#7 years of near-daily chats and conversation

[littlemisstired]

you dont really understand how fragile purely internet friendship is until one of your closest friends, who you've cried with, commiserated with, and had hours-long conversations into the night with, just suddenly stops replying out of the blue. nothing happened to your knowledge, your last conversation was the same as always. they just simply vanished without a word and you're left wondering for the rest of your life what happened.

[maligknightsthorns]

Camilla: A Fódlan Biography

PERSONAL INFORMATION

GENDER. Female

AGE. 27 (older than leo, younger than Xander)

HEIGHT. 5'10" 178 cm

BIRTHDATE. November 30th

CREST/HOLY BLOOD. Technically yes; she does possess unspecified blood of a First Dragon. If she were to have a specific crest, I would say the crest of Dominic

CLASS. School Counselor, a Wyvern Rider who specialized in Dark Magic

AFFILIATION. Kingdom of Nohr

BIOGRAPHY. Born the second daughter to a woman who wanted to use her daughter to better her own position. Wishing to stay near her siblings she came to the Officer's Academy. She is both an accomplished axe user and flier and holds a decent talent for dark magic. Perhaps unbefitting a princess, she is very affectionate to those she holds dear. She is enjoying her time away from Nohr's court. 

PERSONAL HISTORY

Year ??? ~ Born to King Garon and an unnamed power hungry concubine 

Year ??? ~ Survives the Concubine Wars and an assassination attempt

Year ??? ~ Sides with Corrin in her war for peace; upon its end, she largely focused on humanitarian efforts

Imperial Year 1180 ~ Enrolls at the Officer's Academy at Garreg Mach

INTERESTS. Corrin, Her Wyvern, Helping and caring for those who deserve it, 

LIKES. Wyverns, Very Rare Steak, Cute but strong girls, her siblings DISLIKES. Lecherous men, people who hurt Corrin or her siblings                              STATUS. Princess of Nohr 

CLOSE ALLIES: Corrin, Xander, Leo, Elise, Beruka, Serena, Deirdre, Forsyth 

DINING HALL PREFERENCES

LIKES. pheasant roast with berry sauce, beat meat teppanyaki, pickled rabbit skewers, daphnel stew, gronder meat skewers, derdriu-style fried pheasant, grilled herring, fish and bean soup, two fish saute, bourgeoise pike, sauteed pheasant and egg, garreg mach meat pie,

DISLIKES. sweet bun trio, peach sorbet, onion gratin soup, country-style red turnip plate, fruit and herring tart, cheesy verona stew, gautier cheese gratin, cabbage and herring stew, small fish skewers, fried crayfish

DINING HALL NOTES

FAVORITE DISH.𓆱

"Mmmm How delicious!"

LEAST FAVORITE DISH.𓆱

"Hmm..."

WITH A support𓆱

“Are you still hungry? Here, take some of mine!”

TEAM TIME GUIDE

FAVORITE TEA. Almond Blend, Rose Petal Blend, Bergamot

CONVERSATION TOPICS. A new gambit. A strong battalion. Close calls.  Equipment upkeep. Evaluating allies. Exploring the Monastery. Mighty weapons. Monastery rules. Monastery security. Potential training partners. Reliable allies. Someone you look up to. Tell me about yourself. The ideal professor. The last battle. Your ambitions. Capable comrades. Garden mishaps. Classes you might enjoy. Plans for the future. Cute Girls. Things you find romantic. 

TEA TIME QUOTES

GREETING.𓆱

(1) "Oh I enjoy having tea with you.” 

(2) “Shall I pour for us?” 

(3)“Oh how intimate...” 

FAVORITE TEA.𓆱  

“It's hard to go wrong with this blend.” 

FIVE STAR TEA.  𓆱

“Oh my for me?" 

BEING OBSERVED.𓆱

(1) "You aren't looking lecherously are you.”

(2) “It's quite beautiful, we should go flying later.” 

(3) “Do you... Need help?” 

QUIPS.𓆱

"It's quite bright out today.”  “Mmm...”  “I hope my siblings are doing alright.”  “Nice and hot...”  “Would you like more?”  “(Breathy moan)" “Are you busy later?” “Hmm I don't like such crumbly food...”

ENDING.𓆱

"That was quite lovely. We should do this more often.” 

FINAL COMMENTS.𓆱

(1) “Oh my these students seem to have so many problems.”  ANSWER. Nod, Sip tea     (2) “What are your thoughts on breaking someones legs so you can be the one to take care of them?” ANSWER. Scold, Chat (3) "I don't wield a divine weapon like my brothers, but I'm more than capable of holding my own in a fight.” ANSWER. Nod, Sip tea (4) “Admittedly, there are some things I do not fully understand, such as why someone wouldn't want affection” ANSWER. Nod, Admonish (5) “I quite enjoy going out for a daily flight on my wyvern.”  ANSWER. Laugh, Praise (6) “My biggest desire is to see my siblings happy.” ANSWER. Nod, Sip tea   (7) "I adore my siblings so much, I can’t imagine anything bad happening to them. Please watch over them.”  Answer: Nod, Laugh (8) "I often worry about Corrin and my siblings.” ANSWER. Nod, Chat, Sigh     (9) “Some people are terribly cruel, do let me know if you find such people and I'll dispose of them for you.”  ANSWER. Chat, Admonish

MISCELLANEOUS DIALOGUE.

GIFT GUIDE

FAVORITE GIFTS. Smoked Meat, Whetstone, Armored Bear Stuffy, Roses, Lilies DISLIKED GIFTS. Arrhythmic Textbook, Monarch Studies Book, 

GIFT QUOTES

DISLIKED GIFT.  𓆱

"Hmm...” 

LIKED GIFT.   𓆱 

"Oh you're so thoughtful.” 

FAVORITE GIFT. 𓆱

"Oh how wonderful!” 

LOST ITEMS

Thorny Circlet A circlet as sharp as rose's thorns. Location found: Stables

Wyvern's Baby Tooth. A tooth from a baby wyvern. Would make for intimidating armor adornment.  Location found: Training Grounds

Marked Map. A worn map with locations marked of where to travel.  Location found: outside of the dorms

LOST ITEM QUOTES  OWNER.𓆱

"Oh how did I misplace that!?” 

NOT OWNER.  𓆱

"That's not mine.”

BATTLE QUOTES

MOCK BATTLE RETREAT. 𓆱 

“hmm perhaps I held back too much...”   ( *Byleth specific  ) "Oh my professor you are formidable.” 

FIRST KILL.𓆱

"Sweet dreams.” 

MONASTERY QUOTES

CHOIR PRACTICE.  𓆱  

(1) “I'm not the best singer.” 

(2) "These notes are quite high...” 

COOKING.𓆱 

(1) "Are you certain we have to cook the meat so thoroughly?” 

(2) "Cooking together is quite fun!” 

(3) "Do not tell Jakob how this turned out or I'll cut your tongue out myself.” (Said with a smile) 

TUTORING

INSTRUCT

BAD.𓆱

"Oh dear.” 

Critique: Do you speak to Corrin and my siblings this way? Console: You're right, I'll try again.

GREAT.𓆱

"Of course I did well.” "Well you're a great professor.”

PERFECT. 𓆱

"Time to play!.”  PRAISE. "I'll use this to help you and the others.”

TASKS

STABLE DUTY.𓆱

“I prefer to be in the sky to be honest.”

WEEDING.𓆱  

"Ugh.” 

SKY WATCH. 𓆱

“Shall we have a little race?”

CERTIFICATION EXAMS 

FAILED.𓆱

"How can I help my siblings now?” 

PASSED. 𓆱

"Did you have your doubts? I'm full of surprises.” 

UPDATE GOALS

REASON. 𓆱

“Professor, I wish to continue my studies in magic. I do understand that it's odd for wyvern riders here to use magic, but I'd hate for my skills to go to waste.”

Flying𓆱  

“I excel in the skies. Give me a chance to show you how.” 

Faith𓆱  

“I want to be of use to others. I can cross the battlefield quickly to defend, but if I could heal as well I'd be even more useful.” 

LEVEL UP

0 TO 2 STATS UP𓆱

“Hmph.” 

3 TO 4 STATS UP𓆱   

“Hmm...” 

5 STATS UP𓆱  

“I'll be of more use to you now.” 

6 STATS UP𓆱

“Don't forget that roses have thorns.” 

UPON REACHING LEVEL 99𓆱  

“I'll protect them all.” 

BUDDING TALENT

“Oh... That's new...”

NEW SKILL

“(chuckle)” 

RECLASSING𓆱

(1) “I'll try this on for size.” (2) “This is different.” (3) “I'm not used to being... So covered....” 

BATTLE QUOTES

WHEN SELECTED

FULL/HIGH HP  𓆱   

“May I?”

MEDIUM HP 𓆱  

“Let's go.”

LOW HP𓆱

“I will keep going.”

ENEMY DEALS 1 OR NO DAMAGE OR MISSES𓆱

“Aha ha ha ha!”

CRITICAL ATTACK𓆱  

"You've been naughty!" "Sweet dreams!" "Time to play!" "Say night night!"

GAMBIT𓆱

“Let's go! Together now!” 

GAMBIT BOOST𓆱

“You need a spanking!”

DEFEATED ENEMY𓆱

"Sorry, darling." "Aww..." "Did it hurt?" "Poor thing..." "Glad that's over with."

ALLY DEFEATS ENEMY𓆱  

“You're so cute."

ALLY HEALS/RALLIES𓆱

“Thank you dear."

DEFEAT QUOTE

CASUAL𓆱

“I'll retreat for now… so I can come back and kill you all tomorrow!”

CLASSIC𓆱

"Oh! I can't die like this… What would Corrin do without me? I…I have just enough strength to sneak away for now…”

THE ADVICE BOX

"I’m worried about my siblings. They're all just growing up so fast! Perhaps I should cripple them in some way to keep them from leaving.”

>People grow up and leave all the time. >Even if they do leave, they will always come back to you. (Correct answer) >Please don't maim your family...

[thequietmanno1]

TheLreads, Vigilantes ch 116, Replies Part 1

1) “Last time we went Attack on Time I suppose. And koichi got crushed but of course ha hasn’t since there’s still 5 chapters to go. So, join me in finding out what things Furuhashi will subject me to, on Chapter 116: In Darkness”- In darkness, the light shines strongest…which makes me realise that light-emission is also apparently a power type that Koichi’s Do-Anything Quirk can achieve. Glow-In-The-Dark knuckles of justice.

2) “Yeah don’t worry about Koichi, this will be solved in a few instants. You have more pressing matters after that, like the giant kaiju trying to step on you”- Also the actual roof literally pressing down on him…. which didn’t actually even work, Nomura just knocked Koichi into like a sub-basement or such and left him buried alive. Practical, the form ain’t. 3) “And there’s our cover page

…

And I’m starting to get worried that shooting star is actually All Might making his way here.”- Nah, the star is Koichi, rising out of the darkness of his master’s shadow to become his own ultimate self, capable of facing threats that overwhelmed Knuckles twice over now, despite his best attempts at bullshitting a fool-proof attack strategy. 4) “Yeah, if only we had pro heroes in the scene, put apparently they don’t work as fast as the media.”- In a world with daily rampages that smash highways and disrupt order, news has to move faster than Koichi to keep up with the latest shocking announcements. 5) “Take shelter where exactly? That fucker is demolishing the buildings!”- The issues with a Kaiju Rampage. “Stay still” and “seek shelter” are equally risky choices, and you have to leave it up to luck in the end. 6) "? Will they? because we have like, four pro heroes that could solve this currently on the scene, and they aren’t doing anything.

And it’s not like they don’t know there’s a giant destroying things, they can see it quite easily, three out of them can climb buildings.”- This is about the point wherein Furuhashi really should have gone with original heroes to have around for these climatic events, because it’s be more plausible for them to be incapacitated/dead or whatever from Nomura’s bombings, rather than alive due to future plot, and sitting around on their butts doing fuck-all to fight the rampaging, brightly-illuminated villain. 7) “Another tuesday night in the neighborhood.”- Another factor is that ordinary civilians really shouldn’t be this tense and nervous just because it’s a little darker than usual in the villain battle. Years of constant chaotic fighting in the streets should have immunised them to the threat Nomura’s posing, but instead they’re acting like this is the first time any of them have encountered such a massive destructive villain, ever. 8) “oh no okay, not a flashback, it’s just koichi having a near-death experience. Carry on.”- An ongoing near-death experience, such that he can have an entire conversation with his apparently-actually-dead master and still have him sticking around when he emerges to fight Nomura head-on at last. 9) “Yeah Koichi, you’re experiencing something called “getting his shit kicked in fore real”, don’t worry, it’s perfectly normal, all shonen protagonists go through it”- It’s honestly impressive that Koichi lasted this long without yet getting beaten into a bloody mess. Izuku did it to himself by the end of like chapter 3. 10) “No, not God, seems like Knuckles is astral-projecting into Koichi’s near-death experience to give him a peptalk”-He’s having a roadside chat with Koichi on his own way out whilst shuffling off the mortal coil. 11) “This does not contradict Koichi’s statement that he never saw Knuckles again, I can hear someone screaming already”- Technically, not physically so – and in any case Koichi seems to think he’s having a massive near-death hallucination, so he likely brushed it off. Still, the fact that Koichi made it clear they never did meet again has been a massive weight around the narrative’s neck for a while now, amongst others. 12) “I mean, when hasn’t he got out of a pickle by the divine powers of bullshit?”- He even unlocks an invincibility full-body power-up just to properly face Nomura’s overwhelming might now, when he’s at the verge of his body giving in and one more good hit will cause him to bleed out.

13) “DAMMIT KNUCKLES YOU CAN’T HELP BUT BE A LITTLE SHIT ONCE BEFORE YOU DIE, RIGHT?”- Knuckles’ go-to tactic when dealing with a problem he can’t immediately punch into submission is to figure out what he can’t do on his own, and then reason out a means of working around that to be able to solve the problem anyway. It’s a shame he never passed that trait onto Koichi, because it’s basically the same thing Izuku does whenever he’s faced with new abilities or people in danger, and allows the user to be extremely flexible and creative in a fight.

14) “don’t worry, I bet his next step is gonna be producing light

WAIT, IS THIS HIS IMAGINATION OR NOT”- That dramatic shadow cast on the dust cloud didn’t come from Koichi standing over the only working lightbulb left in the building.

15) “It’s not like you ever did much to train him anyway Knuckles. Can’t see your ghost start doing that now.”- Koichi wound up getting more training and mentor-like oversight from Soga than he ever did from Knuckles. 16) “Now Koichi, this is not the time to get self-aware.Also, good job practicing that, considering all the broken bones in your body right now.”- And yet ironically, his newest power-up makes all of that training completely useless, giving Koichi the ability to defy gravity all over his body and reject any hard impact away from himself. @thelreads

[insperonjournal]

Global E-commerce Trends For 2023.  The Changing Online E-commerce Strategies.

The global e-commerce news shows that today, we have a slow-going global market and a struggling supply infrastructure. Here, online retail sales almost account for about 21 percent of all global retail sales in the year 2022. As a result, the future projections are even brighter with online shoppers.

1.AI shall change the face of online shops

The e-commerce latest news points out that the top use of AI or Artificial Intelligence by Online Shoppers includes a customer-centric search through image recognition Virtual Assistants, chatbots, and mobile shopping. This technology will further develop and shall change the user experience totally for online shopping.

2. Chatbots shall improve the shopping experience

The chatbots have the capability to reduce the time that customers spend waiting in line. Today, people get immediate answers to several common questions which may be about locations, order status, store hours, etc in a chat window. This is easy to use for customers which in the approaching years shall grow.

3. The voice search will be very common

International e-commerce news daily provides us with information about changing technology of voice search. The news always states that about 71 percent of consumers prefer voice-placed queries better than typing them. So, the convenience of voice search to users, today, has pushed it to the forefront of online marketing and it will make the future Of Digital Marketing

4. AR is another popular technology to enhances online shopping

The e-commerce latest news points out that online sales are forecasted to soar exponentially with augmented reality or AR experiences very soon. It shall allow shoppers to virtually try on or visualize products online. AR has the potential to change online e-commerce for brands that target tech-savvy consumer demographics.

5. Sustainability is more important

The commerce related articles online show that sustainability is very important for the future world of commerce. Sustainable e-commerce, today, implies that conducting online retail should be done in a way that does not exhaust natural resources. Thus, online shopping can have an overall impact if e-commerce businesses bring out serious strategies that shall help future generations.

6. Optimizing digital strategy for conversion

International e-commerce news daily provides us with information about changing strategies for conversion. These strategies include a focus on remarketing, good content that appeals to the audience, smooth website navigation, etc. Optimizing the strategies for your online store will increase customers. The changing strategies will further evolve on the basis of the market and will always keep proving their profound impact on digital marketing.

7. E-commerce and shopping using mobile will grow further

The global e-commerce news shows that online shopping, today, also means shopping using a mobile. While in the past few years Android smartphones were a luxury, today, it is necessary. There are several online shops and season sales, selling products that are not only attractive but also necessary in daily life. This trend of shopping using mobile will grow further in the near future.

8. API-driven e-commerce

The digital future is API-driven e-commerce. The e-commerce world, today, is growing rapidly and the API-Driven e-commerce will always be the perfect solution for the optimization of online businesses.

The commerce related articles online show that global e-commerce sales may reach $6 trillion in the year 2024. Merchants, today, are flocking to e-commerce in record numbers. Online shoppers are expected to make up about 24.5 percent of all global retail by 2025. So, the growing statistics only show that global e-commerce shall have a better opportunity in the approaching years.

[milkacchan]

Request for anon: Hi!!!! i love our writing and i just knew you could do this! Could you do one with a father Aizawa and a gender nuetral chil reader, who is jealous of Midoriya. Because when Midoriya harnesses his quirk Aizawa be happy dadzawa but when the reader was like 6 or 7 and harnessed theirs he said like " Work harder." Or the world won't want a weak hero and stuff and thats why they hate Midoriya and stuff? IT IS SOO FINE OF YOU CANT!! THANKS <3

•Midoriya is nice.

• He's /so/ fucking nice

• He has a nice smile

• His freckles are nice

• His attitude is great

• He goes out of his way to make sure people are okay

• Which makes it worse and pisses you off more.

• You've been jealous of him for awhile- please he's the center of attention for everyone

• But that isn't your problem

• He's the center of attention for your own dad.

• At least it seemed that way.

• Shota Aizawa, your father, was a teacher at U.A.

• He was bound to get attached to students, that's what teachers are supposed to do

• But..it felt like you were on the back burner and not enough

• when you develop your quirk, you dad gives you a speech

• You're first sucess with your quirk, your father tells you to work harder

• And that's all it ever is

• "work harder"

• "you should be farther along by now,"

• "this isn't a joke, why are you treating it that way?"

• there wasn't a good job or a congrats or praise

• But there was with midoryia

• who got all of it.

• he got good jobs and impresseds

• He got way to go kid and that was smart

• At the beginning of the year you liked him

• He was friendly and funny and he seemed like a cool dude

• He was a cool dude and you hated him- yourself even more for that

• You couldn't ever hate him, not truly.

• Not even when your father praised him, took him under his wing, focused on him

• Even shinsou- you didn't hate him. You were great friends with him.

• But Midoriya irked you, even if you couldn't find it in you to talk behind his back or fuck him over

• Your jealousy for the boy only grew as your fathers praise to him grew and his words to you grew distanced.

• And yet you still thrived for the man's approval

• You wanted to be recognized

• You wanted validation

• You wanted praise and approval.

• You wanted love.

• You stopped speaking to Midoriya, completely. The poor boy didn't deserve a blow up from you, it wasn't his fault.

• Contact to him stopped. His conversation muted unless it was to the class Group Chat

• Your seat? Unfortunately still near him, was no longer an issue if you just ignored his presence

• If your group was hanging put with him that day, you'd skip with some dumb homework excuse.

• No one said anything

• Aside from shinsou that is.

• The smart-ass always had something to say

• "You can't just ignore your problems forever."

"I'm not, till talking to you."

"Funny. But seriously. He's going to question it if he hasn't already. Word gets around.."

• In all seriousness, shinsous worried. He's really worried.

• He's watching you distance yourself from people, from midoryia- hell the only reason the two of you still talk on a daily basis is because he forces it.

• You don't mind, of course, he know that. You did the same to him when his mental health had declined.

• But he sees you're doing it for validation

• Amd he knows Aizawas words aren't malicious. You're his kid, he's worried and wants you to survive over anyone else.

• Doesn't mean how he's going about it is right.

• and it isn't long before you start taking physical training to the max too.

• After class you train for hours until dinner.

• Sometines you miss it; sometimes you don't get home until much later.

• One day in particular though, you start training on a Saturday morning

• He tells you to be smart, keep hydrated and take breaks before he leaves for the day

• Only to come back at dusk to you still training

• "Quirks are currency shinsou,"

"That doesnt-"

"I have to get stronger, no one's going to want a weak hero"

"Y/N please- you've been out here all day. It's hot and muggy and you've barley eaten anything. You need breaks. You can't be a strong pro hero if you die of heat exhaustion." He takes your arm and pulled it down from the punching bag. "You're worrying me."

"I'm not strong enough," you mumble. "Dads right,"

• Eventually Midoriya starts to question why you're ignoring him

• He doesn't think he's done anything wrong

• Maybe he said the wrong thing? But what even is the wrong thing? What could he have said?

• After one particularly rough morning, you're struggling with something

• You're already pissed and ready for the day to be over.

• And it's only 10 in the fucking morning

• And Midoriya, desperate to heal what he once had with a friend (you), walks over to help

"Hey," he starts. "You look like you need some help?"

You pause, glancing in his direction for only a moment. "Go sit down," You mutter.

"I just want to help-"

"I don't need your fucking help. You are the LAST thing I need," you snap. "Who the fuck would /ever/ need you?" You grab your bag and shove him back, leaving the classroom.

The class quiets.

• Midoriya didn't deserve it, no. You knew that.

• You also knew that you weren't in the place to go back to school, so you didn't.

• You took the day off, wandering the streets of your prefecture

• Shinsous blowing up your phone

• Katsuki is too.

• Katsukis upset, you would be too if someone spoke to your friend that way

• Everyone else is too on edge to text you, they're worried though.

• Of course, they go to Aizawa.

• They tell him what happened and how you've been acting

• And he nods quietly and says he'll take care of it.

• Shinsou finally finds you at the Cafe you frequent and he quietly sits across from you

• "you should be in school," you mumble

"So should you."

It's quiet for a few moments before you speak again. "I think I'm going to leave U.A. Mom lives in Miyagi, they've got some nice highschools there. I talked to her over the phone last night."

"What? What no, you can't?"

"Why not, Hitoshi?"

"Because you're a hero-"

"I'm not. I'm not a fucking hero. I haven't made any successes while I've been here, I haven't developed anything, Dad was right."

"You dad was wrong. He's wrong. He's- He's worried one day you're not going to come home. Or when you do you won't be in one piece, so he's pushing you and pushing you," he took your hand gently. "You're strong. You're going to be a great hero. You've already accomplished more than you know."

"I blew up at Midoriya today," you slide him your drink and he takes a sip.

"I know." He nods. "But that's okay, we can deal with it later." He squeezed your hand.

"Yeah, later,"

• It's very much later by the time you reach your dorm.

• The day Shinsou moved to the 1A dorms was the day you'd rejoice

• Your bag is tossed to the side and you make your way to the kitchen and freeze.

• Aizawa is sitting at the table, facing you.

"Your friends are worried about you,"

Yous scoff. "Yeah I'm sure they are."

"Midoryias worried about you."

"I really don't care."

"You shouldn't have snapped at him." Aizawa sighs.

"Thats-" you take a deep breath. Of course he only cared about Midoriya. "Typical." You move to the fridge to get something to drink.

"I..apologize," he begins. "'It's come to my attention that I haven't exactly been the best father to you since your mother left,"

"You think?" You muttered.

"I'm worried. I'm scared."

You look up at him.

"The world is cruel. And I've lost so many students to hero work in the years I've taught, I wouldn't be able to handle it if I lost you to. But it seems I'm already down the path." He stood up and walked over to you. "You're my kid, I love you more than the moon and the stars, I want you to stay safe. Above everyone else, above all else, I want you to come home." He kisses your forehead.

"It'd be nice to get a good job every once in awhile. Everyone else does." You mutter, looking down.

"You are doing great, you know. I don't say it nearly enough but you impress me everyday."

• It's...a little awkward after that, neither of you know how to process emotion so after two days you just pretend like it never happened

• You quietly apologize to Midoriya and wall away before he can respond before pretending like that didn't happen either

• You're not expecting him to want to be your friend

• But he's very adamant on texting you, inviting you out, walking with you you to class

• 1A becomes whole again

• But Shota does ease up, you get the good jobs, the praise, the validation

• And you eat it up to be frank, you fucking love it.

[tempenensis]

Jujutsu Kaisen Light Novel #2

Firstly, @bonsai62​ provides me with raw text of this - so thank you very much! This is the first eight pages of the first chapter from the second light novel. That being said, I don’t know how much I get this translation right, but enjoy anyway. Though this is cut at bad point lol

The title of the light novel is Thorny Road at Dawn. Text in bold means that it is spoken in English. 

Chapter 1: Nobara and Toge

.

“About Toge?”

August has begun.

Under the overlapping form of trees in the schoolyard, Panda asks back to Kugisaki who he has been holding on his arm and turning over 180 degree.

For the upcoming exchange event, Fushiguro is also working hard to train as participating first year.

He is in the middle of training with assumption that one-vs-one sorcerer combat can break especially during the fight.

Even though she is training, Kugisaki is now thrown towards Panda – repeatedly thrown towards him in a stage. But because it seems that her motivation is high, she’s become into it, as long as in the end she can be successful facing Todo and Mai even just a little bit.

“Yes. I understand Maki-san is worth of my respect. I also know that Panda-senpai is sorcerer with ability.”

“I also want you to say the same thing about me like Maki.”

Kugisaki answers as she stands up and brushes away leaves attached to her jersey.

“I respect you. I’m not saying bullshit about Panda-san.” (1)

“Well, if you become able to chat while being blown away, I’ll praise you.”

“My body can easily remember just blown like this.”

“Hooon. Then”

Panda looks around, confirming that Toge who went to pharmacy has not come back.

“What about Toge?”

“What kind of senpai is he?”

“Eh, you don’t know from talking to him?”

“Not that I don’t understand. Well, I know he is not a bad person, but if all his vocabularies are riceball fillings, talking with him will be limited, right?”

“We already get too used to it, right Maki?”

“Aah. Now that you say it, it naturally becomes question.”

Maki is spinning around a staff, sending a sympathetic look to Fushiguro after she lightly avoids Fushiguro’s attack and land a small hit on his head.

“It hurts…”

“You are thinking too much again with your head.”

Maki joins the conversation as she glances at groaning Fushiguro. Out of breath but clean of dust, she circles around Panda calmly.

“Among us maybe he is the best at taking care.”

“Yeah, he has a bright personality (2). If you exclude Yuuta, then he is the number one good person in our year.”

“His flaw is that he can get carried away a little.” (3)

“Is he?”

“You are the one who always get carried away when we are together, that’s why you don’t know.”

“That’s unexpected. We are not like that though. We like to join in the fun.”

Kugisaki’s body fitness is finally reaching that point where she can chat while doing her training. Even then, the second years who are lightly talking among them without difficulty remembers existence of Kugisaki of August (4) in the nearby stage.

Just a bit when Panda’s attention is at Maki as they converse, Kugisaki tries to do a feint from the side and mixes it with an upper but—

“Anyway.”

“Geh.”

Panda sways easily, then he hesitates a little before swipe Kugisaki’s feet in sobat-like (5) kick.

Kugisaki, whose pivot foot collapses, falls down rolling. Her body becomes totally irresponsive. In several weeks here, it’s a movement that she kept thought she could do.

That said she becomes irresponsive and she can’t win the match.

As he looks down at Kugisaki who makes a discouraged face, Panda opens his mouth.

“Toge is a good guy. That alone you should know.”

“….I see.”

More than that, her body has become irresponsive and her back is hurting.

The frequency of her falling down sloppily has not reduced, also buying a replacement jersey have also becomes necessary -- Kugisaki at summer time thinks with melancholy.

.---.

The story continues when it has turn to fall.

After the incident of Yasohachi has passed, there’s a brief spare time.

At that day, Kugisaki is alone in Shibuya.

Fushiguro is locking himself up and reading in his room as he is still exhausted after he overexerted himself.

Itadori has gone out to watch a maniac movie in a cinema currently doing a whole-building screening.

Maki is currently on a mission different from Yasohachi bridge, so she can’t meet her conveniently in a while. Kugisaki who completely doesn’t have a plan, aims to go shopping to make-up and clothes shops which are hard to go with boys, then buy daily necessities.

“Winter clothes set, winter shoes, inner and foundation and…”

Grasping paper bags in both hands, she lifts them up as she confirms her haul today.

She doesn’t think she bought too much, but she has walked more than she had planned. Maybe wearing the pin heel boots she bought the other day is a bit mistake.

But it is a rare chance that she gets to go out and shop alone. There’s a lot she still needs to buy.

Kugisaki is thinking to go looking for bags next as she walks in traffic jam.

When she had just arrived in Tokyo, it all seemed to be glittering scenery. After around three months has passed, she gets used to it a lot, used to hearing noisy sounds.

That being said, it is a backside of being busy and lively. It’s a thing that’s called taste of convenience.

“And that, it is really a masterpiece.”

“Doesn’t it make you angry?”

“Hey, hey. Girl, are you alone? Are you free?”

“I’m in a hurry.”

“Salmon.”

“We’re opening a new shop! Please take care of us.”

“Are you not going to eat?”

“How much are you going to eat?!”

“It’s damned boring, how about we skip work today?”

“Mama, buy me that!”

A lot of voices. It’s an intersection where a lot of life collides.

There are daily life as many as the number of people, there are worlds as many as the number of people. In the city where many wills and voices flying around, of course there will be a lot of people who is feeling gloomy – but not Kugisaki.

For her who has a firm sense of self, she understands that everyone has their own way of living in the hustle bustle of the city, it even feels like a kindness.

Now that she thinks about it, the village where she comes from was suffocating.

An exclusivity that imitate the people who had come before (6). An ecosystem long existed that doesn’t recognize individuality of a person. A closed world that gently rot — exists there in that village, Kugisaki thinks.

Compared to the crowd of the city, it is tough yet she can live with freedom.

In the city, someone says that the concern towards other people is weak. Kugisaki laughs, thinking that is wonderful. She has her own way and won’t blame anyone over it. She will stand and walk with her own foot.

However, mixing in the city crowd during the holiday, a mysterious chance can happen.

“Hm?”

Kugisaki who walks towards the direction of Shibuya Hikarie (7) in the lane across the street, makes a face of remembering something as she found him. It is the only one of her acquittances who hides lower half of mouth with closed overly long collar.

It’s Inumaki Toge.

There is also another one. A male foreign tourist with thoughtful blue eyes who can’t be someone familiar. Kugisaki becomes interested on the exchange between the foreigner and Inumaki.

“What are they talking about?”

Kugisaki changes her destination, then crosses the road when the traffic lamp changes at the right timing, and strolls towards Inumaki. When she is near them, she overhears their talk.

“I’d like to go to SHIBUYA109.” (8)

“Salmon salmon.”

“Could you tell me where I can get a taxi?”

“Salmon roe.”

“Ah… Which way should we go?”

“Seaweed.”

“Ah…I, want to go. 109 (9). Please. Ok?”

“Salmon.”

“Shake?” (10)

“….Salmon?” (11)

“….Salmon!? Why?”

“Okaka…..” (12)

“Ee…?”

For some reason, in Kugisaki’s guess ten times over, it has become a troublesome situation.

She knows that Inumaki, who is a cursed speech user, only speaks in onigiri fillings to avoid sudden outburst of curse. How come that he is asked by foreigner tourist for direction.

No, Inumaki can use Inumaki’s way of showing the way – he points his finger and gestures using his body and hands. With that, she wonders if the foreigner becomes impatient (13) as Kugisaki decides to get in between the two of them.

“What are you doing, senpai?”

“Tunamayo.”

“It can’t be ‘tunamayo’. Jeez.”

“Oh! Geisha girl!”

“Who the heck is geisha girl?!”

.

.

--- tbc (hopefully can do more)

(1) More literally, she is saying things about Panda that “doesn’t smell like fairy tale” (2) “His root is bright” is the literal translation (3) 悪ノリ (akunori) is a bit hard to be translated. It’s like, getting carried away in mischievous manner. (4) Overheated Kugisaki lol (5) Sobat : back kick in wrestling (6) literally “To follow the right” (7) A skyscraper in Shibuya (8) A department store in Shibuya (9) Spoken in broken Japanese lol. (10) Shake = salmon. He repeats what Toge said to him. In Inumaki’s language means “yes” (11) Salmon, as in engrish lol (12) Okaka = chopped katsuobushi, in Inumaki’s language means “no” (13) literally, “becomes hot”

[joyfulhopelox]

Pink Camellia

A/N: I love plants and i love learning the meanings of them. I will have to put a disclaimer here, some of these may have multiple meanings depending on where the information is taken from. I went back to the Victorian Era meanings. This is part 1 of 7 of my Love Blossom Series where each member gets to have their own story amongst flowers. I wanted to call this a drabble as i wrote it quickly but i realised 2k is not a drabble but oh well. Hope it's an enjoyable read!

Copyrights @joyfulhopelox do NOT repost or reblog. Gif cr

Pairing: Namjoon x reader (non-idol!au, florist!Namjoon, cafe owner!reader)

Genre: fluff

Warnings: none it's pure rotten fluff

Word count: 2k

You loved late spring. The cool soft air of spring morphing into the warm glowy summer atmosphere was the perfect time of the year in your opinion. Not only did the milder warmer weather make everything seem so joyful and light-hearted, but the sunny brighter environment caressed your skin as you walked. The cafe was not too far from your house but to get there you had to go through a park. The smell of the freshly bloomed flowers and the sound of children cheerfully playing put a spring in your step as you walked towards your work.

The park through it’s different seasons had its perks. In the summer it was the grounds for family picnics; in spring it was full of couples old and new enjoying their time together. When it got chillier, you could see the odd runner through the brightly coloured leaves and in the winter, the unhindered vastness of the park covered in a blanket of snow. But of course you much more preferred the warmth of late spring, early summer.

You’ve known Namjoon for a while, his flower shop opened just down the road from yours a couple of years back. When you entered his shop for the first time, the array of flowers were arranged in such a beautiful way that it took your breath away. The smells encompassed you, and transported you to a secret garden so that you completely forgot that it was just a shop.

“Hello”

So enraptured you were with your surroundings you completely missed the appearance of a man behind the counter. He stood in front of a now open door that signed ‘Staff only’. So he worked there, you concluded. You smiled at him warmly. “Hello, this shop is lovely. I have never seen such a variety of flowers in one place”

The man’s smile widened. “Thank you for the kind words. I have tried my best to build an understanding of the flowers I am bringing into my shop. I was planning to have one for every occasion, and yet…” he motioned around you “this happened” rubbing the back of his neck you could see the tip of his ears reddening. He was cute when he rambled.

“All the better, they all look lovely displayed in such a way. And the more the merrier” you laughed softly. “So you are the owner” you mused after a couple of seconds of silence.

“Yes, i’m Namjoon...i mean, yes i am the owner” the redness was creeping along his neck now and you could not find it more adorable.

Even if this was just your first meeting you could tell by his warm eyes and soft smile that revealed dimples that he was kind and humble.

“Nice to meet you Namjoon, i’m Y/N” you both shared a smile.

From then on you had been enraptured.

You had not planned to go into his shop every morning before work and pick up flowers to spruce up your cafe. But after one week of doing it, simply out of sheer pleasure of being in between the greens and the smells of the shop, it became habit. But most importantly you found yourself excited in anticipation of conversing with the owner as well. So one week turned into two, three. Until one day Namjoon suggested that instead of you making a trek to his shop, he would deliver flowers to you in the morning before you’d open the cafe. When you argued that it would be too much of a hassle for him he dismissed it, letting you know that he was starting to do deliveries anyways and so it would be no problem for him.

What he failed to mention was that his shop was not open as early as you normally came in to buy flowers. The first day you met was a mistake. A lucky one in his opinion; but a mistake nonetheless. They’d just opened the shop, totally forgoing to put the ‘Closed’ sign on the door. When he saw you in your awed state wandering around the shop, he did not have the heart to tell you they were not going to open until later on that day. You looked almost ethereal, the happy smile on your face giving you a soft glow that the flowers around you only enhanced. You bought a bouquet of sunflowers that day. Loyalty, he noted wondering if that was your favourite flower or if you just bought it on a whim. He made a mental note to himself to ask you next time, wishing there would be a next time.

And there was, there would be next times everyday for weeks. You made it a habit to walk into his shop every morning after that, buy flowers and have a nice chat with the cute owner. Whom, you’d found out was incredibly clumsy. He apologised profusely after dropping a vase full of flowers at your feet, he offered to pay for the dry cleaning of your coat when he tripped out of nowhere and spilled some plant food on you. One day he even managed to get soil into your shoes. You had to give it to him, you had never met anyone so clumsy and destructive in your life. It was impressive. And most importantly, it was cute. The way he reddened from the tips of his ears downwards whilst stumbling over his own words, made your own heart beat as fast as the words that were coming out of his mouth.

When he was not making a mess out of himself of the breakable objects in his shop, you had nice chats about random things. From books- he liked to read you noted, poems- he wrote some, he told you, weather- his favourite season was spring, travels-he seems to have been everywhere; to trivial things such as the food you had that day or the customers that you would get. Little by little you got to know each other. And little by little Namjoon had started to fall in love with you.

Unbeknownst to him, the feelings were reciprocated. Once he had started making deliveries to your cafe every morning, you looked forward to waking up in the morning and starting your day. Being greeted by his warm smile which accentuated his dimples was the highlight of your morning. The first week he had asked you which flowers you wanted delivered.

“I don’t know” you responded thoughtfully. In reality you had no idea about flowers, you loved them, but you did not know anything else apart from what was visible. “Surprise me Flower Boy” you grinned at him.

Once you had given him the go ahead, the types of flowers that he could deliver for you was all Namjoon could think about. All those meanings were swimming around in his head, carnations for love? No, that would be too straight forward. Lilac? Too dark. Sunflowers again, adoration? Maybe too cheesy. He settled in the end for daisies. Simple and innocent.

“Oh they are beautiful” you gushed as soon as you spotted him carrying the bunches into your cafe. Rushing to help him you misstepped and stumbled into him. For someone who was on a daily basis as clumsy as he was, he did a very good job at not falling over with you on top of him. And he congratulated himself for that, he deserved a medal. Your form leaning into him and the warmth of your hand on his bicep was enough to make the blood rush to his cheeks and his heart to pound.

“Oh, i’m really sorry” with a choked voice, he assured you it was no problem.

“I have done enough damage to you in the past few weeks” he grinned. “I’ll take it as a payback” you laughed at that and grabbed some bunches from his arms.

“They are so lovely, thank you” instructing him to put them over near the window, you went behind the counter to start on a drink for him. “Is a latte ok?” you asked over your shoulder. Too lost in his thoughts whilst observing your form he did not answer the first time. Asking again, you glanced briefly at him, noticing the slight dazed look he was offering you.

“Namjoon” you softly called, the intimate tone of your voice finally waking him up from his reverie.

“Ah, yes it is ok” he would not admit that at that moment, seeing you making his drink and the way you softly called his name - it felt like home.

After that moment, he started bringing in Camellias. And only camellias. Pink. The colour of them combined with the neutrals of your shop made everything brighter and lighter. Even in the winter he brought you camellias. At first you did not think much of it. They were lovely and you had an elated reaction to them. So you assumed that he’d thought they were the flowers that you preferred. But when you started noticing certain changes in his behaviour, certain looks, certain smiles. Sometimes he’d space out whilst staring at you doing mundane tasks in your shop. Something was nagging you. Was there a deeper meaning behind the camellias?

You tried asking him, but he gave nothing away. He flustered, knocked over a chair and exited out of your cafe quickly whilst apologising for having to leave so early. And so you let it drop. But the next time he came in, it felt like the air around the two of you had changed. As if there was a secret that was hanging in between the two of you. Something that buzzed around the two of you. Every interaction after that left you breathless.

So you did what any other human being would do when they need answers. You researched on the internet. Pink Camellias. You clicked on the first link, your eyes skimming over the words. Longing for you.

The next day you woke up extra early, determined to make it to Namjoon’s flower shop before he had a chance to come to yours. You had a flower order to request from him. On the way there the smell and sights of late spring put an extra skip in your step. Or maybe it was the thought of the cute Flower Boy you were going to meet? Biting your lip softly you started at the glass door of the flower shop. This time the sign said ‘Closed’ but you knew Namjoon would be in pitter pattering.

Opening the door, you stepped in. “We’re clo- Y/N!” Namjoon emerged through the same door signed ‘Staff Only’. “I’m not late to deliver the flowers, am i?” panicking he glanced at the clock.

You shook your head, it was now or never.

“I thought I would come in early to make a slight change in the delivery” you glanced at him trying to gage his reaction. Confusion painted across his face. Then entering his customer service mode he stepped away from the counter and started looking around.

“Of course, what would you like? We have a new batch of sunflowers in? You ordered those last time so maybe those? Or some flowers that are better in late spring? How about lilacs?” rambling he made his way round the multitude of flower arrangements.

Grabbing his hand to stop him, you sighed. It was now or never.

Stepping closer and closer to him, where you could observe his eyes, you smiled softly. Standing on your tiptoes you reached to place a warm kiss on his cheek.

“I was thinking something more like...roses?”

The silence that followed and his astounded face made you question yourself. Had you misread the situation? Soon though warm arms enveloped you tightly, hugging you to his chest. The rhythm of his heart, the slight pressure of his lips at the top of your crown and the whisper in your hair told you he’d gotten it.

“Love”

Main Masterlist

[enbysiriusblack]

I keep posting non marauder content and I apologise (no i dont, you just have to deal with it)

BUT HERE GO, THE CONTENT YOU ACTUALLY WANT FROM ME (probably)

A lil Jily story of angst and fluff kind of:

(its not lil,, its pretty darn long)

tw. brief physical violence and stalking

Lily hated the summer holidays. Her sister always complaining about her return, her parents struggle with keeping Petunia calm while still spending time with Lily, and Severus' change of character once they were back in the muggle town.

But this summer, she had more to worry about. Severus still hadn't left her alone after their fall out. He had started waiting for her in the library, following her in between classes, and and watching her hanging out with her friends at Hogsmeade.

And now without her friends and the separate common rooms in the way, it would be even harder to avoid him and she was worried for her own safety.

So as she stepped off the train, said goodbye to her friends and walked towards her family. She was miserable.

And as the days of summer ticked by, Lily had locked herself in her bedroom. Not wanting to go downstairs in order to avoid the endless arguments and shouting of Petunia, and not wanting to go outside to avoid Severus stalking her and pleading with her to forgive him.

But after a few weeks, her parents urged her to get some sunlight and got her to go to the shop round the corner to grab a few things.

Carrying 2 bags, filled with milk, bread, toilet roll, laundry detergent, the daily newspaper, and a litre bottle of fanta; Lily left the shop. Only to spot Severus a few feet away, and hurriedly following her.

She started walking faster towards her house, but only a few metres a way from home, a hand sharply attached itself to her shoulder.

"Lily!! I'm trying to talk to you!!" He yelled.

Lily shook her shoulder, flinging his hand off it and back to his person.

"I've told you a million times!! Leave me alone!!" She yelled back.

"But I'm in love with you" he said, stepping forwards and about to touch her cheek.

She took a step back and scoffed, "you can't love someone while hating who they are"

"It's not your fault who you're born as, it doesn't matter to me. It's like a curse being put on you, but you can still overcome it. The dark Lord himself is a half blood like me! But we know we're better than that, we just have to overcome that set back." He replied, stepping closer and closer to Lily.

A loud crack sounded and blood ran down Snape's nose. He lifted a hand to his face and felt the blood pouring out. Her grocery bags fell to the floor.

"Being muggleborn is not a setback to overcome. Don't ever come near me again" she replied, before picking up her bags and heading back to her house without looking back once more.

.

The next morning, she looked out her window to see Snape standing outside, holding a bouquet of lilies.

She shut her blinds and hid in her room. As the days ticked by, she never left the house and Snape stood there hour after hour, bringing different assortments of gifts to compensate his inability to actually care about her.

She decided she had to leave for the rest of the holiday. But Mary was visiting family outside the country, Marlene and Dorcas were in Italy together to celebrate their anniversary. Then she remembered Remus was at home.

She owled Remus straight away and got a reply from him fairly quickly, accepting her request of staying at his till the holidays had ended.

So the next morning she packed her things, said goodbye to her mum, and drove with her dad to the train station around 7 am, before Snape arrived at the house.

It was a long, confusing train journey to Wales. But once she got there after hours on different trains, she spotted Remus and his mum sitting outside one of the station cafes.

Remus looked up as she walked towards them, and he moved over a piece of chocolate cake and his cup of tea to make more room for her on the small metal table.

Lily grabbed a seat from an empty table nearby and sat it down. Hope passed a menu over to Lily and she ordered a cup of tea and a a hot sausage roll. The three of them ate and drank before getting to Hope's yellow volkswagen van to get back to the Lupin cottage.

Once they got to the cottage, Hope showed Lily around the house and brought her stuff to Remus' bedroom.

"We don't have any spare rooms I'm afraid so I hope you don't mind sharing with Remus?" Hope asked her.

"No it's fine thank you" she replied.

"Alright, oh also I need to get some more herbs and plants for my stocks so I was going to go foraging tomorrow, would you two like to join me?"

Remus looked towards Lily to see her thoughts, she nodded at him in acceptance.

"Yeah we would" Remus said.

Hope lifted her hand to affectionately stroke Remus' curls before leaving the room.

.

The next day the Lupin's and Lily set out to the forest, Lyall deciding to join them as it was his day off work. All four were carrying small handmade baskets, Lyalls was full of picnic food for lunchtime, while the other's were empty for foraging.

Remus and Lily went ahead in a different direction, agreeing to meet up at the usual spot at lunch time.

As Remus and Lily went through the woods, Remus sometimes picking up certain plants and flowers and putting them in his basket, while Lily (not knowing much about foraging or what Hope needed) only picked flowers she liked and had decided to make a nice bouquet for Hope with them.

The two chatted as they walked, talking about what topics they're studying in their classes next year, about Snape, about their what they had been up to for the last few weeks.

Once they got back to the house, Remus started writing a letter to James and Sirius, who had run away to James' a few weeks ago. While Lily and Hope were downstairs talking, after Lily had given her the bouquet.

Around an hour later, all four were sitting on the lounge for dinner, the bouquet was placed on the middle of the wooden table as a centre piece inside a tall mug with a picture of Phil Bennett on.

After dinner, Lily and Remus went out. There wasn't much to do in the small village in the evening so they ended up in the middle of someone's field. The two sat on the hill for a few hours, stargazing and mindlessly talking about whatever came to mind.

The days went by, with Lily staying at Remus' place. The duo found themselves spending most of their time in a small bookshop cafe and walking through the woods, Remus smoking his weed and Lily sometimes Lily would take a hit but she wasn't as fond of it as Remus was.

With only a week and a half till school started again, Remus and Lily planned to go to hogsmeade together tomorrow.

But midday, two figures appeared walking towards the Lupin cottage just as Remus and Lily got back from their walk in the woods.

As the got closer to the two, they saw it was James and Sirius.

Remus dropped his joint to the floor and ran to the two standing by the door to his home.

He wrapped his arms around Sirius, but felt them freeze up at the touch. So Remus moved to stop the hug, but at that withdrawal, Sirius wrapped his own arms around Remus tightly with no sign of letting go.

The two stood there for a few minutes, wrapped in an embrace while Lily and James stood awkwardly nearby them.

"... hi" James said, waving at Lily, but since they were near each other, Lily had to move backwards to avoid getting hit by his hand.

James quickly withdrew his hand, and stepped back. He looked down at his hand for a few seconds, before bringing it up again and saluting Lily.

As he was half way through saluting her, he realised what he was doing and quickly brought it straight down to his side, and froze at Lily with unblinking eyes like a deer stuck in headlights.

She started laughing, affectively ending the hug between Remus and Sirius, who turned to look between Lily and James.

At that moment, Hope came inside, calling Lily for something and waved in greeting to James and Sirius.

After Lily had walked into the house, James grinned widely.

"She laughed at me!! She thinks I'm funny!"

"She was laughing AT you, cause she thinks you're a wanker" Remus corrected.

Sirius grinned slightly at the retort and grabbed Remus' hand.

Remus looked to Sirius and James realised Sirius would talk to Remus and Remus could help Sirius, even just slightly.

"I'll go see if Hope needs some more help" James said before turning to the cottage and giving Remus and Sirius some time alone.

Inside the cottage, James and Lily were setting up cutlery around the table and helping Hope with the dinner.

James noticed the flowers in the mug, "wow, these look really nice Hope, my mum keeps trying to make some nice flower arrangements for around the house but she's not very good at it. I made this red and gold one, go gryffindor!! for her birthday a few weeks ago but it was no where near as good as this one!!"

Hope came out of the kitchen carrying a saucepan of curry.

"Oh no honey, I didn't make that, that was all thanks to Lily" she said coming round the table and softly touching Lily's arm in gratitude.

"Oh" James said, freezing again as he stared back at Lily. "Its.. um.. its really good.. I like the uhh,, its good."

Lily raised an eyebrow at him, "thank you?"

James nodded, and tapped the table, trying to think of something else to say.

His eyes glanced over the the window, spotting Remus and Sirius sitting on the edge of the woods on a small bench, still talking and holding each others hand.

"I should probably go get them for dinner" he said, about to get out of his seat.

Hope waved her hand absentmindedly, "oh leave them its fine, the lovebirds can eat later"

A few minutes later, Lyall came back from work and sat at the table with them.

The four ate in fairly comfortable silence, sometimes having small conversations.

.

The next day they went to Hogsmeade.

Sirius waringly looking out for any of their family members as they walked around doing their shopping. Remus stood by xyr side the whole time, with James and Lily awkwardly leading the group together.

Peter found them a few hours later, he was shopping with zir mum but stayed with his friends for a while.

In Flourish and Blotts, Sirius and Remus seemed to have disappeared together in a fiction section, bonding over their mutual love of books packed with monsters and adventures and swordsmen.

Lily gazed at books on the shelf closest to her, sometimes bringing one up to her eye line and reading the blurb before putting it back on the shelf again.

James stood there with Peter, who he was very glad of, Peter acting as a distraction of the awkward silence between Lily and James.

So as Peter rambled about how he's so glad ze doesn't have to do potions anymore, James took his mind of trying to impress Lily and put his focus on listening to Peter.

However in the next moment, Peter made a very tactical decision of engaging Lily into the conversation.

"So Lily, I'm guessing you're still taking Potions this year?" Peter asked.

Lily turned around, one hand still lightly touching one of the books on the shelf.

"Yeah, but it sucks that none of my friends are taking it. I tried to get Remus to change his mind and take it for weeks.. and then he blew up half the kitchen trying to make pasta sauce and realised my efforts were futile."

James laughed, "thats Remus, alright"

Lily looked over at him, contemplating. Before nodding her head and smiling slightly as she turned back to the bookshelf.

After around five minutes, Peter chiped up.

"Oh!! James is taking Potions still aren't you? You said you're dad really wanted you to get a Potion Newt. You two can hang out in class"

James sent Peter a 'what the hell' glare before Lily nodded again and clearly said the words,

"I guess we could, its better than the chance of getting stuck with Sev- Snape for the rest of the year... are you any good?"

James froze, "um.. yeah, yeah.. well no, not really to be honest"

Lily smiled again, "thats fine, I'm hood enough for the both of us"

She took a book off the shelf and kept it in her arms for the first time. And then walked back to James and Peter.

"If I'm helping you in Potions though, you've gotta help me with transfiguration."

She lifted up the book in her arms to show the cover, the transfiguration book they needed this year.

"I skimmed this a little, and it barely made any sense at all."

James lifted a hand to his hair, ruffling it up on a nervous habit.

"Minnie gave me a group of younger years to tutor last year, maybe you could come to those? .. not that I think you're as dumb as first and second years, far from it, you're one of the smartest people I know. But I just mean that a lot of our topics this year our ones that we did in first and second year but with more context and more advanced. So I thought that if you revised the basics then the more advanced parts would make more sense to you.. if you wanted?"

"Yeah that sounds great" she said, before moving to another bookshelf and flicking through it.

The rest of the day, the two of them talked and talked. And back at Remus' cottage Lily walked up to him before he had to leave with Sirius.

"Today was fun, friends?" She asked.

James nodded, "friends"

As him and Sirius left, Sirius hit his shoulder.

"What were you and Lily talking about? Declaring your undying love for her?"

James shook his head, "We're just friends, I need to just... move on i guess, friends is as best as it'll get. And its enough for me."

[carly-they-jepsen]

RWRB Timeline

I originally worked out the timeline for Sep. 27, 2020, and when people suggested I post it on tumblr, I said fuck it and did the whole book.

Go big or go home, right? 

I have spent the past 3 days working on this. It’s half summaries of the events of the days in order, and half “here’s a one sentence summary of the day”.

Whenever possible, I’ve detailed out when things happen by the hour, like the day at Wimbledon, or the email leak day, including guesstimations on flight times, and what time EST and BST Alex is taking off and landing. I often forgot to add vague things like “morning” in, so sorry about that.

I’ve bolded all the dates I’m sure of.

Bold and italics means an official date: emails, text threads, tweets, holidays, Georgetown, etc.

Two asterisks ** = official dates.

Just bold means a day I’m sure of, based off of official dates: Two weeks later, day one post lake house, “a tuesday”, etc.

One asterisk: * = something I’m sure of based on official dates.

I’ve also bolded days of the week I’m sure of, even if I’m not certain of the date.

I’ve left a few things vague. Like, October 2020 is a lot of “sometime between these days, this happened”. Feel free to pick a day in that range to your heart’s content.

If you don’t like the day I picked for little things like Bea walking in on face time, or coming out to June, feel free to change it.

I didn’t bold everything I’m certain on, as I technically don’t have textual evidence to back it up. (Things like the wedding day, Alex and Henry’s texts at in the beginning, some things during the campaign.)

I’m 100% willing to answer questions on why I chose certain days, and any other questions or comments you may have!

MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD

**Aug. 28, 2019 (Wed.) — Alex starts classes at Georgetown, Winter Semester 2019

Sep. 7-Sep. 8, 2019 (Sat.-Sun.) (p. 5-6) — Alex and June attend an event and listen to an hour and a half of speeches about carbon emissions. June is whisked away to a star studded gala. Alex shows up to the presidential suite with a bottle of champagne. Around 4 a.m. Alex leaves after fake hooking up with Nora.

Sep. 12, 2019 (Th.) (p. 3-8) — June and Alex go over the tabloids. Alex has been working on a research paper all week

Sep. 13, 2019 (Fri.) (p. 8-12) — The US crew flies to London. 

6 a.m. EST: Take off. 

5 p.m. BST: Land in London. (Wiggle the take off time to your heart’s content. Flight is around 6 hours give or take for Air Force 1, plus time to and from the airport, plus the time change. The flight time is “11 hours” with the time change if that helps you calculate the landing time in London.) They potentially have 1-2 appearances that evening.

Sep. 14, 2019 (Sat.) (p. 12-20) — The royal wedding. The US crew has 1-2 appearances before arriving at the ceremony. The ceremony happens. Reception happens at a Buckingham ballroom. The White House Trio chats, Henry dances with June. Alex finds Henry hovering by the champagne fountain and they argue. Alex trips over his own foot and crashes into the $75k wedding cake, pulling Henry down with him.

Sep. 16, 2019 (Mon.) (p. 21-27) — Alex gets chewed out over the Incident by Zahra and the President in a White House briefing room. He gets told he will be leaving Saturday to make nice with Henry in England.

Sometime between Mon. Sep. 16 and Fri. Sep. 20, 2019 (p. 27-32) —  Alex, Nora, and June meet in the Whitehouse and go over the HRH Prince Henry Fact Sheet. Alex bemoans the fact that he just finished his midterms.

Sep. 21, 2019 (Sat.) (p. 32-37) — Alex leaves in the early a.m. EST and arrives late afternoon/early evening in London. (11-12 hour difference in takeoff time to landing time. Note, this is just DC to Lon., not the other way round.). Meets Henry at the stable and a royal photographer takes pictures.

Sep. 22, 2019 (Sun.) (p. 37-53) — 12:00 a.m.: Alex is wide awake and goes into the kitchen for a snack. Henry stumbles in, and Alex posts a photo of them with their ice cream on Instagram.

9 a.m.: Interview with The Morning.

Afternoon meeting with cancer patients. Alex and Henry spend some time in the closet chatting after fireworks are mistaken for gunshots. Before his flight home, Alex puts his number in Henry’s phone. Likely lands around 7-8 p.m. EST.

Sep. 27, 2019 (Fri.) (p. 54-61) — Alex has a lecture on presidential sex scandals. Texts Nora about the probability of one of them having a sex scandal by the end of the second term and she replies with 94% and a link to a gifset of Henry and Alex at The Morning where someone has commented “omfg make out already”. Alex meets with Rafael Luna after his class.

Sometime between Sep. 27, 2019 (Fri.) and Oct. 6, 2019 (Sun.) (p. 61-68) — June, Alex, Leo, and Ellen have dinner together. June texts Alex to have dinner and he forgets to respond until 1.5 hours later when Ellen texts about family dinner. She offers them jobs in the campaign and June turns it down the next morning.

Oct. 9, 2019 (Wed.) (p. 68) — Henry texts Alex while Alex is in a policy lecture. His opening line is “this bloke looks like you” with a picture of the Ewok Chief Chirpa from Return of the Jedi.

Oct. 16, 2019 (Wed.) (p. 68-69) — Alex finally responds a week later after seeing a headline on the cover of People about Henry in Australia with a photo of him in a pair of minuscule navy swim trunks. “you have a lot of moles. is that a result of the inbreeding?

Oct. 18, 2019 (Fri.) (p. 69) — Henry texts Alex a screenshot of a Daily Mail tweet that says “Is Alex Claremont-Diaz going to be a father?” with the caption “But we were ever so careful, dear.” Henry texts Alex a screenshot of a Daily Mail tweet that says “Is Alex Claremont-Diaz going to be a father?” with the caption “But we were ever so careful, dear.” Alex gets ejected from Zahra’s weekly debriefing meeting with him and June.

Oct. 19-Oct. 28, 2019 (Sat.-Mon.) (p. 69-71) — Henry and Alex text regularly on a variety of topics including family, friends, beer, boats, and Hogwarts houses.

**Oct. 29, 2019 (Tue.) (p. 71-72) — Henry texts Alex about being in a meeting with Philip. Later that night Alex replies, asking what the meeting was about.

**Oct. 30, 2019 (Wed.) (p. 73) — 1:07 p.m. EST Henry and Alex text about Henry’s grey tie in his instagram post.

**Nov. 17, 2019 (Sun.) (p. 74) — 11:04 a.m. EST: Henry receives a box of Ellen Claremont campaign buttons with Alex’s face on them. Sniffer dogs were nearly called after the security theme thought it was a bomb. Alex and Henry text about it.

**Nov. 25, 2019 (Mon.) (p. 75-84) — Alex finds out that the turkeys his mom will be pardoning have been staying in the Willard Hotel on taxpayers dime. He convinces her to put them in his room.

10 p.m. EST/3 a.m. GMT: Alex regrets his decisions. He calls Henry to prove they’re as terrifying as Alex claims and they have a long conversation about the turkeys, Henry’s pets, and how Henry surprises Alex.

**Dec. 8, 2019 (Sun.) (p. 84) — 8:53 p.m. EST: Alex texts Henry about a Bond marathon happening on TV. He asks if Henry knows his dad was a total babe, which Henry replies with “I BEG YOU NOT”

*Dec. 20, 2019 (Fri.) (p. 84-85) — Ellen reads an article in the Post with the headline “Senator Oscar Diaz Returns to DC For Holidays With Ex-Wife President Claremont”. She continues to stress about decorations in the Lincoln Bedroom for Oscar.

*Dec. 21, 2019 (Sat.) (p. 85) — Oscar Diaz arrives at the White House. June nearly breaks a vase launching herself into his arms. Oscar and June disappear to the chocolate shop on the ground floor.

*Dec. 22, 2019 (Sun.) (p. 85-86) — Oscar and Alex bond over a cigar on the Truman Balcony.

*Dec. 23, 2019 (Mon.) (p. 87) — Alex catches Oscar in the kitchens with two of the cooks, laughing and dumping peppers into a pot.

*Dec. 21-23, 2019 (Sat.-Mon.) (p. 86-87) — Alex wishes it could be like this more often and misses having everyone under one roof.

**Dec. 24, 2019 (Tue.) (p. 87-95) — Christmas dinner is held on Christmas Eve so Zahra can still attend. Zahra wears a sensible red turtleneck. Alex wears a sweater covered in bright green tinsel. ‘O Christmas Tree” plays out of a speaker near his armpit when he presses a button on the inside of his sleeve. Dinner conversation moves to the election. Oscar and Ellen argue. Alex loses his temper and leaves.

9:30 p.m. EST/2:30 a.m. GMT: Alex changes into an old lacrosse shirt and calls Henry. Henry is wearing candy cane pjs. Alex tells Henry about the divorce and what happened at dinner and only realizes he’s been talking for an hour when henry says “It sounds like you did your best.) June knocks on the door and Alex hangs up after thanking Henry and wishing him a Merry Christmas.

10:30 p.m.: June and Alex talk about what happened after Alex left and then Alex tells her he was talking to Henry, not Nora.

**Dec. 26, 2019 (Th.) (p. 95-97) — Alex spends the day going over waivers for the “Legendary Balls Out Bananas White House Trio New Year’s Eve Party” aka “The Young America New Year’s Eve Gala” aka “The Millennial Correspondents Dinner”.

Dec. 27, 2019 (Fri.) (p. 96-97) — Alex discovers Henry is coming to the party and bringing Pez when he glances at the final guest list while the Trio are looking at confetti samples and eating cake samples.

**Dec. 31, 2019 (Tue.) (p. 97-103) — Pez posts a picture of him and Henry on a private jet headed to DC with the caption “USA bound! #YoungAmericaGala2019” Pez has dyed his hair pastel pink, and Henry is wearing a grey sweatshirt. Alex texts Henry that he will be wearing a burgundy suit and warns Henry to not attempt to outshine Alex, as he will fail and Alex will be embarrassed for him. Henry replies “Wouldn’t dream of it”. After that the Trio begins getting ready. Nora’s short curls are swept to the side with a matching silver pin to the geometric designs on the bodice of her black dress. June’s gown is midnight blue and perfectly compliments the navy-and-gold color palette they chose for the party.

8 p.m.: Guests begin to arrive. The first wave includes some White House interns, and the daughter of a first time Senator and her girlfriend. The second wave is the politically strategic invites chosen by the press team, and finally the fashionably late, including Minor to mid-range popstars and the children of major celebrities.

Pez and Henry show up. Pez is in a colorful floral print shiny silk bomber jacket. Henry is wearing a simple dark blue suit with a bright coppery-mustard tie in a narrow cut. Alex realizes this is the first time they’ve seen each other in person since their weekend in London and feels like he’s meeting a new person.

There's dancing and mingling, and June makes a speech about the immigration fund they’re supporting with their donations. June and Henry talk at the bar.

The live band breaks and the DJ takes over. Alex finds out Henry hasn’t ever dry humped to “Get Low”. There’s more dancing and crowd pleasers until midnight.

11:59 p.m.: They huddle together for the countdown.

**Jan. 1, 2020 (Wed.) (p. 103-108) — 12:00 a.m. Nora kisses Alex

Alex loses track of things. Alex goes looking for Henry. He eventually finds him under a tree. They talk. Henry is vague and Alex is dummy thicc. Henry calls Alex thick and kisses him. Henry pulls away and disappears from the party.

*Jan. 1-Jan. 4, 2020 (Th.-Sat.) (p. 109) — Alex tries listening in on his mom’s meeting as a distraction but can’t pay attention. Zahra bans him from the West Wing.

*Jan. 5-Jan 7, 2020 (Sun.-Tue.) (p. 109) — Alex studies bills going through Congress and considers making the rounds at the Senate or starting a rumor with Nora, but he has no enthusiasm.

**Jan. 8, 2020 (Wed.) (p. 109) — Alex begins his final semester at Georgetown.

*Jan. 9-Jan. 14, 2020 (Th.-Tue.) (p. 109) — Alex throws himself into classwork, meets with the social secretary to plan his graduation dinner. Henry doesn’t answer his texts.

*Jan. 15, 2020 (Wed.) (p. 110-114) — June is fed up with Alex’s pacing and takes him out for a run. Alex does some introspection. Alex tells his mom he wants to start his campaign job now, instead of waiting until he graduates.

*Jan. 20, 2020 (Mon.) (p. 115) — Alex starts his new job at the campaign offices.

*Jan. 20-Jan. 25, 2020 (Mon.-Fri.) (p. 115-116) — Alex puts 23 hours into his new job and Definitely Does Not Think About Henry.

*Sometime between Jan. 25 and Jan 29, 2020 (Fri.-Wed.) (p. 116-122) — Alex comes out to Nora and tells her about Henry.

*Jan. 30, 2020 (Th.) (p. 122-127) — Alex rushes from work to his lecture and review and returns to the White House in a bad mood. June has the week’s tabloids. Alex freaks out at the idea that Henry is going on a date with a girl. Alex finally realizes he’s not straight. Alex calls Liam.

*Jan. 31, 2020 (Fri.) (p. 128-146)  — The state dinner. There's a hot makeout session and Alexander Hamilton watches.

10:48 p.m.: Alex paces around his room.

10:54 p.m. Henry arrives at Alex’s rooms

*Feb. 1, 2020 (Sat.) (p. 122) — Alex has a campaign event in Nebraska

Feb. 13, 2020 (Th.) (p. 146-147) — Henry informs Alex of a charity polo match in Greenwich, Connecticut. That evening, June asks why he’s bailing on the fund-raiser he’s meant to be at

**Feb. 15, 2020 (Sat.) (p. 147-152) — The polo match. Alex spends 4.5 hours driving up, stays for 3 hours, and then drives 4.5 hours back.

**March 3, 2020 (Tue.) (p. 152) — 7:32 p.m. EST: Alex sends Henry an email asking if he will be in Paris for a fundraiser that weekend.

**March 4, 2020, (Wed.) (p. 152-156) — 2:14 a.m.-2:43 a.m.: Henry replies, and eventually concedes after a brief back and forth.

*March 7-8, 2020 (Sat.-Sun.) (p. 157-158) — Henry and Alex have a clandestine hookup in Paris and spend the night together.

*March 8, 2020 (Sun.) (p. 158) — Zahra texts Alex a screenshot of a buzzfeed article about him and Henry.

*March 9-March 27, 2020 (Mon.-Fri.) (p. 158-159) — Alex and Henry continue to text.

Sometime between March 23 and 26, 2020 (Mon.-Th.) (p. 159) — Alex tells Henry about a voter drive he will be attending in NYC at the end of March and Henry re-schedules his visit to NYC for that weekend.

*March 27, 2020 (Fri.) (p. 159) — Alex and Henry celebrate their birthdays with champagne and a buttercream cupcake.

April 1, 2020 (Wed.) (p. 159) — Alex convinces Henry to download Snapchat.

April 4, 2020 (Sat.) (p. 159) — Henry sends a snap of him on a sailboat.

April 5, 2020 (Sun.) (p. 182) — Bea walks in on an after-dark FaceTime session.

April 9, 2020 (Th.) (p. 160) — Henry is right that Remus John Lupin is gay as the day is long and won’t hear a word against it.

April 10, 2020 (Fri.) (p. 161) — June notices the photo of the man with AIDS protesting pinned over Alex’s desk

*April 11, 2020 (Sat.) (p. 162) — Henry and Alex meet at a gala in Berlin. Alex ties Henry’s wrists to the bedpost.

*April 13, 2020 (Mon.) (p. 162-163) — Zahra notices the hickeys on Alex’s neck at the weekly briefing.

*April 25, 2020 (Sat.) (p. 163-173) — Someone paints “Powder Princess” on the side of Bea’s car. Late afternoon EST: Henry and Alex have a phone call largely centered around family.

April 30, 2020 (Th.) (p. 173-182) — 9:44 p.m.: Alex redraws districts in Texas and misses dinner with June. After getting back to the Residence, June reveals she’s known about Alex and Henry the whole time.

*May 2, 2020 (Sat.) (p. 183-185) — 4 a.m. EST/9 a.m. BST: Alex FaceTimes Henry and Pez at Llwynywermod.

**May 1-9, 2020 (Fri.-Sat.) (p. 185) — Georgetown finals week

**May 15, 2020 (Fri.) (p. 186-189) — Alex graduates summa cum laude from Georgetown. Jacinto drops out, making Richards the official Republican nominee. Alex eavesdrops on a conversation between Rafael Luna and Oscar Diaz.

Sometime between May 16 and May 22, 2020 (Sat.-Fri.) (p. 189) — Henry invites the Trio to a fund-raiser in LA the next weekend.

*May 30, 2020 (Sat.) (p. 189-200) — Alex gets lunch with his dad, who changes the subject every time Alex brings up the conversation with Luba. Alex attends the fund-raiser in LA followed by partying. Henry and Alex fuck.

*May 31, 2020 (Sun.) (p. 200-201) — 7:00 a.m.: Alex and Henry wake up. June, Nora, and Pez are heavily implied to have had a threesome. Alex realizes he has friends now.

**June 8, 2020 (Mon.) (p. 202-206) — 3:23 p.m.-7:21 p.m. EST:  Henry and Alex exchange emails.

**June 13, 2020 (Sat.) (p. 207) — Alex misses his first DC pride while in Nevada. He “talks to his minibar about it”

*June 20, 2020 (Sat.) (p. 207) — Houston rally at Minute Maid Park.

*June 22, 2020 (Mon.) (p. 207-210) — Alex argues with WASPy Hunter about Texas. Alex looks up LSAT testing centers in DC.

*June 23, 2020 (Tue.) (p. 210-213) — Alex texts the groupchat “3 Geniuses and Alex” with Nora, Bea, and Henry asking where his speech for Milwaukee is.

Sometime between June 24 and July 3, 2020 (Wed.-Fri.) (p. 213) — Alex receives an invitation to Wimbledon

*July 5, 2020 (Sun.) (p. 213) — 10:20 p.m. EST: Alex takes off from DC for London.

**July 6, 2020 (Mon.) (p. 213-221) — Alex spends his one day off from the campaign at Wimbledon with Henry.

10:35 a.m. BST: Alex lands in London.

11:30 a.m.: Alex makes it through customs and Henry and Shaan pick him up at the airport.

12:30 p.m.: Arrival at Wimbledon

1:00 p.m.: The first game at Central Court begins

4:00 p.m.: Philip and Martha show up. Philip is an idiot that says “Morning”. Bea, like a smart person, says “Afternoon”. Henry and Philip argue, and Henry runs off.

4:10 p.m.: Alex finds Henry in the clubhouse

4:12 p.m.: Henry “shows Alex round the clubhouse”. Alex and Henry cum for the first time

After that they go to Kensington. Henry plays the piano for a while. They make out for what could be hours. They move to Henry’s room where Henry, at least, cums for the second time that day. Alex spends almost an hour making Henry cum for a third time. After that, Henry asks Alex to fuck him again, where Henry cums for the fourth time that day, and Alex cums for at least the second time, possibly a third time.

Alex takes hours to sleep.

*July 7, 2020 (Tue.) (p. 221-222) — 9:00 a.m. BST: Alex flies home to DC and lands around 9:10 a.m. EST for DNC prep.

The Richards campaign leaks they’ve tapped an independant.

*July 9, 2020 (Th.) (p. 222) — Claremont campaign releases the official platform.

*July 11, 2020 (Sun.) (p. 221-222) — Richards holds a rally at Vanderbilt University. 

**July 14, 2020 (Tue.) (p. 223-224) — The gang flies to NYC on the evening of the second day of the DNC.

9:00 p.m.: The Richards campaign announces that the Independent senator joining Richards’s cabinet is Rafael Luna.

9:15 p.m.: Air Force One lands and the White House crew goes into crisis management meetings. Alex texts Luna “What the fuck”

11:00 p.m.: Luna responds “I don’t expect you to understand”.

*July 15, 2020 (Wed.) (p. 224-234) — 12:00 a.m.: Alex and June leave meetings and get harassed by a Post reporter. June goes to bed, and Alex goes to the bar where he meets Henry. They retire to Alex’s room.

6:45 a.m.: Zahra wakes Alex (and Henry) up, and discovers their relationship.

July 20, 2020 (Mon.) (p. 235-239) — 1:00 p.m.: Alex comes out to his mother.

2:00 p.m. — Ellen gives a PowerPoint presentation, then makes Alex do paperwork and kicks him off the campaign.

**Aug. 10, 2020 (Mon.) (p. 239-247) 1:04 a.m.-8:22 p.m. EST — Henry and Alex exchange emails about the complex nature of their relationship, and Alex extends an invite to the lake house.

*Aug. 22, 2020 (Sat.) (p. 247-257) — Day one of the lake house. The Trio arrive earlier, possibly on Friday. Early morning: They gas up the car before taking it to the hangar to pick up Henry in Austin. 1.5 hours — The drive to the lake. They arrive, Oscar welcomes everyone. Alex barbecues ribs. They spend the evening after dinner singing and playing guitar. Alex and Henry sleep in separate bunks

*Aug. 23, 2020 (Sun.) (p. 257-264) — Day two of the lake house. Alex makes breakfast. In the afternoon, Henry talks to Oscar about boats and outboard motors. They swim. That night, Henry and Alex go skinny dipping

*Aug. 24, 2020 (Mon.) (p. 264-265) — Alex wakes up to find that Henry has left.

*Aug. 25, 2020 (Tue.) (p. 266, 267) —  Alex sends five texts to Henry. He also paces on the roof of the residence and wrecks his heels.

*Aug. 26, 2020 (Wed.) (p. 266) — Alex sends two texts to Henry.

*Aug. 27, 2020 (Thu.) (p. 266) — Alex sends no texts to Henry.

*Aug. 28, 2020 (Fri.) (p. 266) — Alex trains himself to check his phone after two hours instead of one.

Sometime between Aug. 25-28 (Tue.-Fri.) (p. 267) — Alex’s Claremont for America mug is smashed in the sink. 2.5 different dreams of Henry’s hair. An email is drafted and deleted.

*Aug. 29, 2020 (Sat.) (p. 267) — Luna makes his fifth campaign stop for Richards. Alex breaks his phone screen and it is replaced by the end of the day.

*Aug. 31, 2020 (Mon.) (p. 267-276) —  Alex finds the note Henry left in the pocket of his kimono and smashes his phone.

5:45 a.m. EST/10 a.m. BST: Alex buys first class nonstop tickets for him and Cash and sends Cash a text.

7:45 a.m./12:45 p.m.: Alex and Cash’s flight begins boarding

8:00 a.m./1:00 p.m.: Alex and Cash’s flight leaves Dulles for London. Alex calls Zahra on the runways and asks her to call them a car in London

3:15 p.m./8:15 p.m.: The plane lands and they leave for Kensington

4:00 p.m./9:00 p.m.: They arrive in Kensington.

*Sep. 1, 2020 (Tue.) (p. 276-284) — Henry goes for a run. Philip eats plain toast. They have a conversation in the kitchen. Alex wakes up alone. Henry brings Alex coffee. They spend the day together.

**Sep. 2, 2020 (Wed.) (p. 284-293) — 2:00 a.m.: Henry and Alex sneak out and explore the V&A.

5:00 a.m. EST/10:00 a.m. BST: Alex and Cash’s plane departs from Heathrow to Dulles.

3:00 p.m. EST/8:00 p.m. BST: Alex arrives back home.

5:12 p.m. EST: Alex emails Henry to say he arrived back home

**Sep. 3, 2020 (Th.) (p. 294-297) — 2:49 a.m. EST: Henry replies, mentions he’s considering coming out to Philip and he may have to enlist.

6:20 a.m. EST: Alex responds, worried that Henry might have to enlist. He is supportive of Henry coming out.

**Sep. 4, 2020 (Fri.) (p. 297-304) — 7:58 p.m. EST: Henry says he came out to Philip and talks about putting memories into rooms.

8:31 p.m. EST: Alex responds and sends Henry an incomplete list.

Sep. 14, 2020 (Mon.) (p. 305-310) — Zahra shows up with a diamond ring at the breakfast weekly brief. Footage of Henry and Alex at the DNC is leaked. June posts a photo of her and Henry on instagram and it spreads within hours. 

Alex takes Nora on a fake date as Henry flies to DC. Henry lands in the middle of the night.

Sep. 15, 2020 (Tue.) (310-313) — June lets Alex into her SUV in the morning on the way to her fake date with Henry. After an hour at the cafe, Henry and Alex meet in the SUV and kiss. They don’t notice when someone takes pictures

*Sep. 24, 2020 (Th.) (p. 314-318) — Alex meets with Luna and comes out to him. He returns to the residence, attempts to call Henry, and then gets drunk.

**Sep. 25, 2020 (Fri.) (p. 319-321) — 3:21 a.m. EST/8:21 a.m. BST: Alex sends a drunk email.

6:07 a.m./11:07 a.m.: Henry replies.

**Sep. 27, 2020 (Sun.) (p. 321-344) — Email Leak Day 

3 a.m. EST/8 a.m. BST: News breaks.

3:23 a.m./8:23 a.m. Zahra wakes Alex up and puts him on communications lockdown. Alex meets with his mom.

6:00 a.m./11:00 a.m.: Philip arrives at Kensington

8:00 a.m./3:00 p.m.: Alex gets out of meetings, starts napping

1:00 p.m./6:00 p.m.: Zahra tells Alex to pack a bag

7:00 p.m./12:00: They arrive at Kensington

11:00 p.m./4:00 a.m.: Alex finally climbs into bed next to Henry.

*Sep. 28, 2020 (Mon.) (p. 344-358) — Philip shows up at Kensington, hair uncombed and suit askew. Philip yells at them in the kitchen about breaking the communication embargo. Henry leaves, and Alex follows and leaves Philip red in the kitchen.

6:00 a.m./11:00 a.m.: They meet with the queen.

Alex takes a photo of a mural and posts it on Twitter on his way to the airplane

**Sep. 29, 2020 (Tue.) (p. 358-367) —  9:15 p.m. Jezebel tweets about DC Dykes on Bikes chasing Westboro Baptist protesters down Pennsylvania Ave.

Alex gets back to DC. Nora comes busting in with proof.

*Sep. 30, 2020 (Wed.) (p. 367-370) — The White House leaks proof of the Richarads campaign stalking, surveilling, hacking, and outing Alex. Rafael Luna announces on twitter he has left the campaign. The podcast Bills, Bills, Bills, records an episode about it.

**Oct. 2, 2020 (Fri.) (p. 370-383) — In the morning, Alex gives his speech, which June wrote. Henry is there to support him. They make out for like 45-55 minutes before the speech. Jeffrey Richards goes on CNN. Alex sees Luna in his office. Luna tells Alex about his past with Richards.

*Oct. 3, 2020 (Sat.) (p. 375) —  A crowd at the Mall. Cash, Amy, and Amy’s wife are there.

*Oct. 4, 2020 (Sun.) (p. 383-385, 409) — 7:32 a.m.: The boys wake up. 

9:30 a.m.: Henry leaves back to England.

Alex goes back to the campaign trail. Liam calls.

*Oct. 4-10, 2020 (Sun.-Sat.) (p. 389) — The crown makes decisions about what to do about the emails: re Bea's addiction reveal, and Henry enlisting.

Sometime between Oct. 11-17, 2020 (Sun.-Sat.) (p. 391) — Philip has a falling out with the queen and apologizes to Henry and Bea.

Sometime between Oct. 25-31, 2020 (Sun.-Sat.) (p. 386-392) — The photoshoot in Hyde park.

*Nov. 2, 2020 (Mon.) (p. 393-399) — Day before election day. Alex struggles to pick a tie. June gets a book deal. The Trio falls asleep in the bed together.

**Nov. 3, 2020 (Tue.) (p. 400-418) —  Election day

Alex votes.

6:00 p.m.: The Trio arrives at the election night event.

6:37 p.m. Henry texts Alex about plane troubles.

7:32 p.m.: Oliver Westbrook from Bills, Bills, Bills tweets about GOPers backing Richards even after everything that’s happened.

8:04 p.m.: 538 politics tweets that they’re confused about Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin being too close to call.

9:15 p.m.: NYT tweets that Claremont is at 178 and Richards is at 113

9:30 p.m.: Ellen worries about losing and asks June to write a concession speech. June refuses. Alex makes a speech. Henry finally arrives.

10:30 p.m.: Richards takes Iowa, Utah, and Montana. Claremont gets California’s 55 electoral votes.

12:00 a.m.: Claremont has the lead. Alex runs into Liam. Florida and Nevada go red.

12:30 a.m.: Texas goes blue.

1:00 a.m.: Alex unlocks the door with the key around his neck.

[dailybeastarsthings]

Chapter 7 - Lunch Date With My Victim 7.2. The Beginning Of A Bittersweet Friendship

‘Ah, finally!’ Kibi thought after slamming the door at Legoshi’s face, leaving him behind to get the roses for the Drama Club’s New Student Welcome Event. ‘I want to be as far from her as possible…’

As he was walking down the stairs, Kibi was thinking about the chat earlier that day between him and his two friends, Oryx, an antelope student, and Makoto, Mizuchi’s boyfriend.

‘Hey, Makoto, you’ve got some white fur on you’ Oryx said.

‘Really!? Where?’ Makoto asked.

‘Right here on your vest… and some here, too’ Oryx replied while taking small strings of fur off of the other’s vest.

‘Oh well… you see… the thing is… I had a date with this really cute dwarf rabbit’ Makoto said while giggling. He was kind of embarrassed after being caught red-handed, but he was still proud. Typical male behavior.

‘What?’ Kibi yelled in frustration. ‘Don’t you have a girlfriend?’

‘Yeah… So tell me, how are you the “best rare species couple” again?’ Oryx added.

‘You’re only saying that because you don’t know her! She’s really cute and she’s fun to talk to. She’s super refreshing and really sexy, too!’ Makoto replied to the attacks.

‘Now hold on a minute…’ Oryx said with a mysterious look on his face. ‘Is she in the Gardening Club?’

‘Well… I think so.’

‘Her body is pure white. Not a single stripe or mark.’

‘Umm… How do you know this?’ Makoto’s frustration started to grow.

‘She has a bad sleeping posture and when she’s done she makes sure to clean up the room before getting out.’

‘WHAT!? Did you sleep with her, too?’ Makoto felt his heart sink. He thought that he could finally find someone to spend quality time with just to get his hopes trampled on by someone else. And maybe not just one candidate…

‘Wow, so that makes sense. I bet she doesn’t care whether her targets are single or taken…’

‘You mean… she’s using other males as fodder, too? No wonder she seemed so experienced…’

The topic of the conversation made Kibi uncomfortable. He believed that such private matters are not to be discussed with others, even if those others are friends or family. He just wanted to leave but Oryx’s description of the rabbit girl stuck with him…

‘Fodder? Come on, she’s just a bunny’ he said.

‘Nope. That’s a good word. Once she catches you, she’ll swallow you whole and spit your bones out. You better watch yourself. Females like her are more savage than any carnivore could ever be.’

Those words resonated in Kibi’s head for a long time.

‘Well… I don’t think she’ll do any of that to a wolf. Especially not Legoshi…’ And with that, Kibi left the Gardening Club behind for good.

***

The cafeteria was packed with animals of all sizes. During afternoon hours, the cafeteria served as gathering and meeting point for students, enjoying cakes, coffee and other desserts, which were served. These items were not part of the daily menu but they were always available.

As Legoshi and Haru were standing in the line, they felt the many looks on them from others. It made them feel quite uncomfortable. They didn’t say a word to each other or others. The silence was almost deafening. It was Haru, who finally began to break down the wall between them.

‘So, what are you getting? Personally, I was thinking about getting a raspberry shake with some sweet berry and yogurt parfait.’ she said.

Legoshi looked at her kind of awkwardly. He felt uncomfortable by the looks around him. He didn’t quite know how to answer such a question. What should he ask for? Something he would like or something more preferable by herbivores to avoid scaring her? He looked at the menu again and carefully read it through.

‘What should I get? Cherry pies are too sticky for me and I’d just make a mess of myself… I don’t really like parfaits… Coffee makes my breath smell bad… Caramel-apple pies are too sweet… Key lime pies are kinda good, but this kitchen lady always burns the bottom of it… wait… They have egg sandwiches! Jackpot! And perhaps a glass of red berry juice!’

‘So?’ Haru asked with a curious look on her face, trying to figure out the thoughts of the wolf, who both seemed confused and annoyed at the same time.

‘Oh, sorry!’ Legoshi replied. ‘I totally zoned out. But I think I’ll get an egg sandwich and a glass of red berry juice. I hope me eating an egg sandwich in front of you isn’t offensive or anything to you.’

‘Don’t worry about that, I don’t mind carnivores eating foods like that. Plus, you need eggs for cakes and such, so…’ Haru said.

When it was their turn, Haru asked for their meals. The kitchen lady served them without a word but even she couldn’t help herself and send a judging look towards them.

‘I guess it’s unusual for others to see a large carnivore and a small herbivore having snacks together?’ Legoshi thought. They searched for a seat and then finally sat down near one of the giant oaks in the hall. With each passing student, they were disgusted expressions, or being gossiped about. It started to become frustrating for both of them…

‘Why don’t we get to know each other a little better to deter our minds from what others might be thinking about this whole situation of us eating together?’ Haru suggested.

‘That would be amazing’ Legoshi replied. He felt kind of nervous though. He had no idea how to have a proper conversation with others.

‘Awesome, you go first!’ Haru said.

Legoshi took a deep breath and began.

‘My name is Legoshi. I’m a grey wolf, as you can see, and I’m a second year student. I’m a stagehand in the Drama Club. I like…’

‘Wait!’ Haru interrupted. ‘This is not some sort of job interview or speed dating, take your time and don’t just throw information at me. Why don’t we take turns?’

‘What do you mean?’

‘Let me make an example. I’m Haru. I’m a third year Netherland dwarf rabbit and I’m the only member of the Gardening Club. I like taking care of plants and listening to music. What do you enjoy doing in your free time?’

‘Well… I don’t really know to be honest. I like bugs and reading weather reports. I’m really happy when they report about the possibility of rain.’

‘I see. And what do you like about insects?’

‘That they can’t hurt me like others. Most of them seem to like me because I’m trying to be as gentle to them as possible.’

‘I understand you. Sometimes others just hurt you or spread rumors about you just because you’re different from them.’

‘What kind of rumors are they spreading about you?’

‘It always changes. Gossip spreads among small animals like wildfires. But it doesn’t really bother me anymore. The latest is that I prey on male students to spend my nights with. I guess that’s a pretty good explanation as to why others are looking at us like that.’

‘I’m sorry about that. I can just go if this makes you uncomfortable…’

‘You don’t have to. I don’t care what they think about me. But enough of that. What do you do as a stage hand?’

‘Well, I take care of the lights and help out the costumes department. I also run errands the leaders ask me to do, like getting supplies, asking for help and such. I also do the cleaning most of the time since wolves’ vision is pretty good in the dark, so we can save money on the electric bill.’

‘That’s awesome. How does your night vision work? I’m usually blind in the dark.’

‘Well, I mostly see stuff as I see them in the light but they are a bit darker in color. I think that’s the easiest way to describe it.’

The conversation went on for a good few hours. Legoshi and Haru ended up having dinner together, too. They talked about school issues, common interests, likes and dislikes. They enjoyed their time together with quite a lot of laughing included. It was almost 8 pm when they realized how much they kept talking.

‘Goodness, look at the time!’ Haru said. ‘I honestly can’t remember when was the last time, I enjoyed myself with someone this much.’

‘Me too. It was nice getting to know you. But I have to run now. I have some homework to take care of. See you around’ Legoshi said while waving goodbye.

‘Bye, Legoshi’ Haru said with a smile. After a long time, she felt like she met a genuinely nice character. ‘There is still some good in this world. Don’t lose your light, Legoshi.’ she thought.

As Legoshi was leaving the cafeteria, he bumped into Kibi. He was still kind of frustrated after he used his excuse against him but he still felt a bit thankful so he could at least have a nice afternoon.

‘Hey, Legoshi!’ Kibi said. ‘I’m sorry I left you there. I was waiting for you to come back.’

‘Kibi… Why did you leave me there?’ Legoshi replied.

‘Before that, did anything happen?’

‘No, not really.’

‘Really? That’s good. So… The reason I was running down the stairs four steps at a time was because I was afraid of running into trouble.’

‘Well, there wasn’t any trouble, so what were you afraid of?’

��Well, there’s this bunny who’s pretty famous around the herbivores. Apparently, she seduced many males and she’s really dangerous to be around… Basically, she’s a slut’ Kibi sighed. ‘Hard to believe, right? She looks so quiet, too… But hey, she wouldn’t try to make a move on a wolf, right? Did she say anything to you?’

Legoshi couldn’t believe what he just heard from Kibi. His words tasted like lead and were just as toxic. He couldn’t believe others would spread such rumors just because of someone being different. After a moment of thinking, he answered.

‘She did. She told me that she really cares about her flowers… She treats them like her own children. I want to talk to the stage crew to suggest getting the flowers from some place else. I think she has some issues, but she is a nice girl if you get to know her a little more. But I have to go now. Bye!’

With that, Legoshi left Kibi behind, who just couldn’t quite process Legoshi’s words. He couldn’t believe how mature he acted despite his young age. He stared after him as the wolf was slownly disappearing in the crowd.

[mggpleasedontlookhere]

unexpected, expected beginnings pt. 2

Summary: Ice skating was tolerable, especially with Jonathan by Y/N’s side, but how will things be during dinner?

word count: 1,487                                                                                     reading time aprox: 5 mins

part 1

Narrator’s pov

It seems that the hours of prancing on ice with Jonathan has uplifted Y/N’s spirits as her smile seemed brighter and her eyes shone a natural glow. Although, their sore feet and aching ankles has sent them into a quarry of discomfort and exhaustion, without even mentioning the unspeakable roars Y/N’s stomach began to produce. 

With this, they’ve gathered their belongings and made their merry way to a familiar diner near the ice rink, bringing along our jubilant Timothee and his companion. 

y/n’s pov

With one foot into the door, being held graciously by Jonathan, the variant smells of waffle fries and homemade pecan pie hugged my nose. I took in a generous inhale as chatter filled the cozy and inviting atmosphere, a smile appearing on my face. A small event in which was inadvertently reciprocated by Timothee while he observed from afar, but soon fell short as Jonathan did the same. 

I gave Jonathan a curt nod, thanking him for the simple gentlemen act and proceeded to grab a round booth at the corner of the restaurant. Shortly after, a waitress came by to give us menus and take orders, spilling out the daily special and various deserts offered after dinner. 

I turned around to speak to Jonathan next to me, but was cut off by Timothee’s voice hastily overpowering my own. 

“Jon, what are you ordering?” He asked, staring intently at his menu, not bothering with the simple courtesy of eye contact. 

“Uh...I’ll take some homemade lasagna with a coke” He responded scanning the menu in front of me. 

“I want some lasagna too” Timothee’s company chided in, speaking with such a perky and shrill voice that made me want to stuff my ears; Timothee giving her a dreary smile in response. 

Focusing on my own menu, I browsed through the array of combos, drinks, and something that resembled my uncle Tom’s sunday meat loaf, until, I recognized my go-to meal.

I went to speak up, but the waitress had already arrived, leaving my mouth at an inopportune state once again. With that, I closed my menu, letting out a breath of impertinence and proceeded with the evening.  

“What would everybody like this fine day?” She had asked, peering at all of us while she took out her notepad. 

“Uhh, I would like New York style waffle fries with a grilled chicken wrap, if you’ll have me” Timothee began, humorously ordering the same platter he would always have when we’d go out on our late night dates. “Also, two orders of Lasagna and-” He paused, turning to Jonathan and the girl. “Jon you said you wanted a milkshake right?” 

With a nod from Jonathan, he directed his attention to the girl beside him that was neatly folding her napkin into- what looked like a goose that had been run over by a tractor many times. 

“Mikaile?” He asked, awaiting her response. 

Mikaile, huh, so that’s her name. Mikalie the one who can’t skate. Mikalie with the shrill voice. Mikalie who folds her napkins into crippled birds. How...imaginative?

“I’ll have the same as Jonathan, please” She replied. 

Well at least she has manners. 

The waitress nimbly wrote the orders down, humming while she did so. Anticipating for Timothee to finish, I took this as an opportunity to announce what I was going to order, in which I was again left with my tongue stapled to the roof of my mouth as I was, apparently, unable to speak with Timothee dictating the table. 

“Yes, two orders of chocolate milkshakes for them, an ice tea for me...” He continued. I leaned back on my chair, crossing my arms in discontent, scoffing at the complete disregard he’s been displaying in the duration of dinner. Nevertheless, I was proven wrong when catching the last bit of his order. 

“...and for Y/N, Parmesan chicken with extra Mac’n Cheese on the side with a peach ice tea, please” Timothee ordered with a sense of confidence in his tone. 

I pinched the skin of my knuckle, hiding the redness forming on my cheeks while Jonathan and Mikalie stared at me with surprise and underlying malice. Then, Timothee did the unthinkable and bore straight into my eyes stating, “Unless that isn’t your favorite anymore” hiding the smirk tugging at his lips. 

“That would be fine” I replied in the most conquerable diplomatic tone and strayed my eyes away from his, attempting to be stone cold. 

With a nod, the waitress gathered our menus and hurried off into the kitchen. Timmy then paid his attention to his guest, ignoring the silent standoff that occured and proceeded to whisper sweet nothings to her. I scoffed as I visibly peered at the two, a sinking feeling in my stomach really eliminating any hunger I had. Until, I felt a warm hand clasp over my clenched ones. There lay Jonathan’s palms, his fingers running over my thumb as a comforting gesture. 

I smiled at him in appreciation, scooching over to lay my head on his shoulder for some reassurance and warmth, while I processed my emotions. 

-

After dinner, we all agreed to walk each other to the 7 train, chatting about school and our future plans. 

“I want to be an engineer” said Jonathan. “After finishing up my 2 years in Columbia, I want to transfer to M.I.T” He elaborated, staring forward at the streetlights, like his future was laid out in front of him. “I know it may sound ambitious and cra-” He bashfully began justifying, before I cut him off. 

“No, no. I think it’s amazing that your aspirations are out of this world, not a lot of people have that sort of luxury” I replied, a forlorn expression crossing my face which seemed to have caught Timmy’s attention as he listened to mine and Jonathan’s conversation. 

“Well didn’t you want to be a surgeon Y/N?” Timothee proposed out of nowhere. I turned to observe him, noticing the stale sympathetic gaze that his eyes would uncover.

“Well, yes. But, I don’t think that I have enough- or am good enough to” 

“I know you’re good enough Y/N. You’re capable and intelligent, I know whatever you put your mind to, you’ll do” Timothee butted in, speaking with such authority and displease the second he heard the words begin to form on my lips. “At least, well- at least that’s what I’ve learned in the many years  that I’ve known you-” He paused, hesitating to continue, while he kicked the small pebbles that were scattered along the cracked sidewalk. 

“And trust me, I know you”

No one said anything after that, Jonathan had tried clearing his throat a few times to make small talk, but I’d reply with dry responses as my mind was too hectic. A plethora of uncensored thoughts would run around my head in a frenzy, disturbing any sort of sanity I upheld. 

It seemed to be the same for Timothee as he gazed at his phone screen, not even looking up to reply whenever his date would speak to him. Mikalie would occasionally glance sideways at me and Timothee, suspicious of the whole interaction, but kept quiet the whole way to the station. 

When we arrived, we said our silent goodbyes as I hugged Jonathan and gave a mannerable nod at Mikalie, watching them as they turned their backs and boarded the train. Jonathan stared at me from the window with a pitiful, yet reassuring look, seeing that I was left alone with Timothee. With that, the train’s engine began to chug, eliciting an ear piercing noise while the wheels grazed against the metal tracks. 

“It’s amazing how we’ve lived in New York for the longest and I still can’t get over that noi-” He attempted to make small talk, gazing at the invisible stars above. 

“Okay, what do you want Timmy? Because I- I’m so tired of dealing with you, especially tonight” I shook my head at him in frustration, my mouth unable to form the words fast enough to keep up with the unladylike thoughts running through my mind. “Like the dinner, the ice rink, th-the impromptu inspirational speech, like who are you Oprah?” 

“Well, I wish I was Op-”

“Oh my god, Timmy. You’re actually deranged, it’s incredible” 

“You think I’m incredible”

“I can’t. Just what was all that. Th-then, your date and-nd like, why her?”

I continued to ramble my uncensored thoughts with every breath, pacing back and forth like a lunatic as I dragged my fingers through my hair. I would’ve proceeded to spend the night scolding Timothee, but it seemed like he had other plans as cupped my cheeks in both his hands and decided to press his lips against my rambling ones for a few seconds, then pulling away. 

“Pardon me, you’ve always looked cute when you were mad and it looked like you were losing oxygen by how red your face was beginning to appear”  

[thethoughtsfromthreeam]

Sunshine

Pairing: Maxwell Lord x OC (Evelyn “Evie” Blaker)

Warnings: Smut (male masturbation)

A/N: The block that’s been sitting on me for this story is easing back and I feel pretty good about it!  Think we’re gonna top out around 7 or 8 parts, which is killing me y’all, cause this was suppose to be a smutty one shot.  Lordy gee.

Reminder:  I ain’t ever seen Pedro Pascal in FUCK ALL, I’m just coming up with this as I go along, using imdb.com, wiki, and 84,000 tabs I got open to plan out this shit.  I also write soft versions of his characters so if you’re craving asshole vibes, I ain’t got any but my own to offer.

Tags:  @zeldasayer , @romanticgumchewer, @beskars​ , @coolmaybelateruniverse , @the-feckless-wonder, @lavenderl3mons , @pascalisthepunkest , @mandoandyodito​ , @randomness501 , @fioccodineveautunnale  

[PART 1]  [PART 2]  [PART 3]

Part 4 

Small Steps Towards New Beginnings

The mid-afternoon sun brightened Evie’s office, giving her a bit of an energy bump as she sat hunched in her chair, eyes focused on the computer screen in front of her.  She was lost in her work until her phone buzzed.  Again.  For the fifth time in half an hour.  

She sighed but remained focused on the accounting chart in front of her.  If these damn numbers didn’t add up. . .  As she wrote down some questions and numbers, her desk phone rang.  She grabbed it and Sarah, her assistant, was on the other line.

“You have a call on line one.” Sarah’s monotone voice came through the receiver.

“I said to hold calls for the next three hours, Sarah.”  Evie’s voice was calm, but mentally she was pounding her head into a desk.  This was too important to be interrupted by a phone call.  Her request had been a simple one and yet here she was.

“Call on line one.”  Sarah hung up and Evie closed her eyes and sighed deeply.  Five minutes, whoever it was is getting five minutes.  And then they better leave her the hell alone.

“Do you ever answer your phone?”  The rich timber of Maxwell’s voice sent a shiver up her spine, but she didn’t miss what sounded like a petulant tone to his voice.

“Not when I’m in the middle of reviewing accounts.  Are you the one blowing up my phone?”

“I’m hardly blowing up anything.”  Oh, yeah, he was sounding petulant.  Evie’s mouth lifted into a lopsided grin as she reached for her phone and unlocked it.

“That’s funny because it says I have received five rather lengthy messages from one Maxwell Lord in the last thirty minutes.  Are you not Maxwell Lord?  Or has another Maxwell Lord invaded my world without me knowing?”  His grunt on the other end of the line made her smile a little wickedly.  If he wanted to childish, then she’d treat him like one.

“If you’d just answer your messages. . .”  Evie put down her cell and went back to her columns, letting Maxwell’s voice drone in the background.  She was only half listening when he said the word tonight.

“Wait, what?  Tonight what?”

“You’re not even listening to me.” He sounded disappointed.

“Not really.  I told you I’m reviewing accounts.  And now you can’t accuse me of not being honest with you.”

“I said, there is a gala tonight, I want you to come with me.”

“I can’t.”  On his end of the line Maxwell looked shocked, he fully expected her to say yes.

“What do you mean?  Of course, you can.”  The look of incredulousness on Evie’s face would have made anyone watching her bust out in hearty laughter.  Was the man serious?  He was serious.  She bowed her head and pinched the bridge of her nose.

“Max.”  Her voice was soft, and he unconsciously leaned into the phone as if to be caressed by it. “I will be pulling long hours today and for at least the next day or so.  The financial reporting protocols put in after Don came on board are super detailed. It’s a lot of work and I must be the one reviewing it all.

“Plus, I don’t have a gown for a gala, and I don’t have the time to go get one, plus the time to get ready.  It’s already three and the train takes almost two hours to get down to the city, plus the drive to the venue.  It just isn’t feasible.”

“Complete your reports on the train, I’ll have a gown waiting for you when you arrive, and you can get ready in the car.  You’ve done it before.”  He wasn’t begging he told himself, he wasn’t.  She sighed.

“That’s true, but that’s not the point.  I just can’t.”

“Evie.”  His tone had an undercurrent of want that he tried to hide, but she knew.  She wanted him, too, and a small part of her wished she lived closer so she could see him whenever she wanted.  But life wasn’t a romance novel and she was a working girl determined to keep the company she loved alive and thriving.

“I’m sorry Max.  I really am. But I have got to get back to these numbers.  I’ll call you tonight if it’s not too late.”

“I don’t care if its late.  I want to hear your voice.”  She smiled softly.

“If it’s not too late.  Good-bye Max.”  He grunted on the other end and hung up.  It wasn’t as if Maxwell had expected her to come running every time he called, but he supposed he did since he was so used to getting his way.  He wanted to see her whenever he wanted to, and a small part of his brain kept insisting that wasn’t realistic.  The rest of his brain, however, seemed to have taken up residence in his pants, becoming more demanding as each day passed.

---***---

The morning after they slept together, Maxwell woke up feeling better than he had in a long time and was nearly giddy when he rolled over and saw Evie sleeping peacefully next to him.  She was curled under the covers, a hand under her cheek and lips open slightly. He could see her hair spread across the pillow and his fingers itched to touch it.  He was surprised how her lying next to him felt so natural.

Most women he bedded left not long after they were done and the few that made it to morning were quickly ushered out of the house.  He had only dated a handful of times over the last few years and each one fizzled out as soon as he lost interest, or they got tired of being one more thing in his life that he controlled.

Evie shuffled around in her sleep, mumbling a bit, before she felt herself bump up against Maxwell.  She settled in and her breathing continued to be even and deep.  Taking a chance, he slid his arm under her head and pulled her closer. He was rewarded when she laid her hand on his chest.  He brushed the top of her head with his lips in a soft kiss and laid his cheek down.  

Mornings were a practical affair for him – getting up, preparing for the day, grabbing whatever breakfast his cook made for him, and then out the door into the office.  He glanced at the clock and saw that it was after eight and he smiled.  He never stayed in bed after five during the week and yet he felt no hurry to get up and chase the day.  Maybe he should take an early start to the weekend and spend it in bed with Evie.

He found himself wondering, again, what it was about her that had him in such knots.  It wasn’t as if he hadn’t encountered women like her before – happy-go-lucky women with an easy laugh on their lips and a twinkle in their eye.  And yet the very thought of her turned him on and he felt like a horny teenager again – a simple brush of her skin on his, the smell of her hair, or even just listening to her honeyed voice made him hard as hell.

Stop questioning it, idiot, this small voice inside him cried out. You’ve got something good, go with it.

---***---

Evie groaned as she flopped onto her bed.  What should have taken two days took five and the long hours that went with it were killing her.  She lost her whole weekend to the mess that was still their finances and now she felt like she was going to die of exhaustion.  She thought they were done with the nonsense and yet here she was, once again sprinting a marathon.  Adding this on top of everything else for the last year and Evie buried her face into the blanket and screamed until her voice gave out.

Feeling marginally better, she kicked off her shoes and curled up with a pillow.  The Catskills twilight blanketed her room as she drew her phone out of her pocket and pulled up her messages.  Maxwell had texted her earlier, hoping she was getting better sleep now that everything was done and that he missed her.  Her heart constricted in her chest at the message.  This man.

It had been almost a month since their date in the city and while she hadn’t had a chance to see him again nor him her, they had been in near constant communication with texts, calls, and even a few video chats.  He worked long hours and on occasion, so did she, but they made it work for now.  Her body craved his and she found herself waking to dreams of him, left wanting so terribly that she had to touch herself to find relief.  

He hadn’t been necessarily pushy, but sometimes he got unrealistic in his requests or chats.  But, after their conversation about the gala, Maxwell seemed to step back and throughout the week he sent supportive texts during the day, nothing that required an immediate response but gave her the little boosts she needed as things went from tough to worse.  

She also came to work to find fresh flowers on her desk and lunch delivered to her daily from her favorite café near the office.  He didn’t stop there, he also made sure dinner was delivered and she had to admit that if he hadn’t sent anything, she’d probably would have spent the last five days living off ginger ale and antacids as she had in past accounting binges.  She though wryly of the thirty pounds she stress-lost after Grant bounced out of the company, taking his stolen funds with him.

She had heard rumors that Maxwell liked to buy the affections of women he was attracted to, but she was certain what he had done this week was not the same.  It’s not that she thought she was particularly different than other women he dated (were they dating, her brain asked), but something about the behavior seemed genuine and she felt as if she could become lost in him if he kept this all up.  

Her thumb hovered over the call button as she yawned.  She was tired, but she really needed to hear his voice. That deep cadence that always sent shivers to the most intimate parts of her and wove throughout her dreams.  She still hadn’t figured out why she was so attracted to him so viscerally, but she was mollified with the idea that he seemed just as deep.  

She hit the button.  He picked up on the second ring.

“Evie.”  She could see his smile in her head, it matched the one growing on her own face.

“Max.”

“You know, no one ever calls me that.”

“Would you prefer Maxwell?”

“Only when you come for me.”  His voice deepened even more, and she shivered at the thought. 

“You are a bad man.”

“Of course, how do you think I got where I’m at?”

“Your parents.”  She deadpanned her comment and he barked out a harsh laugh.  She wasn’t wrong.  She giggled as his laughs got harder.  They were both a little slap-happy and it was showing in their conversation.

“Touché, Evie.”  The laughter died down and his toned changed.  “How are you holding up?  It’s been a long week for you.”

“It has.”  She sighed as she rubbed her eyes.  She wasn’t sure how much longer she was going to be able to stay awake.  “Thank you for everything.  It made the week go by that much faster.”

“Good.  I’m glad. You sound terrible, almost like you’ve been screaming.”

“I was earlier.”  She paused and dropped her voice, a tone of uncertainty lacing through it.  “Was your invitation to come for a visit real?  I’m due for some time off and I could really use it.”

“Yes.”  She barely got the words out when he answered her.  She breathed a sigh of relief and they continued to talk a little longer about her coming to visit as soon as she could before she became so drowsy that she was forced to hang up.  As she stumbled through her evening routine, she couldn’t help but feel a tinge of excitement about a week in the city with Maxwell all to herself.

As she hit the covers and fell into a dreamless sleep, hours south of her, Maxwell sat in his study, cell phone resting against his chin while lost in thought. He had been staring of into space, thinking about Evie and his blood hummed at the idea that he would soon have a whole week of her to himself.  

Finally, he thought. He set down his phone on the desk preparing to get up, but as he kept thinking about her, his cock began to stir.  He remained sitting in his chair as his thoughts wandered to the first night they slept together, and he could feel himself start to harden at the memory of her sighs and moans as he pleasured her.  

He loosened his tie and took it off, undoing the top buttons of his shirt, hoping for relief from the sudden heat that coursed through him.  A couple of times their conversations over the last few weeks delved into more intimate territory and he recalled one of those chats where he could hear how wet she was over the phone.  It was a beautiful sound and his mouth watered at the memory, his tongue wanting so badly to dip into her core and taste her.

His breath began to quicken as he unbuttoned the cuff of his sleeves and rolled them up.  He just couldn’t seem to cool down any, it was as if he was under the unrelenting blaze of a desert sun.  Then his mind took another turn and he was inundated with the memory of her riding atop him and Maxwell was as hard a rock instantaneously, almost painful in its swiftness.

He never had a lover demand so much of him in bed and he was surprised to find he liked it.  It wasn’t as if he gave up control, it was as Evie said – they were equals.  And something about that ignited a fire in his blood and again he found himself in awe at the woman who was doing what no other lover had done before her.  He unbuttoned the rest of his shirt and yanked his undershirt from the waistband of his pants.  He was so damn hot.

He shifted in his chair to relieve the pressure in his pants and accidentally brushed his hand across the bulge there.  He hissed at the pleasure that unfurled in his gut and he shuttered. He tried to gain control again, but the specter of Evie Blaker was wrapping itself around him and her ghostly lips whispered carnal things in his ear.  

He groaned as he could feel her ghostly hands draw their fingers down his neck, to his chest, and across his erection.  His whole body felt like it was on fire, the pleasure so overwhelming he could feel the sweat beading along his hairline.

As if possessed, Maxwell’s hand dropped back to his crotch and he rubbed his hand over himself, groaning loudly. The soft cotton of his boxers touched the most sensitive parts of his cock and he gritted his teeth as he legs began to shake. He unconsciously shifted his hips forward into his palm, chasing the pleasure he wanted.  

He felt hard and hot under his own hand and for a moment he imagined that hand to be Evie’s.  To stop the shakiness of his legs, he planted his feet firmly on the ground, forcing his body to shift forward and slightly recline.  His eyes dropped to his bulge, his precum creating a dark stain.  He knew it was his, but his carnal brain imagined it was Evie who left it on him, soaking him as she came in his hand like she did that first night.

He threw his head back, and a flush of pleasure crept up his chest and into his face, making his eyes sparkle darker in the soft light of his desk lamp. Evie’s voice sounded in his ear again, a soft, whispery moan of his name.  No one ever called him Max, only her and through the haze of his lust, he felt as if her use of the nickname was a brand on him – marking him as hers.

His hair fell into his eyes as his head lolled forward and he brushed it away absentmindedly.  He couldn’t handle the fabric rubbing against him anymore and he unzipped his pants to draw out his cock.  It was hard and covered in precum.  

He ran a finger up the length of his erection, and he hissed at the sensation.  Spitting into his hand, he fully grabbed himself and began to jerk his hand, gripping himself harder at the head as Evie had done when she rode him.  His body shook harder and his left leg bounced without stopping as he got closer to his orgasm.

Maxwell grabbed the arm of his chair with his free hand as he began to work faster.  He was so close and yet he didn’t want it to end so soon, hoping to draw out the fantasy before it was gone.  But the ghostly Evie wrapped its fingers around his heart and his hand, whispering for him to let go.  The orgasm that tore through him ripped a primal yell from his throat that almost hurt, and he could feel his toes curl.  He dropped back in his chair, covered in his own cum and his cock pulsing with the aftershocks of his climax.  His chest heaved at the exertion and he was certain he looked a mess.  But, after a beat he began to laugh.  This woman of his.

[mariacallous]

NYT Love Letter 12/11/2020

Many extroverts have gone to extreme measures for a social fix during the pandemic. Albertina Coacci, a self-proclaimed people person, turned to daily phone calls with strangers to pass the time while in lockdown in Italy. What started as a harmless habit soon led to an affair of sorts with a man who spoke her love language: baking.

MODERN LOVE

“He sent me a picture of steamy, homemade bread, still inside a Le Creuset casserole, and the image actually made me feel aroused.”

He Seduced Me With Bread

Modern Love

An Italian woman, trapped in lockdown, takes daily calls from strangers until she finds one who really knows how to cook.

By Albertina Coacci

For those who tried to maintain some semblance of a dating life during quarantine, connecting with singles over Zoom or video chat became the norm. But many who felt an attraction while connecting online said they found that the chemistry was lacking in person.

Why are you meeting in person wtf

LOVE AND MARRIAGE

They made no space for sadness at their ceremony and reception.

That New York Vibe and a Life in San Diego

VOWS

Ana Bowens and Benjamin Schenk, who met at Dartmouth, had a pared-down guest list and ditched the reception dance floor in favor of contests and talent shows.

By Tammy La Gorce

In Sickness and in Health, They Stayed in Sync

mini-vows

Jessica Vande Werken and Robin Goode supported each other when Ms. Goode received a breast cancer diagnosis. Almost a year later, they unknowingly made appointments to pick out engagement rings at the same shop, on the same day.

By Emma Grillo

By now, 2020 wedding guests have read the boilerplate. “In light of Covid-19, we want to let you know your health and safety are our top priority,” banners at the top of wedding websites say. This is often followed by this year’s version of the big reveal: whether the wedding is on or off.

Ana Bowens and Benjamin Schenk didn’t bother with any of that when planning their Nov. 7 wedding in Brooklyn. Instead, they challenged the 40 remaining friends and family members on their pared-down guest list to come up with the most intensive personal protection equipment and said that their reception would skip dancing — “It’s so 2019” — in favor of a talent show in a more socially distant theater. A mask protocol left little room for rule breakers to misinterpret: “The only time you’ll remove masks is when you’re eating and drinking,” guests were told in a prewedding email blast.

Those who know Ms. Bowens and Mr. Schenk could not have been surprised by their take-charge approach to avoiding the spread of the virus. Mr. Schenk especially has earned a reputation for determination. His immersive courtship of Ms. Bowens, a woman who he at first thought seemed out of his league, is an example, though his fortitude would fail him a few times.

Mr. Schenk and Ms. Bowens first saw each other across a table of lobster rolls at the Hanover Inn near Dartmouth College in September 2008. Both were incoming freshmen who had been invited to a welcome-to-college lunch organized by their mutual adviser. The conversation wasn’t exactly scintillating. “It was incredibly dull and forced, but my default is to be gregarious, so I tried to get people talking,” Mr. Schenk said. His single-handed efforts to liven things up did not go unnoticed by Ms. Bowens. “I distinctly remember him being incredibly talkative and loud,” she said.

Her impression of him softened after lunch when he offered to let her go before him for individual meetings with the adviser. “I thought, ‘Well, that’s nice,’” she said. “But I don’t know if I’ll ever interact with this person again.” Mr. Schenk had doubts about that himself, given her East Coast élan.

Ms. Bowens, 30, is a New Yorker. At age 4, she moved to Manhattan from Southern California with her mother, Judith Bowens, younger brother, Max Bowens, and maternal grandmother, Dena Diamant, after her parents divorced; her father, John William Bowens, lives in Arizona.

“My mom always wanted to live and raise a family in New York,” she said. She made it happen through a career in fashion, first as vice president of store operations for Barneys, and currently as manager of the DTech Lab at the Fashion Institute of Technology. Ms. Bowens’s city background, disclosed during the lobster roll lunch when the table took turns introducing themselves, instantly branded her as inaccessible to Mr. Schenk.

“You have to understand my frame of reference for New Yorkers,” he said. “I had never ventured beyond Times Square. When she said she was from New York, I saw it through a ‘Gossip Girl’ lens. I’m like, OK, we’ve got a Blair here. There’s no way a person like me is going to connect with a person like that.”

Mr. Schenk, also 30, is a native of San Diego. He didn’t expect to get into an Ivy League college. “Everything I did in high school was tethered to the goal of going to U.C.L.A.,” he said.

His father, Frederick Schenk, a partner in the law firm CaseyGerry, and his aunt, Lynn Schenk, a 1970s feminist who served in the U.S. House of Representatives, are devoted U.C.L.A. alumni. His mother, Shari Friedman Schenk, is a retired director of marketing at the San Diego law firm CaseyGerry. He grew up with two younger sisters, Michaela and Sydney.

“I was indoctrinated to U.C.L.A. in the womb,” he said. “All I wanted when I was growing up was to be a counselor at their alumni camp.” His application to Dartmouth was on a whim. Before he found his footing there, he suspected — not incorrectly, Ms. Bowens said — that he came across as an overeager suburbanite.

HOW IS THIS “SOCIAL DISTANCING”

The sophistication he sensed he was lacking didn’t stop him from making friends, though, and by winter even Ms. Bowens started seeming relatable. “I would see her at hockey games,” he said. “She would sit in the front row wearing one of her distinctive scarves and I would sit in the 30th row watching her get really into it, yelling and banging on the glass. When I saw her wearing her emotions on her sleeve that way, whatever preconceived notions I had of this person being aloof were shattered.”

At the beginning of their sophomore year, he met her friend Jen Buchholz, who was also learning CPR in preparation for a five-day Dartmouth wilderness trip. “I asked Jen who her friends are as a way of getting to know her,” he said. “When she said Ana Bowens, I let out this very guttural, ‘Oh, I dig her vibe.’” That night, Ms. Bowens, emboldened by a Keystone Light at a fraternity party, would do something that would stunt Mr. Schenk’s college dating experience.

“She put her hand on my chest, flicked her hair, and said, ‘So, I hear you dig my vibe,’” he said. Mr. Schenk was knocked sideways. “The moment she did that, I decided I wanted to learn everything I could about her as quickly as possible.” The start of a fierce campaign to become her boyfriend had begun.

At first, Ms. Bowens indulged it. When she wasn’t meeting him to study or hang out with mutual friends, she was answering his long, inquisitive emails. “I learned how ambitious and intelligent she was and that her mother and uncle are U.C.L.A. alumni,” he said. “When she told me she was Jewish, which is important to me, I was like, ‘OK, let’s wrap this up.’” His bid to cut the getting-to-know-you phase and move onto something more serious was premature.

Only three weeks into sophomore year, over a hangout on the futon in his dorm room, he asked her to a Portugal.the Man concert under the condition that she attend as his girlfriend. Ms. Bowens, taken aback, said no and left his dorm immediately. “I was freaked out,” she said. “It was way too much pressure.”

Over the phone, she told her mother what had happened. Judith Bowens was less alarmed by the boldness of her daughter’s suitor, then quick to recognize his plan. “I told her Benjamin was playing the long game,” Ms. Bowens said. “He wanted this to become something that would last.”

She may as well have read his mind. “In the dorm room, I wasn’t thinking, Ana just trampled on my heart,” he said. “I was thinking, What’s my next move?”

It would take a while before he could execute it. In the spring of 2010, Mr. Schenk emailed Ms. Bowens an Arcade Fire song. Though she had given him the cold shoulder for months, her reluctance to resume the relationship started fading. She was on alert again when he showed up in the car of a friend who drove her from New York to Dartmouth for the start of a summer term.

“Benjamin weaseled his way into driving with this friend,” she said. But within weeks they were a couple.

A few days later, they weren’t. Again.

Outside Dartmouth’s Baker-Berry Library in Summer 2010, Ms. Bowens told him they should just be friends. “It was too much too fast,” she said. Mr. Schenk demanded a handshake and stormed away. When she wrote him two days later to say she had made a mistake and regretted the breakup, relief flooded over him. “I responded immediately,” he said. They wouldn’t break up again until Spring 2012, just before graduation.

Both continued their education after Dartmouth, Ms. Bowens to the University of Pennsylvania for a master’s degree in social work and Mr. Schenk for a doctor of law degree at the University of San Diego School of Law. Each spent a few years in New York before enrolling. They talked regularly and occasionally met for dates. Ms. Bowens is now a case manager at the University of California San Diego. Mr. Schenk is the chief executive of the Civic Group, an affordable housing provider in San Diego.

Their 2012 breakup had been a mutual decision. “Both of us felt like we wanted to do some exploration,” Ms. Bowens said. “It killed me,” Mr. Schenk said. Once again, Ms. Bowens’s ties to New York threw him.

“I always knew I would go back to San Diego,” he said. Doing so, he felt, was a way of honoring his grandfather, Sidney Schenk, a Holocaust survivor. “My family narrative is one of displacement,” he said.

In October 2015, he quit his job and bought a one-way ticket to California from New York. When Ms. Bowens said she found out, “I felt really thrown and disoriented.” They didn’t talk for nearly a year, until the 2016 presidential election, when Ms. Bowens held a gathering at her apartment for what she expected to be Hillary Clinton’s victory. “It turned into a really distressing evening,” she said. “I had this moment of internal crisis, and at that moment I realized Benjamin was the only person I wanted to talk to.”

The following spring, she flew to San Diego for a visit. “We put it all out there,” she said. “We decided right then we wanted to build a life together.”

Two years later, Mr. Schenk took a diamond ring that had belonged to his grandmother with him on a trip to the East Coast. On March 2, 2019, he proposed by the Dartmouth College library bench where she had broken up with him years before. “I said, ‘Ana Bowens, I dig your vibe. Marry me and I promise you won’t regret it.’”

They were preparing for a Nov. 7, 2020, wedding for 140 guests at the Wythe Hotel in Brooklyn when the coronavirus made its unwelcome debut. “We had watched some of our friends have their wedding dates come and go and turn into a sad day,” Ms. Bowens said. They made no space for sadness at their Covid-conscious ceremony and reception for 40 at the Wythe.

Ms. Bowens, in a lacy dress by the Israeli designer Dany Mizrachi customized by a former F.I.T. student of Judith Bowens, walked down an open-air aisle with her mother. Judith Bowens also had a hand in Mr. Schenk’s wedding clothes, designing his navy pinstripe suit with him before it was tailored at Martin Greenfield Clothiers in Brooklyn.

Rabbi David Ingber, who met the couple under a white floral huppah, urged them to seek and honor the infinite mystery of each other. In handwritten vows, Ms. Bowens promised to never regard their love as practical and to remain curious about Mr. Schenk. Mr. Schenk started by noting that he had been magnetized to her for 11 years. “I vow to love you the way you deserve — passionately and persistently — until I am no more,” he said.

Seconds later, with the Jewish tradition of stomping on a glass, they were married.

On This Day

When Nov. 7, 2020

Where The Wythe Hotel, Brooklyn

Let the Games Begin 

Highlights during the theater-in-the-round reception included a choreographed tap dance by the groom’s sisters and two performances parodying “Body.by.BenAna” a Zoom fitness class the couple started while social distancing. In one, two friends from Dartmouth dressed up in workout clothes and led a two-minute workout skit for the crowd.

And the Winner J

ake Hytken, a friend of the groom, won the most intensive personal protection contest with a bedazzled mask, medical-grade face shield and helmet. He was awarded a bottle of champagne.

[jennadrawsandgames]

Don’t Go Alone - A Creepypasta OC Story

Before I get into the story, I want to tell you all that this is an original character I created. A story told in a different person’s perspective. Other than that, I hope you enjoy.

-

I’ve never expected that this town was the heart of missing people. Just the other day, a report of three middle school children went missing. I was fazzing out whenever the news reports talked about the children, and their names. I mean, they didn’t matter. I’m not some type of investigator or police officer. I’m just an average teacher at the prep school downtown that opened just months ago. If I needed to know the children’s names, then I would care. Besides, their just about to become high schoolers. They can take care of themselves.

“Mr. Johnson, the principal was hoping to see you.” Katie, my TA told me as she dropped the class phone, snapping me out of a minor transition.

“Oh, okay. Thank you Katie.” I replied to the high schooler.

She looked kinda disappointed in me when I was just leaving the empty classroom. It’s like she’s missing something. I brushed it off so I can focus on what’s coming to me now.

The empty halls filled with lost papers of homework, little doodles, and missing papers of students. Just having the feeling I’m missing something myself. It must’ve been the coffee from this morning.

I managed to get into the office to meet with the principal, but everyone seemed to be depressed over something. It’s just washing over everyone. I just see the man waiting for me in the doorway like always.

“Good morning Johnson.”

“G-good morning sir.” I just felt so hesitant when the words came out of my mouth.

“Come in. I need to chat with you for a moment.”

He let me into the office. It was just filled with many papers of bills and missing papers of students and some teachers over the last few months. You can’t even see his desk with all of these papers from worried parents and government officials and complaints of how unsafe the school can be from the amount of people going missing.

“You must be wondering why I wanted you in my office.” William Woodrow gave me a grin hoping for the response I’ll give back.

“I was sir. You called me while I was preparing for my English classes with my TA when you called.” I replied back still feeling worried on where this conversation is going.

“Look, we’re not getting a good reputation with all these complaints of missing children and one of our own students going on a homiside just in October. I also looked into your resimay and your were in the army. Aren’t I correct Johnson?”

“Whoa-wait. What does being part of the military 4 years ago have to deal with being a teacher?”

“We need your help to find those missing children. I hate the school getting a bad reputation because the parents are coming to me instead of the government about their children.”

“Sir, I don’t want to look back into my military past. I never wanted to speak about it ever again. Please just let me be the thing I wanted to be-.”

“That’s why I’m not giving you an option. You do what you’re told to do, and you’ll do it.”

I went silent when he stated that to me.

“That’s what a thought. You and some other teachers will begin the search tonight, 7 pm. You’re the only one who knows how to use a gun, so you’ll be leading the group. I hope to see good results from you like always.”

I started to leave the room since that was the only thing he needed me for. My question is why Principal Woodrow making me and other teachers be a search party? Most of these children could be faking of going missing just to make is an excuse to not do school. I only signed up to become a teacher after leaving my past life behind. The tactics they’re teaching in the Army were very sketchy like we’re going for war against each other. I’m just a black individual trying to live a better life, not make it worse for myself.

The day continued on like how it should be, but I can’t get that thought out of my head. The principal has now gone insane. I just had to accept this offer. I need this job. If I lose the job, I lose everything. I wish it didn’t have to be this way.

It’s about 6:30 pm when some other teachers started to arrive at the meeting point. Most of them will back out of it and lie about the search. They eventually left at 7:00 out of the fact there’s no use to it. I went into the entrance of the woods all by myself. It sucked to not have others around me for support.

“Pussies. They pretend to be something they aren’t. Just man up and we’ll find out the truth.” I told myself since nobody was around.

The entrance to the woods is gone even from not making that much progress in. It gave me the chills to see only trees and freshly made foot prints from last night. This must’ve been where those children went.

It’s been getting darker, almost pitch-black. It feels like forever since I last entered in. Especially how I still found nothing. I was at the point of giving up when I found a stench coming from around the area. It smelled like flesh being cut opened just recently. I stepped onto a log, but it felt so squishy? The stench grew stronger the more I stepped onto these logs.

I looked down to see exactly what I was stepping on and was shocked. These weren’t logs at all. These were the children that went missing last night. I was so shocked that I couldn’t move at all. Fear just swallowed me up whole.

“You know, it’s funny to say for a man like you to be a fucking wimp and stand up for yourself.” A voice giggled around me.

“Who-who’s there? I got a gun and I’m not afraid to use it!”

“Andrew Johnson. English teacher at Pacific Prep. A private educational school for middle schoolers and high schoolers. It sucks how shady the government is to use students from that school as extermination weapons.”

“The fuck you’re talking about and how do you know my name?”

“That’s a secret for another day, if you can last. Everyone knows not to enter into my woods alone, or at least my father’s woods.”

I shine my phone’s flashlight around, hoping to find where the voice is coming from. This has to be a student prank.

“Show me your fucking face you bitch!”

“Aw.. You called me a bitch. Such an insult from a ‘holy man’ like you. You can say I’ve known you for a while now. Just hiding behind a mask.”

I managed to finally find some movement of a girl wearing one of the school’s uniforms? Half her face was covered with a mask that’s covered in blood. The worst part was how bloody the uniform was. I can see her holding a pistol of some kind. It was a custom made pistol.

“Uh oh.. You found me~.”

“G-get away you monster!”

She jumped down from the trees cocking the pistol up. I felt so defenseless when I met eye-to-eye.

“Who are you?”

“You can say I died in October, but never did. You can say the one who helped the government kill protesters that were fighting for their rights. You can also say I’m the girl who was falsely accused for many fights I’ve never started before getting suspended for breaking a bitches’ nose.”

“Evelyn Brooks? Holy shit. How are you alive?”

“I never died. I only escape. They thought I was the mouse, but I was really the cat with the mouse in my hands. Well bummer that you now know a lot. I could keep you alive, but that would never be fun.”

She didn’t answer my question. Well she did, but why like that? I just realized I still have my gun fully loaded, so I can get back alive. I quickly aimed at her arm and tried to shoot her, but she was already gone.

“Oh now we’re playing. Only one gets out alive.” Her voice rings inside my head as my hands gripped right onto the gun barrel. That’s when I felt a sharp object hit my back. I turned around to see nothing, but it happened again.

Shit, she’s too fast. I don’t even know where she is anymore. I need to think to get out alive. I’m already losing a lot of blood were also too deep in for anyone to hear a person. I just grabbed the gun and shot around the area hoping to hit the girl.

I ran out of ammo just at my second turning. This became bad, to worse. From at top, I see the girl firing shots at me. She was only grazed by some of the bullets, but nothing else. I was in complete shock how this girl survived that without being badly hurt. She definitely knows what she’s doing which makes it the worst part of it. She shot 5 times and all of the bullets hit me in my arms and legs. It just hurts to move anymore and dropped to the ground on top of the dead children’s bodies.

“You know, that wasn’t a bad fight you put up. The first one to manage a hit onto me. And I don’t go by ‘Evelyn Brooks.’ I go by Eve.” She says as she shoots the final bullet into my head and rips the knives out of my back. My body lies there as everything goes black.

-

“This is the daily news for today. This morning police officers found 4 bodies known to be the 3 children that went missing and the fourth one being the man of Andrew Johnson. A teacher for Pacific Prep. Before he was found dead, some teachers saw him enter into the woods near the town around 7:00 pm. He was the only teacher that fully consented to search for the missing children which the school funded a search party to find the students. Police also found a pistol that was there at the crime scene and looked into the gun and saw something they would never expected. Engraved within the gun, ‘Project EVE.’ Were theorizing that this gun to the owner was responsible for the murders of all of those peaceful protesters from October, to December.”

“We also heard about another student that goes to Pacific Prep, Skylar Evans, was considered dead by the government. Before she went missing last month, she was last spotted walking from a small cafe before heading to the school. They claimed to find her dead in the woods as well during the search party that happened earlier this morning. We’re not sure this is true, so we’ll keep the investigation ongoing. That’s all of the news for today.”

The television turns off with people surrounding the area.

“It’s nice to know you’re back from keeping the people away from our territory.”

“I did find someone hiding that was eating some flesh while I was on my way back. Her name, Skylar Evans, but she would be preferred to be called ‘Patient Ø.’”

“Thank you for the information Eve. We’ll have you get her to us tonight, so we can meet her.”

[emma-nation]

Within You - Bloodbound AU- Chapter 1

Summary: One year after defeating Gaius, the gang has finally found peace… Until a tragic incident awakens the ultimate and most dangerous threat they ever faced.

Genre: Angst/Adventure/Romance

Rating: T - Warning for violence and language

Notes:

- Sequel to the fics For You, In The Daylight and Without You. You can read all of them here.

- Sorry to everyone who liked my plot about The First Vampire. I wrote it before Book 2 release and now I really felt like changing it, as I want to explore some characters and elements from the original BB universe in this fic. 

- Slightly NSFW alert/Minor Nightbound crossover

Tag List: @supersphynxsworld​, @lightning-fury​, @spacecarrousel​, @tigerbryn11, @gavryllo​, @annabellewerecorgi​, @whoinvitedalx​, @sheyah​, @imnotdonewiththeelementalists​, @scaryqueenbee, @bigmemesplz, @la-guerra-69, @kamilahsayeed-owns-me​, @morvengarde​, @tephy24​, @iam-the-fuckin-queen​​​, @voltos9, @scorpistraub​​​, @leavemeandmyshipsalone​​​, @jen825​​​, @andreear17​​​, @justejuste727​​​, @aureliaxj, @graceschoices​​​, @sleeping-with-her06, @galaxyside-0​​, @msuhailey, @zoe6111​​, @noodledragon22​​​, @tigerbryn11, @shanuuh​​, @ilovetaylor13m​​, @honorablebicycle​​, @ilovekamilahsayeed​​, @allaboutchoices​​, @fal-carrington​​, @scarlet-letter-a0114

Lysimachus

The previous night had been intense. A failed attempt to perform a ritual to bring back a loved one resulted in someone summoning some sort of demon instead. It took three hunters to contain the threat. Even being a vampire, Lysimachus still felt sore and bruised from the battle.

"What time is it?" He rubbed his eyes and checked his phone screen. 9:36 AM. And about ten unread messages from his sister. Kamilah was extremely upset because he hadn't picked up her calls.

"Same old Kamilah," even almost two years after their reunion, her habit of acting so overprotective of him would never die. He needed to let her know, every single day, he was alive and well. "Oh shit."

The last message wasn't another complaint, but a summoning from Adrian. A Council meeting was scheduled for that night. Being one of the six Clan leaders, he was forced to attend. The subject was said to be highly important and related to his personal interests.

He wondered what could it be this time. Since defeating Gaius, they had been living normally. Some groups tried to follow his lead and start a rebellion in New York, but they were easily contained by Kamilah, Adrian and the others. Their biggest issue they had was his sister's disastrous honeymoon. She and Amy chose a private island in Greece as destination, where they had a nasty encounter with the Order Of Dawn, a secret society formed by some of the most elite and efficient killers in the world. Their sole mission was the eradication of their kind.

If there was an organization Lysimachus hated to his guts, that was the Order. Not only because they rejected him in the past, when he was still a vampire hunter, but because they acted fanatical and biased about their views. It was very pleasant to see their headquarters being burned to the ground, but what they discovered deep down the compound changed everything they knew so far... the tree that originated their bloodline. The Tree Of Eternal Life.

The secret files they found in the Order Of Dawn's computer told an entire different story about their origins. They were all wrong, including Jameson. The First Vampire, supposedly helped by a goddess, drank blood from the tree. Which granted her all the power she possessed.

There was an attachment on Adrian's email. Lysimachus opened it and started reading. He had been studying the tree's blood. And from the results, that story was being proved to be real.

After a quick showering, he went to the same usual diner for coffee and breakfast. The owner, Hazel, was a very sympathetic Fae, giving every meal a personal touch of her magic.

"Morning," Lysimachus greeted, "the usual, bacon and eggs, and... Espresso, extra strong please. I'm gonna need it today."

He glanced at the very end of the diner, at the most secluded booth, near the old jukebox. Lysimachus could barely see her short figure with magenta hair hidden behind the daily newspaper.

"And a blueberry French toast for the lady, please."

Lysimachus sat down right in front of her, who barely noticed his presence until she dropped the newspaper she was reading.

"Hello to you too," he joked, facing her closely.

"Oh, hey," Katherine removed her sunglasses, revealing the results of a poor night of sleep and complete exhaustion. "I came here for some coffee. I don't think I can make through the day without it."

"Same."

"All I can hope is no one will be doing anything stupid tonight. I don't think I can't handle."

Lysimachus let out a small laugh. They had been working together for one year now, hunting supernatural threats and protecting magical artifacts. There was some romance in between, but nothing serious or official. Katherine wasn't the kind who created too many attachments. Neither was him.

"Don't tell me," yet, he felt bad for leaving her behind. Her company was enjoyable. "I'm suppose to go to New York tonight. Council meeting."

Katherine stared at him in silence for a moment before rolling her eyes.

"Why do you even agree to be part of that vampire elitist crap? Isn't it exactly what you always hated and wanted to abolish?"

"I... uh..."

He didn't exactly have an answer. After The Baron's death, he was immediately chosen to have his seat. He rarely spent time in New York though, he mostly traveled through America and other parts of the world, seeking for vampires in dangerous situations, in need of a Brand or protection.

"It's for a greater good," he lied. The position was kinda imposed to him.

"Sure," Katherine let out an ironic chuckle. "Whatever you tell yourself."

Through his cell phone, Lysimachus scheduled the first flight back home. While he couldn't wait to hear his twin sister's complaints about his constant absence, there was one person he wished to avoid at any cost... Priya Lacroix.

"I'll be back next week," he assured Katherine. "But if there's any emergency..."

"You know I can handle it own my own," she interrupted. "But as for you, watch out for threats with brown hair, sharp fangs and red eyes. She was spotted at Alicia's former club several times in the last few months. Don’t even try to tell me she wasn’t stalking you."

Before he could answer, she stood up and walked away, leaving him wondering if that could be an act of jealousy or only her usual bad mood in the morning.

----------

Kamilah

"Anything else you need, Mrs. Sayeed?"

"Could you gift-wrap this for me, please?"

Kamilah sighed in relief as she accommodated herself on the comfortable seat of her private jet. She thanked the universe, and the humankind, for the existence of airport shops. She was so busy during her business trip to Paris she didn't have time to pick her wife a proper gift for their one year wedding anniversary. If there was one thing she considered extremely necessary was to spoil Amy. Though the girl refused to admit, she loved being spoiled.

Yet, she couldn't grant her the one gift she wanted the most, being Turned. They only had one conversation about this and Kamilah gave her a definite answer. When she reached her thirties, age when she was Turned herself, they'd finally discuss this again. Amy obviously wasn't thrilled about it.

Kamilah opened her laptop, attempting to chat with her brother, but he wasn't online. He was never online, or even answered phone calls, after he started this new lifestyle. Adrian messaged all the Clan leaders requesting a meeting to discuss important information, and she'd be truly angry if her twin brother wasn't there.

During the flight, she took some time to read the papers Serafine Dupont delivered her before her departure. She only met Amy once, during their honeymoon in Greece and an incident with the Order Of Dawn. Being a psychic vampire, it was enough for her to take some conclusions about her wife.

Bloodkeeper, Kamilah read. The parallel line that descended from the Tree Of Eternal Life. Passed to one woman, born in every generation and triggered by the contact with vampires. They had the ability to access every memory, from every vampire that ever walked on Earth.

That was the most coherent answer of why her visions were increasing. Being married to a vampire, Amy couldn't be any closer to that world. Somehow Kamilah felt relieved. After all, the prophecy previously made by Wright's cult in London was mostly wrong. What made Amy special, was her bloodline. She was no Chosen One to bring the First Vampire back to life. That was nothing but a myth created by old civilizations and passed along to their descendants. Only one of the many legends regarding their main ancestor.

She closed her eyes, trying to get some rest before her arrival, but Serafine's last words were still repeating inside her mind.

"There's more about Amy than it shows. I could sense something within her... a darkness."

Hours later, she was finally back in New York. It had passed 7 PM and her penthouse was dark and silent. She sighed, placing her bags near the front door. Amy should still be working at Ahmanet Financial. She was about to make her way to the master suite when someone jumped on her back.

"Surprise!" She recognized her wife's cheerful voice. "Please don't go to the dinning room, I'm not done yet."

"Amy..." Kamilah said, still stunned by the surprise. "I couldn't sense your presence and you're not even a vampire. How on earth do you manage to do that?"

"Practice I guess? By being married to a vampire?"

"I suppose you're right. Anyways, what were you up to in the dinning room?"

"Wait a sec," Amy disappeared through the corridor for a few minutes. "Stay right here."

Kamilah waited patiently, examining her surroundings and being surprised the penthouse was very organized, even in her absence.

"We're making some progress," she thought.

"You can come now."

The female vampire followed her wife, finding a candlelight dinner waiting for her. A huge smile appeared on her face. After she teased Amy a little bit about her cooking skills, they exchanged a few quick kisses and sat down to eat. Kamilah picked one special bottle of wine from her collection. She glanced at her wife, putting on some music on the stereo. Amy had the most beautiful and pure smile on her face. Serafine could only be wrong. There was no darkness inside her. Only light.

"So," at the table Amy's expression changed a little, "how much did you speak to her?"

"Who?" Kamilah took a sip of her wine. She already knew the answer.

"You know who I'm talking about."

After some alcohol in Greece, Serafine let slip some juicy details about their quick affair in the past, what caused Amy to become extremely jealous of her.

"Only enough," Kamilah assured her. "Small talk, work and... about you."

"What about me?" Amy raised her voice, clearly annoyed.

"Your visions. They're increasing, Amy. I needed answers."

"And what did the expert told you?"

"You're a Bloodkeeper."

----------

Amy

Bloodkeeper. A rare kind of human that possessed the ability of accessing every vampire's memories. Amy shook her head in denial.

"One more label to the list," she thought. "Damsel in distress, The Chosen One, Bloodkeeper..."

She entered the bathtub, that was in just in the perfect temperature. Everything was perfect in her life right now. The penthouse she lived with Kamilah, her high-ranked job at Ahmanet Financial, the business classes she was taking, their marriage... yet, she couldn't help feeling there was something missing. Since her death experience, she was constantly feeling empty, incomplete. Something she couldn't explain.

"I know what it is," her mother told, when she shared these feelings, obviously omitting all the supernatural and eerie part. "Motherhood. Your biological clock is ticking."

"Mom, I'm only twenty-four. And no, we're not even considering this possibility yet."

Deep down, she knew what would fill that hole. She knew exactly what she needed. She wanted to be Turned. Amy intended to keep all the promises she made in her vows, except for one: 'til death do us part. They could skip that part. It could be easily replaced by: 'til Turning makes us eternal.

When she left the bathroom, Kamilah was getting dressed for the Council meeting. She picked something formal, yet more casual, instead of her usual suits. Even after being together for two years, Amy was always impressed by how stunning she looked. Her wife would look great in anything she wore, even in the costume Lily designed her for their last Halloween party.

"I forgot..." She sighed, recomposing herself. "I printed the reports from the last few days, I left them on the office's desk."

"I don't need to see them," Kamilah shrugged. "I trust you, you run that company so well as I do."

"You're gonna make me believe it someday."

"It's true. Your communication skills have gotten us profitable deals, attracted new clients and everybody loves the improvements you suggested. Trust me, you're doing absolutely great."

Amy sat down by her side in bed and laced her fingers with hers. She felt a little remorseful for arguing with Kamilah as soon as she came home. She had all the right in the world to be concerned. Living for over two millennia, she had done things she deeply regretted, and having Amy to watch them, like a movie, should be truly upsetting.

"I'm sorry," she said. "I'm just... sick of all of this. All these names and speculations about me. Can't I just be... Amy? Amy, the regular mortal?"

"You're far from regular. You're the most remarkable person I've ever met," Kamilah tuck a strand of her hair behind her ear. "Whatever you are, Amy Sayeed, I love you."

"I love you too."

Amy wrapped her arms around her wife's waist, kissing all the way up from her neck until her soft lips. She kissed them passionately for minutes. While their tongues moved together, Kamilah’s hands moved down to the knot on her bathrobe, untying it and exposing her naked body.

“I missed you,” her nails softly raked Amy’s stomach, “so much.”

“And so did I,” Amy whispered in her ear. “But you were always on my imagination, you know?”

Her last sentence sparkled Kamilah’s attention, who raised a curious eyebrow.

“Oh really? Have you been having fun without me?”

“Quite a bit, if you ask me.”

That was one of Amy's favorite manners to provoke her wife when she was away on her business trips. Or she'd ask her opinion on which underwear she should wear that night, followed by pictures. It had the power of causing some interesting effects when the female vampire got home.

Kamilah's hand traveled down her body and stopped in the middle of her legs, touching her most sensitive spot only to tease her.

"After this Council meeting," she spoke in her usual demanding tone, "you better be prepared."

———-

Kamilah

Adrian requested to see Kamilah in particular, one hour before the meeting started. He wanted her to be the first one to see his findings in person. She and Amy arrived at Raines Corporation at 11 PM, Lily was already there, preparing the slide-shows. While the girls got distracted, speaking about their video games and favorite TV shows, Kamilah followed Adrian to the laboratory.

"Is it..." her eyes went wide as she observed the ancient, marble sarcophagus in the middle of a highly secured room.

"Yes," Adrian told. "I retrieved it from that underground temple in London. But..."

"But?"

"It's not the First Vampire in there."

"What?! What about Amy's visions when she was in that death state? She saw her. She spoke to her."

"Indeed, she spoke to her trapped spirit, but, this? This is unreal, Kamilah. The First Vampire's body is stored somewhere else."

That wasn't the only one of his findings. Since the discovery of the Tree Of Eternal Life, Adrian obtained many samples of its blood for studying purposes. The blood that started both of their lines, Vampires and Bloodkeepers. The blood that was rumored to be the ultimate source of power.

"The results are absolutely impressive," he explained. "For example, besides finding out this body is not the First's, I concluded that what truly killed Gaius was Amy's blood, not that stake. The Bloodkeeper blood in contact with his heart, had the ability of destroying an ancient vampire."

"So?"

"Unlike ours, her blood has no impurities."

He drove her to another section of the laboratory, where the samples of the blood were being studied for different purposes. One of them, was Adrian's most proud creation, a serum that could cure Ferals and prevent new vampires from developing that condition.

"What about the the other samples?" Kamilah asked, her eyes running through the screens and laboratory machinery in front of her.

"One of them is to give us more time in the sunlight."

That was no problem for Kamilah. Her ring still worked perfectly, even after some time. And so did her brother's and... Priya's. Lacroix's new line of swimming suits and beach outfits was hit during the last summer.

"And these," Adrian's lips turned into a smile, "my two biggest dreams. Two projects in development."

"Don't tell me you're trying to become human again?" Kamilah rolled her eyes.

"It could be an alternative. Kamilah, some of us never wished or adapted to this life."

"Fair enough."

That wasn't the case for her. After 2065 years, she was pretty comfortable being a Vampire. With Amy, she was enjoying her life at fullest now.

"This one is my top secret project," Adrian showed her another sample. "It's uh... a project for us to be able to reproduce. I don't know what results it could bring and I have no one willing to test."

Kamilah quickly dismissed that subject. Being a mother was something she never considered before, not as mortal, even less as vampire. At the moment, Amy completely agreed with that decision. They still had a lot to experience together before taking such a big step in their relationship.

She returned to the main hall, where a surprise awaited for her. Her long missing twin brother had finally showed up.

"Well," Kamilah crossed her arms and frowned. "Hello, stranger."

Lysimachus didn't say anything, he only involved her in a bone-crushing hug and messed up her perfectly lined hair.

"I missed you too, sister."

"Well, your life must be active in New Orleans as you barely have time to call anymore."

"Sorry," he smiled. "I've been quite busy."

"When am I going to meet her?" Kamilah playfully elbowed him.

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

Together, they followed to Adrian's conference room, where the meeting was about to start.

----------

Lysimachus

Since the night of Kamilah's wedding, Lysimachus had permanently cut ties with Priya. The only few times they met were during Council meetings or when she was visiting New Orleans by occasion. The fashion designer wasn't obviously interested in changing for better, or maintaining a healthy relationship. All she ever cared about was her fame, status and herself.

As usual, she made her late entrance in the conference room, eyes focused on her cell phone and pretending to not notice his presence.

Kamilah started with the formalities and, before passing the word to Adrian, she asked:

"We have some important information to be shared tonight, but before that, anyone has another subject that should be discussed in this meeting?"

"I do," for the first time Priya looked at him. "I'm starting a petition to impeach Council members that who are mostly absent from meetings and have a questionable conduct, such as hunting their own kind or sharing private information. Also, the Pact clearly states that every member should be a New York resident."

Lysimachus ignored her desperate attempt to insult him. He should be expecting that. Priya would attack him in every opportunity she had. Three of the projects he proposed to the Council were denied because of her.

"I meant..." Kamilah sighed, "another important subject."

"I'm getting married!" Lester announced, standing up from his chair. "We've met during my visit to a ranch in Texas. She's a cowgirl and horses aren't the only thing she's good at riding, you know..."

"What?" Lily and Jax asked at the same time, exchanging looks. "Ewww."

"I never thought I'd say that," Amy said, "but I miss The Baron. At least with him we had all these interesting murder and betrayal accusations, instead of... this!"

Kamilah only shook her head and gave Adrian a signal to proceed with his subject. While Lily set up the technological part, they still had to hear Lester bragging about his fiancée for some very long minutes.

"Congratulations," Lysimachus tried to make him stop before it became to graphic for everybody's sake.

"Yeah," Priya smirked sarcastically. "Maybe you're next, Hunter. I mean, after you sell out our heads to your girlfriend, she'll want to stick around."

It was becoming too much for him.

"I never shared a single bit of information we discuss in this room with my co-workers from New Orleans!"

"Can you all shut up?!" Kamilah angered. "Relationship counseling is in a different building. Two blocks away."

The presentation started. He knew what Adrian was about to share, being a former member of his company he had sent him all the research results he managed to obtain beforehand. Now, they were finally having access to real information about their origins and all the potential the blood from the Tree had, not only to create but to destroy.

"Any further comments?" Adrian inquired.

"I'm not a disgusting Feral, I can walk in the sunlight and I have no interest having children," Priya headed to the exit. "Can I leave now? My new collection isn't going to draw itself."

As she opened the door, another female figure was standing outside. Everyone turned their heads and stopped to watch. Katherine walked into the conference room, going straight to Adrian.

"Adrian Raines? I've obtained confidential information that, not only you're in the possession of the First Vampire's blood, but has been using it for research."

"That's correct."

"Being it considered one of the most powerful and ancient artifact, I've been hired to monitor it closely."

"Why don't you follow me to my office?"

As they both left, the whole room stared directly at Lysimachus, even his own sister. He had absolutely nothing to do with that, except... that he remembered connecting his cell phone to Katherine's computer one night to sync some files.

"Fuck!" He thought. He couldn't have acted so careless.

Priya stood by the door with a victorious grin on her face.

"I told you so," she said before leaving.

----------

Amy

When they finally made back home, a heavy rain started pouring outside. Kamilah was completely stressed, pacing around her home office. At first, she thought to be a scheme plotted by Priya against her brother, until he admitted his mistake. Yet, someone had indeed hired Katherine to have deep access to Adrian's research and they couldn't figure out who.

"I always knew my brother was making a mistake getting involved with those people," Kamilah vented to her. "Sooner or later, it was bound to happen."

"Do you think Priya is actually right?" Amy massaged her wife's tense shoulders. "That he must pick, between New Orleans or being a Council member?"

"The more I hate to admit it, yes. Lacroix is right this time, Amy. Even though my brother has done an amazing job as Clan leader, he can't keep a double life as Nighthunter. He may have put us all in danger, that was the most important information we had in ages."

"And what do we do now?"

They had been together long enough for Amy to decipher all Kamilah's looks. The one she had at the moment meant she was about to suggest something she wouldn't like.

"No..." Amy scowled. "Absolutely not."

"Amy," Kamilah closed her eyes, trying to stay patient. "Adrian agreed. Being a psychic vampire, Serafine can debrief her."

"Doesn't your brother knows how to debrief people? Why her?"

"He's not doing it. Lysimachus thinks it's too extreme and could put her in danger with her employee."

"Okay," Amy threw her hands in defeat, "it's for a good cause I guess. But she's staying away from you."

"Of course."

Suddenly, Kamilah had her pinned down to the bed, eyes red in desire.

"I love when you're jealous," her nail traced Amy's cheek. "I can sense the insecurity in your heart, the fear of losing me to someone else, the thought that you're too inexperienced..."

Kamilah was right. Amy had all of that in mind when it came to Serafine, Gaius or even her Italian girlfriend. The flashes that were now often popping-up in her mind of their moments together only made it worse.

"But truth is..." she whispered in her ear, "no one has made me ever feel this way before," Kamilah placed Amy's hand on her chest, where she could feel her heart beating fast.

"Really?"

Kamilah didn't answer, her eyes were determined to prove Amy her feelings. She drove Amy's hand to another spot, inside her underwear.

"Or this way. You have the power of driving me completely crazy."

"Okay," Amy smiled in satisfaction, feeling how much her wife wanted her. "I see your point now."

She wanted her too. She wanted her really badly. Their mouths had just found each other when a cell phone started buzzing.

"Ignore it," Kamilah ordered, against her mouth. "I don't want to hear anything else, other than you saying my name loud tonight."

It continued. And Amy tried to keep her focus on the tips of Kamilah's fangs brushing her neck. But the buzzing wouldn't stop, for some reason it seemed to grow louder. It was entering her ears causing discomfort. Penetrating her brain like if it was ringing inside it.

"I'm going to pick up," Amy told, pushing her away. "All this noise is giving me a headache."

"Huh?!" Kamilah furrowed her brows confused. "I can barely hear it, it's coming from your purse in the living room."

As Amy grabbed her phone, the number of missed calls scared her but no more than the text from her mother.

"Amy, what's wrong?"

She couldn't answer. She just stared at the screen paralyzed in horror.

"K-Kamilah... it’s my dad... h-he's in hospital. He had a heart attack!"