#And he gets to marry into a relatively wealthy House that’s pretty much one person away from going extinct

[viiisenyas]

If my brain disrupts my plot with a new idea that changes the entire story ONE MORE TIME

[frevandrest]

Is it true SJ was sent to a wetnurse/uncle as soon as he was born and stayed there for 8 whole years?? Why did his parents send him away for so long?

It is true he was left with a wet nurse, but not for so long. He stayed there for about 4 years (according to Monar; Vinot is not precise on the dates). Using a wet nurse was a pretty standard thing at the time. Women of a certain status did not breastfeed, and getting a wet nurse for at least a few years was a normal thing. Often, a wet nurse lived in the same household (parents would arrange that), but not always, and I guess it depended on the financial situation, at least in part. But SJ’s parents, while not super wealthy, were (most likely) wealthy enough to have a wet nurse at home, so it’s unclear why they didn’t opt for that possibility.

The situation was that SJ was born in Decize, but his parents moved to Nampcel soon after he was born. It is not super clear why, but this is where SJ father had a house that he inherited, and where his sister lived. (As a soldier, he did not really live there, but he retired around that time). It is not clear why they didn’t bring their son with them (plus a wet nurse). Vinot doesn't go into this topic much, and Monar is very much in the "SJ's parents weren't really the best in terms of emotional attachment". Which idk how fair is to say. It was a relatively common thing to have a child live with a wet nurse and away from parents.

SJ actually had two wet nurses. The first was Jeanne-Jacquette Ducaroy, the daughter of a midwife who assisted at childbirth when SJ was born. (Or, according to some, she was also one of the midwives helping?) She was pregnant and had a child a few days after SJ was born. So, that child (a girl) was SJ's milk sister, at least for a while. This was in Decize, where SJ was born. (And I guess before his parents moved to Nampcel? Remember that a wet nurse wasn't hired because they were leaving; she was hired because women of SJ mother's status did not breastfeed.) 

The second wet nurse was from the nearby village Verneuil, and this is definitely when his parents moved to Nampcel. Verneuil was important because this is where SJ mother’s uncle Jean-Antoine was a parish priest (he was also the priest who married SJ’s parents and all indications are that they named SJ after him). The wet nurse lived near the church, so the uncle could also keep an eye on him. It seems that the uncle was highly regarded by SJ’s mother - he supported her when she fought to be allowed to get married (since her father didn’t want to let her), and I guess it was assumed that SJ was in good hands with the wet nurse + mother’s uncle to care for him. 

SJ’s parents lived in Nampcel for at least a few years - SJ’s sisters were born there. But then they returned to Decize. Monar claims it was in 1771, when the priest uncle died. SJ was 4 years old at the time. His parents' signatures appear again in Decize in various occasions around at least 1772, so the assumption is that they were definitely back in town by the time SJ was around 5 years old. They moved to Blérancourt when SJ was 9. 

So yeah, the wet nurse thing was pretty normalized. (Even if it’s unclear why they didn’t hire one to live with them). But! The sentiment was changing. We know JJ was very outspoken about the importance of breastfeeding, and this idea (mothers breastfeeding their own children) was getting more and more popular. It was particularly true for revolutionary families. As for SJ, we know he was pro breastfeeding- in his Institutions républicaines, he wrote that a child belongs to the mother for the first 5 years, but "only if she feeds him". And he also said that a mother who does not feed her child is not considered a mother in the eyes of the Republic. 

These ideas go with the whole sentiment that revolutionaries had, and it does not necessarily reflect SJ’s personal feelings over his own mother using a wet nurse for him. But this is SJ, and his writing is generally personal, so it does not rule out the possibility that he was also being salty about the whole thing. We don’t know, although I have to emphasize that there is nothing pointing out that he wrote it as a reflection of his own experience. 

tl; dr: They did give SJ to live with a wet nurse, but it was a standard thing, and in SJ’s case, it was not for 8 years but for about 4. However, the sentiment about breastfeeding was changing, and we know SJ emphasized the importance of mothers breastfeeding their children, so it might be that he disliked that he was subjected to that.

[dangermousie]

Heelo mousie! Love your blog! Do you mind recommending some of your favourite Chinese BL novels or shows?

I've seen the untamed and read it. I'm currently reading heaven's official blessing and I saw the donghua. Anything other than these two?

Awww, thank you!

Novels: I am gonna be lazy and literally copy/paste the entire danmei section of my top 10 web novels post (except MXTX’s stuff since you are already reading it.) Let me know if you need help finding any of these.

Lord Seventh - I am only partway through this so far, but it’s already on the list because it’s smart and somehow intense AND laid-back (not sure how this works, but it does) and is honestly just a really really solid and smart period novel, with the OTP a cherry on top of a narrative sundae. Plus, I love the concept of MC deciding he is not going for his supposedly fated love - he’s tried for six lifetimes, always with disaster, and he’s just plain done and tired. When he opens his life in his seventh reincarnation and sees the person he would have given up the world for, he genuinely feels nothing at all. (Spoiler - his OTP is actually a barbarian shaman this time around, thank you Lord!)

Golden Stage - my perfect comfort novel. Probably the least angsty of any danmei novel on this list (which still means plenty angsty :P) It also has a dedicated, smart OTP that is an OTP for the bulk of the book - I think you will notice that in most of the novels in this list, I go for “OTP against the world” trope - I can’t stand love triangles and the same. Anyway, Fu Shen, is a famous general whose fame is making the emperor   antsy. When he gets injured and can’t walk any more, the emperor gladly recalls him and marries him off to his most faithful court lackey, the head of sort of secret police, Yan Xiaohan. The emperor intends it both  as a check on the general and a general spite move since the two men   always clash in court whenever they meet. But not all is at is seems. They used to be  friends a long time ago, had a falling out, and one of the loveliest  parts of the novel is them finding their way to each other, but there is  also finding the middle path between their two very different  philosophies and ways of being, not to mention solving a conspiracy or  dozen, and putting a new dynasty on the throne, among other things. It always makes me think, a little, of “if Mei Changsu x Jingyan were canon.”

Sha Po Lang - if you like a lot of fantasy politics and world-building and steampunk with your novels, this one is for you. This one is VERY plot-heavy with smart, dedicated characters and a deconstruction of many traditional virtues - our protagonist Chang Geng, a long-lost son of the Emperor, is someone who wants to modernize the country but also take down the current emperor his brother for progress’ sake and the person he’s in love with is the general who saved him when he was a kid who is nominally his foster father. Anyway, the romance is mainly a garnish in this one, not even a big side dish, but the relationship between two smart, dedicated, deadly individuals with very different concepts of duty is fascinating long before it turns romantic. And if you like angst, while overall it’s not as angsty as e.g., Meatbun stuff, Chang Geng’s childhood is the stuff of nightmares and probably freaks me out more than anything else in any novel on this list, 2ha included.

To Rule In a Turbulent World (LSWW) - gay Minglan. No seriously. This is how I think of it. it’s a slice of life period novel with fascinating characters and  setting that happens to have a gay OTP, not a romance in a period  setting per se and I always prefer stories where the romance is not the only thing that is going on. It’s meticulously written and smart and deals with  character development and somehow makes daily minutia fascinating. Our   protagonist, You Miao, is the son of a fabulously wealthy merchant,   sent to the capital to make connections and study. As the story starts, he sees his friend’s  servants beating someone to death, feels bad, and buys him because, as  we discover gradually and organically, You Miao may be wealthy and  occasionally immature but he is a genuinely good person. The person he buys is a barbarian from beyond the wall, named   Li Zhifeng. It’s touch and go if the man will survive but eventually he does and You Miao, who by then has to return home, gives him his papers  and lets him go. However, LZF decides to stick with You Miao instead, both  out of sense of debt for YM saving his life and because he genuinely  likes him (and yet, there is no instalove on either of their parts, their bodies have fun a lot quicker than their souls.) Anyway, the two  take up farming, get involved in  the imperial exams and it’s the life of prosperity and peace, until an invasion happens and things go rapidly to hell. This is so nuanced, so smart (smart people in this actually ARE!) and has secondary characters who are just as complex as the mains (for example, I ended up adoring YM’s friend, the one who starts the plot by almost beating LZF to death for no reason) because the novel never forgets that few people are all villain. There is a lovely character arc or two - watching YM grow up and LZF thaw - there is the fact that You Miao is a unicorn in web novels being laid back and calm. This whole thing is a masterpiece.

Stains of Filth (Yuwu) - want the emotional hit of 2ha but want to read something half its length? Well, the author of 2ha is here to eviscerate you in a shorter amount of time. This has the beautiful world-building, plot twists that all make sense and, at the center of it all, an intense and all-consuming and gloriously painful relationship between two generals - one aristocratic loner Mo Xi, and the other gregarious former slave general Gu Mang. Once they were best friends and lovers, but when the novel starts, Gu Mang has long turned traitor and went to serve the enemy kingdom and has now been returned and Mo Xi, who now commands the remnants of his slave army, has to cope with the fact that he has never been able to get over the man who stabbed him through the heart. Literally. This novel has a gorgeously looping structure, with flashbacks interwoven into present storyline. There is so much love and longing and sacrifice in this that I am tearing up a bit just thinking of it. If you don’t love Mo Xi and Gu Mang, separately and together, by the end of it, you have no soul.

The Dumb Husky and His White Cat Shizun (2ha/erha) - if you’ve been following my tumblr for more than a hot second, you know my obsession with this novel. Honestly, even if I were to make a list of my top 10 novels of any kind, not just webnovels, this would be on the list. It has everything I want - a complicated, intricate plot with an insane amount of plot twists, all of which are both unexpected and make total sense, a rich and large cast of characters, a truly epic OTP that makes me bawl, emotional intensity that sometimes maxes even me out and so much character nuance and growth. Also, Moran is my favorite web novel character ever, hands down.

Anyway, the plot (or at least the way it first appears) is that the evil emperor of the cultivation world, Taxian Jun, kills himself at 32 and wakes up in the body of his 16 year old self, birth name Moran. Excited to get a redo, Moran wants to save his supposed true love Shimei, whose death the last go-around pushed him towards evil. He also wants to avoid entanglement with Chu Wanning, his shizun and sworn enemy in past life. And that’s all you are best off knowing, trust me. The only hint I am going to give is oooh boy the mother of all unreliable narrators has arrived!

The novel starts light and funny on boil the frog principle - if someone told me I would be full bawling multiple times with this novel, I’d have thought they were insane, but i swear my eyes hurt by the end of it. I started out being amused and/or disliking the mains and by the end I would die for either of them.

The Wife is First - OK, this one did not make my top 10 web novels but it’s a sweet, fun gay cottagecore fest. Our ML, a royal prince, and his spouse, a smart if delicate aristocrat, keep house, eat noodles, play with their pet tiger, make out and spoil each other rotten, while occasionally fighting battles and outwitting their court enemies. It’s so very mellow. That couple redefines low drama - they are both nice and functional and use their brains. It’s as if a nice jock and a nice nerd got together and then proceeded to be wholesome all over the place.

I mean, the set up could be dramatic - our ML the prince, lost his fight for the throne and is about to be killed. The only person who stayed loyal to him is his arranged husband the aristocrat guy who ML never treated nicely since he resented marrying him (marrying a man in that world is done to remove someone from the ability to inherit the throne.) And yet the husband stood by him not out of love but beliefs in loyalty blah blah. Anyway, he transmigrates back into the past right after their wedding night and is all “I got a second chance OMG! I don’t want the throne what is even the point? I want to live a good long life and treat the only person who stood by me really well!” And he proceeds to do so to the shock of the aristocrat who had a very unpleasant wedding night and generally can tell the man he just married would rather eat nails than be married to him. But soon enough (no seriously, it’s not many chapters at all) he believes the prince is sincere blah blah and then  they get together and they pretty much become cottagecore goals.

In terms of dramas, I only do period dramas (or novels) so I am not the person to be able to recommend any modern BLs. There is a flood of upcoming (hopefully) period BL dramas but it’s relatively thin on the ground now. The two I will recommend is Word of Honor (which is AMAZING) and Winter Begonia (which I just started watching but which owns me already.) I have a tag for both - the one for the former is huge and I cannot recommend either strongly enough. I’ve heard good things about The Sleuth of the Ming Dynasty, but I am not big on mysteries so haven’t watched it for myself.

In terms of the upcoming BLs, the ones I am most looking forward to are Immortality and Winner Is King, but The Society of the Four Leaves also looks promising.

[meow-bebe]

Love Comes Naturally

The second installment of my Neo Classics collection, Love Comes Naturally is set in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet."

“You've always thought that you could learn to love the husband your parents pick for you, but after sneaking off during a masquerade you realize that with Kun everything just falls into place."

Pairing: Kun x reader, tiny bits of Jungwoo x reader

Genre: fluff, Romeo and Juliet au

Warnings: nothing as far as im aware

Word count: 4.3k

Tonight's soundtrack: Check Yes, Juliet - We the King's, Collar Full - Panic! at the Disco, Good Old-Fashioned Lover Boy - Queen, Dancing’s Not a Crime - Panic! at the Disco, Mother Tongue - Bring me the Horizon, After Midnight - WayV

A/n: hello! so this may be a romeo and juliet au, but its pretty toned down, theyre not about to die. im pretty happy with how this turned out and i hope you will be too! as always, i appreciate feedback so much, so if you liked it, reblog it! enjoy!

“And yet I wish but for the thing I have. My bounty is as boundless as the sea, My love as deep. The more I give to thee, The more I have, for both are infinite.” - William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet

You have never really been one for social gatherings, much less the large parties that your family liked to throw whenever they could come up with a half decent excuse to do so. One would think that considering how you’ve been attending them for as long as you could remember, you would grow used to the recurring events that would without fail make you miserable every time. The men constantly doing their best to win your affections, the heavy and often uncomfortable formal wear, the ghastly summer heat that would often settle over the ballroom, the hours of dancing with people you don’t care for.

Of course nothing goes the way it should logically, and as a result you still couldn’t find it in you to enjoy them. Yet you suffered through, as there really wasn’t all that much of a choice involved.

Tonight your parents were hosting a relatively large function in honor of your sister’s birthday. It was to be held outside on the grounds of your residence, and at the direction of your overly giddy sister (who liked to make everything as dramatic and unnecessary as she possibly could), everyone was to be masked.

Each of these things made the night easier for you to tolerate, and so you weren’t quite as opposed as you usually were to attending this time around. Spending the night outside meant there would be no stifling heat or restricted space, which always greatly improved your attitude towards the time you were forced to spend chatting meaninglessly with every person who just so happened to cross your path. The attention would be on your sister for the night, which meant it would be much easier for you to disappear into the crowd or slip off to get away from all of the excitement if necessary. Being the eldest was not ideal, as it was your job to marry off to a nice and wealthy man. Balls and parties were always used by your mother and the several men who wished to become your suitor to try and match you off with one of them. It hadn’t worked yet, as you couldn’t stand most of them. And of course wearing a mask always made everything a little more enjoyable. It would help you to hide yourself a bit better, while simultaneously letting you enjoy the air of beautiful mystery that came with wearing your favorite mask. A deep blue in color with white detailing, it was quite beautiful and there were rarely any others in attendance with the same colors. And just to top off the list of things that make tonight more tolerable, as you stand by the edge of the garden with one of your more clingy suitors hanging off your arm, a flash of a familiar blue mask that matches your own catches your eye. You smile softly to yourself, and think that perhaps tonight would be better than you had thought.

The main garden, where the night’s dancing would take place and where most of the guests would mingle around the edges while not dancing, was while sparsely decorated, beautiful. Torches lined the edges, with lanterns hung here and there to cut through the darkness that was just beginning to settle in with their friendly golden light. Spirits were already high amongst the guests gathered around the garden, the upbeat tempo of the musicians’ song keeping those who had already taken to dancing churning in a chaotic yet perfectly measured rhythm. Dusk was steadily pulling her blanket of night across the sky, and more people arrived every minute, joining the crowds and chatter.

You found yourself to not yet have moved away from the house, arm looped through one of the young men who often found you during nights like this. Jungwoo was polite enough, however he was very clingy and quite obviously completely enamoured with you. You didn’t mind him, though his constant presence could get tiring, but your mother, as it of course would happen, loved him. If it were up to her, you would have already married him, and you really weren’t thrilled with that idea. You weren’t sure if he was actually just incredibly boring or so flustered by your presence that he couldn’t make conversation about much other than “hello”s and “how are you tonight”. Either way, you wouldn’t want to spend your life with someone you can’t even talk to.

You chatted politely with a group of girls in masks that were absolutely gaudy, not particularly paying attention to the interaction. They were mostly just discussing the male population of attendees, and you didn’t miss the nervous look that would cross Jungwoo’s face every time you would add a comment of your own. You weren’t too bothered by it, as you didn’t say much to begin with and could hardly be expected to do anything except respond. You only had eyes for one, and unfortunately for your suitor it wasn’t him.

As the girls continue to giggle amongst themselves, you let your mind and eyes wander, searching for something interesting to look at or perhaps another flash of the other blue mask and its wearer. Jungwoo, who could be surprisingly intuitive for someone who had never picked up on your disinterest, nudges you gently with the elbow tucked around your arm.

“Perhaps we could wander around for a bit?” he suggests, and you had never appreciated him more than in this moment.

“Yes, I think that’s a wonderful idea.” You give him half a smile, and red paints his cheeks as you turn to the girls who had occupied you so far. “It was wonderful talking to you, perhaps I’ll see you again later tonight.”

They chorus their own goodbyes as Jungwoo leads you away, and silence falls between you as you wander. You let your thoughts drift as you scan the faces in the crowds, hoping for something to cure the restlessness that was already settling in even after just this much time spent around people whose presence you didn’t particularly enjoy. Or perhaps something that would distract Jungwoo so you could make your escape.

More of the torches have been lit now, and night has almost fully settled upon the grounds. The air is warm, and the atmosphere of the party is light and cheerful. For some reason you’re not yet quite sure of, you’re enjoying yourself more than usual, not letting the usual downsides bother you. Perhaps you were just beginning to care less. You meander alongside Jungwoo, staring up at the stars twinkling in the perfectly clear sky.

“Jungwoo!” The cry of your suitor’s name jars you out of your stupor as Yuta, an old friend of Jungwoo’s, approaches you from the side. Jungwoo’s face lights up when he sees him, and he lets his arm slip out of yours as he steps forward to clasp Yuta’s hand. At the same moment you finally see the blue mask you've been searching for again. Yuta sends you a wink and you smile gratefully, slipping away into the crowd. He had always picked up on your discontent, and though you had never truly talked to him you considered him a friend, or at the very least someone you thought you might like.

“You remember Y/n, my–” Jungwoo turns, but you’ve somehow managed to disappear in the few seconds he wasn’t looking at you. Yuta drapes his arm across the shoulders of an extremely confused Jungwoo, and pulls him away into the small groups of people scattered about.

“That’s alright, my friend. They were never interested in you anyway.”

“What?”

~~

Walking away from Jungwoo felt like a weight lifted off your shoulders. If you had been feeling as though the night wasn’t oh-so-horrible earlier, perhaps you were almost enjoying yourself now. Free to pursue whomever you wanted, to blend into the crowd, to not be the eldest―ready to be married off―for just a second. And so, a smile set upon your face, you slip around a couple of boys laughing to themselves and set off into the crowd of people.

You don’t limit yourself to searching for the wearer of the other blue mask, knowing that your paths will cross eventually―they always do. But one eye is kept on the people on your sides at all times. The music floating over the garden, almost drowned out by the laughter and talking, changes to something you can recognize, and you let your hips sway a bit as you dodge through the meandering guests, humming along to the melody.

You wave hello to Yuta as he passes by, a sullen looking Jungwoo not noticing you as you breezily sidle past. You almost feel bad for him, but you had made it obvious from the start that you had never thought of him as a possible husband. And not having Jungwoo hanging off of you at all times when he’s in your presence was most definitely a good thing. You couldn’t stand being constantly attached to someone as he always did.

A hand on your shoulder interrupts your thoughts, and you spin around with a gasp of surprise, a scolding for startling you on your tongue. But the one who startled you wears a blue mask and a happy grin, and anything you feel other than delight dissipates upon seeing his face.

“Kun!” you greet.

“Hello my love,” he responds, dramatically snatching up your hand and pressing an obnoxious kiss to the back. You let out a little giggle and draw him forward to press a kiss to his cheek. As soon as you pull back you replace your lips with the palm of your hand, thumb stroking along the ribbon edge of his mask.

“We match,” you point out.

“Well, would you just look at that,” he takes your hand in his and brushes another feather light kiss across the knuckles. “What a coincidence.”

“Indeed,” you laugh, “a coincidence. A wonderful little coincidence.”

You tuck your arm through his and give him a dazzling smile before beginning to walk around the edges of the garden, pulling him along as you drift amongst the other guests, finally feeling as if you were truly having a good time now that you had found Kun.

As you approached the crowd of pairs twirling and dipping, dancing and laughing, Kun pulls his arm from yours and falls into a bow before you, eyes sparkling with mischief, and offers his hand, palm up.

“May I have this dance, my dear?” he asks, and you pretend to have to think about it for a second before placing your hand in his.

“As there are no others who have offered a dance tonight, I suppose I will have to accept.” The corners of eyes crinkle up into a smile, even though the both of you knew there was no way you would ever decline him.

Kun sets his other hand on your waist and pulls you into the fray, a startled laugh escaping your lips as he seamlessly joins the rhythm of the dance. He had always been a much better dancer than you, and it's obvious as his feet move in time with the beat and he matches the others dancer's movements perfectly. It takes you a moment to find the pattern of motions, and even when you do the way your steps are clumsy and they way they don’t match Kun’s precise steps would be obvious to anyone watching. You barely notice though, too caught up in the moment and the happiness shining in your lover’s eyes.

As Kun spins you around, one hand suspended over your head, you catch your first glance of your mother since the beginning of the festivities. She has a sour look already on her face, as though someone had worn a dress that was just a bit more spectacular than hers. She roves her gaze over the dancers and locks eyes with you―dancing with the son of the family yours has quarrelled with for generations―and her nose wrinkles in obvious disappointment. You have never adhered to the standards of your family the way they wished you did, but this was perhaps your most offensive act of rebellion yet.

“Kun,” he pulls you out of the spin, unoccupied hand landing back on your waist. “Perhaps we could find somewhere a bit more secluded?”

Kun, ever so attuned to your thoughts, notices the slight discomfort that always comes over your face when the two of you are noticed together and without missing a beat or interrupting the dace leads you swiftly to the edge of the makeshift dance floor. “Your mother is staring?”

“My mother is staring,” you confirm, and as soon as you escape the churning dancers, you leave your hands attached and lead him away from the crowd of the party. Having attended many a social gathering you didn’t particularly feel like spending your whole night at, you knew all the best spots where none of the guests would ever think to wander off to.

One such spot was located beyond the path that snaked around the main garden where most of the guests were gathered, and through the break in the walls of shrubbery that separated all of the different sections of the grounds. There was then another layer of bushes to go through, where there was only a small, slightly overgrown path. Each barrier you crossed or path you traveled along brought a little bit more quiet, until the noise of the party had faded to a low hum in the background as you finally came to the much smaller garden you loved more than anything else on the property.

A little open-top gazebo stood in the middle, where you had hidden from your parents and the men they wanted you to marry for years. Barely anyone ever came to this place, you were almost certain it was just you and the groundskeeper. You never saw your sister there, and no other guests ever made their way to the secluded little garden.

"This is it," you say, stopping and taking in the full beauty of the place as Kun’s hand slipped from yours. It wasn’t decorated at all like many of the other gardens your family boasted, full of perfectly shaped hedges and tastefully designed flowerbeds. No, your little garden was simple. There were moonflowers crawling up the terraces that stood next to the bushes that closed it in and up the posts of the gazebo. It was small and square, with a little stone bench being the only other decoration. It was wonderful during the day, but it's true glory was after moonflowers stood proud and open and their namesake was bathing everything in her delicate white light.

"This is beautiful," Kun says, slowly wandering around the gazebo to see all of the flowers, marveling at the way they seemed to glow under the moonlight.

"I know," you sigh happily, reaching behind your head and tugging at the ribbons of your mask, "I've always loved it back here. It's kind of a safe place for me." A comfortable silence falls between you as you set the discarded mask of the bench and continue to drift among the flowers before finally slowing to a halt after making a loop and settling down in the grass. Kun was still standing next to the gazebo, so you turned to look in his direction.

"Come join me, love," you say, laying back in the grass. "Let's watch the stars.” Kun smiles, coming over to you and sitting down. You reach up and undo the strings to his own mask, pulling it off and setting it to the side. He smiles as his whole face is revealed, and you pat eagerly at the grass next to your head, hoping he would get the hint and lay down next to you. He does, and you lace your hand with his, head rolling to the side so you could look at him.

Kun squeezes your hand, fingers tangled with his and carelessly laid between your heads. "The stars may be beautiful, but nothing could compare to you, my love," Kun says, and you burst out laughing, rolling your love filled eyes and pulling your hand out of his just to gently let it fall on his shoulder.

“Oh stop it,” you say half heartedly. Though you always acted like it didn’t amuse you, you loved the way Kun would layer compliments and sweet little sayings on you. It was just one of the many charms of his you’ve fallen completely in love with.

A comfortable silence falls between you, the moon illuminating your features as you stare up into the sky. A beautiful wonder sparkles in your eyes, the same that Kun always saw when you first caught his eyes from a distance. As he stares at you, he wonders if it was him or the stars you were thinking about.

“I’ve never brought someone else here before.” Your voice was quiet, barely disturbing the crisp summer air.

Kun didn’t respond for a moment, but your eyes never left the sky, leaving your guessing as to what he was thinking.

“Really?” he asks suddenly, and you let your head fall to the side again to see the glow of happiness and moonlight on your lover's face.

You nod in affirmation, unsure of what to say. And as it turns out no words were needed. Kun unlaces your hands and quickly turns on his side, free hand coming up to cup your jaw.

“I love you,” he whispers as he dips down to kiss you. The familiar weight of his lips is warm on yours, and you melt into the comfort of the kiss.

“I love you more,” you reply as he pulls back for air, forehead pressed against yours. You lean up to give him a small peck on the mouth before laying down again.

“I really don’t think that’s possible,” Kun says, and the look in his beautiful eyes tells you more than words ever could.

You hum in assent. “I never brought anyone back here because I’ve never had anyone I wanted in my little garden. Sometimes I feel like this garden is the only place I can truly just be me. Just exist as I am…” you trail off, eyes drifting back towards the moon and her entourage of twinkling little pricks of light. “Most everyone in my life wants me to be someone else, someone I can only pretend to be. Mother wants me to find a good husband, my sister just likes that the attention is never on her, and Jungwoo, poor boy, is hopeless lost in what my mother presents to him….you’re the only one who doesn’t want me to play some part or another.” You sigh heavily, and Kun’s fingers find yours once again, giving them a comforting squeeze.

“I’m glad you feel that way, I like you better when it’s just us and you’re not glancing over your shoulder to make sure no one’s watching.”

“I’m not done,” you say, holding your hand up and Kun quiets down, a crooked grin on his face. That was perhaps the best part of your relationship, even when serious feelings were being shared you still felt that beautiful weightlessness in your chest, that want to laugh all your worries away and spin in circles till you fell over from dizziness.

“I’ve always thought that love was something that could be learned, something you could coax yourself into. And I suppose you could, but that’s not love, that’s just living as a player in the grand production of your own life. I always thought that when the time came I could love Jungwoo―or whoever else, I suppose―as my husband, my life partner. He’s nice enough, I always thought, isn’t that enough?” You shift around and nudge one of your shoes off with the toe of the other.

“But I don’t think it is. Not after you. Not after everything I’ve felt. Sure, perhaps there have been little sparks here and there over the course of my short few years in this world that we call life, but nothing like the inferno that roars inside me for you.

“I think that before I forced myself to try and feel something, and it was just that; forced. But with you, I feel like love comes to me naturally. Like it has always been there, I just hadn’t had a reason to unleash it yet. Like water filling up a dried-up creek bed after heavy rains. It courses through my body like the blood in my veins.” You shove the other shoe off and wriggle your toes around, appreciating the freedom.

You finally look over at Kun, and his eyes are transfixed on you. He looks at you with such adoration, one would think you had created his whole world and hung the stars in the sky for him to see by. (And perhaps to him you had, you know he had lit the way for you.) You wonder if he had been looking at you like that the whole time you spoke.

“You’re absolutely wonderful, you know that?”

“Only because you tell me at every chance you get.”

“Well I mean it,” Kun says, “you’re truly such an amazing person. There’s so much going on in your mind, but you hide it all away and you just blow me away every time you pour everything out like that. Emotions are usually such a mess but it's just poetry flowing from the deepest little nooks and crannies of your heart and it's the most beautiful thing I've ever heard.”

“Oh, Kun,” you sigh, “I love you.”

“I don’t know what I would do without you,” he professes, and a small, somewhat melancholy smile quirks at your lips. Though you wish you could continue to live in your fantasies, you know that the both of you would have to learn to live without one another.

“Maybe we should just run away together,” you tease, dreamily letting your gaze roam across your lover’s handsome face.

Kun huffed out a little laugh at the notion, laying his head back to look up at the sky and dream a little daydream, just you and him forevermore. As you watch on he seems to mull it over before shooting his head up, and hauling himself up onto his elbows.

“What if we did?”

“What?” you ask, eyebrows drawing together in confusion.

“Run away!” There's a wild and delighted look in his eyes, and in that moment you know that for once he’s not teasing.

“Kun...” you say cautiously, trying to keep yourself grounded despite all the sparking little ideas of the freedom you would have shooting around in your brain, “don't you think it's a bit….well, extreme?”

“No,” he says, simply, “you’re not happy here, and when you aren’t happy neither am I.”

“But that would mean completely starting over, love,” you say, though your voice holds none of the reluctance your words do.

“Exactly!” Kun says, eyes sparkling. “Think about it! We wouldn’t have to be a Qian and a Y/l/n―families always at odds―it would just be us. Just Y/n and Kun.” His voice softens as he continues, and you find yourself imagining little snippets of what life would be like if you took this risk. “You’d be free to just be you….”

You lock your gaze on his, thinking about all the possibilities. No arranged marriage, no mother hanging over your shoulder, no role you’re always forced to play. No more having to hide your love for Kun….

“Just imagine―” he continues enthusiastically, but you cut him off.

“Okay.”

Kun stops mid sentence, eyes widening as he looks over at you. “What?”

“Okay,” you repeat, a giant smile beginning to crawl across your face. “Let’s run away.”

“Really?” Kun asks, and you giggle at the bewildered look on his face.

“Yes, really.”

“Wow,” Kun runs a hand through his already somewhat messy hair, making it stick up even more. “I honestly didn’t think I would even get this far. You’ve always been so restrained about us, I thought it might take a while to convince you.”

You tilt your head to the side, slightly taken aback. “Qian Kun, have you been planning this?”

“Maybe,” he says sheepishly, but you just grin even wider, if that was possible, and lean over to ruffle his hair.

“I love you,” you say, sliding your hand down to his cheek and drawing him in for a sweet kiss.

“I love you more,” he laughs before rolling away from the hand set on his cheek and springing up. He grabs your hands and pulls you to your feet as well before latching his arms around your waist and spinning you around in a giddy circle. “Put your shoes on my love, tonight we leave this place.”

You slip your feet back into your shoes, saying, “I should grab a couple of things before we go.”

“Of course,” Kun says, twining his fingers with yours. “If you go in the front I’ll wait for you under your balcony, can’t have anyone seeing you sneak off.”

And with that, he gave you a beautiful smile, all of the love he held shining through. You beamed right back, giddy and riding the rush of leaving everything behind and starting afresh. Perhaps running off into the night was the stupidest decision you had ever made, but you had no qualms about it. You were absolutely, completely in love, and maybe love made you blind to reality. But perhaps in the end a little blind and a lot in love would be enough.

@kpopscape​

[extremelyblackandwhite]

i wanna know what love is - 22

Pairing: rockstar! sebastian stan x writer!reader

Warnings: sexual themes

A/N: happy easter and happy passover. to celebrate i’m posting two chapters today. let me know what you think lovelies . enjoy xx 💕💕

Last Chapter // Next Chapter

    - I know you and my brother were smoking outside. - Y/N said as he closed the door to their room. He froze in place, would she be mad at him? In his defence, he would’ve done everything to leave that situation which was even worse when they got back. Y/N’s mother managed to diffuse it out for his luck, but he was 100% sure her grandfather did not like him. 

   - Bunny, I can explain. - he was ready to weave an apology, but instead of seeing a very mad Y/N, she just placed her hands on his shoulders, head slightly tilted to the side. - Are you not mad?

   - No, I think it was best for you. 

   - I don’t think your grandfather enjoys my presence. - he grabbed her hands in his, caressing her palm with his thumb. 

   - My grandfather doesn’t like anyone. Why do you think I don’t come here a lot? - she got out of her shoes, leading him to her very small bed. Sebastian was not very upset by the size of the bed, the smaller the bed, the more cuddles he could get and he always adored cuddling, specially if he got to sleep with her in his arms. - I’m sorry about him. He can be a very traditional man. Everyone in his family has gone to really good universities. 

   - I can see. - he remembered seeing memorabilia from various ivy leagues from Brown to Darmouth. - If you don’t mind me asking, how come your family is this wealthy? I thought your great grandfather wrote for the New Yorker?

   - My great grandfather married a girl from the Dumas’ family. She had made quite a fortune by herself and then inherited half her parents’ state which was an obnoxious amount of money and property. Since she married into my family, our last name prevailed and we climbed up to America’s elite. - she had little memories of her great grandfather but he’d always tell her and Theo when they were younger about how much he loved his wife despite it all, so Y/N knew the whole story by heart. - Then my grandfather started a printing company which is doing pretty well by itself. And I’m not wealthy, my parents are. 

   - Aren’t the Dumas’ family related to Hermes? - Y/N nodded. - Are you an Hermes’ heir?

   - If everyone dies including the present Dumas’ family and then all my relatives, yes. - she laughed.

They ended up spending the whole night talk and eventually fell off asleep still on their clothes. Sebastian envied the lifestyle she’d left behind but at the same time had to give her kudos for deciding to accept no money from no one and making something of herself without nepotism. 

They got woken up by a knock on her door. Y/N raised her head and sleepingly walked to the door, opening it slightly and silently to see her mother already dressed and in a very colourful polka dotted apron.

   - It’s cooking time, c’mon Y/N. - she didn’t even gave her time to complain about it, as she dragged her down the stairs and into the kitchen, offering her a cooking apron and telling her to start cutting carrots. - So Sebastian, how serious is it?

   - It’s recent, mum. - she continued to peel and cut some carrots. 

   - I think he’s a very nice young man. - Y/N was not expecting that. Not from her mother who publicly disliked every single person their children had been romantically linked to. - He makes you smile and me and your father had never seen you like that. 

   - Does dad like him too? - her mother nodded and Y/N felt her heart swell up. Her parents did not just like anyone and it was fairly important they liked him, specially when her grandfather disliked him so badly. - So the Vanderbilts are coming for dinner?

   - They’re business partners with your grandfather. It’s not like we can argue with him, you know that. 

Sebastian had drifted off to sleep after she left but woke up with another knock on the door. This house was much too polite for him, specially when he grew up with his mother opening the door wide open at very ... unfortunate times. He deeply missed it, nevertheless. 

He mumbled something and the door opened to see Theseus peaking him. He lifted his arm to show him a pack of cigarettes and Sebastian understood the message, getting up from bed and following him back to Y/N’s balcony. He had to admit, Y/N must had a pretty good view growing up. 

   - I think I’ll just make you some company. - he replied sitting on one of the white wooden chairs. - Tom Vanderbilt is coming today, isn’t he?

   - I wouldn’t worry. He mostly talks to my dad and granddad, he knows Y/N hates his guts. So, you and Y/N, anything serious? 

   - She’s a lovely girl.

   - Not the question. - he stubbed onto his cigarette. - My father is probably gonna ask you that sometime, you should train your answer.

   - She’s the only person who thinks I’m a good person. - he shrugged. - She’s also very feisty. 

They remained there for quite a while and Theo even offered Sebastian some of his suits so he could wear them to lunch, which he gladly took. He didn’t want to offend her grandfather anymore than what his existence had. Sebastian and Theo went down the stairs, one going into the living room while Sebastian went to the kitchen where Y/N was helping her mother ice the champagne. She was wearing a pink dress, a very flowy one that looked like she had been taken off a Disney movie.

   - Nice suit, darling. - her mother said, walking over to him and fixing his shoulders. - Doesn’t Sebastian look nice, honey?

   - Whose suit is that? - she asked and he gave her his typical smirk. - You look very dashing. 

   - Only for you. 

   - You two should go to the living room, great some people. - her mother suggested, sending them on their merry way into the living room which was packed full of people. Y/N was never a fan of big lunches, she always find it upsetting to have to pretend to be happy to see people she didn’t really enjoy. Sadly, since she wasn’t around much she was the talk of the town.

   - Y/N, dear, you must come and see Tom. - her grandfather came into her eyesight. 

   - I’m sure Sebastian would love to meet him too. - he would definitely not, but she knew what he was playing at and if she brought Sebastian, his expectations would be brought down. The old man took the couple by the fireplace where Tom and his father were standing. 

   - Don, you’ve meet my granddaughter before. - he introduced her to Tom’s father. He was a very pudgy man with a love for old scotch. Y/N had met him a few times during her grandfather’s meetings and back when she was dating Tom. 

   - Y/N, you grow more beautiful every time I see you. - he shock her hand, a weird smile on his face. - You sure have been missed at our dinner table.

   - And this is Sebastian Stan, he’s Y/N’s guest. - he introduced Sebastian who shock both men’s hands.

   - Guests don’t kiss, grandpa. He’s my partner. - Sebastian had to hold in a laugh as she said that with the most polite yet sharp tone, making the three men stop drinking to stare at both of them. - I’ve heard you got a spot in my grandfather’s business, Thomas. Congratulations. 

   - Thank you, Y/N. I see you’ve done pretty well by yourself. You’re an intern, aren’t you? - Sebastian disliked him even more due to that comment. 

   - You two must come fishing with us later. - Mr.Vanderbilt added. - It’s always good to have two more in the bunch.

   - I don’t think Sebastian ...

   - We would love to go, Mr. Vanderbilt. - Sebastian interrupted her, putting his arm around her waist. - Wouldn’t we, bunny?

   - Yes. - she had a confused look on her face. They excused themselves from the group and walked over to a quiet location. - What the fuck, Sebastian!

   - What? I love fishing. 

   - For girls maybe, not for actual fish. - she rolled her eyes. - You just doomed us to an afternoon of disappointment.

   - C’mon. - he hugged her, placing a kiss on top of her head. - He was being arrogant. 

   - I don’t need you to defend my honour. 

   - I know you don’t, but I still will.

[asgardianthot]

Hunting Season (sambucky) – Part 3

Series Masterlist

A/N: I know I promised this update over a week ago, and I’m sorry it took so long:/ I’ve felt really down for the past few days, I’m having a hard time with online classes and with my lack of serotonin lol. This was not my greatest week and I suspect it’s got to do with the quarantine. I know a lot of us are having a hard time coping with everything and it can be very stressful and draining. We’re all struggling to find the energy to do what we love, and *not* seizing our free time to create or be productive can make us feel very frustrated or disappointed – I just want you to know it’s okay to seize your free time to just rest, even if you haven’t done anything exhausting per se. Emotional draining is part of the global situation, and you have every right to simply exist. People are dying or losing loved ones – I think existing is more than enough right now.

Words: 3106

Summary: A shitty guy has entered the chat. You know who.

Bedtime had come, and Sam followed Bucky to their assigned room. It was, apparently, the one he had been using ever since he and Rebecca were old enough to stop sharing bunk beds. When Rumlow came into the picture, the family allowed the jolly couple to share the queen-sized bed. Hence, that was the set-up for Sam and Bucky.

"Yeah, I forgot to mention." Bucky apologized as they shut the door behind them.

The entire house seemed to have gone silent at that time of the night, making them feel like they should speak in a lower tone than usual.

"It's fine." Sam brushed it off while he kicked off his shoes near the door.

"Nah, man, I can sleep on the divan." Bucky shook his head, "I'll go get some blankets."

The last thing he wanted was to put Sam in any more uncomfortable situations. He was already in the most uncomfortable position anyone could ask of their friend, and Bucky felt guilty every single second of their stay, which had only lasted for less than a day so far.

"Dude, it's fine." Sam insisted, "Not like we've never shared a bed before."

Although they effectively had spent a number of after-parties in the same bed or the same couch, this setup felt a lot more intimate, somehow. Maybe it was the silk sheets, or the elegant shade of white which adorned the room, or the dim nightstand lights that made it all feel so cozy. Maybe it had to do with the fact that that's how boyfriends sleep, and them having to pretend to have that dynamic. Still, Sam wouldn't agree to Bucky's solution.

"Yeah, but it's seven nights." Bucky reminded him with a wince.

"If I get tired of you I'll send your ass to the divan." Sam ended the topic with that, stretching his arms to communicate his deep need of going to bed already, "I just wanna get some sleep, it's been a long* day."

Bucky snorted, "I told you." He smirked as he opened his bag to find his pajamas.

Sam sat on the edge of the bed. He had, in fact, agreed to this insanity. Clues and riddles and family drama and money*. He was there to help his best friend through a tough time, and that was his primary concern, but if he ever got too tired of the Barnes' crap, he could always remember the gold at the end of the rainbow. He let a loud sigh, almost like he was finally dropping off the weight of the 'boyfriend' act, and allowing himself to look exhausted. He dramatically dropped to the bed on his back.

"Two millions, right?" he raised an eyebrow at Bucky.

The appellee nodded, "Two millions."

-

Day 2

One of the many responsibilities the Barnes family had was continuously being good guests, which meant inviting relatives and neighbors and co-workers to spend a day or two in the lake house. Most of them had their own vacation residence nearby, or were vacation-buddies who could hop on their boats and grab lunch with the Barnes. Only a few guests would actually join the house accommodations and spend time with them. It was the case of a friend of Nana, one of Colin's co-workers, Aunt Ida's new boyfriend and distant cousin who would be spending the night, according to what Winnifred said during breakfast.

Sam had a hard time processing the fact that they had all that extra room for futile acquaintances; in fact, he very subtly lashed out at Bucky for allowing his family to set their staff in small bedrooms behind the kitchen when he had such luxuries. Bucky, head hanging low at the empty breakfast table, explained that even if he had Sam's revolutionary momentum and eloquence, his parents would never listen. 'I'm actually the last person who could change their entitled, outdated mentality', was the exact finishing sentence.

Sam once again got that sour reminder that he had to portray something for Bucky's parents. He had to pretend to be okay with the way Winnifred spoke to the maid through hand gestures instead of polite words. He had to pretend to act like he knew what the hell those big New York impresarios were talking about during the first tray of appetizers. Hell, he didn't even know that appetizers came in successions and that those successions were called 'trays', until now.

Most importantly, and at the moment Sam was standing in that big yard with freshly cut grass and a lake view, he had to pretend to belong. He had to walk among senior citizens with more money than they could spend in the few years they had left, young folk who looked like they had too much access to their daddy's bank accounts, and women who spoke exactly like Winnifred, as if different tones or voice inflexions belonged to a lesser class. Sam had to meet them all, and he had to act like he didn't feel as foreign as he'd ever felt.

"You're a saint, Sam." Bucky sneaked up on him and spoke in his ear, standing behind the lost man, "You can stop greeting wealthy dinosaurs now."

Sam realized he had done more than what was asked of him, and so, he dropped his shoulders in retreat. He turned around and gifted Bucky one tired smile.

"You okay?" the latter grabbed his shoulder tenderly, with concern, "This was too much, wasn't it? You should've called in sick like I-"

"I'm not traumatized by rich people, Bucky." Sam rolled his eyes, "I'm dating you, 'member?"

The verb caught Barnes by surprise, until he immediately remembered he meant the farce they were putting up for the family. However, during that millisecond of doubt, it felt like Sam was implying something with a double meaning that Bucky wasn't entirely sure disturbed him. In other words, he felt like Sam was flirting, but obviously, he was quickly reminded of the situation.

"I was just thinking what my mama would have said in a place like this." Sam confessed with a soft laughing tone.

The image was pretty funny. In the few times Bucky had spent time with Darlene, he was overly captivated by her strong personality. She was so caring, just like her son, but patience and subtlety weren't her strong suit.

"She would have been so... justifiably rude to all of them." Bucky dared to guess.

Sam chuckled, "Yeah."

"Would've ruined the mood for everybody." Bucky joined in the loud laughter.

The two were still smiling to themselves when Bucky's mom and Rebecca approached them, both holding cocktails in their hand.

"Whatcha talking about, lovebirds?" Rebecca teased them.

As much as she knew she couldn't raise the curtain to their farce, out of love for her brother, but also because engaging in a hassle like that one would take her out. That didn’t mean she couldn’t make this the most annoying family holiday Bucky had ever had.

"Mind your business." He replied dryly.

"James." The sibling’s mother reprimanded Bucky’s rudeness.”

"I was just messing around, ma’am." Sam jumped in his defense, effectively stopping the potential fight. "I'm not used to so much... elegance."

"You mean all these old and dull people in fancy clothes?" the woman suggested her own disappointment regarding her guests, and nodding happily when she noticed Sam’s surprised grin. "Trust me, lots of us have a hard time adjusting to them."

"Some of us think we shouldn't adjust, but the other way around." Rebecca reproached, which earned her a single head tilt from her less confrontational mother.

Wilson took the opportunity to be the lovable, polite boyfriend, "Are you having trouble with these men too, Ms. Barnes?" he asked with a gracious smile that accentuated his cheekbones.

"I wouldn't call it trouble." She, expectedly, diminished her statement to avoid being interpreted as discontent.

Rebecca gave up on the eye-rolling to start using an annoyed, distant glare. As much as she had always been closest to her mother than Bucky ever had been, their ways of dealing with their life and other people were very different, along with their worldviews.

"They're bigots, big surprise." The young woman used a rude sarcastic tone, yet got no reaction from her Winnifred, who was now decided in de-aggravating the topic of conversation.

"Our friends tend to be on the conservative side.” She said before waving her hand in her own defense, “Don't get me wrong, I'm no liberal."

Bucky snorted, "No one was thinking that, mom."

Sam merely pressed his lips together in order to stop a smirk from becoming too visible.

"But lots of them are very behind time.” Winnifred continued nonetheless, “Treating their wives like housemaids, interrupting me..."

The irony was so palpable, all three younger characters could barely conceal their own personalized expressions, which varied from shock to laughter, because Winnifred Barnes treated her housemaids like lesser humans and interrupted everyone. Sam gave Rebecca a look, which she replied with a nod that implied ‘I know’. She then drew a zip line across her mouth for him to drop it.

It had also been Winnifred herself who stood by George when Rebecca went to a Women's March with her friends and the married couple believed it to be 'too dangerous' because who knows what kind of people can be in a march! Giving credit where credit was due, however, Winnifred had her daughter's back when a family friend grabbed her butt in her sixteenth birthday, and Rebecca, being the strongly voiced person that she’s always been, let everyone know ‘what kind of perverts his father hung out with’.

"Yes, they’re keen on the rich male supremacy around here.” Rebecca sighed, unable to keep listening to her mom pretend to know what she was talking about, and willing to change the subject to go back to bullying her brother, “It's a bummer. So, guys..."

"Oh." Winnifred suddenly said, fixating her eyes on something in particular, past her company.

"What?"

The three followed Winnifred’s view and found a man most of them recognized perfectly. The dark hair gelled back, the expensive but tasteless clothes, and the way he stood his ground like he owned it. It was a look that had once enamored Bucky, but it seemed more like a horrible nightmare right now.

As soon as Sam noticed James’ breath hitch and his face freeze, Sam knew that it was Brock Rumlow. He had only seen the devil through social media pictures, and he wasn’t very recognizable from afar, but the reaction it brought Bucky was hard to miss.

Apparently, Rebecca was even more upset than Sam about the man’s presence.

"What the fuck is he doing here?" she let out with deep rage.

"Rebecca!" her mother prioritized the lady’s manners over the downright astonishing situation.

Rebecca ignored it, "Who invited him?" she whisper-shouted.

"I believe it was your uncle Teddy.” As soon as the woman realized everyone’s stare in reaction to her nonchalant way of speaking, she placed a hand on her son’s arm, “He didn't know, James. What was he supposed to do? Un-invite him?"

"I'm lost. Why is he here?" Sam cut in.

"Oh, don’t worry about him, Samuel!” She gave him a very inappropriate smile for the occasion, “He's a family friend. His father and George are business buddies."

Sam realized he had missed a big part of the information. He knew Bucky had met Rumlow through family contacts, and that they have known of each other’s existence for a couple of years before they actually got to know each other. What he had no idea of, was the close relationship between the Barnes and Rumlow fathers. Had he known, he would have expected the ex-boyfriend to show up, but judging by his fake boyfriend’s state, Bucky wasn’t expecting it either. Probably because he was underestimating Brock’s maliciousness and hoping he wouldn’t invade his space.

Sam spoke directly to Bucky, using a calming tone, "You wanna go somewhere else?" he offered an out.

Unfortunately, before Bucky could reply, Rumlow saw him and began walking directly to him.

Bucky took a sharp breath, "Too late now."

Nobody said a word until Brock joined them.

"Ma'am.” He politely nodded in Winnifred’s direction, then turned to his former partner with a false smile, “James. Care for a walk?"

Bucky knew he was speaking a lot more formally than usual, because Winnifred was there. Care for a walk was just a fancy way of spitting out ‘let’s talk’, and Bucky despised that offer with every fiber of his being, but he wasn’t able to respond. His tongue was tied. He clenched his jaw, feeling powerless, and was rescued by Sam, who extended his hand.

"Samuel Wilson.” He gave Brock a big, play-pretend grin, “And you are...?"

It wasn’t a surprise that Rumlow was being rude, as he had been ignoring Sam and Rebecca’s presence like they weren’t even there.

"Brock Rumlow." He shook the man’s hand.

When Sam dropped his hand away from Rumlow’s, he took Bucky’s in his, as a painfully obvious demonstration of their romantic involvement. Brock lowered his eyes towards the intertwined fingers and bit the inside of his cheek, before nodding with a partially amused expression on his face.

"I take it you're..." Brock tempted, earning an affirmative look from Sam, "And I take it you know who I am."

Wilson tilted his head, "You just told me, you're Brock."

"This doesn't have to be awkward.” The unwelcome man smiled, glancing at Winnifred to make sure she approved of his manners, but even she kept looking away, “We both know James and I-"

"Look, Brock.” Wilson cut him off, “Nobody here really cares. Do you care, love?" He asked Bucky.

Bucky couldn’t help but smirk at Sam’s successful act, "Irrelevant." He agreed.

"Unless... it matters to you, Brock.” Sam frowned sadly, putting up the most condescending act he had ever pulled, “In that case, I'm sorry if this is painful."

If looks could talk, Rumlow’s would have stated a very easy ‘fuck you’.

"We'll see ourselves out, actually. Nice to meet you." He said, then turned away.

Bucky gifted his ex a fake host smile, "Have a good one."

As soon as the couple went back inside the house, Bucky let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding. He murmured grateful words as the noise of the gathering outside became muffled, and Sam squeezed his hand, which he was still holding. As a matter of fact, they didn’t let go of each other for a while.

-

"I brought us some food." Sam announced when he reached the top of the stairs.

Bucky had hid himself in the small living room which welcomed guests to the second floor. He was sitting on the couch, watching crappy TV, avoiding the large amount of people talking downstairs.

"You sneaked lunch up here?" He asked with surprise.

"Yes, Bucky, I stole two plates of crab risotto and an apple sorbet.” Sam mocked his naivety with sarcasm, “I made sandwiches in the kitchen, you doofus."

Bucky usually felt less than Sam at many things. Sam was smarter, he was resilient, he was hardworking and he was happier than him, most of the times. Seeing Sam in his messed up world only fomented that, because Sam was a fish out the water among the Barnes and their guests, and still, he glowed brighter. He was better than anyone Bucky had grown up with, and certainly better than himself. That’s why Sam had probably asked the kitchen staff if he could bother them for a second while he made two sandwiches, and he probably talked to them the entire time, and he probably let them speak longer than he did because he didn’t want to seem rude.

Bucky just knew that’s what he had done, while, if he were by himself, he probably would have skipped lunch and snacked on leftovers later, when no one was looking.

"What did I do to deserve you?" he sighed, receiving the plate Sam had prepared him.

The appreciation made Sam feel fuzzy. As much as he loved helping Bucky because he was his best friend, he never wanted Bucky to depend on his help. And yet, this time, he liked the idea of being needed by him.

He shook off the idea and sat on the couch, "That's a good question."

"I think God sent you when he saw how shitty everyone else in my life is."

Wilson laughed, shifting closer to Bucky’s and taking a big bite of his sandwich.

"Becca ain't so bad.” He remarked with his mouth full, “She comes around eventually."

"Yeah, she does." James agreed, thinking of how protective the young woman had become as soon as she saw the man who hurt her brother.

"You ever get tired of getting all your parents' shit when you watch her get away with stuff?"

Bucky shrugged. "I'd do anything for her. And they already see me a certain way, might as well protect her from that."

Wilson smiled to him, a warm sensation taking over his chest, "You're really good to her."

As much as Barnes wanted to take the compliment, the exchange had become too intimate, and if there was one thing Bucky had been rejecting during the whole boyfriend act, was intimacy between them. He feared he might get confused.

"You trying to pamper me, Wilson?" he bumped Sam’s shoulder playfully.

The latter rolled his eyes, and they went back to the TV show on screen while they ate. A few minutes later, something was twirling around Sam’s head so heavily, that he had to speak out.

"Hey, uh... A bit of- a really foggy bit of what I said when I was blacked out might have come back to me." He told Bucky, avoiding eye-contact.

James knew exactly what that was. Sam had just seen Rumlow for the first time, which brought back a very specific part of the conversation they both had, but only Bucky remembered.

"You remembered shitting on Brock?" he raised an eyebrow, amused.

"I mean, I'm not sure, but I bet I didn't have anything nice to say about him."

"Nothing you hadn't said before." Bucky lied.

Sam most certainly had said some things about the ex-boyfriend that he had been keeping to himself, and only had the guts to let out while blackout drunk.

They sat back and switched the channels, finding a better movie to watch, ignoring the lunch party completely. Eventually, Bucky found himself laying on Sam's chest, sort of sided, but he was too comfortable to move away.

[seasonofthegeek]

The Perfect Partnership, Part 3

This drabble was requested by @siefa on ko-fi. Thanks so much for the support!

Parts 1, 2, 3:

“I forgot how exhausting it is looking at new apartments.” Adrien and Marinette followed the realtor, Caroline, up to the second floor on the latest building they were touring. “Even without the stairs.”

“Doesn’t help that the elevator looks like it hasn’t worked in a few decades,” Marinette agreed. 

“Yeah, this place will have to be mind-blowing to not immediately get knocked off the list, which I’m doubting. What did you think about the three bedroom in that brick building?”

“Was that the third or fourth one?”

“Fourth, I think. Wait, maybe I’m thinking of the second one.”

“No, the second building had that weird gray panelling up the side,” she reminded him. “And the kitchen with no sink. Definitely not that one.”

“Oh, yeah. The third then.”

Caroline turned to them with a politely expectant smile. “Sorry for the inconvenience. Thankfully, your private elevator landing is on the second floor so it isn’t too much of a walk up.”

“Private elevator?” Adrien and Marinette exchanged surprised looks.

“Mr. Agreste did express a desire for a nicer place in a-- how did you put it?-- less stuffy location than the first set I’d shown you.” The polite expression stayed in place but there was a definite strain in the older woman’s voice.

Marinette tried not to smile when she saw Adrien blush. 

“Ah, sorry. I didn’t mean to make your job harder. I just...we’re not...” He looked to Marinette for help and she bit her lip to keep from laughing. He narrowed his eyes but amusement twinkled in them.

“I grew up in a house that was much too big simply for the sake of looking wealthy,” Adrien continued, lifting his chin. “I don’t want anything else like that, but I value privacy.”

“I think this might be something along the lines of what you’re looking for then.” The elevator doors opened and the realtor gestured inside. “Shall we?”

They rode up in relative silence, the cables above them creaking softly as they ascended. Marinette counted the floors as they lit up on the panel until they reached the top. “Thirteen? A lot of buildings skip to fourteen.”

Caroline visibly stiffened. “Well, yes. Though only superstition, I’m afraid that’s one of the reasons why this place hasn’t shown well. Some residents in the building are sure the penthouse is the cause of bad luck through the facility and have petitioned the manager to change the floor to fourteen.”

“Seems silly.” Adrien stepped off the elevator first as the doors opened and peered around the large space. 

“Thirteen’s my favorite number anyway.” Marinette joined him and let out a pleased gasp. “Look at all the windows! Everything is so bright.”

He watched her with a dopey fond expression as she walked along the wall of windows. “I know how much you like natural light. If only there were skylights too.”

“Oh, there’s one in the bedroom,” Caroline interjected. “You’ll have access to the roof as well. With a little work, it could be a nice lounge area or garden.” The realtor seemed reinvigorated by Marinette’s obvious interest in the space. “The door is right off the master bedroom and the angle of the building allows for total privacy. A wonderful starter for lovesick newlyweds. Very discreet.”

Marinette turned away from the windows to look at the other woman with wide eyes. 

Adrien cleared his throat. “Right. Uh, so you’d mentioned a petition from other residents. Is it just because of the number thirteen? That seems odd.”

“Well, to be quite honest, there are some who think this apartment is haunted.” Though she looked a little ashen, Caroline laughed too loudly. “Obviously that’s ridiculous, but as I said, some are superstitious.”

Marinette joined Adrien’s side once more. “Why would people think it’s haunted?”

“It’s an old building. There is settling and creaky pipes from time to time. Not that it should dissuade you from this property. I can assure you that all the amenities are fully functioning and there is a handyman onsite.” She pasted on a brilliant smile. “Would you like to see the master bedroom?”

___

“You liked the haunted place the best,” Adrien teased, reaching for a chip on Marinette’s plate. “You can admit it.”

“I still don’t believe it was haunted. It was really pretty, but I don’t know if I want to live somewhere people are going to be petitioning against.” She ran her own chip through a dollop of sauce. “Besides, it only had the one bedroom.”

“Oh, yeah.”

“I mean, there was a living room and a parlor area so there’s plenty of space,” she continued. “It’s still bigger than either of our places. And all the windows were gorgeous. I really liked the roof area too.”

“And the closet was big enough for both of us.”

“Yeah.”

“We could get bunk beds.”

Marinette frowned and looked up to see the smirk on her best friend’s face. She balled up her napkin and tossed it at him. “We are not getting bunk beds in our twenties.”

“The first place had two bedrooms, if that’s important to you.”

She pursed her lips and kept her eyes on her food. “Are you saying it doesn’t matter to you? I mean, if we have separate bedrooms or not?”

Adrien straightened in his seat. “I want you to be comfortable. You know I like having you around so I wouldn’t mind it, but I don’t want you to feel like we have to share a room. We saw a few two and three bedroom places today and I can always request more viewings.”

“But it really wouldn’t bother you for us to share a room?”

He ducked his head shyly. “No. Not really. We could get a big bed if that’s a concern.”

“What about changing clothes?”

The blush flared across his cheeks even as Marinette flushed from her own question. “Well, the bathroom was right off the bedroom and the closet was plenty big to change in.”

“Yeah, I guess. Um, but what if you met someone and, uh...” Marinette tried to force the question out. She needed to be smart about this. They weren’t really in a relationship. She couldn’t take some expectations for granted. “What if you want to bring someone back home with you?”

“That won’t happen.” His brow furrowed. “I wouldn’t do that.”

“But--”

“We’ve already talked about this.”

“I know. I’m just--”

“Do you really think I’m going to marry you and that won’t be enough for me? I don’t need anyone else.” He sunk down in his chair and scowled at his plate. “If you don’t want to do this, please just tell me now.”

“Adrien, I think it’s important for us to figure this out. It’s not exactly conventional what we’re doing.” She was trying to stay calm but she could feel panic rising up inside her. 

“Cards on the table?” he asked, voice quiet. “You want us to say everything we think and feel before we go any further?”

She glanced around the crowded cafe and frowned. “Yes, but maybe not here and now.”

He stood, the feet of the chair scraping against the tiled floor as he pushed away from the table. “Let’s go back to my place then,” he offered, “and get this done.”

Marinette followed him out of the restaurant and felt like she’d missed something important. He was acting as if she’d already called the whole thing off. Maybe he could tell how she felt and it was making him nervous. Maybe he knew that she was head over heels in love with him and he was scared it would mess things up between them.

It was probably for the best.

She miserably fell into step beside him and didn’t bother trying to speak, and somehow it was even worse that he didn’t either.

___

“You’re agitated.” Marinette watched Adrien pace in front of the television. 

“I’m not,” he snapped.

“Okay, sure.”

He paused to glare at her but the anger was short-lived and his expression became more timid than livid. “I’m...I think I’m nervous, that’s all. I don’t really know what to say or I guess how to start if we’re going to really talk about this.”

She was nervous too. She felt like her heart was lodged firmly in the center of her throat and if she wasn’t careful, every lovey dovey feeling and thought she had about him was going to spill out of her mouth before she had a chance to stop herself. She cleared her throat in an effort to keep her sanity and a thought occurred to her. 

“Is this about Gabriel?”

Adrien froze in the path he’d been making in the area rug and turned to look at her. “What?”

She fidgeted with the blanket in her lap. “Well, I know he set the rule on the trust fund that you had to be married in order to get the money and I know he doesn’t exactly like me so I was wondering if maybe that’s why you’re upset. Or is that why you asked me? To get back at him or something? I don’t mind, I just...” She trailed off, not sure how to finish her thought. A sick feeling was bubbling in her stomach at the idea.

“I...that’s not...” Adrien shook his head in frustration. “I don’t care what he thinks and he has no say in anything. He set the condition and I’m following it. It’s the last thing and then I’m free of him.”

“Okay.”

“And besides, this isn’t about him. This is about you and me. You’re the most important person in my life and if it was just me, I wouldn’t want his money, but if it’s for us, it feels...I don’t know. Is it petty to say vindictive?” He ran his hand through his hair and gave her a helpless look. “It’s about me and you.”

Marinette let herself relax a little and patted the space on the couch beside her. Adrien joined her without need of any further prompting and she lifted the blanket so he could snuggle in beside her. He curled all his height around her as much as he could on the couch and pressed his cheek against her shoulder. He was always so warm. Marinette took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. She hadn’t realized just how tense she was until the moment she knew she could relax. She worked her arm out from between them and reached around his shoulders so she could put her hand in his hair. Adrien snuggled in closer as she did.

“I’m sorry I brought him up.”

“It was a valid concern,” he sighed quietly. “Without you, I’d probably still be...”

“But you aren’t.” She lightly scratched at his scalp and felt him melt a little more against her. She’d known Adrien for so many years. She’s gotten to see him change and grow. She watched him transform from a child who wanted to please his father no matter what the cost into a young man who realized his own self worth. She was proud of him, but she knew that his transformation hadn’t happened without a few scars along the way. “You’re free now.”

“Sometimes I forget,” he admitted in a whisper. 

“Then I’ll always be here to remind you.”

He found her other hand under the blanket and linked their fingers. “That’s why I want us to get married.”

She wasn’t sure what to say to that so she didn’t respond with words. She simply squeezed his hand and held him tight and reminded herself that there were many different shades of love and all of them concerning Adrien were beautiful. 

Buy me a cherry coke?

[arthvrr]

oh heavens, is that ARTHUR FELLER from CHESTNUT DRIVE i see roaming around mapleview? minnie may’s always calling them -CRITICAL & -ALOOF. i happen to think they’re not that bad! they’re a pretty cool RANGER AT MAPLEVIEW HIKING TRAIL and every time i’ve seen them, they’ve always been +RESPONSIBLE & +DECISIVE. i hope i see them around again! 

HISTORY

you know that COUNTRY BOY I LOVE YOU vine?? arthur IS that country boy

family has lived in the same house in chestnut drive for about 85 years now, and every male member of his family has been in the military

he had a sister, whom his mom ADORED but she died very young at 9 while hiking at the mapleview hiking trail.

he enlisted in the marines at 19 after taking a year’s break off of high school. 

he was honourably discharged after an accident involving a malfunctioning humvee in okinawa. he broke his arm and shoulder blade.

he used his gi bill to get an associates degree in forestry right after he got back states side. 

he’s been home for about 3 years now  and has held the ranger position at the mapleview hiking trail, ensuring that no one gets into an accident again. 

PERSONALITY

arthur used to be a very active and outgoing kid, but after what happened to his sister, he became very rebellious and got into A LOT of fights. he only stopped getting into fights after his mom got called into school because he got a broken nose and she fainted at the sight of him.

he’s naturally responsible and his biggest responsibilities, he feels, are to himself and his aging parents. as much as he would want to just move somewhere north to become a fisherman, he’s staying back to take care of his momma and old man.

every since coming back, he’s been super aloof and not one to start conversations, although he can hold one if prompted. he’s very cautious, feels super old bc he also, like, wants to make sure everyone is safe.

CURRENT ARC

he’s just legit living a quiet life, saving up to get his parents health insurances. 

he spends most of his time at the hiking trail; if he’s not there, he’s at home browsing reddit (HE HAS VERY HIGH REDDIT KARMA AND HAS A 3 GOLDS). 

he’s been going around town to look into a better house for his parents too, so he’s a going into town a bit more than usual.

CONNECTIONS

cousins / relatives (0/5) - fellers have been here for almost a century and they’re well-weaved in the mapleview. they can have a strained relationship or they can have a supportive relationship. would love some angst among cousins who are better off??? (headcanon that his mom was from a wealthy family but got knocked up early by his dad)

exes (0/3) - he’s had his fair share of heartbreaks. he’s an all-or-nothing kinda guy. he’ll never date anyone without the intention of marrying them. would love to plooot some juicy angst storylines as to why the broke up and why they could POSSIBLY get back together

circle of friends (0/3) - dem bros, dem sisses. people he would legit go to the ends of the world for. he never got to experience the life of having a sibling, so his friends are his siblings.

online friend (0/1) - arthur LOVES reddit. hes pretty close to making one of those reddit yt channels that just reads the posts, you know what i’m talking about. i’d love for him to have an online friend he has not met yet but is in town. he’s more open online bc of the anonymity so they can be confidants as well.

churchmates - his momma is devout; he’s not. that doesn’t mean he wouldn’t do to sunday service though, but only does to make sure his momma’s safe

fellow veterans

hi! i’m jenna (pseudonym)!! i’m from southeast asia. i love bubble tea and takoyaki, and i’m trying to out tumblr rp-ing again after years of just doing discord rps weeee i’m writing his bio but i have his STATISTICS right here. looking forward to meeting yall!

[laventadorn]

Part 1/2 I was wondering if you had any ideas/headcanons wrt Eileen/Tobias? JK doesn't really go into how they met, but given the little info he gives us its pretty clear the type of marriage they had. But, I was wondering why Tobias acted the way he did. Not that he needs a reason, but I love backstories. Do u have one for the Snapes? Personally, I sawa bit of parallel with how Seamus described how his muggle dad didn't know his mom was a which until after the wedding. I can sort of see...

I wrote one for my first HP fic, in fact! Heavily influenced by Jane Austen lmao

I would change some aspects of this now, but this was the version I dug up from my Ancient Writings: 

(readmore, y u no work)

Eileen’s parents’ marriage was arranged, as many pure-blood marriages are. The Princes were a very old, distinguished line, but impoverished, while her mother’s family was relatively new, in a pure-blood sense, but wealthy. Her parents set up the marriage with Mr. Prince, who was rather older than their daughter, but she agreed to it. However, within a short time she was unhappy, since her husband, raised to frugality, was rather miserly and she was spendthrift; and being younger, she wanted to do a great many things that it was not in his temperament to agree to. When Eileen was about five or six, her mother ran away, abandoning her child and her marriage, eloping to Europe with a lover. Her husband was so humiliated and enraged that he forbade anyone in the household to speak her name ever again. He destroyed all evidence of her existence in the house—the possessions she had left behind, the paintings they’d had commissioned, even renouncing her personal house-elf. Even when he learned, three years later, that she’d died in conditions of poverty and hardship, it didn’t soften him toward her; instead, he only believed she had got what she deserved.

When Eileen was seven, he remarried, this time to a widow, one of the Blacks, who had endured a childless marriage of some fifteen years until her husband was killed rather stupidly trying to learn how to ride a dragon. She had no wealth, but Mr. Prince still had his wife’s fortune, and Mrs. Black’s impeccable bloodline meant more to him in any case. She and Mr. Prince were rather meant for each other, however: both were nip-farthings, both joyless and cruel, and both rigidly traditional. They believed in duty, propriety, and unstinting obedience from their children. 

Mrs. Black, now Mrs. Prince, thought worse of the former Mrs. Prince than even her husband did. To her, a woman’s infidelity was the worst of vile sins, and she pitied her new husband for having married such a filthy whore. She was sorry that the former Mrs. Prince had left behind a little girl, since naturally the daughter of such a whore would turn out just like her. 

But Mrs. Prince was determined to do her duty by Eileen. She raised her to be a proper pure-blood wife—dutiful, obedient, graceful and silent. She beat into her the importance of propriety, telling Eileen how vital it was that she give no one any cause to say how like her mother she was, however much she would surely have the same sort of base, wicked urges as that slut. She also impressed upon Eileen the necessity of marrying into a pure-blood family of stature, since her mother was a fine example of the rubbish that rose to the surface of bad blood.

Within a few short years, the new Mrs. Prince had rewarded her second husband with twin sons. These boys had the benefit firstly of being boys, always a plus in pure-blood families, as well as the added bonus of not having a piece of trash for a mother. The practice of favoring the sons over the daughters was standard in pure-blood families, but the sins of Eileen’s mother worsened her lot. Nothing Eileen ever did was right enough or good enough or proper enough in the eyes of her family; and at school she had no friends, since the pure-blood daughters of Slytherin were fully aware of her mother’s story and had been forbidden from associating with her. Eileen was not pretty, and her home life was too miserable to make her good enough company to compensate for her other defects. Her father pretended she did not exist, her brothers teased and tormented her, and her stepmother ruled her whole life with a fist of iron. 

Eileen retreated into her schoolwork, into books and knowledge. In second year she did make one friend, a Ravenclaw named Constance Marlowe. Constance was a very tranquil person. Her mother was Muggle-born, and she would tell Eileen about her Muggle grandparents. Eileen had never met Muggles. Her father and stepfather loathed them, but they loathed Eileen, too, and loved her brothers and the pure-blood families who treated Eileen as if their cruelty was simply preempting every nasty thing they suspected she would ever do. 

Then in fifth year, while visiting the sea shore on summer holiday, Constance drowned. Eileen went to her funeral, to which many of Constance’s Muggle relatives had come. They looked like regular people, although they dressed funny. After that, Eileen hated the ocean, but realized that Muggles were capable of human thought and speech, which her family had always led her to believe they weren’t.

When school ended, she returned to live at her father’s house, since pure-blood women of her family’s stature did not get jobs; they got married. But with Eileen’s reputation, her looks, and her father’s desire to spend as little money on her dowry as possible, she received no offers. Her blood was not even decent enough, balanced as it was by her mother’s betrayal. So for more than ten years, Eileen lived in her father’s home, a companion to her stepmother, an object of mockery to her brothers and the children they went on to have.

By the time she was thirty, everyone, even she, was certain she would never marry. Her stepmother even came to relax her restrictions, since she had kept Eileen wrapped so tightly out of a duty to maidenly propriety. A thin, unattractive thirty-year-old witch was not likely to be prey to any lascivious attentions or whims. Uncaring now of the reputation she had so viciously guarded, Mrs. Prince let Eileen out of the house for longer periods of time … although she might not have, had she known Eileen was visiting Muggle haunts.

On one of these jaunts, when she was about thirty-one, Eileen met Tobias. She had gone, in fact, to the seaside town where Constance drowned, perhaps out of a morbid desire to torture herself. He was there, too, trying to get away from his life for a bit, since he’d just gotten divorced. 

He had married young when his girlfriend got pregnant unexpectedly. He’d done his duty by her, quitting school and going to work at the mill, but a few months before the day he met Eileen, his wife had sat him down and said she’d fallen in love with some other bloke, but she wanted to do right by Tobias because he’d always done right by her. She and he weren’t in love, hadn’t been since the very early days, even if they’d rubbed along together easily enough, and he said as long as he could keep seeing his girl, they’d be all right. So they divorced amicably, and she married the other bloke, who was a bit older and balding and sort of fat, but a jolly sort, which Tobias had to admit he was not. Lorraine’s new husband looked a bit like Santa Claus to Tobias, and he knew his daughter would like her step-father, if she didn’t already. And although as a young man he’d agreed to the marriage of necessity and had never really been bitter about it, happy enough with his wife and daughter for company, he had wanted more from his life than he’d wound up with at thirty-five: divorced, uneducated, in a dreary, pointless job.

As she was talking with him, Eileen realized she wanted more than anything to get away from her family. She realized how purely she hated them, as if the hatred ran through her blood. She decided to scandalize them utterly: packed up her marriage chest and ran away, to live with Tobias without marrying him, hoping to drive her father and step-mother both to an apoplectic fit, but at least one or the other if she could manage it. 

So she and Tobias simply lived together for a while, until Eileen got pregnant. She had been guarding against this, but the magical world had an old wives’ tale that wizarding babies wanted to be born so badly that sometimes, you couldn’t stop them. When she told Tobias, he wanted to get married, and although she didn’t really, she didn’t want her child to suffer the ignominy of being the bastard of a whore. So they were married, very quietly, only Tobias’ ex-wife in attendance with her family. Not wanting to give birth to a daughter that would live the life she’d had, Eileen mixed a very Dark potion to ensure the birth of a son.

So Severus was born. She put an ad in the Daily Prophet, hoping her family would see it, in case it would give them an aneurism. 

Before Severus was born, but when she was close to due, Tobias asked her if the baby would have magic. Eileen said, “It is likely, but he may not.”

“What happens if he doesn’t?” Tobias asked.

Eileen shrugged. “Then he doesn’t.” She wanted her son to be a wizard, but she was no longer in the magical world; a Squib child would not matter to her now. She had brothers; she was not even the end of the line. 

It was impossible to tell if babies had magic, so for several years after Severus’ birth it was a moot issue. Eileen continued to work spells, because Tobias said he didn’t mind, he actually thought it was pretty interesting. And then one day when Severus was about four or five, he worked magic, and out of nowhere Tobias blew up at the pair of them. Eileen was so shocked she actually flinched away, because although she knew Tobias had a temper, he’d never turned it on her. Severus burst into tears. And then Eileen pulled herself together and reacted, rage and hatred boiling up out of her through her wand, and she turned it on her husband, the way she’d always wanted to do to her brothers, her father, her step-mother, the children at school, and she blasted him across the room and into the bookshelf.

Severus screamed. Eileen stood frozen, looking at Tobias’ unconscious body slumped under an array of books. She blasted them off him and found he was bleeding from cuts all over his front. She hastily flooed them all to St. Mungo’s, where he was swiftly patched up. Although the Healers gave her funny looks, they did nothing to her because she was a witch and he was only a Muggle, and there weren’t legal protections in those days for the Muggle spouses of wizards and witches.

Tobias wasn’t the same after that. Eileen didn’t know whether it was the shock of her turning her magic on him, or Severus’ own magic manifesting, or even the trip to St. Mungo’s, because his face as he looked around the hospital as they left had been haunted. After that, he began to drink more. Although he’d always had a few on the weekends and even more on holidays, he was soon never seen without a drink in his hand or the scent of alcohol on his breath. He wouldn’t tell Eileen what was wrong, and it was impossible to get anything from the mind of a drunk person; even trying it made one disoriented. 

She expected him to leave them; expected to wake up one morning and find him gone, but for some reason he never did. They settled into a life where Tobias would go for days avoiding her and Severus, hardly speaking to them when sober, muttering when inebriated, with occasional outbursts of temper that Eileen would sometimes curtail, but at others simply weather out. As a young child Severus was at first frightened, then hurt, and once he grew older, resentful.

Once, when Severus was about seven, she did wake up in the middle of the night and find Tobias in Severus’ room, watching him sleep. Tobias was just drunk enough to be honest. He looked up at her with haunted eyes and said, “Do you hate that I can’t do it?”

“Do what?” she asked, bewildered.

“What you can do. What he can do. Do you hate me because I can’t?”

Eileen just stared at him. “Is that why you act like this?” He didn’t say anything, just looked back at Severus. “No, I don’t hate you. That would be like hating the sky because it’s blue.”

When he spoke, she almost didn’t hear him. “Sometimes I hate you, though. Both of you.”

It took Eileen much longer than it should have to understand what Tobias was really telling her: that he hated them for being able to do something he never would. He hated them for having the power of magic when he was only a Muggle. That look on his face in St. Mungo’s had been shock at an entire world he’d never guessed existed; and now that he knew of it, he also knew he would only ever be on the outside looking in.

But she had not understood this in time. She resented his drinking; he resented her powers; they resented each other’s resentment. And at the heart of it, they came to hate the other for a second chance that had turned to ash, just as the first chance had. 

Eventually Eileen realized that the same barrier that stood between her and Tobias had blocked him off from Severus, and she simply quit trying to bridge it. She drew Severus into the circle of her magic, eschewing any acknowledgment of the non-magical world he was half a part of. She had always meant Tobias to show him that part, and now Tobias would not. She taught Severus about his magical bloodline, the House of their family’s allegiance, the world he would enter once he was old enough, the powers he would wield. Although she punished him if he looked in her books without her permission, she taught him hexes and curses and spells that would get him respected among his Slytherin peers, that would receive him the notice of families he would need to impress in order to gain entrance into the society that should have been his—both of theirs, had her life gone much differently. She raised him more as she had been raised, in a manner typical for pure-blood daughters: with strictness and not much indulgence, because she’d loathed the men her brothers had become, alternately indulged and ruthlessly punished as they had been, as the beloved sons of two cruel, cold-hearted people. 

In teaching Severus about the world she had left, sending him off into the future he ought to have, Eileen realized she had never been happy in the world of magic. She had known the truth of that, lived it all her life, but never articulated it to herself. But she was not happy in the Muggle world, either; she did not understand it, couldn’t navigate it. It was too vast and unfamiliar for her even to know where to start. As she prepared Severus for Hogwarts, Eileen realized the only time she had been anything close to happy was in that seaside town when she had met Tobias, and she had believed, for a handful of days, that the future would be different from the past.

But it hadn’t been. Now Tobias was gone, and only Severus was left. And even though she had tried her hardest to make it otherwise, she realized that Severus was just as out-of-place as she had ever been; she, the daughter of a whore, the pure-blood wife of a Muggle with a wizard for a son. Severus was the child of two people whose lives had been wasted for them by others; sent as hardly more than a baby into the world of pure-blood politics with such a tiny arsenal of anything they would see as promise, in love with a naïve Muggle-born Gryffindor. If Severus wanted the Muggle-born, he would cut all his chances of entering good society; and if he got the Muggle-born, he would find himself in the midst of people who regarded his magic with jealousy and suspicion.

That was the true curse of the half-blood, she thought. You were always trapped between worlds that didn’t know how to claim you.

.

.

.

*Snape doesn’t have those uncles anymore cuz they died off somehow, and he doesn’t have contact with his dad’s first family. He doesn’t strike me as someone who has a large extended family he pals around with, although I’m sure they exist. I have 1 jillion cousins I know absolutely nothing about, not even their names.  

[mila-nott]

**about mila nott.

I want money and all your power, all your glory. Hallelujah, I wanna take you for all that you’ve got.

basic information

Full name: Mila Louise Nott

Nickname: Mimi - only by Nikolai

Gender: Cisgender Female

Sexuality: Bisexual (not out to her parents)

Species: Witch

Date of Birth: January 6th

Zodiac Sign: Capricorn sun, Sagittarius moon, Leo rising

Languages Spoken: English and Spanish

Nationality: Cuban and Mexican

Blood status: Pureblood

appearance

Hair Color: Black

Hair Style: It depends on the outfit but she’ll usually have her hair up whether that’s in a ponytail, a bun, or a braid. When she’s not working that’s usually when she’ll have her hair down. 

Eye Color: Brown

Tattoos: The Dark Mark on her left forearm

Piercings: She has two holes in each ear and her nipples pierced. She wears a stud and hoop in both ears then just regular silver bar jewelry for her nipple rings.

Skin tone: Tan

Height: 5′6

Clothing Style: Mila loves clothes and anything that has to do with fashion, she doesn’t have a distinct clothing style but she never wears the same clothes twice in the same week. She’ll never be seen wearing sweatpants, pajamas, or flat shoes out in public.

Other Distinguishing Features: The small gap in between her front teeth and she has multiple scars on her hands and forearms.

personality

Positive Traits: Confident, efficient, independent, and observant

Negative Traits: Aloof, calculating, decadent, and malicious

Character Alignment: Neutral Evil - A neutral evil villain does whatever she can get away with. She is out for himself, pure and simple. She sheds no tears for those he kills, whether for profit, sport, or convenience. She has no love of order and holds no illusion that following laws, traditions, or codes would make him any better or more noble. On the other hand, she doesn't have the restless nature or love of conflict that a chaotic evil villain has. Some neutral evil villains hold up evil as an ideal, committing evil for its own sake. Most often, such villains are devoted to evil deities or secret societies. Neutral evil is the best alignment you can be because you can advance yourself without regard for others. However, neutral evil can be a dangerous alignment because it represents pure evil without honor and without variation.

Likes: Fashion, successfully learning a complicated spell, money, when her parents tell her they’re proud of her, massages, skincare

Dislikes: Being talked down to, being treated like she’s less than, watching quidditch or anything quidditch related, horizontal stripes on clothing, and dogs

Hobbies: Reading, practicing spells, shopping, doing facemasks, playing chess

Fears: Being poor, marrying a muggle, being a housewife

Ambition: To restore the Nott’s reputation and be an extremely wealthy woman

family

Father: Theodore Nott Mother: Mariana Nott ( neé Pérez ) Sibling: Nikolai Nott, older brother by 2 years Paternal grandparents: Aldrich and Imogen Nott Maternal grandparents: Alvaro and Benita Pérez Uncles: Mauricio Pérez, None on his Father’s side. Aunts: Amada Diaz ( neé Pérez ), None on his Father’s side. Cousins: Fernán Pérez, Estefania Pérez, and Santanna Diaz Pet: A siamese cat named Alfred, he’s three years old Other noteworthy relatives: N/A Family home:

The Nott family estate is located in the country side of Englad. Their estate is cloaked from muggles, airplanes that pass by only see an illusion of a house in ruins. It’s a two story estate with a basement and 8 bedrooms and 7 and a half bathrooms. It has been in the Nott family for generations when they settled to England during the Renaissance.

After the war, Theodore’s parents went to Azkaban and he was forced to travel around Europe to escape the Aurors who were rounding up Death Eaters after the war. Theo found himself in Havana, Cuba where he met his wife. After being pardoned by the Ministry, with his wife and new child, the new Nott family returned to London. However, because the Nott’s assets were seized. They were forced to move to a suburban house. The new Nott family home is a two story house in the suburbs of England. It has 4 bedrooms and 3 and a half bathrooms. It’s also cloaked to keep muggles away.

Blood Status: Pureblood Social standing: Part of the Sacred 28, had a good standing as a powerful family the generation that his father was born, their standing went down after the war and their penchant for the dark arts came to light. They’re in an okay standing now, they’re not in the public eye as much. Family background: The Nott’s date back generations. They settled down in England around the Renaissance period, claiming land in the country side. They were a big family but swindled as they lived through generations due to only having 2 or 3 children to continue the family line. Each generation inherited their estate until the end of the Second Wizarding war.

individual magic

Wand Reaction When First Held: Her wand glowed at the tip when she first held it in her hand and made her hand and forearm feel warm, she automatically knew it was the one.

Wand: 9 inch Walnut with Dragon Heartstring, unyielding

Boggart: Being a beggar on the street and having nothing to her name

Patronus: A siamese cat

Animagus: N/A

Polyjuice: Has never used it

Amortentia: The crisp smell of money, tobacco, jasmine, and cedarwood

prologue

What happened before Hogwarts…

Mila, unlike her older brother, was never one to shy away from people or try to blend. She wanted all eyes on her and everybody’s attention, she was also very loud. At any gatherings Theodore held, Mila wanted to be right in the center of it all which usually lead to her being sent to bed not too long after. Mila didn’t seem to know what an “inside voice” was especially when she was very young, yelling was just her normal volume. It was as if she was a direct contrast to Nikolai which wasn’t a bad thing but it was different than what Theodore and Mariana were used to. 

When Mila was around seven, that was when she’d begin to sneak into Theodore’s study and attempt to read all of the big books he had sitting on his shelves. She barely understood a word of it, of course. The words were too big and confusing but Theodore always promised her that one day he’d let her read everything he had once she was old enough. Around this time Mila really started to bond with her father, she loved her mother and brother too - of course. But she really was glued to her father’s side until she went to Hogwarts. She was practically under his feet where ever he went. Mila and Nikolai were never particularly close but there wasn’t any sense of a rivalry. They were just into different things at the time. It was pretty rare to actually see them hanging out when they were younger. However, that doesn’t mean that she completely left him alone she would often try to stick her nose into whatever he was doing just so she knew what he was up to.

years at hogwarts

first year

Sorted into: Ravenclaw Best subject: Transfiguration Favorite subject: History of Magic Worst subject: Herbology Least favorite subject: Flying Quidditch: She went to all of the games that Ravenclaw played in because she felt like she had to but was dreadfully bored during all of the games.  Christmas holiday: Went home, she missed her parents like crazy. Other: Mila was heartbroken that she wasn’t sorted into the same house as her brother but she did make it her mission to stalk him out at any time she could. She knew he preferred to be “alone” but obviously, sisters don’t count.

second year

Best subject: Transfiguration and Charms Favorite subject: Potions Worst subject: Herbology Least favorite subject: Herbology  Quidditch: She didn’t try out and had no interest in the sport at the time, she’d show up for some games to show her support for Ravenclaw but would’ve rather been in her dorm. Christmas holiday: Went home. Other: Began bonding with her fellow Ravenclaw students more and had a few friends but she didn’t consider them to be “close”. She more or less just spoke to them so she wouldn’t have to sit alone at lunch, she was still upset she wasn’t in Slytherin.

third year

Elective subjects: Arithmancy and Study of Ancient Runes Best subject: Transfiguration, Charms, and Arithmancy Favorite subject: Study of Ancient Runes Worst subject: Astronomy Least favorite subject: Herbology  Quidditch: She went to about three games, max. Around this time, Mila stopped pretending that she was interested in quidditch and would only go if she was absolutely begged. Hogsmeade: She went with a few of her Ravenclaw buddies and had her first butterbeer, she did end up ditching her Ravenclaw friends for her new Slytherin ones. Christmas holiday: Went home. Other: This was the first year her brother didn’t come home with her and she was livid, she of course didn’t know what her older brother was going through so she took it a little too personally. She didn’t talk to him until her birthday the next month which was the longest she had gone without talking to him. 

fourth year

Best subject: Study of Ancient Runes and Charms Favorite subject: Transfiguration Worst subject: Herbology and Astronomy Least favorite subject: Herbology Quidditch: She completely stopped showing up for quidditch games by this point, unless it was an important game even then she’d ditch early. She wasn’t concerned with pretending to like the stupid game anymore. Hogsmeade: Mila went with her Slytherin friends and a few Ravenclaw ones, she spent most of her time and money at Honeydukes then the group of them went to the Three Broomsticks before they left and had a butterbeer. Christmas holiday: Went home. Other: Mila and Nikolai began getting closer around this time, they weren’t exactly joined at the hip or anything but they hung out if they both had free time. There weren’t any deep conversations, usually them just sitting in silence and enjoying each other’s company. She was also absolutely terrified about what she had been hearing about the Death Eater attacks. Theodore didn’t tell her he was involved with the Death Eaters at this time.

fifth year

Best subject: Study of Ancient Runes, Charms, and Transfiguration Favorite subject: Charms and Arithmancy Worst subject: Herbology Least favorite subject: Herbology and Astronomy Quidditch: Didn’t go to any games at all her fifth year, she usually took this time to catch up on her school work or go sneaking around with her boyfriend at the time. Hogsmead: She went with a mixed group of friends from Ravenclaw and Slytherin, also with her boyfriend at the time. She had her first date at Madam Puddifoot’s teashop which was absolutely dreamy to her at the time. She went to Honeydukes after and then finished the day at the Three Broomsticks. Christmas holiday: Went home. Other: During her fifth year was when her relationship with Nik really blossomed but she couldn’t help but be disappointed since this was his last year at Hogwarts. But she really tried to see him every chance she got when she had free time. Mila still wasn’t told about her father’s involvement with the Death Eaters at this time.

O.W.L. Scores

Potions: Exceeds Expectations Charms: Outstanding Transfiguration: Outstanding Astronomy: Poor Herbology: Dreadful Arithmancy: Exceeds Expectations Study of Ancient Runes: Outstanding History of Magic: Exceeds Expectations Defense Against the Dark Arts: Exceeds Expectations

sixth year

Dropped subjects: Astronomy, Herbology, and Arithmancy Electives: Alchemy and The Study of Ancient Runes Best subject: Charms and Defense Against the Dark Arts Favorite subject: Transfiguration and Charms Worst subject: Potions Least favorite subject: Potions Quidditch: Didn’t attend any games her sixth year, usually used this time to try and keep up with her Potions work since it was really difficult her sixth year. Hogsmeade: She went with a group of her friends and definitely ignored Madam Puddifoot’s since she was broken up with by her boyfriend at the time. However, she did go to the Shrieking Shack with her friends and ended up hexing him when she saw him with another girl. She got detention for two weeks for that but she thought it was worth it. Christmas holiday: Went home. Other: When she came home for Christmas this year, Theodore told her about his involvement with the Death Eaters. He told her that when she was seventeen she’d have to make a choice on whether or not she’d be joining them.

seventh year

Best subject: Charms, Defense Against the Dark Arts, and Transfiguration Favorite subject: Defense Against the Dark Arts and Transfiguration Worst subject: None Least favorite subject: None Quidditch: She only attended two games for her seventh year, she figured she might as well since it would be the last time she’d be seeing her house play - she only left early once. Hogsmeade: This year Mila went to Hogsmeade alone and spent most of this time reflecting on where her life after Hogwarts would take her. But she made her annual trip to Honeydukes, of course. Christmas holiday: Went home. Other: Mila got the Dark Mark this year.

N.E.W.T Scores

Potions: Acceptable Charms: Outstanding Transfiguration: Outstanding Defense Against the Dark Arts: Outstanding Study of Ancient Runes: Exceeds Expectations Alchemy: Exceeds Expectations

epilogue

What happened after Hogwarts…

Once Mila left Hogwarts she got the Dark Mark like her brother. She knew that if the Nott’s were going to rise back up, all of them needed to be on the same page. While she was living at home, she was definitely struggling to find a job. She didn’t really know what she was qualified to do but she also didn’t want to be stuck in a job she hated or worse, behind a desk doing paperwork. Boring. Which was how she ended up as a Curse Breaker which definitely wasn’t a job that Mila had ever considered before. But she discovered that she really liked it and it also got her to work on her spells, especially her non-verbal ones. Mila lived at home until only last year since she was saving up her money to get a place of her own.

Her home is very ...modest but it’s her own and that’s what mattered to her. Even though she was always close with her parents (her dad more than her mom), she didn’t really make the time to visit them as much as she thought. On the rare occasion she would visit home, she always felt this need to do more and be better. She had to do more to try and get the Nott’s reputation restored, she had to be a better Death Eater but also better in her career. Since her father couldn’t remind her of this everyday since they were no longer under the same roof, it felt as if he had to drill it into her head as soon as she walked in through the door. Although Mila wasn’t really sure what else she could do, she was pushing herself as hard as she could.

Since she threw herself pretty much head first into her career and her life with the Death Eaters, she never really had much time for friends. She’d usually end up bailing on gatherings with her old friends from school or just flat out ignoring them. But Mila always had time for a little romance, even though the last serious relationship she had was when she was a fifth year. Having a nice man or woman (only men if you’re her parents) take her out and treat her to an expensive meal always lifted her spirits after working hard, especially the after dinner entertainment. Mila has little to no social life outside of that and she swears up and down that it doesn’t bother her but - of course it does. After seeing how her father treated her brother for being “weak”, she would rather die with the weight of the world on her shoulders than tell anyone she needs help.

[princebenedictadams]

Ben Adams Biography

↬ Full name ↫

Benedict Florian Adams

↬ Nickname ↫

Benny, but that’s reserved for Rose

↬ Birthday ↫

July 16th

↬ Birthplace ↫

Auradon City

↬ Zodiac ↫

Cancer

↬ Height ↫

Liam is 5′10″ ish but Ben is 6′0″

↬ Orientation ↫

Heterosexual, panromantic

↬ Social Class ↫

Upper upper upper upper class -- he’s royal

↬ Wealth ↫

Extremely wealthy 

a p p e a r a n c e

↬ Tattoos ↫

He’s getting a rose for his Rosie

↬ Piercing ↫

None!

↬ Outfits ↫

He’s always in semi-formal clothes cause he’s a prince but some days he just really wants to dress like a frat bro.

↬ Accessories ↫

Always wearing his royal ring (idk the technical term), but soon his wedding ring always

p e r s o n a l i t y

↬ Normal mood ↫

Ben is a happy guy, 95% of the time has a smile on his face and does whatever he can to make those around him happy too. 

↬ Temper ↫ He is probably the most patient person in all of Auradon. I mean, he waited how long for Rose to finally accept that the two of them were meant to be together and stay together? But he is also super patient with people who have opposing ideas.

↬ Discipline ↫

The discipline on this man is unlike any other, but that’s to be expected since he’s going to be king.

↬ Strengths ↫

Ben is kind and physically strong. I’d say mentally as well, he definitely can be persuaded emotionally but he’s usually good at standing his own ground.

↬ Weaknesses ↫

Rose can break him which we’ve seen. Anything happening to anyone in Auradon or the VKs that are in Auradon. If anything were to happen to Nolan-- end of. He’d kill whoever killed Nolan.

↬ Drive/dreams ↫

Ben doesn’t have a lot that he dreams of, he was pretty much handed everything his whole life-- even a soulmate. But he does have a drive to make sure everyone is treated fairly and equally.

↬ Fears ↫

Disappointing people, losing someone he loves

↬ Likes ↫

Rose, his friends, tourney, going outside and being active

↬ Dislikes ↫

Bullies and violence (physical and magical)

↬ Soft spot ↫

Rose and his best friends

↬ Depression ↫

Whenever Rose broke up with him but he doesn’t have to worry about that anymore.

↬ Inspiration ↫

Building a better future for his children and every citizen of USAuradon.

↬ Role model ↫

His parents and Nolan. Even though Nolan probably doesn’t know it, but he admires his heart and his ability to try and get over his fears.

↬ Mental disorder ↫

N/A

↬ Habits ↫

He picks at the seams of the wrists of his jackets when he’s nervous

r a t i n g s

(5 Stars means very high strength, 1 star means very low strength aka weak)

↬ Psychological strength ↫

⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑ - I’d say very strong. He was the only one strong enough to want to bring over VK’s from the isle.

↬ Physical strength ↫

⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑ - Ben doesn’t like violence, but he could knock anyone out if he had to.

↬ Leadership ↫

⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑ - He’s going to be king, it comes with the title for most people.

↬ Wisdom ↫

⭑⭑⭑⭑ - He is good at giving advice but isn’t the best at taking his own advice.

↬ Intelligence ↫

⭑⭑⭑ - It depends about what. He isn’t the most book smart but like he doesn’t need calculus to run a country.

↬ Confidence ↫

⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑ - He’s confident but not cocky. He knows how to carry himself also he does know that he’s hot.

↬ Endurance ↫

⭑⭑⭑⭑ - As a leader he can get stressed so I’ll knock it down to a four star, but he’s quite good at working things out on his own.

r e l a t i o n s h i p s

↬ Father ↫

King Beast

↬ Mother ↫

Queen Belle

↬ Siblings ↫

Only child

↬ Other relatives ↫

Not blood related to anyone else

↬ Enemies ↫

Grant LeGrand he wants to fuck that kid UP, and just anyone who wants to overthrow Auradon instead of having equality

↬ Rivals ↫

Also Grant.

↬ Friends ↫

Rose, Nolan, Sloane, Evie, Chase, Kai, Mei, Sam... basically anyone on the tourney team and in the frat

↬ Best friend ↫

Nolan Adam White, but they’re basically brothers 

↬ Love interest ↫

Rose Malin

↬ Marital status ↫

Engaged, but soon to be married to Rose

↬ Children ↫

Not yet, but eventually Violetta, Regan, Acacia, and Mitchell 

↬ Pets ↫

No pets but they should definitely get a pet.

p a s s - t i m e

↬ Hobbies ↫

He goes outside and tries to stay active

↬ Talents ↫

Ben doesn’t have any additional talents that would not be fair

↬ Sports ↫

Tourney

↬ Classes ↫

Ben is a Magical Relations and International Relations double major and minoring in political science.

↬ Occupation ↫

He’s a student and about to be the king of auradon.

h o m e   l i f e

↬ Location ↫

He has two, the one he shares with Rose and the castle, both in Auradon City technically.

↬ House size ↫

The castle is as big as you’d expect, and his and Rose’s is big so they can have a family and raise them there.

↬ House type ↫

It’s gothic victorian and beautiful.

↬ Level of luxury ↫

It’s pretty luxurious but nothing compared to the castle

↬ Outdoor description ↫

It’s classic and has ivy growing on it with tons of space in the yards and fountains and it’s so green and private.

↬ Indoor description ↫

They wanted to keep the gothic style of the original design but also make it more modern and homey.

↬ Bedroom description ↫

It’s huuuuuge with its own fireplace and personal balcony.

L I F E    S T O R Y

↬ Age 0-12 ↫

Benny lived a very privileged life growing up in the castle and being the little prince that everyone loved. At times it could get lonely, he never knew who was really his friend or just wanted to be his friend because he was the prince. Nolan was the only person he knew he could always count on.

↬ Age 13-18 ↫

Ben dreamt of Rose and had the core four brought over to Auradon from the Isle. It was definitely a big change for Auradon but not one he regrets. He got to meet Rose and fall in love with her. Be broken up with her a few times too. 

↬ Age 19-30 (or 25) ↫

When he got to college, he decided to loosen his reigns a little. He joined the frat with Nolan as the president and him as the VP, kept with tourney. His social side got a little wild the first couple of years but he’s taking everything more seriously as becoming king gets closer and closer. He even got back together for good with Rose and proposed to her.

↬ Darkest secret ↫

Ben covered up a crime committed by a VK who will not be named in order to keep them in Auradon and not sent back to the Isle.

[lgcdasom]

HELLO EVERYONE !   ✖  ◞   guess whooooo -  it’s faye, the typist behind both lgcjiao & lgcmiyoung, and i am so excited to introduce y’all to my last muse here at legacy. i tried hard to make this girl different than my other two muses, but also still wanted to have some fun with her. so here we are - introducing lee dasom, the 23 year old newly signed trainee. she basically joined not knowing wtf she was getting sucked into. i’ve placed some little bits of information about her under the cut, but you can fully read up on her on the ABOUT page. and while her plots page is still under construction, i would love to get some interactions going for her. so please give this a LIKE if you’re down to plot and i’ll slide into your dms. there will be a follow up post after this for the events, so keep your eyes peeled for that as well!

CONTACT ME : here, on twitter under foxglves​, or on discord at 𝙁𝘼𝙔𝙀.#7009

so pre - dasom: dasom’s mom grew up in the states, born to a trophy wife/socialite mother & a father who passed away when she was young. she came from a pretty wealthy family, grew up with top-notch education, etc. she moves to sk to attend university and there she meets dasom’s father.

cont. without her mother’s approval, dasom’s mom and dad get married quickly after meeting each other. friends and family think they’ll fail, think her father is a deadbeat with no aspirations. but then out pops dasom and she’s suddenly the peacemaker of the family lmao

1997 and up: dasom is an only child, born to a musician father and a mother who taught at a small university. they never really struggled much, her grandmother was always quick to send money their way after dasom came into the picture. she grew up getting anything she asked within reason, but she never really acted like a spoiled brat

dasom’s father is basically a musical genius, and loves to teach his daughter everything he knows. he teaches her the guitar, how to write lyrics, and how to sing songs with him. they basically do it for fun and dasom keeps up the hobby, but she finds her interests later in life.

her father starts up a band named geunal when she’s about 13, and dasom loves to listen to them play. she grows rather close with the other members in the years they’re together and thinks of them like family.

random fact: she worked in a thrift shop in high school, quit when she graduated and had to focus on university/her dance team.

she joins satellite, a competitive dance team, in 2016 and fleshes out her love for dance there. she meets most of her good friends while in the group and still talks to them years later.

goes to university and graduates with a degree in dance.

TW DEATH/ACCIDENT (2018) her grandmother arranges geunal a gig at a musical festival in the states, and it’s literally one of the best things to happen to them. they’re all excited, but dasom decides to fly down a day after everyone else because of a dance competition. unfortunately, there is a plane crash that ends up taking the lives of both of her parents and a band member. dasom takes their passing pretty hard, and immense guilt overtakes her. END TW

after her parents’ deaths, dasom drops dancing because she associates it with her guilt, quits the team and decides to pack up and move in with her grandmother in the states (2019) for awhile. there she just really focuses on herself and her grief and also gives her grandmother comfort during this time.

random fact: she brought her dog, soju, over with her to the states but he’s staying over there until dasom gets her footing back in seoul

dasom arrives back in sk at the end of 2019, and is ready to start her life back up. she’s used some money from her parents’ life insurance/selling the house to rent an apartment. also gets a job as a bartender to make some extra money while she’s trying to figure out what to do with a dance degree she wants nothing to do with. 

random fact: as a trainee, her lease hasn’t ended yet so she still technically has the apartment even as a trainee. she stays at the dorms during the week usually, but finds herself at the apartment on the weekends.

she avoids dancing at all costs, but she’s back with her regular group of friends - hanging out and TW ALCOHOL MENTION drinking her problems away at times. END TW

new years comes and a bet is placed - dasom vs some other friend ( possible connection? ), who will get into legacy? she’s drunk when she agrees, but she figures what the hell bc she won’t get in anyway.

jan 2020 - she auditions by singing and playing a bit of the drums. gets in and she’s at a loss bc now wtf is she supposed to do

random fact: she started practicing drums in high school! 

she has no idea what to expect when training begins and she hates it. she sticks around solely for curiosity but right when she’s about to call it quits, she finds hope. the announcement of the subsidiaries gives her the hope that maybe she can make her father proud by becoming a producer, or even joining a band. 

OOC NOTE: i have no idea what path i’m putting her on in the future, i’m just letting this muse lead me and see where it takes us!

PERSONALITY NOTES: overall, dasom is pretty laid-back. she’s not overly serious or critical in anyway, and is rather confident in her musically abilities. dancing is still a sore spot for her, which is awkward as a trainee, but she mainly just half asses it in the dancing classes and pushes through it. 

cont. she loves to party but she’s really a homebody; you’re not hanging with her on the weekends with her crew if you aren’t close/relatively familiar. she’s still dealing with a lot of grief but she feels like she should be over it. she allowed herself an entire year to mourn, and she feels like she should be back to normal now. but it’s not obviously and it’s taking a toll on her mentally. but she doesn’t really share this with anyone.

cont. her cousin is @lgcallie​ btw!! she will literally beat ur ass if you mess with her. seriously. 

cont. her attitude as a trainee is she really keeps to herself? can come off cold or standoffish but she’s very loving when you get close to her. she loves to laugh and have fun, will basically enjoy anyone who isn’t a complete asshole or dimwit. 

yay that’s it ;; thank you so much for reading all of this if you did, here’s a heart ♡

[falsificatore]

       introducing liam d’antona as antony

“ our courteous antony, whom ne’er the word of ‘no’ woman heard speak ”  - enobarbus, antony and cleopatra (act II, scene II)

gday ! my name’s jason, i’m 18, use he/him pronouns, and live in eastern melbourne/the aedt timezone. this is my last year of mostly free time before i move to scotland to get my bachelors degree in acting - i’m insanely excited for this group, and i can’t wait to meet and write with you all! without any further ado, here’s liam!

stats

full name: liam riley santino d’antona age: 18 dob: 5th of december, 2001 gender: cis male pronouns: he/him nationality: english hometown: london, england current residence: edinburgh, scotland spoken languages: english & italian, both fluently - also knows some latin from school

history

( his full bio ended up being i-dont-even-know-how-many-thousand words long - again, kati, i’m so sorry - so for this intro i’m just gonna do my best to boil it down to the key points, but if you’d like to take a gander at the full thing you can do so here! )

tw for parental neglect, alcoholism, and death

liam d’antona was born the first and only child of an english businessman and the heiress of a historic italian winery - his parents had met in edinburgh in their early twenties, his father a student at ashcroft and his mother simply there on holiday. they kept up correspondence even when she returned home to campania, and pretty much as soon as he graduated he came down to stay with her - he won her parents affections through very quickly managing to expand their business to being more of a household name in the uk, and after they got married only a year and a half into their proper relationship they spent a few years making connections, going to lavish parties, and spending way more money than they needed to. both had already come from fairly wealthy families, but the increase in business certainly helped boost them a fair bit. 

finally, for no reason that liam could retrospectively figure out, they had him - and it was fair to say they weren’t the most generously loving parents. he was more a trophy baby than anything else, and while they were never especially vicious to him, they didn’t go out of their way to make sure he was being cared for. luckily, though, he had relatives who did - those being his grandfather on his father’s side, and his nonna on his mother’s. 

the two of them had only met in person once at his parent’s wedding, but they played equally important roles in essentially raising him as he grew up. his grandfather’s house was only a few minutes drive from his parent’s in london, so he spent more time there than not in his early childhood, spending most his time being read any book from his shelves that looked intriguing visually, and when it wasn’t that he would be taken to plays, galleries, museums, he’d be taught how to use a fountain pen and tie a tie, told stories upon stories about his life before his father was born. that was only for three quarters of the year, however - in the summers, liam’s family would travel down to campania to be with his mother’s family. while his nonno took care of business and entertaining his parents, his nonna would tell him about their family history, take him through the vineyard and down ancient streets, let him vent about his school life and tell reaffirm all the things he should be proud of about himself, her passerotto - she’d only ever get stern with him when his italian was off, but even then, she’d come round and forgive him within seconds. 

he doesn’t have a lot of clear memories of his early childhood, but he knows one thing for sure - it was golden.

primary school is where his early memory starts to clear up, especially when it comes to how he met his best friends - distracted when they were first put together as a group for an art class, they’d ended up essentially just spending the first ten minutes throwing paint at one another to see what worked, and when they got sent out and told to wait in the hallway, they’d ended up just heading outside and spending the rest of the lesson time trying to clean their uniforms under the bubblers while they got properly acquainted. he did manage to get on the good side of pretty much everyone else in his year level over time - he could tell jokes, he could speak italian, he knew enough random bullshit to impress people, and he’d actually argue with their teachers but in a way he just couldn’t get in trouble for it - but his gang of four? they were absolutely inseparable. 

when it came to actually learning, that’s where liam fell short - he’d only be able to focus if he actually cared about the subject, which was rare, and even then, liam’s always learned in conversations - all the random bullshit he’s learned, that’s all through things people have told him in discussion. he needs to be able to talk back if he wants to actually retain anything or he’ll just zone out and do something he finds more interesting - any individual studying he’s done is just to win an argument or make a point. the only extracurricular he ever did was debating - he was on his primary school team for his last two years there, but wasn’t allowed on his highschool one given how he outwardly said that the other teams points were ‘absolute bullshit’ when it was his turn to speak in the trial debates.

for his whole schooling career up until he was 16, there were only two classes he could say he did well in - latin, since it was close enough to his second language to be able to piece most things together, and english/literature, since he’d spent most of his time as a kid reading the books that would end up part of the curriculum. pretty much all of his electives were either with teachers he knew loved him, ones no one else would pick so all his friends could make it in, or simple bludge subjects - and one of the ones that fell into the last category was philosophy. he went into it with no clue what he should be expecting, but within twenty minutes he’d fallen in love - it was the one class where he was supposed to argue about nonsensical bullshit, supposed to think of out-there justifications, supposed to do all the shit he’d been sent outside time and time again for in every single other subject. it was like it was made for him - and for a teen alcoholic with an unfavourable learning style, those sorts of classes don’t come easily.

an alcoholic isn’t what liam would call himself - but the compulsive liar he is, his word shouldn’t always be trusted, especially when it comes to drinking. for him, it’s never been a risk, never an act of rebellion - his family’s fortune, his parent’s whole relationship, it was built on wine. he’s been drinking since he was five, sat up at his nonni’s dinner table with a glass of red next to his meal, and when he was finally allowed to tag along to his parent’s parties, no one seemed to mind him taking the champagne only offered by the waiters out of courtesy - some because they found it adorable, some because they were too inebriated themselves to think about it, and his parents? they simply just didn’t care. his mother had grown up with the same familiarity - it was just family custom, really. family custom that may have lead to a dependence, sure, but custom nonetheless - the passing around and judging of a new brand is the d’antona monopoly night.

for seven years since he started, his consumption was minimal - he’d have a glass at dinner, of course, and he’d take something if he was offered at a soiree, that was just polite - but it wasn’t until he was twelve when he slowly started to swim into dangerous waters. he himself wasn’t fully aware of the cause, but then, he wasn’t fully aware anything was changing other than he suddenly needed more and more to distract himself and feel anything but how he was - but the cause was there.  

his grandfather’s passing was nothing less than objective - one day he’s in his library, bitching about one of the dickheads from across the city they’d debated in their tournament that afternoon, and less than a week later his father arrives home from an unusual absence, sits him down at the table, and tells him - actually, he doesn’t know what he told him. he just comes away from it knowing he’d died. he can’t remember the conversation, can’t remember anything between the talk and the funeral - only that he hadn’t cried. neither of them had cried. he treated the funeral with the same business formality he treated his parent’s parties, keeping conversations short with a polite enough smile - but then, when the service starts and people he’d never met before start coming up and telling stories about him, his whole life, a life he’d only been there for a tiny fraction of, and the sheer love they have for him, the same as his - it’s too much. he can’t carry the coffin, can’t watch the hearse drive away - he simply collapses into his mother’s shoulder when they walk past the front row, and he sobs. for the first time since he was a newborn, he goes to her for comfort, and she gives it, in murmured italian he can’t be bothered trying to understand - but it can only last a few minutes before he has to pull away, wipe his eyes, and join the rest of the crowd. he stands alone at the burial. he doesn’t go to the wake. 

from then on out, he does remarkably fine. he goes back to talking at the back of the classroom, back to roaming the city with his friends, back to fancy parties - yes, he’s started topping up his own glasses more, taking a bottle with him when he and his friends go to hang out in the park, but he’s not crying, he’s not wallowing, and that, to him, is what matters. if there is one thing, though - he can’t bring himself to clear out the house with the others. when he comes home from an outing he’d organised as an excuse to get out of it and finds boxes and boxes of books in the corner of his room, he can’t touch them - can’t touch them for two more years. it’s only when he wakes up, fourteen, with one of the worst hangovers he’s ever had, that he finally turns to them - he can’t leave his room, he can’t look at a screen, so he finally grabs one at random. and he reads. and he cries, a bit, when he comes to the parts he can suddenly remember reading with him, when he’d do the voices or chime in to explain for the millionth time why what a character did was stupid - it’s cathartic, in a way. that becomes practice - whenever he’s hungover, at first, but soon it’s whenever he’s bored, whenever he’s lonely, he’ll go over and pick up another book, and he’ll read it until it’s done. soon enough, he uncovers a set of fountain pens, the ones he’d been taught to use as a kid, and he starts to use them again, properly, even if his friends give him shit for it at first. he goes down to his grave for the first time since he was buried, and though he doesn’t cry like he still feels like he’s meant to, he opens up a bottle of baileys - his favourite - and just talks. fills him in on all he’d missed, how his friends are doing, the girlfriends he’s had and lost since he started highschool, everything - and though he doesn’t stop drinking or properly clean up his act, he’s able to carry on.

as much as he would like to carry out all the wishes he doesn’t fully know, theres one thing liam knows he can’t do - and that’s go to ashcroft. both his father and grandfather went, business and literature majors respectively, and he knows full well they were both star students - but school’s not for him, especially not a school that posh, no matter how much they’d both encouraged him to apply as soon as he’s able. he’s seventeen, and he and his friends are taking full advantage of the fact that the school courtyard’s empty during their free gcse study period while everyone else is either in classes or, in their year, in the library - and then one of them comes up with the first spark of the plan. it’s simple - he knows he won’t have good enough results to get in, so to get his dad off his back, he’ll send whatever he gets off to ashcroft anyway, tucked in an envelope with a letter from his philosophy teacher - because who else - and some bullshit essay, and when he inevitably gets rejected, he’ll take as much money as he can and flee in shame. they all will - they’ll move to another part of london, or travel europe, or go to stay in campania, or wherever, and they’ll keep living their lives in opulence, only several hundred miles from where they first began. he does his exams, completely wasted all the while, and when his results come back he doesn’t even bother giving more than philosophy a glance before throwing them into the photocopier and sending the copy away to edinburgh. it’s flawless.

it should’ve been flawless.

when the acceptance letter comes, an actual letter in the actual post, the dickheads, he’s stunned. it takes over an hour for him to process it - there’s no way in hell he should’ve got in, but it’s his name on the envelope, his name at the top of the letter, he’s read it over and over and over again, there’s no mistake. he spends hours trying to find where the original copy of his grades were - on the photocopier, where he’d left them - and when he actually looks, he’s nearly paralysed where he stands. his mark for every subject, they’re all amazing. his whole life, he’s barely managed an average for most of his classes - when he asks his father, he just shrugs. he knows, he knows these can’t be his actual grades, he barely even remembers the exams - it isn’t until muckup day that he finds his answer.

they’re hidden at the back of the staffroom pigeonholes, only the ones belonging to his teachers - in each one, three bottles of wine, tied together with a ribbon, and attached, a card he immediately recognises as bearing an all-too-familiar signature.

it’s a school full of rich wankers, any family could use money as a bribe for better grades - but he knows full well how much all of this is worth.

not just any family can freely give out some of the finest wine in europe.

at first, he wants to go straight home, shout at his parents, call them out on all of their bullshit - he’s lied to get out of worked, sure, but he’s never cheated to get a ‘not exactly one in a million but pretty damn close’ position in one of the most prestigious schools in the country, and this isn’t even what he wants - but as he’s heading down the hallway back towards the main entrance of the building, he realises. he can’t. if he tells them he knows, then he’s admitting that he didn’t want to get in, he’s admitting he was trying to get rejected - he’ll ruin any chance he may have at salvaging the plan.

so he doesn’t mention it. he books a hotel he can stay in while he’s there for the campus tour, packs a bag and jumps on the 5:30am train from london to edinburgh. when his phone inevitably dies, he’s left only with the book he threw in last minute if he doesn’t want to just stare out into the countryside like he’s reenacting some kind of harry potter bullshit - it turns out to be moby dick, which is fine, not ever really a favourite, but decent enough for passing the time - but then he hits chapter 39. 

‘i know not all that may be coming, but be it what it will, i’ll go to it laughing.’

he’d managed to forget about it until that moment, let it sink away like basically everything else he’d lost from his childhood, but - it was the quote his grandfather had always used to reassure him, to give him confidence. the evening before his first day of primary school, he’d kneeled before him, lifted his chin, and they’d said it together, and he had, he had gone in laughing, if he hadn’t he wouldn’t have made any of his friends, gotten away with any of the shit he had - it feels like a sign, in some stupid sort of a way. and then, when he actually arrives for the tour the next day, he happens to spot a board up on the wall, and at first he’s willing to just look past it, it’s just a boring old honours board, he’d seen plenty in his time - but then a name catches his eye. his grandfather’s name, illuminated by the faintest bit of sunlight coming in through the window - and it hits him like a bolt of lightning.

he has to be here. 

it only cements itself further and further as he walks around with the rest of the group, takes in the art, the architecture, everything - it doesn’t matter if he doesn’t deserve to stay, he’ll make it so he does. he’ll work hard. he’ll actually pay attention, even when he doesn’t want to. he’ll study everything he’s told, not just the things he wants to prove a point about. he won’t stop drinking, but he’ll only do it at the end of the day. he’ll be the model of a philosophy student. he’ll care. because if he doesn’t, he’ll have to leave - and if he has to leave, he has no idea what he’ll do with himself. 

it may be a retrospective resolution, but he’ll do it. he’ll earn his place at ashcroft or he’ll die trying.

personality 

(very, very narrowed down, only key points)

+ definitely something he’s inherited from having successful businesspeople as parents, liam is quite the charmer - he’s been able to get away with most of the shit he’d pulled at school for so long simply with a smile, a shrug, or a baffled ‘i don’t know, it wasn’t us, do you want me to try and ask around?’  + despite being largely neglected save for social situations by aforementioned successful businesspeople parents, liam is genuinely compassionate more often than not, and he tries his hardest to stay polite and civil, avoiding conflict when possible and trying to include people if they’re being left out - or at least figure out why it is they got left out in the first place. + even though schoolwork isn’t really his forte, he is naturally quite curious about the world, and loves debating questions and figuring out answers - if something intrigues him, he won’t be able to forget about it until it’s properly dealt with - even then the chance of it leaving his mind is rather small. when he wants to learn, he’ll learn, and he’s good at it - he’s a quick thinker and has a good memory. + above all else, liam is a romantic - he’s had more than his fair share of partners, but all of them he’s treated with equal adoration and respect. he falls in love with someone before even properly realising they’re in front of them, and he’ll do anything he can to make them feel cared for and like they can be comfortable around him. he has a lot of love, not just for people - old books, italy, good drinks, fountain pens - he’ll love something for the love of it, not because it’ll make him look more cultured or help him get further with those around him.

= liam is fairly matter-of-fact and objective - though this helps him get things done and does certainly lend a hand coming straight into the middle of a post-murder scene without letting emotions that aren’t really his cloud his vision, it can get in the way of him properly connecting with people he may not see as justified.  

- though it did help him make his way through both primary and secondary school without having to do much work, liam is a compulsive liar, and he has very little problem with it - he’s keeping up a lie he was at first horrified by that his parents put in place to stay at ashcroft, for example. being a good bluffer isn’t necessarily a good thing, and he doesn’t fully understand that. this extends to how he acts around others, able to quickly put on a mask and discard his emotions, no matter how well he’s actually doing. he doesn’t have time to feel bad, he has a job to do.

- although he does try to avoid lashing out, his temper can quickly rise and get the better of him - he does try to handle his argumentative streak by debating about irrelevant, stupid topics, which does work a treat to stop him from yelling at people, but it can definitely be annoying to some.

- despite confidence being good in some situations, it doesn’t always lend him a hand in trying to fit in with the others - especially in the aftermath of a murder, he should have more tact when it comes to approaching members of the society, but he really has no qualms with going up and just talking to them even if they’d love nothing more but to swat him like a fly, which, in some cases, he may definitely deserve.

- unless he really cares for the subject, liam will put in as little effort as possible, if any, to try and do a good job - despite being energetic, he mostly directs it strictly away from his schoolwork. if he doesn’t want to lend a hand, he’ll simply walk away with no concern for who he’s leaving behind.

imperium

it’s fair to say that liam got into not just ashcroft, but the imperium society because of his family’s notoriety and history with the school - but his name isn’t all he has, even if he doesn’t fully see it himself. he’s a skilled debater, able to see things both objectively and have that objective be outside of the box, and this has lent more than a hand when it comes to his work in his philosophy classes. he can take a lot of knowledge in and boil it down to the things that really matter, which, given how large some of the concepts covered are, is a fairly significant skill for his subject, and he’s able to apply or retract lenses to matters at the drop of a hat to see things from another perspective. he can find an argument in anything, and until he’s perfectly sure he’ll never be 100% concrete in any one view. in short; despite being brash about it, he’s a good philosopher.

octavia

liam honestly didn’t even know that there had been a murder at ashcroft until after he arrived - when he did learn about it properly, he was already beyond the point of being put off from the school by the fact. it was only when he was invited to the imperium society that he had to properly think about it - because it didn’t take a genius to realise there’s no way he’d be in if the spot hadn’t open up. immediately it started gnawing at him, and it was only made worse when he moved into escalus house, in the empty room he quickly learned was once lysanders. he’s felt like he’s being watched since he came in, and even though he knows its ridiculous and he has no reason to feel like he’s overstepping by being there, he’s tried to avoid being in the room on his own since he arrived, much preferring to hang around the communal spaces or just stick close to ophelia. he’s tried to avoid getting involved in the other member’s feelings about octavia’s death since it’s not his place and, honestly, he has no real idea what to make of it. he knows it was a tragedy, and he know it affected them all deeply, especially his cousin who he has the heaviest concern for - but he’s never been the best griever, he knows that just carrying on with his life and ignoring it isn’t a good way to go about death even if it “worked” for him, what’s he supposed to say to those still in the throws of mourning?

he doesn’t remember when he first dreamed about her, because really, he didn’t even know it was her - it wasn’t until he saw her photo up in one of the rooms that he was able to put a person to the face, but by that point, the dreams had been numerous. at first he just brushed it off - he’d probably just seen the photo in passing, and drinking a bit too much every night to make up for not being able to do it between classes like he had in highschool probably did something to his mind. but they kept coming, relentlessly - so, slowly, he’s started looking into things. this is just a problem he needs to deal with, deal with it and he’s done, he doesn’t need to get it involved with the others - and even though he tells himself he wants it to be done with faster, truly, he’s intrigued. he can’t rule out ghosts not existing, he’s a philosophy student, he’s spent more than his fair share of time debating it in class, what happens after death - so if she is really her, and it isn’t just because he’s thinking about it a lot more now, then doesn’t that mean something’s happened to bring her back? he’s no detective - but he’ll find an answer. despite this, he’s avoided joining in on rumours of her return, and denies ever having seen her, dream or otherwise.

miscellaneous

ExTP (50/50 observant/intuitive) the debater/the entrepreneur 9w8, the referee  sanguine gryffindor

- he has genuinely no idea what he wrote in his essay to get accepted into ashcroft - he was drunk while writing it, which isn’t a huge surprise given he hasn’t been fully sober at any given moment since he was about 14, but usually when he’s closer to sober than not he’s able to recall something. with the essay, though, complete blank.

- he’s never played any instrument, but he loves violin music - his first celebrity crush was alexander rybak, and he still has most of his discography on his playlists 11 years after first seeing him in eurovision.

- he’s been to italy every summer without fail since he was born, and though his mother was fluent in english, she still spoke to him in italian when they were at home.

- he is dependent on alcohol, but he’s pretty good at hiding the fact he has a few shots to wake him up in the morning and at least two glasses of wine in the evening - but he’s been drinking as a family thing since he was a kid, so you’d suppose he’s used to it. it takes a lot for him to get properly drunk.

- he’s never learned how to drive, but, again - hasn’t been sober since he was 14.

- he never watched a lot of movies or tv growing up, and still doesn’t, but he adores the truman show - he watched it for his philosophy class in high school when he was first starting out, and now it’s a go-to whenever he’s bored.

- he likes the debating aspect of his philosophy classes more than actually learning about the philosophers behind what he’s being taught.

- his handwriting is more than illegible, and it’s definitely not helped by the dual factors that he’s using easily smudged fountain pen ink and that half his notes are in italian - granted, translating helps him remember, but it’s no help to anyone else who wants to read them for revision.

- as far as his gang from school are aware, he hates ashcroft and is still trying to find a way to get himself expelled.

- he’s good at breaking things but can rarely put them perfectly back together - in his own words, he’s perfectly capable of undoing knots, but he struggles beyond shoelaces and ties and has literally no clue how people manage to tie two pieces of string together.

- despite struggling in school environments, he does still know a fair bit about history and just general random trivia, though for the most part its just things he picked up in conversations.

pinterest

[julietcollier]

Charlotte Winchester || 24 || Harlot at Covent Garden Bawdy House || FC: Heida Reed

Biography:

Life as a harlot is not something that a lot of women aspire to, and Charlotte Winchester certainly never expected it to befall her. She was raised in a wealthy household in Kent, her father having made a prosperous living running a mine in Cornwall. He bought the house in Kent before Charlotte was born as the main household for his family, and split his time between it and their house in Cornwall. Charlotte did not see much of her father growing up, as he often had to be in Cornwall to oversee the mines, but she had a male role model in her older brother Edward.

Edward was always the more rebellious of the siblings, frequently getting himself into mischief, but he could always rely on his little sister to get him out of it. Charlotte idolised her brother, and any time he needed her help, she was there. Whether it was opening a window and helping him sneak back into the house when he stayed out late, or lying to their mother that he had been in town shopping with her when he had really been out gambling with his friends, Charlotte was an expert in getting her brother out of trouble.

Tragedy struck the family first when Charlotte was seventeen, when their mother died. In his grief, their father became even more distant and very rarely came home to see his children, and Edward’s own grief caused him to spiral further downwards. She wouldn’t see him for days on end, when he would come home stinking  of drink with empty pockets. Suddenly, Charlotte not only had to be a sister to Edward, but act as his mother too since he seemed incapable of caring for himself. Having to be the one to scold and chastise Edward when she had originally been his greatest defender drove a wedge between the siblings, and that gap only widened when their father perished in a mine collapse a few years later.

Now Edward had inherited the family fortunes and business, but he took no responsibility for it. Instead of diligently caring for the mines that their great grandfather had built up from nothing, Edward let things fall into disarray. They were losing good miners to their rivals, and without the care needed to work out where best to mine, they were losing out on profits too as nothing valuable was being found. Charlotte tried desperately to keep the family business running, but since she had never been expected to take over, she had little experience in running or operating a mine and even though people tried to help her, things were failing too quickly for her to learn in time to make a recovery. Meanwhile, her brother had taken up a residence in London and was squandering what money they did have on drinking, gambling and harlots.

After working tirelessly to little avail, Charlotte finally ventured to London to confront her brother and found him wasting even more of their money in his favourite gambling den. She was disgusted to see that the money their father had worked so hard for was falling into the clutches of pimps and thieves. Normally a demure woman, Charlotte had no issue shrieking at her brother for his idiocy in front of the entire establishment and the people he was currently gaming against. Unfortunately, her lack of discretion in regards to their predicament caught the attention of Edward’s main rival at the table who had already taken a fortune from him. A different kind of wager was offered for the next hand of cards. If Edward won, he would get back every penny of the money he had lost that night and then some. But if his rival won, then not only did they get to keep the money, but they would win Charlotte as well.

She was horrified, but before she could even open her mouth to protest, Edward agreed to the wager. As her only living relative remaining and with her being unmarried, unfortunately Edward did have this level of control over her, but he had never exercised his right to it before. He seemed confident of his chances, but it didn’t take long for that arrogant smirk on his face to turn to one of confusion and then genuine fear. The game was over, and Edward had lost. Almost immediately, Charlotte had to be restrained by the other patrons from strangling her brother in rage. She kicked and screamed and cried, yet Edward just sat there in shock and did nothing as she was taken away by the person now responsible for her. 

Charlotte thought that she had been wagered to be married off if she was won, but the reality was so much worse. Edward had lost to the owner and operator of the Covent Garden bawdy house, who had been looking for new girls that would fetch a pretty price. Charlotte was young and beautiful, with full lips and dark curls that would draw any cull’s attention. In just one lost gamble, Charlotte had gone from being a respectable young woman to a common harlot, and yet she was one of the more fortunate ones. Covent Garden had one of the more respectable bawdy houses, and at least she would not want for food and shelter. Still, she would not get used to her new life overnight. There was no use in protesting, her brother had agreed to the wager in front of multiple witnesses and in the laws of the gambling dens, all bets were final once shook upon.

Charlotte is still relatively new to life as a harlot compared to most of the other girls, but she has developed a knack for learning what culls want and has built a reputation for herself as a true experience rather than a quick source of pleasure. She has found a way to cope with what life has thrown at her, as she always has done, but there are still many nights when she cries herself to sleep, horrified by what she has become.

Relationships:

Edward Winchester (Wanted Connection, name can be changed) - Older Brother. Although they had a strong bond growing up, Charlotte is now resentful to her older brother. He is the reason she had to become a harlot, and she is heartbroken that her brother would ever even consider betting her in a gamble, let alone that he agreed to it so quickly. Current relationship TBD, but potentially her brother is trying to turn his life around and save his sister from the mess he got her into

Friends (Wanted Connections) - People that have helped Charlotte adjust to her new life, such as other harlots who have offered her advice

Regular Client (Wanted Connection) - A regular cull of Charlotte’s, who potentially has feelings for her and is considering buying her out of the bawdy house (if someone brings me this as a Jack Farthing fc then I will scream with joy)

[crazynekochan]

Omegaverse Fantasy AU: There are two kingdoms, one far more prosperous than the other, but the less prosperous kingdom has an skilled army, and a climate & terrain that would make any sort of military campaign pure misery (like if you combined Russia in the winter with the Vietnamese jungle) so they keep the peace by consistent trade for magical resources and technological components that the less prosperous kingdom can’t really use that much but the more prosperous one desperately needs if they want their very advanced magic-tech to keep running.

In the less prosperous kingdom, Mechana, omegas are not very well respected and seen mostly as wanton hussies that need to be controlled lest they shame their families, excepting some border towns. Heck, in more rural and poorer towns, having only an omega child is seen as a sign of weakness on their sire’s part (it’s not true, but this is superstition; stuff is never true). Quite unfortunately for Kazuichi and Mikan, as they both live in those sorts of rural towns and their families take out their frustrations on them.

In the more prosperous kingdom, Novoselic, omegas are pretty much the ideal mates and even common-born omegas can rise to the level of nobility through marriage. To abuse an omega is seen as a great disgrace, especially with the quite low omega birth rate making them very valuable as martial assets (though the omega has final say in who they marry, since they’re going to be stuck with their mate til death do they part). Some nobles are even willing to pay top dollar for the chance to mate an omega.

Seeing a golden opportunity to make some money (pranks and housing get expensive and half the organization was dirt poor before they joined), Kokichi and his organization DICE (which actually does have 10,000 members) create a business to bring omegas over from Mechana to Novoselic and arrange their marriages to high-ranking and/or wealthy sires, with the omegas getting full say in who they meet with and eventually mate, of course. No one’s quite sure if this is considered human trafficking, since the omegas are willingly going, but no one’s gotten arrested for it yet so it’s not against DICE rules.

The DICE agents in Mechana make habits of going into the regions where omegas are more likely to be treated poorly and they ask around about which families have omega children that they want to get rid of. When they find families willing to give up their omega children, they trade the kids for a hefty chunk of gold (which is a hunk of copper with some gold dust on it, of course) and then leave town when the omega is ready to leave (in the case of some highly abused omegas, right after the ‘gold’ changes hands). That the families most often suffer quite unfortunate “accidents” after the DICE agents are at least a couple miles away is a complete coincidence, they swear.

When the DICE agents (for this trip, Miu, Kaede, and Kaito, though they’re technically volunteers) come to Kazuichi’s village, Mr. Souda quickly volunteers Kazuichi up in exchange for the “gold”. Kaz would protest but defying his father rarely ends well and this is an opportunity to get away from his father and a village that has never treated well in his entire life, so he packs up his meager things and climbs onto the DICE covered wagon.

They head out and arrive in the nearby town where Mikan lives, while Kazuichi is lying on his side in the back of the wagon in pure misery from motion sickness, while Kaede is busy trying to use her healing music to help him fix it, if not stop him from barfing all over the back of the wagon (they have another town after this, then they have to get through the border and the smell stays in the wagon, no matter how much you clean).

Mikan comes aboard, very meek and shy, and quickly give Kaz some healing herbs that, while he’s still a bit dizzy, fixes his nausea. And when Kaz thanks her, she starts crying since no one had ever been that nice to her, much to the worry of everyone else in the wagon (Miu wishes she made the “accident” befalling the Tsumikis bigger, just for that).

Finally, they get to the last town on this trip, which is actually quite well off compared to the other towns in the region, the kind of town that Kazuichi and Mikan would define as a small city (it’s closer to a mid-size town, really). Miu is staying with the cart this time and is actually getting to know Mikan pretty well and has gotten on with Kazuichi like a house on fire. They’re in the middle of messing around with a test engine, with Mikan providing worried commentary, when they hear a massive argument approaching them from the town square entrance. 

They turn and see that Kaito and Kaede are in the middle of a quite nasty yelling match with an alpha male with long dark hair and blood red eyes, while a brunette omega male is pulling on the mystery alpha’s sleeve to keep him from actually punching Kaito. As all the omegas are quite easily terrified, they hide and watch the argument by peering around the wagon cover hole.

The alpha is Izuru, who is very much against his brother going off with some shady alpha and beta woman to have god knows what happen to him. Hajime wasn’t really sold so much as he volunteered, since their family was greatly in debt and they very much needed the money they would get from DICE (Kaito and Kaede gave them actual gold after hearing their story), which Izuru vocally opposed all the way from their home to the square, where the argument has reached a boiling point. 

Izuru notices Miu, Mikan, and Kazuichi peering at them from the cart (and they immediately go back into hiding because scary angry alpha) and gets angrier, convinced that this is actually an omega trafficking scheme (and it technically is, they haven’t worked out the whole “is this legal” thing yet). Because they’re causing a scene and this might actually turn into a fight, Kaede speaks up and suggests that Izuru come with Hajime as an escort, since that would prove that this isn’t a trafficking scheme (what idiot traffickers would bring the highly overprotective alpha brother of one of the omegas they’re trying to traffic, after all?). Hajime agrees to get Izuru to calm down, which makes Izuru reluctantly agree, giving threatening glances to Kaede and Kaito all while wishing their parents goodbye and getting in the wagon. 

Kaz, Mikan, and Miu all scoot as far away from Izuru as they can in the (not very roomy) wagon, but Hajime is much more personable and by the time they reach the border checkpoint, they’ve all become friends. They get let through the checkpoint relatively quickly and, after another day’s worth of travel (by which point the herbs that Mikan gave Kazuichi have all run out and worn off, so now Kaz is suffering from motion sickness again), they all arrive at the DICE Matchmaking Service HQ (which looks a lot like a love hotel, something that makes Izuru distinctly unhappy).

They finally disembark and are greeted at the front by part-timers Komaru and Aoi, who usher them to the rooms that they’ll be staying in while the matchmaking process goes on. When the group has gotten settled, they have dinner and meet with Shuichi and Kyoko (who are the part of the screening process for the agency) after. They meet individually, with each omega telling the two detectives what they want in a partner (Mikan apologizing and crying all the while) and the two detectives note their reactions, special traits, and personalities to better check for compatibility. 

When their meetings are done, the detectives wish the newcomers good night and head to Kokichi’s office with their findings. After giving Kokichi the basic rundown of each omega’s personality and appearance, Kokichi turns to his big board of sires and planned matches, looking extensively over it until he places some cautious pins and string connecting Kazuichi to Gundham (the princess’s best friend and the court animal trainer/sorcerer), Mikan to Ibuki and Chiaki (Ibuki (alpha, sorry) is a very famous bard and Chiaki is one of the most prominent gamers/mages in the continent, looking for a third in their relationship), and Hajime to Nagito (Grand Duke and the king’s nephew on his mother’s side). After looking over the connections, Kokichi tells Kyoko to tell Gundham, Ibuki, and Nagito in the morning that they’ve got a match.

Kazuichi and Mikan have never been in housing this nice or had food that good, so they’re really happy but scared about what the future may bring. Hajime and Izuru, who are still pretty cautious about this whole enterprise but needs to put on a brave face for Kaz and Mikan, who are much more nervous, act pretty happy too but when Kaz and Mikan are asleep, they have a quiet discussion about what would happen if this turns out to be a terrible idea. Izuru swears to protect Hajime before he gets hurt, they hug and then head to sleep, a bit worried and already preparing ways to escape with all of them alive and intact in case this goes sour.

(AN: And that’s where I’m ending it because good god, I need to sleep. I’ll probably send more asks about this Matchmaker AU, but this initial set is way too long for an ask chain. Please leave some feedback!)

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Mod: I am so in love with this. I actually read this one a few times over the last few weeks. Though I always go “poor baby” when I read it, because I feel so bad for them all ;-;

Anyway, that is a very awesome idea and sadly the first time I saw it in such a way. I saw many prompts and fics with such omega matchmaking services, but they never were voluntary on the omega’s side. So it’s such a wonderful change to see one where it’s all about rescuing omegas from their bad homes and letting all the say in their hands

Kokichi would be so boss at his job at finding the perfect match, since he is after all a very analytical person and deeply caring, even if he never really shows it. But by god he would have the time of his life making the omegas’ shitty families miserable for mistreating their children for their dynamic (What would make it even more badass if we added in my personal HC that Kokichi would also be an omega, but that is of course up to you) Also great call to have Kyoko and Shuichi do background checks on everyone who comes into the matchmaking service to make sure that everyone is safe

Truth to be told, I could actually see Sonia funding DICE’s projects since she does have a high sense for justice. And also because her best friend and cousin are after all also trying to find a match through the service

I loved how you put in Izuru and why Hajime decided to go there. It fits them both well, and the thought of Nagito later on trying to court Hajime while Izuru is literally giving him death stares since he doesn’t trust him for a moment is funny as hell. Btw. there is no need to feel sorry for having a character have a dynamic that isn’t my personal HC. This is your story and I’m not some dictator who decides on headcanons ^^ So in short, feel free to change things up as much as you like ♥

I wonder how the courting of all the characters would look like, considering the background of how they met and especially their characters. I could imagine Nagito not feeling like he is actually deserving of someone like Hajime, while Izuru is as mentioned giving him constant death glares. Gundham is seriously questioning just what in god’s name made him sign up at the matchmaking service when he gets the note that they found a match, which he really doesn’t believe, until he meets Kazuichi and his brain just deep fries. While Mikan would probably hit it right off with Ibuki and Chiaki, however her trauma would be the biggest problem in their case

[marcothehobbit]

OC Facts feat. Hadrian Trevelyan

Thank you so much to @merrybandofmurderers​ for tagging me in this! And I’m sorry it took so long for me to complete; I just finished moving across country so I had to work on it here and there when I wasn’t packing boxes.

Here’s my lovely Hadrian, including a second shot where you can see his broken nose better (and somehow both of these screenshots are him talking to Dorian?? idk man):

I’m gonna put this under a cut because it’s  v e r y  long! Enjoy :)

PLACE IN SOCIETY 

✖ FINANCIAL – wealthy / moderate / poor / in poverty

Hadrian comes from House Trevelyan, and though he is the youngest child in his family and therefore not the heir, he certainly does not want for anything. He frequently donates to Chantry efforts to help the poor and disadvantaged members of society, but other than this, he’s never been a big spender like others in his family.

✖ MEDICAL – fit / moderate / sickly / disabled / disadvantaged

At the Siege of Haven, Hadrian suffered a concussion, a few broken ribs, and an overextended right knee in his altercation with Corypheus. These injuries took a while to heal, and Hadrian tried to patiently wait to get better, but his sense of duty to lead the people of the Inquisition to safety led him to push himself a bit too far at times, and though he tried to hide it, some of his followers spied him hunched over in pain. After some time and rest, Hadrian is back to peak physical health, though he still suffers some difficulty sleeping and sensitivity to loud noises as a result of the concussion.The only indication of past injury anyone can see on his person now is a broken nose he received many years ago that didn’t quite heal straight.

✖ CLASS OR CASTE – upper / lower / middle / working / unsure

Overall, Hadrian is definitely a member of the upper class in society. He was destined, as many younger Trevelyan family members are, for the Chantry; Hadrian had welcomed this as an opportunity regardless of its cost and even if he’d have to reject wealth and status. However, what with being sent to the Conclave and subsequently becoming Inquisitor, he once again found himself assuming his previous role, using his noble status as leverage for the Inquisition as needed.

✖ EDUCATION – qualified / unqualified / studying

Hadrian’s family places a big importance on giving a good education to all Trevelyan children, so he received a full set of courses from private tutors in every relevant subject from rhetoric to mathematics, including special lessons on the Chantry since he was originally destined to take vows there. Hadrian’s favorite subject to learn was history, especially about past heroes and battles. When he was younger, Hadrian looked up to many of the figures he read about in old stories, and he also enjoys listening to Solas’s accounts of the battlefields and conflicts the latter has witnessed in the Fade.

FAMILY 

✖ MARITAL STATUS – married, happily / married, unhappily / engaged / partnered / divorced / widow or widower / separated / single / it’s complicated

Hadrian and Cassandra got engaged a few months after the Exalted Council, and his proposal was a very romantic event. One day, the advisors summoned Cassandra to an impromptu meeting in the Skyhold armory on the pretense of touching base with her before she left to go find some of the missing Seekers. When she left the armory about an hour later at sunset, she found a path of flower petals lined with candles, and every 10 feet or so was a basket with a piece of paper inside detailing one thing Hadrian loves about her or a happy memory from their relationship. Cassandra followed the path, which led up the steps into the great hall and out to the garden. Here, she found Hadrian by himself dressed in his best ceremonial armor flanked on both sides by flowers, and from the trees were hung over a hundred glass baubles, each one containing a brightly burning candle. Once Cassandra was close, Hadrian took her by the hands and recited a romantic poem that he’d been writing for her, and then got down on one knee before asking her to marry him. With tears in her eyes, Cassandra accepted, and as they kissed cheers erupted from above. The couple looked up in surprise to see the ramparts filled with as many Inquisition members as would fit (plus the advisors, obviously), and Hadrian shouted up amusedly at them that he’d told them not to watch. Leliana shouted back that “They couldn’t help themselves,” and Hadrian and Cassandra laughed and kissed again.

The two have talked a bit about their future wedding, the main sentiment being that they’d like it to be as small as possible. They both come from big noble families and know that a) they don’t necessarily get along with a lot of their relatives, and b) once you start inviting people it can get out of hand very quickly.

✖ CHILDREN – has children / no children / wants children / adopted children

Hadrian has always known that he wants children, but he and Cassandra have agreed that now is not the time. What with her efforts to rebuild the Seekers to be more just (especially towards mages) and his continued efforts on behalf of the Inquisition, the two are simply too busy working and traveling for the time being.

✖ FAMILY – close with siblings / not close with siblings / has no siblings / siblings are deceased / it’s complicated

Hadrian is the youngest of 5 siblings, and he has three older brothers and one older sister: Lawrence is the oldest, Arianna is the second child (and only girl), Wilmar is the third, and Rayner is the fourth. He is only regularly in touch with his sister, Arianna, as she is the only one of his siblings that he is still close with. Hadrian has never particularly gotten along with Rayner as the latter is overly competitive and resentful of his lot in life as the fourth child, and he’s always been jealous when his siblings get more attention and recognition than he does. Wilmar and Hadrian were close as children, but after the former began showing signs of magic, he was taken to live in the Ostwick circle; Wilmar stayed in regular contact with his family, but they haven’t heard from him since that circle rose up. Hadrian thinks of his mage brother frequently nowdays, his brow creasing with worry as he wonders what has become of his sibling. Lastly, like with Wilmar, Hadrian and Lawrence got along when they were young, but the latter has become quite shrewd in adulthood and concentrated almost entirely in managing the family’s finances. Hadrian and Varric bonded when they first met over having boring, overly business-focused older brothers.

On the other hand, Arianna and Hadrian remain close despite their distance (Arianna still lives in Ostwick), and they regularly exchange letters to update each other on their respective lives. Arianna is happily married to her wife Antonia, who is originally from Antiva, and they have an adopted daughter named Amelie, whom Hadrian has only met once due to his duties with the Inquisition. Hadrian actually got his broken nose by defending Arianna from a distant Trevelyan relative--a very bigoted one--and getting smacked hard across the face with a full wine bottle as a result. His nose has never been the same, but Arianna has always been grateful to her little brother for standing up for her.

✖ AFFILIATION – orphaned / adopted / disowned / raised by both parents / it’s complicated

Hadrian has a pretty average relationship with his parents, Cadencia and Rowan Trevelyan. When he was a child, they certainly doted on him since he was the youngest, and as he got older they tried to make sure that he was prepared for life in the Chantry. Hadrian’s parents were certainly surprised when their youngest son became Inquisitor and commanded an army seemingly out of the blue, but they are proud of what he has achieved, and they try to stay in touch with him often to make sure that he is getting enough vegetables.

TRAITS & TENDENCIES 

✖ disorganized / organised / in between

Hadrian is definitely more on the organized side of things. One of the first things he did when he got access to his new quarters at Skyhold was to alphabetize all the books on his shelves; it always baffles him that though Dorian’s bookshelves always seem to be chaotically unorganized, the latter can always find what he’s looking for. Hadrian may not be the biggest perfectionist when it comes to organizing, but his quarters are certainly always tidy when he has visitors (and especially when Cassandra drops by).

✖ close-minded / open-minded / in between

In most situations, Hadrian is ready and willing to listen to and entertain new ideas unless they’re coming from someone he really doesn’t like and/or trust. The main exception to this concerns the Chantry. Hadrian comes from a devoutly Andrastian family, and there are so many members of the Trevelyan family that have taken holy vows that he is on first-name basis with most of the Ostwick Chantry. Moreover, Hadrian himself had not only supported the institution’s efforts to help the poor and needy for years but also looked forward to taking vows himself. Because of this, he respected the Chantry a lot, and after joining the Inquisition and learning of things like the abuse of mages and longstanding oppression of nonhuman races, he had a hard time letting go of the perfect image of the Chantry he had in his mind. With time and considerable thought, not to mention conversations with other faithful Andrastians like Leliana, Hadrian’s view has changed considerably, and he now not only acknowledges that serious changes need to be made but also tries to advocate for the historically ignored and oppressed members of society.

✖ cautious / reckless / in between

The best example of Hadrian’s cautiousness comes from early in his relationship with Cassandra. Both of them agreed that they didn’t want others to know that they were together at first since they’re both quite reserved when it comes to talking about romantic relationships. When Cassandra would go to Hadrian’s quarters to spend time with him in private, she’d knock on his door at the end of the great hall and, once he opened it, say something about wanting to talk through tactics (rather loudly and awkwardly, I might add, since we all know Cassandra isn’t the best liar) before following him inside. The couple waited a few months before telling people or showing any PDA, but Hadrian suspected that Varric had known after Cassandra’s second or third visit due to the dwarf’s asking suggestively in passing how Hadrian and Cassandra’s “tactical meetings” were going.

✖ patient / impatient / in between

Hadrian is generally very patient. He’s usually the last person to (stifle a) yawn during long, tedious war room meetings, and Josephine often goes to him to vent about nobles that are distressing her since he’s a good listener. 

✖ outspoken / reserved / in between

Hadrian is definitely a mix of outspoken and reserved. He typically doesn’t mince words, but when he’s drunk (which doesn’t happen often), he can get quite loud and talkative, sometimes saying things out loud that he’d otherwise keep to himself. If someone is speaking negatively about him, he won’t react, but if they attack someone he cares about, he will speak out decisively in support of his friend/loved one.

✖ leader / follower / in between

Most people that knew Hadrian before the Conclave--including perhaps Hadrian himself--were taken aback when he wholeheartedly accepted a leadership role as significant as Inquisitor is. Everyone close to him and his family in Ostwick knew that he’d been destined and prepared for a life of service with the Chantry, so his subsequent unflinching acceptance of his new role surprised many people from his old life. But Hadrian has proven to be a patient, fair, and merciful leader who uses his faith and the words of his advisors to guide him. And despite his usually more taciturn nature, he’s a surprisingly rousing public speaker as well.

✖ sympathetic / unsympathetic / in between

Unless he’s dealing with a complete trash fire of a person like Erimond, Hadrian is willing to listen to just about anyone to try to understand them. Hadrian is a very good listener, and he’s more than willing to listen to anyone close to him that has a problem they need to get off their chest. He’d probably be willing to do this for any fellow Inquisition member at Skyhold to be honest, but most of them would likely be too scared to take him up on it merely because of his being The Inquisitor™.

✖ optimistic / pessimistic / in between

Hadrian is more on the optimistic side, but this is definitely tested at times. His companions tend to reach out to him when they’re feeling down about life because he can frequently offer a different (and brighter) take on their situation.

✖ hardworking / lazy / in between

Hadrian is hardworking almost to a fault. He is no stranger to late, candlelit nights, poring over letters to important noble allies or old tomes he is using to help Dorian research. It certainly doesn’t help that he tends to have trouble sleeping anyway, and if he wakes up in the middle of the night and can’t get back to sleep, his first instinct is to be productive with his time. Hadrian can have trouble shutting off and relaxing, and Josephine, Cullen, and Leliana have actually had to order him to rest on multiple occasions.

✖ cultured / uncultured / in between

Part of Hadrian’s education when he was growing up was learning about other cultures. Hadrian can remember sitting wide-eyed as his tutor taught him about Orlesian fashion, Nevarran dragon hunting, Dalish deities, dwarven provings, Ferelden mabari, Tevinter architecture, Antivan trade, Rivaini seafaring, Avvar hold beasts, and Qunari vitaar. But reading about a culture is very different from meeting people to whom that culture belongs, and before going to the Conclave, Hadrian never had much occasion to interact with many other cultures, especially the nonhuman ones, aside from some traders, refugees, or city elves that he knew casually from Ostwick’s alienage. Hadrian always felt nervous before meeting someone new from a culture that he’d only read about, mainly afraid of being unintentionally offensive. Since joining the Inquisition he’s gotten a lot more experienced and has met at least a few people from each of the above cultures. He’s also gained friends like Dorian, Iron Bull, and Varric that he can exchange cultural knowledge with, so he’s learned a lot and become more culturally aware, but he’s definitely still learning.

✖ loyal / disloyal / in between

Hadrian is fiercely loyal. Once someone gains his trust, he will stay by their side through anything. This isn’t to say that he won’t question friends’ problematic decisions, but he doesn’t like to even gossip, and if someone is saying something negative about someone close to him, whether it’s behind their backs or to their faces, he will absolutely stand up for them.

✖ faithful / unfaithful / in between

Hadrian is absolutely faithful, and he would never dream of cheating on someone that he was in a relationship with. This has never happened to him, but if he were in a relationship and met someone else that he wanted to pursue, he would be sure to break things off with whomever he was seeing first so as to remain faithful.

SEXUALITY & ROMANTIC INCLINATION 

✖ SEXUALITY – heterosexual / homosexual / bisexual / asexual / pansexual / omnisexual / demisexual / queer

Based on his past crushes, romantic interests, and partners, Hadrian would consider himself (at least in modern terms) pansexual. Though he is currently engaged to Cassandra, he doesn’t particularly have a preference in terms of gender.

✖ SEX – sex repulsed / sex neutral / sex favorable

Hadrian definitely enjoys sex, but for him it’s reserved for committed relationships that he’s in. He of course doesn’t think any less of other people who do have casual sex, but it’s just not for him. His first time with Cassandra was actually the first time he’d even had sex on a first date, but he’d also never been so sure of his feelings for another person before her.

✖ ROMANCE – romance repulsed / romance neutral / romance favorable

Hadrian is a bit of a hopeless romantic. He loves the practices of giving flowers, reading poetry, and other romantic gestures, and he enjoys both giving and receiving these. Hadrian was very happy to find someone like Cassandra who has a similar interest in being swept off their feet, so to speak, and the couple has had a lot of very cute, very romantic dates over the course of their relationship.

✖ SEXUALLY – sexually adventurous / sex experienced / naive / inexperienced / curious / uninterested

Hadrian is sexually inexperienced because of several factors. The main one is that because he was supposed to take holy vows, he was preparing himself for celibacy by refraining more from romantic relationships in the few years before he was supposed to join the Chantry. As a result, he was only in two relationships, both with other guys. And combined with his preference to only have sex with those he is committed to, he hasn’t had many opportunities for learning, but he’s certainly eager to try new things.

ABILITIES 

✖ COMBAT SKILLS – excellent / good / moderate / poor / none

Hadrian is an excellent marksman and very skilled with a bow. While wooing Cassandra, he participated in the archery contest thrown at Skyhold and won handily; he probably wouldn’t have participated otherwise as he’s not much of an attention lover or showoff, but he definitely wanted to impress her. Also, if he’s had a bit to drink, he and Sera try to do trick shots. This little practice of theirs arose originally out of Sera tipsily saying something along the lines of “Hey Trevelyan, bet you can’t shoot one of those banners outside the great hall while doing a backflip off a barrell.” These bets of theirs have gotten more outrageous over time, resulting in a few that seem near-impossible, like trying to shoot an arrow onto Hadrian’s balcony from the sparring area during heavy winds. But aside from these, Hadrian practices every day to make sure his skills are as sharp as his arrows.

✖ LITERACY SKILLS – excellent / good / moderate / poor / none

Hadrian isn’t too voracious a reader, but he has great reading and writing skills due to the customary education he received as a noble child. When he has some quiet time, which isn’t very often since he spends most of his time working or training, he enjoys reading about history. He’s also read some of Varric’s romance serial after catching Cassandra reading it just to see why she likes it so much, and he secretly quite enjoyed it.

✖ ARTISTIC SKILLS – excellent / good / moderate / poor / none

Hadrian has never been very artistic; even as a child he never had much of an interest in learning an instrument or drawing or anything like that. But one thing he does enjoy is writing poetry for Cassandra; he’s not the best at it, but he knows that she loves it, so he enjoys trying his hand at it on special occasions. 

✖ TECHNICAL SKILLS – excellent / good / moderate / poor / none

The same aptitude that made Hadrian good with a bow and arrow also makes him pretty good with his hands. He asked Blackwall to teach him woodworking when he saw the latter working on a little gryphon rocking horse. Since then he’s learned and created a lot, including a few bottle racks for all of the bottles of Thedas and Grey Warden ritewine that he’s found and some sliding bookshelf organizers.

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Please let me know if you read this and have any comments/questions/feedback! I’m very new to all this so I’d appreciate anything you have to say!