped her hands together "Oh my goodness! What did he look like, was he hot? What was his name?"
Y/N laughed slightly, amused by the blonde's actions "I don't know, he was tall, dark hair. Really sweet,"
"Oh I bet it was Tyler! You know he's been staring at you all day," Caroline gushed and Y/N blinked.
"Tyler?" she questioned the name foreign on her tongue.
Caroline nodded "Yeah he's on the football team! A bit of a douche but when he likes you he's just the sweetest,"
Y/N nodded slightly, her gaze shifting round the bar "Does anyone at school work?" she asked nervously and Caroline's gaze shifted into one of sympathy.
"Yeah, Matt actually works here. And Tyler sometimes helps his dad with Mayor stuff,"
Y/N nodded, the gnawing pit in her stomach growing slightly. She hadn't even considered that people would look down on her for having a job before Damon's tone of voice told her otherwise.
"But don't worry, no one will care. A girl called Vicky used to work here, and nobody picked on her for having a job," Caroline reassured
Y/N then spotted the manager who was heading back to the bar. "Oop - there he is - wish me luck!"
"Good luck sweetie, hope you get it!"
As Y/N walked over, she mustered the courage to actually look the man in the eyes as she spoke to him, hoping that forcing herself to make eye contact would help.
"Hi," she gave a small awkward wave "I'm Y/N L/N, I was just wondering if you had any waitressing jobs going,"
The Managers eyes seem to shift a little, before he responded with a great smile on his face "Of course! Someone just left today so we have an opening. We can fit the hours around you, and you get double when you work on weekends,"
"Oh!" exclaimed Y/N, not expecting it to be that easy. In fact she was kind of upset since she had a whole speech written on how she would be a great worker. "Oh great, when can I start?" she asked.
"How about next Wednesday? Wednesdays are the quietist days, so we'll have plenty of time to show you the ropes,"
Y/N tried to hide her excitement "Great - thankyou so much!" she called over her shoulder as she practically raced back to the table.
Bonnie and Elena had arrived, sitting down in the vacant seats.
"Did you get it?" Caroline asked and Y/N nodded happily. The girls applauded her, giving her hugs and for the first time Y/N felt truly in place.
"What you can still come shopping with us right?" Elena asked worriedly and Y/N nodded,
"Yeah he said I start on Wednesday and I can pick my hours," Y/N said, taking a sip of her drink.
"Nice," Elena said approvingly "Well done Y/N,"
Y/N blushed a little "Thank Elena,"
Non of them noticed Damon, sat in the corner facing away from them, a small smile on his face.
Saturday rolled around sooner than Y/N had expected and she found herself slightly dreading it. As much as she loved her friends, they were richer than she was and whilst they would be looking at the prettiest dress, she would be looking at the price tag that came with it.
But as she entered the dress shop with her friends, all thoughts soon vanished as she laughed at Caroline's dramatics.
"I wish we could of found you a date - you would have had such a great shot at winning," Caroline said sadly but Y/N shrugged.
"I'd rather just sit and watch then have to dance with somebody I don't know," she replied.
"Well still...I'm going to try this dress on!" she announced picking up a blue number.
Elena patted Y/N shoulder "Ignore her, it doesn't really matter," she reassured. "Which one should I try on?" she then asked, holding up two almost identical dresses.
"Both of them," Y/N replied simply "We've got all day haven't we - and Bonnie why don't you try that green one over there, you'd look stunning!"
Bonnie smiled, grabbing the green dress to change.
It was then a dress in the corner corner caught Y/N's eye, it was a dusty purple, the slight jewels encrusting the top. It was beautiful.
She glanced at the tag.
Way out of her price range.
"Would you like to try it on?" The shopkeeper asked gently but Y/N shook her head.
"No it's okay, it's way out of my budget anyway,"
The shopkeeper bit her lip, "You can try it on anyways, no harm in a little dress up,"
Y/N looked at her hopefully.
"Really?"
The shopkeeper nodded with a smile and Y/N's smile brightened, as she rushed into the changing room.
The dress fit her perfectly, hugging her figure in all the right places before flaring at the bottom. The colour seemed to make her skin glow.
Too bad it was too expensive.
"Come on, let us see!" Caroline begged and Y/N sighed, opening the curtain and letting the girls squeal over it.
"Oh it fit's you perfectly!" Bonnie remarked "You need to get it,"
Y/N shook her head with a smile "And buy the first dress I try on?" she responded, not wanting to tell them that it was simply too expensive.
"See - she get's it," Caroline said with a laugh "No go change so we can try more stuff on," she pulled the curtain back over her friend.
She sighed, wriggling out of the dress with difficulty before placing it back on the hanger.
She handed it to the shopkeeper with a smile.
"It was beautiful but I just can't afford it," she said sadly.
The shopkeeper nodded understandingly "We have a sale section over there if you'd like?"
Y/N nodded, before spotting Caroline sorting through many dresses in her arms.
"Got enough there Caroline?" she asked amusedly and the blonde sighed in exasperation.
"I just don't know which one to pick, I wore blue when I won last year, but I've already worn blue," she tutted putting the blue dress back on the rails. "You found anything yet?" she asked.
Y/N thought back to the purple dress, but didn't want her friend to pity her.
"No, I might come back another day," she said softly. Or to another cheaper shop she added in her head.
"I'm starving, shall we go to the grill?" Bonnie asked.
"We go there all the time, I'm sick of chips and the smell of beer," Caroline whined. "Can't we go back the the Salvatore house, they always have great snacks,"
Elena hesitated. Her and Stefan were trying everything they could to keep Damon from doing something rash, and that meant trying to keep Y/N away from him.
"I'm actually kind of tired," Elena said, yawning. "Why don't we go to that smoothie place downtown and then we can all go home?"
That seemed to go down well with the rest of the group, and Caroline quickly bought Y/N's smoothie before the other two could notice, and before she could protest.
"Don't worry about it," she brushed off when Y/N tried to pay her back, so the girl just sipped her smoothie in peace.
When Y/N arrived home, she was utterly exhausted from the full day, and was about to collapse on the bed when she noticed a parcel on it.
She frowned, wondering who on earth would have put it there. She's been with the girls all day and Bonnie's dad was away on business.
Perhaps Elena had Stefan drop it off, or maybe Bonnie had snuck in whilst Y/N was downstairs.
She opened the box carefully and gasped.
Inside it was the same dusty purple dress she had tried on in the shop.
She gingerly took it from the box, looking everywhere for some kind of tag to say who it was from but there was nothing.
"Bonnie?" she called uncertainly, not knowing whether or not to be excited about it.
Bonnie came in, fresh out the shower and drying her hair. "You o - oh you bought it!" she gushed remarking at the dress.
But Y/N shook her head.
"No I couldn't afford it, it was just here when I got back,"
Bonnie frowned "Oh...maybe Caroline bought it for you then? You know what she's like,"
"Yeah," Y/N echoed staring at the mystery dress "Do you think I should wear it?"
Bonnie nodded "I mean it would be rude not to, and it is a beautiful dress. Besides what harm could a dress do?"
Y/N shrugged, putting the dress on the hanger and hanging it outside her wardrobe, admiring it in the light, before a tap on the window startled her.
She whirled around, only to see a crow staring at her unblinking through the glass pane.
"Oh shit," Bonnie muttered, her eyes wide "Y/N I'm just gonna make a phone call okay?" she said quickly, before practically running out of the room.
But Y/N attention was on the bird as she opened her window for it.
"You hungry?" she asked and threw the bird a bit of bread. It just stared at her some more, before flying away. She shrugged, closing the window.
Back at the Salvatore household, Elena and Stefan rounded on Damon with narrowed eyes.
"Tell me why Y/N has just received a dress that she didn't buy, but was trying on earlier today?" she asked with raised eyebrows.
Damon scoffed "I don't owe you an explanation," he said snidely.
Elena shook her head "You need to stay away from her Damon, she doesn't remember you. You're just going to end up hurting yourself,"
Damon shook his head "I didn't go near her did I? I bought her a dress that she wanted, and she doesn't even know it was me. Tell her Caroline bought it, she's always doing stuff like that,"
Stefan had so far said nothing, not even when Elena turned to him for backup. Instead he was looking at his brother with a saddened expression.
"It's okay," he finally said with a sigh "I mean, it's not like he's hurting her,"
Elena pursed her lips, not wanting to admit that she simply just didn't trust Damon around her new friend. But she had to admit, she met Damon when he was at his worst, and Y/N originally met him when he was still human.
Damon said nothing, but carried his bottle of bourbon up to his room.
"Maybe they should meet," Stefan said lowly "I mean, he's not going to kill her,"
Elena shook her head "So he can take his pain out on other people when she doesn't fall in love with him? You said so yourself, Damon's a monster - and Y/N just doesn't seem like the type to deal with that,"
Stefan stared into the fire, a thoughtful expression on his face. "What if they met here? That way we could keep an eye on Damon, make sure he doesn't do anything too rash, but at least he wouldn't be secretly trying to see her without us knowing,"
"Okay," Elena nodded, "But after the founder's ball next week, I can only focus on so many things at once,"
Y/N found herself in two minds over the founders ball. On the one hand, it was quite exciting to be getting dressed up and ready with her new found friends, but on the other hand, it was a long day to be around people.
She tried to push that thought out of her mind until Bonnie said,
"We're all having an after party at the Salvatore's, so I'll drive you there after,"
Y/N tried not to show her grimace "Do I need to bring spare clothes?" she asked and Bonnie shrugged.
"I'm pretty sure Caroline will change into another dress, but me and Elena will be going casual so it's up to you,"
Y/N then crammed a skirt and jumper into her bag, with some joggers in case it got too cold.
After Bonnie helped her tie the corset laces on her dress, the sudden restriction of breath was noticeable but not uncomfortable.
"You look stunning," Bonnie reassured, seeing the fleeting look o nerves overtake her friends face. "Now listen, I'm driving but me and Elena and Caroline all have to go upstairs because of the Miss Mystic Falls thingy, but we'll come find you as soon as we can okay?"
Y/N nodded, deciding against speaking for the fear that the nerves would make her be sick. She was nervous, and she didn't even have a part to play.
She was grateful for the three girls as they all chatted in the car, meaning that she didn't have too, and even as they left to go upstairs, Y/N gave them a small smile and wished them good luck.
Now what.
She glanced around the room, feeling suddenly very small as she realised she didn't really know anybody in there. She settled by grabbing a glass of champagne that she knew she wouldn't drink and settling in the corner, watching everyone go by in their dresses.
She watched and clapped as one by one the elected girls descended the stairs, each one getting an applause before moving to the middle of the room.
"That's a beautiful dress," Came a voice, and Y/N jumped slightly, turning towards the sound of the voice. Her demeanour relaxed slightly as she realised who it was.
"Hello Damon," she said, her smile more genuine. "And thankyou, I'm not entirely sure who got it for me, but I love it,"
Damon said nothing, but a small smile played on his lips.
"You don't look to be enjoying yourself," he acknowledged and she sighed.
"I know, I'm just...I hate crowds," she admitted "I'm so glad you're here, finally a face I recognize,"
Damon stared at her a little, the want to let all of his emotions tumble off his tongue was great, but he knew that it would be a disaster if he did so.
"You owe me a favour, Since I have rescued you what - twice now?" he asked teasingly.
Y/N rolled her eyes "Alright Mr Salvatore, what do you want?" she went along playfully.
"A dance," he replied simply, extending his hand and she laughed nervously.
"I'm a terrible dancer, I don't think I've ever even learnt!" she exclaimed but Damon's blue eyes met her wide ones and she relented a little.
"I'll lead you," he replied gently, taking her hand in his own. "Come on,"
Y/N accepted his hand, gracefully walking to the middle where more couples were now dancing with the original girls.
"This is going to be so embarrassing," she muttered, her eyes darting around as she saw that other people were watching her.
"Hey - look at me," Damon commanded, his tone soft. So she did, his blue eyes staring into her own and she felt her breath hitch slightly. There was something ever so familiar about them, like a safeness that she couldn't quite place, like somewhere she had been before but couldn't quite remember.
And they were dancing, in sync and ever so graceful, neither one of them ever breaking eye-contact with each other.
"Oh my god, is that Y/N with Damon?" Caroline ran up to Elena, horrified and Elena nodded with a grimace.
"It's complicated," Elena whispered back to her friend. "We think Y/N used to be an old friend of his - well old girlfriend - back when Damon was human. But she disappeared, and now she's back. And here's the catch - she doesn't remember any of it,"
Caroline's eyes widened "Y/N a vampire?" she whispered in shock but Elena shook her head.
"No she's cursed, every time she dies she get's born back into the same body, with no memory of the life before,"
Caroline looked at Damon, narrowing her eyes "If I didn't hate him so much I'd feel sorry for him - do you think he still loves her?"
Elena nodded with a sigh "Stefan said he never stopped looking for her after she disappeared,"
Bonnie grimaced "Can we please stop feeling sorry for Mr Killer over there, he's literally killed people Elena. We can't let him have Y/N, we both know he's end up hurting her,"
But as the trio watched Y/N and Stefan dance, even Caroline who hated Damon the most, couldn't help but admit the softness in his eyes when he looked at Y/N. Like a humanity that wasn't there before.
"You're an excellent dancer," Damon remarked, pulling her to the side after the song ended.
"I was only following you," she laughed, "Also why do all these drinks have alcohol in, what's wrong with something that actually taste nice," she said bitterly, setting down a champagne glass with a wrinkled nose.
"I'll get you something," Damon reassured "Wait here,"
Y/N didn't have chance to tell him that he didn't have to, he was already gone.
"I do hope my brother wasn't bothering you," Came the voice of Stefan Salvatore as he walked over to her.
She shook her head "No, he's actually really sweet," she said with a soft smile, glancing back to where he had gone too. "He's actually gone to get me drink since I don't like champagne,"
Stefan raised his eyebrows but didn't comment further on the matter, not daring to spoil her image of his brother.
"Where's Elena?" she asked.
"Gone to find her brother I think," Stefan glanced around to spot his girlfriend who was indeed chatting to her little brother. "I'm driving you all to the afterparty now, but I'm coming back for him because there's no room in the car,"
"I thought Bon was driving?" Y/N asked with a frown but Stefan shook his head.
"She's already drinking," he said amusedly
"No worried Brother, I'll take her," Damon had come back, standing besides Y/N and staring at his brother with an emotion Y/N couldn't quite place. "Got you some orange juice," he said, giving her a slightly smile. She thanked him.
Stefan hesitated, not wanting to start a scene, but also not having an excuse ready.
"Alright," he finally said after staring his brother back some more "We're leaving in ten minutes,"
Stefan then left, and Y/N eyed the que to the toilets with distaste. She didn't fancy waiting in the line just to get changed like many of the other girls were.
"Can we go back sooner?" Y/N asked, and Damon turned back to her with a raised eyebrow and a smirk.
"And why would you want that?" he asked and Y/N's cheeks burned.
"No - I didn't mean-" she stuttered slightly before gathering her thought's and frowning at him "I just want to get changed," she said defiantly.
Damon laughed "Relax I'm just messing with you, come on before Stefan think's I'm kidnapping you,"
Y/N rolled her eyes, put picked up her skirts so they wouldn't trail on the floor, before picking up her bags that she had left in the cloakroom. Or tried to, before Damon took them from her.
"And who would I be if I let a lady carry her own bags," he asked, raising his eyebrows.
She curtseyed playfully "Well thankyou Mr Salvatore," she said mockingly, a slight blush blossoming her cheeks.
She didn't understand why, but she felt more comfortable around Damon than anyone else she had met so far, except perhaps Elena, and she had been around him the least.
But there was something utterly familiar about him.
He gave her a cocky grin before opening the car door for her.
"How long are you going to keep up this gentleman act?" she asked as he got in the drivers seat. He put a hand on his chest in mock offense.
"What makes you think it's an act?" he asked, and Y/N laughed, which was quickly followed by a yawn. "You're sure you're up for a party?" he asked.
Y/N nodded, her head resting against the window watching the scenery drive by.
"Thank-you for being so kind to me," she said, glancing at him. His fingers tightened one the wheel slightly.
"You're welcome," was all he said. As she turned away, he tried desperately not to look at her, not to wear his heart on his sleeve like she wore hers.
"Welcome to the Salvatore party," he said when he arrived "Bathrooms down the hall, go right then wa-I'll show you," he said, realising that she would probably get lost.
He then noticed the slight frown on her face "What's wrong," he asked, concerned.
She shook her head "Nothing, It just looks really familiar,"
Damon shrugged "Looks like any old museum I guess,"
She smiled at him as he opened the door to the bathroom, shutting it behind her as she entered.
"Be quick, or I'll miss you too much," he called out and smiled to himself when he heard her laugh.
In the bathroom, Y/N was quick to get dressed, the only problem being she couldn't quite reach the laced up corset and she groaned.
Stepping timidly out of the bathroom she spotted Damon who was leaning against the wall, staring into space.
"Damon?" she asked, and he turned to her with raised eyebrows. "Ca you help untie me please?"
He froze for a second as she lifted her hair, turning her back to him.
His fingers danced carefully over her skin, the temptation to hold her almost overwhelming but he cleared his throat and pushed that thought out of his head.
He carefully undid all the silk ties, letting him fall beneath his fingers. Y/N clasped the front of the dress tightly, so not to let it fall down.
"There you go," Damon said quietly, almost whispering. Y/N turned to him, almost bumping noses with how close they were.
"Thankyou," she replied softly, glancing into his blue eyes as they studied her own, before clearing her throat and returning to the bathroom to get dressed once more.
Damon leant on the wall his hands rubbing his head.
He needed to get a grip he decided.
Y/N changed into the miniskirt that Elena had leant her, with an oversized jumper that barely brushed the bottom of the skirt.
"Okay I'm all ready," she announced and Damon smiled lazily at her.
"About time, the party is about to get started." he said, leading her away and to where numerous people were already standing and Y/N felt herself shrink behind him slightly.
"Y/N!" Elena announced, grabbing her friend by the arm and leading her away from Damon with a glare to the man. Damon watched, biting the urge to follow her down.
Y/N looked back to him, looking slightly regretful and giving him a soft smile, which he raised his glass too.
"So you and Damon?" Bonnie questioned, raising her eyebrows.
Y/N felt her skin burn slightly "He's really sweet," she said quietly
Caroline screwed her nose up "But-Damon seriously? He's such a dick,"
Elena rolled her eyes "Maybe he just really likes Y/N," she said pointedly to Caroline, who pursed her lips slightly.
For the rest of the night the girls kept a close eye on Y/N, not wanting her to see Damon but also not wanting her too suspect anything. However as the night drew on, the girls got more drunk, and Y/N remained sober allowing her to slip away.
It's not that she wanted away from them in particular, but the crowds were getting far too much for her.
So she found herself wandering the halls of the Salvatore building, the vague familiarity of it making her head spin a little. Her fingers ran down the walls as she walked, feeling the old wallpaper beneath her fingers.
She came to the double doors, and something in the back of her mind was begging her to open it, so she did and gasped.
A library.
It was beautiful, with even a seating area near an old fireplace and rows and rows of books.
She marvelled at the sheer amount, before picking a random one and collapsing on the sofa that was there. It didn't take her long to get comfy, curling up against the arm, the book on her lap.
Back at the party, Damon was looking for her, the slight worry settling in his heart.
He cornered Elena, frowning at her "Where's Y/N?" he demanded "I thought you wanted to keep her safe,"
Elena looked around "I thought she went to find you," she said, the worry edging into her voice, barely audible over the slurring of her words as she danced with an empty cup in her hands.
Damon glowered at her, if it was anybody else she would have had her throat ripped out, but he stopped himself.
"Guess I'll go find her," he said sharply.
It was then the thought occurred to him that Y/N said she found the place familiar, and he was sure that apart from in 1864, she had never stepped foot in the building.
And where did she go whenever there was a party?
The library.
He almost laughed when he saw her, curled up against the arm of the sofa, a book in her lap and utterly oblivious to the world around her.
"We were worried about you," he said smoothly, trying to mask the dying worry in his voice.
Y/N looked up with wide eyes, quickly shutting the book and scrambling to her feet. "Oh God I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to intrude. It's just...you have a library in your house," she said weakly, looking embarrassed.
Damon waved her off "You're welcome to use it any time you like, the door is always open,"
Y/N smiled gratefully at him, sitting back down in the seat.
Damon watched as she read, the uncanny similarity between now and when he first met her almost to real to bare. Yet she didn't know him now, just like she didn't know him then.
But maybe she didn't need to remember him, maybe he could get her to fall in love with him a second time.
Y/N shivered slightly, even her thin jumper not quite enough to protect her from the coldness of the large house, especially since the room itself was so big.
Damon eyed her "You look exhausted, want me to take you home?" he asked sincerely.
Y/N shook her head "I can't, Bonnie has the house keys and god knows where she is,"
"You're more than welcome to stay here," Damon said softly and Y/N looked up at him in surprise.
"I wouldn't want to intrude," she declined but Damon shook his head at her.
"It's a boarding house Y/N, we have tons of spare bedrooms for exactly that reason,"
Y/N bit her lip, her eyes downcast as she considered her options. "Only if you're sure," she said finally and Damon resisted the urge to celebrate.
"Come on then sleepy, up to bed," Damon said smirking slightly, helping out of her cozy position on the sofa. She groaned softly as she felt her joints click, but the warmth of Damon's hand in her own made it all worth it.
"Do we have to go through the party?" she whispered as she exited the library.
"God no, Elena would kill me," Damon said mindlessly.
"Why?" Y/N asked curiously and Damon froze, realising what he just said.
"I can be a dick," he responded after a beat. He didn't want to go any further, unsure on what she already knew, and the fear that she would then hate him was evident.
Y/N shrugged "Well, at least you admit it," she said a smile "First step to recovery I guess,"
Damon scoffed "I do not need to recover,"
Y/N bit her lip to stop herself from laughing, which Damon noticed with a slight smile. He opened one of the doors, allowing her to step inside.
"You should find everything you need in here, there's an en-suite so you won't get lost trying to find the bathroom, and there will be some clothes you can sleep in," he said in mischievous tone, a suggestive joke on the tip of his tongue but for some reason he stopped himself before he could say it.
"Thankyou Damon, really," Y/N said sincerely, after marvelling at the room.
Damon nodded at her with a smile, before going to close the door as he left.
"Damon?" Y/N asked, and he popped his head round the door lazily, his blue eyes never leaving hers. "For what it's worth, I like you,"
Damon felt his heart leap into his chest. It wasn't a love confession, he knew that, but she liked him. She wanted to be his friend, and that was a step in the right direction.
"I like you too sleepy, now get some sleep,"
Y/N nodded with a smile, staring at the door as he closed it behind him.
Part of her wanted him to stay, but the other part was content knowing she'd see him in the morning.
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awakefor48hours · 9 months ago
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I truly do not understand how we're on the mental illness site and there's still people on here that unironically believe that Azula doesn't deserve redemption arc.
Azula is a 14 year old girl who was born in the middle of a war. When she was a kid, she saw her older brother's face get mutilated and then was banish all because he mildly sassed their father. She would later go on to be very reserved and only keep certain people close, these people would later go on to betray her.
Her mental health starts to deteriorate quickly and she even gets scared at the idea of being "treated like Zuko." All of this leads up to the moment when Katara finally beats her and we get this moment
Even Katara feels bad for her.
I just don't understand how anyone can watch this scene and think she doesn't deserve to be redeemed. We are not watching a villain getting their just desserts. We are watching a 14 year old girl weep and scream in agony. She's not mad that she lost, she's terrified of disappointing her father, the only person in the series who supported her (not even Iroh supported her). Even Grey DeLise (Azula's voice actress) mentioned she can't rewatch this scene because of the raw emotion she put into this (and it shows).
Azula is not evil, she's a child and a victim of war.
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startanewdream · 4 months ago
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I've always wanted to write a scene of mutual agreement and support (friendship is a strong word) between Ginny and Romilda Vane, so here's around 1600 words of something that might have happened during Year 7.
*****
They wait until after dinner to round on her.
Ginny is mildly surprised; she'd guessed they would question her as soon as she got off the train, but perhaps they thought that Snape's speech—not the Headmaster's, she'd never consider him so—might terrify her enough to make her betray everything she has ever believed on. If so, they were very mistaken; seeing Snape in the middle of the staff table, with Death Eaters by his side, only infused her Gryffindor spirit.
"Weasley," calls Alecto Carrow. She has a mind to pretend to ignore her, but the mass of students climbing the stairs seems to freeze with that call, and Ginny has no choice but to answer it, all eyes on her as she walks to Alecto Carrow.
"Yes, Professor." She puts as much spite in that word as she can. Neville and Luna suddenly materialize next to her, and Ginny almost wishes they would stay away, as if there is any protection to be found this year.
Alecto looks her up and down. "That's it?" Her voice is mocking. "That's Potter's girlfriend?"
By her side, Crabble and Goyle nod; their gazes are not as unappreciative as Alecto's. With a shudder, Ginny thinks she will favour disdain any day.
"I thought Potter had better taste."
She buries her nails into her palm. Don't answer, she tells herself, and tries to keep a look of disinterest.
"Where is your boyfriend?"
Her rehearsed answer comes in a bored tone. "I would know if I had any." It feels more than ever that everyone is staring at her.
Alecto doesn't seem convinced, nor do her cronies.
"They were dating," says Goyle, in a whisper that everyone can hear. "Everyone saw it, they were snogging all around the place."
"It's what happens when you are dating someone," snaps Ginny. "We've broken up." She hesitates for a tiny beat. "He dumped me."
This time her rehearsed line doesn't sound credible, despite being the truth. Everyone's gaze seems to burn, evaluating her answer, and, for a moment, Ginny waits for someone to question this, to raise the absurdity of her words: they were in love. As Goyle had noted, anyone could see how they felt about each other; Harry had been beaming the whole time they were together, all those few weeks of sunshine and happiness and hope. Harry wouldn't just dump her—
And then Alecto Carrow laughs.
"I guess Potter already got what he was after, then?" She mocks. "Blood traitors aren't a good value if..."
"Perhaps the girl is lying," another voice pops in, and Ginny turns to see Amycus Carrow joining his sister. His gaze upon her makes Ginny shiver; she remembers all too well duelling him. "Perhaps she knows more than she's letting on—"
"I wouldn't think so," Luna says, her voice as dreaming as ever. "If she knew, she wouldn't be here."
"Harry always kept his secrets," Neville adds, crossing his arms.
Amycus and Alecto share a look before Amycus takes a step forward.
"I will be the judge of that. If we have Potter's precious girlfriend—"
"I am not even his girlfriend anymore!"
It doesn't seem to matter, though. Terror floods her, not so much for herself; there isn't anything that she can share with them, but if somehow Harry finds out that they've got her—their breakup will be for nothing—he is too stupid and too noble to do something reckless—
Amycus grabs her arm; Ginny dives her hand into her pocket, but before she can take out her wand, many things happen. Professor McGonagall appears, Neville points his wand at Amycus, and Romilda Vane laughs nervously.
"Please," she says. "Weasley was his girlfriend, so what?”
That makes everyone draw their eyes to her. Romilda tosses her hair out of her face, seemingly enjoying the attention, but Ginny can see a thin layer of sweat breaking through the girl's careful makeup.
"Harry was always smiling at me, flirting unashamedly, even when he was dating her. I wasn’t the only one either. Everyone knew he wasn't good business. A ladies' man, that one."
Ginny blinks; she is not alone. The year before, when Harry was at the height of his popularity at Hogwarts, everyone's favourite Chosen One, he had drawn many eyes. Ginny had found it bothersome, but she could understand what everyone was seeing: that gorgeous young man with messy dark hair and green eyes, tall and fit, with the added benefit of seeming oblivious to his own charm, almost shy. It had been endearing.
That also was one of the reasons why, when Harry and Ginny started dating, everyone wanted to talk about it. It had been huge news for Hogwarts' standard.
There was no way anyone would believe that Romilda was telling the truth.
"Potter never had any other girlfriend," Crabbe mumbles.
Romilda laughs derisively. "I wasn't his girlfriend, haven't you heard what I just said? He just liked to flirt." She nudges her friend. "Do you remember, Lisa? I told you Harry never took his eyes off me."
Lisa looks terrified, but she nods. "Yes," she confirms in a small voice. "And you—you shared chocolate once."
"Harry dated Cho," someone from the Ravenclaw crowd says, and there's a murmur of agreement.
"I went with Harry to a Christmas party last year," notes Luna. She skips the part where they went as friends.
"I think I saw him snogging a girl behind the greenhouses," Hannah Abbott says.
At her side, a boy nods. "I saw something in the library once."
People start adding comments, their voices mingling in a cacophony. The weirdest part is that Ginny knows no one is lying; people are telling about the times they saw Harry with a girl — only she was this girl, this only girl, but no one specifies that.
"Quiet, quiet!" Alecto sounds annoyed. She looks at Crabbe and Goyle. "Is this true?"
They shrug, lost.
"I saw Potter with Chang at Madam Puddifoot's," Pansy Parkinson confirms, distasteful. "And he went with Loony Lovegood to Slughorn's party."
"That would be Professor Slughorn, Miss Parkinson," chides Professor McGonagall, taking a definite step ahead and placing herself between the Carrows and Ginny. She raises her arm and, almost without a second glance, lowers Neville's still extended arm. "I do not see why a student's romantic life is under scrutiny at this hour of the night, especially a student who is not even here at the moment, but the others have class tomorrow morning."
"This is more important than classes," Amycus spats.
"I remind you this is still a school," Professor McGonagall says coldly.
Amycus' answer is cut by a bored voice. "What is this?" Snape walks, easily opening his way between the students gathered at the door.
"We are trying to interrogate the Weasley girl," Alecto says. "To find out the whereabouts of Potter. She was his girlfriend."
Snape rolls his eyes. "You heard the others. Potter was a lover-boy; that is not surprising considering how his father behaved with his fans." He regards Ginny coldly. "Weasley is not special. I doubted Potter ever shared anything more than a snog with her."
There's an underlying truth in his words that stung her, but before she can react, Snape is already addressing Professor McGonagall.
"Take your students to bed, Minerva. It would not be advisable to be out of the bed at this hour."
Professor McGonagall, who had been frowning at Snape as if trying to figure out something, bristles; there's nothing but repulse in her eyes as she nods.
"Of course, Severus." She turns to Ginny and the others. "Go to the Common Room, now."
And she casts a warning glance at Ginny, who runs to meddle between the other Gryffindor students climbing up the stairs. Her heart doesn't stop beating painfully until she enters the Common Room, and only then she looks back; the Carrows aren't in sight. She doubts this is the last time they will try to question her, but for now, she can breathe easily and give Neville a feeble smile when he looks at her.
"We will watch your back," he whispers.
"It will be fine," she says, with a confidence she doesn't feel. Nothing about her experience at Hogwarts so far gives her any faith that things will turn out well.
And then she catches a mop of black hair.
"Romilda," she calls. Romilda pauses on her way to the stairs.
"Yeah?"
Ginny waits until they are alone to whisper: "Thank you."
Romilda nods. There’s a moment of silence, during which Romilda eyes the stairs as if considering fleeing the scene before she asks: "Did he really break up with you?"
Ginny gulps. "Yeah."
"Oh, I thought—"
"No, it was true."
She waits for some remark; Romilda was truly determined to get Harry the year before, and she had pestered Ginny when she was dating Harry.
"He never actually flirted with me," Romilda says in a rushed whisper. "And you were special to him, I—I spent a lot of time watching him and trying to get his attention, but he never glanced at me... because he was too busy ogling at you."
Warmth spreads inside Ginny; she cannot help her smile. "Harry didn't ogle."
"Yes, all the time. He had it hard for you. Still has, I'd bet." Romilda smiles awkwardly. "Not very womanizer of him."
Ginny's eyes wide. "About that—if anyone finds out that you were exaggerating—"
"I'll talk to my friends. No one is going to say anything."
"I know. I trust you." They look at each other; it suddenly occurs to Ginny that Romilda has no idea, not really, of what could happen if anyone suspects her lie. Romilda never faced a Death Eater. Ginny hopes she never does. "It will be fine."
It's the same thing she told Neville before, but now there's a promise in her voice.
Romilda nods one last time. "Night, Ginny."
"Night, Romilda."
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perfinn · 11 months ago
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you're out of touch, i'm out of time
aegon ii targaryen x reader
wc: 3.3k
summary: you have a tendency to pick up strays, but when you pick up the king of westeros (who was supposed to have died hundreds of years ago), things begin to get a little complicated
cw: NSFW, f!reader, aegon being a creep (shocker), aegon being deeply pathetic (also shocker), aegon is drunk or possibly hung over, attempted sex (aegon begs for a handjob but doesn't get one)
masterlist, read on ao3, divider by saradika
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You’ve always been too nice. You’re aware of this unfortunate fact, though you staunchly refuse to admit it’s a weakness. Has this trait left you without necessities from time to time because you gave them to someone who needed them more? Yes, but you sleep better at night knowing that that homeless girl had sturdy new shoes, even if you had to walk home barefoot. You can always handle a bit of discomfort if it means improving someone’s day marginally. It’s not as though you’re without any sense of self preservation– you know when to say no, or when to walk away. When someone is out for their own self interest, or just plain dangerous. 
You’re smart about it. Mostly. Sometimes, though, your sympathy gene takes over, and you approach the danger because you feel there’s more beneath the surface. So far, it hasn’t put you in any troubling positions. Still, first time for everything. And as you stand on the edge of the pavement, toes of your shoes swinging down into the gutter as you sway back and forth, you wonder if you’re about to break your successful streak.
There’s a man in the busy city street, raving and desperately trying to get someone’s attention. Usually, he’s the type you’d regretfully ignore for your own safety, but he seems different. He doesn’t seem like the usual King’s Landing crackheads. He’s dressed too nice, for starters. Strange, yes, but still nice. In fact, it looks to be better quality than anything you own. And he’s young– which isn't uncommon in this situation, but it always makes your heart ache when they’re young. 
He looks desperate, terrified, and as another person ducks their head and walks past him, you feel yourself moving toward him. You don't know why. Maybe because you know if you leave now, you’ll not sleep tonight for the sheer guilt of passing him by. He spots you making your way over and turns to you, seeming to hope against hope that you’re going to acknowledge him. 
“Hi,” you say in a calm, even voice. It's a tone you’ve gotten quite good at. You’re not professionally trained by any means, but these things generally come with the territory. “Let's get you out of the road, okay? You could get hurt.”
“What the fuck are those things?” He demands of you as a car stops to let you take him across. You wave your thanks to the driver, who looks mildly disgruntled, and take the young man gently by the arms to get him onto the pavement. “Where are the horses?”
You know he must be confused, so you’re gentle with him. “There's no horses,” you say, still holding his arms as he finally looks away from the disappearing car and into your eyes. He looks so deeply afraid, but you notice he does take a moment to look you over. You let him, trying to see the best in him and hoping it's just curiosity. It doesn't matter right now anyway, you tell yourself. “Are you okay?”
“No!” He snaps. “Course I’m not bloody okay! Where am I?!”
“You’re in King’s Landing,” you say. “Let's get you somewhere quiet, okay? Are you hungry?”
“This,” he laughs in disbelief, looking around. “Is not King’s Landing, I know what King’s Landing looks like!”
“Okay,” you nod. “I believe you. Let's go sit down, I’ll buy you something to eat.”
The man looks at you with what you think is an offended scowl, but the offer of food does seem to intrigue him. “And wine?”
“No,” you say, and he deflates. 
He scratches at his chin, but nods in agreement. “Yes, fine.”
You smile, a bit of relief easing the worry in your ribs. Sometimes people won't cooperate, or they’ll turn you away when you say you won't buy them booze or give them money outright. This young man seems to be content enough without wine, so you wave your hand and lead him down the road toward the nearest fast food joint. 
He follows behind you, panicked eyes still looking around as though he's never seen the world before. It's not wonder, but something close to anger, indignation maybe. You make it to a diner you like, opening the door for him. He's clearly astounded by the ugly cacophony of colours inside, but you can't blame him. You don't come here for the aesthetics. 
“Go sit down?” You tell him gently, framing it like a suggestion as you point to your favourite booth. He scowls, but does as bid. 
The teen behind the counter takes little notice of your strange company. It's King’s Landing, he's probably seen something ten times as strange already today. Once you’ve paid, you join your new stray, sitting down across from him and folding your hands on the table. 
“So, what's your name?” You ask him, and he looks away from the bustling street outside the window to stare at you in what you assume is disbelief. 
“What’s my name?” He echoes, leaning slightly over the table. “Are you serious?”
You blink. That’s… not a question anyone’s ever been mad at you for. You learned quickly which questions to steer clear of to avoid pissing people off.
He scoffs, leaning back in his seat and tapping a dirtied fingernail against the peeling surface of the table. “Aegon,” he says, almost experimentally. Like he's testing the waters. 
You nod politely, and tell him yours.
He stares at you. “Nothing? Aegon? You’ve not heard the name Aegon?”
“Well, of course I have,” you say, confused smile pulling at your lips. “It's a common enough name. I think I knew a guy in school named Aegon–”
“You have been to school?” Aegon asks, eyebrows shooting up and a laugh spilling from his mouth. He leans back, dragging his hands over his clammy face. “Have I been drugged?!”
You’d put serious money on that being a resounding yes. 
“This is crazy,” he says, leaning forward again. He says your name slowly, glancing around before his eyes land on you. “Can you tell me what's going on?”
You bite your lip, thankful when the cashier calls out your order number. You rush to get up and get it, fearing you may be way out of your depth this time. He talks like he’s never seen the world before, and his comment about you having gone to school… none of it makes any sense. You’ve never even had the thought of dropping someone off with someone who’s better equipped to handle problems of this magnitude, but Aegon has you really considering it. When you return with the tray of food and set it down, Aegon has the specials menu in hand and is squinting at it. 
“I got you what I usually get,” you say, setting the tray down and placing his wrapped burger in front of him, leaving the fries on the tray. “Aegon, I want to help you, but I’m at a bit of a loss.”
“That certainly makes two of us,” Aegon says, unwrapping the burger curiously. “What meat is this?”
“It’s beef,” you tell him, unwrapping your own. He watches as you take a bite of yours, and he nods as though in satisfaction before taking a hefty bite of his. “Aegon, I want to understand what’s going on in your head. Can you just…”
You’re not sure how to say it, really. It’s invasive, and you don’t want him to feel like you believe he’s crazy, or lying.
“What’s your deal?”
He chews slowly on his burger, eyeing you suspiciously. “My deal,” he echoes, lips turned down in a scowl. “Is that I’m the King of Westeros.”
You nod slowly, biting into your burger so you don’t have to answer right away. You hope if you stay silent long enough, he’ll feel compelled to keep talking. 
“King Aegon,” he says slowly, like you’re the deluded one. “Aegon Targaryen, Second of His Name, Protector of the Realm, all the rest. Are you serious?”
You swallow your mouthful and nod. You’re not particularly well versed in history, but the titles ring a bell. It’s some sort of messiah complex, you’d wager. Trying your best not to seem dismissive, you pull out your phone. “Let me see,” you say. 
“What’s that?” He asks, leaning forward and trying to snatch it from you. You move it out of his way, yelping softly in contrition. 
“My phone!” You say. “I’m just looking you up, Aegon.”
“You’re what?” He says, looking horrified. “Give me that!”
“Dude, no! Let me just–” You stand up from your seat to be out of his reach, hurriedly typing the name he’d told you into the search bar. “Look, I know the name Targaryen, that’s the Conqueror's name!”
“Yes! Aegon the Conqueror!” He cries. “You’re finally making sense!”
“What? No, I mean Daenerys!”
“Who!?”
“Aegon, sit back down!” You snap, and he pauses in his pursuit of your phone, stunned into silence by your firm tone. Slowly, he returns to his seat, picking up a fry to eat it. 
“Only because I want to,” he says childishly. 
You frown at him, shaking your head before looking back at your phone as it pulls up the results for your search. 
‘Aegon II Targaryen, also known as Aegon the Elder, was the sixth Targaryen king to sit the Iron Throne, succeeding his father, Viserys I Targaryen, as Lord of the Seven Kingdoms.’
The search pulls up a picture as well, one of those terribly done paintings from the dark ages. It’s hard to say whether the Aegon in front of you looks much like the one in the painting, but he does have the same pale blonde hair and violet eyes. He’s a lot more pathetic than the portrait, too. He has the qualities of a wet cat, and you hate that it’s somewhat endearing. When you keep scrolling, you find a painting that can’t have been contemporary. This is a more detailed portrait, likely from half a century ago, where Aegon is covered in burns and lies dead in a carriage. 
You look up, meeting the wary eyes of the confused but un-burned man before you, and slowly sit back down. You know that he isn’t actually the king from nearly a millennium ago, but there’s an uncanny quality about him that makes you want to doubt the logical truth. His clothes, for one. You don’t know many homeless guys with such fine embroidery on their clothes. And there’s his features… you know them to be Valyrian, but rarely does anyone still pop up with the stark blond and violet irises. You remember well enough from your high school history classes that the Targaryen dynasty had those features.
“What does your little brick do?”
You blink, looking down at it and pulling up the contemporary portrait – part of you tells you not to show him the other. He scowls at it, but nods. “Seven hells, that’s not flattering. Where did you get this miniature? You have this and yet claim not to know me? What game do you play?”
You sigh. He truly doesn’t understand, does he? 
“Aegon, what year do you think it is?”
He rears back and regards you with more suspicion. “129 AC,” he says.
“And what were you doing before this?” 
“I will not tell you that,” he says. “You’re one of Rhaenyra’s spies, aren’t you?”
“I don’t know who Rhaenyra is,” you say softly. “I’m sorry, Aegon, I’m not a history buff.”
“History–” He stops, and goes deathly silent for a long moment, as though the whole situation is finally processing for him. You wonder if it’s the stench of wine that hangs off him explains his slow processing. “What year do you think it is?”
You tell him the year, even tack today’s date on for him. He stares are you, and you can see his brain buffering yet again. 
“Seven hells,” he murmurs. You find you share a similar sentiment. 
He picks up his burger and begins to eat it slowly. He’s silent for a long while, eyes seeming far away as he contemplates. You try not to stare at him, but it's no easy task. 
“This is going to sound crazy,” he says after a long while. “But I believe I may have travelled… through time.”
“I’d say so, yeah,” you respond. At this point, it's the only explanation. You’d usually say something about eliminating all the impossible options, but that just doesn't work here. Time travel is impossible, or it should be. And it's possible Aegon is just suffering from a deeply intense messiah complex. But that doesn't seem right. Your instincts haven't led you wrong before, you’re not about to ignore them now. 
“What am I going to do?” asks Aegon.
You want to tell him you’re going to try to find a way to get him back to his own time, but you’re struck once more with the image of him burned and twisted, dead in a carriage. How can you send him back to his fate knowing his grisly end?
You take in the man in front of you, this historical figure you’d never heard of until five minutes ago, and bite your lip. “We’ll figure it out,” you promise him. “You… can stay with me until we do.”
That’s probably dumb, and you’ll probably regret it. But not more than you would regret leaving him out on the streets.
“I suppose,” sighs Aegon like he’s spoiled for choice. You get up to ask for a bag for your food, glancing back as Aegon chews sadly on his burger. 
You get Aegon back to your place, and he wanders into the flat ahead of you. You watch him go with a soft huff, rolling your eyes. If everything else hadn’t convinced you, his attitude is proof positive that he’s from the past. He has all the entitlement of a prince and none of the consideration of those around him that modern men have (sometimes) gained. 
Your flat isn't much, two bedrooms and mostly paid for by your university. You had a flatmate for a time, but their sudden withdrawal left you without anyone and the school doesn’t seem to have noticed. Aegon can stay in the empty room until you figure him out. 
Aegon’s standing in your living room, staring in wonder at the decor you’ve collected over the course of your degree, at your television, maybe he’s just looking at all of it. He’s turning in a slow circle, eyes narrowed. 
“This is very nice for a commoner. Very strange, but it is not… disgusting.” He pauses in his assessing, looking between you and the ridiculous tapestry you purchased one night after far too many drinks. “Who is this man?”
“Oh, he’s this guy from a movie,” you say, not really processing that he won’t understand what a movie is. He stands there, dumbstruck, while you go to put your leftover food in the fridge. 
“A what?”
“Just… don’t worry about it. There’s going to be a lot for you to take in, but with any luck you won’t be here too long.” You come back over to him, taking him in. He looks out of place standing here in his king’s threads. “Let me get you something to wear.”
“There’s nothing wrong with this,” he says, shifting and taking in your clothes. “Where is your father? Your husband?”
“My father is in my hometown, and I don’t have a husband.”
“You live without a man?” He eyes you suspiciously. “A whore?”
“Okay,” you say, gently grabbing him by the shoulders and walking him over to the sofa. “Sit here, I have some men’s clothes lying around. Do not move.”
Aegon huffs, rolling his eyes and sitting back with folded arms. You wonder, as you go into your room to find something for him, if he’s heard the word ‘no’ very much in his life. It wouldn’t seem that way, but sometimes the way he reacts to you telling him off leaves you thinking otherwise. He’s a bigger mystery than you’ve ever faced, but something tells you he’s worth it.
You emerge after a while to see him flicking through the book you’d left on your coffee table, frowning. He looks up when you enter, setting the book down. “Your home is peculiar,” he informs you. 
“I know,” you say, handing him the soft clothes you’d found. “Student housing is kind of a lottery. You can get changed in the spare room, if you want. I’m going to go shower. If you get hungry, your leftovers are in that big white box there, okay?”
“Yes, yes, whatever.” 
You watch him enter the near-empty bedroom and shut the door, heaving a heavy sigh before you go off to your own room. You don't shower. Instead, you pull out your computer and set out to learn all that you possibly can about Aegon. 
What you learn twists your stomach into knots so tight you feel that they would trap the nausea that grips your throat from escaping. Aegon was no saint, no, but what you find is that his life is steeped in tragedy. If he believes himself to be king now but remains unburned by his cousin’s dragon, he must be near the end of his life; but the worst of his troubles have yet to begin. 
It is strange to think of the pathetic and bratty man in your flat as growing into the role of a king, if one could say he ever did. He seems nothing but a lost young man, unloved but for the power he afforded his Hightower family. 
The reports on him are so extensive and exhaustive that an hour has passed before you realise you haven’t been disturbed. You get up from your desk, wondering if Aegon has somehow wandered out of your flat and back onto the street.
When you open the door, you’re greeted by the sight of your kitchen cabinets strewn open, and your cheap bottle of vodka now empty on the counter. Aegon is sprawled on your sofa, cradling a novelty ceramic beer mug you won in a pub quiz in your first year. 
“Seven hells,” you mumble, going over to him and snatching the cup from him to be met with his whining protests. You sniff the cup, nose scrunching in disgust at the acetone-y smell. “Not even a mixer…”
Aegon looks up at you, trying to reach for the cup and whining your name. At least he changed into the sweats. The King’s Landing University jumper rather suits him, actually. 
“Please,” he says, looking even more closely akin to a wet cat. He seems on the verge of tears. “You’re pretty, do you know?”
“I’ve heard,” you say, setting the cup down on the coffee table and turning to him.
He grabs your wrist, tugging you closer with surprising strength considering how sloshed he is. “You’re so pretty,” he whispers. He almost sings your name. “Will you get me off?”
“Wh- Aegon!” You snap, tearing your wrist away. “No!”
“Please! Just your hand, you’ve got such soft hands!”
“Aegon,” you hiss. “No. You’re drunk. Even if I wanted to, that wouldn't be okay. You don't know what you're saying.”
Aegon pouts at you, falling back against the sofa and letting out a soft hiccup. “That doesn't make sense.”
“Maybe not in your time,” you say, grabbing him a blanket and laying it over him. “Gods- just- just try to get some sleep, okay? We’ll talk in the morning when you're fully sober.”
“I’ll die before that,” he says, snuggling up to the soft blanket with a ridiculous cartoon of a wolf on it. Another of your decor purchases you thought would be hilarious in the moment. You grab his cup and pour what’s left of the vodka into the sink before gathering up your remaining bottles and vowing to take them to the cabinet in your room with a lock. 
“Maybe. But if you vomit on my carpet, you’ll be paying the cleaning bill, your grace.”
part ii
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newkatzkafe2023 · 3 months ago
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Can you imagine the monkey King's wife being exactly like chi chi from dragon ball 😂.
A monkey version of her
They are very scared of her, and she's the only person the monkey King is intimidated by.
I blame the Lego monkie kid voice actor 😅
OH MY GOD!!! THAT IS BOTH AMAZING AND TERRIFYING I LOVE IT!!!!!!🤩🤩🤩🤩
That's the weapon you have Below👇👇👇
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(Lmk Wukong) Ohhhhhhhhhh he pisses you off every second of everything day, and it's scares him hell even Macaque is scared of you. It's bad enough that he tends to be irresponsible and Take everything even more difficult with his poor communication skills. Then if it were to cause problems for poor Mk, then that's where you draw the line, and with every life threatening event that is centered around your husband and son. Well both Mk and Wukong Would be actively running from you by the end of it🤣
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(MKR Wukong) Man he would take the monk's anger over your anger any time That's how scared he is of you. You know his sh*tty attitude and personality and his habit of having bouts of violence but you. Oh no he would do whatever it takes to stay away from that territory of upsetting you, but if it happens anyway he would get his act together immediately. The pilgrims always gets baffled by his submission and Fruity would say that mama is scary.
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(HIB Wukong) Well now at least he knows the Do's and don't's parts of your marriage, considering the results and Consequences. But unfortunately he has to come back home to you after 500 years and he'll have to make up an explanation for his absence. Even worse when you told him time and time again not to go and attack heaven On the count of that is not the best idea to handle the war. Wukong had stupidly disregarded your words and now he has to come home to you, he was right to be worried because you tore him a new one because he Deliberately Disregarded your objections as your environment shook and crack from your yells. the only reason you stop was because he came home with a little boy and baby girl.
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(NR Wukong) Li and Su had dumbfounded looks on both of their faces. In the living room was Wukong cowering behind the couch as a female monkey also with a metal mask was screaming profanities at him. The was the day they met you Y/n L/N Wukong his wife, but boi were you quite Intimidating to them. Thankfully they quickly learn how sweet and kind you actually are and the two even fell in love with your godly cooking. You quickly explained that Wukong had fail to tell you that Nezha was recarnated as you stuff Li with food because That's where you always did 3000 years ago.
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(Netflix Wukong) Man you used were so little, quiet and cute🥰 when you a cub now your tall, loud, and scary😨 and married to him. You are the more responsible and grounded of the marriage but his reckless behavior makes you both worried and angry. You usually wack him with stick because of his condescending attitude and he should know not to talk to you like that. Then the last straw was when he got to his head in his kaiju form and Lin had to get you and well.....you can imagine how shocking it is to see a giant male monkey to wimper as a tiny female monkey yells at him.🤭🤭🤭
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(BMW Wukong) GOLLY!!! you were always the wrong one to mess with 😰. For him pissing off heaven will always be less terrifying than pissing you off😬. Especially when your as powerful as he is, and would have that large club bat you dubbed as Excaliborg That you would occasionally beat his ass with. Unlike Erlang whom he's more then happy to taunt and mess with he knows better then to do the same to you unless he wants to be an must be classified smeer on the ground😬🥶.
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(Destined one) He wouldn't get on your nerves in the slightest, mainly because that's a terrible idea but he's a sweet mildly Obedient man to you. You get worried about him alot because he's so selectively mute, so you made sure to engage him in conversations. The one thing you do love is how much he loves your cooking 🍳 and you are more then happy to make large batches for him to eat. He's a good Quiet husband to you and that's good enough for you.
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FEEL FREE TO REBLOG😈🍳
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formulauno98 · 8 months ago
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Yacht Girl Summer - Chapter One / Thursday- George Russell x Reader, Toto Wolff x Reader
It's Summer and you've been dating George Russell, golden boy of the Mercedes Formula One Team, for the last year. Outwardly it looks like the perfect relationship, travelling the world hand-in-hand with your rich and famous other half but lately you've started to feel like an accessory to his success.
When you're invited aboard his boss' yacht for the week, you start to get to know the man who so often is the object of your boyfriend's affection, enigmatic Team Principal, Toto Wolff. Steely at first, as you get to know him, you start to see why your boyfriend is so enamoured.
Word Count: 3k
Warnings: Nothing spicy yet. This is going to be a slow burn and if you're uncomfortable with the idea of two-timing don't read this.
Author’s Notes: Disclaimer, purely fiction. No use of Y/N and minimal descriptions because I want everyone/anyone to be able to enjoy this.
THURSDAY MORNING
As you packed the last of your vacation outfits into your weekend bag you sighed, thinking about how you were going to survive this week. You’d been dating your boyfriend for almost a year and things had started well but lately, you felt something was off. 
For all intents and purposes, he was a catch. Good on paper as some people would say. He was a Formula One driver and a talented one at that, he was smart, he was funny (even though sometimes he didn’t mean to be) and he was kind. It also didn’t hurt that he was tall, easy on the eye and allergic to wearing a shirt ninety percent of the time.
Yes, George Russell was outwardly the perfect boyfriend. Just not the one for you. In your heart of hearts, you knew that he just wasn’t the one and it wasn’t fair to keep stringing him along. His work took precedence and you found yourself constantly making awkward small talk with random people during events, his focus entirely on his career. 
To begin with, life as a Formula One partner had been exciting, a glamorous world previously closed off to you now opened. You’d accompany George to races here and there, cheering him on from the garage, living the highs and lows and trying to support him as much as you could. Then there were tennis matches, charity galas, fashion shows, and even glossy film premieres and he always needed a date. 
He was quick to include you in his busy life but after a year of being treated like arm candy, playing second fiddle to George, the novelty had worn thin. You were no more than an accessory. Old men leered at you, girls were jealous and the mechanics thought you were some kind of bimbo gold-digger. It was decidedly less fun than it looked and you knew you owed it to yourself to put a stop to it.
It was difficult as George had not done anything wrong, he just sometimes forgot that you were a person and took your support for granted. You’d voiced your feelings but they were only ever met with empty promises. Even your Summer plans had been hijacked by his work as he’d cancelled the trip to South Africa that you’d booked in favour of accompanying his boss on his yacht for a week. 
You’d had numerous arguments about his overly close relationship with his boss, the mildly terrifying Mercedes Team Principal, Toto Wolff. You hadn’t spent much time with the man but George practically lived in his pocket. He even stayed at his house when they worked at the factory in the UK. It was strange, to say the least, and you’d had to learn to live with the unusual dynamic between the pair of them, awkwardly saying hello to the intimidating Austrian when you were in the garage but never quite breaking through his cool demeanour.
George on the other hand, loved his boss and was constantly “Toto says this,” “Toto recommends that.” So when he’d invited him onto his yacht for the Summer, he hadn’t hesitated to drop all other plans. Even if that meant you not getting to go on the safari you’d meticulously planned.
Casting your mind back to how the conversation had gone, you were still annoyed about it.
“It’s just for a week.” George had pleaded, “And it’s good for my career to be close to Toto. I owe him everything.”
You rolled your eyes, having heard this spiel before. “Why don’t you just ask him to formally adopt you and be done with it?”
George huffed, “That wasn’t funny before and it’s not funny now. Please, just do this for me, and we can go to South Africa another time. He’s never invited us before, if we say no, who knows how long it will be if we get another invite, if ever.”
Feeling slightly guilty, you replied, “Sorry, I know that was a little mean. Look, I was just looking forward to the safari.”
“I know,” said George, his bright eyes softening as he wrapped his arms around you, “But I promise you, we’ll go soon. And besides, Toto’s yacht will be nice, you can snorkel, you can paddleboard, you’ll love it.”
Smiling slightly, you knew you wouldn’t be going to South Africa any time soon, George’s schedule was too full on. And that’s why you knew you needed to end things soon. He hadn’t done anything wrong but you had lost yourself in George’s calendar. 
Swallowing your thoughts, you knew that he’d already said yes on your behalf so it was too late to back out, “I guess, and like you said, it’s only a week.”
“There’s my girl.” George kissed you lightly on the cheek, “Thank you, thank you, thank you.”
THURSDAY AFTERNOON
Having successfully packed, you and George had been driven down to the marina to board the yacht. You felt a little nervous as you walked beside George towards the imposing vessel you’d be spending the week on. It was one of the larger boats docked and you could already see various members of staff milling about on deck. 
You didn’t know Toto very well beyond saying hello and you weren’t sure what to expect outside of racing. He always seemed very serious and calculating, and still reeling from his acrimonious divorce, not the most fun person to holiday with. You knew that a few of George’s colleagues and their wives and girlfriends would be there too so you hoped that they at least might be somewhat entertaining.
Stepping off of the passarelle and onto the boat behind George, he suddenly dropped your luggage and started waving manically as he spotted his formidable boss standing on the sundeck above.
“Hi Toto!” he called out.
“Welcome!” Toto called out, disappearing momentarily before reappearing at the bottom of the stairs in front of you. He was dressed casually but smartly in head-to-toe navy with dark sunglasses.
“How are you both?” he said kindly, stretching out to George for a warm embrace before holding his arms out to you.
Half hugging him awkwardly, you replied, “Very well thank you, thank you again for the invite, we’ve been excited all week.”
Thrilled that you were buttering up his boss, George chimed in, “Yes, we’ve been counting down the days.”
“Glad to hear it,” said Toto, smiling contently, “The others arrived a short while ago so are at the front. Perhaps Livia can show you to your cabin and then you can come and join us for a drink?”
He gestured at a young blonde stewardess who had discreetly appeared from inside, ready to show you to your quarters.
“Thanks, Toto.” said George, clapping his boss on the shoulder enthusiastically before following Livia, “We’ll be right back.”
Taken aback that George had followed Livia without remembering to pick up your two weekend bags you shook your head as you were left struggling to pick them up and follow. Typical George.
“Here, let me help.” a deep, accented voice offered. Turning around, you were surprised to see Toto standing there, his arm outstretched.
“Oh…” you said blushing and tripping over your words, “It’s okay, honestly. I think George was overexcited to see his room.”
Toto smiled, taking the two bags from you despite your protests, lifting them effortlessly, “That’s our George.”
Smiling reluctantly, you agreed as you followed Toto inside, “Indeed.” 
At least his boss seemed like a gentleman.
THURSDAY EVENING
As the sun dipped below the horizon, painting the sky in shades of pastel pink, dinner that evening was set against an idyllic backdrop. You and George being the last to arrive, all guests were now on board and the yacht had finally set sail for your week-long jaunt into the Mediterranean.
The crew had prepared a cosy dinner on the deck, complete with twinkling fairy lights and a long table set for seven. Toto was sat at the head of the table, yourself and James, the Mercedes Technical Director either side of him.
On your other side was James’ wife, Cara, and across from you diagonally was the Communications Director’s wife, Marion. Making up the other end of the table was George and the Communications Director himself, John, who were chatting animatedly and ignoring everyone else.
As the two other couples knew each other well, James, Cara and Marion were equally engrossed in conversation with Toto, leaving you awkwardly eating in silence, trying your best to not give in to the pang of loneliness you felt.
As the dinner progressed, you couldn’t help but notice how isolated you felt. The laughter and chatter of the others a stark contrast to your internal turmoil. You tried to engage in small talk with the people around you, but your thoughts kept drifting back to your problems with George. 
This was yet another evening you’d spent surrounded by people yet isolated because you didn’t fit in. You were a side character in George’s life, there when it was convenient and discarded when someone more important was around.
Not one to miss a trick, Toto noticed your distraction. "Is everything alright?" he asked, his voice gentle yet concerned.
You forced a smile. "Yes, just feeling a little seasick." You weren’t proud of the lie but figured it might be the best way forward to get out of this agonising dinner.
His eyes crinkled with concern, he nodded, understandingly. "Sometimes it takes a while to get used to being at sea. Would you like to go up to the sun deck? The air is fresher, it might help."
Grateful for the offer and the opportunity to escape, you nodded. "That sounds nice, thank you."
Excusing yourself from the table you made your way to the stairs up to the sun deck. You glanced back at George, not surprised to see he was yet to clock your departure from the table. More surprising, however, was the fact that Toto had gotten up to follow you. You hadn’t expected him to accompany you and were slightly taken aback as the tall Austrian followed you up the stairs.
Dreading yet more awkward small talk, you wandered to the front of the sun deck, where the moonlight was pooling on the pristine white sun loungers. You leaned against the railing, taking in the tranquil scene.
"This is beautiful," you said softly, more to yourself than to Toto who had slotted himself a few feet to your right.
"It is," Toto agreed. "It’s one of the reasons I love being out here. It’s a good place to think, to clear your mind."
You turned to him, genuinely curious. "Do you come out here often?"
He smiled, a distant look in his eyes. "Whenever I can. It helps me balance the chaos of work."
You nodded, understanding the sentiment. "I can see why. It’s so peaceful and you were right, the air does feel fresher."
Toto nodded and for a moment, the two of you stood in comfortable silence, just listening to the sounds of the sea. 
Suddenly feeling somewhat awkward that you were standing gazing in the moonlight with your boyfriend’s boss, you chanced striking up more of a conversation. You were somewhat intrigued as to why George was so enamoured with the Team Principal and you had to seize the opportunity as quickly as it came.
“Thank you for everything you do for George,” you said, hoping to sound genuine.
Toto looked somewhat surprised and a little amused at your words, “It’s no trouble, he’s a good boy.”
Laughing at Toto calling George a boy, you pushed a little further, “I mean it. I honestly do.”
“I know.” said Toto, his gaze intense as he turned to you, “How are you feeling?”
“A little better actually,” you lied, “It’s also more stable up here, downstairs I felt like I was swishing around.”
“Swishing around?” Toto asked, quirking an eyebrow, “I don’t think I’ve heard it called that.”
“What do you mean?” you asked, not sure what he was getting at.
“Look, I could see you were not feeling comfortable at dinner.” he said, somewhat bluntly, “I see you when you are in the garage too. You always look ready to bolt. Are you not a fan of racing?”
Taken aback by his astute judgment and surprised that he'd noticed, you felt defensive and mumbled quietly  “It’s not that.”
Toto looked unconvinced, “I get it, you’re shy.”
“A little,” you confessed, “It’s a lot sometimes.”
Toto’s face softened, his brown eyes warm as he looked at you, “I understand. It’s not easy. You get used to it though.”
Thinking about the fact that you probably wouldn’t need to if you went through with your break-up plan, you just nodded, pretending that you agreed with his wisdom, “I hope so.”
“You will.” he said kindly, “So George tells me you like to travel a lot?”
“I do,” you said, surprised that he was now being chatty, “But not so much to the races, I like to escape in nature, it’s good for the soul.”
A smirk flickered on Toto’s lips, “I agree. If you’d like we can go exploring tomorrow. There are some coves around here we can stop at.”
“For real?” you asked, even more surprised that he was willing to bend his itinerary for you, someone he barely knew.
“For real,” he said succinctly. “And if the others don’t like it, they can stay on the boat and sunbathe.”
Laughing, you smiled at him, “Sounds like a plan.”
“I’m glad I can make you smile.” he said, his face serious, “You looked sad down there.”
Not sure how to reply, you looked down at your feet, choosing your words carefully before looking back up at Toto  “I’m just seasick. That’s all.”
Thoroughly unconvinced, Toto quirked an eyebrow, “Tomorrow you will feel better. I promise. Shall we go back to dinner? I’m sure George will be missing you.”
“I’m not sure about that.” you said quietly, causing Toto to raise his eyebrow once more, “He’ll be chatting away to John, I bet.”
“How much?” asked Toto as you both made your way towards the stairs.
“Two euros,” you said jokingly.
“It’s a bet,” replied Toto, holding out his hand to shake with all the seriousness that he would when making a business deal.
“Deal,” you said, taking his large hand in yours, grinning as you met the laughing Austrian’s eyes.
Sure enough, as you made your way back down the stairs towards the table, George was still chatting away to John, barely pausing for breath, let alone noticing the two of you taking back to your seats.
“How would you like to pay?” you asked Toto cheekily, as you both sat down, “I can accept cash, cheque or credit card”
“What’s Toto paying you for?” asked James, stopping mid-conversation, his interest suddenly piqued.
“We made a bet.” said Toto, clasping his hands under his chin, “It’s a secret though.”
James looked slightly sceptical, turning to you for more information, “Care to elaborate?”
“Deals have to be discrete.” you said, fighting the urge to laugh as Toto’s eyes sparkled at you, “Toto will be the first one to tell you that.”
Slightly tipsy, James laughed, not pressing further and returning to his animated discussion with the two older women. Glancing down at the other end of the table, George had barely looked up and once more you felt a pang of disappointment. He was clueless sometimes.
– – –
As dinner came to a close, Toto announced the plan for the next day. 
“Tomorrow morning, we’ll be exploring some of the coves around here. It will be an early start but should be fun. Who’s interested?”
George and John immediately expressed their interest, nodding eagerly. “Count us in!” George said, his enthusiasm reminding you of a child on a school trip.
James, Cara and Marion were less enthused about the early start and politely declined, deciding instead to stay on the boat, soaking in the sun.
Toto turned to you with a gentle smile. “How about you?”
You nodded, feeling genuinely excited for the first time in a while. “I’d love to.”
– – –
Having sussed out tomorrow’s plan and the seven am start, you bid your gracious host and fellow guests goodnight and you and George finally made your way to your shared quarters. The silence between you was palpable, each step echoing your unspoken thoughts.
Once inside the cabin, George broke the silence. “What were you doing going off with Toto?” he asked a hint of accusation in his tone.
You sighed, sitting down on the bed “I felt seasick and needed some fresh air so Toto suggested the sun deck. That’s all.”
George’s eyes narrowed slightly. “You could have told me.”
“I could have,” you admitted, your voice softening. “But you were busy with John and I didn’t want to interrupt.”
At this, George’s expression softened just a fraction and he settled down beside you. “Okay. I just... I don’t know… Let me know next time. I don’t want you feeling seasick and me not being there to help.”
You smiled sadly, knowing that for all of his faults, his heart was in the right place, “Thanks, I appreciate it.”
He nodded, wrapping his arm around you, “I’m sorry.”
“Nothing to be sorry for,” you said, leaning into him, feeling somewhat guilty that you had ignored him in favour of his boss.
“What were you talking about though?” he asked suddenly.
“We were talking about you and then this and that.” you said, before adding, “He’s actually quite nice. I get it now.”
At that, George looked a little put out but dropped the subject quickly, getting up to get ready for bed. As he busied himself unpacking his pyjamas, you couldn’t help but think of Toto, he was nicer than you’d given him credit for.
For the first time in a long while, you felt like someone had considered you as a person and not as George’s plus one. It was a good feeling to ponder as you drifted off to sleep, dreaming of the adventure that awaited you tomorrow.
Part Two
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a-major-love · 5 months ago
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Night Fever
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Pairing - Michael Jackson x Fem!Reader
Summary - Of all people you could have met that fateful night, it had to be him.
Word Count - 1k+
Warnings - MDNI, fem pronouns, mentions of smoking & alcohol, no use of y/n
A/N - I always imagined dancing with Michael was incredibly fun but also probably intimidating. Enjoy!
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1977
Spotlights pierced through the haze of smoke filtering the air, beaming down on the partygoers. Sweat rolled off their skin, mingling with the overpowering stench of perfume and cigarettes. The men and women’s eyes twinkled at you, sparkling from pressed glitter. Their bright, painted lips mouthed along to the stream of ABBA lyrics filling the crowded space. The music pouring from the speakers vibrated under your feet. Studio 54 was lively, and terrifying all at once. 
“Friday nights are always the busiest,” your friend – Alicia –  mentioned from beside you. Her stark black hair was pulled into a tight bun, revealing her teal colored eyeshadow. The sequined dress she wore hung off her bronzed shoulders, flecks of glitter dotted her skin. 
You glanced down at the denim jumpsuit you wore, with a thick belt secured around the waist. Somehow, despite the pumps digging into the soles of your feet, you felt mildly underdressed. You scanned the crowd, biting your lip as your eyes swept over the other dancers. 
“Let’s go, birthday girl,” Alicia said, nudging you towards the center of the room. 
You giggled. “I’m just trying to appreciate the atmosphere.” 
“Well, you can go appreciate it out on the dancefloor.” 
She grasped onto your forearm, pushing through the cluster of hot bodies that brushed against you two. You could feel the men’s gazes pass over you, their heavy eyes glancing over your form before looking away. Glasses with golden liquid, and pierced olives swung around you as the people got lost in the music. 
You finally approached the middle of the dance floor, where a bright, glowing disco ball hung above your heads. Alicia broke out into a grin, her pearly white teeth pointed to the ceiling. Her dangled hearings whipped around her face as she began swaying to the music.  
It was initially her idea, at first, to celebrate your birthday at Studio 54. All you knew about the nightclub was that the entrance fee was too expensive, and the line never seemed to ease up. As much as you adored Alicia, you couldn’t find a good reason to stand outside all night – in New York during the spring – hoping to make it inside before the place closed. If there’s one thing you understood about spring in New York, it was how cold the nights could be. 
So, how in the hell she pulled this off, you were sure she would take to her grave. 
You laughed, watching her bounce around, throwing her head back. Acting as if a plethora of eyes weren’t on her. You swayed your hips, letting your eyes close as the sweet sounding harmonies of the Bee Gees washed over you. It felt as if everybody on the dance floor was in sync, breathing and moving in time with each other. 
Sharing one heart, one pulse to the music. 
Your body moved and rocked, becoming bewitched by the entrancing tune. 
“Excuse me-
You suddenly bumped into someone, startling both you and the stranger. 
“Shit, I’m sorry,” you said, whipping around to face them. A pair of oak, brown eyes crinkled at you as the strange man chuckled to himself. 
“It’s alright,” he assured, adjusting his blazer. “You’re not a bad dancer, you know.” 
You playfully grinned at him, “Have you been watching me dance?”
“I – uh didn’t mean it like that,” he stammered.
You scanned the man, taking in his wide doe eyes and large afro currently dusted with glossy confetti. A gold pendant rested between the dip of his chest, a sliver of deep brown skin peaking through the few undone buttons.
Somewhere, in the back corners of your mind, familiarity tugged at your brain. 
“Have we met before?” you inquired, furrowing your brows. 
“No, we haven’t,” he answered, perhaps a little too quickly. 
You opened your mouth to reply, when he stuck his hand out. 
“Is it alright if we danced together?” he asked.
Heat creeped up your face, as you took his inviting hand – his skin was silky smooth and warm in your grasp. He softly smiled at you, as he tugged your form closer to him. Swiftly, he twirled you around, giggling at your reaction as you nearly stumbled from the sudden movement. You caught yourself in time, taking both his hands as you grooved to the deep bass coming from the speakers. 
His eyes remained trained on you, as if analyzing every motion and gesture you made. The music enveloped you two, as the dance floor fell away, along with the people surrounding it. The club was nothing but a blur of color, as the hot white lights radiated down on you two. The music pulsed through your skin, reverberating against your ribcage. The sweet, lingering scent of nicotine floated through the air. It was as if the dancefloor came alive from under your feet suddenly, a pulsating heartbeat belonging to the untamable beast known as music. His hands never left yours, as he pulled you into his side, before going into a spin. 
You watched, in fascination. “You’re not a bad dancer yourself.”
He bashfully smiled. “Well, I’ve been dancing for most of my life.”
“Do you do it for a career, or something?” “...You could say that.”
He twirled you again, interrupting whatever train of thought you were processing. 
The night went on endlessly it seemed, as if time had temporarily stopped. Yet, the crowd of Studio 54 never broke off. A stream of guests revolved in and out of the space, some dressed in dripping jewels that outshined the hanging disco ball or extravagant outfits that felt expensive to even look at. It felt as if you were in a lion's mouth, a wet, breathing cage waiting to clamp down on you. 
Suddenly, a pair of arms wrapped around your frame.
“Let’s get going, my feet are killing me,” Alicia groaned, already tugging you away. 
“Wait!” The man called out, feeling your hand loosen in his grip. Alicia squinted at him, trying to make out his features through the alcohol induced brain fog. 
“You look a little familiar...” she muttered.
“I’ll meet you outside,” you explained, nudging your friend back. Alicia glanced over at you, glossy lips pouting at your urgency. She finally caved, rolling her eyes as she knowingly nodded and began to maneuver her way through the crowd. 
You turned to face him. “I had a really great time, uh-
“Michael,” he introduced, squeezing your hand. 
Had he been holding it the entire time?
“Well, it was really fun dancing with you, Michael.”
His eyes flickered between yours, as if weighing something in his mind. Michael eventually sighed, reluctantly loosening his grip and letting your hand fall to your side. 
“I hope we get to do it again, sometime,” he said. With wistful smile growing on his lips. 
You returned the smile, clenching your hand from the sudden loss of warmth. Without another word, you turned and made your way to the exit. 
The bumping music followed you out the double doors and onto the bustling street of New York City’s nightlife. A breeze brushed against your bare arms, biting at your skin. Alicia was leaning against a car, impatiently tapping her foot. Her eyes finally landed on you, wearing a strange expression you couldn’t quite place. 
“Girl, I have several questions,” she started, opening the car door for you. 
You snorted. “Ask me when it’s not past midnight.” 
She sidled into the passenger seat, as you started up the engine. The bright, white lights of Studio 54 reflected off the hood of your car. 
You could still feel his presence, even during the drive home. 
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